The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsIt was another great weekend for FC Dallas, who maintained their three point lead at the top of both the Western Conference, and the Supporters’ Shield standings. RSL and Colorado also won to keep the pressure on the league leaders’ in the Western. Montreal also produced a comeback win to maintain their lead.
Friday 15th April
Houston Dynamo 1 (Horst) – LA Galaxy 4 (dos Santos 2, Husidic, Zardes)
With no Robbie Keane in the Galaxy line-up, Steven Gerrard took the captain’s armband. However, it was a terrible start for the away side, as Houston took the lead inside the first minute. David Horst headed the ball home from a corner. However, the lead was short-lived, as Giovani dos Santos opened his 2016 account just three minutes later. He scored again in the 31st minute, after bringing down a ball from Gerrard, before firing a volley past the Dynamo keeper. That made it 3-1, with Baggio Husidic adding the second just before. Gyasi Bardes rounded out the game with the fourth goal for LA, who have their third win of the season. The Dynamo, however, are bottom of the Eastern with just five points from six games.
Saturday 16th April
DC United 0 – Toronto FC 1 (Giovinco)
After not winning in their last four games, Toronto got off to the perfect start in the capital, as Sebastien Giovinco, who else, put them in the lead inside the first minute. It was the only goal of the game, and it gave the Canadian side their first win since the season opener in March. DC are struggling, with just one win from their first seven games in 2016, scoring just seven in the process.
Chicago Fire 1 (Igboananike) – Montreal Impact 2 (Drogba, Piatti)
Despite going behind, Montreal took victory in Chicago. The Fire went in front thanks to a fantastic strike from Kennedy Igboananike. However, it did not last, as super-sub Didier Drogba got the equalising goal, before Ignacio Piatti scored a wonderful winner in stoppage time to keep the Impact at the top of the Eastern Conference. Patti now has four goals for the season, and the partnership with the Ivory Coast legend, Drogba, is hotting up nicely in 2016. The Fire’s shutout is over, but despite having not conceding in 415 minutes before Drogba’s 59th minute strike, they are still outside the top six places in the Eastern.
Columbus Crew 3 (Finlay, Kamara, Meram) – New York City FC 2 (Villa 2)
After reaching the final of the MLS Cup in 2015, it has taken six games for the Crew to get their first win of this campaign. It started well for them, with Ethan Finlay putting them in front inside seven minutes, with his first goal of the season. David Villa got the visitors level just eight minutes later but an early second half goal from Kei Kamara put the Crew into a lead they would not relinquish. Justin Meram got the third, having assisted the other two goals, to make it 3-1 with ten minutes to play. David Villa would get his second from the penalty spot, but not after controversy involving the referee. Michael Pankhurst was wrongly dismissed for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, when it was in fact Tyson Wahl, who committed the foul. Both sides are in the bottom half of the table, with just a single victory apiece in 2016.
Colorado Rapids 2 (Jones, Badji) – NY Red Bulls 1 (Zubar)
After kick off was delayed 30 minutes due to blizzard conditions in the Rockies, the Rapids took victory thanks to an off-season signing. Jermaine Jones was the hero on the day, scoring the first after 21 minutes, before setting up Dominique Badji for the winner late on. Ronald Zubar got the equaliser in between but the Red Bulls fell to their sixth defeat in seven games this season. The only positive for the visitors – Luis Robles now holds the record for most consecutive minutes played, having played the full 90 in the last 113 matches.
Seattle Sounders 2 (Marshall, Morris) – Philadelphia Union 1 (Le Toux)
The Sounders moved off the bottom of the Western Conference with this victory over the high-flying Union. The West Coast side took the lead through Chad Marshall, whose second goal in as many games has matched his tally for the previous three seasons. After leading 1-0 at the break, Jordan Morris then doubled the lead with 20 left on the clock. Sebastien Le Toux, the stand in captain for the Union on the day, got one back just two minutes later, but going down to ten men, once again, meant the Union suffered on the road. This time it was Roland Alberg, whose second yellow card just eight minutes into the second half, gave Seattle even more momentum. They climb to 8th in the Western, while the Union stay 2nd in the Eastern.
Real Salt Lake 1 (Martinez) – Vancouver Whitecaps 0
Just a single second half strike gave RSL the victory, moving them level with FCD before their game on Sunday night. They extended their unbeaten run to six thanks to a Juan Manuel Martinez goal after 55 minutes. The “Burrito”, as he is affectionately known in Salt Lake City, got on the end of a Joao Plata assist, his fourth, to go with four goals in just six games this year. The Whitecaps have only scored six goals in their opening seven games, and they fall to a 2-4-1 record.
Portland Timbers 3 (Adi 2, McInerney) – SJ Earthquakes 1 (Wondolowski)
Despite Wondo working his magic once again, the Quakes lost on the road in Portland. After a goalless first half, Jack McInerney opened the scoring for the defending MLS Cup Champions. Despite suffering two major injuries, with both Adam Kwarasey and Darren Mattocks having to go off, the Timbers doubled their lead through substitute Fanendo Adi. Chris Wondolowski got his six goal of the campaign from the penalty spot, and his 115th all time to go outright 4th on the MLS list, but it was not to be, as Adi got his second in the ninth minute of stoppage time. The win moves the Timbers up to 7th in the Western, three points behind San Jose.
Sunday 17th April
Orlando City 2 (Kaka, Molino) – NE Revolution 2 (Bunbury, Nguyen)
This game had everything. A penalty kick at either end of the pitch, and the clock, and two goals in stoppage time, but the teams could not be separated at the Citrus Bowl. Kaka scored the fastest penalty kick goal in MLS history, with just 97 seconds on the clock. However, they did not go into the interval in front. Teal Bunbury got the equaliser on 37 minutes, scoring his first of a poor 2016 campaign so far. It all kicked off in second half stoppage time, though. First, Kevin Molino scored in the 92nd to give Orlando what looked like a last gasp victory, but a controversial penalty kick for handball was given to New England, and Lee Nguyen stepped up to level the game in the 96th minute. Orlando remain 3rd, while the Revs drop down to 5th in the Eastern.
FC Dallas 2 (Barrios, Rosales) – Sporting KC 1 (Olum)
FC Dallas took back their three point lead at the top of the Western Conference with a comeback win at home to SKC. Lawrence Olum put the visitors into the lead by firing into the lead from point-blank range after getting on the end of a Benny Feilhaber corner. The league leaders’ were level before the break through Michael Barrios, before Mauro Rosales put FCD into the lead. He curled a fantastic free-kick past Tim Lelia in the SKC goal. FC Dallas move three points clear in both the Western Conference and the Supporters’ Shield, while SKC remain fourth, five behind.
Montreal (4-2-0) lead the way in the Eastern Conference, three points clear of both Philadelphia (3-3-0) and Orlando (2-1-3). Toronto (2-2-2), New England (1-1-5) and NYC (1-2-3) round out the top six playoff places. Chicago (1-2-3) sit 7th, just behind NYC on goals scored. FC Dallas (5-1-2) lead the Western Conference, and the Supporters’ Shield, by three points from the unbeaten Real Salt Lake (4-0-2). However, RSL do have two games in hand. The Rapids (4-2-1) are four points back, with SKC (4-3-0) in fourth, five points back. LA Galaxy (3-1-2) are in 5th, but have two games in hand and could catch FCD at the top. The Quakes (3-2-2) round out the top six, three points ahead of the reigning Champions, Portland (2-3-2).
