Most shocking result: What says “shocker” like someone putting a five-spot on the two-time defending champs? Congrats to Jay Heaps and his New England Revolution, who took the LA Galaxy apart Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. Diego Fagundez had a goal and two assists in the Revs’ 5-0 win.
Goals pouring in at Gillette: The last time New England scored five goals or more? A 6-1 result over Colorado back in 2004. Fagundez was 9 years old then!
League’s hottest player: Fagundez was simply outstanding, especially in the second half, alert, creative and supplier of a well-taken goal. Is an MLS Player off the Week honor ahead for the 18-year-old Revolution attacker? Could be, but either way he’s either the league’s hottest attacker, or at very least co-hottest along with Jack McInerney. Fagundez (pictured) has scored in four consecutive matches.
Best match: Montreal won at a place where it’s painfully hard to go get any points, much less all three, tamping down an under-strength Kansas City at Sporting Park – and this match had a lot going on. There was drama to the end, a coach sent off, a player sent off, lots of shots as the home team tried to close the gap late, etc. Oh, and there may be a suspension or two coming for the little dust-up between Montreal Alessando Nesta (who was ejected) and KC’s Claudio Bieler (who wasn’t … but may be fined or suspended anyway). The highlights are here.
Woe is D.C. United: A 2-0 loss to Chicago drove Ben Olsen’s club further off the cliff; that was a franchise-record 11th consecutive match without a win. As the Washington Post’s Steven Goff said: “MLS’s greatest embarrassment, Chivas USA, has earned six more points than United this season.” The personnel collection has been badly miscalculated; It seems inconceivable that someone, whether it is general manager Dave Kasper or Olsen, won’t soon be held accountable.
The woeful streak that no one is talking about: Toronto FC is also winless in 11, just like D.C. United. Unfortunately, considering this team’s history, that’s every bit as surprising as syrup poured over pancakes.
The missing men: It would be impossible not to think that Sporting KC and the Galaxy missed their top center backs, both of whom were starting for Jurgen Klinsmann U.S. national team on Sunday. Both of Montreal’s goals came after KC clearances that just weren’t good enough. SKC was without Matt Besler.
And the Galaxy allowing five? Sounds impossible … until you consider that Omar Gonzalez wasn’t around.
Meanwhile, the San Jose Earthquakes clearly missed dominating center back Victor Bernardez in falling hard at Real Salt Lake, 3-0.
More from Morales: Real Salt Lake’s Javier Morales is presumably slowing down, now 33. But he had was The Man in RSL’s 3-0 win over San Jose, and that came after playing three full matches over a week. (In fact, since the RSL playmaker went 120 minutes, including overtime, in the mid-week Open Cup triumph, make that “three matches and change” in a week.
Jack McInerney scores again: There is just no stopping this kid in 2013, as the Philadelphia Union’s 20-year-old striker struck for yet another goal – and another important one. We keep saying it, but so many of his league-leading 10 goals are either match-winners or equalizers. Saturday, his stoppage-time grass-cutter through traffic was the late, late equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Toronto.
Best goal: Watch the shape on Kelyn Rowe’s goal, the final tally in New England’s spirit-crusher over the Galaxy. It’s a fine piece of work:
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