With 11 games featuring Major League Soccer sides on Saturday, a roundup of all MLS preseason action:
Seattle Sounders 2-3 Sporting Kansas City
First-half goals by Graham Zusi (34th minute) and Krisztian Nemeth (39th) gave Sporting KC and early before Peter Vermes’s side locked the game down defensively before a series of mass substitutions around the hour mark.
Zusi finished a one-on-one chance against Stefan Frei after a Benny Feilhaber long ball unlocked the Sounders defense and put the U.S. national team regular in on goal. Nemeth was the beneficiary of a clever backheel by Bernardo Anor inside Seattle’s penalty area. Anor was first to the rebound of a Dom Dwyer shot saved by Frei, but rather than take the shot himself, Anor calmly flicked the ball back to Nemeth who hammered it into the back of the net.
Late goals by James Rogers (Sporting, 73rd), Victor Mansaray (Sounders, 74th) and Kenny Cooper (81st) completed the scoring. | FULL GAME ARCHIVE
New York City FC 1-1 Orlando City SC
NYCFC forward David Villa created and attempted the first real goalscoring chance of the game when he smashed the crossbar with a shot from 25 yards out in the 11th minute.
While Villa’s shot went begging, the other world superstar-turned-MLSer, Kaka, saw his first real chance of the game find the back of the net. Making his second long, strong diagonal dribble through midfield in five minutes, Kaka created space in the face of three NYCFC players and unleashed a low burner into the bottom right corner. Khiry Shelton, the No. 2 overall draft pick in last month’s SuperDraft, scored equalized in the 55th minute with a cool finish past the goalkeeper.
The two teams meet each other on March 8 in each club’s MLS debut. | FULL GAME ARCHIVE
[ WATCH: Three great MLS goals on Saturday — which was the creme de la creme? ]
Colorado Rapids 1-1 New England Revolution
Gabriel Torres opened the scoring shortly after halftime, putting the Rapids ahead with a lightning-quick run in behind the Revolution backline. Torres easily slotted the ball past the ‘keeper to finish the move.
20-year-old Diego Fagundez equalized for the Revs less than five minutes later with a stunning dribble through the Rapids backline and finish past the ‘keeper. Juan Agudelo laid the ball off to Fagundez 25 yards from goal, where the Uruguayan took a touch, dummied the first defender and glided past him before lifting his shot over the ‘keeper and into the back of the net. | FULL GAME ARCHIVE
Elsewhere in MLS preseason action
LA Galaxy 1-0 Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) — Trialist Mika Vayrynen scored the game’s only goal as the defending champions wrapped up the European portion of their preseason preparations with a .500 record. The Galaxy lost to Swedish first-division side Hammarby, 2-1, on Monday. | HIGHLIGHTS
Toronto FC 1-0 HB Koge — 22-year-old Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio scored the only goal of the game, a “patient” finish in the 53rd minute. Jozy Altidore, making his second appearance of the preseason, provided the assist for Osorio’s goal. | FULL GAME ARCHIVE
Columbus Crew 2-0 Costa Rica U-23s — Kei Kamara and Federico Higuain scored two minutes apart (16th and 18th minutes) as Gregg Berhalter’s side continued to hum right along and look the most obvious challengers to the Eastern Conference reign of the Revolution and D.C. United.
Philadelphia Union 6-0 London United — Union goalscorers: Marquez (10'), Fred (29'), Fernando (70', 85'), Wenger (71'), Chaco (80')
FC Tucson 1-3 Real Salt Lake — RSL goalscorers: Saborio (41', 58'), Sandoval (68') | FULL GAME ARCHIVE
Sacramento Republic 0-1 San Jose Earthquakes — San Jose goalscorer: Perez Garcia (51')
New York Red Bulls 1-0 Oklahoma City Energy — Bradley Wright-Phillips set up the game’s only goal, playing a ball across the face of goal for Manolo Sanchez to hit home. | GOAL HIGHLIGHT
Charleston Battery 1-0 Houston Dynamo — FULL GAME ARCHIVE
Sunday’s MLS preseason schedule
Chicago Fire vs. Stabaek (5:30 pm ET, Portland, Oregon — ONLINE STREAM INFO)
Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (9 pm ET, Portland, Oregon — ONLINE STREAM)
