MLS August 8-10th, 2014

Now that the All-Star Game has come and gone, we have nine games scheduled for this weekend. We begin with a Cali Clasico from...

Los Angeles, as the Galaxy host the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Jaime Penedo are the keepers. San Jose began in the eighteenth minute on a Chris Wondolowski goal, via Shea Salinas. Los Angeles tied it in the twenty-ninth minute as Gyasi Zardes scored an unassisted. The Earthquakes retook the lead in the thirty-first minute on a Matias Perez Garcia goal, assisted by Wondolowski and Atiba Harris. The Galaxy tied it again in the forty-ninth minute with an Omar Gonzalez goal, fueled by Stefan Ishizaki. San Jose had the game's first yellow card for a fifty-first minute foul by Shaun Francis. The Earthquakes' Sam Cronin had the next yellow card for a foul in the seventy-ninth minute. This was it for the game, with the final score being 2-2, and the man of the match was Busch for his five saves to preserve the draw.

On Saturday, the first game came from Philadelphia, as the Union welcome the Montreal Impact. Troy Perkins and Zac MacMath guard the nets. Philadelphia started in the twelfth minute with a Sebastien Le Toux goal, going in unassisted. The Union added on as Le Toux scored again in the sixty-third minute, via Andrew Wenger. Montreal got on the board in the seventy-ninth minute as Maxim Tissot scored, with the help of Andres Romero. They couldn't pull even, losing 2-1. The man of the match was Le Toux with a brace.

West to Columbus, where the Crew bring in Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Steve Clark man the nets. Toronto struck first with a Gilberto goal in the forty-third minute, assisted by Luke Moore. Columbus tied it in first-half stoppage time on a penalty kick conversion by Federico Higuain. Toronto was shown a yellow card in the fifty-third minute for a Doneil Henry foul. Toronto took the lead back in the fifty-ninth minute as Jonathan Osorio scored, courtesy of Moore. The Crew retied it on a Justin Meram goal in the eighty-first minute, made possible by Waylon Francis. Toronto again quickly reclaimed the lead with a Moore goal, set up by Collen Warner. This stood as the game winner in a back-and-forth 3-2 affair, with Moore being the man of the match for the clincher and two assists.

South to Texas, as FC Dallas hosts the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and Raul Fernandez are the goalies. Dallas led off in the ninth minute with an unassisted Matt Hedges goal. Dallas added on as Michel converted a penalty kick goal in the eleventh minute. Colorado's Nick LaBrocca picked up a yellow card for a foul in the forty-third minute. Dallas extended their lead in the fifty-fifth minute on a Fabian Castillo goal, going in unassisted. Things got choppy around the seventieth minute, with Adam Moffat of Dallas getting a yellow card for an argument and Edson Buddle of the Rapids getting one for a foul. In the seventy-third minute, Colorado's Jose Mari was given a yellow card for a foul, and a minute later, Dallas' Tesho Akindele was also booked on a yellow card for a foul. The Rapids got on the board in the eighty-sixth minute with a penalty kick goal by Gabriel Torres. Michel was called for time wasting in the eighty-seventh minute, earning a yellow card, but it didn't affect the 3-1 final. The man of the match was Fernandez, who was kept busy but stayed strong to earn the win.

Back northwest to Salt Lake City, as Real welcomes DC United. Bill Hamid and Nick Rimando are in the six-yard boxes. DC had a yellow card shown to Jared Jeffrey in the fifth minute for a foul. Salt Lake opened in the eleventh minute on a Joao Plata goal, via Luke Mulholland. Real added on in the thirteenth minute with a Chris Schuler goal, made possible by Javier Morales. In the twenty-fourth minute, Salt Lake got another one on Schuler's second of the game, again from Morales. United's Eddie Johnson picked up a yellow card in the thirtieth minute for unsporting behavior. Real's Kenny Mansally committed a foul in the eighty-fifth minute, drawing a yellow card. The final score was 3-0, with the man of the match being Schuler with his brace.

