MLS: 10 Things We Learned on Matchday 4
Sunday's MLS Matchday 4 concluded an entertaining weekend. The round was packed with terrific individual performances, some controversy and a few comebacks.
Orlando City SC drew 2-2 with the Montreal Impact at Olympic Stadium with just four players on the bench. The Vancouver Whitecaps left it till late against the Portland Timbers, while D.C. United also struck at the death versus LA Galaxy.
Goalkeepers also ruled the weekend. Houston Dynamo shot-stopper Tyler Deric and the Whitecaps' David Ousted were brilliant and single-handedly saved their respective sides from disaster.
Here are 10 things we learned on Matchday 4.
The New England Revolution Have Their Mojo Back
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The New England Revolution entered their match against the San Jose Earthquakes without having scored a goal this season. They finished Saturday's game with two, both of which were tallied by one of their young stars.
Kelyn Rowe struck twice in the first half and was arguably the best player, but not just because of his goals. Rowe was involved in the attack, creating chances and unlocking the Earthquakes back line.
Lee Nguyen, one of last season's MVP finalists, was also excellent. The U.S. international missed the Revs' opening match with an injury but now appears to be back in form.
Charlie Davies, who started up front over Juan Agudelo, had a couple of opportunities as well. It appears as if Davies is the right option for head coach Jay Heaps. He offers strength, intelligence and goalscoring prowess.
With the 28-year-old as the center-forward, New England's attack should improve from here on out.
Kaka Will Take Advantage of Open Space
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Closing down Kaka is an obvious tactic. However, the Montreal Impact gave him too much space, and the Brazilian punished them.
Prior to Orlando's opening goal, Luke Boden crossed the ball for an open Kaka, who appeared to pass it to Pedro Ribeiro in traffic. The Brazilian made no mistake and smashed it into the net.
Minutes later, Kaka collected the ball from Ribeiro off a counterattack and slotted it home. Victor Cabrera tried to close him down but was too late.
The last goal was scored on the break, but the space the Impact gave Orlando was unforgivable. Montreal had a 2-0 lead and let it slip due to poor positioning from the back line.
Ike Opara Is Excelling on Both Ends of the Pitch
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Sporting Kansas City recorded their first win of the season on Saturday. Ike Opara's header was the difference against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, his second goal of the campaign.
The defender has arguably been SKC's best player so far in 2015.
Sporting KC's defense hasn't been consistent, but Opara has been the bright spot for the team on both ends of the pitch.
The center-back is the leading scorer through four games. Midfielder Roger Espinoza is the only other player on the squad with a goal.
SKC has taken the joint-most amount of shots, per the official MLS website, but have just three goals. Their conversion rate has been woeful and needs to improve if they want to make the playoffs.
However, Opara, with Matt Besler as his partner on defense, will be a force to be reckoned with when he attacks set pieces, not to mention whenever he's defending.
The LA Galaxy Drop Points Again, but Fans Shouldn't Worry
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The Galaxy have earned five points through four games. However, their only win came on the opening day of the season against the Chicago Fire.
The Galaxy may have let a point slip between their fingers, but they're used to these "slow starts" in March and April.
Last season, L.A. recorded just two wins in its first eight regular-season matches. The Galaxy lost the Supporters' Shield in the final game of the year in Seattle and went on to win the MLS Cup.
L.A.'s beginning to the 2012 campaign was even more abysmal. The Galaxy won just five times in 18 matches. They won the MLS Cup later in the year.
There's a pattern: The Galaxy always start slowly but end up contending for titles by the end of the season.
L.A. struggled without Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes on Saturday, but most teams wouldn't play to their full potential when their best strikers are absent. The Galaxy will recover and contend for titles again.
Jesse Marsch and the New York Red Bulls Are Slowly Coming Together
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Fans revolted when the New York Red Bulls fired Mike Petke this winter, and that anger spilled over into the home opener last week versus D.C. United.
The Red Bulls have only played three games but are leading the Eastern Conference. New York has been organized and entertaining to watch and looks like a solid side.
Head coach Jesse Marsch deserves full credit for the team's early success. Marsch replaced Red Bulls fan-favorite Petke and had to live through the negativity, but he's steadied the ship.
New York's midfield of Dax McCarty, Sacha Kljestan and Felipe were excellent against the Columbus Crew on Saturday. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored for the second week in a row as well.
Their performances aren't perfect, but the Red Bulls are getting results. Very few teams are in top form at the moment, meaning New York will improve as the season goes on, which is a scary prospect for the Eastern Conference.
