MLS Major League Soccer

This Week in MLS: Sporting Kansas City Goes 4-For-4

Published on April 3, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Sporting Kansas City goes 4-for-4; Next up - the defending champs, LA Galaxy, on ESPN (Sat., 4 p.m. ET)

Sporting Kansas City has won all four games to start their season, becoming just the sixth team in league history to do so. The LA Galaxy (1996, 1998, 2010), D.C. United (1997) and Real Salt Lake (2011) are the others to start 4-0. The Galaxy's 2010 win streak ended in Kansas City with a 0-0 tie.

Los Angeles can return the favor on Saturday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park (ESPN/Deportes, 4 p.m. ET).

If Kansas City produces another W in front of their boisterous home crowd, it will be the first time since 1998 (Los Angeles Galaxy started 9-0, first win came by shootout) that a club has earned five wins to start their season. In 1996, the Galaxy earned eight straight wins in regulation to start the season before earning a shootout win over New England and extending that streak to 12-0 to start the season.

Toronto FC focus on second leg of CCL semis on FOX Soccer (Wed., 8 p.m. ET)

After an explosive first game against Mexican powerhouse Santos Laguna which saw the MLS side earn a 1-1 draw at BMO Field, Toronto FC must make the long journey to Torreon, Mexico for the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals on Wednesday. The club will be without striker Danny Koevermans who picked up a yellow card in the first leg and will be forced to sit out due to accumulation. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Soccer at 8 p.m. ET.

Vancouver keeps them clean

The Whitecaps have gone 360 minutes across four games without allowing a goal. The streak ranks second all-time in the MLS history books as the New York Red Bulls, under the direction of then head coach Bruce Arena, went 421 before eventually allowing three goals in the fifth game of their season to RSL. Vancouver will look to break that record against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (MLS Direct Kick Package, 7 p.m. ET). 2010 Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski has scored four of San Jose's five goals so far.

Ramos tabs four MLS players for U-20 camp

U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team head coach, and former MLS star, Tab Ramos has called in 24 players for a training camp from April 9-16 in Portland, Ore.

Among those named to the camp roster are four MLS players: Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Jack McBean (LA Galaxy), Victor Pineda (Chicago Fire), and Jonathan Top (FC Dallas).

Additionally, five other players named to the squad are members of MLS player development programs: Jake McGuire (Chivas USA Academy), Jeffrey Payeras (LA Galaxy Academy), Collin Martin (D.C. United Academy), Ethan Decker (New York Red Bulls Academy), Daniel Garcia (FC Dallas Academy).

The U.S. will face the University of Portland Pilots on April 12 and will play a second match on April 15 against an opponent still to be determined.

Week 4 National TV Broadcasts

Saturday, April 7

Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC, 12 noon (TSN/RDS)

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls, 3 p.m. (GalavisiÃ"n)

Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. (ESPN/Deportes)

MLS Week 5 Previews

(Home team listed first; all times Eastern)

Wednesday, April 4

Real Salt Lake vs. Montreal Impact, 9 p.m.

Â- Real's late comeback for their 3-2 win in Portland was the second-latest in overturning a deficit in club history. In a 2-1 win against D.C. United on July 29, 2006, Jeff Cunningham scored goals in the 90th minute and five minutes into stoppage time for a 2-1 RSL victory.

Â- The Impact scored twice in an MLS game for the first time, getting goals from Sanna Nyassi and Justin Mapp in the 5-2 loss to New York. They have scored the opening goal in two of their four games.

Â- The game concludes a three-game road swing for the Impact, with visits to Columbus and New York before arriving in Utah.

Thursday, April 5

FC Dallas vs. New England Revolution, 8:30 p.m.

Â- New England's Shalrie Joseph was credited with a pair of assists in Saturday's win at the LA Galaxy, just the third multiple-assist game of his 10-year career.

Â- The Revolution won on the West Coast for the first time since August 2009. They do not travel to the Pacific time zone again this year in regular season play.

Â- Newcomer Blas Pérez scored his second goal in three games in FC Dallas' 4-1 loss at D.C. United.

Â- FC Dallas won 1-0 in Frisco last year, ending a four-year winless streak against the Revolution at FC Dallas Stadium. FCD's only home win from 2007-2010 vs. New England "" including in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup Final "" came at the Cotton Bowl in 2009.

Saturday, April 7

Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC, 12 noon (TSN/RDS)

Â- Toronto FC are undefeated this season in CONCACAF Champions League games (one win and two draws heading into Wednesday's game vs. Santos Laguna in Mexico). But TFC has lost all three MLS contests after Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Columbus.

Â- The Impact return home for their second game at Olympic Stadium. The club's first five MLS games will be played at Olympic Stadium with the Stade Saputo renovations are being completed; the Impact drew a Montréal record soccer crowd of 58,912 for their first MLS home game.

Â- While the clubs are meeting for the first time as members of MLS, Toronto FC and the lower-division Impact did meet six times from 2008-2010 in the Canadian Championship. TFC won five matches; the lone draw came in 2008 at BMO Field, giving the Impact the Canadian domestic title.

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls, 3 p.m. (GalavisiÃ"n)

Â- The Red Bulls' Thierry Henry has five goals and two assists in the last two games, after his first MLS hat trick in the 5-2 win against the Montréal Impact on Saturday. Henry is all alone atop the MLS Golden Boot standings.

Â- Kenny Cooper has also now scored in back-to-back games for the Red Bulls, tied for second in MLS with four goals for the season.

Â- The Crew won for a second consecutive week in the 2-0 win at Toronto FC, maintaining their unbeaten record all-time at BMO Field (2-0-5).

