There were seven matches in Major League Soccer this weekend, including three scoreless draws in an unusually low scoring string of games in the North American top flight.
Toronto FC’s 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo at BMO Field had the most goals of any contest. The victory took the Reds up to 10 points from nine games, but Toronto must now travel to Texas for a midweek MLS encounter against FC Dallas before returning home to face Chicago, through a grueling month of May for Aron Winter’s side.
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VIDEO: Adrian Cann on Toronto FC TV following TFC's 2-1 win over Houston.</p> |
Dallas was one of seven teams held scoreless this weekend. The Hoops had traveled to the U.S. capital to play D.C. United but neither team could manage a breakthrough. Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman kept the visitors from conceding with strong goalkeeping to compensate for defensive blunders.
In Utah, Real Salt Lake beat nine-man Chivas USA 1-0 with a late goal from Canadian international Will Johnson. Salt Lake paid a heavy price losing playmaker Javier Morales to a fractured ankle through a strong challenge from Marcos Mondaini. Morales could miss up to four months. Mondaini and former Toronto FC defender Andrew Boyens were ejected in the first half for Chivas.
Columbus and Seattle drew 1-1 in Ohio at the weekend. Crew’s Emilio Renteria extended his good form with a 67th minute penalty that canceled out Fredy Montero’s seventh minute strike for Seattle. Renteria has four goals in 2011, while high-flying Montero notched only his second.
The match that received the most fanfare in the U.S. was the New York Red Bulls’ visit to Carson to take on Los Angeles Galaxy. It didn’t start well for the home team when Thierry Henry put NYRB ahead at the fourth minute converting a pass from Dane Richards. Los Angeles managed to respond before the end of half through Landon Donovan, with David Beckham providing the ball that lead to the equalizer. The star-studded affair concluded 1-1.
In less eventful affairs scoreless matches included New England-Colorado, the Revs holding the visiting MLS Cup champion to a point; and Chicago-Vancouver with the Whitecaps taking something from their visit to Bridgeview, Illinois.
Toronto’s win keeps them in seventh place on goal difference though Eastern Conference leading New York is just five points ahead of the Reds. Columbus and Philadelphia are three points adrift of Toronto in second and third place respectively.
Out west, Salt Lake has roared back to a point behind Los Angeles at the top with a massive four games in hand. Colorado sits third in the Conference.
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