#MLSisBack – officially – and the first weekend of the 2020 regular season provided plenty of storylines, good, bad and ugly.
Josef MartÃnez tears ACL in season opener
The 2018 MLS MVP is one of the top three players in the league and one of the most exciting players to watch. Last year alone, he scored 27 goals, including all three for Atlanta United FC against FC Cincinnati. His second goal from the September match was even voted the league’s Goal of the Year.
So this made it even harder seeing MartÃnez crash to the ground at Nissan Stadium after his knee buckled Saturday night against Nashville SC. It’s difficult to express how much the Venezuelan forward means to Atlanta – and MLS – but we’ll see in the coming weeks as his team tries to move on and MartÃnez begins a lengthy recovery process.
Nashville sets attendance record in inaugural MLS match
Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
FCC’s reignited rival saw 59,069 fans turn up for their first match in the league, which set the attendance record for a soccer match in Tennessee. The previous mark was 56,232, which was set in 2017 when Manchester City played Tottenham in a friendly.
Nashville SC lost, 2-1, to Atlanta United.
Plenty of late drama in matches across the league
Photo by Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Morris was named the MLS Player of the Week after scoring a stoppage-time winner for Seattle Sounders FC in their 2-1 win against Chicago Fire FC.
Morris – who was the league’s 2019 Comeback Player of the Year after missing all of the 2018 season following a torn ACL – was a halftime substitute for the 2019 MLS Cup champions in their opener, but made his 45 minutes count with the equalizer and then game-winning goal.
The drama didn’t stop in Seattle.
The San Jose Earthquakes eked out a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC after Oswaldo AlanÃs’ silky 95th-minute free kick.
Carlos Vela keeps doing Carlos Vela things
There were plenty of gorgeous goals this week, but the 2019 MLS MVP had the league’s best this weekend when he scored this beauty against newcomers Inter Miami CF:
