The 2016 Major League Soccer season was full of dramatic matches, with plenty of contests decided by a goal – or goals – scored in the dying moments.
Which matches had the best finishes of the 2016 season? Here’s my top five:
5) Columbus Crew SC 3, New York City FC 3 – Aug. 13
Ethan Finlay and David Villa put on a show in the final 10 minutes of Columbus’ home contest against NYCFC, each scoring twice as Crew SC stole a point in a back-and-forth 3-3 draw at MAPFRE Stadium.
The fireworks began with the sides knotted at 1-1 in the 80th minute. Finlay drew and converted a spot kick to give Columbus a 2-1 lead, but Villa quickly knotted things back up, tallying his 14th goal of the season in the 83rd to make it 2-2.
The eventual MLS MVP gave NYCFC a 3-2 advantage in the 92nd minute, firing home a penalty after Harrison Afful was called for a handball in the box. Columbus looked doomed to a defeat, but Finlay brought them back, striking from the edge of the six-yard box after a blocked shot in the 95th to give the hosts a point.
4) New York City FC 3, DC United 2 – Sept. 1
A relatively calm first 75 minutes gave way to a wild final quarter hour on Sept. 1 at Yankee Stadium, with New York City FC and D.C. United combining to score four goals in the last 15 minutes as NYCFC picked up a valuable 3-2 win.
D.C. took an early advantage through a Lloyd Sam strike in the 36th, but NYCFC hit for two goals in quick succession in the 79th and 85th minutes to take a 2-1 lead. David Villa intercepted a sloppy back pass and rounded Bill Hamid to equalize, then Frank Lampard pounced on a loose ball in the box and scored in the 85th to give City the lead.
United weren’t done, however, tying it up in the first minute of stoppage time through a Lamar Neagle header of a Julian Buescher corner. It looked like the sides would split the points, but NYCFC had the last word, stealing the win when Lampard scored his second of the night to make it 3-2 in the 93rd.
3) FC Dallas 2, Seattle Sounders 1 – Oct. 16
The end of this match wasn’t nearly as crazy as the others on this list, but no finish was more important this regular season than FC Dallas’ late comeback win against the Seattle Sounders on Oct. 16.
Locked in a tight battle with Colorado for the Supporters’ Shield, Dallas headed into the final 15 minutes against red hot Seattle trailing 1-0. Maxi Urruti erased that deficit in the 79th minute, pulling FCD level with a strike following a chaotic free kick scenario. Late-season signing Carlos Ruiz hit for the winner in the 89th, giving Dallas – who lost Mauro Diaz for the year in the match – all three points. They’d end the season the following week with a draw at LA, and claim the Shield by two points over the second-place Rapids.
2) Orlando City 3, Toronto FC 2 – June 25
Orlando’s 2016 season didn’t exactly go according to plan, but it definitely wasn’t lacking in excitement. The Lions played one of the wildest games of the year against Toronto FC on June 25, with three goals – including a rare 100th minute tally – scored from the 83rd minute on in their 3-2 win against TFC.
Adrian Winter gave Orlando a 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute, but Toronto looked like they’d leave Florida with a point after Justin Morrow equalized in the 90th. That’d change 10 minutes later, however, after referee Ismail Elfath controversially awarded Orlando a penalty for a very suspect foul by Drew Moor on Julio Baptista. After some serious dissent by Toronto (Josh Williams was ejected for his protests), Kaká eventually converted the penalty to give the victory.
1) Orlando City 2, Real Salt Lake 2 – March 6
Entering the final minutes of stoppage time on a hot day in Central Florida, Real Salt Lake looked like they had an impressive season-opening win locked up. The Claret-and-Cobalt led Orlando City 2-0 entering the fourth minute of stoppage time, but the Lions shockingly clawed back, getting a goal from Cyle Larin in the 94th before Adrian Winter equalized with the final kick of the match to send the 60,147 in attendance at the Citrus Bowl into hysterics and steal a point for Orlando. It was a wild, wild comeback, but, unfortunately for Orlando, not exactly a portent of their disappointing 2016 season.
