Halloween is still a month away, but Matchday 34 delivered some scary good goals, including a potential AT&T 5G Goal of the Year candidate. While some goalkeepers were tricked, the bangers were our treats. Here’s four AT&T 5G Goal of the Matchday candidates for your consideration.
Luciano Acosta: He’s arguably the favorite to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, he’s the leader in the Golden Boot presented by Audi race on the assists tiebreak and he just signed an extension with FC Cincinnati – so Luciano Acosta isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
On Saturday night, the playmaker scored one of the best goals of the 2023 MLS season, a Lionel Messi-like solo effort started from his own half in Cincinnati’s 3-0 win over Charlotte FC. Acosta accelerated past his marker and skillfully evaded a sliding tackle before weaving through a pair of defenders, capping his brilliant solo run with an unstoppable right-footed finish.
Njabulo Blom: St. Louis CITY SC tied LAFC for the most wins (16) by an expansion team in their inaugural season in MLS history (excluding the shootout era). Njabulo Blom capped the come-from-behind 2-1 win over host Minnesota United with a thunderous right-footed blast from just outside the box as St. Louis moved closer to cementing the top spot in the Western Conference.
Julián Fernández: NYCFC moved above the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs line in the Eastern Conference with a convincing 3-0 win over Toronto FC at a rainy Red Bull Arena Sunday afternoon – and Julián Fernández, their 19-year-old Argentine newcomer, put the finishing touches on the decisive victory. After combining well with Talles Magno, Fernández started his run from midfield before cutting into the box and clinically finishing with his left foot in the 54th minute for his first MLS goal.
Álvaro Barreal: Before Acosta’s jaw-dropping goal, all the talk at Cincy's TQL Stadium was about Álvaro Barreal’s stunning opening strike in first-half stoppage time. The Argentine wingback unleashed a venomous left-footed free kick from 28 yards out that curled into the side netting.
Check out all of the nominees below:
