MLS 2018 Week 24

A new weekend of games is here, beginning with eight on Saturday. First up...

The Columbus Crew SC host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Zack Steffen play in goal. Gyasi Zardes of Columbus had a yellow card for a fifty-sixth minute foul. Houston saw yellow cards for a Leonardo foul in the eightieth minute and time wasting by Adam Lundqvist in the eighty-sixth minute. The Crew drew first blood in stoppage time with a Zardes goal, via Harrison Afful. Pedro Santos of Columbus took a yellow card six minutes later for time wasting. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Steffen for his five-save clean sheet.

East to New England, as the Revolution welcome the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Matt Turner are the solid keepers. Philadelphia opened in the fourteenth minute with a Jack Elliott goal, coming off of Haris Medunjanin and Borek Dockal. The Union added on with an Elliott goal in the twenty-fourth minute. New England got on the board with an Andrew Farrell goal in the forty-sixth minute, via Cristian Penilla and Teal Bunbury. Philadelphia saw yellow cards for time wasting by Blake in the fifty-seventh minute and dissent by Fabrice-Jean Picault in the sixty-third minute. The Revolution tied it on a sixty-fourth minute goal by Wilfried Zahibo, assisted by Diego Fagundez. Antonio Mlinar Delamea of New England had a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul, leading to Picault's penalty kick goal to put the Union back on top. The Revolution's Kelyn Rowe had a yellow card for dissent in stoppage time. The Union won 3-2, with Elliott picked as man of the match.

Back west to Chicago, as the Fire bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Richard Sanchez protect the nets. Chicago saw yellow cards for dissent by Brandt Bronico in the eleventh minute and Dax McCarty's foul in the forty-second minute. New York got going in the fifty-fifth minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, helped along by Daniel Royer. The Red Bulls saw four yellow cards for fouls, given to Marc Rzatkowski in the sixty-sixth minute, Royer in the seventy-fourth minute, Alex Muyl in the seventy-sixth minute, and Michael Murillo in the eighty-ninth minute. The final remained at 1-0, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips.

Further to the west, the Colorado Rapids host the San Jose Earthquakes. Tim Howard and Andrew Tarbell are set to start in goal. Colorado started in the twenty-fourth minute with a Tommy Smith goal, passed from Kellyn Acosta and Sam Nicholson. Jack McBean of the Rapids had a yellow card for a foul in the forty-fourth minute. San Jose tied it with a fifty-eighth minute Magnus Eriksson penalty kick goal. Kortne Ford of Colorado received a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. In the eighty-seventh minute, the Earthquakes saw Luis Felipe Fernandes take a yellow card for a foul, and they then went to ten men a minute later when Shea Salinas received a straight red card for violent conduct. In the eighty-ninth minute, San Jose's Harold Cummings had a yellow card for dissent while the Rapids' Dillon Serna was booked for a foul. Colorado took the lead in stoppage time on a Bismark Boateng goal, helped along by Edgar Castillo and Acosta. This stood for a 2-1 win, with Boateng earning man of the match honors for the late stunner.

In Utah, Real Salt Lake welcomes the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Nick Rimando guard the nets. Salt Lake began in the twenty-sixth minute on a Joao Plata penalty kick goal. Montreal tied it in the fifty-fifth minute with a Jukka Raitala goal, courtesy of Alejandro Silva and Saphir Taider. Daniel Lovitz of the Impact took a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. Real's Corey Baird got booked on a yellow card for a dangerous play in the seventy-fourth minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Raitala.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and David Bingham are between the sticks. Los Angeles led off in the seventh minute with a Romain Alessandrini goal, via Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Minnesota had a yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute Michael Boxall foul. Boxall made up for it by tying the game on a sixty-fourth minute goal for Minnesota, with the help of Darwin Quintero. In the sixty-sixth minute, Francisco Calvo had a yellow card for a foul. The Galaxy took the lead back in the seventy-third minute on a Sebastian Lletget goal, courtesy of Jonathan dos Santos. Minnesota retied it on a Romario Ibarra goal in the eighty-fourth minute, made possible by Abu Danladi and Ibson. In the eighty-ninth minute, Calvo took a second yellow card for time wasting, putting Minnesota down to ten men. The score held at 2-2 for the draw, with Boxall as the man of the match.

