Around the Rest of the League, Week 1

Saturday, March 10th

Colorado Rapids [2-0] Columbus Crew

The rematch of last season's play-off wildcard match ended much the same as it did last November, the Rapids coming out on top over their eastern conference counterparts. Both goals were scored towards the end of each half, Defender Drew Moor opened the scoring with a header right before the end of the first and Quincy Amerikwa providing the second and Goal of the Week-worthy strike in the dying minutes of the second. 

Vancouver Whitecaps [2-0] Montreal Impact

Vancouver welcomed the Impact to the league with style, Sebastian Le Toux getting the earliest ever strike for an opening day match and Camilo Sanvenzzo capping off the scoring with a beautiful individual effort culminating from even more fantastic build-up featuring all of Vancouver's key attacking players. Looking past the scoreline and the defensive errors that led to it, though, Montreal overall kept up with Vancouver and it definitely doesn't take any sort of stretch of the imagination to see them being successful this season despite being an expansion team.

DC United [0-1] Sporting Kansas City

Last season's Rookie of the Year opened up the season for his club with a bang, CJ Sapong heading home a stoppage time goal to give SKC the road victory over a largely in-effective DC united side. The story is in the stats: SKC's seventeen total shots eclipsed DC's seven, and even more telling was the difference in shots on goal, SKC with eight and DC with only one. SKC is looking as good as ever, the same sadly cannot be said of DC United.

San Jose Earthquakes [1-0] New England Revloution

An early goal by none other than Chris Wondolowski was the lone tally of the match, ending an opening day winless run dating back to when the Earthquakes re-entered the league in 2008.

LA Galaxy [1-3] Real Salt Lake

This was arguably THE marquee match of the weekend, and while the real action didn't happen until towards the end of the match, man did it deliver. After a fairly even first half that saw the Galaxy smack a couple shots off of the woodwork, the goals began to flow early into the second half. It was the Galaxy who struck first, David Beckham provided the pinpoint service into Edson Buddle who easily headed the ball down and in past Nick Rimando. RSL quickly leveled the match, however. Just two minutes later rookie Sebastian Velasquez whipped a cross into the box that was difficult for the Galaxy to handle, leading to a Sean Franklin own goal. RSL then went on to score twice more, Javier Morales and Fabian Espindola tallying one a piece. The Galaxy poured on the pressure late, but RSL's defense stood strong and the result held.

Sunday, March 11th

FC Dallas [2-1] New York Red Bulls

FC Dallas struck early, taking advantage of the Red Bull's still dreadful set piece defending, Zach Loyd hammering the ball past rookie keeper Ryan Meara. FC Dallas doubled their advantage midway through the second half, Ricardo Villar picking up a Blas Perez pass and neatly chipping it over an advancing Meara. With the introduction of Kenny Cooper to the match, the Red Bulls seriously begun to press FC Dallas as they began to recede into a defensive shell to preserve the scoreline. Cooper managed to get the Red Bulls back into the game with a chip of his own, but despite New York's efforts they just could not find an equalizer.

Chivas USA [0-1] Houston Dynamo

Chivas USA could only remain lucky for so long, after having defended attack after attack from the Dynamo through all ninety minutes of regulation time two minutes into stoppage time Chivas could hold the Dynamo back no longer. Andre Hainault provided the match's lone goal as the Dynamo become only the second eastern conference to win over the opening weekend.

Monday, March 12th

Portland Timber [3-1] Philadelphia Union

After a fairly even and uneventful first half, the match exploded into life early on into the second half, the Union striking first thanks to Gabriel Gomez taking a free kick that found it's way into the back of the net thanks to a Jean-Baptiste own goal. The Timbers didn't let the goal stand for long, Baptiste, the victim of the own goal, the one to head home the equalizer only three minutes later. DP Kris Boyd gave the Timbers the lead just over ten minutes later, Kalif Alhassan providing the service for the target forward to flick home past Zac MacMath. Alhassan capped of the night scoring a goal of his own, a beautiful chip/cross that found it's way into goal.