MLS - Week 8 Results

Got a little behind on the MLS recaps, let's see if we can't get caught up...

DC UNITED 2 SEATTLE 1

United put an end to Seattle's 6 game unbeaten streak holding on for a 2-1 win at RFK stadium. Both sides had opportunities to strike first in the first half with Fredy Montero and Alvaro Fernandez getting chances for Seattle and Andy Najar drilling the post for DC, but eventually it was United who got on the board. Najar fed Charlie Davies a ball down the right wing and Davies slotted a ball across the goal mouth beautifully for veteran Josh Wolff. The wide open Wolff easily converted the first time left-footed shot for the early lead giving him a pair of goals on the season and 75 goals in his 13 year MLS career. The same trio of players would combine once again in the second half to make it 2-0. This time Najar would find Wolff and it was Wolff's cross to a similarly open Davies that gave him his league leading 6th goal of the year. Seattle would battle back though. Fredy Montero was dropped in the box by Dejan Jakovic setting up a penalty kick that Brad Evans easily converted past Bill Hamid. The Sounders then created a pair of great chances over the next 5 minutes, first Fernandez heading a cross from Roger Levesque, but right at Hamid, and then Montero's shot headed toward the top corner was just barely deflected away by Hamid to preserve the 2-1 lead and the win.



COLORADO 2 HOUSTON 1

The Rapids snapped a 4 game winless streak overcoming a 1-0 deficit against the Dynamo and pulling out a 2-1 win with a pair of late goals. Houston had the best chances early on, but both teams failed to produce goals in the first half. The Dynamo continued to get good looks in the second half as Will Bruin twice got in behind goalkeeper Matt Pickens, but his touches took him too far wide and both of his attempts hit the side netting. Colin Clark finally broke the scorless draw when he beat Pickens in the 71st minute with a left footed strike to the near post that appeared to have Pickens leaning the wrong way. Colorado came right back a couple minutes later though when Tally Hall misjudged a Jamie Smith free kick. Smith's free kick was just a lofted ball into the box, but Hall came out too far and it went over his head and into the net for his 3rd goal of the year to tie the game. The Rapids would use another free kick 10 minutes later to go ahead when Houston failed to clear it and Caleb Folan nudged it to left back Scott Palguta whose one time left footed shot found the back of the net for his first goal of the year.



PORTLAND 1 PHILADELPHIA 0

The Timbers are becoming a force to be reckoned with as they've now won 4 of their last 5 with consecutive shutout wins over Real Salt Lake and now the Philadelphia Union. Portland's Mamadou 'Futty' Danso scored the game's only goal heading home a free kick from Jack Jewsbury for his first MLS goal. Both sides had chances to go ahead before that as Futty and Eric Brunner each missed headers for Portland and Sebastien Le Toux and Carlos Ruiz had chances for the Union. Portland had twice as many shots though (16-8) and Philadelphia just couldn't handle Portland in the air as the Timbers ripped off their 4th straight home win. Futty's goal was just the 3rd one the Union have conceded this year as Colombian Faryd Mondragon has been particularly stingy in net in his first MLS season.



REAL SALT LAKE 1 CHIVAS USA 0

Real Salt Lake came away victorious, but couldn't have been in much of a mood to celebrate as star Javier Morales had his ankle broken on a tackle by Chivas's Marcos Mondaini and is expected to miss a minimum of 4 months. Mondaini was the second Chivas player to be sent off following his tackle in the 37th minute as 13 minutes early Andrew Boyens was sent off following his second yellow card. Boyens was actually lucky not to have been sent off for his first infraction as he took down Alvaro Saborio from behind on what looked to be a 1 on 1 situation with keeper Dan Kennedy, but in the end he was sent off early anyways. Despite the two man advantage, Real struggled to score as Kennedy played sensationally in goal coming up with 7 saves. Finally in the 87th minute, substitute Collen Warner's cross was flicked to the back post by Nat Borchers where Will Johnson was waiting and he managed to slam the ball home just before a diving Kennedy was able to deny the opportunity. Johnson's goal was his first of the season as RSL bounced back from their defeat against the Timbers and improved to 5-1-0.



TORONTO 2 HOUSTON 1

Toronto got their first win since March 26th as they got a pair of second half goals and held on to knock off the Dynamo 2-1. 19 year old Honduran striker Joao Plata was the story in this one as he had his first MLS goal and later added an assist. Toronto opened the scoring in the 50th minute when Nick Soolsma was taken down in the box by Andre Hainault. Plata coolly stepped up to take the penalty and hammered it into the roof of the net past Tally Hall to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. Plata was again in the heart of the action about 10 minutes later when he appeared to be awarded a second PK when he looked to be taken down in the box by Hall. After conferring with the linesman however, the call was overturned due to what appeared to be an offsides ruling. But Plata wasn't done. In the 81st minute his through ball found Maicon Santos who got in behind the last defender, Corey Ashe, and drilled a left footed shot into the lower right corner for his second goal of the year, and first since the season opener, to make it 2-0. Houston would battle back though. Lovel Palmer got the Dynamo on the board in the 87th minute when he one-timed a shot from the top of the box into the lower right corner past Stefan Frei to cut the deficit in half, but it was too little too late as Toronto finally found their way back into the win column.



