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travisfbxw182 · 4 years ago

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koolwebsites · 5 years ago

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Ilsinho has 2 goals, an assist as Union beat Red Bulls 3-2 AP Published 10:02 p.m. ET June 8, 2019 | Updated 11:13 p.m. ET June 8, 2019…

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supersportsnewsblog · 5 years ago

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Fabrice-Jean Picault scored and assisted on Marco Fabian's goal in extra time to help the Philadelphia Union beat New York 4-3 on Sunday and eliminate the Red Bulls from the playoffs. Third-seeded Philadelphia, which earned the first MLS playoff win in franchise history, will play at No. 2 seed

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flauntpage · 6 years ago

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C.J. Sapong Thanklessly Worked His Butt Off for the Philadelphia Union

Trading C.J. Sapong was the right move for the Philadelphia Union.

In the simplest terms, sporting Director Ernst Tanner took a $500k player on an expiring contract and turned him into at least $400,000 of allocation money while tacking on a performance bonus that could push the number up to $450k. Sapong is 30 years old heading into his 9th MLS season, so he’s obviously hitting the back end of his career in 2019.

The other thing to consider is this:

C.J. would have been a bench player this year. He lost his starting gig to Cory Burke last season, the Union signed Sergio Santos in December, and now they’re switching to a two-striker formation that plays without wingers. Therefore, with hybrids David Accam and Fafa Picault tossed into the forward mix, you were looking at a depth chart of something like this:

Sergio Santos

Fafa Picault

Cory Burke

David Accam/C.J. Sapong

Kacper Przybylko

Something like that, depending on how you value each player. There was just no way the Union could keep six strikers for two starting spots, which would have left at least one of Santos, Picault, Burke, Accam, or Sapong out of the gameday 18 entirely.

Throw in the fact that Marco Fabian and Ilsinho can also play as second strikers or withdrawn forwards in this formation if the Union want to add a wrinkle, and it looks even more clustered up top.

So kudos to Tanner for getting value out of C.J. and moving the roster forward.

Now –

If you followed my Union stuff or read anything I wrote from 2015-2018, you know I was not C.J. Sapong’s biggest fan. This crested in an argument with head coach Jim Curtin that spilled out into the hallway after a press conference back in 2017.

My thing with C.J. is that I always felt like he underperformed relative to his talent level, a guy who I personally felt should have broken the 10-goal barrier long before his wonderful 2017 campaign. And when he did, he regressed the next season, following his 16 goals and 5 assists with just 4 and 3, respectively.

This was incredibly disappointing to see:

As a starting forward in a one-striker system, the Union just needed more than that. You needed more than one goal per 337 minutes in 2018, 2016, and 2015. You needed the one goal per 174 minutes he played in 2017. You needed double-digit tallies from C.J. and you needed to get him service from the wings on a consistent basis.

The latter topic is debatable. C.J. played in front of some good wingers and some not-so-good wingers. Sometimes he got the ball on a platter, two-yards from the goal, and sometimes he didn’t, but one of his issues was that he was unable to create his own shot. He could not turn, dribble, take on a defender, and slide one past the goalkeeper. He was a prototypical target forward, hold-up player, and poacher.

To that point, no matter how Union fans feel about Sapong’s four years in Chester, his spirit and work rate are undeniable. Here’s a guy who literally broke his face on his Union debut, playing just 45 minutes before suffering a concussion and Zygomatic fracture. He missed three games before returning to action, then received a suspension from the MLS league office for a DUI charge of which he was ultimately found not guilty. He returned from a mandated rehab stint in Malibu to score five goals in six games, finishing with a respectable 9 goals and 4 assists during his first Union year.

There were a bunch of ups and downs beyond that. Sapong was not the starter when the 2017 season began, but after Jay Simpson suffered a bruised lung during matchday two, Sapong took back his starting role and never gave it up, scoring 6 goals in 7 games, including a hat trick in a 3-0 rout of Red Bull at Talen Energy Stadium. He went on to score just once in his next seven games, which is consistent with the mid-season famine that had popped up in previous MLS seasons.

Either way, he did a lot of thankless work here. He frequently found himself on an island, battling with two center backs at the same time, taking a beating from knees and elbows and shoulders over the course of 70-90 minutes per game. And because he wasn’t a high-priced Designated Player or European veteran, he never got the respect of MLS referees, constantly taking a battering through whistles that did not blow at half the rate of contact involving David Villa, Sebastian Giovinco, or Bradley Wright-Phillips.

That was undeniable. You watched the same games I did, the same sequences where Sapong would get absolutely clobbered by defenders in 2v1 situations. No whistle. There was a game a few years back where Sapong was fouled a franchise-record seven times, which I argued was actually eight. I cut clips and still frames of the ridiculous infractions, like this:

And while the way he was officiated could be infuriating, I always wondered if it was a result of his personality, because C.J. was a really nice guy, a respectful and spiritual type of dude who was non-confrontational and played a clean game. The only time I remember him doing anything remotely argumentative on the field is when Roland Alberg took a penalty kick that Sapong wanted to take back in 2017. Ironically, that game against Columbus highlighted some of the things C.J. failed to get consistent credit for, which were winning fouls, earning penalty kicks, drawing cards, and making other smaller contributions that don’t show up on stat sheets.

C.J. would often talk about life from an otherworldly or maybe recondite perspective, one that I don’t think a “blue collar” Philly fan base could totally relate to. That’s certainly fine, and there’s nothing wrong with karma and kismet and the divines and the roots of the Earth, and all of that stuff, but there were a lot of times where I just wanted him to be an outright asshole. I wanted him to grab a shirt or take a dive or argue his position with the center ref. I wanted to see some Carlos Ruiz type of stuff, the shrewd and savvy veteran striker tactics and techniques that ultimately help you win fouls and put the ball in the back of the net. C.J. too often found himself as a back-to-goal guy putting in tireless physical work in a team-first manner, probably to his own detriment.

That’s Sapong’s Union legacy. He scored some goals here, provided some assists, and took promotions and demotions in stride. There were certainly frustrations with a guy who I felt was lacking a true killer instinct, but if we’re talking about “Philly” type of athletes who work their ass off and put their body on the line for the badge, then C.J. fit that label as well as anybody.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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Rooney's revival, Wright-Phillips' record but no Zlatan - all you need to know on MLS play-offs

Wayne Rooney’s impact at DC United; Bob Bradley’s redemption with new boys Los Angeles FC; the Serie A reject breaking goal records; a Scotland winger making a name for himself in the US midwest and a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Major League Soccer has had it all this season – and it is just warming up.

After the play-off picture was finalised on Sunday’s ‘decision day’, BBC Sport takes a look at the key stories behind the contenders for the MLS Cup.

Rooney revives DC

DC sat bottom of the Eastern Conference when Rooney, Manchester United’s record scorer, joined from Everton in June.

But his impact on and off the pitch in the US capital has been huge.

He was named DC captain after just three games and has dragged the team into the post-season with his goals, assists and work ethic.

My life in the USA – Rooney on anonymity and ‘tough and physical’ MLS

The former England captain, 33, scored 12 goals and has seven assists in 19 games as DC United clinched a play-off spot with a game to spare.

After two wins in their first 14 games, DC United have now gone 10 matches unbeaten and won their past five, reaching the MLS post-season for the first time since 2015 after climbing to fourth place.

Rooney, who earns $ 2.7m (£2.1m) a year, has proved a huge draw and in just over four months in the league has sold the fourth most shirts.

From Serie A struggles to breaking records at Atlanta

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Venezuela striker Josef Martinez has spearheaded Atlanta United’s run this year as they finished second in the Eastern Conference.

Martinez broke the league record for most goals in a season in August and finished with 31 goals in 35 games to win the MLS Golden Boot.

The 25-year-old was initially signed on loan from Torino in 2017, before making his move permanent from Serie A.

“I don’t regret what happened,” Martinez told BBC Sport of his time at Torino, where he scored 11 goals in three years.

“If I could correct things, I’d correct a few but it was a learning experience, more than anything off the field.

“I’d like to be here. It’s the place where I am now, the love I’m shown here, and that’s something you can’t buy at any club.

“At first I didn’t know much about the league but since I’ve been here I’ve realised that it was a great choice.”

The story of Atlanta United

Martinez has been linked with a move back to Europe, but says he is “not thinking about returning at the moment”, while team-mate Miguel Almiron, a midfielder, is reportedly being chased by a number of Premier League clubs.

Atlanta boss Gerardo Martino, who managed Barcelona in 2013-14, is leaving the club at the end of the season and Martinez credits a lot of his success to the Argentine.

“The relationship with Tata (Martino) goes beyond the field, it’s like few others I’ve had with coaches,” said Martinez, who has scored 51 goals in 55 MLS games.

Speaking about his season, he added: “I’m in a good moment. I’ve never had a season like the one I’m having. When one scores, obviously you feel satisfaction. But this is still going. We still have games left and need to finish the season in the best way.”

Scotland’s Russell gets buzz back at Sporting Kansas

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“I’ve seen [some of my TV interviews] sometimes have subtitles,” said Scotland forward Johnny Russell. “But I do not take offence.”

The 28-year-old Glaswegian joined Sporting Kansas City from Derby County in January and has scored 10 goals and has 10 assists in 33 games this season, including a hat-trick against Vancouver Whitecaps in April.

“It’s been the perfect season for me,” the former Dundee United player told BBC Sport. “I feel like I am playing the most consistent I have in my career.”

Russell scored 34 goals in 203 games at Derby, but admits he “lost the buzz” playing football in England and realised it was “probably time to try something new”.

“It is one of those things, for some reason I could not find the level I knew I was capable of playing at at times, that was the most frustrating part,” he said.

