MLS clubs take command with big wins

• by Ridge Mahoney  @ridgemax, Sep 24, 2014

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Tuesday] The success of MLS teams in CCL group play continued Tuesday as Sporting Kansas City and Portland posted big victories. Sporting KC beat Real Esteli of Nicaragua, 3-0, to move into first place atop Group 2 with seven points (two wins and a tie), and the Timbers' 6-0 thrashing of Alpha United of Guyana lifted them into the top spot of Group 5.

WEEK 5, Results:
Tuesday, September 23
Sporting KC 3 Real Esteli (NCA) 0
Portland Timbers 6 Alpha United (GUY) 0

Sporting Kansas City beat Real Esteli of Nicaragua, 3-0, to move into first place atop Group 2 with seven points (two wins and a tie), and the Timbers' 6-0 thrashing of Alpha United of Guyana lifted them into the top spot of Group 5. The MLS representatives hold three-point leads and can advance to the quarterfinals even if they lose the group finales to be played next month against the second-place teams.

Portland beat Olimpia, 4-2, in their first meeting and because head-to-head results are the first tiebreakers, a one-goal loss would be enough. SKC will be in the same situation when it heads to Costa Rica to play Deportivo Saprissa by virtue of its 3-1 victory at Sporting Park in their first meeting.

Dom Dwyer’s consistent goalscoring has often pushed Designated Player Claudio Bieler to the bench, but the Argentine took advantage of head coach Peter Vermes’ decision to rest Dwyer by scoring twice. He tucked away a cross from Seth Sinovic in the 13th minute and struck again in the second half just as the fans were getting nervous about the narrow 1-0 lead.

Bieler trapped a pass while twisting between between two defenders and drew a foul from one of them, Elmer Mejia. He slammed home the penalty kick to double the lead. Eight minutes later substitute Sal Zizzo netted the third goal by heading a Toni corner kick over the keeper and inside the far post.

Sept. 23 in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City 3, Real Esteli 0. Goals: Bieler (Sinovic, Feilhaber) 13, Bieler pen. 70, Zizzo (Toni) 78.
Sporting KC -- Kronberg; Igor Juliao, Palmer-Brown (Claros 60), Besler, Sinovic; Olum, Nagamura (Medranda 84), Feilhaber (Zizzo 46); Dovale, Bieler, Zusi.
Real Esteli -- Lorente; Rodriguez, Kardek, Praes, Rosas (De Almeida 87); Barrera, Valiente, Mejia, Wilson; Figueroa (Lopez 77), Da Silva (Calero 70).
Att.: 17,154.



Defender Norberto Paparatto scored twice and four teammates each collected a goal in the Timbers’ rout of Alpha United. Jack Jewsbury opened the scoring in the 13th minute and Michael Nanchoff bagged a goal and two assists.

Two more MLS teams play CCL matches Wednesday. D.C. United hosts Tauro FC of Panama and New York faces a tough test in El Salvador against FAS.

Sept. 23 in Portland, Ore.
Portland 6, Alpha United 0. Goals: Jewsbury (Harrington) 13, Fernandez (Urruti) 36, Nanchoff Zemanski 49, Paparatto (Nanchoff) 61, Adi (Wallace) 75, Paparatto (Nanchoff) 88.
Portland – Gleeson; Harrington, Paparatto, McKenzie, Peay, O’Rourke, Zemanski, Jewsbury (Wallace, 62), Nanchoff, Fernandez (Fochive, 79), Urruti (Adi, 72).
Alpha United –- Williams; Murillo, Oliveria, Duckworth, Madramootoo (Moffat, 59), Jacobs (Ellis, 81), Jack, Camacho, Vargas, Paredas, Peters (Wilson, 60).
Att.: 8,968.




