MLS Week 9 Review: Steady Eddie

By: Daryl | June 4th, 2007

So the MLS YouTube channel is up and running, and just in time to capture a bit of MLS history. Eddie Johnson delivered some more of that early promise and became the first man to score back to back hat-tricks, adding three against New York Red Bulls to last week’s trio against New England. The above video of New York 2-3 Kansas City is 100% MLS certified and you can watch it without fear of going to internet jail.

Elsewhere in North America they were all fighting it out for the coveted Offside MLS Awards…

The Jim Rome award: Real Salt Lake
Jim Rome hates soccer because he fears what he doesn’t understand. But he also hates soccer because there aren’t enough goals. Galaxy and DC United playing out a goalless draw doesn’t help matters, but both teams still made a decent go of finding the net. RSL and the New England Revs also finished with goose eggs on the board, but the Revs can be forgiven after being involved in a seven goal thriller last week and doing everything but score this week. Which leaves us with Real Salt Lake, who have now served up two consecutive goalless draws and are probably Jim Rome’s new favorite team.

Most portentous quote: John Ellinger
RSL made what looked like a decent signing this past week, adding veteran MLS defender Ritchie Kotschau to their roster.

“He’s a very, very smart soccer player,” said RSL Technical Director John Ellinger. “There are few, if any, situations he has not been in.”

Well, there was one situation. Kotschau had never made his debut for a team in the 81st minute and been sent off in the 82nd minute. But don’t worry, he has now.

Best Brazilian full back impersonation: Marvell Wynne
Toronto FC took a few weeks to get going but things are looking up with another win, this time 2-1 over Colorado Rapids. Marvell Wynne’s whole career was slow to get started, the numero uno draft pick in 2006 coming up a little short in his rookie year for New York and Bruce Arena not shedding any tears when letting him travel north to Toronto. But the young right back looked like Cafu this weekend, making a storming run down Toronto’s right flank to receive a floated pass and then beat two Rapids defenders before laying on TFC’s first goal for Danny Dichio. If and when the MLS YouTube channel features every goal, we’ll be able to embed the video right here, until then you’ll have to click here to marvel at Marvell (Windows Media Player required) or catch it in the Goal of the Week video at the foot of the page.

Best little soccer team in Texas: Houston Dynamo
FC Dallas have the better record, but Houston Dynamo came from behind to win the Texan head to head hoedown 2-1 at home.

Most costly miss: Stefani Miglioranzi
It’s one thing to fluff a shot on the edge of the area, but Columbus Crew’s Miglioranzi missed the ball entirely, allowing Chicago Fire’s Chad Barrett to rob him, run the length of the field and score what turned out to be the game winner. It finished 3-2 to Fire and those scary looking men in hard hats who stare out from the Crew logo could well be paying Miglioranzi an unfriendly visit in the near future. You can see the miss and the ensuing goal in the video below.

Goal of the week: You decide…