It was just 11 weeks ago that the Galaxy raised the MLS Cup for a record sixth time, an occasion the team celebrated Sunday with a relay of supporters and first responders carrying the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy back to midfield at Dignity Health Sports Park.
- February 24, 2025
- 51°
Major League Soccer
Anders Dreyer scored two goals and San Diego FC had a successful Major League Soccer debut, beating the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy 2-0. Dreyer took advantage of a turnover for the first goal in the 52nd minute. Galaxy defender Emiro Garcés slipped after taking a pass from goalkeeper Novak Micovic in the box. Lozano pounced on the loose ball and fired a pass to Dreyer, whose left-footed shot beat Micovic. The forward sealed the match on a breakaway goal in the 93rd minute. San Diego is the 10th club to join MLS since 2017, but only the third to win its first match.
MIAMI — Lionel Messi in his first full season in Major League Soccer last year led Inter Miami to the best record in league history and won the MLS MVP trophy.
Jayden Nelson had a goal and three assists in his Vancouver debut and the Whitecaps opened the season with a 4-1 victory over the Portland Timbers in a steady rain. Ryan Gauld, Pedro Vite and Sam Adekugbe also scored for Vancouver, which led 2-0 at the break in Jesper Sorensen’s first game as the club’s coach. The loss in the Cascadia Cup rivalry match dampened the start of Portland’s 50th anniversary season. The Timbers trace their roots back to 1975 and the North American Soccer League. Timbers defender Kamal Miller was sent off with a red card in the 11th minute.
Seattle’s Jordan Morris scored two goals to tie a franchise a record before an own goal in stoppage time helped FC Charlotte play the Sounders to a 2-2 tie in the season opener for both teams at a rain-soaked Lumen Field. After two errant touches by the Sounders, Idan Toklomati played a low entry that was deflected by Seattle’s Yéimar Gomez Andrade and darted between goalkeeper Stefan Frei’s legs into the net in the third minute of stoppage time. Kristijan Kahlina had six saves and Adilson Malanda scored a goal in the 35th minute for Charlotte. Seattle had 58% possession and outshot Charlotte 18-7, 8-1 on target. Morris has 86 career goals across all competitions for the Sounders, tied with Raúl Ruidíaz for the club record.
Petar Musa had a goal and an assist, Anderson Julio also scored a goal and FC Dallas beat the Houston Dynamo 2-1 in the season opener for both teams. Julio chipped a shot from the edge of the penalty box into an empty net to give Dallas the lead for good in the 76th minute. Houston’s Amine Bassi opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a header from point-blank range and Musa scored in the 55th to make it 1-1.
Osman Bukari scored late in the second half and Brad Stuver made it stand up in his 81st consecutive start in goal to lead Austin FC to a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in a season opener. Austin earns a victory in its first match under Nico Estévez, who was head coach for FC Dallas the past three seasons.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi, wearing a longer haircut and Inter Miami’s new pink striped jersey, looked like the same old Messi as the 2025 MLS season got underway Saturday night, battling for 105 minutes and playing a major role in both Miami goals in a 2-2 tie against NYCFC.
Aljaz Ivacic saved three shots for New England, Joe Willis stopped the only shot he faced, and Nashville and the Revolution played to a scoreless draw in a season opener. Ivacic earns his first clean sheet of the season for the Revolution after notching four in 25 starts last season — his first with the club. The 36-year-old Willis earned the 68th shutout of his career as he begins his sixth season protecting the net for Nashville and his 15th overall. It was his 50th clean sheet with Nashville.
Zack Steffen had five saves for Colorado as the Rapids and St. Louis City played to a 0-0 tie in the season opener for both teams. Steffen stopped close-range shots by Simon Becher in the 16th and 49th minutes. St. Louis had 54% possession and outshot the Rapids 18-2.
Telasco Segovia scored the tying goal on an assist by Lionel Messi in the 10th minute of stoppage time and Inter Miami played New York City FC to a 2-2 draw in their MLS opener. On his second assist of the night, Messi hit a through ball to Segovia, who in his MLS debut finished with a nice shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Inter Miami had played much of the second half down a goal.
Tai Baribo scored two goals to help the Philadelphia Union beat Orlando City 4-2 in the season opener for both teams. Dániel Gazdag redirecting an arcing cross played by Quinn Sullivan from outside the area on the left side to the back corner to make it 2-1 in the 48th minute and give Philadelphia the lead for good. Marco Pašalić scored two goals in his debut for Orlando City. The 24-year-old forward opened the scoring in the eighth minute — the fastest ever goal scored in an Orlando City debut — and capped it with a tap-in to finish a wild scramble in front of the net in the 79th. Mikael Uhre added a goal for the Union in the 51st minute.
![Saying goodbye after a memory-filled decade writing for my hometown newspaper [column]](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/lancasteronline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/8f/b8f08744-e763-11e8-8dd1-07961d2f415d/5beafffc87f30.image.jpg?crop=1763%2C992%2C0%2C91)
