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League's Marksmen Putting All-Time Scoring Rate in Jeopardy: Week 10 MLS News & Notes

May 1, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


A trio of goalscorers is already on track for the greatest scoring rate in a season as the 2019 campaign reaches the one-third pole.

In Major League Soccer's first 23 seasons, just one player has finished a season averaging a goal per game or better (among players with at least five goals scored): Didier Drogba, who scored 11 goals in 11 games with the Montréal Impact in his first MLS season in 2015.

This season, three players are averaging better than one goal per game, led by Zlatan Ibrahimovi? of the LA Galaxy, who has netted eight goals in his first seven games after scoring in last weekend's win vs. Real Salt Lake. With his 11th goal in the opening 10 games this season, Carlos Vela of the Los Angeles Football Club has equaled the most goals over the first 10 games of a campaign in league history. As well, while seeing his five-game goalscoring streak put to an end, Jozy Altidore of Toronto FC is still averaging a goal per game this season.

GOALS PER GAME (INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON LEADERS)

YEAR PLAYER TEAM GP GOALS AVG

2015 Didier Drogba MTL 11 11 1

1998 Stern John CLB 27 26 0.96

2017 Josef Martinez ATL 20 19 0.95

2000 Mamadou Diallo TB 28 26 0.93

2002 Carlos Ruiz LA 26 24 0.92

2018 Josef Martinez ATL 34 31 0.91

1996 Roy Lassiter TB 30 27 0.9

GOALS PER GAME (2019 SEASON)

2019 Zlatan Ibrahimovi? LA 7 8 1.14

2019 Carlos Vela LFC 10 11 1.1

2019 Jozy Altidore TOR 5 5 1

Ibrahimovi? has scored 30 goals in his first 34 games - the length of the MLS regular season - the fourth-most of any player over that time in MLS history. But Ibrahimovi? now sits atop both the all-time leaderboard in goals per game - averaging .88 goals in each of his league appearances - and also averaging nearly one goal for every 90 minutes on the field.

GOALS PER GAME (ALL-TIME)

PLAYER MIN GOALS AVG

Zlatan Ibrahimovi? 34 30 0.88

Josef Martinez 61 52 0.85

Stern John 55 44 0.8

Robbie Keane 125 83 0.66

David Villa 117 77 0.66

Carlos Vela 38 25 0.66

Didier Drogba 33 21 0.64

Mamadou Diallo 74 47 0.64

Bradley Wright-Phillips 177 107 0.6

Sebastian Giovinco 114 68 0.6

Minimum: 20 goals

GOALS PER 90 MINUTES (ALL-TIME)

PLAYER MIN GOALS AVG

Zlatan Ibrahimovi? 2773 30 0.97

Josef Martinez 5047 52 0.93

Stern John 4463 44 0.89

Didier Drogba 2520 21 0.75

Mamadou Diallo 5846 47 0.72

David Villa 9693 77 0.71

Robbie Keane 10808 83 0.69

Carlos Vela 3267 25 0.69

Bradley Wright-Phillips 14150 107 0.68

Jozy Altidore 9121 65 0.64

Minimum: 20 goals

SPORTING'S TIM MELIA CONTINUES AS MASTER OF SPOT KICK SAVE

Tim Melia of Sporting Kansas City added to his legacy once again, stopping yet another penalty kick during his club's wild 4-4 draw with the New England Revolution at Children's Mercy Park last weekend.

Melia has saved nine penalty kicks over his MLS career - the fourth-most of any goalkeeper in league history. But Melia has made those nine stops from just 22 total penalty kicks faced - his save percentage of better than 40 percent for his career the second-best in MLS annals (among all goalkeepers with at least five penalty kick saves).

Over the course of MLS history, penalty kicks have been successful 77 percent of the time. Penalty attempts are saved 17 percent of the time (73 percent of all missed attempts).

HIGHEST PENALTY KICK SAVE PERCENTAGE (ALL-TIME)

PK FACED PKG PK SAVED SAVE %

Jeff Cassar 9 4 5 55.60%

Tim Melia 22 13 9 40.90%

Matt Jordan 22 13 7 31.80%

William Hesmer 16 11 5 31.30%

Nick Rimando 89 57 24 27.00%

Chris Seitz 19 12 5 26.30%

Pat Onstad 21 15 5 23.80%

Bobby Shuttleworth 32 25 7 21.90%

Brad Guzan 23 18 5 21.70%

Tim Howard 28 20 6 21.40%

Minimum: 5 penalty kick saves

Melia's nine saves are by far the most of any goalkeeper in MLS since the start of the 2016 season. He has saved both penalty kicks he has faced this season, and three of the last four against him.

