NYCFC's 2-0 win over the Sounders in Seattle is the type of result
that might get a coach fired, and it remains to be seen if Seattle has
any interest in making a difficult decision regarding Sigi Schmid's
leadership. There are enough caveats at play to reasonably argue that he
deserves only part of the blame for the disastrous season that is
unfolding.
Losing at home to a second-year expansion franchise, in
a game that again showed how unbalanced and unproductive the Sounders
attack is, makes everyone involved look bad. It only matters slightly
that Frank Lampard's goal for NYCFC looked to be a handball, since the
Sounders simply couldn't find a way to put the ball in the net on the
other end.
There was no sharpness without Clint Dempsey, but it's
worth wondering if his imminent return will change things all that much.
If Seattle's season hinges on a 33-year-old finding a scoring groove
after a grueling month on international duty, it might already be time
to start planning for next year.
It is probably unfair to throw
all the blame on Schmid, but as sports has proven time and time again,
the head coach is simply the most convenient scapegoat. Firing a manager
looks like action, even if it does nothing to correct the underlying
problems.
A note on NYCFC, since Patrick Vieira's team now has its
second winning streak of the year and is holding firm at second in the
East: With this win, NYCFC now has four wins and a draw from seven road
games, a mark that leads the league. In fact, it is the only team with a
winning away record. Referees in the news again
Lampard's handled goal was just one of a number of calls -- missed or made -- that significantly impacted results.
Portland's
3-2 comeback win over the Dynamo at Providence Park was aided by two
penalty calls. One was clear and prompted little disagreement from
Houston; the second, however, appeared to be a dive by Lucas Melano
after Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric pushed the ball away.
A (soft
at best) penalty also played a role in Montreal's 2-2 draw at Stade
Saputo with Kansas City, who itself had a claim denied for a spot kick
foul.
In
an interesting reversal of recent fortune, Orlando actually benefited
from a questionable late call when Drew Moor was whistled for a foul in
the box on Julio Baptista late into added time. Baptista sold it well
but Moor did have his hands on the striker.
The more these calls
appear to help or hurt teams in the standings, the more refereeing
becomes the dominant narrative among fans. That's not just a little
problem, and it's worth wondering why MLS and the Professional Referee
Organization haven't take more drastic steps to address what is
obviously a drain on the league's quality. Team of the week Jason Davis' MLS best XI.Jason
Davis is a writer from Virginia covering American soccer. He also hosts
a daily soccer podcast that covers the beautiful game. Follow him @davisjsn.
No change at the top, but Week 15 did bring plenty of change to the
MLS Power Rankings as a number of teams pulled out late, and sometimes
controversial, wins. 1. Colorado Rapids (no change)
The Rapids earned a tough midweek point on the road in Los Angeles without Jermaine Jones before having the weekend off. Jones returns for a Fourth of July match against Portland. 2. Montreal Impact (+1)
Guile and quality got the Impact a draw with Sporting Kansas City. Guile in the form of Didier Drogba winning a penalty and quality in the form of Lucas Ontivero's lovely team goal. 3. Portland Timbers (+3)
It was nearly a disaster at home against the last-place Houston Dynamo until a pair of penalties bailed the Timbers out in a 3-2 win. The comeback reflects well on the team, but let's not forget the circumstances. 4. New York Red Bulls (-4)
After having a four-game winning streak snapped in Utah courtesy of a 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake, the Red Bulls couldn't hang on to a lead on the road in Columbus as they drew 1-1 with Crew SC. No need for concern, but it does represent a break in momentum. 5. FC Dallas (+5)
The only word for Mauro Diaz's bicycle-kick pass to spring Fabian Castillo for FC Dallas' second goal in a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake is "audacious". More of anything resembling that and Diaz moves back into the MVP conversation.
Kellyn
Acosta and Fabian Castillo each netted a goal to secure three points at
home for FC Dallas against Western Conference rivals RSL.
6. San Jose Earthquakes (+1)
Was it the Goonies' magic or a simple failure on the part of the Galaxy to mark Chad Barrett on a set piece? Regardless, the Quakes' 1-1 feel-good draw against LA keeps them within a win of a playoff spot. 7. Real Salt Lake (+1)
A
win and a loss for RSL this week in two very different performances.
Manager Jeff Cassar's team will no doubt want to focus on the midweek
win over the Red Bulls rather than the road no-show against Dallas. 8. New York City FC (+5)
Not
that long ago, it looked like NYCFC wouldn't get anything out of Frank
Lampard in 2016. Now the Designated Player midfielder has scored in
consecutive games, helping his team to back-to-back wins. 9. Philadelphia Union (-5)
The
Union finished June with a pair of wins and a pair of losses, but it's
the defensive record in that span that should worry manager Jim Curtin.
