Lucas Zelarayan scored an outrageous long-range goal in the 93rd minute to give the Columbus Crew a 2-1 victory against the host Chicago Fire on Saturday.
Xherdan Shaqiri’s goal in the 88th minute had rallied the Fire to a 1-1 tie after Cucho Hernandez gave the Crew the lead in the 59th.
But Zelarayan saw goalkeeper Spencer Richey off his line minutes later and sent the ball soaring into the open net all the way from the halfway line.
The attacking midfielder then ripped his shirt off and held it up to the Chicago crowd, emulating soon to-be MLS star Lionel Messi’s iconic goal celebration vs. Real Madrid in 2017.
It was Zelarayan’s eighth goal in 16 games this season.
Lucas Zelarayan held up his jersey after stunning the Chicago Fire in the 93rd minute
The Crew have won three straight, while the Fire saw their winless streak reach six games. It was also their first home loss of the season.
Hernandez needed a fortunate bounce to tie the team record by contributing a goal or an assist in eight straight matches. He has four goals and six assists during the streak.
Columbus is now in sixth place with 27 points on the season.
ATLANTA 3, DC 1
Giorgos Giakoumakis scored his 10th goal of the season, Andrew Gutman had a goal and an assist, and Atlanta United pulled away to a 3-1 victory over visiting D.C. United on Saturday night.
Substitute Tyler Wolff also scored an insurance goal for Atlanta, which extended its unbeaten run to six games, though the previous four of those were draws.
Giakoumakis’ early tally helps him keep pace in the MLS Golden Boot chase. He began the day a goal behind three players for the goal-scoring lead.
MONTREAL 4, MINNESOTA 0
Mason Toye scored his first two goals of the season – both unassisted – to spark CF Montreal to a 4-0 victory over Minnesota United on Saturday night.
Montreal became the fifth team in league history to post five straight shutouts at home, getting four saves from Jonathan Sirois to extend the club’s record.
Dayne St. Clair had four saves for Minnesota United, which had won all three previous match-ups with Montreal. Minnesota had won two straight road matches with Montreal and was trying to beat a single opponent three straight times on the road for the first time.
Minnesota United defender D.J. Taylor, left, slide-tackles CF Montreal forward Mason Toye (13)
ORLANDO 2, COLORADO 0
Facundo Torres and Ramiro Enrique scored second-half goals and Orlando City beat Colorado 2-0 on Saturday night in a match that saw the Rapids lose two players to red cards.
Neither team scored in the first half and Colorado was forced to play a man down after Braian Galván was red-carded in the 39th minute.
Torres scored the only goal Orlando City would need when he took a pass from Mauricio Pereyra in the 56th minute and found the net for the fifth time this season.
CHARLOTTE 3, SEATTLE 3
Patrick Agyemang scored his first career goal, coming off the bench to find the net in the 89th minute, to rally FC Charlotte to a 3-3 draw with the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night.
Cristian Roldan gave Seattle the lead in the 11th minute when he took a pass from Jackson Ragen and scored his second goal of the season.
Defender Jaylin Lindsey scored the equalizer for Charlotte in the 17th minute.
Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan (7) scores a goal during an MLS soccer match against the Charlotte FC, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Charlotte FC forward Kerwin Vargas (18) gets in the face of Seattle Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo, left, during an MLS soccer match, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Seattle took a 2-1 lead into intermission on a goal by Raúl Ruidíaz in the 36th minute.
Charlotte knotted the score in the 53rd minute when Westwood took a pass from Benjamin Bender and scored his first career goal.
The Sounders regained the lead in the 70th minute on another goal by Ruidíaz – his fourth – with assists from João Paulo and Roldan.
HOUSTON 4, LAFC 0
Houston scored three goals in the second half and the Dynamo pulled away for a 4-0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Saturday night, handing the defending champions just their second loss of the season.
The Dynamo took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute and rode it into halftime when Nelson Quinones took a pass from Adalberto Carrasquilla and scored his first career goal. The 20-year-old was making his third career start.
Houston stretched its lead to 2-0 just five minutes into the second half on a penalty kick by Amine Bassi – his seventh goal this season.
Corey Baird subbed in and scored for the second time this season, taking a pass from Aliyu Ibrahim in the 69th minute and finding the net just six minutes after entering. Franco Escobar, who played for LAFC last season, used an assist from Hector Herrera in the 89th minute to score his first goal for the Dynamo and complete the scoring.
Steve Clark saved two shots to earn his sixth clean sheet of the season for the Dynamo. It was the first clean sheet by either side in 11 all-time match-ups. John McCarthy finished with one save for LAFC.
Houston beat LAFC 2-1 in August of last season after going 0-5-4 in the first nine meetings. The Dynamo improve to 6-1-1 at home this season.
SALT LAKE 0, NEW YORK CITY 0
Luis Barraza made four saves and New York City FC escaped their trip to Real Salt Lake with a 0-0 draw on Saturday night.
Barraza’s performance was more about quality over quantity for NYCFC, which remains winless in nine road games this season but has drawn four of those.
It was Barraza’s third clean sheet of the season and fifth of his MLS career, having earned the starting job after veteran Sean Johnson’s free-agent move to Toronto FC last offseason.
Salt Lake forward Rubio Rubin and New York City FC forward Talles Magno go for the ball
Gabriel Pereira of New York City FC pushes the ball up field against Danny Musovski
The Cityzens earned a tough road result despite continuing attacking struggles. They’ve scored 17 goals through 17 games and are on pace to score 19 fewer than their 2022 season total of 53.
Real Salt Lake were held scoreless for the fifth time at home this season, as they continue to struggle in front of the goal.
RSL will be adding former LAFC striker Cristian Arango as an international signing when the summer transfer window opens next month. This game highlighted the need for him.
TORONTO 1, NASHVILLE 1
Randall Leal scored a second-half goal to help Nashville draw Toronto 1-1 on Saturday night and tie its team record of a nine-game unbeaten streak.
Leal’s first goal of the season came unassisted in the 69th minute to help Nashville earn a point.
Lorenzo Insigne scored in the 38th minute and Toronto took a lead into halftime. Insigne’s third goal of the season came with an assist from defender Raoul Petretta.
KANSAS CITY 4, AUSTIN 1
Alan Pulido scored a goal in each half as Sporting Kansas City continued their surge up the Western Conference table with an impressive 4-1 victory over visiting Austin FC on Saturday night.
Sporting was winless in its first 10 matches with a total of three goals scored. The Wizards have now scored 17 goals in their last eight matches.
Austin FC dropped below playoff positioning into 11th place with the loss, their fourth in the last five matches.
SAN JOSE 2, PHILADELPHIA 1
The San Jose Earthquakes remained unbeaten over the last four games with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night, as Miguel Trauco’s goal in the 57th minute proved to be the decisive goal.
Jeremy Ebobisse opened the scoring in the eighth minute after a pull-back from Cade Cowell on the left flank.
Damion Lowe equalized just nine minutes later, but Philly ultimately lost the game and remain third place in the East behind Nashville.
VANCOUVER 1, CINCINNATI 1
The Whitecaps tied 1-1 for the second straight MLS fixture – and did so in almost identical fashion to last week as Ryan Gauld once again salvaged a point for the team with a late penalty.
A week after scoring from the spot in the 88th minute vs. Sporting Kansas City, the Scot did so again vs. FC Cincinnati, this time just a minute later in the 89th minute at home.
Gauld’s equalizer came six minutes after Luciano Acosta briefly gave the visitors the lead with a beautiful finish from the left side of the box, as he lifted the ball over goalie Yohei Takaoka after a long ball from Matt Miazga over the top.
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