In the second week of MLS action, both league debutantes, Orlando City and NYC FC, secured their maiden victories, with the latter recording a convincing win over last year’s Eastern Conference Champions, NE Revolution. In the West, the San Jose Earthquakes stymied Seattle’s momentum in a thrilling 3-2 victory, while the LA Galaxy stole a point at the death at Providence Park in Portland. And don’t look now, but after only two matches, there’s only one team to have taken all six points on offer–not the reigning champions, or even a conference king, but rather FC Dallas, who thumped Sporting KC 3-1 in Texas, once again on the back of Blas Perez.
Let’s get to the games:
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Houston Dynamo | 0 | (1-0-1) |
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Orlando City SC | 1 | (1-1-0) |
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Orlando City secured a deserved three points away from home against the Dynamo on Friday night. Although possession and shots were roughly equal, Orlando looked the sharper squad, putting three of their attempts on frame, while the Dynamo failed to find the target all night. Kaka forced an absolutely stunning save from Tyler Deric in the 41st minute, curling a free kick toward the top left corner, only to be denied by the home no.1’s tremendous goalkeeping. Kaka made an excellent run in at Deric once more in the 65th, but the Dynamo keeper stuck to his guns, parrying the ball wide. For all his heroics, however, the hero turned villain in the 74th minute, when Deric took a heavy touch on a back pass, which was poached by substitute Pedro Ribeiro, securing the three points for Orlando.
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Chicago Fire | 0 | (0-0-2) |
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Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 1 | (1-0-1) |
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Chicago may have owned 59% of the possession at the end of Saturday’s match, but as is often the case, the team that won the second half, won the day. That team was Vancouver, and their man on the scoresheet was Octavio Rivero, whose 86th minute strike, a strong right-footer from the center of the box assisted by Steven Beitashour was enough to hand the Fire their second loss. Rivero, a Uruguayan international at the U-17 level, has now scored in both of his first two games in MLS.
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Columbus Crew | 2 | (1-0-1) |
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Toronto FC | 0 | (1-0-1) |
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Toronto FC’s left back, Justin Morrow’s sending off on the stroke of halftime changed the composure, and the outcome, of Saturday’s match in Columbus. Toronto had looked dangerous all half, and the home side had their keeper Steve Clark to thank on a number of occasions for keeping them at even pecking. In the 44th minute, however, Ethan Finlay was breaking away towards goal when Morrow came sliding in, taking all of the man and none of the ball on the edge of the area. Although he was not the last defender, it was a clear goalscoring chance, and Morrow didn’t protest his straight red. It was all the home side after that. Justin Meram headed home in the 57th minute, followed shortly by a Kei Kamara strike off a cross from within the six-yard box in the 61st to secure the win.
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FC Dallas | 3 | (2-0-0) |
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Sporting Kansas City | 1 | (0-1-1) |
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After last week’s last-gasp winner, Blas Perez was his team’s hero once more, scoring the first two goals for FC Dallas in a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City. In the 17th minute, Tesho Akindele was fed the ball in the area, turned and found the on-rushing Perez, who fired a strong shot home with his right foot. But just before halftime, Roger Espinoza dribbled the ball toward the edge of the area, and when Dallas failed to close him down, he took advantage of the opportunity, lashing a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner to bring SKC level. But Perez and Dallas came storming back after halftime, and in the 52nd minute, he calmly chested down a long pass just beyond the six yard box, then sent another cannonade into the back of the net to give his team the advantage. Finally, in the 72nd, Fabio Castillo took an excellent through-ball from Ryan Hollingshead around the oncoming keeper, and passed the ball into the net to secure the win.
