Maximiliano Urruti came to MLS in 2013, signing for Toronto FC after spending a few seasons with Newell's Old Boys, the club system he came up through. Within months of his arrival in the league, the Argentine striker was traded to the Portland Timbers, in exchange for Bright Dike. He scored once for the Timbers in that first season. But, we'll start the focus on the 2014 season, his first full campaign with Portland. His first goal in the time period of this series was a lovely curler in the Cascadia Cup, a 4-4 draw with Seattle. During the following month, he scored a 94th minute winner to defeat DC United at Providence Park. Urruti scored his first MLS brace on May 24th against RBNY, scoring the match winner, and adding a capper later on. He finished his first full season with double digit goals. It was an incredibly efficient 10 goals, as he wasn't getting that many minutes, just over 1,000 on the year.
In 2015, Urruti continued with the Timbers, though he did not have the same goal scoring production. He scored 4 goals on the season, including another match-winner against DC United. By the end of the 2015 season, Urruti was fully integrated into a bench role, where he played even fewer minutes than the previous season. Portland danced to MLS Cup, but Urruti only played one minute in their MLS Cup victory, though he has a ring to show for it regardless. Portland declined his 2016 contract option.
In the early off-season, Urruti was selected by FC Dallas with the first overall pick in the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft. He would begin his tour of Texas. FC Dallas was by far the best years of his MLS career, starting in his first season there in 2016. Urruti wasted no time getting going, smashing home his first goal in his debut off the underside of the crossbar and in. In July, Urruti found a stretch of scoring a goal in three straight MLS matches. All the while, Dallas was making inroads towards the US Open Cup Final, which they ultimately reached a few months later. On September 13th, FC Dallas defeated the New England Revolution 4-2 in the USOC Final, with Maxi starring the show. He equalized with a powerful volley in the 15th minute, then secured the trophy with the bookend goal. Dallas also won the Supporters' Shield once it was all set and done, with 9 goals and 4 assists coming from Urruti. The first placed team in MLS would be upset in the first round by Seattle.
In the first game of the 2017 season, Urruti scored against LA Galaxy. He terrorized New England again two matches later, scoring a late goal to tie the match, before roofing an absolute screamer to win it just minutes later. He scored another brace soon after, including an early penalty and a stoppage time chip full of creativity Between June 17th and July 4th, Maxi scored a goal in four consecutive matches, growing his tally that eventually became his career-high of 12 goals. The second half of the season was quieter, as he only scored once after the aforementioned streak, an audacious low volley against the Houston Dynamo. Dallas missed out on the playoffs by one spot.
In 2018, Urruti set another career-high, this time in assists. The striker took on more of a playmaking role in his final season in Dallas, registering 11 assists, which his five more than he has ever had in a separate season. Additionally, he scored 11 goals, marking a career-high in goal contributions with 19. As he did in all three of his seasons with Dallas, Urruti scored a goal quite early in the season. He beat Stefan Frei with a scorching finish into the bottom corner. He proceeded to bring out his signature archer celebration, shooting an imaginary bow and arrow. There's actually no deep meaning to it, he says that former Timbers CB Norberto Paparatto told him he needed a signature celebration, and the bow and arrow was simply the result of that. He went on another four-game scoring streak during the month of May, including the lone goal at BMO Field in an instinctual finish on May 25th. On Decision Day, he crashed the goal mouth to score on Colorado. Dallas made the playoffs, but went out to Urruti's former club, the Portland Timbers.
Months after the playoff exit, Urruti was shipped north of the border, as the Montreal Impact acquired him in exchange for a 1st round MLS SuperDraft pick and $75K in TAM. He opened his account for the Canadian side when he was chosen to take a penalty kick that held up as the winner at Red Bull Arena. While Montreal did not make the playoffs, they did win the Canadian Championship, with Urruti playing in all six matches. He scored 4 goals and assisted 6 on the season, continuing his playmaker role of the previous year. Urruti finished up a quick stint in Montreal after the 2020 season. In the very first match of the season, Urruti hit an incredible chip over Matt Turner to seal the win, and Thierry Henry's first as a manager. In the second, and final match before the shutdown, Urruti scored a brace in his previous home of Dallas, choosing not to celebrate. He had scored 3 goals in the first two matches, so one could only imagine what his numbers would've looked like without the pandemic.
He finished up his time in Montreal, being traded to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aljaz Struna. It was another short stint, as he played just one season with his second Texan team, but it was a very successful one. Just 55 minutes into his Dynamo debut, the bow and arrow came out. Urruti found himself another mid-season scoring streak, this time three straight games with a goal between May and June. The last of the bunch was a crafty finish to draw LAFC. His final goal in the orange and black was a display of incredible body control against Seattle. Once Houston missed the playoffs, it was time for Urruti to make the final Texas landing spot happen.
On December 28th, 2021, Maxi Urruti signed with Austin FC. While he did not score a debut goal this time around, it also was not long after when Maxi struck versus the Quakes. It would have been worth the wait no matter when he scored it, as it was easily one of the best goals he's ever scored. Urruti brought the ball down after 25 yards from goal, before smashing a dipping volley into the top corner as if it were a bow and arrow after all. He scored a brace against Vancouver in April, including a blast into the back of the net. It was yet another brace for him against LAFC during the summertime. A lovely flick header started it off, a strong, physical finish closed it off. Austin made it far in the playoffs after a great regular season, but LAFC sent them home in the WCF. Urruti finished with 9 goals in his first season with the newest Texas club.
Here in 2023, at the ripe age of 32, Maxi Urruti has taken on a lesser role for Austin FC. He has scored one goal on the year, the lone goal in a 14 minute substitute cameo against CF Montreal. Urruti has had the clutch gene for Austin, as 7/10 of his goals have won ATX the match at hand. Since March, he has mostly been used as a sub, sprinkling in some starts here and there. He has served as a great veteran presence for a playoff hopeful, but very unlikely. At this point, it seems like Austin are destined for elimination. Maxi Urruti has been one of the most consistent and clutchest scorers in Major League Soccer, rounding out the seventies of the list.
YEAR | CLUB | MINUTES | GOALS | ASSISTS |
2023 | ATX | 966* | 1* | 0* |
2022 | ATX | 2,204 | 9 | 2 |
2021 | HOU | 2,243 | 7 | 4 |
2020 | MTL | 895 | 5 | 2 |
2019 | MTL | 2,436 | 4 | 6 |
2018 | DAL | 2,735 | 8 | 11 |
2017 | DAL | 2,749 | 12 | 5 |
2016 | DAL | 2,482 | 9 | 4 |
2015 | POR | 1,082 | 4 | 3 |
2014 | POR | 1,181 | 10 | 2 |
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