Week two of MLS was jam-packed with action. Postponed games, comebacks, and blowouts populated the action. It’s time for this week around MLS: week two.
New England vs Orlando: PPD
This game was supposed to be played this past weekend but snow halted the game before it even started the game has been moved to September. Hopefully the weather will be nicer!
Saturday's #NERevs vs. @OrlandoCitySC match at @GilletteStadium has been POSTPONED. Details: https://t.co/CU1jNggLth pic.twitter.com/bjfg1Lym05
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) March 10, 2017
Chicago 2 Real Salt Lake 0
Chicago got a huge result winning 2-0 over RSL. Their first goal looked to be a terrible missed offside call. A ball was played through to Nemanja Nikolic who ran free on goal, and slotted home the opportunity. After a second look, Nikolic was not offside because the ball was accidentally played by an RSL player. The second of Chicago’s goals was a great individual effort from Arturo Alvarez was rewarded by a deflection off a RSL defender. The Fire were up 2-0 in the first 15 minutes, and held that lead! RSL looked uninspiring and lost in their first game on the road.
New York Red Bull 1 Colorado 0
The Red bulls were able to grind out another one goal win at home versus Colorado. The Red Bull’s won their second consecutive 1 goal game by reviving the winning goal from the other team. They looked okay, but a side for the dangerous cross that lead to the own goal, they couldn’t find a way past Tim Howard. Colorado looked decent in the match, but couldn’t produce any great offensive firepower. After the one mistake Colorado’s defense stifled the Red Bulls thanks to the return of Tim Howard. Red Bull will take 6 points from own goals! They are top of the east thanks to others mistakes.
Philadelphia 2 Toronto 2
I did a full recap of this match here:
GOALS, GEIGER AND GRIT: UNION’S 2-2 DRAW WITH TORONTO
Montreal 2 Seattle 2
This game was a tale of two halves. Montreal came out firing at home. Mancosu slotted home a good goal to open the game. Later in the first half, Piatti did as he does, creating a chance and finishing it. Montreal looked good for the majority of the second half, until they gave up a soft penalty in the 83rd minute. Lodeiro steeped up and cut the lead in half. This gave Seattle life. They pushed for a second, and found it in the 4th minute of stoppage time thanks to Will Bruin. Both teams showed dominance for a part of the game. They also showed inept defense in-goal scoring moments, That’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Houston 3 Columbus 1
Houston continued their hot start verses a Columbus team that looked like they didn’t want to play. This game was all Houston. They scored off of pressing to create turnovers, off of set pieces and off of their own build up play. Cubo Torres continued his strong form, scoring again and breaking out the robot celebration. All three goals were also allowed to happen because Columbus decided to not play defense at all. Columbus did find a goal in stoppage time, but the consolation will do nothing for them. Columbus seems to be trending down, while Houston is red-hot heading into a showdown with Portland this Saturday.
Sporting Kansas City 0 FC Dallas 0
This game had plenty of chances for both sides, yet neither could come away with any goals. Dallas seemed superior for a time, finding chance after chance to score. But the woodwork, and Tim Melia kept Dallas off the board. Sporting Kansas City found a grove, and chances came with it. But like last week at DC, SKC was not able to take advantage of the chances. SKC will feel like they dropped points against a the best team in the west, while Dallas see what it looks like for a bounce to not go their way for a week.
San Jose 3 Vancouver 2
This game had many thrills, including drama. San Jose had made a statement in their first game of the season beating Montreal. They looked like they lost all momentum in the first 20 minutes of their game agaisnt Vancouver. The Whitecaps scored twice in the first 20 minutes. But super Wondo found a way to get San Jose back in the game. Drawing a red card on Vancouver keeper David Ousted, and then scoring a goal before halftime gave San Jose life. San Jose quickly tied the game in the second half thanks to Lima’s first MLS goal. Godoy continued his hot steak scoring the game winner for San Jose off of a wonder strike! San Jose’s resiliency helped them win. Vancouver will be left asking how they blew a 2-0 lead after receiving a red card.
