Anyone who says there’s no scoring in world football must have had their eyes bug out on cartoon-ish stalks when they saw not only the full-time score of Friday night’s Sporting Kansas City-Vancouver match, but the results of this past weekend as a whole.
Last Friday, SKC (5-1-2, first place in the West) potted six goals against the nine-men Whitecaps, including a hat-trick by striker Johnny Russell. It was his first career hatty as Kansas City took a 6-nil triumph and all three points.
Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia came up with a brilliant early save on Yordy Reyna, as Melia rushed off his line and got a hand on Reyna’s try at what appeared like a certain goal for the ‘Caps. Reyna got behind the SKC defense, the flag stayed down -- in real time, he looked offside as Vancouver played the ball in, but the replay had him onside; what a well-timed run! -- and Reyna cut left near the penalty spot before he met Melia’s mitts.
But after that, Vancouver -- a team that is trying to re-discover its scoring touch, given that several offensive-minded players, including former Revolution striker Kei Kamara, are currently in the trainer’s room -- could not get a real foothold in the match: the ‘Caps had five shots on-target, and only one, Reyna’s in the seventh minute, compared to 14 on-target for SKC (34 total); Vancouver only had 20.5 percent possession. Russell, the Scot, had two goals within six minutes of each other, the result pretty much in hand just after the quarter-hour mark. Jimmy Medrana made it three at the half hour with a left-footed blast from the flank, and the rout was on.
A little extracurricular activity between the two sides just before halftime saw referee Kevin Stott send Reyna and Vancouver teammate Efrain Juarez off after he checked VAR, putting the Whitecaps further under the cosh. Russell added goal No. 3 just after the two sides returned to the pitch, before Cristian Lobato and Yohan Croizet wrapped up the scoring.
The hope for Revs’ supporters is that Sporting Kansas City got the scoring out of its system this past weekend, and loses their scoring boots somewhere over Ohio when they fly this way: SKC comes to Gillette this Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. clash.
And speaking of scoring, hellooooo LAFC! Los Angeles Football Club, which has now won four on the trot, put five past Montreal (who put three past LA) on Saturday afternoon, and Houston put five past Toronto (who played a weakened XI going into this week’s CONCACAF Champions League Final first leg).
In all, Major League Soccer clubs combined for 46 goals this weekend, with Portland's Larrys Mabiala scoring the last goal of the 49-hour period during the 66th minute in the Timbers' 3-0 win over NYCFC Sunday night.
That ties the league record for goals in a weekend: MLS clubs scored 46 in the final weekend of the regular season in '17.
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Big weekend for goals, but we've also seen some quality PK saves. ⛔️ pic.twitter.com/0XIXhyy28W
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 22, 2018
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
No one in the USA should feel compelled to watch a FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia. We have plenty of grassroots domestic soccer both pro & amateur this summer to satisfy the pallets of football lovers. #MLS #USL #NPSL #UPSL
— Kartik Krishnaiyer (@kkfla737) April 20, 2018