MLS Rewind: Week 5

After another eventful week of MLS action, we're starting to see some trends.  One month into the season, a handful of teams have really set themselves apart...while their opposites have only continued to reload after shooting themselves in the foot countless times.  Sporting KC is starting to pull away from the pack and while they may not be playing the "beautiful" game, it certainly is effective.  At the same time, several sides, like LA and Toronto, had high hopes for 2012 but have instead been consigned to the bottom of the barrel.

As foreseen, foretold, and forewarned, Toronto did in fact get mauled by Santos Laguna in Mexico.  The brutality ended with a 6-2 scoreline.  As TFC was the last MLS side in the hunt, that means another all-Mexican CONCACAF Champs League final.  And as much as I love the competition, I've officially lost interest and don't really care who wins.

Real Salt Lake 1-0 Montreal Impact
The Impact have continued to improve and begun to gain their footing in the league, but it was a simple mistake that undid them last Wednesday at the Rio Tinto.  In the twelfth minute, a handball in the box gave RSL all they'd need to take the match.  Paulo Jr. put the ball in to convert the penalty, but Donovan Ricketts nearly came away with a save.  Montreal's GK had a stellar night, finishing the match with a basketful great stops, including charging down Espindola nearly twenty yards off his line.  But for all the pluck of the Impact attack in the second half, that PK was enough to do them in.

FC Dallas 1-0 New England Revolution
Dallas are back to winning ways, but only just.  The Hoops looked more like themselves after returning home and regaining a few regular players, hosting the Revolution Thursday evening.  It was all Dallas offensively, but Matt Reis and the New England D would prove a tough nut to crack.  After concerted pressure late in the game, the winner came deep into stoppage time from the head of Ugo Ihemelu.  The win snaps FCD's two game losing streak, as well as the Revs two game winning streak.

Montreal Impact 2-1 Toronto FC
Bouncing back from the midweek loss, the Impact earned their first-ever win as an MLS franchise over Canadian rivals TFC.  As part of a much altered Montreal line-up, former Battery forward Lamar Neagle was the architect of the first goal.  The Reds took the pitch with something to prove after their drubbing by Santos at midweek and they looked more dangerous at the outset.  However, after seventeen minutes, it was Ubiparipovic in his first appearance for Montreal who collected Neagle's perfect ball and put the hosts ahead.  An ecstatic Olympic Stadium voiced their approval.  In another glorious charge, Ricketts foiled a TFC equalizer by extinguishing a fiery header by Koevermans.  The Reds were reduced to ten when defender Emory was sent off at sixty-five minutes.  Surprisingly, TFC showed more initiative after the booking and had several good chances.  Before the comeback could develop, Montreal netted again in the eighty-first by means of the No. 1 SuperDraft pick, Wenger.  Koevermans would find a consolation goal late for Toronto, but the result was in all but over with.

Check out Neagle's brilliant steal & assist:




Columbus Crew 1-4 New York Red Bulls
The Red Bulls delivered another first-class beatdown in Columbus Saturday afternoon.  Its got to bring Hans Backe a smile, knowing he's got two golden boot frontrunners on the pitch at the same time.  That same fact seems to have opposing keepers shaking in their mitts.  After only three minutes, Kenny Cooper had blasted one into the net.  Snapping another past Columbus with his head, Cooper had his brace ten minutes later!  Henry got his name on the sheet just before the break, continuing his outrageous scoring run.  To their credit, the Crew fronted a challenge in the second, but NY's Meara was equal to the task.  As soon as it no longer matter, Columbus scored.  Chad Marshall made the most of a corner to pull one back in the eighty-ninth minute.  But before the whistle was blown and with a baker's knack, Henry iced the cake, making a fifteen yard top corner shot look just that.  A piece of cake.

