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On Sunday, cities around the United States (Canada, too) filled their stadiums to once again cheer on its top soccer league: MLS. Scarves were raised, chants were sung, and people generally had a better time than a kid at Disney World with unlimited access to chocolate and Mom’s smartphone. And that was just the jazzy surface stuff. There was also jazzy soccer stuff – like goals. Lots of them.
In fact, the 36 goals scored were the most goals ever netted on an MLS opening day, surpassing the previous record of 27 goals set back in 2011, bringing us to the only logical solution: everyone got their hands on Michael’s secret stuff pre-game.
But it wasn’t just the sheer quantity of goals scored that made an impression. It was the quality of the goals, too. Sublime team efforts, individual brilliance, and sometimes even a combination of the two. To prove it, we’ve compiled a list; a list of the 4 best goals from MLS’ opening day.
4. Tommy McNamara, NYCFC vs. Chicago Fire
3. Diego Fagundez, New England Revolution vs. Houston Dynamo
2. Federico Higuain, Columbus Crew vs. Portland Timbers
1. Ignacio Piatti, Montreal Impact vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Not a bad first day, eh? (That’s funny because Piatti’s stunner came in a matchup of two canadian teams.)
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Wrapping up the rest of MLS’ opening day.
Aside from the spectacular goals above, a few other things happened Sunday as well. Here we list a few of those things (it’s a long list; prepare accordingly): Orlando City completed a shocking comeback against Real Salt Lake to share the spoils with a 2-2 draw; Mike Magee scored a couple of goals in a substitute appearance for the Los Angeles Galaxy; Former Juve man and reigning MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco got back on the scoresheet as Toronto FC beat the New York Red Bulls.
(Inserted as an opportunity to catch your breath, use the restroom, or sneak off to the pantry to find that chocolate you’ve been thinking of since the first paragraph. Everybody good? OK, let’s continue.)
Chris Wondolowski scored a penalty kick to give San Jose a 1-0 victory (which is noteworthy for two reasons: it was his 110th league goal, and a reminder that he’s still playing soccer and not sipping on fruity beverages with tiny umbrellas in them on a remote island somewhere), Sporting KC beat the Sounders in Seattle thanks to a red card and some wet turf, and MLS Cup holders Portland picked up where they left off by beating Columbus 2-1.
Not a bad opening day.