Wrapping up Saturday, the Portland Timbers bring in Chivas USA. Dan Kennedy and Donovan Ricketts are the last line of defense. Portland struck first in the tenth minute on a Diego Valeri goal, passed from Diego Chara. Chivas picked up a pair of yellow cards after this goal, with Tony Lochhead and Oswaldo Miranda each getting one for fouls in the twelfth and thirty-third minutes, respectively. The Timbers added on in the thirty-ninth minute with a Rodney Wallace goal, set up by Fanendo Adi. The two teams exchanged yellow cards later on, with Valeri getting one for dissent in the fifty-first minute, followed by Agustin Pelletieri's foul in the fifty-ninth minute. In stoppage time, another pair of yellows were handed out to Liam Ridgewell of the Timbers and Marco Delgado of Chivas for fouls. The Timbers took the game 2-0, with the man of the match being Valeri.

On Sunday, we begin in Vancouver, as the Whitecaps FC host Sporting Kansas City. Andy Gruenebaum and David Ousted protect the woodwork. Vancouver received a gift in the seventeenth minute as Igor Juliao's own goal put them ahead first. In the twenty-fifth minute, Dominic Dwyer was called for a foul and earned a yellow card for Kansas City. The Whitecaps added on in the thirty-ninth minute as Darren Mattocks scored, thanks to Pedro Morales. In the second half, the teams exchanged yellow cards, as Benny Feilhaber of Sporting and  Erik Hurtado of Vancouver were both booked for fouls around the sixty-third minute. Jordan Harvey picked up another yellow card for the Whitecaps by wasting time in the eighty-third minute. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Mattocks for a beauty of a goal.

East to Chicago, as the Fire welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Sean Johnson man the nets. Chicago began in the thirty-eighth minute with a Mike Magee goal, going in unassisted. New York's Ibrahim Sekagya was booked in the sixty-sixth minute for a yellow card on a foul. The game ended without much fireworks in a 1-0 result, and the man of the match was Johnson for four saves to preserve the win and the clean sheet.

Finally, in Seattle, the Sounders FC bring in the Houston Dynamo. Tally Hall and Stefan Frei are the keepers. The big moment came early on, with Frei turning away Brad Davis' penalty kick attempt to keep the game scoreless 25 minutes in. Seattle had issues with discipline early, and Lamar Neagle (28'), Obafemi Martins (33'), and Gonzalo Pineda (55') all received visits from the referee and yellow cards for fouls. Houston's Luis Garrido got a yellow card for a foul in the sixtieth minute as well. In the sixty-ninth minute, the Sounders broke through on a Marco Pappa goal, spinning around a defender before shooting through five defenders, bouncing off the last of them and sending Hall the wrong way for the lead. In the seventy-fifth minute, Pineda made up for his earlier transgression by showing the Dynamo how to make a penalty kick, blasting it up the middle where Hall got some of it but not enough to stop it. In the eighty-first minute, Leo Gonzalez was given a yellow card for a foul. In the eighty-sixth minute, Martins had his second yellow card and an ejection for a senseless tackle from behind. The Dynamo's Kofi Sarkodie finished off the cards by picking up a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final stood at 2-0, and Frei was the man of the match for three saves and a clean sheet in what was a tighter game than the score indicates.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Weekend August 1st-3rd, 2014

We begin our weekend coverage with Friday's lone game from...

Kansas City as Sporting hosts the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Andy Gruenebaum are the goalies. Kansas City began with a fifty-fourth minute goal by Graham Zusi, via Toni. Philadelphia tied it in the seventy-first minute on a Brian Brown goal, set up by Raymon Gaddis. This was it for the game, with the final being a 1-1 tie. Gruenebaum was man of the match for his six saves to preserve the draw.

Leading off on Saturday, we have the Los Angeles Galaxy welcoming the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Jaime Penedo man the nets. Portland started in the fourteenth minute on a Diego Valeri goal, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the third minute of first half stoppage time on a Gyasi Zardes goal, passed from Robbie Rogers and Robbie Keane. The Galaxy took the lead in the seventy-third minute as Keane scored, via Landon Donovan. In the seventy-fifth minute, Marcelo Sarvas picked up the first yellow card in the game for Los Angeles, being cited for a foul. The Timbers got a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul by Diego Chara. Keane extended the Galaxy lead with a penalty kick goal in the eighty-fifth minute. This made it a 3-1 final. The man of the match was Keane for his involvement in all of his team's goals.

