MLS Week 7 Rewind: RSL, Union Red-Carded, Pontius Gets Hat Trick

Whatever it was that you were expecting from this weekend's Major League Soccer action was probably blown out of the water by Sunday evening.We saw possibly everything imaginable occur during Week 7 of the 2012 campaign.There were several red cards given out there between Real Salt Lake and the Philadelphia Union's matches.New York Red Bulls' defense was split open by D.C. United, and there were late heroics between the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids.Let's not forget Toronto FC's loss—apparently some things don't change.It was the good, the bad and the ugly for MLS teams, so here's a breakdown trying to make sense of the mess of Week 7.  Begin Slideshow

Major League Soccer’s 10 Most Surprising Storylines so Far for the 2012 Season

Major League Soccer is entering into the best patch of the league's history. Attendance is up. New teams are thriving. And the quality of play on the field continues to improve. Here are the 10 more surprising storylines so far this year in MLS. 1. The continued growth of MLS There was already an established fan base in Montreal before the Impact's home opener, which had the largest crowd for a home opener for an expansion team in MLS history. The Impact, like Vancouver and Seattle before it, was a professional team playing in the lower division of North American soccer. There was no way to know the kind of reception the team would get upon entry to the MLS. Montreal became the 19th team in MLS only 10 years after the league was on the brink of extinction.  2. The improved style of playThere have been complaints abound about the poor quality of play and players in MLS, but that is starting to change. The names on the back of jerseys may not be the most recognizable, but the players wearing those jerseys are certainly more talented than those in the past. MLS has grown, and the style of play has evolved from kick and chase to more organized ...

Major League Soccer Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City Finally Falls

There are a few surprises this year in Major League Soccer. Sporting Kansas City's great start to the season is one, even though the team's talent was never in question. Injuries have been a major player already this year. And there seems to be one surprising blow out every week.Some major movement this week in the rankings. San Jose moves up to No. 2 and D.C. United continues to crawl up the ranking with impressive performances. 1. Sporting Kansas City (7-1-0, 21 pts.) - It was a long week for Sporting Kansas City. SKC had a midweek game in Vancouver, which it won, 3-1, and another game in Portland on Saturday, which it lost, 1-0. To win those two games on the road after playing Real Salt Lake last weekend would have been a miracle. 2. San Jose Earthquakes (5-1-1, 16 pts.) - Yes, Real Salt Lake was down to nine men, but that's not matter in San Jose right now. Frank Yallop got his 100th win as a manager in MLS, and this put the Quakes in first place in the Western Conference for the first time since being refounded as an expansion team in 2008.3. Real Salt Lake (5-3-0, 15 ...

DC United vs. New York Red Bulls: 6 Things We Learned from MLS Showdown

On a rainy Sunday evening in front of a small but lively crowd, DC United cruised to a 4-1 victory over their Eastern Conference rivals, the New York Red Bulls. United was able to take advantage of three first half goals to secure all three points on the night, leapfrogging the Red Bulls and taking over second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Here are six things we learned from the game.Begin Slideshow

New York Red Bulls: Player Ratings Against DC United

In what was a poor performance all around, the Red Bulls fell 4-1 to DC United at RFK Stadium Sunday afternoon.The Red Bulls' defensive vulnerabilities finally caught up to them, as DC took advantage of numerous defensive lapses and the goals from Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper largely dried up.It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Red Bulls are missing Wilman Conde, Roy Miller and even the suspended Rafa Marquez, as the short-handed squad was was ripped apart by a surging DC squad.Debutantes Connor Lade and Victor Palsson had nightmare performances, but it will be Stephen Keel who will be singled out for his poor performance that allowed DC to build its 3-0 halftime advantage. Player RatingsGK Ryan MearaMeara will look responsible for the bad score line, but truth is it could have been worse. Had some big saves late to deny DC United two goals, showing his shot-stopping ability. The 21-year-old could do nothing about the four goals proving it's the New York defense, not keeper.Player Rating: 7 RB Jan Gunnar SolliWas part of a right side that was the only bright spot of the Red Bulls attack for most of the match. Solli had a few good crosses including one ...

