Page 75 - Soccer360 Issue 104

#6 EL TRAFICO PULLS IN 82K!
The El Trafico derby between the Los Angeles Galaxy and LAFC has steadily become one of the top rivalries in North American soccer, pulling together some amazing matches in front of passionate crowds. While there have been some incredible crowds in the past, 2023 brought it to a whole new level with the two sides pulling 82,000 at the Rose Bowl on the fourth of July. The match didn’t disappoint either with the Galaxy pulling away with the 2-1 win thanks to a late Ricky Puig goal.
#5 STEFAN FREI TURNS BACK THE CLOCK
Death, taxes, Stefan Frei quietly putting in a strong season for the Seattle Sounders. Some things
are just a constant in the universe. At the age of 36, some might have thought that this would be the season that Frei would slow down. Instead,
it turned out to be one of his strongest seasons, helping a young Sounders backline allow just 32 goals en route to finishing second in the Western Conference regular season. His .88 Goals Against Average was also on of the lowest among all starting goalkeepers in the league.
#4 SOCCER RETURNS HOME TO ST. LOUIS
One of the biggest stories in world football over the last year has been the rise of St. Louis City SC. While most pundits predicted a rough first season for City, manager Bradley Carnell’s side exceeded all expectations, winning the Western Conference (17-12-5, 56 points) over the likes of the Seattle Sounders and LAFC. Veteran goalkeeper Roman Burki led a young, untested group allowing just 45 goals en route to earning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
#3 BENNYBALL WINS IT BIG AT OPEN CUP
When Ben Olsen was hired at the beginning of the season the hope was that in the long-term that he could bring stability and success to the Houston Dynamo. The long-term ended up being just one season with the long-time MLS coach winning the US Open Cup. Winning some silverware spilled over onto the regular season, with the Dynamo finishing in fourth in a tough Western Conference (14-11-9, 51 points).
#2 CINCY CLAIM THE SHIELD
It wasn’t that long ago that FC Cincinnati were struggling to put together one win in MLS regular season play and questions were abound about whether they were ready for the big time. But after three difficult seasons and a shock Quarterfinal
run last year, the pride of Cincinnati earned some silverware claiming the Supporter’s Shield. The group, led by Lucho Acosta (17 goals, 14 assists) blew past all expectations creating an exciting style of play that energized their ravenous supporters who have long yearned for a trophy in the top flight.
#1 MESSI, MESSI, MESSI
What, did you think it would be anyone else? Although Inter Miami CF failed just short of making the MLS Cup Playoffs they did win the Leagues Cup and make it all the way to the US Open Cup final. Considering where the team started the year, at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference standings and sacking Phil Neville that is a testament to the power of Messi. The goals are obviously important but so too is the energy and momentum not just for Miami, but for the league.
Lionel Messi is easily the biggest story line of the 2023 MLS season
Houston celebrates their US Open Cup
SOCCER360 73
2023 MLS FINAL
standings
EASTERN CONFERENCE
TEAM WLT
PTS 69 63 57 55 55 51 49 43 43
41 41 40 40 34 22
FC Cincinnati
Orlando City SC Columbus Crew Philadelphia Union
New England Revolution Atlanta United FC Nashville SC
New York Red Bulls Charlotte FC
CF Montreal
New York City FC D.C. United Chicago Fire FC Inter Miami Toronto FC
20 5 9 18 7 9 16 9 9 15 9 10 15 9 10 13 9 12 13 11 10 11 13 10 10 11 13
12 17 5 9 11 14 10 14 10 10 14 10 9 18 7 4 20 10
FC Cincinnati celebrates their supporters shield
WESTERN CONFERENCE
TEAM WLT
PTS 56 53 52 51 50 48 46 44 44
44 41 39 36 27
St. Louis City SC Seattle Sounders FC Los Angeles FC Houston Dynamo FC Real Salt Lake Vancouver Whitecaps FC Dallas
Sporting Kansas City San Jose Earthquakes
Portland Timbers Minnesota United FC Austin FC
LA Galaxy
Colorado Rapids
17 12 5 14 9 11 14 10 10 14 11 9 14 12 8 12 10 12 11 10 13 12 14 8 10 10 14
11 13 10 10 13 11 10 15 9
8 14 12 5 17 12
Seattle continues their consistency, placing second in the west.