MLS game recaps, scores for Matchweek Eight

April 25, 2022April 25, 2022 Admin

Matchweek Eight was a home team showcase: Only two away squads won this past weekend. And yes, Citi Field fully counts as the “home” for New York City FC.

Top games from Matchweek Eight

San Jose Earthquakes 4 – 3 Seattle Sounders

Seattle’s Champions League hangover continues: After their B team lost to Miami at home last week, a near-best Starting XI lost to last-place San Jose on the road behind a Cristian Espinoza hat-trick that included the game-winning 90+4’ penalty kick. Call it the Caretaker Manager Bounce: San Jose sacked the eccentric Matias Almeyda last week, and now the team is led by former MLS NEXT Pro manager Alex Covelo.

FC Dallas 2 – 1 Houston Dynamo

In a savagely entertaining game, Dallas stormed back in the final three minutes of regulation time to even the score, then won it in the 93rd minute behind a Facundo Quignón goal off a corner kick. Somebody call the police because Dallas just stole the game:

Orlando City SC 0 – 3 New Jersey Red Bulls

Our enigmatic rivals across the Hudson just can’t win at home, but they’re ripping up opponents in their away games: They’re 4-0-0 on the road. Yesterday, New Jersey defeated Orlando to leapfrog them into second place, with 14 points after eight games.

Minnesota United 3 – 0 Chicago Fire

Chicago don’t know how to score: The Fire are now scoreless in six games out of eight played, and post a league-worst total of five goals. The hapless Fire owe their mid-table form to the goalkeeping heroics of wunderkind Gabriel Solina, and when he has a poor game (not totally his fault: a 77th-minute red card that reduced Chicago to 10 players), they don’t stand a chance. How’s that club-record-deal to sign Xherdan Shaqiri looking now?

Goal of the Week

Call us biased, but 20-year-old Gabriel Pereira of NYCFC gets this week’s honors: Calm and composed, the left-footed right winger takes a pass from Talles Magno, picks his target, and slots an elegant shot through the legs of Chris Mavinga and past the diving Alex Bono in his first goal for the club. In the 75th minute it looked like Pereira was just padding the score, but it turned out to be the game-winner: