The Pitch: Goals On the Up in MLS this Season

Last weekend saw three more teams join Inter Miami CF in clinching qualification for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, with the LA Galaxy being the first Western Conference club to do so with a dramatic come-from-behind El Tráfico victory over LAFC. Joining Miami in the East are both the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew and reigning Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati after playing to a Hell is Real Derby draw on Matchday 32.

As the push to the playoffs continues, the battle for the fourth and final home field advantage position in the Eastern Conference is separated by just three points. The New York Red Bulls (43 points, 10-6-13) currently holds the final spot with fifth-place Orlando City SC (40 points, 11-10-7) and sixth-place New York City FC (40 points, 11-10-7) hot on their trail. Orlando and NYCFC will take to the field twice during this double match week as they look to continue their climb up the table.

Over in the Western Conference, the Colorado Rapids (47 points, 14-9-5) and Real Salt Lake (47 points, 13-7-8) are holding down third and fourth place, respectively, in what has been an impressive season for both clubs so far. In the 16 seasons these clubs have spent together in MLS, there has yet to be one where the Rocky Mountain Cup rivals have both finished in the top four of the Western Conference. Now, with just three points separating both sides from seventh place and two matches this week for each ahead, the pressure is mounting to hold onto home field advantage for the postseason and their status among the best in the West.

Making the Case for Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year

With the MLS regular season winding down, below is a look at the résumés of some of the potential contenders for this year’s Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year honor.

Pat Noonan (FC Cincinnati) – The reigning Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year is looking to be the first back-to-back winner of the award in league history after becoming the first head coach since Peter Nowak (D.C. United, 2004-06) to win a Supporters’ Shield and make the playoffs in each of his first three seasons as an MLS head coach. Since taking over the club in 2022, no club has won more points than Cincinnati’s 170, and, after clinching a playoff spot last weekend, he has earned a berth in 20 of 21 combined seasons as a player and head coach in MLS.

Chris Armas (Colorado Rapids) – Armas (47 points, 14 wins) surpassed Fernando Clavijo (45 in 2005) for the most points won and tied Glenn Myernick (14 in 1997) for the most wins by a Rapids head coach in their first season with the club, both with six regular season games remaining. Armas has the club in third in the Western Conference after a last-place finish last season, and his first year with the club has seen them rank among the top-10 clubs in goals (52), expected goals (60.42 xG), points won (47), and shots on target (148) in 2024.

Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino (Inter Miami CF) – Miami is on pace to win their first-ever Supporters’ Shield in Martino’s first full season with the club. The Herons, who missed the playoffs in 2023, were the first team to clinch an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth in 2024 and the fourth in league history to do so within the first 26 games of a 34-game season. Doubling their win total from a year ago, Miami leads the league in points (62), goals (64), goal differential (+24), and assists (81) and is among the top five in the league in passes completed (15,292).

Greg Vanney (LA Galaxy) – The former Galaxy defender led the club to its 21st Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth in team history and first since 2022 last weekend. The Galaxy lead the Western Conference standings with 55 points through 29 games played and are looking to earn the West’s No. 1 seed for the first time since 2011. Vanney’s Galaxy also boasts the best home record in the league at 11-1-3 in Dignity Health Sports Park and has the club ranked second in MLS in goals scored with 57.

Pablo Mastroeni (Real Salt Lake) – Despite roster movement due to injuries and an active summer transfer window, Mastroeni has led RSL to 47 points in 28 games, which is the best start for the club in over a decade. Finding stability in adversity and change, Mastroeni has coached an MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi-contender season from Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango (17 goals) and developed two rising stars in 21-year-old Diego Luna and 24-year-old Emeka Eneli in midfield, in addition to Andrés Gómez prior to his departure in the summer. Mastroeni’s next win would mark his second 50-point season with the club and the eighth in the club’s 20-year history.

With soccer legends and emerging young stars tearing up the scoresheet in MLS in 2024, goal scoring has risen to historic levels. Currently, the 2024 goals per match average sits at 3.11 in regular season action, which would mark the second-highest average in the league within the past 20 years, behind only 2018 (3.19 per game).

