Best match: Portland needed a stoppage time goal to get past the LA Galaxy, 2-1, in a feisty match at Jeld-Wen Field that had a little bit of everything. It ended with a little huffy-puffy fit at the end from a clearly frustrated Galaxy manager Bruce Arena, who was surely upset that his team had just conceded another late goal and took it out on Portland manager Caleb Porter. (Arena calmed down just a bit, waved Porter over and made nice before they left the field.)
What Arena was really mad about: When Portland’s Andrew Jean-Baptiste struck late Saturday night in Stumptown, it was the eighth stoppage-time goal Los Angeles has conceded this season and the 15th they’ve allowed after the 75th minute.
League’s hottest scorer: No coincidence that Vancouver started winning about the team Brazilian forward Camilo went on a huge scoring tear. He added two more in the Round 20 capper late Sunday, a 3-1 win over Chicago, and now has 10 goals in his last nine matches. With 12 overall, Camilo is now alone atop the league scoring lead.
What happened to Montreal’s defense?: Thierry Henry had a goal and two assists in New York’s fashionable 4-0 win over Montreal. It was truly one of the top performances from Mike Petke’s team this year. On the other hand … What gives with the Montreal defense, which has allowed 12 goals in the last four matches? That’s not the way Marco Schallibaum’s team will stay near the top in the East.
An underrated man: Anybody remember how New York Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty stepped up his game and established himself as a midfield force in MLS last year? Well, Eric Alexander is starting to wear the look of Mr. Stepping It Up this year. When on his game, Alexander is providing extra helpings of offensive drive through the midfield. He still needs to add the element of consistency, but more matches like Saturday’s and the veteran American will be for New York what (the just released) Juninho could not be.
Houston finds the target again – but those forwards still aren’t scoring: Houston finding goal has not traditionally a remarkable event. But the team nearly went 0-for-June, finding net just once in five matches (including one Open Cup contest). So scoring for a second consecutive match rates as a “talker” in this case as Dominic Kinnear’s team turned up a 2-1 victory at New England
On the other hand, it took two wonderful strikes from midfielder Adam Moffat to grab the three points. Once again, Houston’s strikers aren’t getting it done. Moffat and fellow midfielders Warren Creavalle and Brad Davis have all struck for goals lately … while the last time a Dynamo forward scored was way back on May 8.
Weekend’s best goal: No holding midfielder in MLS can thump in the long-range beauties the way Adam Moffat can. The Houston Dynamo veteran’s latest was struck with his left foot, which is his “weaker” foot.
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Real Salt Lake’s highly significant win: Real Salt Lake retained its pose as the league’s hottest team (extending its club-record unbeaten streak to 11 games across all competitions) with a 3-0 win over FC Dallas. It was the first time RSL had won in Texas, so manager Jason Kreis shed that weight from himself personally and from the club. And it was the organization’s 100th MLS win overall. Neither team was at full strength, but the visitors had slightly more to deal with in absences of Kyle Beckerman, Nick Rimando, Tony Beltran, Alvaro Saborio.
Worst refereeing moment: When we say “worst,” that accounts for pretty much the entire season in this case. We talked more about it here. But long story short, referee Jorge Gonzalez made an absolutely baffling decision in Philadelphia, one that weighed heavily in turning a potential 1-1 draw into a Union win over Chivas USA.
The alarming injury at L.A.: Details are scarce (there may be a further diagnosis later today) but Galaxy striker Robbie Keane limped off late in Saturday’s loss to Portland. A Galaxy offense without Keane (whom we labeled last week as our mid-season choice for league MVP) would be a tame offense indeed. Anyone else getting the feeling this just isn’t the year for the two-time defending champs?
