Photo by ISIPhotos.com
The second week of the 2009 MLS season had its share of surprises, great plays and boring matches (nevermind thoroughly disappointing attendances). The Eastern Conference managed to produce three ties and another tough loss for the suddenly struggling Kansas City Wizards, while the San Jose Earthquakes figured out how to put the ball in the net in a 3-2 win vs. arch-rival Houston.
And then there was Seattle, which put on another impressive performance, beating Real Salt Lake, 2-0, in RSL's first match of the season.
Here is a rundown of this week's scores:
SATURDAY
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Columbus Crew 1, Toronto FC 1
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D.C. United 1, Chicago Fire 1
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New York Red Bulls 1, New England Revolution 1
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Colorado Rapids 2, Kansas City Wizards 1
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San Jose Earthquakes 3, Houston Dynamo 2
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Seattle Sounders 2, Real Salt Lake 0
SUNDAY
- FC Dallas 0, Chivas USA 2
Our take on the Best XI and Worst XI moments and Team of the Week will have to wait for Tuesday (unless we can knock one of them out before 4pm on Monday), but we want you to discuss what your favorite moments from the weekend were. Was it Fredy Montero's goal? Terry Cooke's free kick? Kenny Mansally's late equalizer?
Share your thoughts on Major League Soccer's Week 2 in the comments section below.
Why in God’s name do they even consider playing games in the daylight in Texas? Every FC Dallas game should have a start time of 7 or 8pm local. Not that this alone would fix the attendance woes, but it couldn’t hurt. I hate going to afternoon games here in L.A., I can only imagine how much worse it is in the longhorn state.
The highlight of the week is that the expansion team is top of the table. Who would have guessed that except for Sounders fans?
Chase,
I think you have a point. The league seems to love the fact that TFC supporters have shown up en masse the last two years for matches in Columbus (the story of the number of fans travelling even made it to the front page of MLSnet’s site) but they also need to take a step back and look at how to best handle these situations in the future to avoid any violence. I’m not saying that we need to erect cages to house travelling supporters or anything like that but I do think they need to look at stadium security, parking, and how away supporters exit the stadium in the future. Many problems in Columbus could have been avoided if they’d been more prepared. Away support is something that, rightfully, the league wants to encourage as it adds to the atmosphere at games and I’m sure that away support will continue to grow – especially in the northwest where there will soon be 3 teams within close proximity to one another but they also need to be smart about how it’s handled and try to avoid hooliganism from gaining a strong foothold in the North American game.
With league growth comes growing pains and I don’t think the MLS needs a black eye from the north american sports media that will be all too happy to jump all over a story of major riots and hooliganism if it ever happens at an MLS game.
Ives, I’d actually like to see what the MLS FO folks have to say about this and how they’re planning to address this in the future. Will they go to Europe to see how crowds are handled in England or Germany? I don’t think we need to focus on the negative but we also don’t want to see this stuff get out of hand either.
I was at the game, hanging out before and after the game. I didn’t have any problems but then again I didn’t look to provoke anyone.
I had the pleasure of talking to a very drunk TFC supporter before the game. He was under the impression that Toronto had already lost. Not sure he ever made it inside.
“But PHP is new, it’s a SSS, it’s a home openner, first full season with a new coach…no excuse to not have more fans and more energy than what was there.”
PHP is starting its fourth full season; novelty is no longer bringing in anyone. This was also not the home opener; that brought in an underwhelming but not ridiculous 15k. Finally, Sunday afternoon games are always poor draws in Frisco.
All that said, this was STILL about 2k-4k less in announced attendance than usual for Sunday afternoon games and the weather was amazing, so it was very embarrassing. I don’t really want to get into the play on the field… ugh.
The soccer that RSL and the Sounders played was way better than the national game. Smooth, deliberate, and attacking.
TFC supporters need to chill out, you are always sensitive to the slightest criticism. If you look at my initial post, I didn’t single out either group of fans.
And despite any ignorance on the newspapers part or incompetence exhibited by the police, I still think it is a topic ripe for discussion and further investigation.
TFC supporters have ushered in the phenomenon of the mass traveling of supporters to away matches, something largely alien to American sport. What did (or apparently did not) happen is going to be a byproduct of this whether you like it or not (and could be a facet of the Northwest rivalries).
Yeah, and the Columbus dispatch got it entirely wrong.
Quoting a mistaken newspaper report (the railing was already falling apart on its own, they just pulled it off and put it on the ground, so that people leaning on it wouldn’t fall) does not equate to something actually happening.
The “twisted and bent” metal chairs were from the entire section jumping up and down on them during the game, not derliberately vandalizing them, which speaks more to the erector-set nature of that SSS than anything else.
In fact, there were a few arrests for drunk and disorderly, and Columbus police descended on the place like it was the Watts riots, but it was much ado about nothing.
