[MLS REWIND Week 15] The Seattle Sounders rallied to beat the Vancouver Whitecaps,3-2, before a season-high 53,679 fans at CenturyLink Field. The LA Galaxy’s defensive troubles continued as it conceded two late goals and fell at Real Salt Lake, 3-1. The Chicago Fire rallied fromtwo goals down to tie the Portland Timbers, 2-2. The only other game of the weekend — New England-D.C. United — ended in a 0-0 tie.
An MLS Saturday schedule reduced to just four gamesbecause of the FIFA international calendar didn’t lack for drama nor storylines.
The Galaxy’s woes continued with a 3-1 loss at Real Salt Lake, and two games involving thethree Northwest teams produced nine goals. None were scored at Gillette Stadium as New England and D.C. United tied, yet with the result the Revs continued their push up the standings and now have asmany points per game (1.43) as the defending champion.
RSL ROLL CONTINUES. Both Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles gave playing time to a few youngerplayers, and in that exchange, RSL forward Olmes Garcia gave the home team a clear edge by scoring the last two goals.
Garcia, 20, headed home a JavierMorales cross – set up by a Kyle Beckerman “pick” that blocked off Landon Donovan – in the 84th minute to break a 1-1 tie, and thentucked away another feed from Morales in the second minute of stoppage time to ice the game. Garcia had replaced Robbie Findley in the 61st minute.
YoungstersGyasi Zardes and Jose Villarreal started up top with Donovan but the Galaxy managed just two shots on goal including Donovan’s first-time strike that flew intothe bottom corner, though a sharp effort from Villarreal hit the crossbar.
Khari Stephenson’s goal had provided RSL (8-5-3) with a 1-0 lead late in the first halfbut Donovan’s reply in stoppage time sent the teams into the locker room at 1-1. RSL has won four of its last six matches and is second in the Western Conference; the Galaxy (6-6-2), lost forits fifth game of the last seven and is tied for fifth with Colorado.
GOALS RAIN IN CASCADIA CUP. The lead changed hands three times at CenturyLinkField as the Sounders outlasted Vancouver, 3-2, in front of 53,679 fans.
Lamar Neagle struck his fifth goal of the season in the 81st minute to cap a see-saw set ofscores. Camilo Sanvezzo’s goals in the 10th and 26th minutes, both set up by Russell Tiebert, canceled out the game’s opening goal by AndyRose. Seattle re-tied the game in the 70th minute when Servando Carrasco converted a penalty kick, and Obafemi Martin’s pass created the chance thatNeagle put away.
Seattle (6-4-3) leaped past the Galaxy into fourth place. Vancouver (4-5-4) is seventh and the defeat preserved its futility against Cascadia Cup rivals in MLScompetition; it has failed to win any league match against Seattle or Portland since joining in 2011.
TIMBERS TIE. AGAIN. A 2-2 deadlock at Chicagoextended Portland’s unbeaten run to 12 games and three months (since March 9). As it as a few times this season, Portland got the tie despite blowing a lead. Goals by DiegoValeri and Ben Zemanski were matched by a pair from Mike Magee and Daniel Paladini.
Portland (5-1-8) is third in the WesternConference and unbeaten on the road at 2-0-6. Chicago (3-7-3) is third from bottom in the East but is showing some signs of life with two ties and a win in its last three games.
Keeper Bobby Shuttleworth needed to make just one save for the sixth-place Revs (5-4-5), which have lost just once in the last eight games. DiegoFagundez, who had scored in four straight games, tested the D.C. goal without reward a few times and teammate Chris Tierney hit the goalpost. United keeper BillHamid recorded four saves as last-place United (1-10-3) got a point while its winless streak increased to a club-record 12 games.
Goals:16/5 GP (avg.: 3.20)
Video:
Saturday, June 8
New England 0 D.C. United 0.
Att.: 14,163.
Saturday, June 8
Chicago 2 Portland 2.
POR: Diego Valeri (FredericPiquionne, Milos Kocic) 33
POR: Ben Zemanski (Frederic Piquionne) 58
CHI: Mike Magee 68
CHI: Dan Paladini 82
Att,: 15,349.
Saturday, June 8
Real Salt Lake 3 LA Galaxy 1.
