MLS Review – Week 1

This weekend saw the start of the 2016 MLS season. 20 teams came into this weekend hoping to get their campaign going with a win in the season opener. The Portland Timbers came into 2016 as the reigning MLS Cup Champions after beating the Columbus Crew in the final in December. The four American teams in the 2015-2016 CONCACAF Champions League were all knocked out this week. LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, DC United and Real Salt Lake will be looking to bounce back from poor results.

It was a good return to the MLS regular season for some, including the LA Galaxy who bounced back from their big defeat in the week. Portland Timbers returned to action with a win in the defence of their MLS Cup win in December, against the same opposition and New York City won a thriller in Chicago.

 

Sunday 6th

NY Red Bulls 0 – Toronto FC 2 (Giovinco pen, Delgado)

Toronto started the season, and an eight game road-trip, with a win thanks to two late goals.

The Red Bulls began their day like they did in 2014, with a banner ceremony to mark the Supporters’ Shield they had won the previous season. However, they had a slow start to the defence of their Shield, despite bossing the game. 63% possession could not be translated into goals, with just one shot on target in the game. It came down to Toronto’s main man, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, Sebastian Giovinco, to open the scoring late on. He converted from the penatly spot in the 82nd minute to give the Reds the lead. He then set up Marco Delgado who sealed the three points in stoppage time for the Canadian side, who are looking for their first MLS Cup.

 

Chicago Fire 3 (Cocis, Igboananike, Accam pen) – New York City 4 (McNamara, Taylor, Shelton, Diskerud)

An end-to-end seven goal game eventually went the way of NYC in Patrick Vieira’s first game in charge.

The young stars combined with the old guard to give NYC a 3-1 lead at the interval. Thomas McNamara scored the first goal of the 2016 MLS season with a bending golazo in the tenth minute to give the expansion side the lead. Razvan Cocis brought the Fire level, but NYC’s two young wingers, Tony Taylor and Khiry Shelton made it 3-1 before half-time, a lead that Chicago could not get back. They got one back through Kennedy Igboananike but Mix Diskerud then made it 4-2 with less than half an hour to go. David Accam brought one back from the penalty spot late on, but City had enough to hold out for a victory in Vieira’s managerial debut.

 

Orlando City 2 (Larin, Winter) – Real Salt Lake 2 (Plata 2)

Two stoppage time goals rescued a point for Orlando, with both teams down to ten men.

The game’s first major incident came when the referee sent off Salt Lake’s Demar Phillips in just the 20th minute. He had previously been booked, but a flying scissor kick which connected with Cyle Larin was enough for the referee to reach for the yellow for a second time. Despite this, RSL went in front through Joao Plata. He opened the scoring before the half hour from the penalty spot, before adding a second midway through the second half. RSL were comfortable at 2-0, despite Orlando having more of the ball late on. However, City got back into it through Cyle Larin’s cool finish four minutes into stoppage time. It looked like it was over but Adrian Winter sent the 60,000 spectators at the Citrus Bowl wild when he equalised in stoppage time.

 

FC Dallas 2 (Castillo, Urruti) – Philadelphia Union 0

Dallas kicked off the season in style with a comfortable victory at home to the Union.

Last year’s Wester Conference Champions started as they meant to go on with an early goal from Fabian Castillo. The Colombian forward was influential in the game and he got one past Andre Blake, who himself was in fine form in the Union goal, to make it 1-0 midway through the first half. Blake, who became the first GK to be the No.1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft in 2014, kept the Union in the game, but he was unable to do anything when Maxi Urrati was set through by Mauro Diaz, with the Argentine making it 2-0, and sealing the victory for FCD. Castillo had to go off through injury late on, and Dallas fans, players and coaches will be hoping it is not serious.

 

Houston Dynamo 3 (Maidana, Wenger, Barnes) – NE Revolution 3 (Fagundez, Davies, Kobayashi)

Revolution equalised in stoppage time to claim a draw against the odds in Houston.

In what was a topsy-turvy encounter, New England went in front through a fantastic volley from Diego Fagundez. The Revolution led up until the final moments of half time when a defensive gaffe allowed Cristian Maidana to equalise for the Dynamo. Debutant Andrew Wenger then put Owen Coyle’s Houston side in front in the 50th minute, but the game was level again just two minutes later when Charlie Davies beat the trap and scored at the second time of asking. Giles Barnes then finished well in the 77th to give the Dynamo the lead once again, and as it looked like they would close out the victory, Diago Kobayashi scored in the 93rd minute of the game to make it 3-3, stealing a point for the Revolution at the death.

