Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 14 matches played on the 37th matchday of the 2023 MLS season, Saturday, October 7.
It All Comes Down to Decision Day
Thirty-seven matchdays have come and gone, and it all comes down to Decision Day 2023 – the culminating day of the 2023 MLS regular season. Playoff positions, conference seeding, and homefield advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 series are on the line on October 21, as 14 Eastern Conference clubs will all kick off at 6 p.m. ET and all Western Conference clubs will follow at 9 p.m. ET.
Two positions in the Eastern Conference remain up for grabs with five teams still alive in the race for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs – CF Montréal, the New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire FC, Charlotte FC, and New York City FC. Five teams also remain in contention for a playoff spot in the West, as the Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes, FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, and Minnesota United FC will all jockey for three final positions in the postseason.
It all comes down to this, as excitement abounds ahead of Decision Day 2023 on Saturday, Oct. 21. For a full look at the conference tables through Saturday's action, click here.
Pukki’s Quartet of Goals Powers Minnesota
After signing with Minnesota United FC in July, Finnish forward Teemu Pukki has been an offensive force for the club, and with Minnesota on the brink of elimination Saturday night, he rose to the occasion with a four-goal performance in the club's 4-1 victory over the Portland Timbers.
Pukki’s four-goal effort was the first in the club’s history and the second in MLS play this season, joining Seattle’s Jordan Morris, who scored four goals on March 25. The Finnish star became just the second player in club history to record a hat trick (Darwin Quintero, July 4, 2018). He is the 17th player to score four or more goals in a regular-season game in MLS history.
With 10 goals in just 13 games, Pukki leads the Loons in scoring and will look to provide one final push on Decision Day 2023 (Oct. 21) as the club looks to earn their fifth consecutive postseason berth against Sporting Kansas City (9 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
Bouanga’s Brace Strengthens Grip on Golden Boot Race
Entering the night atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard, LAFC forward Dénis Bouanga added a pair of scores in the club’s 4-2 victory at Austin FC to bring his league-leading total to 19 goals. Bouanga currently sits three goals ahead of the next-closest player – FC Cincinnati’s Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta (16 goals).
Bouanga’s multi-score game was his fifth of the 2023 regular season and the second-most in a single season in club history, behind only Carlos Vela’s seven during his Landon Donovan MLS MVP-winning season in 2019. In total, Bouanga has nine multi-goal games across all competitions, including Leagues Cup 2023 and Concacaf Champions League play.
LAFC will close its 2023 regular season on Decision Day with a road match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, October 21 (9 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
Young Goal Scorers Keep CF Montréal Climbing in the East
CF Montréal moved one step closer to clinching a berth in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs courtesy of a 4-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at Stade Saputo. Each of Montréal’s four goals were scored by a player aged 24 or younger – Sunusi Ibrahim, Kwadwo Opoku, Mathieu Choinière, and Mason Toye.
For the first time in club history and just the eighth time in MLS history, four players aged 24 or younger scored for the same club in a single game. This also occurred earlier this year, as the Columbus Crew quartet of Jacen Russell-Rowe, Maximilian Arfsten, Aidan Morris, and Philip Quinton all scored for the Crew on March 25.
On Decision Day, Montréal will close their season against the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field (6 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass) with the hopes of securing their second consecutive playoff berth.
Houston Takes Off With Huge Offensive Effort
The Houston Dynamo took off with authority on Saturday evening, scoring four first-half goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Shell Energy Stadium. For the second time this season, the Dynamo exploded for a four-goal first half, marking the first season since 2008 in which they had multiple first-halfs with at least four goals.
Four different goal scorers – Nelson Quiñónes (two), Amine Bassi, Corey Baird, and Artur – scored for the Dynamo, with Baird, Bassi, and Quiñónes also picking up assists in the match. Adding an assist on Quiñónes’ second goal was Héctor Herrera, who notched his 15th helper of the year. Herrera, who ranks second in MLS with 15 assists this season, became the second player in club history to record at least 15 assists in a single season, joining Brad Davis (16 in 2011).
