Wilfried Zaha marked his debut for Charlotte FC with a goal, while Israeli forward Tai Baribo netted a hat-trick for the Philadelphia Union in the latest Major League Soccer fixtures on Saturday.
The former Crystal Palace winger, who joined Charlotte FC on loan from Turkish side Galatasaray under manager Dean Smith, made his first start in front of a lively crowd of 51,002 at Bank of America Stadium against city rivals Atlanta United.
Zaha was instrumental in setting up the opening goal, making a dynamic run to the edge of the box before feeding the ball to Pep Biel, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Just minutes later, Israeli Liel Abada took a shot that was parried away by Atlanta’s goalkeeper Brad Guzan, but Zaha demonstrated his technique by calmly guiding the rebound into the net.
Having represented England twice before pledging his international commitment to the Ivory Coast, Zaha wasted no time in showcasing his skill and directness for the North Carolina club.
“I believe it’s a statement,” Zaha remarked to MLS Season Pass. “My aim here is to score goals, and the entire team is working diligently to seize opportunities. That sends a clear message to all the other teams in the league about our intentions this season.”
Zaha was absent for the previous week’s 2-2 draw with Seattle, as he was in London celebrating the birth of his daughter, returning to Charlotte only on Thursday.
Smith expressed confidence in Zaha’s potential contribution to the squad, stating, “He’s the kind of player we were deficient in last season. Today’s performance has already shown that he can create moments of magic.”
He added, “We recognise his abilities with the ball—he can score goals and make crucial runs, like he did for the first goal. His defensive contributions were quite impressive too.”
The Philadelphia Union, who faced disappointment last season by missing out on the playoffs, have kicked off the new season emphatically under the guidance of their new South African coach, Bradley Carnell.
Following their 4-2 victory at Orlando last week, the Union extended their remarkable start by thrashing Cincinnati 4-1, thanks to Baribo’s exceptional performance.
Baribo opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a swift finish at the near post, before doubling the lead in the 30th minute, tapping in after some stellar play from Hungarian Daniel Gazdag.
The duo teamed up again for Baribo’s third goal in the 52nd minute, another close-range effort. After Brazilian Evander scored for Cincinnati with a fine left-footed strike, Philly sealed the win with a last-minute goal from Bruno Damiani.
Meanwhile, last year’s MLS Cup runners-up, the New York Red Bulls, achieved a 2-0 victory over Nashville, featuring a goal from Mohammed Safo and a stunning curling effort from Emil Forsberg of Sweden.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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