Sporting Kansas City earned its first win of the 2023 MLS season this past weekend and did so in style.
Peter Vermes’ squad enjoyed a 3-0 thrashing of Minnesota United, which featured goals from three different players. Daniel Rosero opened the scoring after only nine minutes before Daniel Salloi and Gadi Kinda also added tallies of their own in the shutout result.
Rosero got the scoring started for SKC after he headed home Salloi’s cross for a 1-0 advantage. Salloi extended the hosts lead in the 22nd minute with a confident right-footed finish before Kinda iced the result in the 84th minute following Johnny Russell’s through-ball assist.
Tim Melia came off injured for SKC which was the lone worry in the match, although he did save a penalty kick chance in the 26th minute. Kendall McIntosh wasn’t troubled the rest of the way as SKC held on for a shutout home victory.
Elsewhere, Evander Ferreira netted a brace in Portland’s Cascadia Cup win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, while Jesus Ferreira slotted home the winning goal for FC Dallas against in-state rivals Austin FC
Here is a closer look at this week’s Best of MLS:
Player of the Week
Evander Ferreira’s brace against the Vancouver Whitecaps helped him earn Player of the Week honors for the Portland Timbers.
Ferreira found the back of the net twice for the Timbers in their 3-1 Cascadia Cup win over the Whitecaps. The 24-year-old has been playing in a more advanced role of late for the Timbers, and the output has followed with five combined goals and assists in his last three matches.
The Brazilian came up big in this rivalry match and will hope this leads to a continued positive run of form.
Charlotte FC’s Justin Meram earned Honorable Mention honors for Player of the Week.
Goal of the Week
Jesus Ferreira’s late winner for FC Dallas also earned Goal of the Week honors.
Austin FC was down to ten men for majority of the second half, but FC Dallas eventually found the winning goal through their talisman. Ferreira picked up Tsiki Ntsabeleng’s through ball pass before sliding home his sixth goal of 2023.
The victory was FC Dallas’ fifth of 11 league matches so far, keeping them in the top-four of the Western Conference.
Team goal of the week could be an interesting weekly award? A goal that results in quality build up with multiple teammates playing the ball which results in a goal.