Nashville SC started its June schedule in similar fashion to the way it ended its May schedule by remaining as one of the more consistent clubs in MLS. ,
Gary Smith’s squad kept rolling on Saturday, defeating FC Dallas 2-1 to earn a fourth-straight league win. A Nolan Norris own goal paired with Hany Mukhtar’s 77th minute winning strike proved to be the difference as Nashville SC eclipsed the 30-point mark.
Mukhtar is tied with Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bounaga for the Golden Boot with 10 goals so far in 2023. Nashville SC has continued to fight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference after extending their league unbeaten run to eight matches.
The Philadelphia Union, Orlando City, and Columbus Crew earned Honorable Mention nods for their strong Week 16 performances.
Here’s a closer look at the Best of MLS for Week 16:
Player of the Week
Facundo Torres’ brace helped him earn SBI MLS Player of the Week honors.
Orlando City badly needed this performance from its star man after a slow start to the season, but Torres responded in a big way at Red Bull Arena. After Ivan Angulo broke the deadlock for the Lions, Torres scored twice in the second half to put the match out of reach for the host Red Bulls.
The 23-year-old also completed the most dribbles (3) and created the most chances (2) in the match as Oscar Pareja’s squad extended their unbeaten run to five matches.
Christian Ramirez and Julian Carranza also delivered top performances for their respective clubs.
Goal of the Week
Minnesota United’s Kervin Arriaga helped snatch one point for his squad in their match against Toronto FC.
Arriaga’s strike in the 89th minute helped the Loons fight back to tie TFC 1-1 at Allianz Field. The Loons moved up to seventh place following the home draw, rebounding from a Week 15 loss to Austin FC.
Emanuel Reynoso helped create the goal in his first appearance of 2023 following a lengthy suspension from MLS.