Week 12 Recap

By: travis | June 8th, 2009

Will Juan Carlos Osorio’s head roll this week? Clamoring up in New York, after two losses in the past four days, is heating up. It’s with good cause as well, with the 2-9-3 record equal to the worst in the league. From day one in Seattle, the 2009 season has seemed doomed from the very first kick of the season. Nothing has gone right — from injuries, to red cards, poor finishing, and bumbling defending, I’m hard pressed to think of what has gone right. Be sure to stay tuned this week to see what happens with that.

Around the league it was a FIFA international weekend, meaning numerous players were off in distant countries helping their respective countries vie for a spot in the 2010 World Cup. For some clubs, like LA and Toronto, these losses are potentially debilitating, while for others, such as Houston, they keep posting results.

There’s a lot to get to and I’m not going to beat around the bush. Here’s a look at the action from the latest slate of MLS games:

D.C. United 2-0 New York
A rather ho-hum match marred by a soggy and cold evening left the Red Bulls defeated by United for the third time this season. Great work by Fred and Emilio opened New York up for the first goal. After that, the game was rather tame, and United seemed to lack a killer instinct. The Red Bulls lingered, but couldn’t convert on the few chances allotted to them. D.C. United must be left wishing they could face New York on a weekly basis — if that were the case they would be undefeated this season. For Juan Carlos Osorio, as previously mentioned, his days could be numbered. More on that later.

Chicago 0-1 Houston
Don’t look now but the Dynamo are on a roll. The perennial Western Conference contenders are now fully recovered from their typical early season struggles and have now won three games in a row and six of their last seven. They’ve conceded a mind-boggling two goals in their past eight games to boot, and haven’t tasted defeat April 4 against D.C. Geoff Cameron has settled down and then some in his new centerback position, putting himself in contention for a spot in the Gold Cup — at least in my opinion. Stuart Holden’s early goal proved to be the difference, and it was a great run from the midfielder combined with a great find by Kei Kamara. To inject some opinion into the U.S. MNT, when was the last time we saw a run like that from a U.S. midfielder? The game, I know, is different, but it would be nice to see some dangerous runs and passing play to set up goals for once — not a set piece or a fortuitous handball.

Toronto FC 1-2 Los Angeles
My initial shock when checking this result was abated when I watched some of it. Toronto was particularly wasteful in front of the net (what else is new?) and had some manic moments at the back, allowing Edson Buddle to bury his game winner in the second half. Woeful moments from Toronto cost them in this one, as Stefan Frei was hung out to dry on Buddle’s finish — though credit to him for such a cool, composed finish. For the Galaxy to pick up this result sans Landon Donovan is the true shocker. Where do you go from here if your a Toronto fan? The team is left reeling a bit, first after the loss in the Canadian Championship mid-week, and now a home defeat at the hands of L.A.

Kansas City 0-2 Columbus
It was a real Keystone Cops moment for the Wizards that ultimately doomed them in this one. A collision of Jimmy Conrad and Aaron Hohlbein took Kevin Hartman out of the play, allowing Guillermo Barros Schelotto to literally roll in the game’s first goal. Horrible sight to see in a league that is definitely on the rise — though these things do happen. KC couldn’t recover, however, or even capitalize on the thuggery of Chad Marshall. Marshall sent his knee into the groin of Hohlbein away from the play, but not out of the sightline of the referee, who promptly sent him off. A good call and a real bizarre moment from the Crew central defender. A comeback was not to be, as Kansas City got forward with real muster but couldn’t crack the Columbus defense. It was a penalty conceded by rookie Matt Besler that would round out the scoring, as he kicked Eddie Gaven in the box, allowing Schelotto to convert the game’s final goal.

Real Salt Lake 1-1 Colorado
A good atmosphere and buzz surrounded this match up, one that took place at the glamorous and new Rio Tinto stadium. Deadlocked through 77 minutes, this one was destined for a scoreless draw — that is, until Yura Movsisyan, notorious for his inconsistent finishing, somehow threaded a curling shot past a sea of defenders, all while falling away onto his back, leaving Matt Pickens stranded. Count me as surprised as anyone to see the young striker put that one away. Especially when you consider some of the shots he has missed in the past. A late winner it was not, thanks mostly to some hard work by Omar Cummings, who blasted a screamer past a diving Nick Rimando. With the loss of Conor Casey for perhaps the next month, the offensive experience that Cummings brings to the table is important if the Rapids want to maintain their current surge.

Chivas 1-0 Seattle
If Freddie Ljungberg spent the same amount of time and energy playing then he does whinging to the ref, Seattle would be a much better side. Perhaps that’s a little harsh, as the Swede seemed to be kicked around the pitch a bit, but it was a moment of complaining which Chivas took advantage of. A quick throw-in by Jorge Flores triggered a swift attacking movement capitulated by an Eduardo Lillingston goal. That was enough for Zach Thornton, who slammed the door shut on the Sounders, who now carry a winless streak of six games.

FC Dallas 2-2 San Jose
Not the best viewing out in Frisco — not only is it the two worst teams in the league, but also a sparse and empty stadium that makes any MLS fan cringe. Add to that misery the ugly brown scar in the middle of the field, and I found this one difficult to take in. Dallas managed to hold the upper hand for the majority of the first half, grabbing the lead on a David Ferreira goal, his first of the year. Much more was surely expected of him at this point in the season, but Dallas has to take what it can get. Just when it looked like the Hoops would run away with the game, Pablo Richetti turned the ball into his own net. And with that, momentum swung into the favor of the Quakes, who were missing a number of regulars through international play and injury, then took the lead. Some tenacious attacking by Quincy Amerikwa ensured that his side maintained possession, allowing Arturo Alvarez to add another highlight-reel goal to his resume. It wasn’t enough to preserve a road win for the Quakes, as a late Kenny Cooper goal allowed Dallas to equalize.

New England 4-0 New York
Another game, and yet another loss for the Red Bulls. The return of Taylor Twellman, which kick started the Revolution in the prior week, gave them a brand new look on Sunday. Maybe it was the opponent, but New England resembled the team of old, creating numerous chances and getting forward with real purpose. They will most certainly be a side to be reckoned with, provided that they stay healthy. A bright spot for New York? Nick Zimmerman, the rookie from James Madison, looked solid in more MLS action. For anything else positive, you have to dig much deeper than I have the time for.

Goal of the Week
Considering the circumstances — on the road, hostile crowd, and a rivalry to boot, Omar Cummings gets the nod with a powerful finished blasted by Nick Rimando. Make sure to vote here and make sure your voice gets heard.