“I felt I let myself and team-mates down. It’s an experience I’ve learnt from. I have always been confident, but sometimes I lost that at times in England. Once I got my confidence back, I knew the goals would come.

“Just to have that feeling back, loving what I am doing, I am feeling good at the minute and getting the best out of myself, which you can see on the pitch.”

Sporting finished top of the Western Conference.

“It’s [coming to MLS] been completely different from everything I was used to,” Russell added. “Maybe it has got a little bit extra out of me.

“I have never been involved in a play-off format before, I have never won anything in my career.

“When I hear some of the comments [about MLS], I think they are little bit over the top and disrespectful. For a long time people looked at the league and thought players come out here to relax, but it is not like that any more.”

Wright-Phillips’ record season

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It’s been a record-breaking season for New York Red Bulls and their star player Bradley Wright-Phillips.

The Englishman, who previously played for Manchester City, Southampton, Plymouth and Charlton, became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 100 goals in July.

Red Bulls’ all-time top goalscorer also became the first player to score 20 or more goals in three different MLS seasons.

The 33-year-old, who is the brother of ex-Manchester City winger Shaun and son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, has scored 20 goals this season – the third most in the league. The club retired his 99 shirt in August.

Red Bulls beat Atlanta United to the Supporters’ Shield on the last day of the regular season – awarded to the club with the best regular season record.

Their 71 points and 22 wins is the most in MLS history.

Could Wright-Phillips be the best MLS player ever?

‘God of Goals’ misses out

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Who could have imagined the play-offs would be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

The Swede, 37, has made his presence felt in typical fashion since joining LA Galaxy from Manchester United in March.

Ibrahimovic announced his own arrival in MLS with a full-page advert in the Los Angeles Times, saying: “Dear Los Angeles, you’re welcome.”

He then marked his debut in March with a remarkable match-winning cameo, scoring twice against Los Angeles FC after coming on as a substitute with 20 minutes to go.

It has been an eventful season for the former Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris St-Germain striker, who has sold the most shirts in the MLS and appeared on numerous US talk shows.

In 27 games he has scored 22 goals, been sent off and last month scored his 500th career goal, later calling himself “god of goals”.

But a 3-2 defeat by Houston on Sunday, the final day of the regular season, saw Ibrahimovic, former England left-back Ashley Cole and the rest of the Galaxy squad miss out, with Real Salt Lake qualifying instead.

That means a first taste of the play-offs for ex-Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, who joined Real in September.

Bradley’s Hollywood comeback

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Bob Bradley was the first American to manage a Premier League club, but lasted just 85 days in charge at Swansea before he was sacked in December 2016.

His next job was leading Los Angeles FC in their debut season and they have exceeded all expectations.

LAFC easily reached the play-offs and won a record number of points for a team in their inaugural season.

Los Angeles FC: A football club with a Hollywood sheen

Bradley, 60, will be hoping he can repeat his heroics from Chicago Fire’s debut season in 1998, when he led them to the MLS title.

One of LAFC’s celebrity owners is actor and comedian Will Ferrell, who has been a regular at the Banc of California Stadium this season. Footage went viral of him leading chants among the club’s passionate supporters.

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How do the play-offs work?

New York Red Bulls, Atlanta United, Sporting Kansas City and Seattle Sounders earned a first-round bye by finishing in the top two positions in the Eastern and Western Conference.

They go straight through to the Conference semi-finals where they will face the winners of the four knockout round matches, which take place on Wednesday and Thursday.

Knockout round

31 October, Western Conference: FC Dallas (fourth seed) v Portland Timbers (fifth seed)

Eastern Conference: New York City FC (third seed) v Philadelphia Union (sixth seed)

1 November, Eastern Conference: DC United (fourth seed) v Columbus Crew (fifth seed)

Western Conference: Los Angeles FC (third seed) v Real Salt Lake (sixth seed)

The Conference semi-finals are played over two legs between 4 and 11 November. New York Red Bulls, as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, will face the lowest advancing seed, while Sporting Kansas City will play the lowest advancing seed in the Western Conference.

The Conference Championships are also over two legs on 25 and 29 November.

The MLS Cup final is on 8 December. The finalist with highest regular season points total will host the match.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

BBC Sport – Football

Rooney's revival, Wright-Phillips' record but no Zlatan – all you need to know on MLS play-offs was originally published on 365 Football

#know #need #Playoffs #record #revival #Rooney&039s #WrightPhillips&039 #Zlatan

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pcwpolwrestling · 8 years ago

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PCW Rewind: When Congressional Leaders Try to Take Financial Advice from Dave Ramsey- 9/10/2012 Extreme Political TV

It’s the home stretch before PCW’s signature show- Extreme Election Night 2012. PCW is split up into three distinct shows: Red (Republican/Conservative), Blue (Democrat/Liberal), and Independent. This episode features current PCW wrestlers: Starz N. Stripes, Big Oil, Kirk Walstreit, current PCW Owner Dawn McGill, current PCW Champion William Daniels Bryan, and current Heartland Champion Charlie Blackwell.

PCW Extreme Political TV Recap Monday September 10th, 2012 Host: ‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave

*Ten Bell Salute for the upcoming anniversary of 9/11*

Opening Suave in the ring. Tonight, both the Red and Blue Brands are expected to announce their intentions moving forward for the remainder of the run-up to November’s PCW Extreme Election Night 2012. Tonight’s main event is the PCW Title match that took place last week at the Democratic National Convention.

But first, a review of the Red Brand title match between Starz N. Stripes and P.M.C. Banks at the Republican National Convention.

PCW Red Brand Title Match: Starz N. Stripes (R) vs. P.M.C. Banks (R)…joined in progress. It appeared from the beginning that the Republican Establishment favored Banks and he took control early on. Ron Paul (R-TX) and the New Libertarian Army (Jack and Bull Schmidt) ran in and Jack tried to join the match but was sent to the back by Republican referee J. Michael Mitchell.

Then Code Pink (D), who’d somehow snuck into the building, raced down and tried to Glitter Bomb Banks. But…

THUMP

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP

The crowd stood as a photo of the phenomenon known as Jill-Berg (R) appeared on the video screen. The PCW Women’s Champion then hit the ring and brawled with Pink all the way to the back.

Next, it was Occupy Wall Street’s Nate, Shane, and Adam who came down to the ring. This time, venerable actor Clint Eastwood, with his empty chair, and several former Olympians came down and beat the OWS back.

Starz made a late comeback and was about to slap on the American Stars and Fujiwara armBar on Banks. The Republican establishment then came to the ring and then Paul Ryan’s Raiders (Nick Ray and Kevin Collins) (R) also arrived. The Raiders distracted the referee long enough to allow Banks to hit his Foreclosure finisher on Starz for the win.

WINNER AND NEW PCW RED BRAND CHAMPION: P.M.C. Banks (R) @ 17:33

The Republican Establishment celebrate while Starz N. Stripes, a PCW stalwart dating back to 2005, walked dejectedly towards the back. A faint “Thank you, Starz” chant could be heard.

Financial Guru Dave Ramsey With Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Harry Reid (D-NV), John Boehner (R-OH), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY)Ramsey talked to the group about getting out of debt and described the steps they would have to take in order to not only balance the budget but also pay off the national debt.

Pelosi, Reid, Boehner, and McConnell all returned vacant stares.

Main Street Mafia (Brian King and Russ Smith)The representatives of Main Street USA came out to complain that they continue to be completely ignored by both the Democrats and Republicans. King says that with the D’s and R’s controlling everything now that the mid and lower card are being left behind. Smith points out the steep increase in gas prices that make it hard for them to get to PCW events and the amount they’d being paid aren’t keeping up.

They’re interrupted by the Extreme Coupon Clipping Gangsta Sweet Jack and that Mayhem guy from the Allstate commercial. Sweet Jack hands Main Street Mafia coupons and then attacks them with various items he’s purchased at a steep discount.

The annoying ‘Sweetjack’ jingle played throughout the impromptu match while Sweet Jack blasts Smith with a Off iPhone Accessories Kit he purchased for 65% off and then nailed King with a blender he bought for half price from the 11:11 Emporium.

Mayhem causes…well, mayhem.

Corporate Might (Republican’s Big Oil and Kirk Walstreit) then interrupt the match. Big Oil spiked King with an Oklahoma Driller. Walstreit hits the Stock Market Plunge on Smith. Sweet Jack tried to give Walstreit a 50% coupon from a restaurant chain- Walstreit tossed it aside and gave him the Stock Market Plunge as well. Mayhem tried to attack Big Oil…Big Oil grabbed him by the throat, lift, choke slam.

WINNER: No contest

Big Oil grabbed the microphone and gloated about the spiking oil prices and that many parts of the country are paying more than $4 per gallon of gas.

Big Oil: Thank you Hurricane Isaac. And thank all of you sheep for your pathetic addiction to your cars.

Big Oil pointed to a cash-filled wheelbarrow brought to ringside. The cash is piled up and overflowing.

Out of nowhere, Independent Heartland Champion Dawn McGill and the former Daniel-San now William Daniels Bryan attack with steel folding chairs. McGill and Bryan decks Big Oil and Walstreit.

McGill referred to Clint Eastwood’s address to the Republican National Convention two weeks back where he talked to an empty chair. She said their chairs may be empty too but at least they’re accomplishing something. She turned and blasted Big Oil and Walstreit again with the steel chair. Then she and Bryan grabbed the cash-filled wheel barrel and started tossing money to the crowd.

More Dave Ramsey Dave tries to get Pelosi etal to do a debt snowball. It doesn’t work very well when Ramsey rejects a suggestion to just ‘print more money’ and the exercise breaks down to both sides blaming the mounting deficit and national debt on each other.

Backstage Sandra Fluke (D) and a group begin to perform a pro-Obama musical set to Les Miserables.

