13 Clubs Aim to Open the Season with Consecutive Wins
After Matchday 1 saw a record 13 matches finish without a draw, those winning clubs will look to continue their winning ways in the second week of the season. Of the 13 teams aiming to begin win-win, six will square off against one another on the weekend – Inter Miami CF vs. Philadelphia Union, Orlando City SC vs. FC Cincinnati, and Seattle Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake.
Since 2018, MLS teams starting with two straight wins have made the playoffs 78% of the time (14 of 18). Additionally, that percentage remains consistent (21 of 27) when going back to 2015 after the league expanded to 20 teams.
The percentage of teams to make the playoffs after winning their first two matches since 2018:
St. Louis CITY SC Goes for Perfect Start to Inaugural Season
St. Louis CITY SC’s home opener at CITYPARK on Saturday night will present the club with a chance at history in just their second game. Of the last four expansion teams to enter MLS (Charlotte FC, Austin FC, Inter Miami CF, and Nashville SC), only Miami won their home opener (Aug. 22, 2020).
After shocking Austin at Q2 Stadium, 3-2, St. Louis looks to become just the fourth expansion team in MLS history (excluding 1996) to win each of their first two games. The last team to do so was LAFC in 2018, who outscored opponents 6-1 in those matches.
The expansion teams to win each of their first two MLS matches (excl. 1996):
Dániel Gazdag’s Hot Start on Matchday 1
Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Dániel Gazdag got off to a flying start with two goals and two assists in Philadelphia’s 4-1 victory over the Columbus Crew to kick off the season. The Hungarian international became the fourth player in MLS history and first since Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario in 2006 to produce four goal contributions in a club’s opening game of the year.
Ahead of their trip to Miami on Matchday 2, Gazdag is just two goal contributions shy of tying the MLS record for the most in the opening two games of a season.
The most goal contributions by a player in his club’s first two games of a season:
MLS Journeyman Kei Kamara Hits Double Digits
After being acquired by Chicago Fire FC on February 24, Kei Kamara can become the first player in league history to appear for 10 different clubs across his MLS career. Kamara is coming off a terrific season with CF Montréal, where he scored nine goals and produced seven assists in just 14 starts (32 games).
One of the most productive forwards during his time in MLS, Kamara (139) needs just seven goals to pass Landon Donovan (145) for the second-most goals in league history.
The most teams played for by a single player in MLS history:
