MLS Week Four Roundup
MLS week four roundup will go down as time to rethink FIFA breaks during the MLS season.
With many teams missing players due to international call ups this week, a lot of teams had to juggle lineups.
Montreal Impact 2 – Orlando City 2
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Montreal jumped to a 2-0 lead with a goal by Ignacio Piatti from the spot, after a Sean St. Ledger handball in the box. Donovan Ricketts who had dived to his left, jumped in disgust as he got a piece of the shot but not enough to keep it out. Next came a candidate for goal of the week as Jack McInerney scored a highlight-reel goal in the 27th minute. After making a run on a ball the defender was trying to recover, Jack Mac beat the defender and punished Ricketts for being out of position when he lifted the ball high over the goalie and dropped a perfect shot into the empty net.
But Orlando had plenty of time to get back in the game and the Brazilian duo of Kaka and Ribeiro combined for two goals in quick succession with some magical passing between the two of them. The game ended tied at two in front of a large Montreal crowd of over 25,000.
NYCFC 0 – Sporting Kansas City 1
Another good crowd of 27,545 (announced as a sellout) watched the first of what might be many goals scored as a result of the narrow dimensions of Yankee Stadium. Ike Opara found the back of the net in the thirteenth minute with powerful header after taking a long Matt Besler throw-in. It proved to be all Sporting would need on the day as N.Y.C.F.C. looked like they missed David Villa who sat with a strained groin.
D.C. United 1 – L.A. Galaxy 0
With L.A. were missing Robbie Keane to Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland and Gyasi Zardes on duty with the US national team, this game was ripe for D.C. United to steal and steal they did. Advancing down the right side Nick DeLeon beat Robbie Rogers and put a cross to the far post where Chris Pontius scored in extra time to give D.C. all three points and send the home town fans into a frenzy.
Columbus S.C. 1 – New York Red Bulls 2
Well the Red Bulls came into Columbus looking to stay undefeated under Jesse Marsch and 90 minutes later they accomplished that and scored the 1,000 goal in the club’s history that sealed a win. The Red Bulls can thank substitute Mike Grella, who netted a mere seconds after entering the match in the 67th-minute and is now the answer to who scored the Red Bulls’ 1000th goal.
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Crew SC’s Federico Higuain was called for a foul late in the game that was more than likely a bad call. But with one yellow already issued to him earlier in the match he loss his composer and took a second for dissent. I don’t know what he’s thinking but he had to walk away from the ref and not leave his team down a man with seven plus minutes to go in the game.
Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. 2 – Portland Timbers 1
Robert Earnshaw made his brief debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps striking a dagger to the heart of Portland with a stoppage-time, game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at BC Place.
Don’t look now but Vancouver is just one point off the best record in the league at the end of week four. With their third straight win coming against Cascadia rivals Portland, this team is playing well early on.
Houston Dynamo 0 – Colorado Rapids 0
Just move along people, nothing to see here.
It looks like Houston is the last team in the league using the old system to count fans. 19,603?
It’s a shame because the one thing coming out of Houston early this season is the impressive play of Tyler Deric.
Rapids midfielder Marcelo Sarvas saw first hand for himself in the 15th minute as the Dynamo goalkeeper deflected a blast away and out for a corner. In the 31st minute Sarvas was left starring in disbelief as Deric’s reaction was so quick as he stopped a close in shot over the bar as Sarvas ended up in the net.
Houston fans, get out to the stadium as this guy is putting on a show worth the price of admission.
F.C.Dallas 0 – Seattle Sounders 0
.This was a game that should have been the shining star of week four in MLS but then again, week four should have been next week.
With both teams missing players to International duty and injuries, this game hardly resembled a showdown between the “Best in the West”.
The visitors played over 70 minutes with a man advantage after Dallas defender Kellyn Acosta received a red card that might have been a bit harsh. He was turning his head trying to settle a ball that was waist high and I don’t think saw Andy Rose running onto it. But 70 minutes later after a 0-0 tie, Dallas (3-0-1) still sit atop the Western Conference standings.
Chicago Fire 1 – Philadelphia Union 0
Just over 12,000 fans in Chicago came to see the Fire get their first win of the season. These two teams are suffering from big market owners acting like they play in small market’s. Although Chicago went out and signed three DP’s, the star of this team is Harry Shipp. I just love hearing that chant on National TV that makes the announcer explain to the audience that Section 8 is chanting “Holy Shipp, Holly Shipp, Holy Shipp” as Shipp makes another spectacular play.
It was close to what I was thinking when in the 72nd minute Philadelphia went down a man for the remaining 18 minutes after substitute Fred was shown a straight red card for a swing at Shipp.
I think Curtin ought to suggest to his team to start trying to shoot the ball over the goal or to the side of it and maybe it will start going on net. Right now it looks like they couldn’t hit the side of a barn.
Real Salt Lake 2 – Toronto 1
Sebastian Giovinco was the lone DP playing for Toronto as Bradley and Altidore are still with the USMNT in Switzerland. But at the end of this game, it was substitute Jordan Allen, a 19-year-old midfielder who was making just the fifth appearance of his MLS career after missing most of last season due to injury giving the fans of Real Salt Lake something to go crazy over as he scored his first career goal.
The goal in the 89th minute took back the lead from Toronto after they had just tied it in the 88th minute on a goal by Brazilian midfielder Jackson.