Chris Wondolowski’s 4-goal haul helped him set a new career standard in Major League Soccer, while Ethan Finlay haunted former club Columbus.
Aside from those wins for San Jose and Minnesota, what else did we find out on Saturday?
Houston stays hot while preparing for road-heavy stretch
Wilmer Cabrera’s Houston Dynamo have been sizzling at home -- even for host-happy MLS -- with a 6W-2T record to start the season boosting the club into fourth out West.
On Saturday, it was two-goal burst in two minutes that pushed Houston past Wayne Rooney’s opener for DC United (Only Carlos Vela and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have more goals this season than Rooney).
USMNT-hopeful Memo Rodriguez scored the first of the two goals, while Tommy McNamara came off the bench for the second.
Houston plays four of its next five away from Texas, though the matches are forgiving enough. The lone home match is versus Sporting KC. Where will they sit come the start of July and a visit from the New York Red Bulls.
That shot traveled through traffic like it was in the HOV lane! // @40_jrod pic.twitter.com/gnAT0bImqK
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 19, 2019
Croizet, Nemeth tomfoolery costs 10-man Sporting KC in stoppage time
Vancouver got a wild winner deep into stoppage time thanks to Derek Cornelius, but the match probably should’ve never gotten to that point.
Krisztian Nemeth took a red card for a studs-up tackle, but Sporting KC nearly navigated that mess.
Yohan Croizet is just as much at fault for the loss as Nemeth, as the midfielder tried to chip the keeper from 60 yards when he could’ve headed for the corner or just kept possession.
Instead, Vancouver’s Maxime Crepeau handled the effort and the ‘Caps broke the other way to pick up a point at Children’s Mercy Park.
CORNELIUS GRABS THE EQUALIZER IN STOPPAGE TIME!!!!!
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 19, 2019
SKC 1-1 VAN | #VWFC pic.twitter.com/f8HNyAumyr
Tired Seattle collects gritty point in possible Cup preview
Away and on a half-week’s rest as opposed to their hosts, Seattle earned a deserved point in its meeting with East-leading Philadelphia.
The Union out-attempted Seattle 20-6 and had goalkeeper Andre Blake back in the fold, but Stefan Frei and the Sounders held firm to pick up their 26th point. That’s second-best in MLS.