Suddenly, “Can You Hear the People Sing” blares, interrupting the impromptu musical performance and the American Heartland Party (Charlie Blackwell, his wife Kenzie, and Mike the Mechanic) attack. Blackwell and Mike lay out the troupe while Kenzie chases Fluke into a dressing room.

Blackwell says if anyone should claim the Les Mis mantle it’s the truly disenfranchised- the lower and middle card of PCW. Republicans and Democrats only care about their special interest groups- no one stands with ordinary Americans.

Suave recapped the run up to the PCW title match. ‘Angry Highway Warrior’ Triple R (D) long believed the Democrats aren’t ‘extreme’ enough when dealing with Republicans. He demanded and and finally given a shot at PCW Champion The Sanderman (D) for the title at the Democratic National Convention last week.

Suave also noted that Triple R did have a provisional title reign back in 2007 when he defeated 14 other wrestlers at the PCW vs. EECW War pay per view to become the provisional champion- with the proviso that when then PCW Champion Justin Sufferable returned from his injury there would be a unification match. Triple R would lose the unification match in October 2007.

Suave noted that Triple R had been very close on numerous occasions to winning the PCW title outright but self-destructed every time. Was tonight the night?

Main Event: PCW Title Match between Triple R (D) and PCW Champion The Sanderman (D) from the DNC.Triple R wasted little time in attacking the PCW Champion. The Sanderman came back with left hands and then hit a slingshot somersault press. The Sanderman sent Triple R to the floor and hit a leg drop from the apron. Former PCW Tag Team champions Big Union (Big Labor and James the Jeep Worker) came in and laid the boots to Triple R on the floor. Then they threw him back into the ring.

Back in the ring, Triple R got some help of his own when the Green World Order (‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee and GreenPete) came down to assist. Lee caught The Sanderman with an exploder into the corner. Triple R hit a hurricanrana for a nearfall. He followed with a standing Sliced Bread #2 for another nearfall. The Sanderman reversed and whipped Triple R into the ropes, but Triple R caught him with a neckbreaker: 1…2…NO! Triple R hit a Michinoku Driver: 1…2…NO! Big Labor made the save. Triple R hit a springboard reverse hurricanrana: 1…2…NO! Big Labor again made the save. They went to the top rope. Triple R dropped him on the turnbuckle. Triple R then hit a Yakuza and a Top Rope BRAINBUSTAHHH. The GWO attacked Big Union and Triple made the cover: 1…2…3!

WINNER AND NEW PCW CHAMPION: Triple R (D) @ 14:30

At the end of the show, both Republican Leader Rience Priebus and Democratic Leader Debbie Wasserman-Schultz both left the building extremely upset.

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junker-town · 8 years ago

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MLS scores, Week 3: The Portland Timbers front 6 is the Death Star

There might be better teams in MLS, but there isn’t a scarier attack than Portland’s. Plus more from all around the league.

If you missed any of the action in MLS during Week 3, you missed a lot of goals. There were 32 of them, to be exact, and every game had at least two. Four of them were scored by the Portland Timbers, who look very scary.

After three games, the Timbers have 10 goals, and it’s tough to see how anything but an injury crisis can slow them down. They’ve scored them every way you can — goals from slow build-up, counters and set pieces, through brilliant combination play and stunning individual efforts. Five different players have found the back of the net.

Elsewhere, NYCFC turned in a solid performance, but they’re not doing a good job of masking Andrea Pirlo’s deficiencies. Atlanta impressed again, with a rookie making the best play of the week anywhere in MLS. And FC Dallas pulled off a comeback win, but not in the way you’d expect them to.

Saturday’s games

New York City FC 1-1 Montreal Impact Atlanta United 4-0 Chicago Fire Vancouver Whitecaps 0-2 Toronto FC D.C. United 0-2 Columbus Crew SC Orlando City 2-1 Philadelphia Union FC Dallas 2-1 New England Revolution Sporting Kansas City 2-1 San Jose Earthquakes Colorado Rapids 2-2 Minnesota United Real Salt Lake 1-2 LA Galaxy Portland Timbers 4-2 Houston Dynamo

Sunday’s game

Seattle Sounders 3-1 New York Red Bulls

So the Timbers’ attack is seriously nasty

The quartet of Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe, Diego Chara and Fanendo Adi has done some great things over the last couple of years. But the Timbers needed the right winger and the right defensive midfielder to reach their full potential. Now that Sebastian Blanco and David Guzmán are in the starting XI, Portland’s attack is flying.

Here’s how Adi capped off the Timbers’ scoring against the Dynamo. This is just outrageous stuff.

The composure, @fanendo. THE COMPOSURE. #PORvHOU https://t.co/vnq60jJG03

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 19, 2017

You might think that Blanco — a talented DP winger out of Argentina — was the biggest missing piece, but it was probably Guzmán. Before he arrived, Chara’s partners were mostly limited true holders or very attacking midfielders that forced Chara to sit deep and limit his game. With the more dynamic and balanced Guzmán as a partner, Chara can dribble and run forward, while occasionally holding to let Guzmán do the same. Portland’s third goal came from the midfielder’s picking a smart spot to switch roles, letting Guzmán combine with Nagbe and get on the scoreboard.

Now, to temper your excitement a bit: Portland might have the best attack in MLS now, but it’s not clear that all of their problems from last year have vanished. Guzmán’s arrival has taken a lot of pressure off the Timbers defense, but their back line is still flimsy, while goalkeeper Jake Gleeson has made a couple of errors this season.

Still, they’re better equipped to win shootouts than they were last season. Portland might not be the best team in MLS, but they’re a very good one, and the quality of their front six is indisputable.

OK, we must oblige the Sounders fans

Your attack is good too! The Joevin Jones nutmeg setup was outrageous. Ending New York Red Bulls’ undefeated streak was impressive. I hope I have done enough to prove to you that I am not biased, or as it’s more commonly stated online, “YOUR BIAS.”

Andrea Pirlo isn’t bad. He just doesn’t fit.

Since he’s arrived in MLS, Andrea Pirlo has caught a lot of criticism for being really bad on defense. And honestly, this isn’t his fault. He’s still an extremely useful player if you limit situations where he might get isolated in space.

NYCFC isn’t doing this at all. They’re playing with an extremely high press and asking Pirlo to do a ton of work. And there’s a lot of reason to believe that they’re better off changing their DM than changing the system to fit Pirlo.

Here’s a moment in the first half of NYCFC’s match against Montreal where their two central players ahead of Pirlo — Maxi Moralez and Alexander Ring — pressure aggressively. Moralez’s excellent pressing forces Impact fullback Chris Duvall to make a risky pass to Calum Mallace, which results in a turnover. Ring closes down this space in less than two seconds and sets up what becomes a clear-cut chance.

But what happens when NYC doesn’t close down the space fast enough? Pirlo gets hung out to dry. In the second half, Moralez and Ring weren’t moving quite as quickly, giving Montreal chances to attack the center of the pitch with long balls that beat Pirlo.

It would be unfair to say that any of Ring, Moralez or Pirlo is playing poorly. They just fit different systems. If Patrick Vieira is committed to a very aggressive five-man high press — and on the evidence of the 14 shots inside of the box his team created against Montreal, he should be — he needs an athletic DM who can cover a lot of space quickly. Otherwise, NYCFC is going to keep drawing games where they were the superior team.

Julian Gressel made the play of the week

This wasn’t a goal or an assist, but it did more to alter the outcome of a game than any play you can see on a box score this week. Check out rookie Julian Gressel stealing a throw-in and quickly playing a perfect through ball to Josef Martinez, drawing a red card.

Kapelhoff deja con 10 hombres al Chicago Fire. http://pic.twitter.com/wNHAhNKX8k

— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) March 18, 2017

Just like that, game over for the Chicago Fire. Gressel made a play so good that it effectively ended the match and almost guaranteed three points for Atlanta.

Everyone’s favorite pretty passing team went all Tony Pulis

FC Dallas might play the best soccer in MLS, and their passing style is a huge reason why their head coach Óscar Pareja is a popular pick for next USMNT manager. Sometimes your favored style isn’t the best way to win, though. Sometimes you need to boot it and run.

TOP. SHELF. Urruti does it again for @FCDallas. 2-1. #DALvNE https://t.co/S5opk1dmxx

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 19, 2017

Maxi Urruti scored two second half goals to fire Dallas to a win over New England, and they looked pretty similar. Both were created by long balls, though the setup for the first goal by Maynor Figueroa was a bit more skillful and targeted. This second goal is just straight up dump-and-chase, and it worked.

MLS Live power rankings

This is not a ranking that has anything to do with how good a team is at soccer. It's simply about how likely you are to be entertained if you choose to watch their game on MLS Live.

Atlanta United

Portland Timbers

Seattle Sounders

Minnesota United

Houston Dynamo

FC Dallas

New York City FC

Toronto FC

New York Red Bulls

Orlando City

LA Galaxy

Vancouver Whitecaps

Montreal Impact

Sporting Kansas City

Chicago Fire

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

Columbus Crew SC

Philadelphia Union

San Jose Earthquakes

New England Revolution

D.C. United

This year’s huge yo-yo team is probably going to be the Quakes. I don’t know how to feel about them right now, and I had to drop them quite a bit after other teams played games I liked watching a lot more than theirs. Timbers and Sounders did enough going forward to move ahead of Minnesota, who looked like a somewhat competent team against Colorado. That’s good for their fans, and bad for this ranking.

Here is a list of way-too-early takes that are not worthy of an entire column. You should argue with me about them.

My belief that Toronto and Seattle are still the league’s two best teams got a lot stronger this week.

The Timbers know their defense is suspect and they’re on the hunt for a big time June signing.