Sporting Kansas City Falls to Portland Timbers, Unbeaten Run Ends at 7

A Chance Myers own goal was all the offense the Portland Timbers needed to knock off Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in Portland on Saturday night. It was Sporting KC's first loss of 2012 and Portland's first home win of the season.Portland also snapped a four-match losing streak to move to 2-4-1 on the season.Portland made the most of its domination of possession early. The Timbers earned a corner in the fourth minute. Former Kansas City midfielder Jack Jewsbury took the corner, but the whistle was blown for a foul. Referee Hilario Grajeda called Eric Brunner for a high boot on Kei Kamara.Sporting KC's first opportunity came five minutes later. Forward C.J. Sapong took the ball down to the endline in the Portland penalty area. Sapong found Kamara near the penalty spot, but Kamara's shot was stopped by Troy Perkins.The next dangerous chance for Sporting KC came in the 22nd minute. Following a yellow card to Timbers defender Steve Purdy for a foul on Roger Espinoza, Graham Zusi's free kick forced a save from Perkins, tipping it over the bar.On the ensuing corner kick, Bobby Convey's attempt was gathered by Perkins and when Perkins went to throw the ball out, the ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids: Rating David Beckham’s Performance

While Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy did silence the Colorado Rapids 2-1 on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, it was an average performance for midfielder David Beckham, who only had three free kicks and wasn't much of a factor in the outcome of the contest. What I will say is that Beckham has stamina. In spite of getting injured in the second half, Beckham was able to see the match off. Beckham started on Saturday while suffering back issues, and should be commended for even being on the pitch. He has stamina. What he didn't have was the ability to find open teammates to receive the free kicks. Mike Magee came the closest in the second half but failed to connect. To be fair, Beckham wasn't awarded a lot of set-piece opportunities, but he was unsuccessful in making any of them count. "It was tough. We all felt it in the warm-up and when you go on a long run or things like that during the game, then you feel it as well," Beckham told reporters after the match."I think we coped with it pretty well especially ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids: Rating the Galaxy Players

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy were forced to withstand a late and furious comeback from Omar Cummings and the Colorado Rapids en route to a 2-1 victory at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. With the victory, Los Angeles even their record at 3-3 (nine points) and sit in the middle of the MLS Western Conference standings heading into next week's tilt with FC Dallas. Every result deserves player ratings, be it positive or not. Here are my player ratings for the Los Angeles Galaxy players following their 2-1 victory.  Josh Saunders: 8.5 He is the man of the match for the penalty-kick save on Omar Cummings in the first minute of stoppage time. Aside from the goal given up in the 63rd minute to Cummings, Saunders was a workhorse in goal, making collections and playing up to his 2011 form.  Sean Franklin: 5.5 Didn't have the speed to acquit himself tonight and was beaten off the ball badly, leading to the Cummings goal. He may be the weakest link in the back line heading into next week, stay tuned.  A.J. DeLaGarza: 8 It ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids: 6 Things We Learned

Strong start, furious comeback, tense and thrilling finish. That summed up the 2-1 victory over Oscar Pareja's Colorado Rapids for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. on Saturday.An own goal from Marvell Wynne combined with a strike from Landon Donovan was more than enough to  hold off a furious second-half rally by Omar Cummings, highlighted by a possible Save of the Week by Galaxy netminder Josh Saunders.No matter what the outcome, there are lessons to be learned and facts to be realized. Here are six of them.Begin Slideshow

Rafa Marquez Suspension Too Short, Not a Deterrent

I would like to begin by saying that, as will become obvious, I have never been a fan of Rafa Marquez. Quite frankly, I couldn't possibly care less about him. Being able to care less would imply that I cared at all.The thing is, I care about MLS. I want it to continue to grow in size (by one team) and in stature around the world. Any and all threats to that continued growth need to be eliminated.In my not so humble opinion, Marquez is just such a threat. The three-game suspension (and undisclosed fine) issued by MLS on Thursday is Marquez's second in less than a year. The incident in question stemmed from last Saturday's (4/14) match against the San Jose Earthquakes. On a corner kick in the 42nd minute,Marquez tackled San Jose's Shea Salinas from behind. Marquez also kicked Salinas, breaking his collarbone.He was also suspended three games for throwing a ball at LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan during last year's MLS Cup playoffs.To me, this suspension constitutes a slap on the wrist for Marquez and a step backward for the league. For evidence of why I think that, I want to take you back to September 30, ...