RSL: Khari Stephenson (Robbie Findley) 44
LA: Landon Donovan 46+
RSL: Olmes Garcia (Javier Morales)84
RSL: Olmes Garcia (Javier Morales) 92+
Att.: 18,962.
Garcia Goal #2:
Saturday, June 8
Seattle 3 Vancouver 2.
SEA: Andy Rose (LamarNeagle) 9
VAN: Camilo (Russell Teibert, Lee Young-Pyo) 10
VAN: Camilo (Russell Teibert) 26
SEA: Servando Carrasco (pen.) 70
SEA: Lamar Neagle (Obafemi Martins, Andy Rose)81
Att.: 53,679.
Neagle Goal:
Wednesday, June 5
Philadelphia 3,Columbus 0.
PHIL: Brian Carroll 25.
PHIL: Sheanon Williams (Brian Carroll, Sebastien Le Toux) 29.
PHIL: Conor Casey (Sebastien Le Toux) 31.
Att: 16,113.
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MLS STANDINGS:
Eastern Conference:
PTS TEAM W-L-T+/-
26 Montreal 8-2-2 22/15
25 New York 7-5-4 23/19
22 Houston 6-3-4 19/14
22 Philadelphia 6-5-4 22/24
20 New England 5-4-5 15/9
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19 Sporting KC 5-5-4 18/13
17 Columbus 4-5-5 16/16
12 Chicago 3-7-3 11/19
8 Toronto FC 1-7-5 11/19
6 D.C. United 1-10-3 6/24
Western Conference:
PTS TEAM W-L-T +/-
28 FC Dallas 8-2-4 23/17
27 Real Salt Lake 8-5-3 24/16
23 Portland 5-1-8 24/16
21 Seattle6-4-3 19/15
20 LA Galaxy 6-6-2 22/18
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20 Colorado 5-4-5 15/12
16 Vancouver 4-5-4 18/20
15 San Jose 3-6-6 13/23
11 Chivas USA 3-8-213/26
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MLS LEADING SCORERS:
G PLAYER(TEAM)
10 Jack McInerney (Philadelphia)
9 Marco Di Vaio (Montreal)
8+1 Mike Magee (Los Angeles/Chicago)
7 Claudio Bieler (Sporting KC)
6 Thierry Henry (NewYork)
6 Dominic Oduro (Columbus)
5+2 Camilo (Vancouver)
5 Robert Earnshaw (Toronto FC)
5 Diego Fagundez (New England)
5 Will Johnson (Portland)
5 Robbie Keane (LosAngeles)
5 Blas Perez (FC Dallas)
5 Chris Wondolowski (San Jose)
MLS SCHEDULE, Week 16:
5 pm ET
Portland vs. FC Dallas, ESPN
7 pm ET
D.C. United vs. Toronto FC
7:30 pm ET
Columbus vs. Montreal, Univision Dep.
9 pmET
Colorado vs. San Jose
10 pm ET
Vancouver vs. New England
MLS SCHEDULE, Week 17:
Wednesday, June 19
8 pm ET
Montreal vs.Houston
8:30 pm ET
Chicago vs. Colorado
10 pm ET
Vancouver vs. Chivas USA
LA Galaxy vs. Portland
Saturday, June 22
D.C. United vs. San Jose
8 pm ET
Columbus vs. Chicago
8:30 pmET
FC Dallas vs. Sporting KC
9 pm ET
Houston vs. Toronto FC
9:30 pm ET
Real SaltLake vs. Seattle
Sunday, June 23
5 pm ET
Philadelphia vs. New York,ESPN
7 pm ET
Portland vs. Colorado, NBCSN
11 pm ET
Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy, UniMas
MLS SCHEDULE, Week 18:
Saturday, June 29
Toronto FC vs. Real Salt Lake
5:30 pm ET
Philadelphia vs. FC Dallas, NBCSN
Montreal vs. Colorado, Univision Dep.
D.C. United vs. Vancouver
8:30 pm ET
Sporting KC vs.Columbus
10:30 pm ET
San Jose vs. LA Galaxy (at Stanford Stadium)
Chivas USA vs. New England
Sunday, June 30
2 pm ET
New York vs. Houston, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN Deportes