The Chicago Fire aren’t as bad as their showing against Atlanta. That early red was a killer.

Josef Martinez will slow down a bit, but Miguel Almiron won’t. Once again: he’s an MVP candidate.

It’s Week 3 of Sean Davis struggling to fill Dax McCarty’s boots. Know who’s really good? Tyler Adams!

D.C. United needs... something. A new signing? A swift kick up the backside? They’re extremely flat, and their worst player through three weeks has strangely been last year’s breakout star, Steve Birnbaum. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but they look extremely bad.

Orlando City is going to have a difficult time keeping hold of Cyle Larin this summer.

Doubling down on Mike Petke being RSL’s manager by July.

Here is a photo I love from this week’s games

Sounders legend Zach Scott can’t even believe he won MLS Cup. You deserve it buddy.

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Have a great week!

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koolwebsites · 5 years ago

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Ilsinho sparks Union comeback in 3-2 win over Red Bulls

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Ilsinho had two goals and an assist to spark a second-half rally and the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union beat the New York Red Bulls 3-2

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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Top 5 figures under heavy pressure on Decision Day pres. by AT&T

USA Today Sports

October 25, 201811:27AM EDT

We’re fast approaching a pressure-packed Decision Day presented by AT&T that will decide the Supporters’ Shield, the top three spots in the Western Conference and other important playoff positioning matters.

Naturally, such days increase the glare on certain individuals expected to lead their clubs to victory when the chips are down. So naturally, we picked out the guys with the pressure to perform on Sunday.

It was not easy ranking these cases, as several teams have loads on the line this weekend. And some of those have more than one guy counted on to make another big “W” happen. Just missing the list were Atlanta United ace Josef Martinez, the Columbus Crew SC duo of head coach Gregg Berhalter and top gun Gyasi Zardes and LAFC drink-stirrer Carlos Vela.

Russell and Salloi | USA Today Sports Images

It is not easy to beat Bob Bradley’s LAFC when they come to your town. They’ve only been shut out away once, which helps explain how the expansion darlings have won seven of 16 while bagging 35 goals (!) on the road. Long story short, it seems reasonable to assume that it will take multiple goals for Sporting Kansas City to ensure they take the West’s top seed (and avoid any chance of slipping into the Knockout Round) with a win on Sunday (4:30 pm ET | FS1 – Full TV and streaming info).

That’s where the box-raiding SKC wingers come in. When one of them makes the score sheet with at least a goal or an assist, the Children’s Mercy Park crew are pretty tough to beat. When Russell and Salloi both pitch in with end product in the same game, it’s darned near impossible. Sporting are 8-1 in such contests, and perfect at home.

No. 4: Oscar Pareja

Pareja | USA Today Sports Images

This one starts a run of picks from the head coaching ranks, and it should come as no surprise. My colleague Matt Doyle has been noting for a couple months that FC Dallas just haven’t been quite right since Mauro Diaz left. He scored in his last game for the North Texans, a mid-June win over Montreal that had Oscar Pareja and the boys at 7-1-6.

Since then, FC Dallas are 9-7-3, which is not too shabby. The problem is, not quite right and not too shabby won’t get it done in the playoffs and Oscar Pareja has exactly one game to figure out a fix. And not only in his team floating into the postseason after leading the West much of the year, they also really need a “file under: should be expected” win at seemingly outclassed Colorado to clinch a Knockout Round bye (4:30 pm ET | Full TV and streaming info). If nothing else, it buys the answer-searching boss a little more time at the drawing board.

No. 3: Dome Torrent

If only it was so easy for the New York City FC coach. His outfit has reached downright free-fall. Patrick Vieira guided the club to an 8-3-4 start that saw them score at least two goals 11 times. Torrent won five of his first six games in charge at Yankee Stadium, but the wheels started coming off in late July.

Torrent’s constant tinkering (in part due to injuries, to be fair) has now overseen a 2-6-4 plummet marked by only three multiple-goal games. If NYCFC can’t snap out of it against visiting Philadelphia on Decision Day (4:30 pm ET | Full TV and streaming info), they could slip as far as fifth place behind the Union and D.C. United… a scenario that plays out to a Knockout Round trip to Audi Field. Nobody in the Bronx wants that, coach, least of all you.

Whether or not he has key guys like Yangel Herrera and Jesus Medina ready to go against the pesky Union or not, it’s one last chance for guy in charge to pull the right levers in the regularseason.

I’m not actually asking the LA Galaxy superstar to do it all by himself. Even in the lion king’s most ferocious MLS moments, he and the team are succeeding because those around him are also making plays, too. But sure, obviously, if there’s one guy you’d assume will make a show of rallying the StubHub Center crew back to the playoffs, it’s Zlatan.

The notion is not for good reason, on the face of it. Ibrahimovic has scored in five straight games and has seven winners in just 26 league outings. He talks a big game and then backs it up, often in “Did you see that?!?” manner. The Galaxy need a win to smash ‘n’ grab the sixth spot in the West, and they’re 9-2-4 when the big guy scores.

If — or, most likely, when — that top-selling No. 9 shirt gets his goal roar on against Decision Day visitors Houston (a team that’s conceded 13 times in four games since winning the U.S. Open Cup), who could have expected anything less?

It’s not pressure, it’s Zlatan time.

No. 1: Tata Martino

The degree of difficulty navigating to the Shield and playoff parts beyond has ramped up in recent weeks for the Atlanta United tactician. Weeks of speculation finally led to an announcement that the coach will not be at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium steering wheel next year. Martinez suddenly hit a stop sign at 30 goals. Miguel Almiron went down with an injury and more is currently known about his supposed transfer status than about his return timeline.

Through it all, Martino has overseen nine wins in the last 12 games to keep the Five Stripes one point ahead of the rampaging New York Red Bulls. Even a draw in Sunday’s game at Toronto FC (a team they’ve yet to defeat) could cost Atlanta both the Supporters’ Shield and the right to host the deciding game of the Eastern Conference Championship (4:30 pm ET | TSN4 – Full TV and streaming info).

There’s only one quick way for the boss to be certain that his ATL legacy will include the first trophy in club history, and that’s to finally solve an injury-riddled Reds side on Sunday. If Martino can do that without his one-man engine room, he’ll also put Atlanta in prime position to play for a second piece of silver before he goes.

But, hey, no pressure or anything.

Topics:

The Winning 11 Pick ‘Em’

Who ya got on Decision Day? Pick which teams will win on MLS Decision Day 2018 presented by AT&T (Oct. 28) for a chance to win a trip to the MLS Cup 2018. It’s FREE and easy. Make your picks now!

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Top 5 figures under heavy pressure on Decision Day pres. by AT&T was originally published on 365 Football

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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Armchair Analyst: A run through all of Sunday's Week 34 MLS action

October 22, 201812:08AM EDT

And now for something completely different:

Eastern Conference

Atlanta United 2, Chicago Fire 1

The Five Stripes stayed atop both the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield race with a pretty drama-free win over the visiting Fire. But while it was drama-free and professional and comprehensive and there was really no doubt, at any point, who the better team was… meh. Since autumn began Atlanta haven’t much looked like the “We’re gonna stuff you into the woodchipper” Atlanta of the summer.

For as good and solid as they are right now, they’re not explosive in any sense of the word, and the biggest and easiest way to sum it up is that they miss Miguel Almiron badly. No one else on the roster has shown the ability to both cut players out of the play off the dribble while making the game vertical.

To be fair, who wouldn’t miss Almiron? He’s arguably the best player in the league and not easily replaced. But they’re almost certainly not going to have him next week, and maybe not for the playoffs, and while this team as it’s constructed is still good, they are by no means favorites without their No. 10. This is all compounded, of course, by an ill-timed slump from Josef Martinez.

Tata Martino tried to compensate by giving Andrew Carleton just his second start of the year – he can’t run away from players like Almiron does, but he’s a visionary chance creator – but things didn’t quite click. They feel like a team that’s searching for a Plan B right now.

Chicago weren’t good enough to take advantage of that and punish them. TFC, next week at BMO Field, might be.

Philadelphia Union 0, New York Red Bulls 1

And if Atlanta do slip up next weekend, then RBNY will almost certainly take their third Shield in six seasons. They’ll have done it for a lot of reasons – the league’s best defense, a few game-breakers in midfield, and a match-winner in goal being three.

That said, the team’s best and most important player remains striker Bradley Wright-Phillips. Yet even on a day in which BWP was neutralized like we seldom see…

The Union held Bradley Wright-Phillips without a shot (on target or otherwise). It’s the first time BWP has had a start without a shot since June 24, 2017. String of 43 starts.

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) October 21, 2018

RBNY found a way.

This was their 11th win of the season against playoff teams, which is an obscene number (Atlanta are second with eight). They know how to make games against good teams into 50/50 battles, and then they are better at winning those battles than anybody else.

And mind you, Philly are really good. Since fully integrating Borek Dockal and Cory Burke in mid-May, they’re 17-9-3 across all competitions. That’s not quite a Shield-winning pace this year, but it’s not far off. And the Red Bulls went to Chester, walked out onto the Union’s home field, and outlasted them.

D.C. United 3, NYCFC 1

And yet you could argue that neither Atlanta nor the Red Bulls are actually the best team in the East right now. United toyed with NYCFC (to be fair, everybody’s doing that lately) in their final home game of the regular season, capping off a magnificent 11-2-3 stretch in which they climbed from dead last overall to fifth in the East, and with the possibility of getting up to fourth place – and thus earning a home game in the Knockout Round – if things go right.

They did it with style, too. LOOK AT THIS!!!!!1111

Say a prayer for all the defenders that Lucho Acosta turned into ghosts on that play. May their souls find peace in the afterlife.

