Major League Soccer

The coldest game in MLS history

By Wilian Estrella

The Major Soccer League experienced one of its coldest days in its history, but still the ball kept rolling.

The Major Soccer League experienced one of its coldest days in its history, but still the ball kept rolling.

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Major League Soccer (MLS) has boomed in the last few seasons, so there is no doubt that it will soon become one of the most exciting competitions in the world, although for now there is still some way to go.

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U.S. football has seen great figures pass through its courts, from David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Thierry Henry and Andrea Pirlo. The truth is that it has earned respect worldwide and many players look at it as a great option.

However, sometimes the conditions in the United States are not the best to hold a soccer match. In 2019, the coldest match in MLS history was played, generating —never seen before— spectacle every time the ball rolled.

A snowy day in Denver, Colorado

The Portland Timbers and Colorado Rapids met at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado. The three-goal draw between the two teams will go down in history as the coldest ever played in the 24-year history of Major League Soccer, as the emotional match was played on a white carpet of snow, with only green lines and an orange ball visible. But beyond the result, the main protagonist was not the players, nor the goals, but the snow.

 

Temperatures reached 8 degrees Fahrenheit

That day, 90 minutes of intensity were lived in a temperature of -13 degrees Celsius, covering the entire field in white as time went by, being undoubtedly one of the best matches.

When the referee blew the whistle to start the match, the thermometer showed a temperature of -8 degrees Celsius, but it increased during the match due to an intense snowfall that covered the entire field.

Despite these adverse weather conditions, the game was a real thriller, which ended in a spectacular 3-3 draw. Kamara gave the home side the lead in the 27th minute, but after being reduced to ten men, they were pegged back by goals from Argentina's Valeri and Blanco respectively. Feilhaber brought the scores level again, but Wynne made it 2-3 for the Portland Timbers. Just when it looked like the game was all but over, Andre Shinyashiki scored to tie it 3-3 in the 94th minute.

At the end of the match, MLS confirmed that it was the coldest match in its history. It also added that it was the 13th match to be played in snow, six of which were played in Colorado.

Colorado Rapids midfielder Benny Feilhaber said, "It was crazy, I felt like I was playing football on a snow day, so it didn't even feel like a real game to me." The game had to be stopped several times to clear snow from the field lines. The match was part of the first day of the MLS season.

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