In four games, Philadelphia has given up a whopping 11 goals. 10. Toronto FC (-1)
Josh
Williams' reaction to the decision to award Orlando City a late penalty
will cost the defender a game, maybe more. TFC can feel aggrieved by their 3-2 loss, but a veteran like Williams should know better.
Toronto
FC was able to pull the score level twice when Orlando took the lead,
but was finally undone after Kaka finished off a cool PK late in
second-half stoppage time.
11. Orlando City SC (+1)
Fortune
finally smiled on Orlando City with a late penalty helping the Lions to
a victory over TFC on Saturday. Kaka's return to the lineup is a
massive boost for a club still underachieving. 12. Vancouver Whitecaps (+3)
With rumors swirling that the 'Caps are ready to sell Octavio Rivero, the Canadian side got a big performance out of two of its most important players, Kekuta Manneh and Christian Bolanos, in its 3-2 win over Philadelphia. 13. LA Galaxy (-3)
The
Galaxy are now winless in seven games, going back to May 11, in large
part because of a sputtering attack. Giovani Dos Santos' tally against
San Jose was the club's first goal in June. 14. Sporting Kansas City (-2)
Sporting
needs more performances like that from Dom Dwyer, who scored twice in
the club's 2-2 draw with Montreal. The brace was Dwyer's second of the
year and first since the second week of the season. 15. D.C. United (+1)
A big day from Lamar Neagle got United back on the winning side of the ledger, registering a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win over New England, just as things were getting a little concerning on the attacking end of the field. 16. New England Revolution (-5)
The
Revs couldn't keep their winning streak alive on the road at RFK
Stadium. Away from home, New England is just a different team, and
that's a problem considering they haven't been good enough at home to
solidify themselves in the East standings. 17. Columbus Crew SC (no change)
The Crew continue to struggle offensively in the aftermath of the Kei Kamara trade, but the late equalizer from Ola Kamara in the 1-1 draw with the Red Bulls is at least a step in the right direction. 18. Chicago Fire (no change)
Once upon a time, the Fire couldn't score, but they didn't give up many either. After Wednesday's 4-3 loss at the hands of the Union, that one positive may be slipping away. 19. Houston Dynamo (no change)
It's
cold comfort to Dynamo fans, but Houston did look like the better team
for stretches of their 3-2 loss to Portland on Sunday. If not for a
questionable penalty call, they might have escaped with a point. 20. Seattle Sounders (no change)
More woe for the Sounders, who couldn't find the net against NYCFC at home on Saturday in a 2-0 loss. There are no easy answers in Seattle, but they'll need to find some fast. Jason
Davis is a writer from Virginia covering American soccer. He also hosts
a daily soccer podcast that covers the beautiful game. Follow him @davisjsn.
Who scored the Goal of the Week in Major League Soccer's Week 16?
Was
it Lamar Neagle's precision volley in D.C. United's 2-0 win over New
England? If fancy footwork is your calling, Andrew Wenger's delightful
dribbling followed by a well-placed shot in Houston Dynamo's 3-2 loss in
Portland is well worth your vote.
Kekuta Manneh's mazy run from
midfield deserves special recognition, but not as much as his
off-the-post-and-in strike from 18 yards in the Vancouver Whitecaps' 3-2
win over Philadelphia. For those who appreciate an eye for a good pass,
Mauro Diaz's bicycle-kick through ball for Fabian Castillo was likely
worth the price of admission. And the Colombian's cutback finish in FC
Dallas' 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake wasn't too shabby, either.
While England's dismal round-of-16 defeat against Iceland on Monday
evening was tough to take for a large number of fans, it seems that the
result hit one poor soul harder than most.
Having struck a wager
with his wife that Roy Hodgson's men would see off their opponents,
English-born Sporting KC striker Dom Dwyer was left to face the music
when the final whistle sounded in Nice.
Step forward USWNT star Sydney Leroux-Dwyer, who revelled in her betting prowess by giving her husband a daring new look.
Watching the MLS Eastern Conference unfold this year, it's tempting
to invoke the old line about The Doors being the best worst band ever.
There are tight conference races and then there are conference races
such as the one in the East this year, which at times looks like a
battle of the least worst.
Unfair? Perhaps. A little. But looking at the teams above the red
line, and looking at their inconsistent form this year, it would be more
surprising if one went on a sustained run to an automatic conference
semifinal spot from this point on than if all continued to suffer from
seemingly inexplicable slumps in form.