This was basically more of the same thing we’ve seen over the course of the last three months from D.C., and that applies equally to the Pigeons. NYCFC are 2-6-4 since the end of July, and could drop from third to fifth next week if they lose to Philly at home on the final day of the season, and if D.C. beat Chicago in Bridgeview.

The one ray of light here is the presence of Yangel Herrera, who picked up an assist in his return to action. It feels like too much of NYCFC is broken – they don’t pass the ball from the back like they used to, they don’t combine through midfield like they used to, they don’t get the fullbacks into spots to create danger in the final third like they used to – for one guy to fix everything. And Herrera probably won’t.

But he wins a ton of 50/50s in the midfield, and turns those wins into chances pretty often. In a tight game, that might be enough.

Orlando City 2, Columbus Crew SC 1

Whoever grabs that third spot in the East hunt – Philly if they win at Yankee Stadium next week, and NYCFC if they just get a result – will likely, but not certainly face the Crew. And they it’s only likely because Columbus switched off twice when defending deep against a team that had one win in five months. And now the Purple Lions have two.

Simply put: Lack of individual quality in the attacking third is what separates Columbus from the other playoff teams (or the other playoff teams from Columbus, more accurately). The Crew do just about everything you’d want to see from a contender, and still play some of the prettiest soccer in the league. But the guys they rely upon to turn possession into production aren’t up to it and haven’t been for several months now. It’s been hard to watch as the wheels have pretty thoroughly come off their season.

On this day it looked like the strain of protecting yet another razor-thin margin wore on and eventually wore out the backline and defensive midfield. Credit to OCSC for the fightback (and to James O’Connor for trotting them out in a rather effective 5-4-1 formation) for sure, but they were gifted two penalties from Crew defenders who’d mentally switched off.

And like that it’s not homefield advantage in the playoffs on the line anymore: It’s a trip to the postseason.

Montreal Impact 2, Toronto FC 1

The Impact don’t control their own destiny, but they’ve done well to put themselves in a position to capitalize should Columbus continue on their current massively downward trajectory. They did it by – stop me if you’ve heard this one before – sitting deep and countering their way to a win.

There’s not a ton to say about this game. TFC had chances that they missed, and on the flip side an unnecessary penalty (probably don’t want to pull a guy’s shirt in the box) and more, um, questionable goalkeeping from Alex Bono sealed the Reds’ fate.

Montreal have to go to New England and win next weekend to have a shot.

Western Conference

FC Dallas 0, Sporting KC 3

What do we make of FC Dallas? Their defense is still very good – this game’s scoreline wasn’t a mistake, but neither is their season-long goals against total – but their attack has gone entirely AWOL over the past two months since moving Maxi Urruti to that “nine-and-a-half” spot. Urruti works hard and delivers a killer set pieces, but he’s an inconsistent (at best) finisher and he doesn’t create chances from open play.

To that effect: FC Dallas have scored one open play goal in the past six games, and it was against Orlando City (literally the worst defense in league history). They’ve won some games in that stretch because of that defense, and because they’re devastating on set pieces, but this time of year, against teams like SKC, that’s not enough. It’s not all or even mostly Urruti’s fault – Dom Badji had his chances on the day, as did Michael Barrios, as did Santiago Mosquera, as have countless other FCD players over the past couple of months. None have delivered.

Dallas are now 6-6-4 with an even goal differential in the second half of the season. They’ve been a perfectly mediocre team since July.

SKC look to be much, much more than that. Getting Khiry Shelton back onto the field has absolutely elevated them:

Shelton doesn’t score much – he has just 8 goals in 3600 career minutes. But his movement opens up the field for SKC’s wingers and attacking midfielders to push forward into space, and his passing touch means those attackers tend to get the ball played directly into stride, running at a scrambling defense.

They’re top of the conference and will, at the very least, avoid going on the road for the Knockout Round. It’ll be their first time avoiding that fate since 2013, which happened to be the year they won MLS Cup.

LAFC 2, Vancouver Whitecaps 2

To be honest SKC should be sitting in second place tonight because LAFC should’ve beaten Vancouver. But they didn’t despite playing at home, despite taking a 2-0 lead, and despite playing a ‘Caps team without their leading goalscorer.

The Black-and-Gold’s defining characteristic at this point isn’t their comfort with the ball or their surfeit of attackers. It’s their ability to take the foot off the gas at inopportune times during games they should win:

#LAFCvSKC xG. LAFC cough up some more points. pic.twitter.com/5xEUFCowOe

— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) October 22, 2018

It is at least a little bit weird to criticize an expansion team that’s on 57 points, is certain (not mathematically, but still) to have a home playoff game and still has a chance to win the Conference. But I’d argue that they should’ve had the conference wrapped up by now, and the fact that they’re giving away leads like this at this point in the season is not exactly encouraging for what’s to come on the other side of Decision Day.

Vancouver’s playoff hopes officially ended in this one, but damn it was nice to see Alphonso Davies have one last monster game in the league. ‘Caps fans should give him a 90-minute standing ovation next weekend.

Houston Dynamo 2, Seattle Sounders 3

Try this one out: Seattle have gone 13-2-1 in the second half of the season, and with a win at home next week against San Jose will have posted the single-best half-season PPG in league history. They have been solid at the back and rampant in the attack, and in Nicolas Lodeiro they have a player who is A) recognized as one of the league’s best orchestrators, and B) still somehow underrated/underappreciated.

Lodeiro’s role, as seen against Houston and really throughout the second half of the year, is told by his passing map:

Go wherever the game takes you. Find the ball. Do sorcerer stuff with it.

Seattle’s other players understand that the best way to make the above work is to work for the above – i.e., to be planets orbiting the sun.

This was not a vintage performance by the Sounders, for what it’s worth. But they were on their second road game in four days and didn’t miss a beat.

Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 0

Here is Jeremy Ebobisse’s version, which I’m calling our Pass of the Week, of that Khiry Shelton hold-up play above:

Ebobisse’s provided exactly the above – rugged target play that frees up the wingers – as he’s worked his way into the rotation over the past two months. And that’s allowed Gio Savarese to go back to the beginning and finally settle on a pretty basic, but pretty effective 4-2-3-1.

The strength of the formation is that it allows Diego Chara to play in a double pivot, which means 1) he’s still a or even the primary backline shield, and 2) he can still push forward on occasion and overwhelm disorganized teams.

The other strength is that it allows Sebastian Blanco and Andy Polo – the wingers – to provide the width. Portland had been relying upon overlapping fullbacks through much of the year, and had gone well past the point of diminishing returns in that regard. Both Timbers’ fullbacks get into the play when opportunity presents itself now, but not at the expense of breaking the overall team shape.

And with that they broke RSL’s season. As Mike Petke said after the game it’s a one-in-a-million shot that they make the playoffs now.

It is understandable that the first thing they’d look at is this end-of-season home-and-home with Portland, and there’s zero doubt about this: The Timbers were the better team.

RSL didn’t lose that playoff spot to the Timbers, though. They lost that playoff spot to themselves on September 15 when they could only manage a 1-1 home draw against visiting Minnesota United. If RSL had done the job then, they’d already have clinched.

Minnesota United 1, LA Galaxy 3

As it is, RSL need Houston to give them a miracle next week in Carson because the Galaxy went to Minnesota and beat the hell out of the Loons. Please note that it is easy to beat the hell out of a team that does not mark Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the back post:

The Galaxy have played gory and glorious Dom Kinnear-style soccer – keep in banks of four, don’t get fancy in the middle of the pitch, trust your stars to make game-winning plays – over the past month, going 3-0-1 with 10 goals scored and only two conceded while pulling to within a single point of RSL, and with a (home) game (against the Dynamo) in hand. For the first time in two years, a playoff spot is theirs to lose.

It certainly doesn’t look or feel like they’re going to lose it. It’s not just Ibrahimovic doing the things he does, and the other attackers playing their parts. It’s also (or even primarily) come from Sebastian Lletget playing his best soccer since 2016, and Jonathan Dos Santos finally looking like a DP midfielder.

The other big change is even more obvious: Dave Romney and Daniel Steres have been mostly pretty good at center back. That’s a damn sight better than what the previous starters brought to the table.

San Jose Earthquakes 0, Colorado Rapids 0

I still love the 2012 Goonies with all of my heart:

Never Say Die. #WeAreSanJose | @ChrisWondo pic.twitter.com/Y50I6biKE8

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) October 22, 2018

There’s our Face of the Week.

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Champs on the mat, hard-luck Quakes & more: What you missed in MLS Week 30

div.video-js { width: 100% !important; height: 0 !important; overflow: hidden; position: relative; padding-top: 56.2%; }

September 24, 201810:41AM EDT

Summer is officially over. The air is getting crisper, the sunsets coming sooner. Can you smell the playoffs?

Players across MLS certainly can, and they showed us in Week 30.

Last Chance Saloon

“Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” goes the chorus of the famous old Willie Nelson song, a line once used by NFL quarterback turned broadcaster Don Meredith to signal when a game had effectively been decided. And the sad song might as well be playing in a growing list of MLS locker rooms at this time of year as postseason aspirations fade from possibility.

The New England Revolution dropped two points at home in a 2-2 draw against second-from-bottom Chicago. The Vancouver Whitecaps handed all three to visiting FC Dallas, conceding two set-piece goals in a 2-1 loss. And then there’s Toronto FC.

It looks like the reigning champs have hit the canvas for good. TFC lost 2-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon, a one-two punch with their Campeones Cup loss to Tigres UANL. And if we thought Wednesday’s game was evocative of TFC’s fall from grace, the manner in which they conceded RBNY’s two scruffy strikes served up an even more dispiriting tableau.