Sporting KC 1-0 LA Galaxy
Kansas City has done it again!  Sporting are on a record breaking run, still undefeated five games into the season.  The hosts muscled out LA in every corner of the pitch and gave the fans at Livestrong Park what they were looking for.  Assisted by Bobby Convey, Kei Kamara headed in the only goal of the match five minutes before the half.  The iconic KC frontman has emerged as an early contender for league MVP and shows no signs of stopping.  Sporting's defense absolutely smothered the Galaxy attack and apart from Mike Magee, it was hardly worth mentioning.  Kansas City are cruising, but it looks like it may take some creativity to lose against such a lackluster Galaxy team.

San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
The Whitecaps achieved an impressive milestone, breaking the record for the longest clean sheet run to open an MLS season.  After a quiet first half, Hassli and Le Toux combined to give the Caps the lead...Enter Chris Wondolowski.  In a ten-minute offensive outburst, Wondo and the Quakes undid Vancouver.  The Wonderboy himself led the charge scoring at sixty eight minutes.  A diving header by substitute Gordon gave San Jose the lead and Wondo's strike at seventy-eight minutes effectively put the game to bed.  San Jose are shaping up to be quite the west coast strongman so far, annihilating with ease.

DC United 0-0 Seattle Sounders
Its about time this season put forth a scoreless draw worth watching.  When all was said and done, the goalpost would easily take 'man of the match' honors from this one.  The play was very back and forth and neither side expressed real dominance in the fixture.  Both teams had brilliant efforts denied by the woodwork while the slightest touch of finishing and poise could've tilted the game dramatically either way.

Real Salt Lake 2-0 Colorado Rapids
RSL swept the first edition of the Rocky Mountain Cup with a convincing win over rivals Colorado.  A defense-minded gameplan has ensured the Clarets steady climb to the top of the table.  Espindola inspired the home side early on and Saborio reaped the reward at twenty minutes.  The Argentine would score himself in the second half despite allegations of handling the ball.  Colorado came to life after the second goal but were helpless to turn back the tide.  RSL head next to Kansas City for a mouthwatering matchup between the league's two best sides!

Portland Timbers 1-2 Chivas USA
Suffering another gut-wrenching loss at home, the Timbers succumbed to a Chivas team that is growing in confidence.  Portland owned the first half and a defensive blunder gifted Timber's DP Chris Boyd a goal just past the quarter-hour.  But the second 45 was a different story altogether.  Three minutes into the half with an incisive cross allowed Moreno to head the Chivas level.  Similarly, in eighty-second, LaBrocca headed home the game winner.

MLS Rewind: Week 4 'The Highs and Lows'

Think you know Major League Soccer??  Think again!  The MLS is becoming one of the most exciting and entertaining leagues the game has to offer, and with all the upsets and head-scratchers offered up from over the weekend, it no surprise why.

In the midweek, Toronto FC made a defiant stand at BMO field in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champs League Semifinals against Mexican side Santos Laguna.  Deserving the win, but earning a draw, the Reds kept their hopes alive with an inspired performance despite the odds.  An unsightly scuffle after the final whistle will hamper the Saints in the next round as two red cards were issued to the visitors.  But TFC will be forced to travel south of the border this week for the replay at Santos and remember...the Sounders were mauled 6-1 on their last visit.

Kansas City remains undefeated, grinding out wins wherever they go.  And while there were some fantastic team performances this week, all of the sudden the MLS is starting to look the like the Thierry Henry show.  Netting an impressive hat trick (his first in MLS) and a sly assist to boot, the Arsenal legend won Player of the Week honors again, as he continues to expand the Major League Soccer fanbase one brilliant goal at a time.

Now, on to the recaps:

DC United 4-1 FC Dallas
Dallas got absolutely torched Friday night at RFK Stadium as the Screaming Eagles finally got their campaign rolling in the right direction.  Although DC were lively from the outset, the game seemed an even match at the half with the score tied 1-1.  That pictured changed rather quickly, thanks to United's De Leone.  A smashing shot crashed off the bar at fifty-nine minutes, but the rookie had his reward moments later, collecting a long cross on the chest then rifling home from short range.  The DC youngster then supplied teammate Cruz with a vital assist six minutes later, popping another nail in the coffin. Maicon Santos finished the affair in the seventy-third, smartly heading home for the second time in as many games.  FCD's resolute defending from recent weeks was nowhere to be found, and even GK Kevin Hartman looked surprised at his team's misfortune.