 

San Jose Earthquakes 1 (Wondolowski) – Colorado Rapids 0

San Jose scored just 19 seconds into the second half to take victory against the Rapids.

In a game of few chances, it was the main man for the Earthquakes who got them the three points. Chris Wondolowski scored a typical Chris Wondolowski goal just moments after the game resumed after half time. He nodded home a cross from Alberto Quintero to make it 1-0. It was his 110th MLS goal, moving him just four goals behind Ante Razov on the all-time MLS scoring chart. Their saviour was David Bingham, who saved everything that the Rapids could throw at him. Colorado hit the post in the closing stages, but the Quakes took all three points in this one.

 

Portland Timbers 2 (Valeri, Adi) – Columbus Crew 1 (Higuain)

In a repeat of the 2015 MLS Cup Final, the Timbers won by the exact same scoreline as they did when they won the trophy in December.

After the unveiling of the banner inside Providence Park, displaying their MLS Cup win last season, the Timbers got right down to business, and took the lead midway through the first half when Diego Valeri scored. Portland held the lead for 45 minutes before Federico Higuain equalised in stunning fashion. His first touch in the box bounced high, and with his back to goal, Higuain took a chance with the bicycle kick and it ended up in the far corner.

? ? ?

Higuain with the bike for @ColumbusCrewSC. Tune in on @ESPN! https://t.co/t3ACEpyepy

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 6, 2016

However, it wasn’t to be for the Crew, as Fanendo Adi scored for Portland in the 79th minute to give them a 2-1 victory, their third straight over Columbus. The reigning Champions off to the perfect start in 2016.

 

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (Harvey, Watson) – Montreal Impact 3 (Piatti 2, Oduro)

Ignacio Piatti hit a brace to lead Montreal to an opening day victory in this all-Canadian affair.

In the absence of Didier Drogba, Piatti led the line and got on the scoresheet inside the opening twenty minutes i spectacular fashion. He weaved past three defenders before firing past David Ousted in the Whitecaps’ goal. Patti then set up Dominic Oduro for the Impact’s second of the game but Vancouver got one back o the stroke of half-time, when Jordan Harvey finished from Pedro Morales’ ball in. Ignacio Piatti ended the game for the Impact, when scorer-turned-provider Oduro fed the Argentine the ball, with which he duly finished. Kendall Watson got another goal back in the last few seconds of the game, but it was not enough as the Impact took the spoils in the battle of Canada in Week 1.

 

Seattle Sounders 0  – Sporting Kansas City 1 (Coelho)

After crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Sounders lose their season opener at home to SKC.

After a rather uneventful 40 minutes, in which the only real action came from a Clint Dempsey free kick which was superbly tipped over by SKC goalkeeper, Tim Melia, the referee went to his back pocket. Oniel Fisher committed the serious foul, which saw him sent off, leaving the Sounders with just ten men for the second half. They managed to hold out for half an hour by Kansas City finally managed to break through when Nuno Coelho’s shot went through Stefan Frei in the Sounders’ goal. SKC took all three points away from CenturyLink Field, with Melia saving them on several occasions.

 

LA Galaxy 4 (Magee 2, Steres, Keane) – DC United 1 (Neagle)

The final game of the weekend went the way of the Galaxy, who thrashed DC United at home.

LA went behind early on after Steven Gerrard lost the ball in midfield. Lamar Neagle pounced and scored in the 5th minute to give DC the lead. A half-time change, which saw Mike Magee replace the injured Giovani dos Santos, changed the came. Magee took the corner in which Daniel Steres equalised for the Galaxy on his debut with a great header. ‘Magic Mike’ then scored the go-ahead goal with a fantastic touch and chip over the DC ‘keeper. He then drew the foul for the third goal, which saw captain Robbie Keane make it 3-1 from the spot, before Magee, himself, made it four, heading home from a Gerrard free-kick. The Galaxy are well and truly back after being defeated midweek in the CCL.

 

Toronto, New York City and the Impact lead the way in the Eastern Conference, while the Galaxy, FC Dallas, Portland, San Jose and SKC all got their season started with victory in the Western Conference.

 

Here are the fixtures for Week 2:

Friday 11 – ORL-CHI

Saturday 12 – NE-DC, RSL-SEA, MNTv NYRB, COL-LA, CLB-PHI, HOU-DAL, SKC-VAN

Sunday 13 – NYC-TOR, SJ-POR