Game of the Matchday week 12 - ranked
By Alex Windley
Week 12 of MLS witnessed several teams returning to their winning ways after dropping points in the previous week.
LAFC didn’t let last week’s loss to San Jose dissuade them as they beat Real Salt Lake, Charlotte FC continued to pile on the misery for Atlanta United as they put three past them in their victory, and Evander gave the Portland crowd something to cheer about in the Timbers 3-1 thumping of the Vancouver Whitecaps.
All the games in this list showcased an exciting, attacking style of play that could captivate even a neutral viewer of MLS.
Here are three games from match date twelve that are worth taking a closer look at.
3. Charlotte FC vs. Atlanta United
Though Charlotte FC were the underdogs in this match their match against Atlanta United, they weren’t afraid to go head to head against a side that boasts the attacking firepower of Thiago Almada, Luiz Araujo, and Caleb Wiley.
Lining up in a 4-3-3, Charlotte attacked through their wingers and full-backs. Despite having less possession (43% to Atlanta’s 57%), the North Carolina team stayed compacted defensively and struck when they received offensive opportunities.
With patience and coordination, Charlotte executed a high press that put the Five Stripes under pressure.
After winning the ball back, Charlotte would quickly strike and attack the opposition’s goal with vertical passes over the top to bypass the defense.
That’s how Charlotte scored their first goal of the night through Justin Meram in the 18th minute.
Hitting on the counter, the men in blue kept the ball live just enough to find an unmarked Meram at the back post.
The 34-year-old then finished the pass into the upper roof of the net, putting his team up 1-0.
Charlotte would continue their goal-scoring prowess in the 52nd minute through a Karol Swiderski penalty.
Their third and final goal of the night was similar to their first.
Charlotte’s vertical passing caught Atlanta flat-footed, and Meram, once again - beat his defender, snuck to the back post, and slotted it in to put Charlotte up 3-1 in the 57th minute.
In the end, although Atlanta may have had more of the ball, it was Charlotte who had more quality shots on target and ruthlessness in front of goal to grab the win.
2. Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
The Portland Timbers got their fourth win of the season as Evander led the way in their 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Coming out in a 4-2-3-1, the Timbers played quickly and hard, not hesitating to strike whenever they had a half chance.
In the second minute of the game, the team's aggressive attacking strategy proved successful as forward Franck Boli scored a goal just 60 seconds after the start of the match.
It was a lopsided affair for the Whitecaps as the Timbers would strike again in the 18th minute through Evander. The goal was slightly sloppy, but Evander had the tactical awareness and hunger to put it on target to get Portland’s second goal of the night.
Vancouver's backline was disorganized and incapable of stopping Portland's fluid front four.
Their only bit of luck came in the 24th minute when Timber defender Zac McGraw scored an own goal to get the Whitecaps back into the game.
But, in the end, Evander is inevitable.
The Timbers would put the game away in the 54th minute, with midfielder Yimmi Chara assisting Evander to seal all three points for the men in green.
1. LAFC vs. Real Salt Lake
LAFC is back in the back in the win column with their 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.
The Black and Gold lined up in their typical 4-3-3 with Denis Bouanga and Kwadwo Opoku flanking Carlos Vela, who stepped up as a false nine. LAFC’s front three is fluid and often interchange position in the opponent’s final third.
That fluidity was shown on LA’s first goal of the night in the seventh minute, as midfielder Ilie Sanchez played an excellent over-the-top through ball to Opuku, who finished it off nicely in the top right corner of the net.
RSL’s defense was unorganized and unable to cope with the speed of the on-rushing attackers, and because of this, LAFC punished them.
The Black and Gold continued their offensive masterclass in the 35th minute. While Salt Lake’s defense was much better in this instance, Bouanga couldn’t be stopped as he unleashed a thunderstrike to the top right corner of the net to put LA up 2-0.
Ultimately, Real couldn't get back into the match, and LAFC topped it off through a Mateusz Bogusz goal in the 87th to earn all three points for steve cherundolo’s men.
LAFC’s attack was just too much for RSL to handle. Though the Utah-based team has been in good form lately, the Black and Gold implemented a direct strategy that caught their opponents off guard.