Scotland ace impresses as teammate equals Lionel Messi record amid emerging title battle with ex-SPFL duo
The Scotland international has continued his impressive form in the United States
Scotland international Ryan Porteous helped his Los Angeles FC side go top of the Western Conference table with a thumping 6-0 win over Orlando City on Sunday night.
The Black and Gold have started the new season in impressive form, winning five and drawing one of their first six league games, as they bid to win their first MLS Cup since 2002, with Porteous yet to miss a single minute of action.
A Denis Bouanga hat-trick, followed by strikes from David Brekalo, Sergi Palencia, and Tyler Boyd, sealed the thumping win, while the night will be fondly remembered by former Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-Min, who matched Lionel Messi’s league record of recording four assists in one game during the victory at the BMO Stadium.
The South Korean wasn’t the only one to break an MLS record at the weekend, though, with Porteous once again impressive alongside defensive partner Nkosi Tafari at the heart of defence, as LAFC extended its club record streak of consecutive clean sheets to six in the City of Angels.
The former Hibs favourite moved Stateside back last August, opting to leave EFL Championship outfit Watford to become one of two big-name signings for then-manager Steve Cherundolo. Signing a deal that could see him remain in America’s top flight until 2029, he was hailed as an an “emotional leader on the pitch”, and praised for his vocal and motivational leadership within the team upon his arrival at the club.
Now one point clear at the top of the Western Conference, a title race is beginning to emerge between Porteous and two former Scottish Premiership stars for this season’s title, with both Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes directly behind them in the standings. The Whitecaps, who are captained by Scotland international and former Hibs loanee Ryan Gauld, were beaten finalists in the MLS Cup final last season, but have also started the new season in strong form, with five wins and just one defeat.
With Gauld out until later this month due to knee surgery, his teammates were forced to dig deep to pick up their latest win, though. Trailing 2-1 at home to Portland Timbers heading into stoppage time, goals from German legend Thomas Muller and Sebastian Berhalter somehow rescued victory from the jaws of defeat as they ran out 3-2 victors on a dramatic night at BC Place.
Elsewhere, former Dundee United midfielder Ian Harkes came off the bench as San Jose Earthquakes kept the pressure on the top two with a comfortable 3-0 win over San Diego FC, who included Scotland international Lewis Morgan in their starting XI and had Manu Duah sent off after 33 minutes.
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