From Raquinho to MLS After Dark, GOAL looks at the quirkiest moments in the league this season
Major League Soccer has grown leaps and bounds since its inception in 1996. There are now 29 teams with a 30th in San Diego FC coming next season. There are now billion dollar valuations for a quartet of clubs. The league is now ranked ninth in the world by Opta in terms of global competitiveness.
Despite all of that – and the fact that MLS sits among the most successful sports entities in the U.S., alongside counterparts in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB – the league still remains quirky.
In fact, in some ways, that's exactly part of its charm.
While the other established leagues have long-standing foundations set in stone, MLS is a league that feels like the ink is still drying on a Bob Ross-esque canvas. There are happy accidents painted every year, with new trees and rivers formed in their place.
In an effort to showcase the fun of North America's top flight, GOALunveils the Alternate MLS Awards. There are five categories: "Most MLS Moment," "Best Goal," "Moments where Messi realized he was in MLS," "The Peter Vermes Lifetime Achievement Award," and wrapping up with a look at the "Best and Worst Kits" in MLS this season.
Up first, GOAL US writers present their winners for the Most MLS Moment of the season.
Tom Hindle: The "However" VAR explanation
This starts with some credit to the league. Announcing VAR decisions, and explaining them, is a pretty good idea that really should be expanded to the whole sport. Fans in stadiums so often do not know what VAR checks are all about, so having someone articulate the whole scenario is a good thing. BUT there's a limit to that.
What isn't as cool, though, is the showmanship that seems to have come with it. Perhaps it's the American-ness of the sport, or maybe it's just silly, but this announcement, as theatrical as can be, is pure, unadulterated MLS. A message to referees: it's not about you!
AdvertisementJacob Schneider: MLS After Dark at its finest
Can we talk Real Salt Lake's 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rapids on May 18?
Leading 3-2 with five minutes left in regulation, the Rapids capitulated in stunning fashion on the road, with RSL bagging goals in the 85th, 88th and 96th minute to secure a victory. The momentum came out of nowhere, and it was a true #MLSAfterDark moment.
Ryan Tolmich: Raquinho!
One of the main reasons folks love MLS so much is the hilarity that can transpire, and is there anything more hilarious than a damn raccoon on a soccer field?
Raquinho immediately solidified his place in MLS lore the moment he emerged in Philadelphia. The league itself put out stats for the newest MLS hero, who provided the type of viral moment that makes this league so fun.
Alex Labidou: Burrito Joint FC beats MLS reserve team in Open Cup
OK, so this is not technically a moment in the MLS regular season, but it happened to an MLS club — the Timbers 2 — so it should still count.
For all of the things MLS has done right, the decision to largely field reserve sides in this edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was wholly unpopular with many fans. On March 19, in the opening round of this year's tournament, justice was served — in a tasty, tortilla-wrapped form.
El Farolito FC, a team composed of semi-amateurs and backed by a popular San Francisco burrito restaurant, stunned the Portland Timbers 2, winning 2-1 at Providence Park of all places.
Following LAFC's claiming of the U.S. Open Cup this season, Commissioner Don Garber mentioned the league is actively looking to solve the issue of having more senior sides participate in the historic tournament. While he didn't reference this result as one of the reasons why, he didn't necessarily have to…