MLS 2019 - Week 17

A full weekend of games for the first time in a long time begins with a pair on Friday. First up...

The New York Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire. Kenneth Kronholm and Luis Robles are the goalies. New York led off in the 8th minute with an Alejandro Romero Gamarra goal. The Red Bulls had yellow cards for a foul by Marc Rzatkowski in the 28th minute and time wasting by Robles in the 30th minute. New York added on with a Brian white goal in the 59th minute, via Daniel Royer. Nemanja Nikolic of Chicago received a yellow card for a 74th minute foul. The Fire got on the board with a Nikolic goal in the 81st minute. The Red Bulls replied in stoppage time with a Royer goal, fueled by Kyle Duncan and Bradley Wright-Phillips. This made it 3-1, the final, with the man of the match being Royer.

Out in Colorado, the Rapids welcome Los Angeles FC. Pablo Sisniega is mismatched with Tim Howard in goal. Colorado got going in the 49th minute with a Danny Wilson goal, via Jack Price. Los Angeles saw yellow cards for persistent infringement by Lee Nguyen in the 58th minute and a foul by Tristan Blackmon in the 61st minute. The Rapids had yellow cards for a Price foul in the 73rd minute, persistent infringement by Cole Bassett in the 75th minute, and a Nicolas Mezquida foul in the 85th minute. The final remained at 1-0, with Wilson picked as man of the match.

On Saturday, Minnesota United FC brings in FC Cincinnati. Spencer Richey and Vito Mannone are the MLS newcomers in goal. Minnesota began in the 18th minute with an Ike Opara goal. The Loons added on with a Hassani Dotson goal, via Jan Gregus. Minnesota extended the lead as Ethan Finlay scored in the 30th minute, thanks to Darwin Quintero and Angelo Rodriguez. The Loons padded the lead with a Rodriguez goal in the 43rd minute, set up by Quintero. Minnesota's Miguel Ibarra had a yellow card for a 54th minute foul. Cincinnati got on the board in the 56h minute with an Emmanuel Ledesma goal, courtesy of Kekuta Manneh. Rodriguez of the Loons received a yellow card for his 59th minute foul. Minnesota replied with an Opara goal, coming off of Gregus in the 70th minute. Justin Hoyte of the Orange and Blue took a yellow card for a 73rd minute foul. The Loons continued in the 75th minute on a Mason Toye goal, guided in by Gregus. Finlay of Minnesota picked up a yellow card for a 79th minute foul. The Loons capped it at 7-1 with a Kevin Molino goal, fueled by Toye and Finlay. The man of the match was Gregus.

Down in Georgia, Atlanta United FC hosts the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Brad Guzan are the gloved men. Atlanta started in the 35th minute with a Justin Meram goal, via Gonzalo Martinez. Brandon Vazquez of the Five Stripes had a yellow card for a 40th minute foul. Ken Krolicki of Montreal received a yellow card in the 41st minute. The Impact tied it in the 50th minute with a Zakaria Diallo goal, coming off of Harry Novillo. Atlanta's Darlington Nagbe and Franco Escobar took yellow cards for fouls in the 57th and 67th minutes, respectively. The Five Stripes reclaimed the lead in the 83rd minute with another Meram goal, assisted by Brek Shea and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez. Jukka Raitala of Montreal picked up a yellow card for a 90th minute foul. The game ended 2-1, with the man of the match being Meram for his brace.

North to the Bronx, where New York City FC welcomes the Philadelphia Union. Matt Freese and Brad Stuver make the spot starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the 7th minute with a Fabrice-Jean Picault goal, via Jamiro Monteiro. Valentin Castellanos of New York City had a yellow card for a 13th minute foul. The Pigeons tied it in the 23rd minute with a Maximiliano Moralez penalty kick goal. The Union reclaimed the lead on a Kacper Przybylko goal, courtesy of Monteiro and Ilsinho. In the 39th minute, New York City's Maxime Chanot had a yellow card for a foul. Ilsinho of Philadelphia received a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. The Union's Alejandro Bedoya was booked on a yellow card for a 54th minute foul. The Pigeons tied it again in the 55th minute on another Moralez penalty kick goal. Jack Elliott of Philadelphia earned a yellow card for a 57th minute foul. New York City pulled ahead on a Castellanos goal in the 71st minute, fueled by Moralez. The Pigeons added on with another Castellanos goal in the 78th minute, again from Moralez. The Union received yellow cards for dissent by Raymon Gaddis in the 88th minute and Przybylko in the 89th minute. The game ended at 4-2, with Moralez picked as man of the match.

