MLS Round-up: David Villa the hero for NYCFC, as Red Bulls get their season going

NYCFC finally earn their first home win of the season

For New York City FC this season, home games have tended to follow a pattern. In all but two of their games at Yankee Stadium, the hosts have taken the lead, before ultimately being pegged back. Against Toronto, against New England, and even midweek against Montreal, Patrick Vieira’s side have found an advantage before failing to close the game out.

David Villa was clear on the issue midweek, when he told Yahoo Sport UK that his team must, “Stop giving presents [to the opposition].”

Unfortunately for Villa, that was exactly how the team started the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Goalkeeper Josh Saunders took too long on the ball, was closed down, and Octavio Rivero had a goal after just one minute. Credit to the hosts they quickly rallied, and before long Villa had a first half brace.

The second - a back-post scissor-kick - was delightful, and saw the Spaniard link up with Andrea Pirlo for his first assist of the campaign. However, just after the hour mark there was a feeling of déjà vu. Poor defending from Ethan White handed Vancouver a penalty, with Christian Bolaños eventually converting on a rebound.

A microcosm for the season, the odds were not in favour of NYCFC scoring a third, when you consider they had done so just twice in their last 15 MLS games. In need of inspiration, Steven Mendoza was the man to eventually end a winless run that started the day after he joined the club. Assisted by Tommy McNamara, the cross underlined his growing importance to this team alongside Villa.

Understandably pleased with the success, Patrick Vieira singled out one man’s contribution, “He was a captain,” he said of Villa. “He was fantastic.”

Ending a seven game win-less streak for NYCFC, it did not eradicate the major issue that has dogged the team this year. Defined by their inability to defend, optimists may say the team is still a work in progress. However, given many of their goals are avoidable, it paints a more concerning picture. Still feeling like a team trying to include some players that do not fit well together, it will be interesting to see what trades, (if any) Vieira does during the summer window.

The New York Red Bulls season has begun
Last Sunday the New York Red Bulls’ locker room was not a raucous place. The team had recorded a 3-2 come-back win at home to Orlando City, but the players were in no mood to celebrate.

“We’ve got to figure it out in the back,” Dax McCarty said last weekend. “In the back it’s unacceptable. I mean defensively we’re not good enough now and it’s really frustrating.”

The Red Bulls set a high standard in 2015, and they’ve struggled to recapture that so far. Welcoming FC Dallas to Red Bull Arena on Friday, it was an opportunity to show their poor form was finished after the win against Orlando, and that the team that collected the Supporters’ Shield last season was not a one season wonder.

Taking the lead early on through a well worked set-piece, the Red Bulls continued their trend of scoring big during wins. They’ve scored at least three goals in all three of their wins to date, with Friday’s 4-0 victory seeing four different players make the score-sheet.

One of them was hometown hero Mike Grella. Finding the net for the second game in a row, he also produced an MVP quality performance when his team needed it. Humbling the club that sat atop the Western Conference in the process, it went somehow to prove that the Red Bulls are quickly moving past their early-season slump.

“Right now I think the level of concentration and commitment and the mentality right now is at a really good place,” Jesse Marsch said afterwards. “We’ve got to just keep pushing here as we go forward.”

Philadelphia show old habits die hard

Things were going so well for the Philadelphia Union heading into the final half an hour of Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes. Up a goal thanks to Chris Pontius, and a man, after the dismissal of Anibal Godoy, nothing could possibly go wrong.

That was until Simon Dawkins weaved his way past a handful of Union defenders, before slotting the ball into the bottom corner. As if not frustrating enough, Montreal’s draw with Colorado meant the Union could have been top of the Eastern Conference with a win.

“We had a lot of the ball but not enough attempts on goal,” Jim Curtin said afterwards, calling the result disappointing. A fair way to characterise things from a Union perspective, the game was also a slight regression for C.J. Sapong as he missed two good chances during the game.

Proving that there is still some of the old Union DNA left in this side, Curtin will know his side have to be able to close out the easy games if they are to achieve make real strides this season. As for the Quakes, it also proved a part of their make-up - the never say die attitude - is still alive and well.

Poor finishing costs Crew SC in Seattle
16 shots, 4 on target, but 0 goals. That was the frustrating tale of Columbus Crew SC in Seattle, with the visitors seeing one point turn into none when Jordan Morris snatched a late winner, “We deserved more from the game than what we got, but that’s on us,” Crew SC goalkeeper Steve Clark said.

A frustrating affair for Gregg Berhalter, things had begun so well for his team at CenturyLink Field. Dominating the early proceedings, they produced a number of high quality chances. However, as has often been the case this season for Crew SC, they simply could not put the ball in the net.

That hasn’t been a problem for Seattle’s number 13 recently. The forward now has 3 goals in his last 3 games, earning the Sounders 6 points in the process. A slow start to his MLS career has been overtaken by a sharp turn in form. Producing some variety with his goals, it seems the forward is silencing more of his critics with each advancing week.

“I think [Morris] is getting his confidence, for sure,” Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said afterwards. “We said once he got that first goal, then he’ll feel better about himself and he’ll have that weight off his shoulders. Now he feels more confident.”

Meanwhile for Morris, with the pressure of earning his first goal in MLS now long gone, things are starting to open up, “Games get more fun. You don’t think as much,” he said after his third goal of the season. Perfect timing with the Copa America approaching, his shoot first think later approach is something that Kei Kamara and his teammates could perhaps learn from.

Nick Rimando wins the game for the new and improved Real Salt Lake

Watching Nick Rimando, there is nothing to suggest he would be a professional goalkeeper. Standing at just 5ft 8, he does not fill the goal in the same way Manuel Neuer or David de Gea does. However, that didn’t stop him pulling off a sensational double save in the dying minutes of Real Salt Lake’s 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo.

"Nick Rimando’s probably already had the save of the season,” Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle said afterwards. Serving to highlight why the 36-year-old has been able to carve out such a long career in MLS, his double-save was made all the more impressive by the fact the second stop cannoned off his face.

Leading him to comparisons with the viral internet sensation Scott Sterling, the man himself made it sound so simple, “The ball came across and I knew the guy was going to hit it, my instincts said he was going to go far post,” Rimando said. “I stayed and got my finger on it and it hit the post and I was just trying to make myself as big as I can.”

Undeniably a moment of brilliance from Rimando, there remains a bigger takeaway from the game. Last season, RSL would have collapsed after going behind like they did on Saturday. Representing a different proposition in 2016, they summoned two goals via Jordan Allen and Yura Movsisyan to earn an important three points.

One of only two teams in MLS with a 100% record at home this season, (Toronto are yet to play at home due to stadium work) it has helped propel RSL to second in the Western Conference. Also serving to validate the idea that last season was a rebuilding year for RSL, fans will hope that patience continues to be rewarded with a return to the playoffs.

Results - Game week 9

Wednesday
New York City FC 1-1 Montreal Impact
New England 1-1 Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Sporting KC

Friday
New York Red Bulls 4-0 FC Dallas

Saturday
Montreal Impact 2-2 Colorado Rapids
Seattle Sounders 1-0 Columbus Crew SC
Philadelphia Union 1-1 San Jose Earthquakes
New York City FC 3-2 Vancouver Whitecaps
Chicago Fire 1-1 D.C. United
New England Revolution 2-2 Orlando City
Real Salt Lake 2-1 Houston Dynamo

Sunday
Portland Timbers 2-1 Toronto FC
Sporting KC 1-1 LA Galaxy