New York City FC 4 DC United 0
NYCFC showed that their week one loss to Orlando was not the blue print for how they will play in 2017. They scored three goals in the first half. Two from the run of play, and another form a corner. DC’s hot defensive start from week one sputtered at Yankee Stadium, they could not defend at all. They let a second chance rebound up for the first goal, didn’t mark David Villa on the second goal and let Moralez run through on goal for the third. David Villa added a world-class goal at the end of the game to seal he deal. NYCFC seem to have found a stride. DC, on the other hand, looks like they forgot how to play soccer.
Minnesota 1 Atlanta 6
Minnesota United’s first ever MLS home game didn’t go as planned. This game will be remembered for the snow, and the fact that Minnesota let up six goals to their expansion counterpart Atlanta United. These teams are on two different levels. Atlanta spent money on quality coaching and players, and Minnesota did not. As you can see you need to have good skilled players in the game. Atlanta has that! Minnesota’s defense followed up a 4-1 thrashing at Portland last week, by conceding six goals at home. They sit dead last in-goal differential at -9, which is five worse than the second worst goal difference (DC United -4). Atlanta’s Josef Martinez recorded Atlanta United’s first hat-trick in the win. The United from Georgia is really, really, good; whereas, the United form Minnesota are not.
LA Galaxy 0 Portland 1
Portland found a way to get a win on the road. Their first win on the road since 2015. It did come with some controversy though. Portland went up in the first 10 minutes of the game, and then decided that they were going to grind out the win. They did this by attacking defender Jelle Van Damme and falling when the defender was close to making contact. The ref gave Van Damme two yellow cards before the 40th minute, causing him to be ejected, and LA to play a man down. LA who was very strong at home last season lost their first home game in 2017. Portland who didn’t win on the road at all last year, won their first game on the road in 2017. After the result LA’s twitter put out what I think is the best reaction to miss calls ever! Check it out below.
https://twitter.com/LAGalaxy/status/841420725747507201
Here’s where everyone stands:
Eastern Conference
| Points | Overall | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | PTS | PPG | GP | W | L | T | ||||
| New York Red Bulls | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Chicago Fire | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Atlanta United FC | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| New York City FC | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Orlando City SC | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Philadelphia Union | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
| Toronto FC | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
| Montreal Impact | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Columbus Crew SC | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| D.C. United | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| New England Revolution | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Western Conference
| Points | Overall | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | PTS | PPG | GP | W | L | T | ||||
| Portland Timbers | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Houston Dynamo | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| San Jose Earthquakes | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| FC Dallas | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Colorado Rapids | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Sporting Kansas City | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Real Salt Lake | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| LA Galaxy | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Minnesota United FC | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Heres the MLS goals of the week, saves of the week and team of the Week.
Goal of the week:
Some great goals this weekend.
Which is #ATTGotW? VOTE: https://t.co/EYXL0NSBhe https://t.co/hl4VREX8vT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 15, 2017
Save of the Week:
There were some top notch stops this weekend, but which one was the Save of the Week?
VOTE: https://t.co/BVPSiSkHzb https://t.co/4HXlZXBGpj
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 14, 2017
Team of the week:
Bench: Jake Gleeson, POR; Nick Lima, SJ; Alex, HOU; Felipe, NY; Sebastian Lletget, LA; Maxi Moralez, NYC; Alberth Elis, HOU
Week three starts today! here’s the slate of games:
Saturday:
NYCFC vs Montreal 2:00 PM
Atlanta vs Chicago 4:00 PM
Vancouver vs Toronto 4:00 PM
DC United vs Columbus 7:00 PM
Orlando vs Philadelphia 7:30 PM
preview here: THE UNION LOOK FOR THEIR FIRST 3 POINTS OF 2017 AT ORLANDO
FC Dallas vs New England 8:00 PM
Sporting Kansas City vs San Jose 8:30 PM
Colorado vs Minnesota 9:00 PM
Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy 9:30 PM
Portland vs Houston 10:30 PM
Sunday:
Seattle vs New York Red Bulls 7:00 PM
Be sure to come back to Philly Sports Network for more on the Union, MLS and the US Mens National team as they gear up for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers . Until then, peace out Union fans.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
