MLS Notebook: A philosophical question for the ages

We’re now at the quarter mark of the 2023 MLS season (just past it for most teams, slightly behind it for a few), and there are clearly some surprises developing. We’ve talked about St. Louis City’s better-than-expected start at length, and even with the Galaxy finally getting its first win of the season, they’re in a class of teams (including the Austin team that the Galaxy beat) who feel like things should be going better. 

Let’s take a look at a weekend in which all the teams wore either black or something called “acid green” in one of the worst traditions in the MLS annual calendar, in which the league calls awareness to the problem of ocean plastic by making jerseys out of ocean plastic and having players wear them. Completely noble cause, but as MLS 360 viewers discovered (joining those of us who have followed the league for years) that it’s much easier to orient yourself to which teams are which when they’re wearing the colors you’re accustomed to seeing.

Old man yells at clouds rant over; let’s get to some review. 

If the playoffs started today

If the Supporters’ Shield race were to end today suddenly, LAFC would edge out both Cincinnati and New England on points per game, even though LAFC’s still on eight matches due to the opening-day El Trafico postponement. St. Louis and Seattle remain the only two other teams averaging at least two points per game. 

In the meantime, there’s only one team without a win in MLS for 2023, and it’s Sporting Kansas City, who lost 2-1 to the Revs, adding to the mounting evidence that maybe Peter Vermes has lost a little of what he’s had for years. Dating back to the start of 2022, SKC is a less-than-stellar 11-22-10. 

West

1. St. Louis
2. Seattle
3. LAFC
4. Dallas
5. San Jose
6. Houston
7. Minnesota
8. Vancouver
9. RSL

East

1. New England
2. Cincinnati
3. Atlanta
4. NYCFC
5. Columbus
6. Nashville
7. Philadelphia
8. D.C.
9. Orlando

Surprise of the Week 

Houston’s 4-3-1 and the best team in Texas, if you’re looking at points per game! The Dynamo continued to win at home, where they’re a perfect four for four, beating Inter Miami 1-0 (a team that could really use Lionel Messi about now). 

And Sebastián Ferreira even got a runout! But it was Daniel Steres scoring the lone goal of the match. 

They’re better than ever under Ben Olsen! Oh wait, this is coming in …

Let’s see where they’re at in July. 

Goal of the Week

I’m picking this one purely for comedy reasons. 

Lukas MacNaughton got the credit for that. The Union won 4-2, beginning to look a little more like the Union we expected. 

Quote of the Week

“You know, one of the things we tell them is like when you get in pressure situations like this, you know, think of an egg and a potato. In the same boiling water, the egg becomes hardened and the potato become soft. So what are you going to be? Are you gonna be an egg or a potato? And we just have to learn how to take a positive egg side of things and be hard when things get rough.”

That’s Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson following his team’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta United — after his team let in a truly horrifying own-goal after getting what looked to be a stoppage-time equalizer. This is an early contender for Quote of the Year. 

Something you might have missed

Colorado has quietly put together a five-match unbeaten streak. Sure, four of the five are draws, but the latest was a 1-1 draw against St. Louis City that shows the Rapids can draw at home. (They still only have one win on the season and it’s away, and they’re still 12th in the West. But progress, I guess! 

Number of the Week: 355

Austin FC’s now gone 355 minutes without a goal, following a lackluster 2-0 loss to the Galaxy. If you count the time after their two first-half goals on March 11 against RSL – the team’s last win — it's one goal in 505 MLS minutes. Only three teams in the league have a goal differential below Verde's current -6. 

That makes this Instagram post from Sebastian Driussi all the more perplexing. 

Driussi has now gone 675 MLS minutes without a goal, by the way. 

What we’re looking forward to this week

This week, MLS teams enter the U.S. Open Cup fray starting on Tuesday, highlighted by Detroit City hosting Minnesota United, 2023 Midwestern feel-good story St. Louis hosting 2022 Midwestern feel-good story Union Omaha and Monterey Bay hosting the Quakes in a NorCal showdown. Maybe there’s a cupset in there somewhere?

Then, of course, on Wednesday, there’s more Cup action including D.C. United hosting the mighty Richmond Kickers, plus the anticipated Union vs. LAFC CCL semis first leg. 

On the weekend, lots of Saturday matches will be played, including Nashville vs. Atlanta in a rare (for this season, at least) 1:30 p.m. ET start time, the Revs and Knifey Lion in a top-of-the-East battle and an expect chaos matchup between Orlando City and the Galaxy. Then, on Sunday, Minnesota hosts Dallas in a rare (for this season, at least) Sunday evening match.