Couldn’t catch every minute of a hectic weekend across MLS? Here are some angles to consider.
Barnburner on The Farm
What is it about Stanford Stadium that makes the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy go buck-wild? The Cali Clasico rivals enacted their latest “Old School”-esque on-campus freakout Saturday night, a 3-3 draw that earns this week’s MLS app must-see condensed match seal of approval. Amid all the riveting action, I was particularly intrigued by Chris Wondolowski barking at his former teammate David Bingham after beating him for the Quakes’ first goal.
Darkest before the dawn in Orlando?
With their former coach penning a public farewell and the new man still on his way in, Orlando City SC were not in a great spot to visit league-leading Atlanta United, and it showed in a 4-0 thumping that keeps this budding Southern rivalry a one-sided affair for now. At least no one can bluff about the extent of the work to be done when Lions coach James O’Connor takes charge.
Impact the free radicals
Rod Fanni and Ignacio Piatti | USA Today Sports Images
Written off weeks ago thanks to some woeful spring losing streaks, the Montreal Impact are suddenly on a three-game winning streak (and winners of four in five) after ambushing West leadersSporting KC 2-0. I have my doubts about their ability to clamber back into the East’s playoff race, yet be warned just the same: The Quebecois look like this year’s free radicals, a proud team eager to wreak chaos on the postseason prospects of anyone they play.
Washington is Wayne’s World
D.C. United are hoping to pull off a summer revival similar to Montreal’s. This week’s long-awaited arrival of the biggest, most expensive signing in club history, English star Wayne Rooney, should help. But the Black-and-Red also carry some obvious vulnerabilities at the back, as shown by some dodgy decision-making from Frederic Brillant and Oniel Fisher in their wobbly 3-2 road loss at New England revealed.
Speechless in Seattle
Another team staring at some harsh standings mathematics are defending West champions the Seattle Sounders, who lost at home to their bitter rivals the Portland Timbers for the first time in MLS league play on Saturday afternoon, a back-and-forth Cascadia Cup encounter dominated by set pieces. Even the unveiling of prolific Peruvian Designated Player signing Raul Ruidiaz couldn’t put a shine on this one.
“This is a really, really tough loss,” said Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer afterwards as local outlets shoveled dirt on their postseason prospects. “This is going to sting for a long time … to disappoint the people certainly will wear on us.
“We have to be realistic; it’s not good,” he added of Seattle’s current situation. “We’ve really put ourselves in a hole.”
The Katai conundrum
Things are looking up in Chicago, where the Fire pulled off a 3-2 comeback win over New York City FC, fueled by Aleksandar Katai's brace. It marked the last game of the Serbian winger’s loan stint from Spanish side Alaves, and there’s still no word as to whether the Men in Red will extend that deal or sign him permanently. With eight goals and three assists, it might seem like a no-brainer, but Katai has been streaky and may carry a lofty price tag. Still, this game-winner in transition was nasty:
To live and score in LA
On the roster sheet, he’s Adama Diomande. Yet in true Hollywood fashion, LAFC’s Norwegian frontrunner splashed a catchy nickname on the back of his jersey on his SoCal arrival – and the fans are getting to know and like this “Dio” guy in the wake of a tour-de-force hat trick (the first in LAFC history) in Saturday’s 4-1 thrashing of Philadelphia:
’Keepers crash Canada Day
Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps hosted big, festive crowds on Sunday to commemorate Canada Day. The visitors’ goalkeepers stole the show in both cities, though, as Luis Robles backstopped a smash-and-grab victory for the New York Red Bulls over TFC and Tim Howard inspired the Colorado Rapids to a similar feat. For Howard, it was the best possible way to commemorate the fourth anniversary of his epic “Secretary of Defense” performance for the US vs. Belgium in the 2014 World Cup:
