MLS Week 23: Sporting KC Defeats DC United, Jumps Into Playoff Spot

The home side, backed by a fantastically loud crowd, was sharper, created more chances, passed the ball better and out-worked their opponents throughout the match. Whether there was a home field advantage at play or Sporting KC is just plain better is impossible to determine, but for whatever reason, they were the better side on the night and deserved their win.

Sporting Kansas City now sit in second place in the East, sixth place overall. DC are in a tie for 11th, just outside of the playoffs.

It was also the Fire’s first shutout since June 22. At that point, the Fire were in the midst of a run of form that had seen them allow just one goal in five matches. In the eight matches between then and now, they had allowed 13 goals and gone 0-4-4.

For Toronto FC, this ends what had been a decent little run of their own. TFC had entered the match on a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions that included five points in their past three MLS games.

The goal wasn’t necessarily pretty, but after having a DP who had scored just three times in his first 23 appearances, the effort was surely appreciated. The Galaxy are currently holding onto a three-point lead over the Seattle Sounders in the race for the Supporters’ Shield and will need all the scoring they can get. Keane may not be as good as he was in his prime, but it’s clear he still has something left in the tank.

Dallas had to play a man-down for the better part of the second half after Cruz was sent off for his second yellow of the night.

With the win Seattle moves into second place in the Western Conference with 45 points, Dallas falls to third with 43 points. These two will meet again later this month in the semifinal round of the US Open Cup.

Cruz was starting his first regular season game with Dallas.

With Dallas down to ten men, I’d expect this one to open up a lot more for both sides. Each team still has subs to used and with the way this official is calling the match it could continue to get more interesting as we go on.

The Crew took an early lead on Renteria’s sixth goal of the season. It came in 37th minute and, like Mendoza’s, just barely dribbled across the line.

The goal was created almost entirely by Caraglio. He first dribbled through a couple defenders and fired off a shot that Bouna Condoul was able to save. But the rebound came back out to Caraglio, who had time to settle the ball, move it to his dominant left foot and beat Condoul with his second attempt.

While Caraglio may have entered the league as one of the lesser-known DPs in league history, this two-goal performance essentially guarantees that he will not go down as the biggest DP bust.

To say the East has not played out according to plan is to put it lightly. As we all now, the Red Bulls find themselves in a fight just to make the playoffs. A run for the East’s No. 1 seed might not be out of the realm of possibility, but it doesn’t seem remotely likely for a team that has won just once in its past 11 games.

The Crew and Union, meanwhile, just keeping plugging along. Neither team seems poised to run away with the East, but they are both doing a good job of getting results albeit to differing levels of recent effectiveness.