WEEK 5, Schedule:
Wednesday, September 24
8 p.m. ET
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Municipal (GUA)
D.C. United vs. Tauro FC (PAN)
10 p.m. ET
FAS (SLV) vs. New York Red Bulls
Herediano (CRC) vs. Leon (MEX)
Thursday, September 25
8 p.m. ET
Bayamon FC (PUR) vs. Comunicaciones (GUA)
10 p.m. ET
Chorrillo FC (PAN) vs. Alajuelense (CRC)

Standings:
Group 1: Pachuca 6; Municipal 4; Real Espana 1.
Group 2: Sporting KC 7; Saprissa 4; Real Esteli 2.
Group 3: Montreal Impact 9; New York Red Bulls 3; FAS 0.
Group 4: D.C. United, Waterhouse 6; Tauro FC 0.
Group 5: Portland Timbers 9; Olimpia 6; Alpha United 0.
Group 6: Alajuelense, Cruz Azul 4; Chorrillo 3.
Group 7: Herediano 7, Leon 4; Isidro Metapan 0.
Group 8: Club America 7; Comunicaciones 4; Bayamon FC 0.

WEEK 6, Schedule:
Tuesday, October 21
8 p.m. ET
Tauro FC (PAN) vs. D.C. United
Club America (MEX) vs. Comunicaciones (GUA)
10 p.m. ET
Alajuelense (CRC) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX)
Olimpia (HON) vs. Portland Timbers
Wednesday, October 22
8 p.m. ET
New York Red Bulls vs. Montreal Impact
10 p.m. ET
Real Espana (HON) vs. Pachuca (MEX)
Thursday, October 23
8 p.m. ET
Leon (MEX) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV)
10 p.m. ET
Saprissa (CRC) vs. Sporting KC

WEEK 1, Results:
Thursday, August 7
Comunicaciones (GUA) 5 Bayamon FC (PUR) 0
Tauro FC (PAN) 1 Waterhouse (JAM) 2
Wednesday, August 6
Pachuca (MEX) 4 Real Espana (HON) 1      
Real Esteli (NCA) 1 Saprissa (CRC) 1
Tuesday, August 5
Alpha United (GUY) 0 Olimpia (HON) 1
Cruz Azul (MEX) 1 Alajuelense (CRC) 1
Montreal Impact 1 FAS (SLV) 0
Isidro Metapan (SLV) 2 Leon (MEX) 4

WEEK 2, Results:
Thursday, August 21
Real Espana (HON) 1 Municipal (GUA) 1
Herediano (CRC) 4 Isidro Metapan (SLV) 0
Wednesday, August 20
D.C. United 1 Waterhouse FC  0
FAS 2 Montreal Impact 3
Tuesday, August 19
Alpha United (GUY) 1 Portland Timbers 4
Club America (MEX) 6 Bayamon FC (PUR) 1
Chorrillo (PAN) 1 Cruz Azul (MEX) 0
Real Esteli (NCA) 1 Sporting KC 1
 
WEEK 3, Results:
Thursday, August 28
Waterhouse (JAM) 4 Tauro FC (PAN) 0
Alajuelense (CRC) 1 Chorrillo (PAN) 0
Olimpia (HON) 6 Alpha United (GUY) 0
Wednesday, August 27
Leon (MEX) 1 Herediano (CRC) 1
Municipal (GUA) 3 Pachuca (MEX) 7
Tuesday, August 26
New York Red Bulls 2 FAS (SLV) 0
Comunicaciones (GUA) 1 Club America (MEX) 1
Saprissa (CRC) 3 Real Esteli (NCA) 0

WEEK 4, Results:
Thursday, September 18
Sporting KC 3 Saprissa (CRC) 1
Isidro Metapan (SLV) 2 Herediano (CRC) 4
Wednesday, September 17
Bayamon FC (PUR) 1 Club America (MEX) 10
Montreal Impact 1 New York Red Bulls 0
Municipal (GUA) 3 Real Espana (HON) 0
Tuesday, September 16
Waterhouse (JAM) 1 D.C. United 2
Cruz Azul (MEX) 3 Chorrillo 0
Portland Timbers 4 Olimpia (HON) 2