Westward to Ohio, as the Columbus Crew SC brings in Orlando City SC. Brian Rowe and Jon Kempin are in the six-yard boxes. Kyle Smith of Orlando City had a yellow card for a 15th minute foul. The Lions struck first in the 41st minute with a Chris Mueller goal, passed from Nani and Danilo Acosta. Sacha Kljestan of Orlando City picked up a yellow card for a 63rd minute foul. The Lions added on in the 66th minute with a Tesho Akindele goal, assisted by Nani. Alex Crognale of Columbus took a yellow card for an 82nd minute foul. Orlando City's Carlos Ascues received a yellow card for not retreating in the 87th minute. The final was 2-0, with Nani's pair of assists making him man of the match.

Back east, the New England Revolution host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Matt Turner are the keepers. Houston was first to score in the 25th minute on a Darwin Ceren goal, via Alejandro Fuenmayor. Romell Quioto of the Dynamo had a yellow card for dissent in the 43rd minute. Antonio Mlinar Delamea of New England picked up a yellow card for a 45th minute foul. The Revolution tied it in the 51st minute with a Delamea goal, guided in by Diego Fagundez. New England's Andrew Farrell took a yellow card for a 54th minute foul. Juan Cabezas of Houston had a yellow card for an 82nd minute foul. In the 83rd minute, Juan Agudelo of the Revolution received a yellow card for a foul. The Dynamo's Fuenmayor received a yellow card in the 86th minute for his foul. New England pulled ahead in stoppage time with a Teal Bunbury goal, passed from Cristian Penilla and Juan Fernando Caicedo. This made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Bunbury for the late winner.

Next up, DC United welcomes Toronto FC. Quentin Westberg and Bill Hamid are between the sticks. Toronto cracked the scoresheet in the 19th minute with a Nick DeLeon goal, passed from Richie Laryea. The Reds' Laryea took a yellow card for a 42nd minute foul. Frederic Brillant of DC had a yellow card for a 53rd minute foul. Toronto saw yellow cards for fouls by Jay Chapman in the 65th minute and DeLeon in the 87th minute. The Black and Red tied it in stoppage time with a Wayne Rooney penalty kick goal. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with DeLeon selected as man of the match.

Way out west, the Cali Clasico sees the San Jose Earthquakes bring in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham faces his former team and Daniel Vega in goal. San Jose drew first blood in the 11th minute with a Valeri Qazaishvili goal. Los Angeles had yellow cards for fouls by Diego Polenta in the 51st minute and Favio Alvarez in the 67th minute. The Earthquakes added on with a Shea Salinas goal in the 82nd minute, set up by Qazaishvili. Salinas would take a yellow card for delaying the game with a celebration. San Jose extended the lead as Tommy Thompson scored in the 85th minute, thanks to Salinas. The final was 3-0, with Qazaishvili earning man of the match honors.

Backtracking to Utah, as Real Salt Lake hosts Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Nick Rimando tend the nets. Salt Lake dented the scoreboard in the 15th minute with a Sam Johnson goal, via Kyle Beckerman and Damir Kreilach. Real added on with another Johnson goal in the 29th minute, assisted by Kreilach and Albert Rusnak. Ilie Sanchez of Kansas City earned a yellow card for a 38th minute foul. Salt Lake's Beckerman received a yellow card in first half stoppage time for a foul. Sporting had a yellow card for a 66th minute foul by Benny Feilhaber. Real saw a yellow card for an Everton Luiz foul in second half stoppage time. Real won 2-0, and Johnson was picked as man of the match.

Saturday ends in Seattle, as Sounders FC welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Zac MacMath is mismatched with Stefan Frei in goal. Vancouver had yellow cards for fouls by Yordy Reyna in the 66th minute and Lucas Venuto in stoppage time. Seattle claimed a late 1-0 win with a Kelvin Leerdam goal six minutes into stoppage time, set up by Brad Smith. The heroic goal made Leerdam the man of the match.

Finally, the Portland Timbers bring in FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Steve Clark are set to start in goal. Dallas saw a yellow card for a 32nd minute foul by Dominique Badji. Portland got going in the 42nd minute with a Brian Fernandez goal, via Sebastian Blanco. The Toros took a yellow card in the 50th minute for a Paxton Pomykal foul. Jorge Moreira of the Timbers received a yellow card for a handball in the 88th minute. The final remained at 1-0 with Fernandez picked as man of the match.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.