Nearby, Los Angeles FC hosts Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia faces a lesser foe in Luis Lopez in goal. Kansas City struck first in the seventeenth minute with a Gerso Fernandes goal, coming off of Diego Rubio. Lee Nguyen of Los Angeles had a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-sixth minute. Sporting took the lead in the sixty-sixth minute with an Ilie Sanchez penalty kick goal. Kansas City saw yellow cards for persistent infringement in the seventieth minute by Roger Espinoza and a Graham Zusi foul in the seventy-second minute. The game ended 2-0, with Fernandes the man of the match for his opening goal.

Saturday ends with the Portland Timbers welcoming the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a Cascadia clash. Stefan Marinovic and Jeff Attinella are the keepers. Vancouver was first to score in the fourteenth minute on a Kei Kamara goal, via Kendall Waston. The Whitecaps added on with a Cristian Techera goal in the forty-third minute, assisted by Brek Shea. Techera took a yellow card for Vancouver for not retreating in first half stoppage time. The Whitecaps' Shea had a yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul. Portland got on the board with a Diego Valeri penalty kick goal in the seventy-first minute. The Timbers saw a yellow card for a David Guzman foul in the seventy-fourth minute. The Timbers couldn't tie it, losing 2-1, with Techera tabbed as man of the match.

On Sunday, Toronto FC brings in New York City FC. Brad Stuver is mismatched with Alexander Bono in goal. Toronto went down to ten men in the eleventh minute with a straight red card to Jozy Altidore for violent conduct. New York City cracked the scoresheet in the fifteenth minute with a David Villa goal, helped along by Anton Tinnerholm. Toronto retied it in the twenty-seventh minute with a Sebastian Giovinco goal, assisted by Victor Vazquez and Michael Bradley. Toronto's Jonathan Osorio took a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul. New York City went ahead in the thirty-sixth minute on an Ismael-Tajouri Shradi goal, courtesy of Villa. Ebenezer Ofori of New York City took a yellow card for a thirty-seventh minute foul. In the fortieth minute, Toronto's Bradley had a yellow card for his foul. Toronto tied it again in the fifty-first minute with a Vazquez goal, made possible by Marco Delgado and Osorio. Alexander Ring of New York City took a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-fifth minute. New York City pulled ahead on a Tajouri-Shradi goal in the eighty-eighth minute. Toronto's Delgado received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. New York City won 3-2, with Tajouri-Shradi as the man of the match.

Stateside, DC United hosts Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and David Ousted are the goalies. DC got the first goal in first half stoppage time as Luciano Acosta converted on a Wayne Rooney pass. Steve Birnbaum of DC had a yellow card for a forty-ninth minute foul. Orlando City got on the board as DC keeper Ousted committed an own goal in the fiftieth minute. In the fifty-fifth minute, Orlando City went down to ten men on a Cristian Higuita red card for violent conduct. DC regained the lead with an Acosta goal in the sixty-fourth minute, passed from Yamil Asad. Orlando City tied it again with a Dominic Dwyer goal, made possible by Oriol Rosell in the seventy-first minute. Amro Tarek of Orlando City received a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. Deep in second half stoppage time, DC went ahead again on Acosta's hat trick goal, set up by Rooney. Acosta received a yellow card for delay of game, but DC won 3-2, and Acosta earned man of the match honors.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the forty-first minute with a Chad Marshall goal, assisted by Nicolas Lodeiro. In the fifty-first minute, the Sounders' Gustav Svensson took a yellow card for a foul. Dallas tied it in the fifty-second minute with a Dominique Badji goal, coming off of Michael Barrios and Maximiliano Urruti. Seattle regained the lead on a Lodeiro goal in the sixty-third minute. The Sounders' Kim Kee-Hee took a yellow card for his seventy-eighth minute foul. Dallas had a yellow card for a Reggie Cannon foul in the eightieth minute. In stoppage time, Reto Ziegler of Dallas received a controversial red card for violent conduct. Seattle held on to win 2-1, with Lodeiro claiming the man of the match title.

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