Photo by ISIphotos.com
Great goals, memorable individual performances and disappointing crowd turnouts were the highlights and lowlights of Week Two of the MLS season. The Seattle Sounders continued to impress while FC Dallas continued to do the exact opposite, both on and off the field.
A fan of great goals? There were some of those? Love a good comeback and a last-minute goal? There were those as well. There was a little bit of everything for the MLS fan.
Here is a look back at what we think were the Best XI and Worst XI moments/plays/performances/scenes of the second week of the 2009 MLS Season, as well as the Week 2 MLS Team of the Week.
See if you agree with our picks. Enjoy:
Week Two Best XI
Fredy Montero's curling long-range blast.
The crowd at Qwest Field…..Again.
Kasey Keller showing that he's still got it.
Freddie Ljungberg making his Seattle debut and not getting hurt (yet).
Terry Cooke's Free Kick Goal and super sub performance.
Kenny Mansally's last-minute equalizer.
Shalrie Joseph becoming a playmaker while dominating midfield as usual.
The San Jose Earthquakes pouring in the goals after so many misses in week one.
Chivas USAgetting goals from its two new forwards, Eduardo Lillingston and Bojan Stepanovic.
Rookies(Steve Zakuani, Kevin Alston, Jeremy Hall, Sam Cronin, Stefan Frei) continuing to impress.
More than 1,500 Toronto FC fans making the trip to Columbus.
Week Two Worst XI
The attendance at the FC Dallas-Chivas USA game (6,524).
The attendance at the New York Red Bulls home opener, second-lowest in team history. (12,462)
The modest attendance at Crew Stadium(14,686) for the Crew's first home match since winning MLS Cup (ten percent of those fans were visiting from Toronto).
The teams missing players due to international duty (Toronto, Chicago, etc.)
FC Dallas still looking for its first goal from inside 60-yards out.
Houston's defense in the first half vs. San Jose.
The Red Bulls defense blowing a 90th-minute lead.
Columbus' own goal involving Gino Padula, Wil Hesmer and the crossbar.
Josh Wicks and his adventures in the D.C. goal.
Kansas City falling to 0-2 on the day Kevin Hartman breaks the league record for saves.
Some of the 1,500 traveling Toronto FC fans clashing with police and damaging Crew Stadium.
SBI MLS Team of the Week (Week 2)
—————–Cam Weaver———Fredy Montero————-
Arturo Alvarez—–Guillermo Barros Schelotto—Terry Cooke
—————–Shalrie Joseph—-Osvaldo Alonso————–
Chad Marshall———–Tyrone Marshall————-Tim Ward
——————————Kasey Keller————————–
Honorable Mentions: Joe Cannon, Jeremy Hall, Kevin Alston, Wilman Conde, Brad Evans, Logan Pause, Kenny Mansally, Bojan Stepanovic, Mac Kandji
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What were your Best XI and Worst XI moments/scenes/performances from Week Two? Who made your MLS team of the week that didn't make ours? We are open to suggestions so feel free to offer up your own candidates.
Share your thoughts below.
Thanks for giving Pause the honorable mention. He’s a player whose work on the field too often gets overlooked.
Jimmy B is that you?
Wicks looks a heck of a lot better than the guy they DC last year…Thankfully, I have forgotten his name already…Time really does heal all wounds!
“I don’t care what Toronto fans did or did not do in Columbus this week, I lost all respect for them when they booed the US national anthem at the All Star game last summer.No excuse for it. Just shows what kind of disrespectful fans they really are.Just from that experience last summer , I am sure they were just as disrespectful in Columbus.”
You’re an idiot…it’s been said that TFC fans we’re clearly booing the fact that the Canadian anthem had been omitted to that point and no mention was made as to when it was going to be played.
And the Canadian anthem is booed all the time in the States at hockey games…New Jersey fans did it for years in the playoffs so get your arrogant patriotic head out of your ass. Boo hoo they’d booed your anthem.
And the rest of TFC fans, don’t any of you have lives? I mean wow the Columbus thing happened what Saturday? It’s now Tuesday and it’s still all you can talk about? I can only imagine what kind of losers some of you were in high school. Get over it and move one we have Seattle on Saturday.
And credit to Ives you hit the nail on the head about the Columbus affair.
I didn’t get to see the Sounders game but was wondering how Ljungberg looked in the game? I hope he still showed some skill out there.
Re: Montero loan situation
Montero is here on a loan, and although I’ve also not heard anything regarding an option to buy, Montero himself has said that he is enjoying his time in Seattle enough that he would consider another season with the Sounders after this one. That seems to indicate some sort of mutual option for Year 2.
J…the american anthem was bood due to bad planning
God save the queen and star spangled banner were both sung, and everyone thought someone pulled a fast one to skip over the canadian anthem..you’d probably boo if you were in their shoes to
maybe they can get some of your respect back now ey bud?
