MLS awakens the Benteke beast: hat trick adds to MVP credentials

The city of Washington has awakened a beast in the form of a goal scorer. Christian Benteke, now 33 years old, is going through a sweet spell at DC United, where the Belgian has been playing for two and a half seasons.

Once considered one of the top finishers in world football, less than a decade ago, Benteke fell somewhat short of the level he promised due to a series of injuries and his deficiencies as he moved away from the penalty area. The emergence of more complete forwards like Lukaku and Kane, both in the Premier League and for Belgium, halted his progress as a goal scorer.

Since then, the high expectations surrounding his arrival at Liverpool gradually diminished, and he eventually became a ‘mid-tier’ striker in English football. The evolution of contemporary football compelled top clubs to seek forwards who were much more versatile and capable of playing a combination game, leaving little room for ‘one-touch finishers’.

Benteke’s unexpected rise

After six somewhat irregular seasons at Crystal Palace, Benteke made the move to MLS to bolster DC United’s attacking line. He joined the club in the summer of 2022 and could only feature in seven matches, given the competition calendar runs from March to November. Since then, the Belgian has progressively improved his numbers, establishing himself as one of the top goal scorers in the league.

So far this season, the 33-year-old striker has tallied 11 goals in 11 matches. His recent performances have been dazzling, with a total of five goals in his last three games, including a hat-trick against Atlanta United on Sunday. If he continues at this pace, Benteke has a strong chance of challenging Messi and Suárez for the Golden Boot at the end of the season.