Dominique Badji's late winning goal for the Colorado Rapids over the Houston Dynamo in Week 27 resulted in one of the most talked-about upsets of the 2017 season thus far.
But where does it rank so far?
With almost one month left in the regular season and more sure to come, we look at the 10 biggest upsets we’ve witnessed so far this year:
10) New York City FC 1, Orlando City 2 (April 23)
Even though Orlando City were off to one of the best starts in MLS in 2017, they had only won two of their previous 17 away matches, while NYCFC hadn’t lost in 11 previous matches at Yankee Stadium. But as we know by now, Cyle Larin loves playing in New York and his two goals were too much for NYCFC to overcome despite out-shooting and out-possessing the Lions.
9) Vancouver Whitecaps 1, Portland Timbers 2 (July 23)
Traveling north to face their Cascadia rivals, the Portland Timbers were depleted, missing several key players, and the Vancouver Whitecaps were the in-form side. The Timbers, boosted by unexpectedly impressive performances from reserve players like Jeremy Ebobisse (goal and assist), snuck away with the win, which could loom large in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
8) Orlando City 0, NYCFC 3 (May 21)
Orlando City, imperious at home, had the look of a playoff team and had already beaten NYCFC twice, making them strong favorites going into the match. So there was a definite feeling of shock when Patrick Vieira’s jelling New York City side put on a clinic, prompting some spicy postgame comments from both coaches.
7) FC Dallas 0, San Jose Earthquakes 1 (May 20)
The San Jose Earthquakes under Dominic Kinnear were struggling on the road and taking on an undefeated FC Dallas side at Toyota Stadium was a tall order. In a match that lacked many scoring chances, the Earthquakes found a way to capitalize via a Jahmir Hyka wonder goal nine minutes from time.
6) FC Dallas 0, Vancouver Whitecaps 4 (July 29)
The Whitecaps had never won at FC Dallas, and the defending Supporters’ Shield winners had the look of the best side in the Western Conference at the time. That didn’t stop Vancouver, a team that was still in the process of finding itself, from winning comfortably although aided by a late red card.
5) New York Red Bulls 1, LA Galaxy 3 (May 14)
In the early stages of the post-Dax-McCarty era, the Red Bulls looked shaky and uncertain, but they were still a pretty formidable side at home and the Galaxy were a team in crisis. Yet LA, with one swift transition after another, dominated the encounter as the Red Bulls struggled to find any answers.
4) Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 3 (April 30)
By the end of April it was already clear that Atlanta United were not your typical expansion team and they looked like a sure favorite against a D.C. United outfit that was struggling. When Kenwyne Jones capped a dominant start by ATL with a goal in the 9th minute, the blowout seemed inevitable. In what turned into one of the strangest games of the season, D.C. managed to fight back with three unanswered goals.
3) Chicago Fire 1, Minnesota United FC 2 (August 26)
The Fire were sliding fast during the summer, but they would have expected to snap their three-game losing streak with a win over expansion side Minnesota, which hadn’t yet won away from home in their debut season. And then it happened: No. 1 SuperDraft pick Abu Danladi scored two goals in the first half and Minnesota held strong for a dramatic win which might have also triggered the beginning of a new MLS rivalry.
2) Vancouver Whitecaps 0, D.C. United 1 (May 27)
A month after the improbable victory over Atlanta United, D.C. United were wreaking havoc on the road once again. The Whitecaps hit two crossbars, before D.C. scored on a contentious penalty. Then the Whitecaps hit another crossbar and failed to convert on a late penalty kick as D.C. held on.
1) Houston Dynamo 0, Colorado Rapids 1 (September 9)
The Colorado Rapids hadn’t won a game away from home all season and no one thought they had a shot against a Houston Dynamo side that had never lost at home all season. But Dominique Badji stunned the BBVA Compass Stadium crowd with a goal in the 93rd minute for an upset win that will be difficult to beat.