Toronto FC 0-1 Columbus Crew
Far from being the most exciting game of the week, the Crew managed another win against a sub-par foe.  Clearly spent from the champs league tangle at midweek, TFC were already reeling from a depleted and injury stricken roster.  The black and gold got the benefit of another questionable penalty call, but Red's keeper Kocic was up to the challenge.  He may be second in the depth chart, but the big man swatted away Mirosevic's half-hearted attempt to convert the PK in the first half.  After the break, a poor clearance by TFC's defense and the ball dropped favorably for Crew frontman, Anor.  Not wasting the chance, it was the only goal in the match.  The win gives Columbus an edge in the Trillium Cup rivalry, while Toronto remain winless in the league this year.

New York Red Bulls 5-2 Montreal Impact
Game of the week?  Definitely.  The Red Bulls ended the month on a 'march' of their own, stampeding the Impact, despite Montreal's early lead.  New York have finally figured out how to win...and his name is Thierry Henry.  This guy oozes beautiful football.  However, things didn't start so well for the Red Bulls.  Montreal snagged an early lead from a defensive flub to stun a less than capacity crowd at Red Bull Arena.  Allaying fears and inspiring fans, Henry brought New York level at nine minutes with a fantastic header, thanks to Rafa Marquez, whose attitude seems to have considerably improved this season.  Justin Mapp seized another opportunity for the Impact, making the most of New York's sloppy defending and giving Montreal their second lead of the game.  Just as things began to drift in Montreal's favor...they didn't.  A penalty kick decision went to the Red Bulls and Kenny Cooper doesn't miss from the spot.  So it was all square at the break.  New York assumed more responsibility, and therefore possession in the second half.    Henry grabbed another goal and provided an assist to teammate Medhi Ballouchy.  The Frenchman's trademark back-heel, as potent as ever, let Ballouchy tap in effortlessly.  Henry went on to record his first (and I do emphasize first) hat-trick as a Red Bull one minute into stoppage time, latching on to the rebound of a Kenny Cooper rocket, igniting the fans and claiming his match ball.

You missed this one?!?  Don't worry, I've included all that beautiful footage for your viewing pleasure:



Philadelphia Union 0-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
I wish there was something good to say about this match, but for all the buildup, these two really seemed to put the "stale" in stalemate.  Despite the hype surrounding Sebastian Le Toux's return to Philly, the fact that this Union original and fan favorite "almost" scored is less than compelling.  The Caps continue to post clean sheets, but then again, they were never really challenged this weekend.

Portland Timbers 2-3 Real Salt Lake
JELD-WEN field is a difficult place for any visiting team to leave with points, but RSL took all three in a last-gasp shocker.  The Clarets went up in the first half from a penalty kick, but Portland showed grit as the league's new wunderkind, Darlington Nagbe earned a fine brace.  Beating one of the league's best midfielders in Beckerman, and best keepers in Rimando, the Portland man confidently fired his team level just after the restart.  Scarcely fifteen minutes later, Nagbe juggled and volleyed another fine strike, maybe one of the season's best yet.  But just as the Timber Army and the rest of the Portland's sell-out crowd were congratulating themselves on a fine night of football, Real Salt Lake found the net.  As deflating as it was go from a win to a draw in the last minute of regulation, it was nothing compared to the disappointment of going from draw to loss in the third minute of stoppage time.  Kyle Beckerman lifted RSL to victory, burying the ball and the crowd as well.

Seattle Sounders 0-1 San Jose Earthquakes
The Sounders found themselves on the wrong side of a scrappy match at CenturyLink field Saturday evening.  At twenty-four minutes, the Quakes won a penalty and Chris Wondolowski was more than obliged to make it count.  The rest of the game was back and forth with the Sounders holding the edge in the second half.  But that edge wouldn't matter as San Jose's lone goal was enough to secure the win in hostile territory, issuing a challenge to the rest of the western conference.

