The 5 Highest Scoring MLS Games Ever

Soccer is one of the few sports where games can be very low-scoring, making the celebrations that much more sweet when a goal is scored. If you’re a soccer fan, you’re most likely used to waiting for the crucial moments in games that lead to goals.

Throughout many seasons of the MLS, we’ve seen different score-lines range from 0 goals after 90 minutes to 11 total goals scored in a single game! Here we are looking at games which may not be for the defensive purists, but which produced a whole lot of entertainment for the neutrals! Four MLS games have score-lines totaling 10 goals, with one very special match turning into an 11-goal thriller:

Kansas City Wizards 6-4 Columbus Crew – May 2, 1996

Starting the list of highest-scoring MLS games ever is the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) vs Columbus Crew back in 1996. Kansas City took the early lead five minutes in before the Crew would equalize on the 20-minute mark. Sporting would pull ahead once again just after halftime before Columbus Crew netted three to take a massive lead 4-2. In the end, though, Sporting KC would put the pedal to the metal and score four in a row by the 88th minute to win a goalfest.

FC Dallas 4-6 New York Metrostars – August 26, 2000

Up next is a match between FC Dallas and the NY Metrostars (now New York Red Bulls) that ended with another 10 total goals being scored in August 2000. This game would go back and forth as well, with the Red Bulls scoring 3 to Dallas’s 2 by the end of the first half. From the second half onward, Dallas would score in the 54th and 64th minute, putting them ahead 4-3, before the MetroStars fired three unanswered to come out victorious in a 6-4 comeback win.

San Jose Earthquakes 5-5 New York Metrostars – May 8, 2004

The only tie on the list of highest-scoring MLS games ever was the 2004 match between the San Jose Earthquakes and New York Metrostars. The Red Bulls would start strong with an early sixth-minute goal before the Earthquakes stole back two to take the lead in the 24th minute. Just a minute later, the MetroStars’ Joselito Vaca tied the game 2-2, before the Earthquakes’ Landon Donovan took back the lead for San Jose. Just before halftime, however, Fabian Taylor would tie it up 3-3 for the Red Bulls. From the second half onward, San Jose would net twice and the MetroStars would net twice, ending the tug-of-war game 5-5.

DC United 6-4 Real Salt Lake – August 1, 2015

One of the more recent high-scoring games in the MLS took place in 2015 between DC United and Real Salt Lake. In this one, DC United would start weak before going on full blast in the second half. With only one goal to show from DC’s Chris Rolfe, United would trail the game 2-1 until the 54th minute when Rolfe scored again from the penalty spot. DC’s Taylor Kemp would score five minutes later to put United ahead before Salt Lake scored in the 62nd minute. Immediately, United’s Fabian Espindola would score to make the game 4-3, before Salt Lake’s Mansally scored in the 68th to tie things up again. In the final 10 minutes of the game, DC’s Perry Kitchen and Nick DeLeon would each score one each to win the game 6-4.

LA Galaxy 7-4 Colorado Rapids – May 6, 1998

Finally, the highest-scoring game of all time in the MLS occurred way back on May 6, 1998, between the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids. The game would start with both the Galaxy and Rapids scoring just seven minutes in, before Galaxy’s Cobi Jones scored three to put his team up 4-2 (Wolde Harris with a goal for the Rapids in the 32 minutes). From here on until the dying minutes of the game, the LA Galaxy showed no mercy, with Welton scoring twice and Mauricio Cienfuegos scoring the seventh for the Galaxy. Colorado wouldn’t go out without a fight though, with Waldir Saenz scoring two in the 87th and 90th minute, making this the highest-scoring MLS game of all time to date.