Major League Soccer returned in full swing this past weekend with several players and teams enjoying positive starts to the 2024 campaign.
DC United’s Christian Benteke delivered his first MLS hat trick in his side’s 3-1 home win over the New England Revolution. Benteke will need to be just as important throughout the season if Troy Lesesne’s squad wants to make the MLS Cup Playoffs later this year.
Lionel Messi delivered his latest clutch moment for Inter Miami in a 1-1 road draw with the LA Galaxy. The former Barcelona tandem of Jordi Alba and Messi connected in second-half stoppage time to help the Herons stay unbeaten.
Messi also impressed in Miami’s opening night triumph against Real Salt Lake.
Both DC United and the Portland Timbers rolled to opening weekend victories, earning SBI honors for their Week 1 performances.
Justin Ruderman and Favian Renkel give you their best performers, teams, and moments from Week 1.
Here is a closer look:
Player of the Week
Justin Ruderman: Lionel Messi
Well, what do you expect? Somebody had to be the first to pick Leo Messi. The man who will be expected to win the most POTW awards this season as MVP favorite had a significant advantage on Matchday 1, playing two games rather than the one that 26 other teams played. Still, he was his usual impressive self for 180 minutes of soccer.
Contributing the winning assist on opening night and registering the stoppage-time equalizing goal on Sunday, Messi’s impact was undeniable. In addition to his goal contributions, the Argentinian legend created five chances, a 75% dribble success rate, and racked up a staggering 27 passes into the final third across the two matches. Sometimes the player of the matchday is the easy pick.
Favian Renkel: Christian Benteke
You never would have guessed that DC United endured a tough string of preseason results, looking at what Christian Benteke did against the New England Revolution this past weekend.
Now leading in the MLS Golden Boot race, over Lionel Messi by the way, Benteke converted these three goals on six shots and three of them on target. Benteke found a way to get service from the wings and just casually dunk over the New England Revolution defenders. They should have put Benteke in the NBA All-Star Game for the Dunk Contest after that display of hops.
Young Player of the Week
JR: Antony
In his last year of eligibility for this honor but first full season in Major League Soccer, Brazilian winger Antony (no, not that Antony) had his breakout game for the Portland Timbers in their season opener. Barely over one week since becoming a father, Antony scored a brace to show his son “how good it is to play football.”
Even beyond his two goals (which were both sensational), Antony was all over the Providence Park pitch on Saturday. From the right wing, Antony completed the most dribbles (2), completed the most tackles (3), and won the most duels (11) of any player on the field. After playing just 251 minutes last season following a summer transfer, the young Brazilian has fully announced himself to the league now.
FR: Dante Sealy
I mean, who doesn’t like a buzzer-beater goal? Dante Sealy secured a last-second win for FC Dallas at home while basically half of their team remains out due to injuries. Just like how Luka Dončić hits a buzzer-beater over a Bay Area, Dante Sealy said, “Hold my Gatorade”.
Sealy has all the potential in MLS to be a superstar in this league and much more, but he needs to have a breakout season to display his talents. With Copa America and the Paris Olympics on the horizon, this is the perfect time for the 20-year-old winger to take advantage of the upcoming momentum.
Goal of the Week
JR: Daniel Gazdag
Many GOTW picks will come from the individual brilliance such that you saw from Carles Gil, Brian Gutiérrez, and Mateusz Bogusz on Matchday 1. The Philadelphia Union, however, scored a gorgeous team move, connecting multiple one-touch passes in quick succession, which finished off with a tap-in (head-in?) against the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
It started with Quinn Sullivan playing a sumptuous outside-of-the-boot pass into a dropping Alejandro Bedoya just inside the top of the box. Putting his sumptuous touch on display, Bedoya controlled the pass into the path of an overlapping José Martinez. El Brujo then one-timed his cross onto the forehead of Daniel Gazdag who couldn’t miss. Forget a curler, that is my goal of the week.
FR: Carles Gil
Oh boy, Oh boy, was this a beautiful goal. Carles Gil, most known for his loose cannon takes in post-match press conferences over the last few years, reminded everyone that this Spaniard is still one of the best in the league.
Gil’s shot was a beauty and perfect jolt of remembrance of what he can do when he is motivated and eager to show what he’s capable of on the field, and not just off of it.
Team of the Week
JR: Portland Timbers
The team we saw at Providence Park on Saturday night looked rejuvenated, reenergized, and refocused from their failure to make the playoffs in 2023. A resounding 4-1 win aided by memorable performances from Antony and Eryk Williamson was their reward.
Both Antony and Williamson, as well as head coach Phil Neville in his first match in charge, were named to the official MLS Team of the Matchday, which was unsurprisingly the most of any team after opening weekend. If the season opener was anything to go by, Portland will be returning to the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2024.
FR: DC United
With a new coach at the helm and not the best results from their Saudi Arabia tour, DC United was set up to stumble out of the gate this MLS campaign. They shocked everyone though on Matchday 1, breezing past the New England Revolution 3-1 at Audi Field thanks to Christian Benteke’s hat trick.
DC United looked like they can go toe-to-toe with playoff contending teams, even if they are not at full capacity.
Best Thing We Saw This Week
JR: Charlotte FC’s “Pepas”
The growing fan culture in Major League Soccer is one of my favorite trends to witness and Charlotte FC continues to pave the road in many ways. The Bank, as Charlotte fans affectionately refer to their stadium, has a tradition of playing the song “Pepas” by Farruko ahead of kickoff while fans in the supporters’ section turn around, put their arms around one another, and jump as one. On Saturday, it wasn’t just the supporters’ section; it was the whole stadium.
For those familiar with European football, this tradition is a take on Manchester City’s infamous “Poznań” celebration. The reigning treble winners in England have a capacity of 53,400 at the Etihad. Charlotte FC had 62,291 fans at The Bank on Saturday – over double that of any other MLS team on opening weekend. Major League Soccer can’t be compared with Europe as a whole just yet, but similarities like this are evidence of the potential for the growth of fan culture in the United States.
FR: Inter Miami’s “The Chip”
Did you guys all see Lionel Messi doing the Allen Iverson step-over of Ty Lue in the middle of a Wednesday night MLS Regular Season game on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass? That was possibly one of the craziest in-game moments not including I have ever seen in MLS since Q, the SJ Earthquakes mascot got involved in a tussle with David Beckham holding a “Up Next on SportsCenter” sign.
Andrew Brody won’t be able to look at chips and salsa, poker chips, fish and chips, chocolate chip cookies, etc., the same way because of that moment. Within 24 hours, content creators were already recreating the moment for views and laughs. A meme happened in the middle of MLS, and I believe it will be the first of several during Lionel Messi’s time in MLS.
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