In fact, there were as many Columbus fans as TFC actually arrested, and none of either club for anything major.
These days, newspapers often just take the word of their local law enforcement, which is stupid; policing is a political job, like any other public service, and therefore prone to rank exagerration. Try getting some information from both sides before making up your mind.
Tim,
I agree that getting coverage on ESPN is going to be difficult. I will certainly email PTI. I just think we need to try, we need to start somewhere. SBI has diehard fans from across the country who could try to hit up their local fan base to write in. I think it would make a huge difference to the success of the league if we could even get two minutes of time on Sportscenter every other night. I took non-soccer buddies to the SSFC-Real SL game this past week. They loved it. These guys can spit out stats on golf and the NHL when none has ever set foot on a course or in an ice rink because they get their news from Sportscenter. Soccer needs this as the attendance this past weekend shows.
Chase, that was blown out of proportion.
In fact, the cops flying through the parking lot with thousands of people and storming the place like it was a race riot (including singling out the black TFC fans) was the real story.
Columbus PD should be ashamed.
One would presume that SSFC has worked to ensure that Montero will at least play the entire season, but if he really is owned by a 3rd party, we know how complicated these things can get…
Seriously, Frank? This wasn’t worth reporting (from the Columbus Dispatch):
“Multiple arrests were made and mace or pepper spray was used to break up at least one melee. At least 20 police cruisers and a helicopter were still patrolling the lots 45 minutes after the game. Columbus police said that some fans were ejected from the stadium and there were at least three arrests. A security guard said that Toronto fans ripped a stadium railing from its bearings. Multiple rows of bleachers in the Toronto section were twisted and bent.”
Worst moments of the week: both involve fans:
1. Some of the extreme behavior (vulgar signs that security had to remove) followed by post-game violence by TFC fans in Columbus. I’ve always admired the energy, passion and enthusiasm of TFC’s fans. But getting violent is a part of the rest of the world we don’t need to import.
2. Poor attendance in Dallas. Thursday Colorado had 17 inches of snow. While overall attendance was bad across the league, I can cut places like the Meadowlands or Dicks some slack for a couple of reasons. But PHP is new, it’s a SSS, it’s a home openner, first full season with a new coach…no excuse to not have more fans and more energy than what was there.
Best?
1. Montero’s goal. Agreed that there were better GOTW last week but this week it’s a legit choice.
2. I also vote for the 4 goals in less than 10 minutes in the Houston-SJ match. Or, you might substitute by saying “most improvement” and giving it to the SJ frontline which went from dreadful/worst in the league to competent in one week–and against a strong defensive team to-boot!
Dallas, get your “stuff” together attnedance-wise. And I’m speaking to the marketing office.
Montero wins goal of the week with his 30 meter bender.
Sounders did not come out of the back against RSL as cleanly as they did against NYRB. Don’t know if it was the defenders passing, mids showing, or RSL pressure, but there was a drop off.
Alonso again was man of match for Sounders. Two yellows already and the other Freddie not ready to step in could be trouble down the road.
Swed Soccer,
Soccer’s only hope of real coverage comes over the summer. Too much fantasy and preseason baseball, march madness, nfl draft coverage and an actually interesting season in the NBA (for once) filling space till may.
ESPN did just bump presspass into a twice a week show on Classic (its more than nothing).
If you want to write, email, etc. Go after PTI. Those two love injustice in sports. If Seattle can keep putting up home attendances over 25K, and Montero keeps up his form, you may have a legit bone to pick for not getting some sort of coverage.
What Justin said. Zakuani’s move on Beltran was fantastic and the cross using the outside of his right foot to Jaqua was spectacular. He’s going to be very good.
How about the New York crowd? Attendance only about 12,500?
We need to start a grassroots campaign to get ESPN to show more highlights and analysis. The common SPORTS fan (not just soccer fans) would be more interested in the sport if we get the guys in Bristol to give soccer a fair shake! How about getting people to flood espn.com website with emails, complaints, pleas, etc?
The TFC supports were impressive but they didn’t own anyone. It’s a shame there were some post-game issues between TFC and Crew fans but I don’t think it was anything worth reporting.
Chase,
You maybe correct.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that maybe the case. An arrangement, of course, that FIFA does not allow, such as Tevez and Jo.
In regards to Montero, is he guaranteed to even finish this MLS season-contract wise?
I was at the Rapids game and the crowd was pathetic. Blame it on the weather, on the USMNT game but it was still pathetic for home opener. Entertaining 2nd half though.
Funniest moment of the week: Canada not playing in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers. That’s pathetic.
Actually Peter in NJ, isn’t it beleived that Montero is owned by a 3rd party ala Tevez? Which makes Montero’s loan to SSFC in the middle of the Columbian season make a lot more sense (especially when he has played very well for Deportivo Cali).
