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The MLS 10

Red Bulls Win, Toronto Falls, Playoff Races Sizzle

The intensity level is ratcheting up in the American top flight as teams slug it out for playoff spots and two West Coast squads square off for the Supporters' Shield.
BY Blake Thomsen Posted
October 06, 2014
9:51 AM
WE'RE BACK WITH the second-ever MLS 10, bringing you all the news and highlights from the MLS weekend that was. Let's get right to it.

1. Huge Win for Red Bulls

Amid news that Red Bull (the company) may be losing interest in the club, Mike Petke’s men rose to the occasion with a massive 1-0 home win over the Houston Dynamo in front of an impressive crowd at Red Bull Arena. The still-brilliant Thierry Henry scored the winner, doing everything he can to extend what may be the last season in his glorious career.

New York now sits four points clear of sixth-place Toronto, but the Canadians have a game in hand and an October 11 date in Harrison, N.J.

2. Union, Crew, Toronto Drop Points

The fifth, sixth, and seventh-place teams in the Eastern Conference all dropped points over the weekend, with Philadelphia drawing and Columbus and Toronto losing. The Union suffered the most heartbreaking result of the bunch, conceding to Chicago’s Robert Earnshaw in stoppage time after a shanked clearance from Rais M’Bolhi.

Columbus and Toronto suffered predictable defeats to New England and L.A., respectively, and will look to regroup next time out. Columbus currently clings to the fifth spot, but if Toronto wins its game in hand, Michael Bradley’s side will leapfrog the Crew into a playoff position. Stay tuned.

3. LD Breaks the Assist Record

It came on a slightly anti-climactic second assist (seen in the video in the next section), but a record is a record. Congratulations, Mr. Donovan.

4. L.A. Is Still Really Good…

In case you needed reminding, L.A. is absolutely on fire. This week’s victim was Toronto FC, which fell 3-0 at the StubHub Center. By recent standards at least, that’s actually a good result for Toronto, as the Galaxy’s home goal average over the past five games actually dropped when it “only” scored three. Robbie Keane’s volley from A.J. DeLaGarza’s excellent cross was the pick of the goals.

5. …But So Is Seattle

The Sounders don’t want you to forget that it's a decent team, too, so the Seattle side thrashed Colorado 4-1 in Denver on Saturday. As usual, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins did much of the damage, with the U.S. captain scoring one and assisting another and Martins scoring twice, giving the pair a combined 31 goals and 19 assists on the season.

These two squads finish out the MLS regular season with a home-and-home series that will no doubt decide the Supporter's Shield (and home field advantage throughout the playoffs).

6. Goal of the Week

The temptation here is to give the goal of the week to the above Keane volley, but he loses points for striking the ball with his shin. Aesthetically pleasing? Yes. Technically perfect? Not so much. So the crown goes to Marco Pappa, with help from Dempsey. It starts with Deuce’s clever flick, before Pappa pours on the style with an audacious close-range chip.

7. Revs on Fire

While the Sounders and Galaxy look like heavy MLS Cup favorites, don’t rule out the red-hot New England Revolution. With a big assist from the controversial acquisition of Jermaine Jones, the Revs have now won seven of its last eight as the team surges toward the top of the Eastern Conference. Jones scored his second straight game winner, nodding in a poorly defended free kick.

The only thing cooling down the Revs at the moment? Those brutal football lines on the field. Yikes.

8. RSL Stumbles

In the type of game Real Salt Lake almost never lost under Jason Kreis, the club fell on the road at Chivas USA Sunday, ending the woeful side’s seven-game losing streak. It won’t hurt Real’s chances of making the playoffs but it may affect its seeding, as the Utah club now sits just one point ahead of FC Dallas for the crucial third-place spot. (The fourth place finisher in each conference has a play-in game with the fifth place team to start the playoffs.)

9. Whitecaps and Timbers Stay Tight

The race for the final playoff spot in the West remained tight over the weekend, as both Vancouver and Portland picked up important wins. Vancouver has a one-point edge in the standings for now, but Portland will play two of its final three games at home. The Timbers play San Jose and Real Salt Lake at home before traveling to FC Dallas, while Vancouver plays Seattle and San Jose on the road before squaring off against Colorado at home.

There may not be as many teams involved, but this race to the finish is every bit as tight as the one unfolding in the East.

10. Was That Really Alan Gordon?

Alan Gordon has massively exceeded expectations since coming to the Galaxy, scoring five goals in 11 games after failing to score all season for San Jose. He really outdid himself on Saturday night, firing in a 25-yard screamer in stoppage time to put the exclamation point on L.A.’s comfortable victory.

Gordon is playing extremely well heading into the playoffs, and his addition might be the crucial piece in L.A.’s Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup runs, as the Galaxy now have four viable goal-scoring options (that’s Keane, Donovan, Gordon, and Gyasi Zardes, if you’re keeping track at home).

What stood out to you the most from the MLS weekend that was? Let us know in the comments section below.

Blake Thomsen is a frequent ASN contributor. Follow him on Twitter.

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