LA Galaxy 1-3 New England Revolution
Perhaps the biggest shock of the week was when the Revolution paralyzed the LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.  Scoring twice in the first thirteen minutes of play, New England took command of the match and gave LA no breathing space at all.  It was all over with but the crying when the Revs netted again in the sixty-fifth minute.  Robbie Keane linked up with Edson Buddle for a nice goal in the dying stages, but on the night, the Galaxy embarrassed themselves playing with all the composure of a rec league squad.  Thats two wins in a row for New England...and a bad sign for the flagging Galaxy, who travel to face league leaders Kansas City next week.

Chivas USA 0-1 Sporting Kansas City
And speaking of Kansas City, Sporting can't seem to stop winning at the moment.  Fighting out another tough one with the Chivas at the HDC, their ugly wins have them sitting atop the table.  Graham Zusi, KC's renaissance man, supplied CJ Sapong with a powerful headed goal in the forty-seventh minute.  The workhorse win continues Sporting's perfect start this year.

Colorado Rapids 2-0 Chicago Fire
And finally, the Rapids looked more like themselves in the 2-0 win over Chicago, Sunday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.  The return of Jeff Larentowicz meant the return of Colorado's midfield dominance.  Omar Cummings, who has a habit a of scoring against the Fire, found the first goal early in the second half and the Rapid's newest signing, Kamani Hill iced the cake in stoppage time.

All in all another thrilling week of MLS action with plenty of ups, downs, penalty's and wonder-goals.  Having been a fan of the league for a few years now, Major League Soccer just keeps getting better.  The on-field talent as well as the fan culture and media coverage has steadily increased, and unlike most leagues in Europe, the MLS seemed to be a fairly balanced league.  Despite some big budget gaps and facility issues for smaller market teams, the "any given Sunday" mentality is present in every weekend of MLS action.

Don't forget, this weekend USLPRO will kick off the 2012 season!!!  The Charleston Battery travel to Virginia to face the Richmond Kickers in the first installment of the Pioneer Cup!!  The game will not be broadcast via USLlive.com, but the Battery's website will have a radio feed of the match.  Cheer on the Charleston Battery as they celebrate their 20th Anniversary!!  Two decades of glorious football!!

MLS Rewind: Week 3

"Zip it"

Seattle Sounders 2-0 Houston Dynamo
The boys in rave green are getting the right results.  Another dominant performance in front of another sellout crowd at CenturyLink Field proves that the Sounders are clearly one of the heavyweights in Major League Soccer.  Estrada bagged his fourth of the season, rifling home a wayward clearance.  Scoring from a good distance, the newfound hero was assisted by a deflection from the Dynamo defense.  Brad Evans converted a penalty only minutes later, the result of an awkward foul in the box.  Seattle are looking sharp and had their finishing been a touch more polished, the score would've been four or five nil easily.  Houston's stern backline were not themselves and the offense tested the Sounders GK perhaps only twice (if that).  Confident football from the Sounders.

Toronto FC 0-3 San Jose Earthquakes
TFC got their butts handed to them Saturday afternoon in their home opener at BMO Field.  The Reds lost their lynchpin, Tornsten Frings, to injury last week against Seattle.  And a day before the match, lost their starting keeper to broken leg in a training accident.  It was all wrong from the beginning.  Chris Wondolowski had already scored before ten minutes had elapsed.  With so many alterations, the hosts failed to find the cohesiveness and fluidity that twice punished the Galaxy less than a fortnight ago.  The Quakes were rolling after the early goal had to wait for their second until shortly after the restart.  Before it was over, Wondo completed his brace with a good effort that encapsulated San Jose's evening.  Unfortunately, things are looking pretty grim for Toronto as they await their tangle with deadly Santos in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Columbus Crew 2-0 Montreal Impact
Well, Montreal can't win for losing...or so it would seem.  The start of the game was very promising indeed for the Impact, but after some poor officiating early on, Columbus were practically handed the game in a gift basket.  That's not to say they didn't earn the goals, but had the Crew stumbled here, it would've raised some serious questions about their potential this season.  The Impact had a player sent off early for what seemed to be a 50-50 challenge.  Shortly after, the Crew were awarded a penalty for a less than convincing foul inside the area.  The Crew took the goal and pressed their advantage in numbers.  Ricketts' in-goal heroics kept the visitors in the fight, but Montreal could simply not keep up.  Early in the second half, Vargas netted an incisive header to finish out the scoring.  The Impact nearly scored with three minutes in regulation but it proved too little too late.  Solid result from Columbus, but they had plenty of help from the man in black.

