Major League Soccer, Week 5: RSL And Sporting Still Tops In MLS

In the end, the 2-0 scoreline was probably fair. The Rapids were disorganized when they needed to be organized, and RSL, while not playing their best, were solid. All is the same in the Rocky Mountain Cup.

The Whitecaps’ lead lasted almost 20 minutes, but when the Quakes finally did break through, the floodgates opened. A throw in caught Vancouver off guard and Wondolowski did well to shield off his defender before chipping Cannon from a sharp angle to level things. Six minutes later, Gordon got across his defender and his fabulous diving header gave San Jose the lead. Wondolowski then put the lid on things in the 78th minute with his second of the game and the Earthquakes had themselves a good win over previously undefeated Vancouver.

In the end, Kansas City skipped away with a deserved win. If they can win next week at Salt Lake then they’ll certainly become favorites to win MLS Cup. That’s a trophy LA won last year, but with just three points from four matches, they don’t look much the part of defending champions.

Sporting Kansas City (4-3-3): Nielsen; Myers, Collin, Besler, Sinovic; Cesar, Espinoza, Zusi; Kamara, Sapong, Convey.

LA Galaxy (4-4-2): Saunders; Franklin, DeLaGarza, Meyer, Dunivant; Donovan, Magee, Juninho, Stephens - Buddle, Keane.

The first four weeks of MLS action have been mired by uninteresting match-ups. The schedule makers must have been banking on early season excitement carrying the league in the early going (and attendance number indicate it worked) because the matches were as dull as can be, but that run of matches is over.

This weekend is the first marquee weekend of the season. The preseason Western Conference favorites, Los Angeles, are struggling and going up against the preseason Eastern Conference favorites, Kansas City, who are off to a perfect start. There is a battle of two surprise teams in the early going, San Jose and Vancouver, and rivalry matches in the Rockies and Canada.