The 3.11 goals per game is almost 0.5 goals per game more than 2023 when matches averaged just 2.76 goals. Additionally, matches have featured several back-and-forth games throughout the year, as highlighted by Matchday 32, which saw three teams come from behind to win – the LA Galaxy, Inter Miami CF, and Minnesota United FC. Approximately 63% of games include a goal scored by both teams and just seven percent of all matches have ended scoreless.

With goal scoring reaching new levels, it has also shined a light on the individual stars that are making MLS thrilling on a weekly basis. In 2024 alone, 27 players have already scored 10 or more goals in the regular season, which is already one player more than all of 2023. Leading the pack for the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi is D.C. United’s Christian Benteke with 19 goals, followed by Real Salt Lake’s Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, and Miami’s Luis Suárez, who have each scored 17 goals so far this season.

New coaches are also playing a significant role as Miami has already set their single-season goal-scoring record, while the Colorado Rapids, Minnesota United, and the Portland Timbers are all on pace to break their own club records. Each of those three teams hired new coaches prior to the start of the year, while Miami’s Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino is in his first full year in charge of the Herons.

Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman were seen doing Steph Curry’s signature “night, night” celebration after scoring over the weekend. Instagram

FC Cincinnati fans unveiled a “Cin City” tifo ahead of the Hell is Real Derby against the Columbus Crew. Instagram

Philadelphia Union Homegrown midfielder Cavan Sullivan and Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi posed for a photo following Saturday's match between the Philadelphia Union and Inter Miami CF. Instagram

Orlando City SC midfielder Nico Lodeiro traded in his cleats and shin guards for pots and pans last week as he competed against Orlando Pride midfielder Morgan Gautrat in a cooking competition that pitted a dish of the midfielders’ choices against one another (**WATCH HERE**).

Lodeiro drew inspiration from his cultural roots as he cooked up a chicken Milanese, a dish his mother often cooked for him while growing up in Uruguay. It is his favorite dish and often a go-to meal at home for his family after serving up some assists on the field for his Orlando teammates, including fellow Uruguayans César Araújo and Facundo Torres.

With Hispanic Heritage Month also having started on Sunday, Sept. 15, MLS will continue to spotlight players of Hispanic heritage for their contributions on the field, as well as those they have cooked up in the kitchen and the cultural traditions they have with their families. Here, Lodeiro has whipped up a slice of his childhood and shared how he passes it down today.

The two-time MLS Cup presented by Audi winner cracked the top-10 list for all-time leaders in MLS regular season assists this past weekend as well, after sending Duncan McGuire through on goal for the third score in a 3-0 win over the New England Revolution (**WATCH HERE**). Lodeiro leads Orlando with 11 assists this season and has produced at least 10 assists in seven of his nine seasons in MLS.

In support of National Voter Registration Day, which is taking place today, Tuesday, Sept. 17, Major League Soccer (MLS) has re-launched MLS Unites to Vote – the league-wide initiative that leverages enterprise-wide platforms to inspire fans and everyone across the MLS community to register to vote and participate in this year’s election.

Through this initiative, MLS is providing resources and programming on league platforms and at stadiums on matchdays that emphasize the importance of voting and explain the process to register. In addition, several MLS clubs are hosting Voter Registration Drives at their upcoming matches, including home matches for Houston Dynamo FC, LAFC, the LA Galaxy, Minnesota United FC, Philadelphia Union, San Jose Earthquakes, and Real Salt Lake. Select clubs are opening their stadiums to serve as polling places, including Charlotte FC, Inter Miami CF, Seattle Sounders FC, and the LA Galaxy.

The efforts of MLS Unites to Vote are a reflection of the league’s participation in the Civic Alliance, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 1,300 companies working together to encourage voter participation. MLS fans will be encouraged to text MLSVOTES to 26797 to check their status, register to vote, sign-up for elections reminders, and educate themselves on the election process.

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.