Major League Standings: Sounders are still mathematically in the playoffs

Seattle gave a pathetic showing in Kansas City and while there was essentially nothing positive in this match, Seattle is not in much worse of a position than they were before. Sure they dropped three points to a playoff fighting side in SKC, but many teams dropped points this weekend and that means there is still something you can theoretically hope about.

Friday 7/22:

Real Salt Lake 1 - San Jose Earthquakes 1: Two teams both fighting for playoff spots, one in and one just below the line. A draw was the best result and the one we saw, it was great. Luke Mulholland and Chris Wondolowski had the goals in this one.

Saturday 7/23:

Portland Timbers 1 - LA Galaxy 2: LA did something we couldn’t, beat Portland. In Portland. LA came out on fire with two goals by the time the clock struck 12:00. Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes found the net to give LA a quick advantage. Portland struck back at the end of the half with a 41st minute goal from Zarek Valentin, assisted by Darlington Nagbe. Fans thought they’d be able to get back into though Portland didn’t score, they did control most of the second half. Possession control became major with a 1st half stoppage time injury to Nat Borchers that appears to be an achilles strain or tear as he needed to be stretched to the locker room. LA is in form and started to become uncatchable in the 3rd place spot, a good side to pick up points against Portland for us.

Columbus Crew 2 - Orlando City 2: Two sides that have punched below their projected weight this season and sit outside the playoffs currently put together some entertaining soccer but neither could walk away with more than a point. Kevin Molino would’ve been a good fantasy pickup for this week from this match for those wondering.

Montreal Impact 5 - Philadelphia Union 1: With the win, Montreal moved up to 4th and without points, Union sit in 3rd behind Red Bulls. Montreal had a bit of fun in this one, with a Drogba hat trick culminated in a 52nd score. Ignacio Piatti had two assists before getting a late goal of his own in the 87th. Matteo Mancosu scored in stoppage time to make it even uglier. Congrats to Drobga on getting a hat trick in less than an hour is all that really has to be said.

New England 1 - Chicago Fire 0: Je-Vaughn Watson’s 85th minute goal created plenty of separation between them and 7th place OCSC. Chris Tierney sent in a great corner before Watson knocked it in with his heel. But this is the East so....who cares.

Toronto FC 4 - DC United 1: Drogba is no longer the only DP with a hat trick this weekend. A beautiful free kick and two more goals for Sebastian Giovinco. Marco Delgado and Jared Jeffrey each scored as well.

Colorado Rapids 1 - FC Dallas 1: Top of the West with Dallas ahead by three points and three total matches played went at it in the Mile High city. Late goals in each half were the story with Marlon Hairston scoring in the 44th and Victor Ulloa in the 82nd. Ryan Hollingshead started at LM with Fabian Castillo on his way to Turkey and it’ll be interesting to see how the team plays going forward without Castillo.

Houston Dynamo 0 - Vancouver Whitecaps 0: Bottom of the West versus the last playoff side and it went fairly predictable. Vancouver has been very poor on the road and had the worst PPG’s among playoff teams going into the weekend. Houston is just bad, playing worse than the Sounders and so the sides tied. Good result for Seattle, a team ahead of them dropped points and they don’t become last in the West again.

Sunday 7/24:

New York Red Bulls 4 - NYCFC 1: Patrick Vieira kicked out for arguing with the officials early on, while down 2-0. A PK just before the half put them down 3-0. Tommy McNamara scored with a couple minutes before the break but it didn’t inspire a comeback. BWP scored his second and the final in 70th to crush all hopes of a comeback. It was after that things got ugly, before Frank Lampard rugby tackled and appeared to a punch a player and will likely earn a suspension for the next match, RJ Allen picked up a yellow card to earn his accumulation suspension though he picked up an injury about 15 minutes later. Federico Bravo subbed on in the 87th, 45 seconds later he had a yellow card and a suspension for accumulation. The next minute, Ethan White a second yellow and an ejection. Minute later...David Villa doesn’t backup to allow a free kick, not even a quick free kick, earns a yellow and accumulation suspension. To recap Allen, Villa and Bravo earned accumulation suspensions. Ethan White and Patrick Vieira picked up suspensions with their individual ejections. Frank Lampard earned only a yellow in this one but likely gets a suspension for his actions meaning they get a lot players rested during the next match.

Sporting Kansas City 3 - Sounders 0: An unhappy note to finish on. This match did not go as planned. It was painful to watch. Stefan Frei was a positive but that’s pretty much it.

Seattle is still only 10 points out of the playoffs and have games in hand. It COULD be worse. There is still hope for goals. There is still hope for the Sounders to make the playoffs. Nicolas Lodeiro could make a difference. Flaco good make a difference. They could do it, I don’t know if they will but until they are mathematically eliminated draws across the West will be a welcome sight.

www.mlssoccer.com/standings