Twelve games produced 31 goals and 11 home victories in Major League Soccer (MLS) Rivalry Week.
The home clubs bounced back from a 5-4-2 record from last week and went 9-1-2 against their rivals. New York Red Bull’s forward Bradley Wright-Phillips guided his team to a landslide victory. He was personally the best player of the week. He delivered for the Red Bulls against their bitter rivals DC United 3-0 on Sunday at the Red Bull Arena. The English native scored two goals and assisted on the other, as his team won the Atlantic Cup in flying colors.
The Red Bulls match did also qualify as one of the three games of the week in MLS.
New York Red Bulls 3-0 DC United
The Red Bulls came into this match limping after losing to the Chicago Fire 3-2 in the middle of the week. However, once they entered their home, Red Bull Arena, and saw the Red and Black show up the bad memory of Chicago was gone.
Wright-Phillips and the Red Bull’s went after D.C. from the very start of the match. They launched 24 shots and got eight of them on target. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid kept his team in the match by making five saves.
However, the constant offensive wave from the Red Bulls eventually broke down Hamid. Wright-Phillips set up Lloyd Sam to give New York the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute.
Before the half ended, the English striker buried a volley into the top right hand corner to make it 2-0 at the 42nd minute. Then Wright-Phillips finished the game off at 64th minute with a clinical one on one goal.
Seattle Sounders FC 2-1 Portland Timbers
Seattle needed a win and got three crucial points on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. The Sounders were out played for nearly the entire match.
Portland on the road was searching for their first victory at the CenturyLink Field since the 2013 MLS Playoffs. The Timbers were definitely on the way to getting that elusive victory as they fired 14 more shots than Seattle.
However, a failure to clear the ball from the penalty box in the 6th minute gave Seattle the 1-0 lead. Obafemi Martins finished the close range shot; however, the Timbers did not fade away. Where the Timbers failed, was converting their 20 chances. They only got six of their shots on target. As for The Rave Green, they created six shots and landed three of them on target.
Right before the half ended Brad Evans made it 2-0 when he finished the controversial penalty at the 42nd minute. In the final 45 minutes Portland did manage to cut the lead in half but Seattle held on to the narrow 2-1 victory.
San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 Los Angeles Galaxy
The Earthquakes went toe to toe against the juggernaut Galaxy on Friday at the Avaya Stadium. They fired five more shots than LA and found a way to defeat the Galaxy 1-0.
Shea Salinas buried the opportunistic header in the 18th minute to eventually give the Quakes the victory. Both clubs managed to get an equal four shots on target. What separated them in the end was LA’s center back Leonardo’s red card at the 47th minute.
The extra man boosted San Jose’s chances of a victory. In result, they held to win the California Clásico 1-0.
Here is how the rest of the games went:
Wednesday, 8/26
Chicago Fire 3-2 Red Bulls, Toyota Stadium
Colorado Rapids 2-1 Houston Dynamo, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Saturday, 8/29
Toronto FC 2-1 Montreal Impact, BMO Field
New York City FC1-2 Columbus Crew SC, Yankee Stadium
Philadelphia Union 0-1 New England Revolution, PPL Park
Orlando City SC 1-1 Fire, Citrus Bowl
Rapids 2-1 Sporting Kansas City, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
FC Dallas 2-0 Real Salt Lake, Toyota Stadium
Dynamo 2-0 Vancouver Whitecaps FC, BBVA Compass Stadium
How the Standings look after the week:
Clubs | PTS | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
1.DC United | 44 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 35 | 34 | 1 |
2.New York Red Bulls | 42 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 43 | 28 | 15 |
3.Columbus Crew SC | 41 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 45 | 44 | 1 |
4.Toronto FC | 37 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 44 | 42 | 2 |
5.New England Revolution | 37 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 35 | 36 | -1 |
6.Orlando City SC | 29 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 35 | 47 | -14 |
7.Montreal Impact | 28 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 30 | 34 | -4 |
8.New York City FC | 28 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 38 | 46 | -8 |
9.Chicago Fire | 27 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 31 | 38 | -7 |
10.Philadelphia Union | 27 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 44 | -11 |
The Lions are in a heated race with every team below them in the standings, only two points separate them from the Union. With the season winding down it will be interesting to see who secures that last playoff spot in the East. D.C. needs to get back on track. The Red Bulls and the Crew are closing in on DC. And if they fail to get three points next week they will fall in the conference. However, the real race in the East is the fight for sixth place.
Clubs | PTS | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
1.Los Angeles Galaxy | 46 | 28 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 29 | 3 |
2.Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 45 | 27 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 38 | 28 | 10 |
3.FC Dallas | 41 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 35 | 30 | 5 |
4.Sporting Kansas City | 40 | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 40 | 35 | 5 |
5.Portland Timbers | 40 | 27 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 29 | 32 | -3 |
6.Seattle Sounders FC | 38 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 13 | 32 | 30 | 2 |
7.San Jose Earthquakes | 38 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 29 | 3 |
8.Houston Dynamo | 35 | 27 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 35 | 34 | 1 |
9.Colorado Rapids | 33 | 26 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 25 | 27 | -2 |
10.Real Salt Lake | 32 | 27 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 40 | -11 |
The Galaxy are currently ahead in the race for the conference and the Supporters' Shield. However, the Caps are right behind LA. As for the inconsistent Dallas, they are currently in the middle of the pack. Another negative result will see the Hoops fall into the competition of fourth.
Kansas City is holding on to the fourth spot at the moment. However, there is no room for error for Sporting since there is only two points separating them from seventh place, San Jose. If the Earthquakes continue their hot streak they can quickly climb up the ladder. San Jose will be hoping for Kansas City to lose their fourth straight match in a row.
That is a wrap for the MLS Rivalry Week and the month of Aug as well. Now September might potentially crush a few post-season dreams or create some in the process.
Video provided by Major League Soccer, Fox Sports and Toronto FC.