Sunday, March 8, 2015

Major League Soccer Week 1

Full slate of games for the opening weekend of MLS. After Wednesday's eleventh hour deal in principle for the CBA, the league was allowed to start on time. Thus, we begin with...

The Los Angeles Galaxy hosting the Chicago Fire on Friday. Sean Johnson and Brian Rowe are the gloved men. Chicago's Shaun Maloney was given a yellow card in the twenty-second minute for his foul. In the sixty-first minute, Los Angeles took a yellow card for a foul by Kenney Walker. The Galaxy began in the sixty-fifth minute with a goal by Jose Villarreal. The Fire took another yellow card for a Guly foul in the seventy-fifth minute. Los Angeles added on in the eighty-first minute as Robbie Keane scored, with the help of Baggio Husidic and Omar Gonzalez. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Villarreal.

The first of six games for Saturday features DC United welcoming the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Bill Hamid are in the six-yard boxes. DC led off in the fifty-eighth minute with a Jairo Arrieta goal, set up by Chris Rolfe and Davy Arnaud. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. Arrieta was the man of the match.

Next up, the Philadelphia Union bring in the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and Rais M'bolhi are set to start in goal. Colorado had a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute Bobby Burling foul. Philadelphia took a yellow card in the twenty-fifth minute as Steven Vitoria committed a foul. In the forty-fifth minute, Axel Sjoberg of Colorado was given a yellow card for a foul. The Rapids went down a man in the sixty-eighth minute when Burling had another yellow card for a foul, his second of the game getting him sent off. Dillon Serna of the Rapids had a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-third minute. In stoppage time, Fernando Aristeguieta of the Union and Lucas Pittinari received yellow cards, the former for unsporting behavior and the latter for a foul. The scoring never happened, with the final being 0-0. The man of the match was Irwin, who kept a clean sheet with four saves in the season opener on the road for the Rapids.

Out west and in Canada, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and David Ousted draw the starts in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the nineteenth minute on Raul Octavio Rivero goal, via Pa Modou Kah. Toronto tied it on a Jozy Altidore goal in the thirty-second minute, made possible by Sebastian Giovinco. Toronto took the lead in the fifty-ninth minute with a Robbie Findley goal, passed from Justin Morrow and Benoit Cheyrou. The Whitecaps took a yellow card for persistent infringement by Gershon Koffie in the seventy-seventh minute, but Toronto's Warren Creavalle followed with a yellow card-worthy foul in the seventy-eighth minute. Vancouver saw a yellow card assessed to Kah in the eighty-ninth minute for a foul, and Altidore buried the resulting penalty kick a minute later for Toronto. Toronto won 3-1, and Altidore was the man of the match with a brace.

Back southeast, the Houston Dynamo welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Tyler Deric man the nets. Columbus' Emanuel Pogatetz took a yellow card in the twenty-eighth minute for a foul. Houston started in the sixty-sixth minute on a Giles Barnes goal, via Kofi Sarkodie. The Crew's Tony Tchani received a yellow card for seventy-eighth minute foul. Houston held on for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match given to Deric for his six-save clean sheet.

Also in Texas, FC Dallas brings in the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Chris Seitz make the starts in goal. Dallas saw a yellow card given to Atiba Harris for a fiftieth minute foul. San Jose took a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul by Shaun Francis. In the seventy-seventh minute, the Earthquakes received a yellow card for a Shea Salinas foul. San Jose had another yellow card in the stoppage time for a Sanna Nyassi foul, leading to a Blas Perez goal for Dallas, made possible by Moises Hernandez. The Earthquakes took another yellow card two minutes later on an Adam Jahn foul. Dallas won 1-0, with the man of the match going to Perez for his late winner.

Closing out Saturday, the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando faces a lesser foe in Adam Larsen Kwarasey in goal. Salt Lake's Kenny Mansally received a yellow card for his twenty-seventh minute foul. Portland saw a yellow card assessed to Alvas Powell in the thirty-second minute for a foul. In first half stoppage time, Luis Gil of Real took a yellow card for his foul. Salt Lake had another yellow card in the forty-eighth minute for a Chris Schuler foul. In the fifty-seventh minute, Liam Ridgewell of the Timbers took a yellow card. The game ended in a scoreless draw, and the man of the match was Rimando with his clean sheet and five save performance.

On Sunday, the first ever game for Orlando City SC sees them welcome fellow expansion team New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Donovan Ricketts make the starts. Orlando City had the first two yellow cards, both for dives by Brek Shea in the twenty-ninth minute and Kevin Molino in the fortieth minute. New York City had the next three yellow cards, given to Mehdi Ballouchy in the forty-first minute, Jason Hernandez in the fifty-fourth minute, and Jeb Brovsky in the sixtieth minute, all for fouls. New York City struck first in the seventy-sixth minute on a Mix Diskerud goal, with an assist from David Villa. Orlando City saw a yellow card given to Cristian Higuita in the seventy-eighth minute. Orlando City went down to ten men as Aurelien Collin got a red card for his eighty-third minute foul. Orlando City tied it in stoppage time on a Kaka goal. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Kaka for the late equalizer.

Northwest to Kansas City, as Sporting brings in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Luis Marin are the keepers. Kansas City's Matt Besler received a yellow card for a foul in the thirtieth minute. Sporting started in the fiftieth minute on an Ike Opara goal, set up by Benny Feilhaber. New York tied it on a Lloyd Sam goal, made possible by Felipe. Kansas City's Besler was ejected with a second yellow card in the seventieth minute for another foul. The Red Bulls had two yellow cards, given to Bradley Wright-Phillips in the eightieth minute and Sacha Kljestan in the eighty-sixth minute, both for fouls. The final was 1-1, and the man of the match was Sam for the equalizer.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Stefan Frei guard the nets. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the twenty-fifth minute on a Clint Dempsey penalty kick goal. The Sounders added on with an Obafemi Martins goal in the forty-first minute, guided in by Tyrone Mears and Dempsey. Seattle extended the lead as Dempsey scored his second of the game, thanks to Martins and Marco Pappa. New England took a yellow card on a Jose Goncalves foul in the seventy-third minute. The Sounders secured a 3-0 win, with the man of the match being Dempsey with a brace.

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