Late again. So many games to watch, so little time. Damn you life and work for getting in the way.
Anyway, Week 10 has kicked off tonight but we still wanted to run this, so here's our latest weekly, sometimes offbeat, look at the best and worst of the week's MLS action.
We took your suggestions on board and either embedded videos of our best/worst selections or included links. So what did week 9 of the 2013 season throw up for us?
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<b><u>Games This Week:</u></b>
It was nice for the three Canadian sides to kick the week off and nicer still for Toronto to give us some more last ditch laughs.
You certainly don't want to leave TORONTO games early. They did nothing for about 80 minutes, then snatched a great equaliser after some horrible goalkeeping by Luis Robles, only for NEW YORK to snatch it at the death with TFC giving up another late goal and this time a winner. Toronto certainly looked a poorer side than they have done in recent weeks, but Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry just made the Red Bulls tick. Henry's brilliant dummy on the first goal was the move of the match. The reserve side in the Voyageurs Cup on Wednesday put in a more gutsy performance for TFC, albeit against a reserve Montreal side, but if they can do it again this week, it may raise a few selection issues for Ryan Nelson.
MONTREAL kept their charge in the east on course with a comprehensive win over CHICAGO. It was another game light on thrills and excitement at times, but the Impact did what they needed to do and when they got around to doing it, it was in some style. Jeff Larentowicz's sending off was harsh and wrong. Clearly not the last man stopping a goalscoring opportunity and I think he went because the ref thought it was a penalty. Did it change the end result? You can't possibly know but the gut feeling was no. The win leapfrogged the Impact back to the top of the East. Everyone's waiting for their bad spell and for tiredness to hit the oldies, but at the moment there doesn't seem to be any sign that either of those will happen.
The diving DALLAS roadshow hit VANCOUVER as we all know by now. They flipped, they flopped, they dripped, they dropped. Between that and the Caps comeback, a lot of heat and attention was taken of another decidedly dodgy defensive performance from Vancouver. Not to mention the continuing inability to take their chances. DALLAS didn't look world beaters and the way the Caps fought back should give a bit of a boost and clues to the other Western teams as to what they need to do against them.
There was an entertaining game in NEW ENGLAND where the Revs hosted the Union. A very comfortable 2-0 win for New England over PHILADELPHIA. As comprehensive a win as a two goal one can be. Both of the Revs goals came from well worked moves and they played some nice passing football all game. As I've been saying, I haven't seen much to impress me from Philly for most of this season, but have liked how the Revs have been playing and their league position belies the football they've been producing. Bit confused as to why they have a few random people sitting in amongst the tarped off areas behind one of the goals. Looks bizarre.
COLUMBUS's game against DC was explosive before kick off, or at least their scoreboard was. Not what you see everyday. Pity it wasn't the Fire that were the visitors. Would have been best away fans tifo ever. It was also a bit fiery during the ninety, with seven bookings dished out by a card happy Sorin Stoica. I did like the yellow he gave to Agustin Viana for timewasting though. Viana went down, went off injured, looked like he needed to be subbed, came back on, immediately went back to the deck and got booked. Would like to have seen how Stoica dealt with Dallas on Saturday. As for the game, Columbus were very good at taking their chances. They only had seven shots the whole game, three of them were on target and they won 3-0. DC suffered a case of Vancouvering (new meaning being that they created lots of chances but failed to take them). A staggering 21 attempts at goal from the visitors and nothing to show for it. Therein lies the reason that this talented team are currently sitting bottom of the whole of MLS. I've enjoyed watching them this season and they should be much higher up the table than they are. Imagine DC playing Vancouver right now. We could be looking at over 50 chances in a game and it ending 0-0.
The KANSAS CITY - PORTLAND game was one of those matches that you want to sit people down to watch that either don't like football or don't rate MLS. What a cracker. Game of the week and you couldn't have really argued with the end result however it ended up. As it turned out it was the Timbers that got the points in a five goal thriller that saw our Cascadian rivals fight back twice in the first half then take the decisive lead in the second. KC had their chances to not only tie the game but enough of them to go on and win it. It was one of those games that we may look back on and cite as the turning point in Portland's season. Sadly for the Whitecaps, the Timbers have got over their early growing pains and are starting to look like a very cohesive and dangerous unit. This was a huge win for them. Going to a place like KC and coming away with all three points will give them so much confidence and they look like another team that are set to leave Vancouver behind.
The more teams that do that, the less likely that the playoff will look for Vancouver and this weekend will see what could be a turning point match for them as they head to SALT LAKE. RSL are coming off the back of a 2-0 defeat to a much weakened LOS ANGELES at the weekend. In saying that, it's hard to refer to them as weakened when the young talent they have can put in a performance like this. Two goals up in the first 14 minutes and you started to think it was going to be a rout. RSL got back into the game and pressed hard towards the end and suffered from Mattocksitis with their chances.
Saturday rounded of with a surprisingly entertaining game between CHIVAS and SAN JOSE. Chivas were woeful in the first half, then came out all guns blazing for the second and made it fun to watch. More points dropped by San Jose, who will feel gutted that they didn't come away from Carson with all three points. They played some nice football but couldn't get the job done. It's becoming a regular occurrence for them this season. Chivas' defending for the first goal was horrible. Very Vancouveresque. There was a horrible tackle in the second half when Steven Lenhart left his foot in twice on Mario de Luna. All accidental of course, with no booking, but you just felt he knew what he was doing. The Goats may not have many fans but kudos to the ones they do have. I loved their player tifo behind the goal. Didn't look fantastic close up, but from a distance was very smart.