MOST PENALTY KICK SAVES (SINCE 2016)

PK FACED PKG PK SAVED

Tim Melia 19 10 9

Nick Rimando 16 10 5

Zack Steffen 12 8 4

Bobby Shuttleworth 18 14 4

Andre Blake 18 15 3

Tim Howard 18 13 3

SPORTING-REVOLUTION SCORE DRAW ONE OF THE WILDEST EVER

When Sporting Kansas City and the New England Revolution reached a 4-4 draw in their match Saturday evening at Children's Mercy Park, it equaled the second-highest scoring draw in MLS history.

After a 5-5 draw between the San Jose Earthquakes and the MetroStars in 2004, there have been nine 4-4 draws in league history - with five of those coming over the last five seasons. (In addition, there were two matches which ended 4-4 in regulation which were decided by shootout from 1996-99.)

HIGHEST-SCORING DRAWS (ALL-TIME)

HOME AWAY SCORE

5/8/2004 San Jose MetroStars 5-May

5/9/2001 Tampa Bay Los Angeles 4-4 (OT)

7/2/2003 MetroStars San Jose 4-4 (OT)

9/7/2011 Philadelphia New England 4-Apr

4/5/2014 Portland Seattle 4-Apr

4/25/2015 Houston Sporting KC 4-Apr

7/12/2015 New York City FC Toronto FC 4-Apr

5/7/2016 Columbus Montreal 4-Apr

6/13/2018 Toronto FC D.C. United 4-Apr

4/27/2019 Sporting KC New England 4-Apr

4/25/1998 Colorado Chicago COL 5-4 (SO)

6/7/1998 D.C. United Dallas DAL 5-4 (SO)

RED BULLS' ROBLES MOVING UP IN ALL-TIME SHUTOUT LEADERS

Luis Robles of the New York Red Bulls recorded the 64th shutout of his MLS career in his club's 1-0 win vs. FC Cincinnati, now tied for eighth-place on the all-time MLS league leaders.

Robles is third among active goalkeepers - the leader still Nick Rimando of Real Salt Lake, in his 20th MLS seasons this year, with 145 shutouts for his career.

MOST SHUTOUTS (ALL-TIME)

PLAYER GP SHO

Nick Rimando 492 145

Kevin Hartman 416 112

Joe Cannon 342 86

Jon Busch 309 83

Zach Thornton 282 76

Matt Reis 293 75

Stefan Frei 255 69

Pat Onstad 223 64

Luis Robles 213 64

Tony Meola 250 62

MOST SHUTOUTS (ACTIVE LEADERS)

PLAYER TEAM SHO

Nick Rimando RSL 145

Stefan Frei SEA 69

Luis Robles NYR 64

Bill Hamid DC 59

Sean Johnson NYC 57

MLS WEEK 10 - LOOK AHEAD

PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. FC CINCINNATI 

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #108)

Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Pa.

7:30 p.m. ET (PHL 17; WSTR - Star 64)

REFEREE: Guido Gonzales Jr. AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga; AR2 (opposite): Kathryn Nesbitt; 4th: Rubiel Vasquez; VAR: Alan Kelly; AVAR: Jozef Batko

MLS Career: 1 game; FC/gm: 25.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 2; pens: 0

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Union 1 win, 2 goals ... FCC 0 wins, 0 goals ... Ties 0

AT UNION: First meeting

The Union reached a second successive result, gaining a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday afternoon.

FC Cincinnati suffered a third consecutive defeat - all by shutout - their winless streak now at five games following a 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Marco Fabian and David Accamnetted goals nine minutes apart early in the second half as the Union claimed a 2-0 win on March 30 at Nippert Stadium.

UNION: Kacper Przybylko scored his first MLS goal, making his first start in the league. ...Jamiro Monteiro recorded his first MLS assist after scoring his first league goal the week previous.

FCC: FC Cincinnati saw their attacking goalless streak extended to 341 minutes, longest in MLS this season. ... Przemyslaw Tyson made his second start between the posts; he started the 4-1 loss to Seattle in the club's first-ever game in MLS.

