
Atlanta United Midfielder Thiago Almada Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 1
February 28, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK - Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for the first matchday of the 2023 MLS season.
Almada scored both the game-tying and game-winning goal in stoppage time as part of the club's 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, February 25. Almada became the fourth player in MLS history to score both a game-tying and game-winning goal in the 90th minute or later, and the first to accomplish the feat since Real Salt Lake's Albert Rusnák in 2018 (August 18 vs. Houston Dynamo FC). His game-winning direct free kick goal in the 99th minute was the latest game-winner in Atlanta United annals and also the latest game-winning direct free kick score in MLS since 2003.
After San Jose took the lead 12 minutes into the match, Almada equalized in the 93rd minute when Brooks Lennon played the ball to him off a corner kick. The Argentine then dribbled past one defender and hit a perfect shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal (Watch Here). With just seconds left, the World Cup winner provided a moment of magic from a direct free kick, curling it over the wall and past the outstretched goalkeeper to give the Five Stripes a season-opening win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium ( Watch Here).
Almada's brace was the first of his career after he produced six goals and 12 assists in his debut MLS season in 2022. With his two goals, he joins Josef Martínez, Miguel Almirón, and Héctor Villalba as the only players in club history to produce 20 goal contributions in his first 30 MLS games. Since the start of 2022, Almada is the youngest player (21 years, 308 days) in the league with at least 20 combined goals and assists.
Almada becomes the first Atlanta United player to win MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire since Ronaldo Cisneros in Matchday 10 of 2022. The Argentine midfielder is now the fifth player in club history to win the award (Martínez, Almirón, Cisneros, and Ezequiel Barco).
Atlanta looks to win the opening two games of a season for the first time in club history when they host Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Matchday 2 on Saturday, March 4 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
2023 MLS Player of the Matchday
presented by Continental Tire Winners
Matchday Player Club
Matchday 1 Thiago Almada Atlanta United
Major League Soccer Stories from February 28, 2023
- LAFC Kicks off 2023 Season with Pregame Championship Ceremony at BMO Stadium on March 4 - Los Angeles FC
- FC Dallas Theme Nights and Promotions for 2023 - FC Dallas
- Thiago Almada Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 1 - Atlanta United FC
- Atlanta United Midfielder Thiago Almada Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 1 - MLS
- Austin FC Announces Update to Julio Cascante's Injury Status - Austin FC
- LAFC Loans Defender Mohamed Traore to Phoenix Rising - Los Angeles FC
- Houston Dynamo Football Club Announce Theme Nights and Promotions for 2023 Season - Houston Dynamo FC
- Earthquakes to Collaborate with Black Arrow FC for Original Content on MLS Season Pass - San Jose Earthquakes
- Obinna Nwobodo Named to First MLS Team of the MatchdayÃâà- FC Cincinnati
- Callender and Kryvtsov Named to MLS Team of the Matchday - Inter Miami CF
- Chicago Fire FC Acquires Greek Forward Georgios Koutsias from P.A.O.K. FC - Chicago Fire FC
- The Pitch (Matchday 2): Top Things to Watch in MLS this Week - MLS
- Flashback: Chicago Firecrackers - New York City FC
- Rapids Host Clinic with Colorado Black Health Collaborative and Project Helping During Black History Month - Colorado Rapids
- Charlotte FC and Atrium Health Create Mini Throne for Patients at Levine Children's Hospital - Charlotte FC
- Toronto FC, Kadin Chung Mutually Agree to Terminate Contract - Toronto FC
- Injury Update: Leonardo Campana - Inter Miami CF
- Nashville SC Update - Nashville SC
- Keaton Parks: "I Feel Like I Belong Here." - New York City FC
- Sporting KC Falls 1-0 at Portland in Season Opener - Sporting Kansas City
- Timbers Shut out Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in Season Opener at Providence Park - Portland Timbers
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
