After only two weeks of football, the 2020 MLS was brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic.
To compensate that, we will take a trip down memory lane. Here is a list of the top 5 matches in league’s history (without a particular ranking between them).
Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers, Western Conference Semifinals 2nd leg, 2018
One of MLS’ biggest derbies, with great supporters, big names, extra time drama, penalties. What could be better? The Sounders were coming off a great season, where they were the 2017 runners up. Portland limped into the playoffs with new manager Giovanni Savarese. A fierce rivalry dating back to the 1970s set the stage for this classic series. The first leg was exciting with all three of the goals coming in the first 30 minutes of the game, with Portland coming out on top 2-1 in front of their faithful.
A dramatic second leg went to extra time, where Seattle won 3-2. Timbers players began to celebrate after the final whistle as they thought they had advanced on away goals. However, earlier in the year the MLS had cancelled the away goals rule in case a match went to extra time. This classic was missing only one thing - a penalty shootout. After two Sounders misses, against a sole Timbers mishit, Dairon Asprilla scored the last kick to send Portland through. Absolute madness.
Houston Dynamo vs New England Revolution, MLS Cup 2006
The two best teams in that season faced off - historically unlucky New England Revolution, and new boys Houston Dynamo. The Revolution have been in this stage before, and lost, while it was the Dynamo’s inaugural season. With Clint Dempsey on the bench due to injury for the Revs, all the focus was on two U.S. National Team calibre strikers from each team, Taylor Twellman (New England) and Brian Ching (Houston), with the latter taking the last spot to Germany for the 2006 World Cup.
This final went to extra time, and the breakthrough came in the 113th minute with Twellman slotting home with his left foot to give the Revs the lead. Only 42 seconds later, Ching tied it with a header. This set up a penalty shoot out for the first time in MLS history. Eventually, all pressure was on Revolution’s Jay Heaps. If he misses, Dynamo win. His penalty was weak, and Pat Onstad saved it comfortably, giving Houston their first trophy in club history, and extending New England’s drought.
LA Galaxy vs LAFC, Regular Season, 2018
A wild one for the ages. LAFC made a lot of noise in their first MLS season, and the LA Galaxy, MLS’ most successful club was in some trouble. It was the first edition of El Tráfico, MLS’ second intra-city derby. LAFC brought in Mexican Carlos Vela. On the other hand, the Galaxy had just signed another mega-star: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was coming fresh off a serious injury and started on the bench.
LAFC took a commanding 3-0 lead, including a Vela double. The game caught fire in the 71st minute when Ibra came on. In the 77th minute, the ball fell to Zlatan on a bounce, around 40 yards away from goal. In typical fashion, he belted the ball into the net to even it up at 3-3. 15 minutes later Ibrahimovic headed home an injury-time winner to complete the comeback and win the derby. MLS’ new great rivalry started with a bang.
DC. United vs. LA Galaxy, MLS Cup Final 1996
In the inaugural MLS Cup final, Bruce Arena’s DC. United faced Lothar Osiander’s Galaxy. A non-conventional system of deciding a champion in a football league was implemented: Playoffs. The MLS wanted to make an excellent first impression on the USA public, to show they mean business. They got more than just quality entertainment with this one. It started before kickoff with horrible rain falling all day, nearly destroying the Foxborough pitch on a cold October day.
Regulation ended in a draw. For extra time, the MLS used the new golden goal rule. Just four minutes in, Marco Etcheverry whipped in another fantastic set-piece, and Eddie Pope headed in the winner for United, crowning them the inaugural MLS champions. A classic match that gave MLS credibility early on and set a standard of what was to come.
Portland Timbers vs Sporting Kansas City, Play-In Round, 2015
Just like in 2018, the Timbers limped into the postseason with a late run. Sporting Kansas City also underperformed, barely sneaking in. The two clubs faced off in Portland in a winner takes all match, with the chance to face FC Dallas in the next round.
After a dramatic 2-2 extra time draw, it was time for one of the longest and most tense penalty shootouts in history. With the score at 5-5, SKC rookie Saad Abdul Salam's had a chance to win the game. He sent Portland's Adam Kwarasey the wrong way, the ball struck the post and looked to be crossing the line, only to go all the way across and hit the second post and bounce out. Eventually, it was a goalkeeper duel that decided the drama. Kwarasey slotted away his with confidence and then cemented himself as the hero by saving Jon Kempin’s shot to win the shootout. Truly amazing.