Next up, the Montreal Impact host Canadian rivals Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Troy Perkins are in goal. Toronto opened in the eleventh minute with a Gilberto goal, via Dominic Oduro and Michael Bradley. Montreal picked up a pair of yellow cards in the next chunk of play, with one going to Krzysztof Krol for a foul in the thirty-second minute and the other to Matteo Ferrari for dissent in the fifty-second minute. Toronto added on in the fifty-fourth minute with a Luke Moore goal, going in unassisted. The Impact had another yellow card shown to Hassoun Camara in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. The final was 2-0, and the man of the match was Bendik for a clean sheet with four saves.

Back stateside, the New York Red Bulls bring in the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Luis Robles are the keepers. New England's Charlie Davies picked up an early yellow card for a second minute dive. He made up for his transgression by scoring in the twentieth minute to give the Revolution the lead, with the help of Teal Bunbury. New York had another bad break in first half stoppage time as Matt Miazga would commit a serious foul that resulted in a red card and putting his team down to ten men. The Red Bulls tied it in the forty-seventh minute on a Dax McCarty goal, fueled by Eric Alexander. New York took the lead on a sixty-third minute goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips, passed from Lloyd Sam. New England was shown a pair of yellow cards later on, with Scott Caldwell in the sixty-ninth minute and Kelyn Rowe in the eighty-third minutes each getting one for a foul. The final score favored a shorthanded Red Bulls side 2-1, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips for the game-winner.

West to Chicago, as the Fire host the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Sean Johnson protect the nets. Chicago led off in the thirty-seventh minute on a Mike Magee penalty kick goal. Columbus tied it in the forty-sixth minute on a Federico Higuain goal, via Ethan Finlay. The Crew were booked for the first two yellow cards, going to Giancarlo Gonzalez in the fiftieth minute and Waylon Francis in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul. The Fire had a yellow card given to Gonzalo Segares in the seventy-fifth minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Johnson for his three saves.

Further to the west, the Colorado Rapids welcome Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Clint Irwin are in the six-yard boxes. Salt Lake struck first in the fourteenth minute on a Javier Morales goal, assisted by Chris Wingert. Real ran into some misfortune from there on. Wingert was shown a yellow card in the thirty-fourth minute for time wasting. Then, in the forty-sixth minute, Salt Lake's Aaron Maund was shown a red card for a serious foul, putting them down a man. Real had another yellow card issued to Kyle Beckerman for a foul in the sixty-second minute. Salt Lake was booked again for a Tony Beltran time wasting yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute. They held on for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Rimando for a clean sheet with six saves.

Finishing off Saturday's slate, the San Jose Earthquakes inaugurate Levi's Stadium against the Seattle Sounders FC. Jon Busch and Stefan Frei guard the nets. San Jose's Victor Bernardez was booked on a yellow card for a foul in the eighteenth minute. The Earthquakes opened in the forty-second minute with a Yannick Djalo goal, passed from Chris Wondolowski. Seattle's Zach Scott got a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. San Jose had another yellow card for an Atiba Harris foul in the seventy-eighth minute. Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi picked up a yellow card in second half stoppage time for a foul. The Earthquakes coasted to a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Busch for an eight save clean sheet.

First up on Sunday, the Houston Dynamo bring in DC United. Bill Hamid and Tally Hall protect the nets. DC's Taylor Kemp was booked for a foul in the fifth minute, earning a yellow card. United had another yellow card in the seventy-second minute on a Perry Kitchen foul. The Dynamo won the game with a second half stoppage time goal by Will Bruin, assisted by Omar Cummings for the 1-0 win. Bruin was the man of the match for the game-winner, cashing in a game his team dominated.