Best:
-Montero
-Steve Nicol still finding ways to get positive results when his team is devestated by injuries
Worst
-Violence in Columbus between Crew and Toronto FC supporters (Why aren’t you all over this Ives?)
-Poor crowds in Colorado (though they the recent blizzard played a part), Dallas, and even San Jose (stop playing on international breaks MLS!!!)
A Little Bit of Both
-The goalkeeping of Josh Wicks. He was caught horribly out by Nyarko and made a handful of other gaffes, but made an incredible save very late on a Chris Rolfe strike that should have won the Fire the match
No Special 1 tv this week?
Posted by: ThaDeuce | March 30, 2009 at 02:25 PM
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No Premier League action this past weekend.
Special 1 TV is only broadcast following a Premier League game on Setanta Sports.
Forget Kandji not getting a goal…when will NYRB score at all?
Lu.M.
Ljunberg’s contract is believed to be for two years.
Justin – I agree…Zakuani is so confident on the ball. By the way, Fredy undressed someone early in the game…lets see if I can find the highlight.
ummm i would have to say that the best goal was Brad Davis’s goal.
but the goal with Zakuani and Jaqua i think was great.
outside of goals, Mac Kandji has to be mentioned as one of the best players in this round of games. if you didnt see the game, Kandji was ripping the Revoloution defense to shreds. im dissapointed he didnt get a goal, i think he had like 3 or 4 shots on goal.
Best moment of week 2?
Watching the Columbus fans get owned in their own stadium by travelling TFC support.
Classic stuff.
RSL shoulda at least tied Seattle… they dominated much of the game… but they don’t have the clinical finishing of Seattle, so much of the offensive possession was wasted.
i think Seattle should really try to keep Montero for at least another year. With DP money they might be able to get him to stay more than one year. Anyone know the details of Ljungberg’s contract? Is next year an option year for Seattle (or Ljungberg)? Seattle is playing amazing soccer and I am glad its going well for them.
Freddy Montero, if he even makes it to the end of the season without being sold somewhere else, will not be around after this season. That is a shame, but I will enjoy watching his highlights while he is here.
Posted by: Homey Boehme | March 30, 2009 at 01:39 PM
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Honey Boehme,
Freddy does not belong to Seattle. He is here on loan from his Columbian team.
No Special 1 tv this week?
here’s a thought…
can seattle make montero their DP. i’m not too sure they even need ljungdwersbgberg. if they were to use their DP slot next year on South American Freddie… well, that would make a lot of sense.
i guess i’m assuming European Freddie’s contract is optional next year.
Montero scored two vs. NYRB. The goal that was posted for his GOTW was the less impressive of the two. Sure the ballot box was stuffed but those who viewed the goal posted last week missed out on his better goal.
This weeks goal vs. RSL was just sick. What movement.
Who will be the first to draw a RED card hacking him to death? Sheeesh.
Chicago looking terrible and pulling out a point, and nearly stealing the win.. And Mapp pulled a barret
The performance of Mac Kandji.Osorio should let him play more up front with Angel.A deadly combination
How about the 4 goals in 7 minutes during the Houston v. SJ game. Amazing.
Last weeks goal of the week was a farce. Either of Arnauds, Coopers & Pontius all were more impressive goals than Monteros’ this week is an entirely different matter, his goal was simply awesome…if he doesn’t win this week it will just be a make up for winning it undeservedly last week.
Seattle had around 28,000 fans. That’s probably the highlight of the week.
I would have expected better soccer from all of the east vs east matches … afterall isn’t the east blessed with all of the talent this year. I hope we can expect a much better effort as the year goes on. Go TFC
Worst of the week: Toronto’s fans
Worst of the week: Blanco’s little dance followed by his epic dive.
Fredy’s shot was fantastic…but I liked the little bit of flair that Steve Zakuani showed on Seattle’s first goal. He made a great run and then completely turned Beltran around and got off a perfect cross to Jacqua using the outside of his foot. Pretty nifty moves and hopefully a sign of things to come from the #1 overall pick.
KC was on the road, not at home. They still lost, but at least they aren’t 0-2 at home like Dallas.
AlexS – “Worst of the week: FC Dallas’ crowd.”
Can it legitimately even be called a “crowd”?
Highlight of the week. Toronto FC’s 2000+ traveling fans to Columbus. The second highest MLS traveling fan numbers in MLS history (2nd to Toronto’s fans last year – NYRB free trip not included, Toronto fans pay there own way).
Worst of the week: FC Dallas’ crowd.
Close second: the defenses (and line judge) in the Dynamo/Quakes game.
Freddy Montero, if he even makes it to the end of the season without being sold somewhere else, will not be around after this season. That is a shame, but I will enjoy watching his highlights while he is here.
freddy’s kick had so much movement on it that i would expect him to win his second goal of the week award.