Major League Standings - Happy Mother's Day

A win means three more points, and the Sounders now lie only one point behind the red line, with games in hand. For the most part Seattle again saw the rest of the league give them the results they needed.

Friday 5-6

Orlando City 1 - New York Red Bulls 1: BWP scored and someone other than Kaka and Cyle Larin scored for OCSC. This match was a fun one for card extraordinaires with NYRB picking up four yellows, the first one going to former OCSC CB Aurelien Collin (surprised?). Orlando saw four yellows and a red of their own. If the East gets to disciplinary points as a tie-breaker, the Lions and Red Bulls may look back on this game with regret.

We're all-square in Orlando. #ORLvNY https://t.co/ni1xEIaQlI

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 7, 2016

Saturday 5-7

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - Portland Timbers 1: Not the best result for the Cascadia Cup with Vancouver now having early wins over both the Sounders and Timbers, but great for the standings, with Vancouver having been the bottom of our two Cascadia rivals going into the day. Nat Borchers (the beard guy) put the Timbers up 1-0 at the half but Portland couldn't hold on in the second. Masato Kudo took over with a goal in the 60th and the setup for Christian Bolanos in the 66th to get the 'Caps through this one. After a great display last week, it was a Jake Gleeson error that gave the match to Vancouver.

. @WhitecapsFC capitalize on Gleeson error to go up 2-1. Game on at BC Place with 20 minutes remaining. #VANvPOR https://t.co/Ugf3ApimRj

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 7, 2016

Columbus Crew 4 - Montreal Impact 4: Kei Kamara was feisty after this one but I'll let the comments speak for themselves. The game had a fight over who should take a PK with Kamara looking at a hat trick and Higuain on a goal. Was that, goal four, what set off an epic collapse at MAPFRE or did Montreal just find their stride? Montreal went down 1-0 and tied it up in the 26th. Before the half they gave Kamara his second goal. Then two quick strikes and it was 4-1 Columbus. You'd think Gregg Berhalter's side had run away with it but no, Montreal earned a PK, which was converted by Didier Drogba. A few minutes later Ignacio Piatti got a feed from Dominic Oduro, and boom, it's 4-3. It took another 35 minutes but in the 3rd minute of stoppage, Oduro finished the game and earned Montreal a point they probably didn't deserve. Columbus left dejected and fighting, too bad we don't have them again this month.

Kei Kamara blasts Federico Higuain, and Gregg Berhalter's tough job just got even tougher: (h/t @AndrewKingMLS ) pic.twitter.com/iinbXTWC8A

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) May 8, 2016

Toronto FC 1 - FC Dallas 0: Toronto made renovations to their stadium and opened it up for TFC this weekend, and the players claimed it was magical. Whether it was or not (who cares?) Toronto won with Tsubasa Endoh scoring the lone goal on a Seba Giovinco assist. TFC managed to earn a few cards too, (leaving the match with five of them, one away from getting a free red next time). If you feel like it, thank TFC for helping FC Dallas continue their road slide. FCD was pretty lucky to only lose 1-0 with TFC pressing in the final minutes and stoppage, especially after Jesse Gonzalez left with an injury and no subs, requiring Ryan Hollingshead to play in goal.

Giovinco lines up for a free kick and it is saved by...

...Ryan Hollingshead. #TORvDAL https://t.co/OTqZ8hg8Va

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 8, 2016

Houston Dynamo 2 - Sporks 0: Sporks started off winning matches and we had no idea why, now they lose matches they should've won. Playing last in the Western Conference Houston Dynamo, Peter Vermes's squad came out flat. Two first half goals and a 57 minute appearance by Erick "Cubo" Torres and Houston walked away with a win. Kansas City now sits a point above Seattle with more matches played. It's early but they may have gotten all the good luck they were going to get this year.

Colorado Rapids 1 - Real Salt Lake 0: Colorado did it again...and now they're in first. I know some people have suggested giving them credit because, because obviously they are doing something right if they are in first. You aren't wrong; they deserve some credit for their wins; BUT I criticized Vermes and KC and it worked so...I mean 1-0 at home against a bunkering and leaky RSL side, just poor. It took one lucky/creative play to get Jermaine Jones the ball in scoring position. They had few chances, they couldn't capitalize, they just got lucky that RSL was worse. They'll come back down to earth soon but until then, enjoy saying Shield Leaders Colorado Rapids.

.@Jermainejunior back at it again. #COLvRSL https://t.co/Oul273U15G

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 8, 2016

Sounders FC 2 - San Jose Earthquakes 0: Jordan Morris, a goal and an assist. Clint Dempsey a goal. Ozzie Alonso an assist and a yellow. Three points. Things are right in the world again.

Sunday 5-8: Happy Mother's Day!

Los Angeles Galaxy 4 - New England Revolution 2: I can't say I'm shocked, New England is a poor club with an atrocious defense. The Galaxy are an average club with a great (though inconsistent) offense. Three different L.A. players earned goals for their mom (or mum as Steven Gerrard says). At the half, Gio dos Santos had a goal sandwiched by two Robbie Keane goals for a 3-0 lead. Kelyn Rowe and Juan Agudelo gave hope to the Revs scoring two goals three minutes apart and giving the club 20 minutes plus stoppage to find the third. Couldn't finish and then were buried by a Stevie G goal in stoppage to ice it. L.A. has hit their offensive stride, but their defense remains questionable. Although if your offense can hit four a night defense might not be matter so much.

That curve tho. https://t.co/OzVncCJRy3 #LAvNE pic.twitter.com/g8S3Qlmle0

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 8, 2016

DC United 0 - NYCFC 2: Two early second half goals were all that NYCFC needed. David Villa and Khiry Selton found the back of the net and no matter how much pressing D.C. did they just couldn't find passes in the final third or get shots off. It's going to be a long-season for Ben Olsen's boys. Federico Bravo got a late yellow, could've seen two, means he'll be suspended for accumulation against Portland. Oh and Diskerud didn't start and still no Frank Lampard because $$$...I guess?

Bravo with a fantastic defensive header. pic.twitter.com/MUiO5jj1Um

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) May 9, 2016

Seattle has caught up with the league putting up a fantastic points per game of 2.167 in their last six.  With 1-2 matches in hand on most of the clubs above us, we have the ability to get back above the red line. If the Sounders win their in-hand matches and the clubs above them did too (making everyone even on 11 matches) Seattle would sit in 4th behind LA, Colorado, and RSL.

MLS Standings

USL-

Only update here is that Karl Ouimette was seen walking around after getting kicked in the back by Romeo Parkes. Parkes was cut by Pittsburgh on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the kick. No word on what the USL punishment to go with him getting dropped will be, other than that he was suspended with no length determined. Which means...who knows. On a related note, let's hope he and Sergio Mota (yes, our former midfielder) team up for a player safety video. Seems natural to me...

@jhlands pic.twitter.com/WzJblukTqV

— Dave Clark (@bedirthan) July 28, 2015