With the NFL and College football seasons coming to a dramatic end, Major League Soccer had its weekend kickoff from February 22-24. The excitement is in the air with another nail-biting season ahead of us. All 30 teams played over the weekend looking to have a strong start to their campaign. Kickoff weekend showcased many new and old excitements that will surely be expressed throughout the eight-month-long season. Here are some highlights.
Reigning Champs Stunned by New Bloods: LA Galaxy hoisted the MLS Cup in 2024, and is looking to repeat. Unfortunately, the champs faced off against a fiery, and the newest team to Major League Soccer, San Diego FC. Established in 2023, San Diego is looking to have another prolific sports organization in the city. SDFC’s Anders Dreyer shined in MLS’s Sunday Night Soccer with a brace (two goals) making it a decisive 2-0 win in Dignity Health Sports Park’s MLS debut.
Favorites Off to a Mild Start: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC have been favorited by fans and betting experts to lift the cup at the end of the season. The G.O.A.T. has seemed to bring in the perfect blend of experienced success from his time in the LALIGA and superb young talent creating one of the strongest in the league. Miami faced off against NYCFC a strong opponent who squeaked into the MLS Championship Playoffs in the 2023 campaign. Messi had a strong performance with two assists willing his team to 90th minute goal to a draw. Inter scored early which came with a red card in the 28th minute making a draw seem like a win.
Dominant Performances: Multiple teams in both conferences started their season with absolutely dominant individual and team performances. The San Jose Earthquakes had a total team performance with a 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Jayden Nelson of the Vancouver Whitecaps had a match rating of 9.64 contributing with three assists and a goal in the 4-2 victory. This gives Jesper Sørensen his first win as manager of the Whitecaps. As previously stated Messi had a brace of assist as Anders Dreyer had a strong performance with two goals.
After just a weekend of action, the MLS has shown a lot of promise to the people bringing competitive soccer to the States. Young stars are filling the game combined with global stars coming over to close out their impressive careers
