MLS Monday

MLS Thursday: Everything you need to know about Matchweek 20

Austin keep rolling, San Jose hold off LA Galaxy, the Most Interesting Benchwarmer in the World (aka Gonzalo Higuaín) scores a screamer, and so much more

By AJ_Orecoli Jul 14, 2022, 1:00pm EDT

MLS: Houston Dynamo FC at Austin FC — The levels are good in Austin.

Top Games

Austin FC 3 - 1 Houston Dynamo
Austin FC are legit: The team that regularly plays in Bruce Arena-level heat moved into first place in the Supporters’ Shield race with a convincing win over Texas rivals Houston Dynamo. Despite scoring first the Dynamo didn’t have a chance: Austin has that winner’s swagger, and the 70’ minute goal nodded in by NYCFC alum Alexander Ring came from an exquisite passing sequence that would’ve been unstoppable in a top league in Europe.

San Jose Earthquakes 3 - 2 LA Galaxy
San Jose came ready to play, scoring three goals in the first half through Cristian Espinoza, Jeremy Ebobisse, and Marcos Lopez. But the LA Galaxy came back in the second half, managing to pull two goals back both through a Dejan Joveljić brace: He scored in the 48th and 88th minutes. Unfortunately for the Galaxy, it wasn’t enough.

DC United 2 - 2 Columbus Crew
No goals were scored in the first half of this one. But then the excitement started about 15 minutes into the second half: First Cucho Hernandez opened the scoring in the 62nd minute to give Columbus a 1-0 lead. Taxi Fountas responded for DC United in the 80th minute, scoring what looked to be the last goal of the game. But just one minute later, Hernandez got a second goal for the Crew. Now this one looked to be the game-winner, but then Ola Kamara scored in the 92nd minute, tying the game that ended in a 2-2 draw.

FC Cincinnati 2 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps
The scoring opened early in this one. Álvaro Barreal scored in the third minute for FC Cincinnati, but just two minutes later Ryan Gauld scored an equalizer for the Whitecaps. Brandon Vazquez then came back in the 23rd minute to give Cincinnati the lead again. It remained tight for close to the next 60 minutes, when Vancouver’s Cristian Dájome scored in the 82nd minute to bring it even again. The game finished in a 2-2 draw.

Goal of the Week

The Most Interesting Bench Warmer in the World came through for Inter Miami: Super-sub Gonzalo Higuaín belted a golazo in his team’s losing effort against Philadelphia.