COLORADO RAPIDS vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

Friday, May 3, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #109)

Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.

7 p.m. MT (TSN; Altitude)

REFEREE: Alex Chilowicz. AR1 (bench): Jeff Hosking; AR2 (opposite): TJ Zablocki; 4th: Lorant Varga; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: Jonathan Johnson

MLS Career: 8 games; FC/gm: 24.9; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 1; pens: 1

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Rapids 10 wins, 30 goals ... Whitecaps FC 8 wins, 28 goals ... Ties 4

AT COLORADO: Rapids 7 wins, 17 goals ... Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 10 goals ... Ties 1

The Rapids continued their winless start to the season, falling 1-0 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday evening. At 0-7-2 to start the year, the Rapids have now tied for the second-longest winless start to a season in MLS history.

Whitecaps FC returned home and gained a result, playing to a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union at BC Place on Saturday afternoon.

The teams met twice a season ago, and the visiting team won each. Whitecaps FC claimed a 2-1 win on June 1 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, then the Rapids won by the game's lone goal a month later on July 1 at BC Place.

Whitecaps FC have come away with points on each of their three trips to Commerce City, Colo., winning twice (in both 2017 and 2018) - just their second and third wins ever at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The only other Whitecaps FC win in Commerce City came in 2012.

The Rapids win last year was their first on their past six trips to Vancouver, their last win there coming on April 5, 2014.

RAPIDS: The Rapids were shut out at the attacking end for the first time since March 9, a 2-0 loss at Seattle, a span of six games with a goal.

WHITECAPS FC: Doneil Henry scored his second goal of the season, a single-season career-high in his seventh MLS campaign. ... Ali Adnan collected his first career assist in MLS.

NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. LA GALAXY

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #110)

Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.

2 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN Deportes)

REFEREE: Nima Saghafi. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): Jose da Silva; 4th: Rosendo Mendoza; VAR: Silviu Petrescu; AVAR: Thomas Supple

MLS Career: 43 games; FC/gm: 26.8; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 6; pens: 16

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Red Bulls 19 wins (1 shootout), 63 goals ... Galaxy 17 wins (1 shootout), 65 goals ... Ties 8

AT RED BULLS: Red Bulls 12 wins (1 shootout), 36 goals ... Galaxy 8 wins (1 shootout), 31 goals ... Ties 3

The Red Bulls put an end to a five-game winless skid, scoring the game's only goal in defeating FC Cincinnati at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.

The Galaxy extended their overall undefeated streak to seven games, winning a sixth consecutive home match in defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday evening.

Zlatan Ibrahimovi? netted the game-winner, his eighth goal of the season. The game was the 34th of Ibrahimovi?'s MLS career; he has scored 30 goals in that span (the length of an MLS regular season), the fourth-most of any player in MLS history in their opening 34 games.

The Red Bulls won the lone meeting between the teams a season ago, a 3-2 win on April 28 in Carson.

The visiting team has won each of the last two meetings in the series, after the teams played to draws in each of the two meetings prior to that. The Galaxy have won once in their last five home meetings in the series, a 4-0 victory on Sept. 28, 2014, while the last Red Bulls home win, in 2013, was the final victory in a three-game winning streak at Red Bull Arena for New York.

RED BULLS: Connor Lade scored the lone goal in the win vs. FC Cincinnati, his second career tally in eight MLS seasons. ... Brian White collected his first career MLS assist; he has made two appearances this season, scoring a goal and adding the assist (both over the last three games). ... Danny Royer recorded his second assist of the season; he has a goal and an assist over the last three games. ... Luis Robles was credited with one save in recording his first shutout of the season, the 64th of his MLS career, now tied for ninth-most all-time.

GALAXY: Uriel Antuna scored his first career goal in MLS, in his ninth appearance. ... Diego Polenta collected his first career assist in MLS; he has a goal and an assist over the last three games.

HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. FC DALLAS

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #111)

BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas

2:50 p.m. CT (Univision)

REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Claudiu Badea; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Victor Rivas; VAR: Christina Unkel; AVAR: Jozef Batko

MLS Career: 109 games; FC/gm: 24.3; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 17; pens: 39

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Dynamo 10 wins, 48 goals ... FC Dallas 10 wins, 50 goals ... Ties 13

AT HOUSTON: Dynamo 7 wins, 28 goals ... FC Dallas 4 wins, 26 goals ... Ties 6

The Dynamo returned home and returned to their winning ways, defeating Columbus Crew SC 2-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening. Mauro Manotas and Tomás Martínez netted goals for the Dynamo, who won their fourth home game in a row, one game shy of the club record.

FC Dallas saw their two-game winning run come to an end but still extended their undefeated run, reaching a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at Toyota Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The teams met three times a season ago, with just one ending with a victory - FC Dallas taking a 4-2 win in the final meeting, Sept. 1 at Toyota Stadium. The teams reached a pair of 1-1 draws, both at BBVA Compass Stadium, first on July 21, then on Aug. 23.

The Dynamo have won just once in the series over the past six seasons. Since the start of 2013, FC Dallas are 7-1-6 in league play against Houston, and have won the three meetings between the teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Dynamo haven't won in Frisco since 2011, but the FCD win in the final meeting last year was their first at home in the series since 2015. Dallas has won five of the 10 matches (with three draws) between the teams over all competitions at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The clubs play for "El Capitán," the 19th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series by supporters' groups for both clubs.

DYNAMO: Alberth Elis recorded his fourth assist of the season; he now has a goal and/or an assist in five consecutive games, with his season output of four goals and four assists over that time, having played a part in eight of the Dynamo's 12 goals scored since March 16.

FCD: FC Dallas remained undefeated at home for the 2019 season, now five games without loss (3-0-2). ... Jesse Gonzalez was credited with two saves in recording his second shutout of the season, the first coming March 9.

ORLANDO CITY SC vs. TORONTO FC

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #112)

Orlando City Stadium, Orlando, Fla.

4 p.m. ET (CTV / TSN; YouTube [ORL]; My65)

REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga; AR2 (opposite): Gjovalin Bori; 4th: Chris Penso; VAR: Jorge Gonzalez; AVAR: Alicia Messer

MLS Career: 81 games; FC/gm: 22.5; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 20; pens: 23

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Orlando City 2 wins, 10 goals ... Toronto FC 7 wins, 23 goals ... Ties 1

AT ORLANDO: Orlando City 2 wins, 7 goals ... Toronto FC 3 wins, 10 goals ... Ties 0

Orlando City SC reached a second result in a row, playing to a 1-1 draw with New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Nani scored for a fourth consecutive game, with five goals over that time; he has played a part in seven of OCSC's last eight goals (five goals, two assists).

Toronto FC lost for the first time at home this season, falling 2-1 to the Portland Timbers at BMO Field on Saturday afternoon.

The teams split their two meetings a season ago, each winning by a 2-1 scoreline on their home ground, TFC winning at BMO Field on May 18, and OCSC winning at Orlando City Stadium on July 14.

Orlando City's win in the second meeting ended a three-game winning streak and five-game undefeated streak alive in the series for TFC. Toronto FC have won seven of the 10 meetings all-time, with one draw.

Both of OCSC's wins have come on their home ground. TFC have won four of the five meetings all-time at BMO Field, without defeat; Orlando City's lone result in Toronto came in a goalless draw on Sept. 28, 2016.

OCSC: Nani's four consecutive games with a goal is one shy of the Orlando City club record in their time in MLS, set by Dom Dwyer over the end of 2017 and start of last season.

TFC: Jonathan Osorio scored his second goal of the season, both coming over the last four games.

MONTREAL IMPACT vs. NEW YORK CITY FC

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #113)

Stade Saputo, Montréal, Qué.

5 p.m. ET (TVA Sports; YES)

REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): Eric Boria; AR2 (opposite): Jason White; 4th: Kevin Broadley; VAR: Ekaterina Koroleva; AVAR: Peter Manikowski

MLS Career: 275 games; FC/gm: 25.2; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 100; pens: 106

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Impact 1 win, 9 goals ... NYCFC 5 wins, 17 goals ... Ties 4

AT MONTRÉAL: Impact 0 wins, 3 goals ... NYCFC 3 wins, 7 goals ... Ties 1

The Impact have won back-to-back games for the first time this season, winning for the second time in two home matches this season in a 1-0 defeat of the Chicago Fire at Stade Saputo on Sunday afternoon. Omar Browne scored the game's only goal in his MLS debut.