New England Revolution 1-0 Portland Timbers
Saer Sene was the man of the match, earning the title after only twenty-eight seconds.  The Revs' front man utilized the underside of the bar to head in an early early goal and  New England were able to see off the pressure, foiling another Timbers comeback.  It was the perfect start for the Revolution at home as they showed some pluck in snatching the quick goal and tenacity by thwarting a well balanced Portland team.

Chicago Fire 1-0 Philadelphia Union
This one was all Chicago.  The Fire played like a team with something to prove and their attack is starting to come together.  Oduro's headed goal was fantastic, but he and his teammates definitely should've had a few more.  Philly had better snap out it...and quick.  The fans aren't happy, the team isn't happy...Peter Nowak had better figure things out quick before someone else gets the chance.    

Real Salt Lake 0-1 Chivas USA
Surprise! Surprise!!  What happened??  Kudos to the Goats, wins at the Rio Tinto don't come easy.  While RSL controlled much of the match, they squandered most of their scoring opportunities.  And when the Chivas found the net so late in the game, the wheels came off for Real.  Everyone panicked and they were fortunate to end the game only one goal down.

Vancouver Whitecaps 0-0 DC United
In football, there's usually a lot more to the story than simply the score.  Not so here.  In terms of entertainment, competition, or humor, this match earned a zero ranking...two of them, actually.  Maybe it was just an off day for the Caps but DC United always seems to be bursting with hype before the season starts...when it comes to getting results they are desperately lacking.

New York Red Bulls 4-1 Colorado Rapids

Henry + Cooper = Double Brace!

WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!?  The Red Bulls reinvented their lineup, starting Kenny Cooper alongside Thierry Henry.  Adding Marquez in the midfield with some other minor changes and this looked like an entirely different team.  Granted, the Rapids were easy pickin's with three crucial starters absent, New York decimated Colorado, going two goals up in under six minutes.  The game had really just begun when Henry seized upon a poor backpass and exploded the goal moments later.  Next it was Kenny Cooper's turn, with good position and perfect ball placement made fools of the Rapids backline...it was a long afternoon for them anyhow.  In the second half, Omar Cummings had a brilliant strike, chipping the keeper from a long ways out.  The only problem with the goal is that is was bookended by Henry's second shortly after the restart and Cooper's brace and the end of the game.  TH14 almost had a hat trick in stoppage time, but for once the defense actually managed to keep it out.  This is what New York are capable of.  The Red Bulls should be posting these results every week, but then again, consistency has always been their biggest enemy.  Colorado won't take the loss to heart, they'll be themselves again when the missing pieces are back in the lineup.

Sporting Kansas City 2-1 FC Dallas
This match was a prime example of what MLS is all about.  Spirited play by both sides and an even match between the two.  Livestrong Park was silenced in the 25th minute as Villar effortlessly beat the wall on a set piece and put FCD on top.  Set piece revenge helped Sporting level things deep into stoppage time of the first half.  After the break it was a free-for-all.  Kansas City enjoyed more chances on goal.  They also enjoyed wasting most of them.  In the end, Kei Kamara proved the deciding factor, finishing a slick run of passes and sliding in a goal with two minutes to spare.  It was atonement for a failed penalty, saved earlier by Dallas keeper Kevin Hartman.  Hartman had an incredible night, and save after save, he kept his in the match til the 88th minute.