The counter-argument to this is that in a forced parity league,
anyone can beat anyone else, and there are generally mitigating
circumstances for any poor run. The New York Red Bulls' winning habit
was snapped last week, for example, but it was in the context of three
games in six days in New York, Salt Lake City and Columbus, and amid the
first real test of their squad rotation.
Likewise, Philadelphia's two defeats in their past three MLS games --
along with their sudden habit of conceding a lot of goals -- might be
pinned to its ongoing adjustment to the sudden loss of their often-unheralded but vital midfield link man in Vincent Nogueira.
Without him, the Union have been experimenting with what their default
lineup and shape is going to be from here on out, and perhaps it's
inevitable that they've been experiencing something of a Sisyphean
challenge: the constant need to score a lot of goals to offset the ones
they're regularly conceding.
New York City FC could tell the Union a thing or two about that.
After starting the month with another high-scoring home defeat (this one
a 3-2 loss to RSL) and an Open Cup exit to the New York Cosmos, NYCFC
has actually won its last two -- and got a rare shutout on the road in
Seattle last week. Sebastien Le Toux and the Philadelphia Union started the
season brightly but have dropped off since the departure of Vincent
Nogueira.
But it's the game before that one that illustrates their struggles
this season. You'd have thought David Villa had lost as he pounded the
turf, yelling and gesticulating at teammates in the wake of the final
whistle in their last home game, against Philadelphia. In fact, New York
had won, but had almost thrown away yet another late lead that Villa
and his fellow attackers had worked doubly hard to earn. NYCFC often
don't win so much as manage not to lose a lead.
It's not to pick on NYCFC, though; and to give credit where it's due,
that Seattle win may have been over a slumping Sounders team, but it
was in front of a big crowd in a difficult road town and New York
deserve every credit for seeing out the shutout. And the fact is,
throughout their up-and-down season, home struggles, defensive woes and
all the rest of it has been good enough to have the team second in the
East. Second.
The Red Bulls lost six of their first seven games. They're in third. It's that kind of year.
And looking at the teams making up the rest of the playoff places,
Montreal is fourth. They haven't won in a month, and actually look worse
with Didier Drogba in the team. D.C. United are in fifth; they beat New
England last week, but it was their first win in a month that also saw
them crash out of the U.S. Open Cup at home to NASL team Fort Lauderdale
Strikers. They look like a typically spirited Ben Olsen team, but not
yet a dominant one.
No matter, though; half the teams in the East are below D.C.,
including Orlando City, who currently occupy the last playoff spot ahead
of Toronto. Those two teams played each other at the weekend, and it
was a microcosm of the East this season. The goals that bookended the
extraordinarily long stoppage-time first seemed to have snatched Toronto
a draw and then handed Orlando a win.
Toronto got a lot of credit for their solid road trip to start the
season and the expectation was that once they got back to their newly
expanded stadium, with their new and improved depth in every position,
the points would start to pile up exponentially. But a team
disproportionately reliant on Sebastian Giovinco has struggled. Injuries
to Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley's international absences haven't
helped, but Toronto were supposed to take the next step forward this
year, and so far at least, the best you could say of them is that
they're treading water. The only consolation for them is that you can
say that for much of the least worst of the East, too. Graham Parker writes for ESPN FC, Grantland, The Guardian US and
Howler. He covers MLS and the U.S. national teams. Follow him on Twitter
@KidWeil.
Second Half ends, Columbus Crew SC 1, New York Red Bulls 1.
90'+6'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Dax McCarty.
90'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
90'
Delay in match Gideon Baah (New York Red Bulls) because of an injury.
90'+3'
Goal! Columbus Crew SC 1, New York Red Bulls 1. Ola Kamara
(Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom
right corner. Assisted by Waylon Francis with a cross.
90'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
90'
Delay in match Gideon Baah (New York Red Bulls) because of an injury.
90'+1'
Attempt blocked. Ola Kamara (Columbus Crew SC) left footed shot from
the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Waylon Francis.
88'
Attempt missed. Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot
from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Cristian Martínez.
87'
Foul by Waylon Francis (Columbus Crew SC).
87'
Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick on the right wing.
86'
Substitution, New York Red Bulls. Sean Davis replaces Felipe.
85'
Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls) is shown the yellow card.
85'
Attempt missed. Ola Kamara (Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot from
the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ethan Finlay.
82'
Foul by Cristian Martínez (Columbus Crew SC).
82'
Felipe (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
82'
Substitution, New York Red Bulls. Gonzalo Verón replaces Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
80'
Foul by Justin Meram (Columbus Crew SC).
78'
Attempt blocked. Ola Kamara (Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot
from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ethan Finlay.
76'
Foul by Felipe (New York Red Bulls).
