The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsAfter three weeks, two teams remain perfect. Orlando (2-0-0) and Portland (3-0-0) are the only teams left with a 100% record in the MLS, with both winning tricky match-ups this week. New expansion side Minnesota got their first point in the league, whilst Atlanta annihilated Chicago. New England are the only team to have not scored a point so far in 2017.
Saturday 18 March
New York City FC 1 (Wallace 44’)
Montreal Impact 1 (Oduro 68’)
A goal on either side of the half time interval saw this one finish as a 1-1 draw in New York. Rodney Wallace scored for the hosts just before the break, but Dominic Oduro’s second half equaliser was enough to give the Impact a point on the road. NYC dominated the first half but spurned chances to take lead before Wallace’s strike. After being one of last year’s challengers for the Supporters’ Shield, NYC have struggled at the start of 2017, only managing four points from their opening three games. The Impact have only got two points at the start of their era without Didier Drogba.
Atlanta United 4 (Vincent og 4’, Martinez 60’,82’, Villalba 67’)
Chicago Fire 0
After scoring six in Minnesota last time out, Atlanta got their first home win in the MLS by scoring four past the Fire. Josef Martinez scored a double for the expansion side, and he leads the Golden Boot race with five goals in just three appearances in 2017. The game started badly for the Fire when Brandon Vincent put through his own net in just the fourth minute. Martinez then got his double, either side of Hector Villalba’s strike. The Fire have lost for the first time in 2017, after a win and a draw in their opening two. Atlanta are now top of the three-way tie at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Vancouver Whitecaps 0
Toronto FC 2 (Vazquez 76’, Altidore 80’)
Despite not having Sebastian Giovinco available through injury, Toronto still won the first all-Canadian battle of the 2017 MLS season. The game changed on the 70 minute mark, when Brek Shea was booked twice in a minute, first for a foul, before arguing with the referee to earn his second yellow. Toronto capitalised, scoring twice in the next ten minutes, with Victor Vazquez and Jozy Altidore scoring the goals to give Toronto the win. Vancouver tasted defeat after winning in Mexico on Tuesday in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Semi Final. Thats their only victory of 2017, as the Whitecaps have just one point from their opening three. Toronto are unbeaten through three, with five points.
D.C. United 0
Columbus Crew SC 2 (Higuain pen 38’, Kamara pen 66’)
Two penalties gave the Crew victory in the Capital City on Saturday night, while D.C. failed to score again, and have blanked in all three games. United’s struggles in front of goal continued, but with Luciano Acosta back from injury, their hopes improve going forward. However, spotkicks from Federico Higuain and Ola Kamara were enough to give the visitors all three points, with both penalties coming as a result of fouls from DC’s Steve Birnbaum. The Crew now have 1s across the column, and have four points, while DC have just a point, and more importantly, no goals.
Orlando City SC 2 (Larin 39’,73’)
Philadelphia Union 1 (Sapong 52’)
2015’s Rookie of the Year was the main man for Orlando on Saturday, and his double gave the Lions their second win of the season. Having not played last week after their postponed game with New England, Orlando were fresh, and scored the opener before the break, when Cyle Larin tapped in. CJ Sapong levelled the scoring just after the interval, but Larin scored again to give the Lions their third straight win at home, dating back to last season. They are one of just two teams with a 100% record, with six points from their two games. The Union, on the other hand, are in 9th in the Western, with just two points.
FC Dallas 2 (Urruti 71’,77’)
New England Revolution 1 (Nguyen 10’)
Two late goal from Maxi Urruti turned the game around for FC Dallas, making it two comeback victories in a week. After coming back to beat Pachuca on Wednesday night in the CCL, they did it again against the Revs on Saturday. Lee Nguyen opened the scoring for New England, who were coming off their impromptu bye week thanks to weather troubles. However, after leading for over an hour, Urruti got a quick fire double for FCD, making it three on the year for the Argentinian. The Revs are the only team to not score a point so far this year, while FCD are 2nd in the Western, unbeaten on seven points from their opening three.
