9/5 - Matchday 23

Player of the Matchday

Vincent Janssen

Vincent Janssen put Timber Joey to work on Saturday, scoring a historic hat trick in a wild 5-4 victory at Providence Park. Janssen became Portland's first ever player to score three goals in a match. He did so at the right time, dismissing Timbers fans' fears about the number 9 position after selling Kelsy and Mora this summer.

Photo via Portland Timbers

Young Player of the Matchday

Manu Duah

Manu Duah is a beast. Even though his side lost, Duah was one of the best players in MLS this weekend. Orlando would've scored three or four goals if it weren't for the Ghanaian. His elite athleticism allows him to erase opposition attacks, even when they're led by world cup winners. He's very comfortable on the ball as well. With performances like these, San Diego will be lucky to have Duah for the Sprint Season.

Photo via Backheeled

Goal of the Matchday

Gonzalo Tapia

Matchday 23 in MLS saw a lot of great goals, but none better than Gonzalo Tapia's trivela for the Columbus Crew against Colorado Rapids. After Columbus won the ball high, they worked the ball over to the Chilean, who took a couple touches to set himself before curling the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his boot. Not only did the shot have power and precision, but the amount of bend on it was truly magical.

Assist of the Matchday

Alexandru Matan

Alexandru Matan received the ball behind Vancouver's midfield and quickly played a pinpoint through ball to striker Simon Becher. There wasn't a lot of margin for error for the Romanian, but his through ball perfectly split the Vancouver center backs. The placement and weight was perfect for Becher to take in stride and slot it past Takaoka.

Statistic of the Matchday

-0.68 xGD

The Vancouver Whitecaps lost 1-3 at home to St. Louis City, a deserved result according to the underlying numbers. the Whitecaps' expected goal difference was -0.68, meaning St. Louis City generated an xG figure 0.68 higher than the hosts. This is very rare - the first time Vancouver have lost the xG battle at home in MLS this season. The 'Caps have the best xGD in MLS by a wide margin, nearly triple the next closest side. St. Louis just played the best any team has coming to BC Place in 2026 and walked away with three valuable points.

Team of the Matchday

LF: Vincent Janssen

RF: Josh Sargent

LM: Denis Bouanga

CM: Danley Jean Jacques

CM: Kaick

RM: Maren Haile-Selassie

LB: Tomas Totland

LCB: Manu Duah

RCB: Thiago Martins

RB: Conrad Wallem

GK: Jonathan Bond

Team of the Matchday photos via MLSSoccer.com

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse