MLS Week 18 Recap
Week 18 is in the books, which means the MLS is about to break for their All-Star weekend*. Scores will still low across most of the matches, but there were some good games.
FCD 4-1 Colorado
FC Dallas took it to Colorado at home. This game was not on TV, but listening to the audio feed, it sounded like the crowd was roaring (there was a Club America vs. Everton match afterwards). The heroes of the game for FCD have got to be Ramon Nunez and Kenny Cooper. It seemed like Cooper's name was being called every 20-seconds for some good play.
With the game tied 1-1, it was Cooper who blasted a shot that keeper Joe Cannon could save but not control, thus Nunez was able to pounce on the rebound and send it into net. Nunez was also the man who, just three minutes after his first goal, sent what sounded like an amazing free kick from 20-yards out, low and into the net. Cooper was able to get a goal of his own in late stoppage time.
It is a shame this match had no video to go along with it.
KC 1-1 New England
Kansas City was looking to stop their slide, and for a while, it looked real good. Josh Wolff got the Wizards up early and then they were able to contain the Rev's offense (to be honest, that's not so hard these days) for almost all of the next 80-minutes. New England was finally able to get a shot on goal (their first in about 130-minutes), but KC was able to put stops on all their chances.
Then came stoppage time.
And then came extremely late stoppage time.
KC was up a goal with about 45 seconds left before the game was called and what do you know, they found a way to walk out with a tie. Okay, that's not fair, New England very much earned their goal. Pat Noonan knocked a pass right outside the box to Clint Dempsey who then put a little roller over to Steve Ralston in the area. Ralston put his shot just inside the post for a thrilling goal and a share of the points.
For the Wizards, this might be the straw the crushes their season. How do you come back from something like that?
This was a nice game to start Fox Soccer Channel's MLS season.
Chicago Fire 0-0 Columbus Crew
This was not on TV** and I did not listen to it. From reports, it sounds like it was not much of a match, but Chicago Fire keeper Zach Thornton made a few good saves to keep the home team level.
Houston Dynamo 1-1 New York Red Bull
During the World Cup, they kept saying that one game could change everything, well last night, five minutes changed it all. New York took the lead in the 67th on a 'how did that go in from that angle' shot by Chris Henderson, but just three minutes and a penalty in the area, Dwayne De Rosario nailed the kick to tie it up.
But just when the game looked like it was going to become a back-and-forth affair, De Rosario and Danny O'Rourke got into it. De Rosario shoved O'Rourke and the teams got in each other's face. Both players were tossed (De Rosario - direct red, O'Rourke - second yellow), and the game lost its flow.
Yes, the Dynamo got a point, but they were the big losers of the night as they should have got the win and now they will have to play LA without the key to their team.
Real Salt Lake 2-1 DC United
Giving up two penalty kicks in six minutes has got to hurt John Wilson's rep. As I said last night, DC did not play well while Real was having their best night in weeks. Jeff Cunningham looked hot for the home side, while United's defense just seemed to fall away. Also, how does DC not score in a 3-1 break?
Anyway, Real coach John Ellinger knew he needed points so he subbed in as much offense as possible. If DC was up to their normal game, they would have made Real pay, but instead they went into a defense stance that was not so strong.
* all teams get the week off except New England and Chivas who play on Sunday, August 6th.
** as noted in the comments, this game was on TV as it aired on HDNet.
FCD 4-1 Colorado
FC Dallas took it to Colorado at home. This game was not on TV, but listening to the audio feed, it sounded like the crowd was roaring (there was a Club America vs. Everton match afterwards). The heroes of the game for FCD have got to be Ramon Nunez and Kenny Cooper. It seemed like Cooper's name was being called every 20-seconds for some good play.
With the game tied 1-1, it was Cooper who blasted a shot that keeper Joe Cannon could save but not control, thus Nunez was able to pounce on the rebound and send it into net. Nunez was also the man who, just three minutes after his first goal, sent what sounded like an amazing free kick from 20-yards out, low and into the net. Cooper was able to get a goal of his own in late stoppage time.