76'
Cristian Martínez (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
74'
Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
74'
Dangerous play by Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls).
74'
Attempt missed. Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot
from outside the box is too high following a corner.
73'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Gideon Baah.
71'
Substitution, Columbus Crew SC. Waylon Francis replaces Corey Ashe.
71'
Attempt missed. Cristian Martínez (Columbus Crew SC) right footed
shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Corey Ashe.
70'
Substitution, New York Red Bulls. Sal Zizzo replaces Sacha Kljestan.
68'
Attempt missed. Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot
from a difficult angle on the right is too high. Assisted by Corey Ashe
with a cross.
65'
Attempt blocked. Justin Meram (Columbus Crew SC) right footed shot
from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ola Kamara.
63'
Attempt saved. Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls) right footed shot
from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
63'
Attempt missed. Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls) left footed shot
from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Sacha Kljestan.
60'
Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
60'
Foul by Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC).
60'
Felipe (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick on the right wing.
59'
Substitution, Columbus Crew SC. Cristian Martínez replaces Mohammed Saeid.
58'
Attempt missed. Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls) right footed shot
from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Mike Grella.
57'
Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
57'
Foul by Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls).
52'
Goal! Columbus Crew SC 0, New York Red Bulls 1. Bradley
Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls) header from the centre of the box
to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Muyl with a cross.
51'
Attempt missed. Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC) header from the
centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Mohammed Saeid with a
cross following a corner.
51'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Gideon Baah.
49'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Connor Lade.
46'
Justin Meram (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick on the left wing.
46'
Foul by Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls).
45'
Second Half begins Columbus Crew SC 0, New York Red Bulls 0.
-
Match ends, Columbus Crew SC 1, New York Red Bulls 1.
45'+3'
First Half ends, Columbus Crew SC 0, New York Red Bulls 0.
45'+2'
Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
45'+2'
Foul by Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls).
45'
Corner, New York Red Bulls. Conceded by Tyson Wahl.
45'
Attempt blocked. Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls) right footed shot
from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bradley Wright-Phillips.
44'
Offside, New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles tries a through ball, but Mike Grella is caught offside.
40'
Foul by Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls).
40'
Corey Ashe (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
39'
Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) is shown the yellow card.
39'
Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) has gone down, but that's a dive.
38'
Corner, New York Red Bulls. Conceded by Corey Ashe.
36'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
36'
Delay in match Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) because of an injury.
34'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Mike Grella.
33'
Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
33'
Justin Meram (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick on the left wing.
33'
Foul by Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls).
32'
Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
32'
Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
32'
Foul by Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls).
31'
Foul by Corey Ashe (Columbus Crew SC).
31'
Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
30'
Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew SC) hits the right post with a right
footed shot from long range on the right. Assisted by Tony Tchani.
27'
Attempt saved. Ola Kamara (Columbus Crew SC) header from the centre
of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ethan
Finlay.
26'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
25'
Delay in match Gideon Baah (New York Red Bulls) because of an injury.
25'
Gideon Baah (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
25'
Foul by Ola Kamara (Columbus Crew SC).
22'
Offside, Columbus Crew SC. Tony Tchani tries a through ball, but Justin Meram is caught offside.
18'
Foul by Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC).
18'
Felipe (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
17'
Attempt missed. Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) right footed
shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a
direct free kick.
16'
Foul by Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC).
16'
Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
15'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Dax McCarty.
14'
Attempt saved. Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) left footed shot
from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted
by Felipe.
13'
Offside, New York Red Bulls. Gideon Baah tries a through ball, but Bradley Wright-Phillips is caught offside.
13'
Attempt missed. Gideon Baah (New York Red Bulls) header from the
centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Sacha Kljestan with a
cross following a corner.
12'
Corner, New York Red Bulls. Conceded by Steve Clark.
12'
Attempt saved. Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) header from the
centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Bradley
Wright-Phillips.
12'
Attempt blocked. Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) right footed
shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dax McCarty.
9'
Attempt missed. Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls) right
footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Assisted by Dax McCarty with a headed pass.
7'
Corner, Columbus Crew SC. Conceded by Ronald Zubar.
6'
Mohammed Saeid (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick on the left wing.
6'
Foul by Ronald Zubar (New York Red Bulls).
5'
Offside, Columbus Crew SC. Tyson Wahl tries a through ball, but Ola Kamara is caught offside.
3'
Mike Grella (New York Red Bulls) hits the bar with a right footed
shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Connor Lade.
2'
Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
2'
Foul by Alex Muyl (New York Red Bulls).
1'
Tyson Wahl (Columbus Crew SC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
1'
Foul by Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls).
Form
Form
