Here is everything you need to know about MLS and North American soccer this morning:
Sporting KC humbles the Loons
In Sunday's lone game, Sporting KC held firm in the Western penthouse with a 4-1 rout of visiting Minnesota United. Teen talent Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal fired the winner with a well-struck volley 10 minutes from halftime. RECAP
Atlanta beats 9-man Union after wild double ejection
Atlanta United took advantage of a chippy early scene that saw Philadelphia draw a pair of red cards, staying tops in the league with a 3-1 home win on Saturday. After the game, Union boss Jim Curtin complained about the unfairness of the initial red card shown to Alejandro Bedoya, and our Charlie Davies agreed. READ MORE | RECAP
Ireland teaches USMNT a lesson
A youth-filled US national team showed inexperience in suffering a 2-1 collapse loss against friendly hosts Ireland on Saturday night. Our USMNT player ratings reflected a progressively timid effort that saw the midfield overrun and key mistakes at the back in the second half. READ MORE | RECAP
Giovani dos Santos makes cut, scores for Mexico
With Mexico national team coach Juan Carlos Osorio dropping his roster to 24 players ahead of the team's final preparatory match for the 2018 World Cup, both Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos join Carlos Vela on the traveling squad, which stands to see one more name chopped from the list. GDS made a strong case for cementing his position after scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Scotland. READ MORE
NYCFC, Revs take Eastern showdowns
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi netted twice as New York City FC kept pace with Atlanta by recording a 3-0 victory against Saturday guests Orlando City. New York are now a perfect 6-0 with an 18-2 goal differential at home, while Orlando City slipped to their fourth straight defeat. RECAP
Meanwhile, New England got back on the right track with a 2-1 fightback win over the New York Red Bulls. Bradley Wright-Phillips opened early for the visitors, but Revolution counterpart Teal Bunbury eventually decided matters 12 minutes from time with his eighth goal of the season. RECAP
Points shared in Columbus, Portland
Columbus were three down at the hour against visiting champs Toronto FC, but rallied for a stirring 3-3 share to extend their unbeaten run to eight games. Crew SC defender Josh Williams said he knew they'd battle back once they got the first goals because the team turned into "a pack of wolves." READ MORE | RECAP
Also Saturday, Portland saw their winning run ended by a 1-1 home draw against the LA Galaxy. Despite missing Ola Kamara, the visitors opted to play it safe by starting without superstar forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic so they could limit his minutes. READ MORE | RECAP
FC Dallas, RSL cap big weeks
FC Dallas stayed within reach of the Western summit by topping guests LAFC, 2-1, on Saturday. In his weekend review, Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle toasted the recent form of both FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake. READ MORE | RECAP
As for the Claret-and-Cobalt, they climbed up to third in the West with a 2-0 victory over visiting Seattle. Thanks to second-half strikes from Corey Baird and Luis Silva, RSL are on a three-game winning streak for the first time in over two years. RECAP
Alan Gordon is fired up
Don't look now, but Alan Gordon has scored in three straight following Saturday's ice-breaker in a 2-1 home win over San Jose. The pocketed points moved the Fire to within two of the last playoff slot. RECAP
On Friday night, Vancouver snapped a five-game win drought with a 2-1 win at Colorado. The Rapids suffered their seventh loss in a row, marking the longest MLS streak of futility since 2014. RECAP
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