Saturday, March 4, 2017

MLS 2017: Week 1

Just less than three months after the Seattle Sounders FC were crowned MLS Cup Champions in a thrilling shootout win, the 2017 campaign is here, with 22 teams to play 34 games apiece. We begin with a single Friday game this weekend, as...

The Portland Timbers host Minnesota United FC. John Alvbage and Jake Gleeson man the nets. Portland started in the fourteenth minute with a Lawrence Olum goal, passed from Vytautas Andriuskevicius and Diego Valeri. The Timbers saw a yellow card for Diego Chara foul in the twenty-fifth minute. Portland added on in the forty-seventh minute with a Valeri goal, set up by Sebastian Blanco. Minnesota got on the board in the seventy-ninth minute with a Christian Martinez goal, via Johan Venegas. In the eighty-first minute, Minnesota's Venegas received a yellow card for dissent. A minute later, the Timbers replied with a Valeri penalty kick goal. Portland extended the lead as Fanendo Adi scored a minute into stoppage time, thanks to Darlington Nagbe. The Timbers padded the lead with another Adi goal, helped along by Andriuskevicius. This made it 5-1, with Valeri the man of the match.

The first of seven on Saturday has the Columbus Crew SC welcoming the Chicago Fire. Jorge Bava and Zack Steffen are the goalies. Columbus opened in the seventeenth minute with an Ethan Finlay goal, via Justin Meram. The Crew' Federico Higuain received a yellow card in the forty-first minute for dissent. Chicago tied it on a seventy-third minute goal by David Accam. The Fire's John Goossens took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-first minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Accam the man of the match for the equalizer.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Brian Rowe are in the six-yard boxes. In the seventeenth minute, Los Angeles' Jermaine Jones took a yellow card for a foul. Joao Pedro of the Galaxy took a yellow card for a forty-first minute foul. Dallas got going in the forty-seventh minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal. Los Angeles tied it on a Giovani dos Santos penalty kick goal in the fifty-third minute. Dallas retook the lead with a sixty-ninth minute goal by Kellyn Acosta, passed from Roland Lamah. Dallas had yellow cards in the eighty-third and eighty-fifth minutes to Maynor Figueroa and Matt Hedges for fouls. Dallas took the win 2-1, with Acosta the man of the match for the winner.

Backtracking to Utah, where Real Salt Lake hosts Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Nick Rimando protect the nets. Chris Schuler of Salt Lake took a yellow card for dissent in the twenty-third minute. In the twenty-ninth minute, Real had a yellow card for a foul by Rimando. Toronto had a yellow card for a forty-fifth minute foul by Nick Hagglund. Toronto saw another yellow card given to Steven Beitashour for dissent in the fifty-third minute. Salt Lake's Sunny took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the seventy-second minute. In the eighty-second minute, Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto had a yellow card for a foul. In stoppage time, Jozy Altidore received a yellow card for persistent infringement. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match named as Rimando for a three-save clean sheet.

Over in Colorado, the Rapids welcome the New England Revolution. Cody Cropper is mismatched with Zac MacMath in goal. New England saw a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul by Chris Tierney. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the fifty-second minute with a Dominique Badji goal, set up by Jared Watts. The Rapids collected yellow cards for Caleb Calvert's sixty-eighth minute foul, persistent infringement by Dillon Powers in the sixty-ninth minute, and Sam Cronin in the seventy-fifth minute. The Revolution's Kei Kamara took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-ninth minute. Colorado took the win 1-0, with the man of the match being Badji.

Back east, DC United bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Bill Hamid are set to start in goal. Seth Sinovic of Kansas City took a yellow card for a thirty-seventh minute foul. DC had yellow cards for Sean Franklin and Rob Vincent fouls in the fifty-fourth and sixty-fourth minutes, respectively. Sporting took a yellow card for a Roger Espinoza foul in the seventy-second minute. The game ended at 0-0, with the man of the match being Melia for his five-save clean sheet on the road.

Down in Houston, the Dynamo host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Tyler Deric are the gloved men. Houston began in the twentieth minute with an Erick Torres goal. Seattle's Chad Marshall had a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. The Dynamo added on with a Romell Quioto goal, passed from Alex. The Sounders got on the board with a fifty-eighth minute goal by Clint Dempsey. In the sixty-seventh minute, Roman Torres of Seattle received a yellow card for a foul. Houston's Torres took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-first minute. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Quioto.

Saturday ends in San Jose, where the Earthquakes welcome the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and David Bingham are between the posts. Montreal's Chris Duvall took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. San Jose struck first with an Anibal Godoy goal, coming off of Chris Wondolowski in he seventeenth minute. The Earthquakes had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul by Fatai Alashe. In first half stoppage time, Hassoun Camara received a yellow card for a foul for the Impact. Montreal went down to ten men in the sixty-sixth minute as Camara took a second yellow card for a foul. Matteo Mancosu of the Impact had a yellow card for an eighty-third minute foul. San Jose saw Shea Salinas take a yellow card for time wasting in second half stoppage time. The game ended 1-0 with the man of the match being Godoy.

Sunday's first game has Orlando City SC bringing in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Joe Bendik are set to start in goal. Orlando City began in the fifteenth minute on a Cyle Larin goal, via Giles Barnes and Carlos Rivas. New York City had a yellow card for a Rodney Wallace foul in the thirtieth minute. Orlando City's Will Johnson took a yellow card for a sixty-first minute foul. Alexander Ring of New York City received a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Larin for the winner.

Up to Georgia, where Atlanta United hosts the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Alec Kann are the veteran keepers. Atlanta led off in the twenty-fifth minute with a Yamil Asad goal, coming off of Tyrone Mears. Sal Zizzo of New York had a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-eighth minute. Atlanta's Josef Martinez took a yellow card for his forty-ninth minute foul. The Red Bulls saw Damien Perrinelle receive a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. New York tied it in the seventy-sixth minute on a Daniel Royer goal, via Sacha Kljestan. The Red Bulls took the lead in the eighty-second minute with an Anton Walkes own goal. Carlos Carmona of Atlanta received a yellow card in the eighty-eighth minute for violent conduct. The game ended 2-1, with the man of the match being Royer.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and David Ousted play goal. Vancouver had a yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute for Matias Laba delaying the restart of the play. Philadelphia's Fabian Herbers had a yellow card for an eightieth minute foul. The final stood at 0-0, with the man of the match being Ousted for his five-save clean sheet.

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