Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 13 matches played on the eighth matchday of the 2024 MLS regular season on Saturday, April 6.
Matchday 8 action concludes later today when Sporting Kansas City hosts the Portland Timbers at 1:45 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and FOX.
LAFC Continue to Dominate El Tráfico
The LA Galaxy entered the first 2024 edition of El Tráfico atop the Western Conference standings, but left BMO Stadium with a defeat, as LAFC recorded a 2-1 victory in the rivalry match. With the victory, LAFC became the first team in the history of the rivalry to win four times in a five-game regular-season span.
Dénis Bouanga, the 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner, scored the game-winning goal for LAFC from the penalty spot in the 35th minute (Watch Here), passing Diego Rossi (seven) for the second-most game-winning goals in club history. After earning the win, LAFC will hold El Tráfico bragging rights until July 4 when the two clubs meet again at the Rose Bowl, where they set the MLS single-game attendance record with 82,110 fans in 2023.
Whitecaps White Hot to Start 2024
Vancouver Whitecaps FC continued their white-hot start to the 2024 season and find themselves atop the Western Conference at the end of Matchday 8. Despite playing only six matches, the Whitecaps have tallied a conference-best 13 points behind a 4-1-1 record, including a convincing 4-0 win over fellow Canadian foes Toronto FC at BC Place on Saturday night.
The 13 points by the Whitecaps are the most in club history through the opening six games of a season. The club also ranks atop MLS in 2024 with nine first-half goals and a plus-eight goal differential. Forward Fafa Picault scored the club’s second goal of the match (Watch Here), marking his 50th career regular-season goal – a feat he accomplished in his 200th career match. Picault is also the 12th active MLS player to register 50 goals and 25 assists in the regular season.
Red Bulls Currently Running the Eastern Conference
Courtesy of a pair of goals from Frankie Amaya and Dante Vanzeir, the New York Red Bulls rolled into TQL Stadium and defeated the defending Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati, 2-1. The Red Bulls improved to an unbeaten 3-0-1 in four games at TQL Stadium during the regular season.
The win propelled the Red Bulls to the top of the Eastern Conference table with 14 points (4-1-2), their best record through seven games since the 2011 season. The club advanced to the playoffs in that season, the second year of their current 14-year postseason streak.
Cristian Arango – The Early MVP Frontrunner?
Real Salt Lake has never had a player win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, but Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango is making an early case to be the frontrunner for it in 2024. The Colombian forward scored his sixth goal of the season (Watch Here) in a 1-1 draw at Minnesota United FC and sits tied for the lead in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi race with the New York Red Bulls’ Lewis Morgan.
With the goal, Arango became the fourth player in Salt Lake history to record six consecutive games with at least a goal or an assist, joining Javier Morales (seven in 2014), Joao Plata (six in 2016), and Álvaro Saborío (six in 2013). Arango is also the first player in the league to reach 10 goal contributions (six goals, four assists) in 2024.
Los Verdes Go Loco in Comeback Victory
The craziest game on Matchday 8 took place in Texas as Sebastián Driussi led Austin FC to a wild 4-3 comeback victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. After falling behind 2-0 in the second half, Austin roared back, scoring three goals in a six-minute span (61’, 63’, and 67’) to take the lead over the ‘Quakes. It marked the fastest three-goal outburst in club history and was started by Driussi’s penalty kick in the 61st minute (Watch Here).
San Jose would go on to equalize, but Driussi would once again play the hero for Los Verdes, scoring in the 11th minute of second-half added time to snatch all three points for the home side (Watch Here). The goal was Driussi’s 40th career score in the MLS regular season and also marked the fifth multi-goal game of his career.
