Lucho Looking to Hit 150
After providing the game-winning assist on Wednesday night, 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner Luciano Acosta continues to reach historic milestones during his accolade-filled MLS career. The assist was the 85th of Acosta’s regular-season career and helped to power FC Cincinnati to its fifth consecutive win. Additionally, the dynamic Argentinian has contributed a goal or an assist in each of the last seven matches, tying the club-record streak that he set in his MVP-winning season last year.
With 64 career goals and 85 career assists, Acosta is one goal or assist shy of hitting 150 regular-season goal contributions and he would become just the second active player (Kei Kamara) and 15th player all-time to accomplish the feat. Acosta will look to continue his goal contribution streak and hit the 150-mark at home against St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) in only the second-ever meeting between the clubs.
The most regular-season goal contributions by active players:
Union Look to Remain Unbeaten on the Road
The Philadelphia Union (14 points, 3-4-5) enter Matchday 15 in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference, largely due to their early-season success away from Subaru Park. The Union are unbeaten through their first six road matches of the 2024 season and are the only MLS club without a blemish on the road this season.
With a result against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), the Union would tie the 2009 Chicago Fire (seven matches) for the second-longest road unbeaten streak to start a season in MLS history. The 2013 Portland Timbers hold the record, going undefeated across their first nine road games of the season while on the path to a finish atop the Western Conference that season.
The longest road unbeaten streaks to start a season in MLS history:
Q2 Stadium: Home Sweet Home for Austin FC
Announced earlier this week as the site of the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, Q2 Stadium has been a magical home for Austin FC, whose resurgent 2024 season has them currently in sixth place in the Western Conference (19 points, 5-4-4). The Verde and Black hold a 4-1-2 record at home, including wins in each of their last four matches in the capital city.
With a victory against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), Austin FC would establish a new club record with their fifth consecutive home win, breaking a tie with a four-game streak that the club set across the 2021-22 seasons (Oct. 24, 2021 to March 6, 2022). The club will also look to record their third consecutive shutout at home, after blanking in-state rival Houston Dynamo FC on May 15 and the LA Galaxy on April 27.
The longest home winning streaks in Austin FC history:
Roman Celentano Keeping It Clean
The 2023 Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati are right in the thick of their Shield defense this season. Behind their strong early-season form is goalkeeper Roman Celentano, who, in his third season with the club, has emerged as one of the league’s best shot stoppers.
Celentano, who finished second in the league with 12 clean sheets in 2023, has allowed just four goals through his first nine matches of this season and has a chance to join an elite group of ‘keepers with a shutout against a high-scoring St. Louis CITY SC offense on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). Only three goalkeepers in MLS history have allowed four or fewer goals through their first 10 matches of a season: Donovan Ricketts (two goals in 2010), Tony Meola (four goals in 2000), and Eloy Room (four goals in 2020). Ricketts and Meola took home Goalkeeper of the Year accolades in their respective seasons, while Room was a finalist for the award in 2020.
The fewest goals allowed by a goalkeeper in their first 10 matches of a season in MLS history:
Rapids’ Rafael Navarro Finding the Net
Behind the Colorado Rapids roaring start to the 2024 season has been striker Rafael Navarro, who has a team-best seven goals in 13 matches this season. Navarro, who converted the game-winning penalty kick in the club’s 1-0 victory over Vancouver on Wednesday, has scored in three consecutive matches for the Rapids, who have climbed into a tie for second place in the Western Conference with 21 points (6-4-3).
With a goal against Real Salt Lake in a Rocky Mountain Cup battle on Saturday (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), Navarro would become just the fourth Rapids player since 2010 to score in at least four consecutive matches in the same season. The Brazilian forward would join Omar Cummings (five consecutive games in 2010), Conor Casey (four in 2011), and Kei Kamara (four in 2019) as Colorado players to accomplish the feat.
The most consecutive games with a goal by a Rapids player since 2010:
