Sunday, October 28, 2018

MLS 2018 - Decision Day

Eleven games all at once go today, causing us to hop around the map. First up...

The Chicago Fire host DC United. Bill Hamid and Patrick McLain are in goal. Chicago saw yellow cards for fouls by Dax McCarty in the fifty-fourth minute and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the seventy-ninth minute. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Hamid for his two-save clean sheet.

West to Colorado, as the Rapids welcome FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Tim Howard protect the nets. Dallas started in the eighteenth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, coming off of Dominique Badji and Roland Lamah. Colorado had yellow cards for Kellyn Acosta and Bismark Boateng in the sixty-fourth and sixty-sixth minutes, respectively. The Rapids tied it in the eightieth minute with a Cole Bassett goal, via Enzo Martinez and Marlon Hairston. Colorado pulled ahead on a Tommy Smith goal in the eighty-fourth minute, assisted by Acosta. The final held at 2-1 Rapids, with the man of the match named as Smith.

Back east, the Columbus Crew SC bring in Minnesota United FC. Matthew Lampson and Zack Steffen man the nets. Columbus opened in the eleventh minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, set up by Milton Valenzuela. The Crew added on in the forty-ninth minute with another Zardes goal. Minnesota got on the board with a Francisco Calvo goal in the sixty-eighth minute, passed from Darwin Quintero. The Loons tied it when Calvo scored again in the seventy-seventh minute. Columbus regained the lead with a Zardes goal in the eighty-third minute, guided in by Niko Hansen and Harrison Afful. This gave the Crew a 3-2 win, and Zardes was the man of the match.

In California, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and David Bingham are set to start in goal. Los Angeles led off in the twenty-seventh minute with an Ola Kamara goal, assisted by Romain Alessandrini and Jonathan dos Santos. The Galaxy added on with another Kamara goal in the thirtieth minute, courtesy of Ashley Cole and Alessandrini. Houston got on the board with a fifty-seventh minute with Romell Quioto goal, made possible by Tomas Martinez. The Dynamo tied it with a Mauro Manotas penalty kick goal in the seventy-third minute. Houston surged ahead on a Manotas goal in the seventy-ninth minute, helped along by Alberth Elis and Martinez. The Dynamo ran into disciplinary trouble late, with Darwin Ceren taking a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute, followed by Oscar Boniek Garcia getting booked for time wasting in stoppage time and Ronaldo Pena received a pair of yellow cards in quick succession four minutes after that. The Dynamo still won 3-2, and Manotas earned man of the match honors.

Way to the northeast, the New England Revolution welcome the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Matt Turner are between the sticks. Kelyn Rowe of New England had a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. The Revolution dented the scoreboard in the seventy-fourth minute on a Diego Fagundez goal, and his celebration drew a yellow card for delay of game. New England saw yellow cards for time wasting by Andrew Farrell in the eighty-third minute and a foul by Wilfried Zahibo in the eighty-ninth minute. Montreal's Saphir Taider had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. New England won 1-0, with Fagundez as the man of the match this time.

Down in the Bronx, New York City FC brings in the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Sean Johnson are the solid keepers. New York City began in the eighth minute with a Maxime Chanot goal, set up by Maximiliano Moralez. The Pigeons added on in the tenth minute with Auston Trusty of Philadelphia committed an own goal. The Union got on the board with a Cory Burke goal in the fourteenth minute, via Borek Dockal. Trusty's day got worse for Philadelphia with a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. New York City replied with a David Villa goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Burke of the Union took a yellow card for a foul in the fortieth minute. Haris Medunjanin of Philadelphia received a yellow card for dissent in the sixty-seventh minute. The Pigeons held on to win 3-1, with the man of the match being Villa.

In New Jersey, the New York Red Bulls host Orlando City SC. Adam Grinwis is mismatched with Luis Robles in goal. Dominic Dwyer of Orlando City had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the forty-fifth minute. New York got going in the fifty-third minute on a Derrick Etienne goal, helped along by Michael Murillo. Alex Muyl of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. With other results, New York's 1-0 win earned them the Supporters' Shield, with Etienne taking man of the match honors here.

Out west again, the Seattle Sounders FC welcome the San Jose Earthquakes. James Marcinkowkski faces Stefan Frei in goal. Eric Calvillo of San Jose took a yellow card for his fifty-third minute foul. The Earthquakes got on the board with a Chad Marshall own goal in the sixty-fourth minute. Seattle tied it with a Raul Ruidiaz goal in the seventy-ninth minute, set up by Cristian Roldan and Victor Rodriguez. The Sounders took the lead in stoppage time as Ruidiaz scored again, thanks to Nicolas Lodeiro and Rodriguez. Ruidiaz took a yellow card for delay of game, but Seattle won 2-1 nonetheless and he was the clear choice for man of the match.

Backtracking to Missouri, where Sporting Kansas City brings in Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Tim Melia are the keepers. Eduard Atuesta of Los Angeles had a yellow card for an eighth minute foul. Johnny Russell of Kansas City took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. Sporting struck first in the thirty-seventh minute with a Roger Espinoza goal, assisted by Graham Zusi. Kansas City went down to ten men when Seth Sinovic took a straight red card for a handball in the box, setting up the Black and Gold's equalizer from Carlos Vela on the penalty kick in the sixty-third minute. Sporting's Felipe Gutierrez took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the seventieth minute. Kansas City reclaimed the lead with a Daniel Salloi goal in the seventy-second minute, helped along by Khiry Shelton. Melia of Sporting had a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Sporting won 2-1, with Salloi as the man of the match.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC hosts Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Alexander Bono are the gloved men. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the ninth minute with a Lucas Janson goal. The Reds added on with a Marco Delgado goal in the twenty-first minute, via Jonathan Osorio. Atlanta got on the board in the seventy-seventh minute on a Josef Martinez penalty kick goal. Toronto replied with another Janson goal in the eighty-third minute, coming off of Sebastian Giovinco and Michael Bradley. The Reds extended the lead as Giovinco scored in the eighty-eighth minute, thanks to Jay Chapman. This stood for a 4-1 win, making Janson the man of the match.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Portland Timbers. Jeff Attinella and Stefan Marinovic are the average keepers. Lucas Melano of Portland had a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute. Vancouver drew first blood in the twenty-eighth minute with an Alphonso Davies goal, set up by Jakob Nerwinski. The Whitecaps added on with another Davies goal in the thirty-first minute. Vancouver's Davies had a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. The Timbers got on the board in the ninetieth minute with an Andres Flores goal, but they still lost 2-1. The man of the match was Davies in his MLS farewell.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0, and get ready for the playoffs, beginning in three days.

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