MLS Monday: Everything you need to know about Matchweek Eight

Matchweek Eight was a home team showcase: Only two away squads won this past weekend. And yes, Citi Field fully counts as the “home” for New York City FC.

Top games from Matchweek Eight

San Jose Earthquakes 4 - 3 Seattle Sounders
Seattle’s Champions League hangover continues: After their B Team lost to Miami at home last week, a near-best Starting XI lost to last-place San Jose on the road behind a Cristian Espinoza hat-trick that included the game-winning 90+4’ penalty kick. Call it the Caretaker Manager Bounce: San Jose sacked the eccentric Matias Almeyda last week, and now the team is led by former MLS NEXT Pro manager Alex Covelo.

FC Dallas 2 - 1 Houston Dynamo
In a savagely entertaining game, Dallas stormed back in the final three minutes of regulation time to even the score, then won it in the 93rd minute behind a Facundo Quignón goal off a corner. Somebody call the police because Dallas just stole the game:

Orlando City SC 0 - 3 New Jersey Red Bulls
Our enigmatic rivals across the Hudson can’t win at home, but they're ripping up opponents on the road: They have a 4-0-0 away record. Yesterday, New Jersey remained invisible on the road when they defeated Orlando, which let them leapfrog them into second place with 14 points after eight games.

Minnesota United 3 - 0 Chicago Fire
Chicago can't get a goal: The Fire are now scoreless in six games out of eight played, and now post a league-worst total of five goals. All the hapless Fire have going form them are the goalkeeping heroics of wunderkind Gabriel Solina, and when he has a poor game like this one (not totally his fault: A 77th-minute red card that reduced Chicago to 10 players), they don't stand a chance. How’s that club-record-deal to sign Xherdan Shaqiri looking now?

Goal of the Week

Call us biased, but 20-year-old Gabriel Pereira of NYCFC gets this week’s honors: Calm and composed, the left-footed right winger takes a pass from Talles Magno, picks his target, and slots an elegant shot through the legs of Chris Mavinga and past the diving Alex Bono for his first New York City goal. In the 75th minute it looked like Pereira was just padding the score, but it turned out to be the game-winner:

MLS scoreboard

Saturday, April 23

FC Dallas 2 - 1 Houston Dynamo

Philadelphia Union 1 - 1 CF Montréal

Minnesota United 3 - 0 Chicago Fire

DC United 3 - 2 New England Revolution

Sporting Kansas City 0 - 0 Columbus Crew

Austin FC 3 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps

Colorado Rapids 0 - 0 Charlotte FC

San Jose Earthquakes 4 - 3 Seattle Sounders

Portland Timbers 0 - 0 Real Salt Lake

LA Galaxy 1 - 0 Nashville SC

Sunday, April 24

Inter Miami 2 - 1 Atlanta United

Orlando City SC 0 - 3 New Jersey Red Bulls

NYCFC 5 - 4 Toronto FC

Cincinnati FC 1 - 2 LAFC