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Real Salt Lake | 3 | (0-2-0) |
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Philadelphia Union | 3 | (0-2-0) |
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Jamison Olave got on the scoresheet twice–but, unfortunately, both for and against his own team–as RSL and Philadelphia played to an eventful 3-3 draw in Utah. Javier Morales put RSL up in the 29th minute with an excellent direct free kick into the top right corner. It was a short lived advantage. Just five minutes later, in the 34th Fernando Aristeguieta poached a header from an uncharacteristically poor parry by Nick Rimando. Then, again Aristguieta was on scene to punish the home team four minutes after that, slotting home a poor clearance from short range. Olave scored in the 55th minute with an awkward header from a curled in set-piece. His heroics were quickly turned to villainy, however, as in the 58th he scored an own goal that, had it been against an opposing keeper, might’ve made the highlight reel. His team were redeemed near the end of the match, though, as the referee awarded a controversial penalty for a foul by Maurice Edu. Alvaro Saborio scored from the spot in the 86th, salvaging a draw.
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Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | (1-0-1) |
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San Jose Earthquakes | 3 | (1-0-1) |
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If Clint Dempsey’s goal against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup was fast, his strike on Saturday was lightning, putting Seattle ahead after only 18 seconds. Tyrone Mears struck a strong shot from outside the box, and Dempsey was there to head home the rebound. If CenturyLink was all smiles just after kickoff, that glee would slowly fade, as San Jose ground out a hard-fought win, thanks to a Chris Wondolowski brace, scoring with his left foot from inside the box in the 13th and 48th minutes, the second off an atrociously bundled backpass from Brad Evans. Shortly after Wondolowski’s second goal, the home fans were given new hope despite the deficit, as Victor Bernardez was rightly shown a straight red for a dangerous, late, studs-up challenge. The away side held on, however, and an improbable 70th minute goal from Innocent Emeghara sealed their eventful victory.
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New York City FC | 2 | (1-1-0) |
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New England Revolution | 0 | (0-0-2) |
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David Villa thrilled the fans at Yankee Stadium, scoring his first goal, and helping to secure his side’s first victory in front of a crowd of more than 40,000. Villa nearly netted in the 16th minute, forcing keeper Shuttleworth to get low quickly and save his close range shot. In the 19th minute, the Spaniard came roaring back and this time would not be denied, threading his way through the New England defense, including a quick one-two with teammate Grabavoy, and curling a right-footed effort past the keeper for the game’s opening goal. Juan Agudelo was perhaps unlucky to not equalize in the 42nd minute, when his close range diving header found only the keeper’s midriff. The Revs chances faded further in the 66th, when Jose Goncavles was sent off, the last man knocking down an onrushing Khiry Shelton; it was perhaps harsh, as Shelton went down easily from a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, but NE, in honesty, never looked that likely to eek out the win. The dagger came in the 84th, as Patrick Mullins slotted home a perfect ground cross from David Villa, whose footwork and service coupled with his earlier goal proved his potency in attacking play has not diminished since moving from Europe.
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Portland Timbers | 2 | (0-2-0) |
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Los Angeles Galaxy | 2 | (1-1-0) |
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If, before season’s start, you’d told the Timbers Army that they’d have two points from their opening two matches against RSL and LA–without midfield stars Will Johnson and Diego Valeri–many among them might have been satisfied, if not wholly pleased. But the way in which Portland has acquired those two points has to be disheartening for the home fans. After their late-game barrage against Nick Rimando and the RSL defense went unrewarded last week, the Timbers had their would-be storybook stoppage time goal–and two more points–snatched from them by the forehead of Alan Gordon. Fanendo Adi put the Timbers ahead on 31 minutes with a right footed curler following a perfectly weighted Rodney Wallace through ball. In the 65th minute, Jose Villareal curled in a dangerous cross, and while the Timbers faithful might be justified in claiming their keeper Adam Kwarasey should’ve been first to the ball, Gyasi Zardes did will to win it and tap home from the volley to equalize. In the 90th minute, after a great lofted through ball, Darlington Nagbe assisted Adi for his second goal–a shot from close range–that looked for all the world to be the match-winner. But from a corner, in the 92nd minute, substitute Alan Gordon headed into the upper left corner, saving a point for the visitors, and leaving the home fans frustrated.