I don’t care what Toronto fans did or did not do in Columbus this week, I lost all respect for them when they booed the US national anthem at the All Star game last summer.No excuse for it. Just shows what kind of disrespectful fans they really are.Just from that experience last summer , I am sure they were just as disrespectful in Columbus.
Posted by: J | March 31, 2009 at 04:14 PM
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Again, Buddy, think before you post: The Toronto fans last summer weren’t booing the U.S. national anthem, they were booing because they weren’t told the Canadian national anthem was still to be sung, and thought it had been replaced by the Star Spangled Banner. When was the last time you heard three anthems at an event? Not everything in life as simple as “Grog Smell. Grog bad.” Looking into the issue for two minutes would have allowed you to put the prejudice aside.
And even if some people HAD booed the anthem deliberately, do you think that would include most — or even a significnat percentage — of TFC fans? Of course not.
I’d like to add for a worst “playing without all the national team call-ups” as it doesn’t help the game here.
I do think this year’s rookie class might be one of the best in the short history of the league. You don’t have to look far on most rosters to find 1-2 making significant contributions.
The worst:
I am very disappointed at the attendance outside Seattle. I know Toronto will be 23,000 plus but other than them RSL, DC and Chicago everyone else is really abysmal.
(KC and SJ get a pass until they get their stadiums-although i have my doubts about KC.
Most disappointing? Dallas and the Rapids. Beautiful soccer specific stadiums and they are empty. Christ- we drew a little more than them in the Fusions 3 years here in the nation’s worst sports market for everything except the Haitian National team- South Florida
I really welcome and encourage all comments about the attendance issue because it really bugs me that every team can’t average 15 to 16k a game because this how hockey makes its money and so can the MLS with a lot less overhead tied up in salaries.
The Best? The impression I get that Seattle will be another Toronto in terms of passion and following. I also believe that Portland and Vancouver will also follow Toronto’s lead in this area.
Philly- the jury’s out and this is from a native son of City of Brotherly Shove.
I would add Revolution center back Darius Barnes as another rookie who is quietly making an impact.
alex,
mls is the laughing stock of the world? give me a break. it’s not the best league in the world, but it’s not the worst either.
I don’t care what Toronto fans did or did not do in Columbus this week, I lost all respect for them when they booed the US national anthem at the All Star game last summer.No excuse for it. Just shows what kind of disrespectful fans they really are.Just from that experience last summer , I am sure they were just as disrespectful in Columbus.
Tom/teacher,
I’m sorry. I’ll do my best to correct your arithmetic and issue snarky remarks in the future.
Zakuani looked dangerous and comfortable. Nice to know our college players are doing well. I know College can never compare to Youth Academies but in combination with that it we’ll have better young talent.
IVES said: Listen guys, I didn’t say TFC fans were rioting in Columbus, but a few fans did get out of control. I’m sure the security and police in Columbus didn’t help matters, but to pretend that TFC fans did nothing wrong and were all saints in Columbus is a bit much. Most were well-behaved, but some got out of control.
What I will say is that any group of fans in MLS would probably have issues with a traveling party that size so people trying to make it as if Toronto fans are some special breed of troublemaker are reaching badly.
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Thanks bud, you just summed up my entire 650-word column for tomorrow in two graphs, when it took me an hour to cut it down 😉
Chase,
Do the math. It was two points.
TO:
Um, wow, you obviously don’t get it, there are stupid people all around the world, if I tell you 1 arrest out of 1500 that means there was no concerted effort to cause problems, it was one person who went to far as to get himself arrest, stop trying to live in a perfect world in your head, there is more crap that happens at NFL games.
Alex, while MLS needs passionate fans, we don’t need drunk, beer-throwing, cursing, smoke-bombing fans that scare away other fans. I don’t like hearing that a 4-year-old girl had a beer thrown on her.
I think Nick Rimando made Montero look good.
“josh wicks isnt terrible by any stretch”
Im an La fan,I wouldnt call him decent,but thats just me.
Omar Cummings should be one of the best of the week,another goal (game winner),thank you omar!
@Gilby
Ditto on Steve Zakuani, that was a sick move, not to mention the lightning outside of the foot flick to Jaqua, threading the needle between two defenders.
A write the caption pic if there ever was one:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/world_soccer/03/30/mexico.eriksson/index.html?eref=T1
Can we have the MLS as a whole as the worst for simply having games during international dates… another grand idea would be to not start the season during march madness…
The attendance at the New York Red Bulls home opener, second-lowest in team history. (12,462)
There is no way there was that many people at that game. Maybe 3k at best.
Yes sread, the league has Montero on a one year loan. I thought that most loans that MLS have usually have options to buy after the loan deal ends, but I’ve heard nothing about this refering to Montero.
I’m a Seattle fan but agree that Thorton had the best match among the keepers.
As for player of the week, MLS did at least get the right team, but they gave the award to the wrong player. It should have gone to Alonso.
Listen guys, I didn’t say TFC fans were rioting in Columbus, but a few fans did get out of control. I’m sure the security and police in Columbus didn’t help matters, but to pretend that TFC fans did nothing wrong and were all saints in Columbus is a bit much. Most were well-behaved, but some got out of control.