Ride the lightning

Another team clinging to the ledge for dear life in Week 30 were the LA Galaxy, who still face long odds but will live to fight another week or three as they knocked off the Seattle Sounders 3-0 in a game that was nowhere near as assured a performance as the scoreline might suggest.

Galaxy won 3-0 tonight but my god… I marvel at their back line’s porousness. Ballwatching, shapelessness, multiple runners left open in the box – they’re a highwire act every single game pic.twitter.com/9tM4mtlJBT

— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) September 24, 2018

LA’s defense generally remains a hot mess and a lot has to go right for them to beat good teams. That said, given the chance to peg back the team occupying the Western Conference’s sixth and final Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs slot, the seventh-place Galaxy did what they had to do on Sunday. It was their first win since July 29 and they’ll need a few more in their final four matches: Vancouver, at Sporting KC, at Minnesota, Houston.

Going up

Even with October looming, only a select few teams can consider themselves safe from the playoff line and free to focus on higher goals – and the Philadelphia Union might have just ascended into that group. Though Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final date with the Dynamo beckons, the DOOP squad took all six points available to them in Week 30 with a stunning late midweek win at red-hot Seattle and Sunday’s rainy 2-0 home win over Sporting KC.

West-leading SKC were dispatched by a reserve-heavy Philly squad, highlighted by Jay Simpson’s sudden step out from the shadows, which was in turn aided by two assists from perhaps the Union’s most irreplaceable piece, Alejandro Bedoya. If Jim Curtin and his men can keep this up with an Open Cup triumph, who knows how much momentum they’ll have gathered by the time the postseason kicks off?

Above the clouds

Even further up the table, Atlanta United and the Red Bulls remain head and shoulders in front of the rest of the league, handling their business and flashing their strength in depth via the likes of Julian Gressel (great goal!) and Derrick Etienne Jr. (maybe even greater goal!)…

Both teams banked maximum points this week ahead of their head-to-head clash at Red Bull Arena on Sunday (1 pm ET | ESPN — Full TV & streaming info). Front-running ATL can effectively put one hand on the Supporters’ Shield with a win or draw; an RBNY victory, on the other hand, would shrink the Five Stripes’ lead to one point with three games apiece remaining and set up a tense sprint to the finish. The problem for the Red Bulls: Linchpin striker Bradley Wright-Phillips picked up a controversial yellow card for dissent on Saturday, suspending him for the weekend ahead:

Life isn’t fair

Shield-winning campaigns are built on nights like the one ATLUTD experienced out in San Jose on Wednesday, the wildest game in a week with several of them and maybe even the weirdest of the entire year in MLS:

It was a viciously cruel outcome for an Earthquakes team that looked transformed for the better in their first game under interim head coach Steve Ralston, and were poised to take a 4-1 lead before Chris Wondolowski’s goal was waved off by a Video Review decision. Alas for the Quakes, if anyone can turn a 4-1 deficit into a 4-3 win, it’s Josef Martinez and Miguel Almiron.

Set pieces, etc.

It’s a time of year when small details matter more than ever, and few elements of the game reflect careful planning than well-executed set pieces. If you’re good on restarts, you have a chance to steal goals, and results, no matter how the run of play is unfolding or how much talent is on the other team.

You may have noticed how many key goals were conjured from free kicks and corner kicks in Week 30: Philly’s winner vs. SKC, Walker Zimmerman’s brace of soaring headers for LAFC, both of Dallas’ tallies in the win at Vancouver. And then there was this clever bit from Shkelzen Gashi, who hoodwinked Columbus’ Zack Steffen and forced Crew SC to sweat out a narrow home win over the Colorado Rapids:

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Philadelphia Union vs. Montreal Impact | 2018 MLS Match Preview

September 12, 20183:19PM EDT

Philadelphia Union vs. Montreal Impact 2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 29 Talen Energy Stadium — Chester Sept. 15 — 7:30 pm ET WATCH: TVAS, ESPN+

It’s a huge six-pointer in the Eastern Conference playoff race when the Philadelphia Union host the Montreal Impact Saturday night at Talen Energy Stadium.

Fifth place in the East, the Union have four wins in a five-match unbeaten run following a 2-2 draw at Orlando on Sept. 1, while the sixth-place Impact have only lost one of their last five games and come in off a 3-0 home win over the New York Red Bulls on Sept. 1.

This is the second meeting this season with the Union claiming a 2-0 win at Stade Saputo on May 12. Cory Burke scored two minutes before halftime and Haris Medunjanin added a late insurance goal against the 10-man Impact, who saw Daniel Lovitz sent off in the 67th minute for DOGSO following Video Review.

Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia (12-11-4) were moments from a fifth straight victory, but were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw at Orlando on Sept. 1.

After Dom Dwyer put the hosts in front, Burke leveled in the 32nd minute and Fafa Picault put the Union in front two minutes from full time before Scott Sutter scored the stoppage-time equalizer.

“We control our own destiny, which is a good thing,” Jim Curtin said. “But we obviously have a little bit of a break now. A perfect time to recharge some of the batteries, get some guys some treatment for injuries, take a look at some young players this week, some academy kids that are in and impressing, so overall a good time to refresh, recharge, and go into now what will be a big September for the club.”

Suspended: None

Suspended after next caution: None

International duty: None

Injury Report: OUT: D – Matt Real (left knee sprain), M – Ilsinho (quad strain); QUESTIONABLE: M – Anthony Fontana (right hamstring strain), M – Borek Dockal (ankle sprain)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left) GK: Andre Blake — Keegan Rosenberry, Jack Elliott, Auston Trusty, Raymon Gaddis — Haris Medunjanin, Derrick Jones — CJ Sapong, Alejandro Bedoya, Fafa Picault – Cory Burke

Montreal Impact

Montreal (11-14-3) made it two wins in three games with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Supporters’ Shield-leading New York Red Bulls at Stade Saputo on Sept. 1.

Rod Fanni opened the scoring with his first MLS goal on the half-hour mark, followed eight minutes later by Bacary Sagna’s first league tally. Ignacio Piatti closed out the scoring in second-half stoppage time.

“The remaining six games will look like this one, that is, with a need to get a good result,” head coach Remi Garde said. “We must put the same ingredients and the same parameters that allowed us to beat one of the best teams on the circuit, who came to Montreal with great confidence.”

Suspended: None

Suspended after next caution: None

International duty: None

Injury Report: OUT: M – David Choiniere (ankle surgery), D – Kyle Fisher (quad injury)

Projected Starting XI (4-3-3, right to left) GK: Evan Bush — Bacary Sagna, Rod Fanni, Jukka Raitala, Daniel Lovitz — Micheal Azira, Samuel Piette, Saphir Taider — Alejandro Silva, Quincy Amarikwa, Ignacio Piatti

All-Time Series

Overall: Philadelphia Union 4 wins, 21 goals … Montreal Impact 7 wins, 30 goals … 6 draws

At Philadelphia: Union 2 wins, 11 goals … Impact 1 win, 12 goals … 5 draws

Last meeting at Philadelphia: Philadelphia Union 0, Montreal Impact 3 (Aug. 12, 2017)

Officials

Referee: Armando Villarreal Assistant Referees: Adam Wienckowski, Kevin Klinger 4th Official: JC Rivero VAR: Ricardo Salazar

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Now or never: Which 2 games on Saturday have biggest playoff implications?

USA Today Images

August 30, 201811:00AM EDT

As summer ends and the calendar flips to September, time is running out for teams to make a move in the playoff race. With each club having somewhere between six and nine games remaining, it’s now or never for playoff berths and seedings. On Saturday night, in each conference, one game in particular will have a huge say in the final table.

Both teams are mortal, if not yet mathematical, playoff locks. But the current No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the Eastern Conference would each like to improve their standings heading into the playoffs.

NYCFC have fallen six points adrift from the first-round bye granted to the top two finishers in each conference, and seven points off the New York Red Bulls for the Supporters’ Shield. Barring an incredible dip in form from both RBNY and Atlanta United, and a phenomenal run through City’s last eight games, the Shield isn’t a realistic goal. But they can still put pressure on a first-round bye, should either Atlanta or New York stumble a bit.

For Crew SC, Saturday night is about fending off the surging Philadelphia Union, who are now just one point behind Columbus after beating D.C. United on Wednesday night. Level on games played, the race for a home knockout game will be vicious for the rest of the season. The two teams will meet head to head when Crew SC host the Union at the end of September.

While Crew vs. NYCFC is about seeding rather than qualification, Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy will go a long way in deciding which one of these teams makes the playoffs.

Winners of two straight, RSL have jumped to fourth place in the Western Conference, though they are sixth in points per game (PPG). Albert Rusnak has been awesome and Jefferson Savarino has two goals and four assists in his last four games. RSL can create further distance between themselves and the playoff line on Saturday night.

The Galaxy, meanwhile, are falling. Without a win in their last five games, it truly is do-or-die for LA in Utah. If RSL topple the Galaxy, they’d fall six points back of Salt Lake. We just had a World Cup without Zlatan Ibrahimovic; will we have a 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs without him, too?

Let’s see if he conjures up some magic for the big occasion.

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This Week in MLS - August 28, 2018

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

August 27, 20186:25PM EDT

Race to Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs heats up

Is Seattle poised for Cup run with another late-season push?

Ibrahimović to join Ronaldo, Messi in elite class as 500-goal milestone nears

MLS to ‘go gold’ in September for 5th annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign

Josef Martinez in contention to become highest scoring player in global soccer

MLS Week 27: Match Notes

Race to Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs heats up

It’s down to the final nine weeks of the MLS Regular Season, and clubs are feeling the pressure to make the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. With the top six teams advancing from each conference, all 23 teams are still in the hunt.