NYCFC extended their undefeated streak to five games with a third draw in that time, playing to a 1-1 result with Orlando City SC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. They played to a scoreless draw April 6 at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC has a four-year and seven-game undefeated streak alive in the series, with three wins and four draws over that time.

The teams played to a 1-1 draw last year in the lone meeting at Stade Saputo, on Sept. 22. NYCFC had won the first three meetings all-time in Montréal; the Impact have never won at home in the series.

NYCFC won 3-0 last July 11 at Yankee Stadium, their first win in the Bronx vs. the Impact since the first meeting ever between the teams in 2015. They had reached draws there the previous two matchups, after the Impact's lone win in the series came on Aug. 1, 2015.

IMPACT: Evan Bush was credited with two saves in recording a second consecutive shutout, extending his shutout streak to 213 minutes. It was his fifth shutout in the last six games, dating back to the start of April.

NYCFC: Héber netted his second MLS goal; he has two goals and two assists over the last three games. NYCFC's five-game undefeated streak is tied for the second-longest in club history; they went eight games without defeat Oct. 22, 2017-April 15, 2018.

PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #114)

Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Pa.

7:30 p.m. ET (PHL 17; NBCS-Bos)

REFEREE: Joseph Dickerson. AR1 (bench): Jeremy Hanson; AR2 (opposite): Ian McKay; 4th: Marcos de Oliveira; VAR: Sorin Stoica; AVAR: Robert Schaap

MLS Career: 14 games; FC/gm: 26.0; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 3; pens: 5

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Union 13 wins, 40 goals ... Revolution 6 wins, 29 goals ... Ties 4

AT UNION: Union 8 wins, 23 goals ... Revolution 3 wins, 14 goals ... Ties 2

The Revolution gained a second road point on the season in a remarkable match, playing to a 4-4 draw with Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park on Saturday evening. Juan Caicedo netted a pair of goals, his first two in MLS, while Juan Agudelo had a goal and an assist.

The teams met three times a season ago, and the Union won all three. Two of the victories came at Talen Energy Stadium, a 2-0 win in the season opener for both clubs on March 3, then a 1-0 win on Aug. 25. The Union also took a 3-2 win at Gillette Stadium on Aug. 11, as defender Jack Elliott scored a pair of goals.

The Union have won six of the past seven meetings between the clubs, outscoring New England 16-2 in those victories. The only Revolution win in the series since 2015 came on July 29, 2017, at Gillette Stadium, a 3-0 victory. The Revolution's last win in Chester, Pa., came in 2015, when they won both meetings there.

UNION: Play FC Cincinnati at midweek at Talen Energy Stadium.

REVOLUTION: Rookie DeJuan Jones scored his first career MLS goal, in his fifth appearance. ... Rookie Tajon Buchanan collected the first assist of his MLS career, in his first professional start. ... Scott Caldwell recorded his first assist of the season, his first since Sept. 2, 2017.

D.C. UNITED vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC 

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #115)

Audi Field, Washington, D.C.

8 p.m. ET (FloSports; STOhio)

REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Philippe Briere; AR2 (opposite): Felisha Mariscal; 4th: Mark Allatin; VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.; AVAR: Kathryn Nesbitt

MLS Career: 84 games; FC/gm: 23.7; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 31; pens: 48

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: United 29 wins (5 shootout), 92 goals ... Crew SC 29 wins (0 shootout), 100 goals ... Ties 11

AT D.C.: United 21 wins (3 shootout), 64 goals ... Crew SC 10 wins (0 shootout), 45 goals ... Ties 4

D.C. United suffered a second loss in three matches, falling 1-0 to Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Saturday afternoon.

Crew SC suffered a fourth consecutive defeat, falling 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening. The four-game losing skid is the club's longest since 2005.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season, inside of a two-week span. Wayne Rooney scored the game's lone goal directly from a free kick, as D.C. United took the victory on April 24 at Mapfre Stadium.

This season's first meeting victory was the first for D.C. United in Columbus since the 2007 season. Crew SC had won eight of the 11 meetings in between on their home ground, with three draws.

This is the first meeting between the clubs at Audi Field. Crew SC concluded their history at RFK Stadium having won on three of their final seven trips to East Capitol Street (against two United victories), dating back to the 2013 season.

