MLS Opening Day Trends: Which Teams Start Well? 2c60

As anticipation builds for the kickoff of the 2023/24 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, Action Network delved into the archives to uncover the historical performance of teams on the crucial first matchday. Drawing from data provided by OPTA spanning back to the league’s inception in 1996, our analysis sheds light on which clubs have consistently started their campaigns on the right foot and which have struggled to find early momentum. If you want in on first-round action, check out our section on the Best Betting Sites. 3z281a

Top Performers 1s50p

Our findings reveal that last year’s runner-ups, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), are the top performers on the first MLS matchday of the season. LAFC is a relatively young club in the MLS. They’ve played six games on the opening day since ing the league in 2018, and have won all of them, amassing 18 points, leading to a points per game of three. Throughout those six games, LAFC has a goal difference of +9.

The latest MLS expansion team, St. Louis City SC, ed the league ahead of last season and they won their first and only opening day league game, obviously propelling them toward the top of this list with three points per game. On the back of this one game, St. Louis City SC have a +1 goal differential.

In third place, sitting quite comfortably behind the top teams in of points per game, we have the Seattle Sounders FC. Sounders have played 15 games on opening day, winning nine and losing six, racking up 1.80 points per game. Throughout these 15 games, they have a goal difference of +17.

Below you will find the full ranking of teams on the opening day: 

The top is dominated by teams from the Western Conference, with Nashville SC being the best team from the Eastern Conference on points per game. Nashville SC has played 4 opening-round games and has won 2, drawn one, and lost one, leaving them at 1.75 points per game, and they sit in fourth place ahead of this year’s opening day.

Strugglers tc20

On the other end of the table, Charlotte FC haven’t given their ers much to cheer about, when it comes to starting the season on the right foot. They’ve only played in two opening-day fixtures, and they’ve managed to secure zero points in those two games. Worst of all in the league. It’ll be interesting to see if they will be able to turn their fortunes around this year, as they’ll be playing New York City FC in the first game of the season. The campaign will be the first where ESPN Bet promo code if you want in on the action. 

Inter Miami CF, home of the biggest stars in the league and arguably the greatest to ever grace the beautiful game, Lionel Messi, has had its woes on the first day of the season. They’ve played in four opening rounds, and they’ve managed only to win one of those, draw another one, and lose two, bringing their total points per game to one. Hardly the result David Beckham was hoping for when he started the project.

The MLS’s Eastern Conference presents a notable trend with eight of the ten worst opening-day records attributed to its teams. This pattern suggests a potential disparity in strength within the league, despite the Columbus Crew’s recent championship victory. One possible explanation could be the many changes in the Eastern Conference, with several new teams entering the league. Seven Eastern Conference teams have participated in fewer than ten opening-day fixtures, compared to only four in the Western Conference, indicating a higher rate of turnover and potential instability. 

As the MLS season approaches, our attention is focused on which teams will capitalize on their historical successes to kick off another promising campaign. Equally intriguing is the prospect of underperforming teams reversing their fortunes and initiating the new season with a strong start. With each team striving to set the tone early on, the opening fixtures promise to provide a glimpse into the unfolding narratives of the 2024 MLS season.