A shakeup could be in store for the East, where the New York Red Bulls are undefeated in their last five outings and only three points away from overtaking Atlanta United as the No. 1 ranked club in all of MLS. The Red Bulls will play two games this week to Atlanta’s one, which means the New York side could reach the top of League standings as soon as week’s end if they can pull out a home win over the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+ / MSG), and an away win against the Montreal Impact on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, TVA Sports / ESPN+ / MSG).

Also in the East, D.C. United is steadily climbing up the conference standings with a considerable number of games in hand and 11 matches still to play. D.C. will be looking for the season’s first win over Atlanta United on Sunday at Audi Field (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes) for a chance to move even closer to the playoff line?

Is Seattle poised for Cup run with another late-season push?

For the third consecutive year, Seattle Sounders FC have used a late-season run to climb from the bottom of the Western Conference into the thick of the playoff race. The previous two seasons (2016, 2017) resulted in a run to MLS Cup, with the team winning its first title in 2016. Seattle will take its next step toward a potential third straight run when it looks to extend its MLS team-record seven-game winning streak when hosting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, UniMas / UDN / Twitter).

Seattle’s seven-game winning streak matches the longest contained within a single season in MLS since 2000, the end of the shootout era, with the club also finding itself undefeated in 10 straight matches. During the team’s first MLS Cup run in 2016, Seattle secured a win or draw in 11 of 12 matches, while the club maintained a 13-game unbeaten run from late June to mid-September last season. Powering Sounders FC’s third consecutive run is Uruguayan star Nicolás Lodeiro, who has five goals and five assists over the 10-game unbeaten streak. Lodeiro has partnered with Raúl Ruidíaz, a two-time winner of Liga MX’s Golden Boot and a member of Peru’s 2018 FIFA World Cup squad, to form a dangerous Seattle attack that has not been shut out in seven matches after doing so nine times over the first 17 games of the season.

That scoring streak will be put to the test against second-place Sporting Kansas City, who have won four straight matches and have not allowed a single goal in August. Powered by reigning MLS Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Tim Melia, Sporting KC’s 11 clean sheets this season top the league. With both clubs in strong form entering the final stretch of the season, Saturday’s match between two of the hottest clubs in the league could be a preview of a potential playoff clash later this season.

Ibrahimović to join Ronaldo, Messi in elite class as 500-goal milestone nears

LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimović is on the brink of a significant milestone as he sits just one goal shy of 500 during his professional career. Reaching that feat would put Ibrahimović in elite company as only two other active players have surpassed that mark: Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Ibrahimović’s total of 499 goals incorporates 437 professional club goals and 62 international goals for Sweden, and the Swedish forward will have a chance to reach this landmark accomplishment when the Galaxy visit Real Salt Lake on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

Ibrahimović has taken the league by storm this season and enters the week tied for second in goals with 16 (alongside the New York Red Bulls’ Bradley Wright-Phillips). During Heineken Rivalry Week, Ibrahimović tallied goal No. 499 during the Galaxy’s 1-1 draw against the expansion Los Angeles Football Club last Friday at a sold-out StubHub Center.

Saturday’s match is a crucial one for the Galaxy who enter Week 27 in the sixth and final postseason position in the Western Conference (10-9-8, 38 points), while Real currently sit in fourth place (12-10-5, 41 points). RSL will pose a tough test at Rio Tinto as the club leads the West with nine home victories (9-1-3).

MLS to ‘go gold’ in September for 5th annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign

MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, will launch its 5th annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign benefitting Children’s Oncology Group, on Saturday, Sept. 1st as part of national childhood cancer awareness month.

Supported by all 23 MLS clubs, Kick Childhood Cancer games will feature “gold-themed” corner flags and goal nets, captain’s arm bands and commemorative jersey patches. Limited edition Kick Childhood Cancer scarves and t-shirts will also be worn by MLS players, coaches and PRO referees during pre-game activities. The apparel, along with other “gold-themed” merchandise, including lapel pins and plush toys, is available for purchase at MLSstore.com and at select in-stadium retailers with proceeds benefiting Children’s Oncology Group.

Fans are encouraged to post images with their Kick Childhood Cancer scarf, or other favorite club scarfs, on Instagram and Twitter using #ScarvesUp. MLS WORKS will make a donation to Children’s Oncology Group for each post that includes the hashtag.

Josef Martínez in contention to become highest scoring player in global soccer

With his 28th goal of the season on Sunday, Atlanta United forward Josef Martínez broke the MLS regular season goalscoring record, a mark he could demolish should he continue his current pace of scoring 1.077 goals per game this year. While the 25-year-old Venezuelan star has made history in North America, Martínez is climbing the global ranks and is on pace to outscore international icons such as Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), Mo Salah (Liverpool FC) and Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) in goals scored over the 2017-18 single-season calendar.

Martínez has already surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo and equaled Edison Cavani with his 28 goals scored. Next up on the list includes Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski at 29 goals. Kane and Martinez are the youngest players to score 25-plus goals over a single season in 2017-18.

With eight games remaining in regular season play, Martínez has a chance to beat out Messi’s 34 goals scored in league play and become the top goalscorer in the world.

MLS Week 27: Match Notes

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

D.C. United saw their three-game winning streak put to an end, falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Sunday evening.

The Union have won three consecutive games for the first time this season, defeating the New England Revolution 1-0 at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Borek Dockal found the back of the net in the 72nd minute, just two minutes after D.C. United had equalized, giving the Union a 3-2 win on April 28 at Talen Energy Stadium.

The Union won 4-0 last May 13 in the final meeting between the teams at RFK Stadium, ending a six-game United home undefeated streak in the series. The Union’s last victory on East Capitol Street had come on April 21, 2013.

The Union have won the past five meetings in Chester, over the last four seasons. United’s goal in the first meeting was their first at Talen Energy Stadium since 2014, ending a 451-minute scoreless drought.

New York Red Bulls vs. Houston Dynamo, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Red Bulls extended their undefeated streak to five games with a third win in that stretch, defeating D.C. United by the game’s only goal at Red Bull Arena on Sunday evening.

The Dynamo put an end to their five-game losing streak but still saw their winless run extended to eight matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas at BBVA Compass Stadium on Thursday evening. The winless streak is tied for the second-longest in club history, two games away from the Dynamo record set in 2010.

The Red Bulls have won seven of the past 10 league meetings between the teams, dating back to 2012. The Red Bulls are 9-0-3 all-time at home in league play vs. Houston, with wins in the past six regular season matches in Harrison, dating back to 2012.

The Dynamo won the lone meeting between the teams a year ago, a 4-1 victory on April 1 at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo have won the past two meetings between the teams in Houston, ending a three-game regular season streak there where the Red Bulls had come away with points.

But the Dynamo did win the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the clubs in 2013, winning 2-1 at Red Bull Arena in the second leg, after the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Houston.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. FC Dallas, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Quakes saw their home winless streak extended to 11 games, with Vancouver Whitecaps FC coming back from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 win at Avaya Stadium on Saturday evening. The streak equals the longest home winless stretch in MLS history (Colorado Rapids, 2014-15).

FC Dallas are coming off a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Thursday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Vako Qazaishvili scored a pair of goals, one early and one late, leading the Quakes to a 3-1 win on Aug. 4 at Toyota Stadium.

The Quakes’ victory in the first meeting ended a nine-game winless streak in the all-time series, their first victory against FC Dallas since 2014 (0-5-4).

FCD have come away with points on their past five trips to northern California, with two wins and three draws, including a 1-1 draw last April 14 in the only matchup at Avaya Stadium.

Portland Timbers vs. Toronto FC, 10:30 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

The Timbers suffered their fourth consecutive defeat – following a club-record 15-game undefeated run – suffering a 1-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC at Providence Park on Sunday evening. The losing run is one game shy of the club’s MLS record, set in 2012.

Toronto FC put an end to their three-game winless run, defeating the Montréal Impact 3-1 at BMO Field on Saturday evening.

Sebastian Giovinco scored a pair of goals, the 15th multiple-goal game of his MLS career. Giovinco has scored six goals over the last six games, since July 21. Giovinco has 10 goals and 12 assists this season, the third time he’s reached double figures in both goals and assists. He is the fourth player in MLS history to do it three times or more.

The Timbers have never lost to Toronto FC in Portland in three matches all-time, winning the past two meetings there, including a 2-1 win on May 1, 2016, in the last matchup at Providence Park.

TFC have never lost to the Timbers at home, winning the past three meetings there, including a 4-1 win last Aug. 12 at BMO Field in the last meeting between the teams.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 4 p.m. ET (UniMas, Univision Deportes)

Sounders FC extended their winning streak to seven games, getting an own goal for the only tally in the match in defeating the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sunday evening. The seven-game winning streak is a club record, the longest contained within a single season in MLS since the end of the shootout era (since 2000).

Sporting KC won their fourth consecutive match – all by shutout – in defeating Minnesota United FC 2-0 at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening. It’s the first time in club history SKC has won four consecutive games by shutout; the club record is six shutouts in a row in 2000 (five wins, one draw).

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. The teams traded goals in each half before settling for a 2-2 draw on April 15 at Children’s Mercy Park.

The draw ended a four-game winning streak for Sporting at Children’s Mercy Park, over the past three seasons. Sounders FC last won in Kansas City in 2013.

Sounders FC won 1-0 last year in the lone meeting at CenturyLink Field, but Sporting’s win there in 2016 was just their second win ever in Seattle, after SKC won 1-0 in 2009, the first meeting ever between the clubs.

Sounders FC did win the Knockout Round match between the clubs in Seattle in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2016, with the game’s lone goal from Nelson Valdez in the 88th minute.

Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports, ESPN+)

The Impact weren’t able to build upon a first win in five games, falling 3-1 to Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored one goal and set up another, leading the Red Bulls to a 3-1 win on April 14 at Red Bull Arena.

