MLS round-up, February 24 & 25

After the AppleTV-pleasing win for Inter Miami over Real Salt Lake last Wednesday, MLS proper kicked off on Saturday with reigning champions Columbus Crew beating Atlanta United 1-0 thanks to a goal from Cucho Hernandez, who also had a VAR-given penalty saved by Brad Guzan. Last year's runners-up Los Angeles FC then welcomed a depleted Seattle Sounders to BMO Stadium, dominating the first half but only managing to grab a goal right on the break from Tim Twellman. Mateusz Bogusz added a second ten minutes into the second-half and Seattle's only reply came from a VAR-given penalty from lively newcomer Pedro de la Vega, who will either set up and score lots of goals this season or throw petulant strops when he can't. Charlotte FCgot off to a winning start under new manager Dean Smith, an eighth-minute goal from Adilson Malanda enough to beat a lacklustre New York City side, while Philadelphia Union needed a late equaliser from Daniel Gazdag to grab a share of the points at home to Chicago Fire. Brian Gutierrez had given the visitors the lead in the first half with a stunning strike, only for Mikael Uhre to level things ten minutes into the second. Fabian Hebers thought he'd given Fire the win eight minutes from time before Gazdag struck.

There were no goals in Florida as Orlando City and CF Montreal drew 0-0 at Inter & Co Stadium, but that certainly wasn't the case in the nation's capital, where DC United put three Christian Benteke goals past debutant Heinrich Ravas in the New England Revolution goal, with just a fine Carles Gil reply in return. Revs had Giacomo Vrioni sent-off for two yellow cards after just twenty-five minutes, somewhat harshly. Austin FC's mediocre off-season paid dividends in their home opener against Minnesota United when, shorn of talismanic playmaker Sebastian Driussi through injury, they fell 2-1 to the managerless Loons. Robin Lod gave the visitors a half-time lead with a rebound shot but Austin were lucky to still be in the game, such was Minnesota's dominance. Alejandro Bran added a second for United on his debut in the ninetieth minute and Guilherme Biro's goal for Los Verde in injury time was nothing more than a consolation. Elsewhere in Texas, Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City drew 1-1, with Erik Thommy's opener for KC cancelled out by Gabriel Segal's equaliser for Dynamo, and a decent-looking FC Dallas beat an equally sharp San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 at Toyota Field. Benji Kikanovic had given the Quakes - wearing a fiftieth-anniversary retro kit - the lead, but goals from Asier Illarramendi and Dante Sealey gave the Toros the points.

St Louis City had a fine debut season but their sophomore effort got off to a lacklustre start at home to Real Salt Lake, the visitors' opener from Cristian Arango levelled by a Samuel Ideniran effort to leave the points shared at City Field. Phil Neville's appointment at Portland Timbers was met with howls of derison from Timbers fans but they may be singing a different tune after his side destroyed an admittedly poor Colorado Rapids 4-1 at Providence Park. Eryk Williamson, two for Antony, and an own goal were Portland's first-half scorers, with (not that) Calvin Harris's reply ten minutes into the second-half a token from the Rapids. On Sunday, both FC Cincinnati versus Toronto FC, and Nashville SC against New York Red Bulls finished goalless, with Nashville clearly missing Hani Mukhtar's spark, and it took seventy-five minutes to find a goal at Dignity Health Sports Park in the weekend's final game, Los Angeles Galaxy taking the lead through Dejan Joveljic. Galaxy then had Marco Delgado sent off and Leo Messi popped up for Inter Miami, finding an equaliser in the second minute of added time to the delight of the Argentina fans in the crowd.