Finally, Chivas USA hosts FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and Dan Kennedy man the nets. Dallas picked up the first yellow card in the seventeenth minute on a Matt Hedges foul. Dallas opened the scoring with a Tesho Akindele goal in the forty-ninth minute, made possible by Fabian Castillo and Blas Perez. Dallas' Mauro Diaz was shown a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. The final was 1-0, and the man of the match was Akindele for his goal.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS Wednesday July 30th, 2014

Four games on a busy midweek slate, beginning in...

DC, as United hosts Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Bill Hamid man the nets. DC began in the eighth minute on an Eddie Johnson goal, via Perry Kitchen and Sean Franklin. The next three events in the game were yellow cards, all for fouls. These were shown to Toronto's Collen Warner in the thirty-sixth minute and United's Davy Arnaud and Chris Korb in the forty-second and fifty-fourth minutes, respectively. DC added on as Chris Rolfe scored in the fifty-ninth minute, with the help of Nick DeLeon and Luis Silva. United extended the lead when Toronto's Nick Hagglund put the ball into his own net for an own goal in the sixty-seventh minute. Toronto picked up a yellow card a minute later for a Michael Bradley foul. United had one more yellow card, given to Johnson in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 3-0, with Hamid being the man of the match by making eight saves for a clean sheet.

Up in New England, the Revolution welcome the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and Bobby Shuttleworth are the keepers. New England received an early gift as Drew Moor was charged with an own goal in the tenth minute. Colorado's Thomas Piermayr was shown a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-first minute. The game was relatively calm for forty minutes, and then things got interesting. In the seventy-second minute, Patrick Mullins of the Revolution was shown a yellow card for a foul. The Rapids received two yellow cards in the seventy-fourth minute. The first went to Irwin for dissent. The second was far worse, as Piermayr was called for a foul, earning his second card and ejection from the game. The drop to ten men was backbreaking for Colorado. New England scored in the seventy-fifth minute on a Lee Nguyen goal. Three minutes later, Kelyn Rowe deposited a pass from Nguyen into the twine to produce the eventual 3-0 final. The man of the match was Nguyen for his difference-making effort.

West to Chicago, where the Fire bring in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Sean Johnson protect the nets. Chicago was first to pick up a yellow card for a Chris Ritter foul in the twenty-eighth minute. Vancouver matched that with a Jordan Harvey yellow card for a foul in the thirty-sixth minute. The Whitecaps had another yellow card for a sixty-third minute Johnny Leveron foul. The Fire picked up the next yellow card as Lovel Palmer was booked for a foul. The scoring just wasn't there for either team, as the game ended in a scoreless draw. The man of the match was Johnson, turning away two shots on goal of the thirteen shots Vancouver took in the game to keep a clean sheet.

Finally, Real Salt Lake hosts the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Nick Rimando tend the nets. Salt Lake led off in the eighteenth minute with a Joao Plata goal, via Chris Wingert. New York tied it on a Thierry Henry goal in the fifty-seventh minute, assisted by Tim Cahill and Bradley Wright-Phillips. Real was given the only yellow card of the game in the seventy-eighth minute on an Olmes Garcia offense for time wasting. The final was 1-1, and the man of the match was Henry for his equalizer to preserve a point for the Red Bulls.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Weekend July 26th-28th, 2014

There are five games covered in this post. The first two are on Saturday, beginning with...

Toronto FC hosting Sporting Kansas City. Andy Gruenebaum and Joe Bendik are the keepers. Toronto led off with a sixteenth minute goal by Jackson, assisted by Dominic Oduro. The rest of the first half was a parade of visits from the referee to Toronto, as Jackson (32'), Justin Morrow (35'), Oduro (44'), and Doneil Henry in the second minute of stoppage time all received yellow cards for dissent, a foul, not retreating, and another foul. Kansas City tied it in the forty-eighth minute on a Graham Zusi goal, going in unassisted. This set off another spurt of yellow cards, with Igor Juliao of Sporting and Michael Bradley of Toronto receiving them for a foul in the sixty-ninth minute and dissent in the seventy-third minute. However, it was a pair of Matt Besler fouls in the fifty-third and seventy-fifth minute that drew a pair of yellow cards, leading to Besler's ejection and Kansas City going down to ten men for fifteen minutes. Despite the disadvantage, Sporting took the lead on a Jacob Peterson goal in the eightieth minute, courtesy of Dominic Dwyer. This held up as a final score of 2-1, with the man of the match being Peterson for his go-ahead goal at an unlikely time.