The Impact have won twice in the past 12 league meetings (with two draws), dating back to 2013, winning the last two league meetings in Montréal. The Red Bulls have won all nine regular season meetings at Red Bull Arena.

The teams also met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2016, with the Impact winning both legs, a 1-0 win at Stade Saputo, then a 2-1 triumph at Red Bull Arena, advancing 3-1 on aggregate.

New England Revolution vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Revolution saw their winless streak extended to eight matches with a third consecutive defeat, falling 1-0 to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. The winless run is two games shy of the club record, set in 2012.

The Timbers have a five-game undefeated streak alive in the all-time series, the lone Revolution win coming in 2012. The Timbers have won one of the last five meetings, with four draws, including a 1-1 result last April 2 at Providence Park in the last meeting between the teams.

The Revolution goal last year was their first ever in Portland in four visits all-time, after 354 minutes of play at Providence Park.

The Revolution have never lost to the Timbers at Gillette Stadium. The teams have reached back-to-back 1-1 draws in Foxborough.

Orlando City SC vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Orlando City saw their winless streak extended to six games with a fifth defeat in that time, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United at Orlando City Stadium on Friday evening.

Union goalkeeper Andre Blake was credited with four saves in recording a second consecutive shutout in the 1-0 win against New England. It’s the second time this season the Union have recorded back-to-back shutouts (also in the opening two games of the season); Blake ended the week tied for sixth in MLS with seven shutouts.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Dom Dwyer and Chris Mueller scored before halftime to lead Orlando City to a 2-0 win on April 13 at Talen Energy Stadium. It was just the second win by the road team in the all-time series; OCSC also won in Chester in 2016.

Orlando City won 2-1 on March 18, 2017, in the last meeting between the teams at Orlando City Stadium – the first win for either team in Orlando. The first two encounters there both ended in draws.

Columbus Crew SC vs. New York City FC, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Crew SC took points for a fourth time in five matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on Thursday evening.

NYCFC extended their home undefeated streak to 15 games, getting a goal from David Villa in reaching a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday evening. NYCFC are 10-0-3 at home this season, the last team in MLS without a home loss.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jesus Medina and Anton Tinnerholm netted goals over the final 10 minutes of the match to lead NYCFC to a 2-0 win on July 14 at Yankee Stadium.

The teams evenly split their league series over the first three seasons NYCFC have been in the league, each winning twice, with three draws. NYCFC have won two of the three league meetings all-time at Yankee Stadium; they also met last year at Citi Field in Queens in NYCFC’s home fixture, reaching a 2-2 draw.

NYCFC claimed a 3-2 win last year at Mapfre Stadium, their first league win there in four visits; Crew SC won once in 2016.

The teams also met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals a year ago, with Crew SC taking the series 4-3 on aggregate, winning the first leg at home 4-1, before NYCFC took the return match 2-0 in the Bronx.

FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, the back end of a home-and-home series over two weeks. The teams have reached a pair of 1-1 draws, both at BBVA Compass Stadium, first on July 21, then on Aug. 23.

Michael Barrios netted the FC Dallas goal in the draw with the Dynamo last week, his second consecutive game with a goal, his fifth on the season – all coming over the past five games.

The Dynamo have won just once in the series over the past five seasons. Since the start of 2013, FC Dallas are 6-1-6 in league play against Houston, and have won the three meetings between the teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Dynamo haven’t won in Frisco since 2011, but the past three meetings there have ended in draws. Dallas has won five of the 10 matches (with three draws) between the teams over all competitions at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The clubs play for “El Capitán,” the 19th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series by supporters’ groups for both clubs.

Toronto FC vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 8 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

The teams are meeting for the first time in their history.

Jonathan Osorio netted a goal and added an assist in TFC’s 3-1 win against Montréal, the fourth time in his MLS career he’s had at least one goal and one assist in the same game. Osorio has a goal or an assist in five of his last six games, with three goals and three assists in that span.

LAFC saw their two-game winning streak come to an end but still stretched their undefeated run to three matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center on Friday evening.

Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Real Salt Lake won their second consecutive match in dominating fashion, rolling to a 6-0 victory against a nine-man Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. It was the fourth-largest margin of victory by a visiting team in MLS history.

The Galaxy saw their winless run extended to five games with a third draw in that time, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Football Club at StubHub Center on Friday evening. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the 499th goal of his professional career for the lone Galaxy goal.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Ibrahimovic netted a pair of goals as the Galaxy cruised to a 3-0 win on June 9 at StubHub Center.

The Galaxy won in the last meeting at Rio Tinto Stadium, a 2-1 victory on March 18, 2017, snapping a Real five-game home undefeated streak in the series, their first win in Sandy since April 27, 2013. RSL’s last win at StubHub Center, a 6-2 victory on July 4, 2017, ended a three-game Galaxy winning streak there in league meetings.

The teams also met in the Knockout Round in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2016, with the Galaxy advancing through a 3-1 victory at StubHub Center. It was the fourth meeting between the teams over six years in the MLS Cup Playoffs, and the fifth overall. The Galaxy have won on three occasions, RSL won via penalty shootout when the clubs met in MLS Cup 2009.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, the back end of a home-and-home series over two weeks. Whitecaps FC came back from a two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 win at Avaya Stadium on Saturday evening; the teams reached a 2-2 draw on May 16 at BC Place.

Kei Kamara netted the game-winning goal in the Quakes’ victory, the 109th league goal of his MLS career, now sitting alone in sixth place on the all-time goalscoring list.

The win last weekend ended a six-game Quakes undefeated streak in the league series, the last Whitecaps FC win in a regular-season meeting between the teams coming July 26, 2015. In the six league meetings in between, the Quakes won twice, with four draws.

It was also the first Whitecaps FC win at San Jose, in 10 meetings there all-time. The Quakes won three of those 10 encounters.

The Quakes have come away with points on their past three league trips to BC Place. The Quakes’ 2-1 win on Aug. 12, 2016, at BC Place was the first ever for the away team in the all-time series. The Quakes had lost on each of their six previous visits to Vancouver.

The teams did also meet in the Knockout Round in last year’s MLS Cup Playoffs, when Whitecaps FC took a 5-0 win at BC Place, the second-most goals scored by a team in a postseason game in league history.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

D.C. United vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Josef Martínez became the league’s all-time goalscoring leader, netting his 28th goal of the season in Atlanta United’s 2-1 win against Orlando City SC at Orlando City Stadium on Friday evening. Martínez scored for a ninth consecutive game, equaling the all-time MLS record set last season by Diego Valeri of the Portland Timbers.

The win extended ATLUTD’s undefeated streak to seven matches, one game shy of the club’s MLS record, achieved once in each of the club’s two seasons in the league.

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and Atlanta United have won both, each time by a 3-1 scoreline. Martínez set the all-time MLS record with his sixth career hat trick, netting goals in the 30th, 54th and 73rd minutes, July 21 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium; ATLUTD also claimed the win March 11 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

D.C. United won all three meetings between the teams in Atlanta United’s inaugural season, taking a 3-1 win in the first matchup on April 30 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, then claiming wins by 2-1 (June 21) and 1-0 (Aug. 23) at RFK Stadium.

Series:

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This Week in MLS - August 27, 2018

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

August 27, 20186:25PM EDT

Push to MLS postseason heats up

Is Seattle poised for Cup run with another late-season push?

Ibrahimović to join Ronaldo, Messi in elite class as 500-goal milestone nears

MLS to ‘go gold’ in September for 5th annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign

Josef Martinez in contention to become highest scoring player in global soccer

MLS Week 27: Match Notes

Push to MLS postseason heats up

It’s down to the final nine weeks of MLS Regular Season, and clubs are feeling the pressure to make the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. With the top six teams advancing from each conference, all 23 teams are still within reach of postseason berth.

Also in the East, D.C. United is steadily climbing up the Eastern Conference standings with a considerable number of games in hand and 11 matches still to play. D.C. will be looking for the season’s first win over Atlanta United on Sunday at Audi Field (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes) for a chance to move even closer to the playoff line?

Is Seattle poised for Cup run with another late-season push?

Seattle’s seven-game winning streak matches the longest contained within a single season in MLS since 2000, the end of the shootout era, with the club also finding itself undefeated in 10 straight matches. During the team’s first MLS Cup run in 2016, Seattle secured a win or draw in 11 of 12 matches, while the club maintained a 13-game unbeaten run from late June to mid-September last season. Powering Sounders FC’s third consecutive run is Uruguayan star Nicolás Lodeiro, who has five goals and five assists over the 10-game unbeaten streak. Lodeiro has partnered with Raúl Ruidíaz, a two-time winner of Liga MX’s Golden Boot and a member of Peru’s 2018 FIFA World Cup squad, to form a deadly Seattle attack that has not been shut out in seven matches after doing so nine times over the first 17 games of the season.

Ibrahimović to join Ronaldo, Messi in elite class as 500-goal milestone nears

MLS to ‘go gold’ in September for 5th annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign

MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, will launch its fifth annual Kick Childhood Cancer campaign benefiting Children’s Oncology Group, on Saturday, Sept. 1, as part of national childhood cancer awareness month.

Supported by all 23 MLS clubs, Kick Childhood Cancer games will feature “gold-themed” corner flags and goal nets, captain’s arm bands and commemorative jersey patches, as well as on the league’s social channels, and on national and regional broadcasts. Limited edition Kick Childhood Cancer scarves and t-shirts will also be worn by MLS players, coaches and PRO referees during pre-game activities. The apparel, along with other “gold-themed” merchandise, including lapel pins and plush toys, is available for purchase at MLSstore.com and at select in-stadium retailers with proceeds benefiting Children’s Oncology Group.