MLS is Back: Top 5 Performances from Matchday One
By Matt Coles
MLS is Back! This ongoing mini-tournament is the first step to getting soccer back on a regular basis, but who had the best performances over the first round of group matches?
There were some surprise results over the first six days of the MLS is Back Tournament with the likes of New York City FC and Atlanta United both failing to score in their opening matches.
The Columbus Crew put four past Hell is Real rivals FC Cincinnati, while Minnesota United scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to take all three points from their opening clash with Sporting Kansas City.
Four of the players in our top five for the opening round of fixtures played a hand in two goals for their respective teams, while one kept his side in front at the other end of the field, but who are they?
Find out below in our top five performances from matchday one of the MLS is Back Tournament.
5. Ayo Akinola
One of the newest kids on the block takes the No. 5 spot this week. Ayo Akinola’s double helped Toronto FC to a point from their opening fixture in the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando. The 20-year-old, named Grant Jesus-Sultan-Akinola Ogundimu, was making his first appearance of the 2020 campaign on Monday morning.
The United States U-20 International opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the 2017 MLS Cup champions’ clash with D.C. United thanks to a lovely strike from the edge of the penalty area. Akinola then doubled the lead just before the stroke of half-time after a defensive mix-up allowed Alejandro Pozuelo to walk through on goal, before squaring to the striker, who got his second of the game, giving TFC a 2-0 lead.
Unfortunately for the Canadian side, they lost that lead despite having a man more after Junior Moreno was sent off for the side from the capital. They may have only taken a point from the game but Akinola’s performance was one of the best from the opening round of group stage matches from the MLS is Back tournament.