NEW ENGLAND 0 COLORADO 0

The Revs were shut out for the second straight game as they played to a scoreless draw with the defending champion Rapids. New England struck the crossbar in each half as Ryan Cochrane headed a corner off the woodwork in the 15th minute and Benny Feilhaber, still in search of his first goal as a member of the Revs took a centering pass from Sainey Nyassi and hit his first touch off the bar in the 74th. Shalrie Joseph had perhaps the best chance for either team in the 57th minute when he got free for a header at the top of the 6 in the 57th minute but Matt Pickens just managed to get a hand up to keep it out of the net. New England had one last good chance in stoppage time when Nyassi got free down the right wing and looked to have an open player in the middle but Tyrone Marshall made a sliding save cutting off the cross and Pickens was able to gobble it up to keep it scoreless. With Colorado short both Omar Cummings and Conor Casey, Andre Akpan led the offense with a pair of good scoring chances in the first half. Since starting the season with 3 straight wins, the rapids have won just once in their last six matches.



SEATTLE 1 COLUMBUS 1

Seattle struck first, but in the end were lucky to come away with a draw as Columbus had all sorts of opportunities but couldn't find the back of the net. Kasey Keller made 5 saves denying good opportunities from Eddie Gaven, Robbie Rogers, Emilio Renteria and Andres Mendoza to earn the Sounders a point. Fredy Montero opened the scoring in the 7th minute when he got on the end of a cross from Erik Friberg heading the ball past Will Hessmer for his second goal of the year. Columbus would tie it up in the second half though when Chad Marshall was taken down going for a ball off a corner kick by Patrick Ianni setting up a penalty kick for Emilio Renteria. Keller guessed wrong and Renteria scored easily giving him 4 goals on the year and a pair of made penalties. That would be the only goal Keller would allow though as he made two more big saves down the stretch denying an Eddie Gaven rocket from a tough angle at the near post and then tipping Andres Mendoza's free kick just over the bar in stoppage time.



DC UNITED 0 DALLAS 0

Kevin Hartman made a huge save in the closing seconds of play to preserve a 0-0 tie and earn FC Dallas a point against DC United. Josh Wolff hit a cross into the box where a wide open Fred tried to head it in off a bounce but Hartman dove in at the last second making himself big and denying the Brazilian. DC United really only had one other great chance and that was in the opening minutes of the game when a Brek Shea miscue dropped the ball literally right into Charlie Davies lap. Davies' first touch betrayed him however, and Hartman was able to fly in for the block. Andy Najar got a hold of the rebound but his attempt was cleared off the line by Ugo Ihemelu and then Davies had another crack at it, but his attempt was tackled away by Andrew Jacobson. Both sides received a scare in the second half when young stars Brek Shea and Najar collided going for a loose ball in the box and both players went down for an extended period of time. Fortunately, both players were able to walk off under the own power although Najar would not return to the game. DC's defense looked much improved this week limiting their opponents to just the one goal in two matches after allowing 8 goals in their two previous games against Houston and New York.



CHICAGO 0 VANCOUVER 0

Vancouver's winless streak continues as they still haven't won since their season opener against Toronto FC. Chicago meanwhile is looking at a winless streak that is now six games following the draw. In the first ever match between these two clubs, neither side was able to capitalize on their opportunities and both teams, though desperately in need of a win, walked away with just a point. Diego Chaves came the closest to putting the Fire ahead in the first half when his right footed shot beat Jay Nolly but deflected off the back post and was cleared from danger. Dominic Oduro and Marco Pappa also had great chances for the Fire in the first half, but with nothing to show for them. Late in the second half, Vancouver's Eric Hassli had the game's best chance to get on the board when Davide Chiumiento's through ball found him with nothing but empty space between him and the goal. Hassli got a little too cute though trying to dribble by Chicago keeper Jon Conway and Conway stood him perfectly and dove in picking the ball right off Hassli's foot before he could get a shot off.



LOS ANGELES 1 NEW YORK 1

In one of the more anticipated matchups of the season, the Galaxy and the Red Bulls played to an entertaining 1-1 draw. The big name stars, Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Thierry Henry all factored directly in the result featuring the league's two first place teams. Henry struck first when Dane Richards played a dangerous ball low into the box and Henry was able to touch it past a charging Donovan Ricketts and then fend off a late charge from Sean Franklin before tucking the ball into the back post for his 4th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead. L.A. would increase the pressure though and Bouna Coundoul was forced into making a terrific save on Chad Barrett from just beyond the penalty spot. The Galaxy then appeared to tie the game when Juan Pablo Angel headed in Landon Donovan's cross in the 25th minute only to have it ruled offsides. The Galaxy would break through later in the half as unchallenged Donovan headed in a David Beckham corner giving Donovan 4 goals and Beckham 5 assists on the year. Donovan nearly made it 2-1 a little over a minute later when he was played a through ball and touched in past Bouna Coundoul who'd come out to apply pressure. Donovan directed the ball towards the now empty net, but hit it just a hair too soft. Never quitting on the play, defender Tim Ream chased the ball down and tackled the ball off the goal line at the last possible second. New York had some good chances in the second half has substitute Juan Agudelo fired a snap header just wide of the net and Dane Richards hit the post in the 82nd minute, as neither side broke through and each had to settle for a point. Ricketts and Coundoul combined to make 11 saves in the match.