MLS Round Up – Colorado go top of the Western Conference

Colorado Rapids moved to the top of the Western Conference for the first time in four years after holding on for an impressive draw at Montreal Impact.

Shkelzen Gashi and Bobby Burling cancelled out goals from Didier Drogba and Maxim Tissot as the Rapids twice came from behind.

Since coming rock bottom in the Western Conference last season, Pablo Mastroeni’s side have looked a much improved outfit this year and have only lost two games so far this campaign.

After grabbing their first win of the season the previous weekend New York Red Bulls continued to make up for lost time with a superb 4-0 victory over high flying FC Dallas.

Lloyd Sam, Sacha Kljestan, Mike Grella and Filipe got on the score sheet as Jesse Marsch’s side moved up to 8th place in the Eastern Conference.

Owen Coyle’s Houston continued their worrying start to the season as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Real Salt Lake.

Jordan Allen and Spartak Moscow loanee Yura Movsisyan cancelled out Leonel Miranda’s opener to leave Houston stranded at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Coyle’s side are now on a six match winless streak and are already nine points adrift from the play off positions.

Youth prospect Jordan Morris got on the score sheet for the second home game running as Seattle grabbed an important home win against last season’s MLS Cup finalists Columbus Crew.

The 21-year-old Stanford graduate was heavily linked with an off season move to Europe but is seemingly reaping the rewards of his decision to stay in his native United States.

The highest scoring game of the weekend came at Yankee Stadium where New York City FC and Vancouver Whitecaps played out a five goal thriller on Saturday evening.

Octavio Rivero put the Whitecaps ahead with a matter of seconds on the clock before a David Villa brace reversed the score line at the break.

Costa Rican international Christtian Bolanas thought he had rescued a point for the visitors when he tapped home after his penalty had been brilliantly saved by Josh Saunders. However Steven Mendoza powered home an effort with 15 minutes remaining to give Patrick Vieira his first MLS victory at Yankee Stadium and lift NYCFC into the play off positions.

A late Simon Dawkins goal rescued a point for San Jose at Philidelphia. The former Derby man grabbed his first goal of the season with just seven minutes left of the game after Chris Pontius had put the Union in front.

Chicago Fire and DC United also played out a 1-1 draw.

22-year-old Jordan Campbell grabbed his first professional goal to put the Fire in front before former Chicago man Patrick Nyarko rescued an equalizer for the visitors.

In true gentlemanly style Nyarko refused to celebrate scoring against the side that  he made almost 200 appearances for.

New England Revolution and Orlando City also played out an entertaining draw at Gillette Stadium.

Diego Fagundez gave New England an early lead with his third goal of the season before Orlando’s Kevin Molino leveled the scores at the break after getting on the end of Adrian Winter’s cross.

The home side thought they had grabbed all three points when Juan Agudelo regained the lead but Jay Heaps’ side were to suffer heartbreak as Carlos Rivas headed home an injury time equalizer.

The result leaves New England Revolution just outside the Eastern Conference play off places in 8th, whilst Orland sit in 4th.

The final two matches of the game week saw Portland Timbers entertain Toronto FC and LA Galaxy travel to Sporting Kansas City.

Portland edged out their Canadian opponents in a tight but entertaining game at Providence Park. Fanendo Adi and Diego Valeri cancelled out Will Johnson’s first ever Toronto goal to move the Timbers up to 7th place in the Western Conference.

In Sunday’s final game Giovani Dos Santos calmly slotted home an equalizer after Brad Davis has spectacularly put Kansas one up in the first half.

The match hit the headlines for the wrong reasons however as new La Galaxy signing Ashley Cole was sent off after receiving two yellow yards in the space of just a few minutes.

MLS Table As It Stands

Eastern Conference

Points Overall Home Away
# Club PTS PPG GP W L T GF GA GD W-L-T W-L-T
1 Montreal Impact 14 1.56 9 4 3 2 13 11 2 2-1-1 2-2-1
2 Philadelphia Union 13 1.63 8 4 3 1 11 8 3 3-0-1 1-3-0
3 Toronto FC 11 1.38 8 3 3 2 9 7 2 0-0-0 3-3-2
4 Orlando City SC 10 1.25 8 2 2 4 15 13 2 1-0-3 1-2-1
5 D.C. United 10 1.11 9 2 3 4 11 11 0 2-2-1 0-1-3
6 New York City FC 10 1.11 9 2 3 4 13 15 -2 1-1-4 1-2-0
7 New England Revolution 10 1 10 1 2 7 11 16 -5 1-0-4 0-2-3
8 New York Red Bulls 9 1 9 3 6 0 12 17 -5 3-2-0 0-4-0
9 Columbus Crew SC 8 1 8 2 4 2 7 10 -3 2-1-0 0-3-2
10 Chicago Fire 7 1 7 1 2 4 7 8 -1 1-2-2 0-0-2

Western Conference

Points Overall Home Away
# Club PTS PPG GP W L T GF GA GD W-L-T W-L-T
1 Colorado Rapids 17 1.89 9 5 2 2 12 8 4 4-0-0 1-2-2
2 Real Salt Lake 17 2.13 8 5 1 2 14 12 2 4-0-0 1-1-2
3 FC Dallas 17 1.7 10 5 3 2 15 17 -2 3-0-2 2-3-0
4 LA Galaxy 15 1.88 8 4 1 3 18 8 10 3-0-1 1-1-2
5 San Jose Earthquakes 15 1.67 9 4 2 3 12 11 1 4-0-1 0-2-2
6 Sporting Kansas City 14 1.4 10 4 4 2 11 10 1 2-2-1 2-2-1
7 Portland Timbers 12 1.33 9 3 3 3 14 16 -2 3-1-1 0-2-2
8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 11 1.1 10 3 5 2 12 15 -3 2-1-2 1-4-0
9 Seattle Sounders FC 10 1.25 8 3 4 1 8 10 -2 3-2-0 0-2-1
10 Houston Dynamo 5 0.63 8 1 5 2 14 16 -2 1-1-2 0-4-0

 

 

 

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