Not many goals, lots of draw, one bizarre incident, one awful choice of words and lots more in a quick look back at Round 7 in MLS:
Low goals and lots of draws: Week 7 wasn’t exactly a sizzler in terms of goals … or even results. Just 14 goals scored in nine matches (1.55 goals a game, about a full goal fewer than historic average) made for the lightest scoring round of play yet. Meanwhile, four of the nine matches were draws, with four others claimed by just one goal.
Only one match finished with more than two goals, Houston’s 2-1 result over Chicago in South Texas.
Record established: That very win inside Houston’s thus-far impenetrable BBVA Compass Stadium extended the Dynamo’s unbeaten streak at home in all competitions to 35 matches, surpassing Real Salt Lake’s previous MLS record.
Club with most trouble afoot: Let’s go with D.C. United, where the stunning lack of offense around RFK Stadium has Ben Olsen’s boys for RFK stuck in the mud. Something’s got to give here, because the numbers are awful: From six matches, the Black and Red have just four points, just two goals … and a place at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Center backs scoring: Strangely, even though there weren’t a ton of goals the center backs were providing their share of them. Jamison Olave recorded his third goal this year for the Red Bulls, adding to his team-leading total. Yes, “team-leading” total! (And also helping to heap some of that above-mentioned misery on D.C. United.) And Dallas’ George John supplied the important, late game-winner as FC Dallas took down the champs in Texas. John is tied for FCD’s team-lead.
Most bizarre incident: Right after John nailed the critical game winner, he got nailed by a beer bottle. Thrown by one of Dallas’ supporters! John took the whole wacky thing in great humor.
Unfortunate incident: That one had a happy ending at least, with John bloodied but otherwise unhurt and the perpetrator arrested. (Yay, video evidence!) But Alan Gordon’s choice of homophobic words late last night in Portland won’t be so easily laughed off. The San Jose striker has apologized, and good on him – but a suspension will definitely be arriving soon form Major League Soccer.
Penalty kick blues: Saturday night’s match in Texas also featured the rare double penalty kick miss. FC Dallas’ Kenny Cooper and the LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan each missed a spot shot. Ironically, these are two of Major League Soccer’s last three 18-goal scorers. (Chris Wondolowski is the other one.) Penalty kick shooters are 8-of-12 in converting spot shots in MLS this year. (Donovan is 34 of 37 in his MLS career, so failure from the 12-yard spot is rare indeed for the Galaxy star.)
Week’s big upset: I raise a right hand of honesty on this one: I told a fellow NBC Sports colleague before Saturday that I had a funny feeling about Chivas USA’s contest against injury depleted Colorado out in Los Angeles. Reason: it’s easier to perform when media and supporters don’t expect much out of you. Now everyone is aware that Chivas USA is no doormat. As such, the going will get a little tougher in Goats Valley, just as Colorado’s surprising 1-0 win in Southern California clearly demonstrates.
Rookie watch: Speaking of Colorado’s huge three points, Saturday’s penalty kick game winner came off the right foot of talented rookie Deshorn Brown. He and fellow first-year man Dillon Powers are among the beneficiaries of Colorado’s grim litany of injuries through the season’s first seven weeks. Keep an eye on this kid out of the University of Central Florida. He’s got something.
Best goal: Will Johnson’s precision free kick late, the game-winner in Portland’s 1-0 win Sunday over San Jose. Here ‘tis:
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