Game of the Matchday week 18 - ranked
By Alex Windley
Week 18 of Major League Soccer had some wonderful blowout games with plenty of goals that will be of interest to any avid football fan.
Carles Gil made it a night to forget for an Inter Miami side flying high off of Lionel Messi’s announcement; the Houston Dynamo showed the league why they’re - currently, the best MLS in Texas, and Alan Pulido led Sporting KC to empathic 4-1 victory over Austin FC.
As the league heads into the dog days of summer, expect the performances on the pitch to get even hotter than they were in Week 18.
3. New England Revolution vs. Inter Miami CF
Riding high off Messi’s announcement about his intention to play in MLS, Inter Miami traveled to Foxborough, Massachusetts, to take on the New England Revolution.
Carles Gil ran the show as the Revs comfortably beat Miami 3-1 with pace, precision, and craftiness through the middle of the pitch that the Herons couldn’t deter.
Decimated by injuries, Miami tried their best and came out in a 4-2-3-1, with four Homegrowns in the starting eleven - a historic moment for the young club.
However, New England outmatched them with ease, lining up in a 3-5-2 that allowed Gil to roam and create wherever he pleased. He ended the night with one goal, two assists, and four chances created.
The first goal on the night came from the Spaniard through a penalty following an ill-timed tackle by Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin.
After that, the South Florida club couldn’t get going in the final third despite having the majority of possession of 56% to 44%.
The Revolution went on to score in the 34th and 51st minutes through Matt Polster and Bobby Wood, which would sink Miami even further down into the basement of the Eastern Conference.
2. Sporting KC vs. Austin FC
Alan Pulido is back and better than ever for Sporting KC as they easily dispatched a struggling Austin FC side 4-1.
Austin has lost three of their last four games as they continue to slide down the Western Conference table.
Peter Vermes lined up his Sporting side in a typical 4-3-3 with wingers Daniel Salloir and Mariano Tzionis flanking Pulido as the central striker. Throughout the match, Austin dominated possession 64% to 36%, trying to lure Sporting out of their midblock defensive shape.
However, when KC did get the ball, they were quick to play direct as seen by their 25 completed long balls on the night.
Pulido scored the night's first goal in the 19th minute from a corner kick. Austin could not clear their lines, and the 32-year-old neatly slotted in the ball in the bottom right corner.
KC would keep up their attacking onslaught to score three more times through Robert Castellanos in the 47th minute, Pulido - again, in the 57th minute, and Khiry Shelton in the 89th minute.
Though Austin came into this game looking to control the tempo, Sporting did well to hold their shape and strike offensively when their chances came to them.
1. Houston Dynamo vs. LAFC
The biggest headline of Week 18 is the Houston Dynamo shutting out LAFC in their 4-0 win at home.
LAFC has been one of the best teams in the league for a while. Their 2022 MLS Cup triumph was an incredible achievement for a club that has been moving the needle since its inaugural season in 2018.
However, the Black and Golds have struggled lately since their CONCACAF Champions League loss to Liga MX side Leon. The Steve Cherundolo-led side has lost four of their last five games in all competitions, only scoring once during that time frame.
And against the Dynamo, it was no different.
Houston lined up in 4-2-3-1 with attacking midfielder Amine Bassi playing as the focal point of the attack with the double pivot of Hector Herrera and Artur behind him.
Up top, forward Ibrahim Aliyu provided pace and ruthlessness in the final third, complimenting the midfield trio behind him nicely.
For LAFC, they lined up in their typical 4-3-3 with Denis Bouanga and Stipe Biuk flanking Carlos Vela.
The game plan was simple for the Dynamo; they wanted to play quickly, stretch the LAFC defense and use their wingers Adalberto Carrasquilla and Nelson Quinones to isolate their opponent's backline.
And it worked!
Quinones scored the match's first goal with a sumptuous, right-footed shot that curled just behind LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy.
Houston would continue these tactics for the rest of the night, which saw Amine Bassi score a penalty in the 50th minute, Corey Baird in the 69th minute, and Franco Escobar in the 89th.
All in all, this was a rough game for LAFC. They could not play the game they wanted because of the Dynamo’s quick counter-attacking setup.