Welcome to Garza’s Gabs, a weekly look at what is going on in the world of the MLS. This series will cover the controversial, the interesting, and the spectacular.
Late Drama
If you love dramatic soccer matches this weekend was one to remember. There were a total of four matches decided in stoppage time. From the controversial to the spectacular it was all there.
Orlando City won their match in the 10th minute of stoppage time, when Julio Baptista was brought down by Drew Moor and Kaká converted the penalty. The call was seen as controversial by the Toronto F.C. fans who thought it was a soft call. In hindsight the call could have gone either way, it was indeed a difficult decision for the head referee to make.
Both Columbus and San Jose earned a point at home with stoppage time goals. Ola Kamara scored the tying goal for the Crew, in what was a critical late goal. For the Eathquakes Chad Barrett was the hero. He scored against his former club to secure a point for his side in the California Classic. The match also ended with tempers high, as L.A. Galaxy defender Ashley Cole receiving a red card moments from the end of the match.
On Sunday afternoon in Portland, the Timbers came back to defeat Houston 3-2. The Dynamo lead 2-0 at the half, but in the second half three goal unanswered goals were scored by the home side.
The match ended in controversy, however,with yet another disappointing call by the officials. Lucas Melano appeared to be brought down by Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis, but after the replay it was clear that Willis did indeed win the ball. A draw should have been the deserved result for this match.
NYCFC Bids Farewell to Poku
New York City FC fan favorite Kwadawo Poku is headed for Miami FC of the North America Soccer League. The midfielder was transferred over the weekend for a fee that was reported by SI.com’s Grant Wahl to be around $750,000.
The Ghanian had scored four goals for the club last season, but has had a hard time finding a place on the squad this year. He became popular with fans last year for his electric play, which mostly came when he was subbed on. Of his 27 appearances last season, 21 were off the bench.
He will be a missed figure in New York, but he should fit in nicely in Miami. Take a look at his one goal he scored this season for NYCFC, it was a beauty.
L.A Struggles
The Galaxy failed to win a match again this week, as their winless streak is now at seven matches. On the plus side they did end their goal drought on Saturday night, when Giovani Dos Santos headed home a goal. The drought had been at over 350 minutes when Dos Santos finally scored.
With Gyasi Zardes and Robbie Keane returning soon from international duty. The scoring chances will certainly be more abundant. However, the defensive lapses have also been an issue. Especially late in matches, where its cost the team points they desperately need.
Fans will hope this is just a bad run of form and not a sign of things to come. Of all the forwards on the squad only Zardes, Keane, and Emmanuel Boateng have scored goals this season. The midfield actually leads the team in scoring. Mike Magee, Steven Gerrard, Baggio Husidic, and Dos Santos have combined for 15 goals.
They will have to find some answers to their problems soon, with their next five MLS matches coming against Western Conference opponents.
Tim Howard is Back
American soccer hero Tim Howard is back. After a 12-year career in the Premier League the goalkeeper has returned to join the Colorado Rapids, as it appears he has his sights set on finishing his career in the MLS.
With the Rapids already in first place in the Western Conference, the addition of Howard makes this club even more dangerous. His years of experience will be valuable to the club, as they work their way toward the MLS Cup Final.
Howard will make his debut for the team on July 4th when they face the Timbers, which also means current goalkeeper Zac MacMath will find himself on the bench for the first time this season in an MLS match. This is where things get interesting.
MacMath has been one of the top goalkeepers in the league this season with six clean sheets and a goals allowed average of just 0.69. Howard on paper is by far the better goalkeeper, but he was not a regular in the Everton goal last season. In addition, he was not the U.S. number one at the recently-concluded Copa America either, with his only appearance coming in the third-place match.
With that being said, it appears that the Rapids have full trust that Howard can continue the club’s success in net. His vocal leadership on the field could take the defensive unit to the next level, but if need be, MacMath provides an excellent option as a number two. No matter who ends up starting, this duo makes up the best goalkeeping core in the league now.
What to Look Forward to
This weekend, we get four straight days of MLS action and the most appealing matchup has to be the battle for New York. The last time the two sides met it was a blowout in a 7-0 victory for the New York Red Bulls, which was also the largest margin of victory in MLS history. NYCFC has yet to win a match in the rivalry, losing all four meetings.
It has been complete dominance in the rivalry thus far – even before the 7-0 win, the Red Bulls had outscored their rivals 7-2 in the first three meetings. Surely New York’s newest club will not make it five losses in a row. Kick-off is set for noon on Sunday.
Tweet of the Week
The MLS All-Star Game jerseys were revealed this week. What do you think about them? Sound off in the Comments section below.
Match of the Week
L.A. Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Top Three Goals of the Week
#1 Lamar Neagle (D.C. United)
#2 Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas)
#3 Dom Dwyer (Sporting Kansas City)