Sporting Kansas City 2 (Feilhaber 37’, Bingham og 89’)
San Jose Earthquakes 1 (Jungwirth 90+2’)
After two scoreless draws, Sporting KC finally got their first win of the 2017 campaign with a comfortable victory over San Jose. Benny Feilhaber opened the scoring in the first half, after being omitted from Bruce Arena’s USMNT selection for this week’s 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. They held that one goal lead till the end, before David Bingham put through his own net to make it 2-0. Florian Jungwirth got one back for the Quakes, but the visitors struggled in the match, and come away from Kansas City with nothing. It is the Quakes first dropped points of the season, but they remain a place above SKC, who have five points from their opening three games.
Colorado Rapids 2 (Badji 17’, Hairston 59’)
Minnesota United 2 (Molino pen 50’, Ramirez 58’)
After conceding eleven times in their opening two games, Minnesota finally got off the mark in the MLS with a two-all draw in Colorado. The Rapids opened the scoring through Dominique Badji and had the lead at the break. But then, two goals in the space of eight minutes turned the game around. Firstly, Kevin Molino converted a spot kick, before Christian Ramirez scored Minnesota’s second to give the Loons the lead. However, Marlon Hairston scored just a minute later to level the game at two apiece. A straight red for Justin Davis meant the Loons played the end of the game with ten men, but they held on for their first point. The Rapids conceded two at home for the first time since 2015, and now have four from their opening three.
Real Salt Lake 1 (Movsisyan 18’)
LA Galaxy 2 (Romney 69’, Boateng 74’)
Despite going in front, Real Salt Lake failed to win for the third game on the run, as LA came from behind to win in Salt Lake on Saturday night. Yuri Movsisyan opened the scoring for RSL, but the game turned when Kyle Beckerman was sent off for a second bookable offence before half time. With the man advantage, the Galaxy came back into it, and goals from Dave Romney and Emmanuel Boating made it 2-1 to the visitors. Coincidentally, all of Boateng’s five MLS goals have come against RSL. Salt Lake have today, fired their coach, Jeff Cassar, after going 0-2-1 through their first three games. The Galaxy won their first match of 2017, having lost the first two.
Portland Timbers 4 (Valeri pen 11’,58’, Guzman 66’, Adi 88’)
Houston Dynamo 2 (Torres pen 38’, Quioto 45+2’)
Despite Torres and Quioto scoring for the third game running each for the Dynamo, the Houston outfit lost in Portland in a six-goal thriller. The 2015 MLS Cup Champions went in front early through a Diego Valeri penalty, before conceding twice by the end of the first half. Both Erick Torres and Romell Quioto netted before the interval for Houston, and have now both scored in all three games in 2017. However, Valeri got his second of the game in the second half, before David Guzman and Fanendo Adi swung the game in Portland’s favour. In the only game between two 100% sides, Portland came out on top to maintain their perfect record, and top the table with nine points.
Sunday 19 March
Seattle Sounders 3 (Dempsey pen 28’, Morris 66’, Shipp 79’)
New York Red Bulls 1 (Wright-Phillips 57’)
Bradley Wright-Phillips netted his first of the 2017 MLS season for the Red Bulls, but the reigning MLS Cup Champions came out on top at CenturyLink Field. Clint Dempsey opened the scoring for the Sounders from the penalty spot. BWP then equalised for the visitors after the break, but Jordan Morris and Harry Shipp both scored for the Sounders to give them victory, both of Joevin Jones’ assists. It has not been the best start to the Sounders’ title defence, with just four points from their opening three, but they have won their first game of the season. Having won their first two matches, the Red Bulls have suffered defeat for the first time this year.
There are international matches this week, so there are just three MLS games next weekend.The two bottom sides face each other as Minnesota travel to New England, whilst there is also a repeat of the 2015 MLS Cup Final, as Columbus host Portland.
Internationals: Scotland-Canada, USA-Honduras
MLS: NE-Minnesota, NYRB-RSL, Columbus-Portland