The final game of the week came on Sunday as HOUSTON continued their undefeated home streak, this time against COLORADO. Now 36 and counting but they were made to work very hard for it, coming from behind and coming away with a draw. Jamie Smith had hit the post at 1-0 to the Rapids, but the Dynamo also hit the bar twice. A draw was probably a fair result in the end but coming away with a point was big for Colorado and, of course, bad for Vancouver.
So the week's games leave Vancouver still sitting in 7th but starting to fall of the top three places more with each passing week. For now, it's just that 5th spot that matters and Real Salt Lake hold that for now, making this coming weekend's game all the more important for both sides.
<b><u>Outfield Player of the Week:</u></b>
Hard to look past two goal hero Tim Cahill, but we are! New England's Whitecap reject, LEE NGUYEN, had a stand out game. One goal, one assist and a lot of important leg work for the Revs, including 37 successful passes, one more than Cahill!
<b><u>Goalkeeper of the Week:</u></b>
He didn't have a lot to do, only four saves in total, but what he did have to do he did very well indeed. So take a bow New England Rev keeper BOBBY SHUTTLEWORTH. He kept a clean sheet and was strong under some late Philly pressure, but his early stop on a one on one break by Danny Cruz could have changed the course of the whole game.
<b><u>Goal of the Week:</u></b>
Regular readers will know that I love a good build up to a goal more than just a spectacular strike when it comes to this category. If you can have both, then perfection. ANDRES ROMERO's opener for Montreal had all I could ask for really. The move started with a Chicago goal kick then 36 seconds and eight Montreal passes later (including it being back to the Impact keeper), Romero got the ball, took it into the box, gave himself room then curled a beauty into the postage stamp corner. Very nice. Very nice indeed.
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<b><u>Save of the Week:</u></b>
There were a few nice acrobatic stops this week from Clint Irwin, Donovan Ricketts and Brian Rowe, but we mentioned it above but BOBBY SHUTTLEWORTH's stop on Danny Cruz early into the Revs-Union game probably changed the whole course of the match.
It looked like Cruz was all set to round the keeper and tuck the ball into an empty net, but Shuttleworth got a vital hand to it to guide it away and allow the Revs defence to recover and close down the opportunities. If Cruz had given Philly that early lead, they would have played a different game and we'll never know if the Revs would have gotten themselves back in to it, but it would have been a struggle. Not acrobatic. Not dramatic. Just vital and shockingly not even nominated for the official 'goal of the week' award.
(WATCH: http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1705882/mls_2013-04-27-195222.640hq.mp4)
<b><u>Funniest Moment of the Week:</u></b>
Towards the end of the game in Kansas City, one of the ball boys threw the ball back at Portland keeper Donovan Ricketts and it smacked him straight in the face. They made up and shook hands after the incident unfortunately, but I really hope it was deliberate. There's a few players in MLS I'd love to see smacked in the face by a ball.
(WATCH at 7 seconds mark: http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1706132/mls_2013-04-27-223232.640hq.mp4
<b><u>The Come On Ref Moment of the Week:</u></b>
Sticking with the KC-Portland game, with the game in stoppage time and KC pushing for the equaliser, Portland keeper Ricketts held on to the ball for 14 seconds before kicking it up the field. I know people hated the call against the Canadian girls in the Olympics for the six second rule, but I really wish it was called more and consistently. Really pisses me off that it isn't - unless of course it's my team that's doing the timewasting!
<b><u>Cock Up of the Week:</u></b>
There's a couple of dodgy keepers in MLS right now and New York's LUIS ROBLES came up with a howler for New York that let Toronto tie the match up. If you come out that far (almost outside the box) to get the ball, you have to get the bloody thing.
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<b><u>Stat Attack:</u></b>
After Week 9 - 77 games
<b>Total goals in week</b> - 27 (168 this season)
<b>Average goals per game</b> - 3 (2.18 ave this season)
<b>Highest scoring team</b> - Columbus and Portland (3)
<b>Biggest win this season</b> - LA 4-0 v Chicago (2/3/13)
<b>Goals scored by feet</b> - 20
<b>Goals by headers</b> - 6
<b>Goals scored by other body parts!</b> - 1
<b>Goals inside box</b> - 26
<b>Goals inside six yard box</b> - 6
<b>Goals outside box</b> - 1
<b>Penalties awarded</b> - 1, scored (17 this season)
<b>Clean sheets</b> - 4 (41 this season)
<b>Sending offs</b> - 3 (13 this season)
<b>Bookings</b> - 28 (229 this season)
<b>Total attendance this week</b> - 159,634 (1.339,184 total for season)
<b>Average attendance this week</b> - 17,737 (17,392 average for season)
<b>Highest attendance this week</b> - 20,186 Kansas City v Portland
<b>Highest attendance this season</b> - 40,150 Seattle v Portland (16/3/13)
<b>Lowest attendance this week</b> - 9,732 Chivas v San Jose
<b>Lowest attendance this season</b> - 7,121 Chivas v Columbus (2/3/13)
I know we haven't done the fantasy football stats for a few weeks but they will definitely return next week since we have a lot more time on our hands and will get this out before the next round has started!
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