UNITED: D.C. United lost on their travels for the first time this season, their road undefeated streak put to an end after six matches (dating back to last Sept. 8). It's the third-longest road unbeaten run in the club's history; the record is eight games without loss, set in 2006.

CREW SC: Crew SC were shut out at the attacking end for a second consecutive game, their shutout streak now at 201 minutes; they have scored one goal in their 408 minutes of play.

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #116)

Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.

7 p.m. CT (FS-North; JOEtv / YouTube TV [SEA])

REFEREE: Timothy Ford. AR1 (bench): Brian Dunn; AR2 (opposite): Cory Richardson; 4th: Guido Gonzales Jr.; VAR: Ricardo Salazar; AVAR: Eric Weisbrod

MLS Career: 4 games; FC/gm: 24.5; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 1; pens: 1

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: MNUFC 0 wins, 3 goals ... Sounders FC 4 wins, 11 goals ... Ties 0

AT MINNESOTA: MNUFC 0 wins, 1 goal ... Sounders FC 2 wins, 6 goals ... Ties 0

MNUFC won their first match in their new Allianz Field home, defeating D.C. United 1-0 on Saturday afternoon. Ángelo Rodríguez scored the game's lone goal, his fourth goal of the season, his third in the last four games.

Sounders FC netted a second consecutive draw, playing to a 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Football Club at CenturyLink Field on Sunday afternoon. Jordan Morris scored for Sounders FC after 45 seconds, the second-fastest goal from the start of a game in the club's MLS history.

Sounders FC have won all four meetings between the teams all-time, holding an 11-3 advantage in goals. Seattle won the two matchups a year ago, a 3-1 win on April 22 at CenturyLink Field, then a 2-1 win on Aug. 4 at TCF Bank Stadium.

The teams met twice in Minnesota United FC's inaugural MLS campaign in 2017, and Sounders FC won both. Seattle took a 4-0 win when the teams first met, Aug. 5 at TCF Bank Stadium, then claimed a 2-1 victory just 15 days later at CenturyLink Field.

MNUFC: Vito Mannone was credited with one save in recording a second consecutive shutout, the third of his MLS career. It's the first time in Minnesota United FC's MLS history the club has recorded shutouts in consecutive games; MNUFC and Mannone have not allowed a goal in 191 minutes. ... Romain Metanire collected his fourth assist of the season, all coming over the last seven games.

SOUNDERS FC: Sounders FC extended their undefeated streak at CenturyLink Field to nine games, now the fourth-longest home undefeated run in the club's MLS history.

REAL SALT LAKE vs. PORTLAND TIMBERS

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #117)

Rio Tinto Stadium. Sandy, Utah

7 p.m. MT (KMYU-12; ROOT-NW)

REFEREE: Ramy Touchan. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Benjamin Hall-Volpenhein; 4th: Farhad Dadkho; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: Jeff Muschik

MLS Career: 6 games; FC/gm: 25.0; Y/gm: 2.5; R: 0; pens: 1

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Real 7 wins, 29 goals ... Timbers 7 wins, 29 goals ... Ties 7

AT SALT LAKE: Real 5 wins, 17 goals ... Timbers 4 wins, 16 goals ... Ties 2

Real Salt Lake saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, falling 2-1 to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday evening.

The Timbers won for a second consecutive match on the heels of a five-game losing streak, defeating Toronto FC 2-1 at BMO Field on Saturday afternoon.

The teams met twice a season ago and the Timbers won both, the two matches coming over a three-week span at the end of the season. The Timbers cruised to a 4-1 win on Oct. 6 at Rio Tinto Stadium, then took a 3-0 win Oct. 21 at Providence Park.

Real Salt Lake won both meetings in 2017, one at each ground, which put an end to an eight-game Timbers undefeated streak in the all-time league series. The last previous RSL win had come on April 19, 2014; Portland won four of the eight games in between, with four draws.

REAL: Donny Toia scored the RSL goal, his first in MLS since June 20, 2015 when he was with the Montréal Impact, a span of 76 appearances. 

TIMBERS: Jeremy Ebobisse scored for a second successive week, the first time in his MLS career he's scored in back-to-back games. ... Diego Valeri recorded assists on both goals, now tied for the MLS lead with six assists. ... Sebastian Blanco collected his fourth assist of the season, his third over the last two games. ... Bill Tuiloma scored his second goal in MLS, his first coming last April 8.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs. FC CINCINNATI 

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #118)

Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.

