Scoring is up across Major League Soccer. After 167 games -- or about halfway through -- MLS teams are combing to score 2.81 goals per contest. That's a significant improvement from last year (2.61) and is on pace to be the highest scoring season since 2005 (2.84).
Following that trend, there are some impressive scoring feats currently going on as well with five players currently on pace to eclipse 20 goals. Last year was the first time three players had managed to do that in the same season and this year we could even see the single-season scoring record taken down.
Roy Lassiter scored 27 goals in 1996, the inaugural year of MLS. Since then, many have challenged him but only Chris Wondolowski has managed to equal him. But even Wondo's amazing 2012 could no fully eclipse Lassiter's 27 goals, none of which came during the now-defunct overtime.
Believe it or not, Bradley Wright-Phillips is actually on pace to finally break that record. Once best known for ripping up England's League One, Wright-Phillips is torching MLS defenses. Through 17 games, he has 15 goals after scoring two more on Saturday against the Columbus Crew. If he can keep up that pace, he'd score 28 in 32 games.
But he might not be the only player to make a run at the record. Dom Dwyer is also coming off a two-goal performance and now has 14 goals in 18 games, putting him on pace for a 26-goal season. Erick Torres scored in his fifth-straight game, giving him 13 in 18 games and on pace for 24.
The fourth and fifth entries into this group is much more of a long shot, but only because they've missed so some games. But Clint Dempsey has nine goals in 10 games and Jermain Defoe has 10 in 12. The most games Dempsey can play is 26, but if he manages to keep up this pace he'd get to 23. The most games Defoe can play is 31, but he'd get to 25 goals if they keeps that up.
Obviously, there's virtually no way all these players keep up this torrid pace, but the chances of at least one of them making a run at Wondolowski and Lassiter at least seems plausible.
Speaking of Torres...
Not only has Torres now scored in five straight, but those goals have helped lead Chivas USA to their best run of success since those halcyon days of 2009. The Goats have gotten a result in all five of those games and have now won four straight. The last time they won that many in a row was back in 2008, and they hadn't even won three straight since 2009.
The offense is still essentially Torres being fed by Mauro Rosales, but it's working enough to keep Chivas USA competitive and has put them in the playoff race. With 23 points they are two points shy of the No. 5 spot in the West and could feasibly make a run, especially if a new owner shows up and is willing to spend a little bit of money.
It should also be said that the defense has been an equally big part of the turnaround. After allow 25 goals through their first 13 matches, the Goats have only allowed two during their current five-game run.
Oh, and speaking of the the Red Bulls...
Thierry Henry may be getting old and he may no longer be the player he once was when he was one of the best in the world, but he's still capable of absolutely dominating a game. The former Arsenal, Barcelona and France star had one of those performances this week when he scored a goal and assisted on all three of the Red Bulls' other goals.
His goal celebration was particularly notable, as he didn't so much celebrate as turn around and start yelling at his defense for allowing the Crew to equalize in the first place.
Henry makes it look as if it was the easiest goal he's ever scored in his life. It surely was not, as it required him to one-touch it from about 10 yards out with a host of players between him and the goal.
Sean Johnson does it again
There are a lot of holes in Sean Johnson's game. No one questions his shot-stopping ability, but he always seems good for at least one ill-advised decision and often gives up more goals than he probably should.
At the same time, it's hard not to be impressed when he does make one of those great saves. He did it again on Saturday, stopping Chris Tierney's penalty and then pouncing on the rebound to preserve a 1-0 Chicago Fire win. Johnson now has six penalty saves in five years and has managed to stop one at least every season. Not bad at all.
TFC has problems, but not today
Falling behind by two goals to a pretty bad Houston Dynamo team was clearly not how Toronto FC wanted to start Saturday's game. But even without the services of Michael Bradley -- who it appears was rushed back from the World Cup a bit too early -- TFC pulled it together and managed to win 4-2.
Two of those goals came from Defoe, who has quietly put together a stellar season and could still help TFC make a run at the Supporters' Shield. At the very least, TFC seems like they'll finally get to the playoffs for the first time.
There are still lots of questions around TFC, and a lot of them are with the way Ryan Nelsen has managed his players' minutes, but they have plenty of talent and can hang with anyone.