It is a shame this match had no video to go along with it.
KC 1-1 New England
Kansas City was looking to stop their slide, and for a while, it looked real good. Josh Wolff got the Wizards up early and then they were able to contain the Rev's offense (to be honest, that's not so hard these days) for almost all of the next 80-minutes. New England was finally able to get a shot on goal (their first in about 130-minutes), but KC was able to put stops on all their chances.
Then came stoppage time.
And then came extremely late stoppage time.
KC was up a goal with about 45 seconds left before the game was called and what do you know, they found a way to walk out with a tie. Okay, that's not fair, New England very much earned their goal. Pat Noonan knocked a pass right outside the box to Clint Dempsey who then put a little roller over to Steve Ralston in the area. Ralston put his shot just inside the post for a thrilling goal and a share of the points.
For the Wizards, this might be the straw the crushes their season. How do you come back from something like that?
This was a nice game to start Fox Soccer Channel's MLS season.
Chicago Fire 0-0 Columbus Crew
This was not on TV** and I did not listen to it. From reports, it sounds like it was not much of a match, but Chicago Fire keeper Zach Thornton made a few good saves to keep the home team level.
Houston Dynamo 1-1 New York Red Bull
During the World Cup, they kept saying that one game could change everything, well last night, five minutes changed it all. New York took the lead in the 67th on a 'how did that go in from that angle' shot by Chris Henderson, but just three minutes and a penalty in the area, Dwayne De Rosario nailed the kick to tie it up.
But just when the game looked like it was going to become a back-and-forth affair, De Rosario and Danny O'Rourke got into it. De Rosario shoved O'Rourke and the teams got in each other's face. Both players were tossed (De Rosario - direct red, O'Rourke - second yellow), and the game lost its flow.
Yes, the Dynamo got a point, but they were the big losers of the night as they should have got the win and now they will have to play LA without the key to their team.
Real Salt Lake 2-1 DC United
Giving up two penalty kicks in six minutes has got to hurt John Wilson's rep. As I said last night, DC did not play well while Real was having their best night in weeks. Jeff Cunningham looked hot for the home side, while United's defense just seemed to fall away. Also, how does DC not score in a 3-1 break?
Anyway, Real coach John Ellinger knew he needed points so he subbed in as much offense as possible. If DC was up to their normal game, they would have made Real pay, but instead they went into a defense stance that was not so strong.
* all teams get the week off except New England and Chivas who play on Sunday, August 6th.
** as noted in the comments, this game was on TV as it aired on HDNet.
posted by Mike H at 11:11 PM
2 Comments:
To be fair, the Chicago/Columbus match WAS on TV, on HDNET.
I caught the Club America v. Everton match in Frisco on the spanish broadcast channel (the name escpaes me) yesterday morning, and you are right, the place was packed with CA fans.
That is two weeks in a row when Pizza Hut park has doubled its avg. attendance for an MLS game by hosting a Mexican League team. I can only hope that some of the Mexican league fans in the Dallas area can grow to love the Hoops.
On another note, did anyone happen to catch the re-airing of the 1997 WC Qualifier rematch between Mexico and the US on FSC this weekend, as well as the 4 or so episodes in which "George" from Fox Sports tracks down the primary characters from the orginal 2 matches to invite them to the HDC for a rematch on 5/21? I had never seen the show nor the game which most likely aired some time in May. Pretty compelling TV, considering I ended up watching 70 mins (the played 35 min halves) of late 30 and early 40 year olds run around, and enjoyed it.
A couple of notes from the game. The rivalry still exists. the teams were border line cordial to each other, but it wasn't like watching an old timers softball game. Aspe still has a wicked foot. Joe Max Moore could lace them up and play in the MLS as a reserve tomorrow. Paul Caliguri wins the award for most pounds put on (but he still has great hair). and Galindo wins the award for "early grey hair, but still has game."
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