7 p.m. PT (NBCS-CA; WSTR - Star 64)

REFEREE: David Gantar. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Diego Blas; 4th: Elton Garcia; VAR: Daniel Radford; AVAR: Peter Balciunas

MLS Career: 74 games; FC/gm: 24.4; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 28; pens: 15

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: First meeting.

The Quakes extended their undefeated streak to three games with a second consecutive draw, reaching a goalless draw with FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening.

Quakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega was credited with four saves in recording the club's first away shutout since August 2017; San Jose did see their road winless streak extended to nine games, dating back to last August.

The teams are meeting for the first time in their histories.

QUAKES: The Earthquakes saw their road winless streak extended to nine games, matching the club's longest since a 13-game road spell without victory from Sept. 19, 2015-July 31, 2016.

FCC: Play Philadelphia Union at midweek at Talen Energy Stadium.

LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB vs. CHICAGO FIRE

Saturday, May 4, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #119)

Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.

7:30 p.m. PT (YouTube TV / KVMD; ESPN+)

REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Brian Poeschel; AR2 (opposite): Chris Wattam; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal; VAR: Kevin Stott; AVAR: Fabio Tovar

MLS Career: 81 games; FC/gm: 26.4; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 17; pens: 27

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: LAFC 0 wins, 1 goal ... Fire 1 win, 3 goals ... Ties 0

AT BANC OF CALIFORNIA STADIUM: First meeting.

LAFC took a ninth result from 10 matches this season, playing to a 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Sunday afternoon.

Carlos Vela scored his league-leading 11th goal of the season, equaling the most goals in the opening 10 matches of a season in MLS history.

The Fire suffered a second consecutive loss by the game's lone goal, falling to the Montréal Impact at Stade Saputo on Sunday afternoon.

The teams met once a year ago in LAFC's inaugural season, the Fire claiming a 3-1 win on Sept. 29 in Bridgeview, Ill.

LAFC: Jordan Harvey collected his second assist of the season, already his most in a campaign since 2012, when he had two; his career-high is five, in 2011, split between Philadelphia and Vancouver.

FIRE: The Fire were shut out at the attacking end for a second consecutive match, their only two shutouts this season, now 190 minutes since their last goal scored.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs. ATLANTA UNITED

Sunday, May 5, 2019 (Week 10, MLS Game #120)

Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.

8 p.m. CT (FS1 / FOX Deportes)

REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Logan Brown; AR2 (opposite): Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho; 4th: Rosendo Mendoza; VAR: Geoff Gamble; AVAR: Joshua Patlak

MLS Career: 142 games; FC/gm: 22.4; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 32; pens: 64

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Sporting 1 win, 3 goals ... ATLUTD 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 0

AT KC: Sporting 0 wins, 1 goal ... ATLUTD 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 0

Sporting saw their winless run extended to four games despite coming back for a third draw in that time, reaching a wild 4-4 draw with the New England Revolution at Children's Mercy Park on Saturday evening.

Krisztian Németh scored a pair of goals, now sitting in a tie for third place in MLS with six goals this season, while Felipe Gutiérrez also hit for a brace, now with three goals in his last two games.

Atlanta United won for the first time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season, their second win in the last three games, defeating the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Sporting have yet to lose to Atlanta United in the series, the clubs having met twice. Last year, Sporting took a 2-0 win on May 9 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium; the teams reached a 1-1 draw at Children's Mercy Park in ATLUTD's inaugural season in 2017.

SPORTING: Tim Melia saved his second penalty kick of the season - both penalties he has faced this season - stopping the effort from Carles Gil. Since the start of the 2016 season, Melia has saved nine penalty kicks among the 19 spot kicks he has faced - the most of any goalkeeper in Major League Soccer. ... Graham Zusi collected his second assist of the season, both coming over the last three games. ... Kelyn Rowe recorded his first assist with Sporting KC - coming against his former club, where he played from 2012-18.

ATLUTD: Julian Gressel scored the game's lone goal, his first of the season, his first in league play since last Oct. 6. ... Darlington Nagbe collected his first assist of the season, his first since last May 30.

MLS Med




Major League Soccer Stories from May 1, 2019


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