MLS is back... to taking on criticism.
The 2025 MLS season kicked off with plenty of drama, most notably highlighted by San Diego FC’s stunning debut win against the 2024 MLS Champions. The new expansion club managed to pull off one of the most shocking opening weekend results in recent memory, defeating defending champions LA Galaxy at their home turf. There’s a new team in town, California.
First game AND FIRST WIN. pic.twitter.com/IP72qghaCn
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) February 24, 2025
Yet, amid the excitement of opening weekend and its first set of results, there was another storyline that caught the eye of fans and pundits alike: defensive mistakes.
Viral: Compliation video shows insane amount of defensive mistakes from teams on 2025 MLS Season opening weekend
MLS teams, eager to play out from the back, were plagued by errors, leading to a plethora of goals. In fact, a remarkable nine of the 46 goals scored across the league came directly from defensive passing mistakes, accounting for roughly 20% of the total goals on opening weekend.
playing out of the back went oh-so-wrong oh-so-often during MLS's opening weekend pic.twitter.com/8cDK3ehECl
— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) February 24, 2025
This is a bad look.
SDFC’s first-ever goal also came from a direct defensive error from the Galaxy defense, with Hirving “Chucky” Lozano setting up Anders Dreyer to score perhaps the easiest goal of his career to lead them to victory.
HISTORY. MADE. @sandiegofc’s first-ever goal belongs to Anders Dreyer! pic.twitter.com/Rawi703EQe
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 24, 2025
As expected, fans took to social media to voice their opinions. A divide quickly formed among the online community. Some supporters used the weekend’s mistakes to reignite the debate about the lack of promotion and relegation in MLS, suggesting that the absence of such a system could lead to complacency and a lack of accountability.
9 ridiculous gift goals. There were 46 total goals in the MLS opening weekend. That’s over 20% of the goals were terrible plays in the back. Coaches need to realize not everyone can play that style
— Soccermogul (@Soccermogul) February 25, 2025
PLEASE put relegation into MLS. This is pitiful… AA baseball (sorry to all baseball players because AA is better than this).
— Thoughtprovoker (@clarkh1963) February 25, 2025
Others were more forgiving, chalking up the blunders to the typical chaos that comes with the first match day of the season—a mix of players shaking off off-season rust and teams still ironing out the kinks in their systems.
Wow. Week 1 hitting hard. Everyone in the comments acting like this is huge are strange though, this’ll be cleared up by spring
— Dani Carvajal's number 1 hater (@mikaelvWV) February 25, 2025
Learning is failing. Failing is learning. Good for the coaches who had the guts to do it. Based
— Angel (@el10academy) February 25, 2025
The 2025 MLS Season will continue its course this weekend on Matchday 2, with Charlotte FC hosting Atlanta United on Saturday, March 1 at 2:15 pm EST.