What I will say is that any group of fans in MLS would probably have issues with a traveling party that size so people trying to make it as if Toronto fans are some special breed of troublemaker are reaching badly.
Here is a link to some questions answered by Hitchcock and Hyndman regarding the state of FCD. Take it as you will.
http://worldcupway.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-q-hitchcock-and-schellas.html
If you guys don’t stop crying like babies and women than this league will continue to decline in attendance!
Get passionate like the TFC fans!! Grow some balls for once! and maybe, ..Just maybe we can have a half decent league instead of the laughing stock of the world!!
Footy is serious business, SO GET SERIOUS!!
Grab a flag, grab your balls, grab a beer, grab your singing voice, grab a couple of swear words and get the F out there!!!
I would have added Steve Zakuani in my list of rookies that are impressing. He had the assist on the first goal and made Tony Beltran look silly while doing it.
I disagree steve t. I was at the game and Shalrie Joseph was far and away better than both sassano and sinisa. He was bullying the midfield most of the night (I’m a red bull fan btw).
Uh oh Ives, don’t you know you can’t say anything bad about TFC or their glorious supporters?!?!?!
I agree on Wicks, though he did make a brilliant reaction save to deny Rolfe late. Ultimately, his decision to go walkabout on the Nyarko goal costs DCU 3 points and he should have been punished for a couple of other blunders (especially the one where he let a weak Nyarko shot wiggle into the goal). I’d throw Ben Olsen for at least a place on the bench of the team of the week, he was excellent in the first half, though lost a bit of steam in the 2nd.
Gotta give some props to Chris Pontius… no outrageous curling strikes or anything this week, but the kid just continues to impress.
He really knows what to do with the ball at his feet, and we DC fans are really excited with him.
Mac Kandji deserves a mention for second team Best XI. He was a real handful for New England.
ives- would like to see an article talking to teams (eg Dallas, Colorado, etc) ownership about their poor attendance figures. It seems part of it is due to stadium location/access. Anyway, would be nice to hear from the league and/or owners about these problems…as things seem to be getting worse not better for some teams…yet the league is expanding.
Shalrie Joseph hardly dominated the midfield. He was up against Sinisa and sassano in the middle and looked the least of the 3 imho.
Toronto FC “supporters” are the scum of the earth.
P.S. I think the Fire may have lucked out in grabbing Tim Ward, the dude is looking impressive.
Everywhere I look, it says that Fredy’s contract is nothing more than a season loan to Sounders. This is very unfortunate for the league, but hopefully there is some bright spot in all of this (besides the fact that he is tearing it up and drawing lots of international attention to the league).
Ives, I’m surprised that there’s nothing on RSL’s inability to finish category of worsts. I watched most of every game except Sunday’s and I thoought the Seattle v RSL match was so much faster and more technical than any other MLS match of the weekend. It just looked so smooth and it looked much more professional than any of the others. Great crowds might be playing tricks on me though.
P.S. Freddie Ljundberg has still got it.
I was excited to see Wicks, figuring he’d hand us a goal or two, but aside from one or two blunders, he actually played quite well; made a few solid stops i thought.
The behaviour of the Toronto fans was inappropriate and anybody who defends it based on some quantitative criteria like 5 out of 1,500 is an idiot. If the supporter groups want to exist and keep their priviliges they have to police their own and blaming the local cops is not acceptable either. I love TFC and the fan support but this behaviour needs to be stamped out immediately for the sake of the game.
Why is it that nobody is willing to give Chivas USA’s Zach Thornton any credit for his performance Sunday? Thornton, who played poorly the previous week, made two great reaction saves on Kenny Cooper that kept the game scoreless until Chivas USA scored. He made more and better saves than Keller, yet gets ignored.
Josh Wicks did ok for most of the game against Chicago. He just made two bad mistakes. One of those mistakes forced DC to settle for a point. Wicks isn’t awful by any stretch though.
loved “FC Dallas still looking for its first goal from inside 60-yards out.” but also hate that we have only scored one goal so far. Too many missed opportunities for FC Dallas.
Man you Toronto fans sure are defensive; own up for what you did and move on.
Had the chance to watch Osvaldo Alonso all last year with Charleston, and was sad to see him go. Seattle got a steal with him, and he’s young too. I could see him becoming the next Sharlie Joseph type midfielder in the league.
1 Toronto arrest out of 1600+ fans, yeah give me a break Ives…..
Good looking team. I think Osvaldo Alonso was the best player of week two. He was solid in the midfield doing the all the hard work defensively. Plus, he had two assists.
Fairly handled on the final TFC point Ives, but I’d point out there were as many people from Columbus arrested as Toronto, and the damage is highly overblown.
ives – can you shed some light on fredy montero’s contract situation? is this a carlos tevez with west ham type of loan deal, where mls pretty much has no rights to the player. (this may have been addressed somewhere else, if so, can someone help me out with a link.) thanks.