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The Pitch (Matchday 2): Top Things to Watch in MLS this Week

February 28, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


St. Louis CITY SC Opens CITYPARK Aiming for Consecutive Wins

St. Louis CITY SC shocked MLS in their inaugural match, as they roared back from 2-1 down in the second half to win 3-2 at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium. Tim Parker, who scored the club's first-ever goal, Jared Stroud, and Designated Player João Klauss were all on the scoresheet in the comeback victory. Next up for St. Louis, their inaugural home game at CITYPARK on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass) in front of a sold-out crowd of 22,500 against 2022 expansion side Charlotte FC.

CITYPARK and the surrounding district is the largest urban professional sports campus in the U.S. and the only one with a stadium, practice facility, team headquarters, and retail store all within the same footprint. The 31-acre urban campus in St. Louis' Downtown West area will unite the region around its love of sports while serving as the heartbeat of St. Louis. The campus creates a 24/7/365 fan and community experience that drives visitors and development to downtown St. Louis.

Currently, $3.5 billion in developments have been proposed, planned, or are under construction in downtown St. Louis. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said that the club's comprehensive stadium plan will "serve as a model for future professional sports teams in the U.S."

With a win in front of an eager group of supporters at CITYPARK, St. Louis would become just the fourth expansion team in MLS history to win their first two games, joining LAFC (2018), Seattle Sounders FC (2011), and the Chicago Fire (1998).

Wayne Rooney's D.C. Darlings Deliver on Matchday 1

D.C. United's 3-2 win over Toronto FC on Saturday surely felt like a full circle moment for head coach Wayne Rooney. Having made his professional debut as a 16-year-old nearly two decades ago, the former England international found himself on the touchline starting 16-year-old Matai Akinmboni in defense.

Akinmboni, who was the second Homegrown signed to a first-team contract under Rooney, earned his spot in Saturday's starting lineup after what Rooney called an "excellent" showing in preseason. The 16-year-old showed well for the 78 minutes in which he was on the field, silencing Italian international forwards Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi of Toronto FC from open play.

When D.C. found itself down 2-1 in the 83rd minute, though, Rooney turned to his rising Homegrown starlets to turn the tide in their favor. "Go express yourself," was the message from Rooney to 21-year-old Theodore 'Ted' Ku-Dipietro, 18-year-old Jackson Hopkins, and 17-year-old Kristian Fletcher as they entered the game in the second half.

Ku-Dipietro did just that, as he assisted forward Christian Benteke's equalizer in the 90th minute before icing a Matchday 1 victory in the 98th minute with his first career goal for D.C. With those goal contributions, Ku-Dipietro became the fourth-youngest player in MLS history to record an assist and game-winning goal off the bench.

Rooney told his Homegrown contingent that good performances in training will lead to opportunities and minutes on the field with the first team when he first arrived. He backed his word when Fletcher and Akinmboni earned their debuts in 2022, and Hopkins started 11 of his 21 appearances last season. Now, the teenage trio, along with Ku-Dipietro, have gotten off to a strong start in 2023 and will look to continue that momentum at the Columbus Crew on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).

Thiago Almada's Heroic Start to 2023

Trailing 1-0 in stoppage time, Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada ignited a sensational comeback in front his home crowd, producing two electrifying goals in the span of six minutes to steal a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. Almada tied the game in the 93rd minute with a strike from outside the 18-yard box before perfectly hitting the game-winning free kick in the 99th minute to give Atlanta the victory. The World Cup winner became the fourth player in MLS history to score both a game-tying and game-winning goal in the 90th minute or later.

Almada entered 2023 as a Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate after he impressed in his first season in the league, earning Newcomer of the Year honors (6 goals, 12 assists) along the way. The Argentine has consistently shown that with the ball at his feet, oppositions have to throw defenders at him. In the case of set pieces, Almada has proved equally clutch, as his winner against San Jose on Saturday was the latest game-winning direct free kick score in MLS since 2003.

While celebrating his final goal, Almada revealed an undershirt that said 'Fuerta Apache,' his hometown in Argentina where his family and friends watch every one of his matches. As his parents worked, Almada grew up going door-to-door in Fuerta Apache selling fruit and vegetables for his neighbors while also spending time with his grandparents.

Now, he celebrates his hometown in front of the 65,000-plus Atlanta United faithful in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The World Cup champion is back in action at home against Toronto FC on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).

Matchday 1 - By the Numbers

Below is a sampling of notable stats and figures from the opening matchday of the 2023 Major League Soccer season:

4: Four matches were won on goals scored in the 85th minute or later, including victories by Atlanta United (Thiago Almada, 99'), D.C. United (Theodore Ku-Dipietro, 98'), New England Revolution (Henry Kessler, 89'), and St. Louis CITY SC (João Klauss, 86').

8: Eight of the 36 goals scored on Matchday 1 were recorded by six different players who were called-up to 2022 FIFA World Cup rosters: Thiago Almada (Argentina, Atlanta United), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Canada, Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (United States, Seattle Sounders FC), Cristian Roldan (United States, Seattle), Facundo Torres (Uruguay, Orlando City SC), and Walker Zimmerman (United States, Nashville SC).

13: All 13 games on Matchday 1 featured a winner. On Saturday, all 11 matches were played without a draw, marking just the third time in MLS history that there were no draws on a day with at least 11 games (12 on March 12, 2022, and 11 on Oct. 28, 2020).

49: Forty-nine different players made their MLS debuts on Matchday 1, including goal scorers Shanyder Borgelin and Sergii Kryvtsov of Inter Miami CF, Klauss of St. Louis CITY SC, and Mateusz Klich of D.C. United.

93: Ninety-three players aged 22 years old or younger as of Feb. 27 appeared in action on Matchday 1.

Record-Setting Attendance and Exciting Environments Highlight Memorable Opening Weekend

The opening weekend of the 2023 MLS season kicked off with a bang, as sensational crowds around the league put the league's tremendous support from fans across North America on full display. A total of 380,502 fans attended the 13 games comprising Matchday 1 - the highest season-opening week attendance total in league history.

With a crowd of 69,345 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and 67,538 in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday marked the first time in MLS history that two standalone games recorded an attendance of at least 65,000 fans on the same day. Supporters of both Atlanta United and Charlotte FC honored the late Anton Walkes, who tragically passed away in January, with pregame ceremonies and tifos honoring their former player.

In Seattle, supporters helped power their club to a 4-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in an electric environment that left Sounders newcomer Héber in awe. After scoring in his club debut, the 31-year-old forward opined on the stadium's atmosphere through a translator, "To be sincere, [it's] the first time in a long time that I felt exactly like I used to feel playing in Brazil. I felt the goosebumps. It's a very unique feeling and I'm very happy."

Nashville SC served as the host of the opening game of the 2023 MLS season, a 2-0 victory over New York City FC. The club debuted "The Man in Black" kit, paying homage to musical icon Johnny Cash and his legendary all-black style, and showcased the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar in the mold of Cash on their tifo.

Finally, in Philadelphia, the 2022 Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Union extended their home unbeaten streak to 23 matches, including 10 consecutive victories, with a 4-1 win over the Columbus Crew. Philadelphia midfielder Dániel Gazdag scored two goals and assisted on two more to teammate Julián Carranza in the winning effort.

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