Â- The Crew are unbeaten in their last four meetings with New York. The teams played to a pair of draws in their two meetings a year ago; Columbus won both meetings in 2010.

Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. (ESPN/Deportes)

Â- Sporting Kansas City are the sixth team in MLS history to start a season 4-0-0 "" and the third in as many seasons (LA Galaxy in 2010, Real Salt Lake in 2011). The Galaxy also did in 1996 and 1998, while D.C. United did it in 1997.

Â- Sporting KC's Graham Zusi recorded his MLS-leading fifth assist in the 1-0 win against Chivas USA. He has recorded an assist in every game this season.

Â- The Galaxy have allowed seven goals in three MLS games at The Home Depot Center after the 3-1 loss Saturday to New England. They allowed just eight at home in all of the 2011 regular season.

Â- The teams have played to draws in each of their last three meetings in Kansas City, since the 2009 season. KC has won just once at home vs. LA in the last seven years "" a 2-0 win Sept. 13, 2008.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 7 p.m.

Â- Whitecaps FC extended their shutout streak to start the season to 360 minutes in their second consecutive scoreless draw, at Philadelphia. It's the second-longest goalless streak to open the season; the MLS record is 421 minutes, set by the New York Red Bulls in 2007.

Â- The Earthquakes return home after winning a second game on the road in two outings this year; in 2011, they won just three of 17 road games total.

Â- San Jose's Chris Wondolowski has scored four goals in four games this season, and has scored now in eight of his last nine games, dating back to the end of last season.

Â- The clubs played to a pair of draws in Vancouver's inaugural MLS season, including a 2-2 tie at Buck Shaw Stadium.

D.C. United vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 7:30 p.m.

Â- D.C. United's Maicon Santos had his second career two-goal game in MLS "" including a stunning long-range strike to open the scoring "" in the 4-1 win against FC Dallas on Friday. Santos scored twice for Toronto FC in a 6-2 loss to Philadelphia last May 28.

Â- Last year's MLS MVP, United's Dwayne De Rosario, recorded his first two assists of the season in the win against Dallas, D.C.'s first of the season.

Â- Sounders FC will be on the road for the first time in 2012, losing for the first time in three games this season in a 1-0 loss to San Jose on Saturday.

Â- Sounders FC had won on each of their first three visits to RFK Stadium "" including a victory in the 2009 U.S. Open Cup Final "" until United claimed a 2-1 home win last May 4.

Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.

Newcomers made an impact for Colorado in their 2-0 win against Chicago on Sunday: Recently arrived Argentinean midfielder MartÃ-n Rivero had an assist on the opening goal, and former U.S. international Kamani Hill scored the second just minutes after making his MLS debut.

Â- RSL welcomed back Javier Morales and Álvaro SaborÃ-o to the starting lineup for the first time this season in the win in Portland.

RSL has a six-game unbeaten streak alive vs. Colorado. Since a 2-0 Rapids win May 2, 2009, Real have won twice, with four draws. The Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry has lived up to its billing in past seasons, as last-day results sent RSL into the MLS Cup Playoffs ahead of their Rocky Mountain rivals in 2008 (a last-minute RSL goal for a 1-1 tie) and 2009 (a 3-0 Real win). In 2007, an RSL win also ended the Rapids' playoff hopes, though Real also did not qualify.

Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA, 10:30 p.m.

Â- Portland's Darlington Nagbe recorded the first two-goal game of his MLS career "" and the second in the club's MLS history. The first came in Portland's first-ever home game, when Jorge Perlaza scored twice in the 4-2 win vs. Chicago last April 14.

Â- The Timbers have allowed the opening goal in each of their four games this season. The 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake was their second (along with one draw).

Â- Chivas USA are looking to get untracked, having been shut out in three of four games this season. They have scored one goal in four games, tied for fewest in MLS (with Toronto FC).

Â- The teams split 1-0 decisions, each winning at home, in Portland's inaugural season in MLS. Portland also won a U.S. Open Cup play-in match between the teams.

Quotables

"He's literally as close to unstoppable as it comes in this league, especially the way he is playing now. When you see how motivated he is, especially now that he realizes how difficult this league is. I think he has taken it to another level. ... It seems like every time he shoots the ball, it goes in."

-- Dax McCarty of the New York Red Bulls on teammate Thierry Henry.

"I said weeks ago that he is a quality player and could play anywhere in the world. He showed what a quality player he is."

-- Kris Boyd, to The Oregonian, after Portland Timbers teammate Darlington Nagbe scored twice vs. Real Salt Lake

"It's a shot from 12 yards away. I'm a forward, I should make it. It doesn't matter what "˜keeper is in there."

-- San Jose Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski after converting a penalty kick in a 1-0 win against Seattle Sounders FC

"I'm sure he's not pleased about it but that's not the issue in the game. The issue for the game was 11 players for New England soundly outplayed the 11 players for the Galaxy."

-- LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena after David Beckham was substituted at halftime in the 3-1 home loss to New England

Sweet Tweets

"@TheOffsideRules "" April 2 Another new All Rise-themed promo from @MLSonNBCSports. Quality stuff. I see you @BigAfrika88 and @BrekShea. http://bit.ly/HbiDqj

@D6MERIT "" March 29

After watching the #TFC and #Santos game last night I have one conclusion, @herculezg needs his #mexicanmohawk back! I can make that happen

@BrentJavan (Brent Latham) "" March 31

Next time around #Honduras should be seeded in the group draw. That's a better Olympic qualifying record this century than MEX or USA.

@kylesheldon "" March 31

Great ball to the far post by Najar to put Honduras up 3-2 over El Salvador. He's still just 19 years old, folks. #DCU

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 3, 2012


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