The other game comes from New England, as the Revolution host the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Bobby Shuttleworth are in goal. Columbus ended up with a visit from the referee in the forty-first minute for a Wil Trapp foul that earned a yellow card. In the forty-third minute, the Crew took the lead on an unassisted goal by Federico Higuain. New England tied it in the fiftieth minute on an A.J. Soares goal, fueled by Kelyn Rowe. The Revolution also had the next yellow card, for a fifty-second minute foul by Scott Caldwell. Columbus took the lead in the eighty-fourth minute on an Ethan Finlay goal, passed from Justin Meram. New England received one last booking in the ninetieth minute for a foul by Lee Nguyen. The final was 2-1, with Finlay being the man of the match for a timely goal.

On Sunday, the first game was the Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcoming FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and David Ousted man the nets. Vancouver began in the eleventh minute with a Darren Mattocks goal, via Gershon Koffie. Dallas tied it in the twenty-ninth minute on a Blas Perez goal, going in unassisted. Dallas took the lead with a Michel penalty kick conversion in the thirty-ninth minute. The Whitecaps tied it in the fifty-third minute on a Pedro Morales penalty kick goal. Vancouver's Mattocks picked up the first yellow card of the game for a foul in the fifty-ninth minute. The final score stood at 2-2, with the man of the match being Mattocks for his strong play.

Across Canada, the Montreal Impact bring in the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Evan Bush are in the six yard boxes. Montreal started with a thirteenth minute goal by Andres Romero, via Justin Mapp. The Impact picked up a yellow card in the thirty-second minute for a foul by Hassoun Camara. Portland tied it up with a thirty-fourth minute goal by Maximiliano Urruti, courtesy of Darlington Nagbe. The Timbers took the lead as Will Johnson hammered home a penalty kick in the fortieth minute. Montreal was booked again on persistent infringement by Patrice Bernier for a yellow card. The Impact retied it in the forty-fourth minute as Maxim Tissot scored, assisted by Bernier and Felipe Martins. Portland took the lead in the eighty-second minute with an unassisted goal from Diego Valeri. This made it 3-2, the final, and Valeri was the man of the match for his game-winner.

Finally, on Monday, the Seattle Sounders FC host the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and Stefan Frei guard the nets. Los Angeles wasted no time in scoring in the eighth minute on a goal by Gyasi Zardes, set up by Landon Donovan and Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy added on with a Donovan goal in the eighteenth minute, going in unassisted off a rebound. Donovan transgressed to pick up a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-seventh minute. Los Angeles extended the lead with a thirty-sixth minute goal by Stefan Ishizaki, passed from Sarvas and Donovan. In the third minute of first half stoppage time, the Galaxy received another yellow card for an argument from Omar Gonzalez. Seattle picked up two yellow cards in the second half, one for Jalil Anibaba's foul in the sixty-ninth minute and the other for Gonzalo Pineda's dissent in the seventy-ninth minute. The final was 3-0 in favor of Los Angeles, and Sarvas was the man of the match for making all the critical plays happen.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS Midweek July 23rd-25th, 2014

Three games over three days. We begin with...

Wednesday's game in San Jose as the Earthquakes host the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Jon Busch are the goalies. San Jose picked up a yellow card for a Jordan Stewart foul in the thirty-second minute. The Earthquakes began in the forty-fifth minute with a Shea Salinas goal, via Yannick Djalo. San Jose added on in the fifty-second minute with an Atiba Harris goal, going in unassisted. The Earthquakes extended the lead on a Chris Wondolowski goal, assisted by Djalo in the sixty-second minute. Chicago got a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul by Gonzalo Segares. Grant Ward put the Fire on the board in the seventy-fifth minute with a goal, passed from Matt Watson. San Jose shot back with a seventy-ninth minute Djalo goal, set up by Cordell Cato. Chicago's Matthew Fondy had a yellow card shown to him in the eighty-first minute for his foul. The Earthquakes padded the lead on a Cato goal in the eighty-fourth minute, made possible by Wondolowski and Djalo. This made it 5-1, the final, with the man of the match being Djalo for his goal and three assists.

On Thursday, Real Salt Lake welcomed the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Nick Rimando are the keepers. Salt Lake started in the third minute with a Luke Mulholland goal, guided in by Chris Schuler. Real was visited by the referee in the eighteenth minute for a foul by Chris Wingert. Montreal tied the game in the thirty-first minute on a Hassoun Camara goal, via Calum Mallace. The Impact went down a man in the sixty-fifth minute as Issey Nakajima-Farran was shown a red card for a fight. Salt Lake cashed in with a seventieth minute goal by Olmes Garcia, courtesy of Javier Morales and Joao Plata. Montreal was shown another yellow card for a foul in the eighty-second minute by Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare. Real iced it with another Garcia goal in stoppage time, thanks to Morales, for a 3-1 win. The man of the match was Garcia for his brace. 

Finally, on Friday, the Colorado Rapids brought in Chivas USA. Dan Kennedy and Clint Irwin are in the six-yard boxes. Colorado opened in the sixteenth minute with a Nick LaBrocca goal, passed from Dillon Serna. The Rapids added on as Drew Moor scored in the twenty-sixth minute, via Dillon Powers. Chivas picked up a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul by Nathan Sturgis. Colorado extended the lead in the seventy-fourth minute with a Gabriel Torres goal, assisted by Carlos Alvarez. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the man of the match being LaBrocca for his sharp early tally.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS July 18-20, 2014

Nine more games spread throughout the weekend, beginning with...

The Portland Timbers hosting the Colorado Rapids on Friday Night. Steve Clark and Donovan Ricketts start in goal. Colorado started with a sixteenth minute goal by Deshorn Brown, coming off of a set piece. The Rapids were given a yellow card for a foul by Dillon Powers in the thirty-seventh minute, followed by a Portland yellow card given to Danny O'Rourke in the forty-fifth minute, also for a foul. The Timbers tied the game in the seventy-second minute as Maximiliano Urruti scored, thanks to Jack Jewsbury and Will Johnson. Portland took the lead with a seventy-seventh minute goal by Diego Valeri, passed from Diego Chara. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being Ricketts for turning aside seven of the eight shots directed at him.

On Saturday, the first game had Sporting Kansas City welcoming the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and Andy Gruenebaum are the keepers. Kansas City led off with a tenth minute goal by Benny Feilhaber. Sporting added on in the sixty-first minute with an unassisted Lawrence Olum goal. In the sixty-sixth minute, Olum had a transgression in the form of a foul that earned him a yellow card. Los Angeles got on the board in the seventy-ninth minute with a goal by Robbie Keane, made possible by Bradford Jamieson. Keane also got into trouble after scoring, by picking up a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-eighth minute. Kansas City's Jacob Peterson had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time, but his team won 2-1. The man of the match was Olum for the game-winner.

Further east, the New York Red Bulls bring in the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Luis Robles are in the six-yard boxes. San Jose picked up a yellow card in the thirty-third minute for dissent by Chris Wondolowski, which helped lead to a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal for New York. Six yellow cards were handed out in a row after this point, with the Earthquakes getting booked for Shaun Francis' foul in first half stoppage time, Steven Lenhart's sixty-fourth minute dissent, and Shea Salinas' unsporting behavior in the seventy-eighth minute, while the Red Bulls had two in the seventieth minute for Tim Cahill and Jamison Olave's persistent infringement, followed by Chris Duvall's eighty-fourth minute foul. This foul led to an eighty-fifth minute equalizer for San Jose's Lenhart. New York had one last yellow card in stoppage time, for a dive by Peguy Luyindula. The score stayed knotted at 1, with the man of the match being a particularly feisty Lenhart.