The Portland Timbers Can't Win in March
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For the third year in a row, the Portland Timbers failed to win a game in March. The Timbers have earned just one regular-season win in 18 matches since entering MLS in 2011.
Head coach Caleb Porter has drawn eight games and lost four since he arrived in Portland in 2013. The team eventually won the Western Conference and was one round away from the MLS Cup final that season.
The Timbers' performance against the Vancouver Whitecaps was a microcosm of their problems. They have injuries and players on international duty, but Portland still recorded 15 shots and had nearly 66 percent of the possession, per MLS' official website.
Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted made some brilliant saves, but the Timbers also mustered just five of their attempts on target. They cannot be wasteful, especially in a loaded Western Conference.
The defense also committed a blunder by allowing Robert Earnshaw an acre of space to score the winning goal. If Portland doesn't fix these errors, Porter will most likely be fired.
Kellyn Acosta Will Get a Longer Suspension
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FC Dallas' Kellyn Acosta was sent off after his harsh tackle on Seattle Sounders midfielder Andy Rose on Saturday. The youngster stuck out his leg with his studs up, which was enough for the referee to brandish a red card.
The MLS disciplinary committee will likely examine this challenge and hand Acosta an additional ban. It was a nasty tackle, so the 19-year-old is looking at a lengthy penalty.
Acosta was apologetic when asked about the incident post-match, per Steve Hunt of The Dallas Morning News.
"I didn't really see [Rose] until the last second. I tried to get to the ball first, tried to be aggressive and attack. Once I saw him, I tried to poke it past him, but he ended up getting it first. Put his body in front and I caught him pretty high. It’s a rash challenge on my part. I put myself in a bad situation."
At least the homegrown player realized the error of his ways. The red card shouldn't make head coach Oscar Pareja think twice about giving Acosta a start or an appearance off the bench.
The Colorado Rapids Need Kevin Doyle Now
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The Colorado Rapids set a record on Saturday: They became the first MLS team to begin a season with three consecutive 0-0 draws, per Opta. The Rapids are also the only team in MLS who haven't scored a goal this campaign.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni tinkered his lineup against the Houston Dynamo in an effort to find some attacking chemistry. Marcelo Sarvas operated in an unfamiliar No. 10 role, Juan Ramirez started on the left flank and Gabriel Torres was the center-forward.
Mastroeni was encouraged by his attack despite another scoreless game, per the official MLS website:
"I thought Marcelo played well. It’s a bit new to him to be making those runs, but when he releases from the midfield he creates fits for the opposing team. We wanted to create a numbers advantage in the midfield. When we found a good combination of passes we opened things up for Juan [Ramirez] and Gabby [Torres]. Those guys all possess the mentality to battle.
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The Rapids mustered just six shots against the Dynamo, per MLS' official website, but had it not been for Tyler Deric, they could have scored. However, it's still clear that the Rapids need a goalscoring striker.
The Chicago Fire Look Better Without Shaun Maloney
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Several teams were affected by the international break. However, the Chicago Fire benefited from the window, recording their first win of the season against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday.
Designated player Shaun Maloney is representing Scotland while the Fire continue without the midfielder. However, without Maloney in the lineup, Chicago looked more fluid and generated some quality chances.
It's worth noting that the Union were also missing a couple of key players, mainly injured midfielder Cristian Maidana. Regardless, the Fire played their best game of the season and earned a deserved victory.
Once Maloney returns, head coach Frank Yallop has a dilemma on his hands. The 32-year-old has been playing a lot deeper in the midfield than usual but is best suited to a No. 10 role. Now that Kennedy Igboananike is fully fit, it will be interesting to see Yallop's team selection.
Toronto FC's Defending Haunts Them Again
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For a second game in a row, Toronto FC was the victim of suspect refereeing versus Real Salt Lake. TFC defender Nick Hagglund had a seemingly good goal waved off for a foul on Chris Schuler. Referee Hilario Grajeda told Chris Kamrani of The Salt Lake Tribune that "Hagglund was called for holding."
Toronto ended up tying the match a few minutes later but conceded late, with RSL's Jordan Allen scoring the winner. It was very similar to the hosts' first goal as well.
TFC's defense failed to mark Allen and Luke Mulholland, who scored the game's opening goal. In addition, Javier Morales wasn't closed down prior to either of his assists.
Toronto was missing three key starters in the back line. However, the errors the defense committed are simple to fix. Just like the Columbus game, poor defending cost TFC the match. The referee cannot be blamed for failure to pick up an open forward.
Peter Galindo covers MLS and U.S. soccer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @GalindoPW.
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