Back west to Columbus, where the Crew host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Steve Clark are the goalies. Montreal was first to score with a Marco Di Vaio goal in the thirty-fifth minute, thanks to Justin Mapp. Columbus tied it in the fifty-sixth minute as Bernardo Anor scored, via Tony Tchani. The Impact had a yellow card for a seventieth minute foul by Hassoun Camara. In the seventy-fifth minute, Anor scored again, this time from Aaron Schoenfeld. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being Anor for his brace.

To Chicago, where the Fire welcome the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Sean Johnson will play goal. The teams traded yellow cards in the first half, with Amobi Okugo getting one for a foul in the twenty-second minute for Philadelphia, which was matched by Alex's foul in the twenty-sixth minute for Chicago. The Fire opened the scoring in the sixtieth minute with a Jeff Larentowicz goal, made possible by Harrison Shipp. The Union tied it on a stoppage time penalty kick conversion by Sebastien Le Toux. The final was 1-1, with MacMath named the man of the match for stopping three shots to allow the opportunity for a draw.

Down to Houston, where the Dynamo bring in Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Tally Hall man the nets. Houston started with a Will Bruin goal in the eleventh minute. Toronto tied it in the eighteenth minute as Gilberto scored, thanks to Justin Morrow and Dominic Oduro. The Dynamo retook the lead in the twenty-sixth minute with a Giles Barnes goal, via Ricardo Clark. Toronto retied it with an Oduro goal, made possible by Luke Moore in the second minute of first half stoppage time. The second half had more yellow cards than the first half had goals, and most of these went to Toronto. They saw Doneil Henry get one for a foul in the fifty-eighth minute, followed by Michael Bradley getting one in the seventy-ninth minute for his foul to offset the yellow given to Houston's Corey Ashe for encroachment. Oduro also got a yellow card in the eighty-first minute for encroachment, and Toronto's fourth and final yellow belonged to Jermain Defoe for a foul in the eighty-eighth minute. The score remained 2-2, with the man of the match being Oduro for his goal and assist.

Staying in Texas, FC Dallas hosts the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Raul Fernandez guard the nets. Dallas began in the twenty-ninth minute with an Andres Escobar goal. New England had a yellow card for a foul by Chris Tierney in the seventy-ninth minute. Dallas iced it at 2-0 with a stoppage time goal by Tesho Akindele, assisted by Victor Ulloa. The man of the match was Fernandez for his three-save clean sheet.

Finishing off Saturday, Real Salt Lake welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Nick Rimando received the starts. Salt Lake had the first yellow card for a Kyle Beckerman foul in the seventeenth minute. In the seventy-third minute, Darren Mattocks scored a penalty kick to give Vancouver the lead. Things were chippy for a bit, with the Whitecaps seeing yellow cards given to Matias Laba and Sebastian Fernandez for fouls in the seventy-fifth minute, followed by Ousted receiving a yellow card for dissent and Real's Tony Beltran getting one for a foul a minute later. Salt Lake evened the score in the eighty-first minute on a Joao Plata goal, via Beckerman and Luke Mulholland. The teams traded yellow cards again later, as Gershon Koffie received one for an eighty-eighth minute foul for Vancouver, followed by Real's Chris Wingert being booked for a foul in stoppage time. The 1-1 score was a final, and Plata was the man of the match for his equalizer.

Finally, DC United hosts Chivas USA on Sunday. Dan Kennedy and Bill Hamid are in goal. DC began in the twenty-fifth minute as Eddie Johnson scored on a penalty kick. United had a yellow card for a foul by Perry Kitchen in the thirty-first minute. Chivas' Nathan Sturgis was booked in the fiftieth minute on a yellow card for a foul. Kitchen redeemed himself in the fifty-ninth minute to add onto DC's lead by scoring, with the help of Johnson and Chris Rolfe. United extended the lead with a Luis Silva goal, via Chris Korb, but Silva was a little too excited and got booked for excessive celebration, a yellow card event. Chivas got on the board with Erick Torres' penalty kick conversion in the eighty-fourth minute, but this only made it 3-1. This was a final, and Johnson was the man of the match.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS Wednesday July 16th, 2014

Four games on tonight in the league, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Union host the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Zac MacMath are in goal. Philadelphia opened in the ninth minute on a Conor Casey goal, via Andrew Wenger. The Union added on in the fifty-first minute as Fred scored, thanks to Casey and Sheanon Williams. New York got one back in the sixtieth minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, coming off of Thierry Henry and Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo. Philadelphia answered in the sixty-ninth minute when Sebastien Le Toux deposited a penalty kick into the net. The Red Bulls had a yellow card issued to Matt Miazga in the eighty-sixth minute. They also went on to lose by a 3-1 score, with the man of the match being MacMath for turning aside five shots to preserve the decision.

West to Columbus, as the Crew welcome Sporting Kansas City. Andy Gruenebaum and Steve Clark are the keepers. Kansas City first had a yellow card on a thirty-fourth minute foul by Lawrence Olum. Sporting led off with a forty-second minute goal by C.J. Sapong, assisted by Benny Feilhaber. Columbus was visited by the referee in the fifty-third minute for a Wil Trapp foul that drew a yellow card, but Kansas City came away worse off when Aurelien Collin was sent off with a straight red card two minutes later. The Crew tied the game when Igor Juliao put the ball in his own net for an own goal in the sixty-ninth minute. In the seventy-ninth minute, Juliao was again a liability when he was booked for a foul, earning him a yellow card. Columbus also dropped to ten men in the game when Trapp picked up his second yellow card of the game on a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. Kansas City cashed in with a stoppage time goal by Feilhaber, passed from Jacob Peterson and a redemptive Juliao, which stood as the game winner in a 2-1 match. Feilhaber was the man of the match for his all-around good effort.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC brings in their cross-country rivals, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Joe Bendik play in the six-yard boxes. Toronto was first to receive a yellow card for a Bradley Orr foul in the twenty-eighth minute. Vancouver started in the fiftieth minute on a Darren Mattocks goal, fueled by Russell Teibert and Pedro Morales. Teibert gave the Whitecaps their first yellow card in the sixty-first minute. Toronto tied the game in the sixty-fourth minute when Jermain Defoe scored a penalty kick goal. Vancouver was booked twice more in the game, with yellow cards given to Nigel Reo-Coker in the seventieth minute and Sam Adekugbe in the eighty-fifth minute, both for fouls. Toronto also got another yellow card in stoppage time as Collen Warner committed a foul. The result was a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Ousted for his five saves.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Galaxy host the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Jaime Penedo are manning the nets. Los Angeles began with a tenth minute Robbie Keane goal, made possible by Baggio Husidic. The Galaxy's A.J. DeLaGarza was shown a yellow card a minute later for a foul. Los Angeles added on with a Gyasi Zardes goal in the eighteenth minute, passed from Keane and Stefan Ishizaki. The two teams each lost a man in the first half, as New England's A.J. Soares was booked on a red card for a serious foul in the twenty-ninth minute, only to see the Galaxy lose their manpower advantage in the thirty-sixth minute on Dan Gargan's professional foul that drew a red card. When that was all settled, Lee Nguyen put away the penalty kick in the thirty-eighth minute to bring the Revolution back into the game. Los Angeles dashed these hopes by answering in the forty-eighth minute on another Zardes goal, coming off of Keane. The Galaxy picked up another yellow card when Leonardo was booked in the fifty-first minute for a foul. New England suffered another setback when Jerry Bengston's foul in the seventy-fourth minute gave him a yellow card and a free kick to Ishizaki, who scored to extend the Los Angeles lead. In the seventy-eighth minute, Keane scored his second of the night to further the Galaxy lead. Los Angeles was slapped with a yellow card to Chandler Hoffman in the eighty-second minute for a foul. The final stood at 5-1, with Keane's brace and pair of assists leading the way as man of the match.

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