The goals just keep on coming. A week after MLS times poured in 52 goals for an average of 3.47 per game, they kept up their high-scoring ways with 29 more goals for an average of 3.22 per contest. In fact, June was a generally high scoring month as there was just a single scoreless tie.
MLS, Week 15 Recap: Earthquakes Highlight Another Wild Week
At 36 points and with 35 goals scored, the Earthquakes hit the halfway mark on pace to break several records.
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All this scoring has led to some pretty wild games, the craziest of which was Saturday's California Clasico between the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy.
For the second time this year, the Earthquakes erased a two-goal deficit and beat their Southern California rivals, this time by the score of 4-3. The game had a bit of everything: some marvelous goals from each side, some horribly sloppy defending and some tempers flaring out of control.
On the positive side, you had David Beckham scoring on one of his patented free kicks, Victor Bernardez slamming home a nasty volley and a Chris Wondolowski back-heel that turned out to be the game-winner and should probably be the Goal of the Week. You also had Jason Hernandez turning in what might be the worst five minute stretch we'll see from a defender all season, as he scored an own-goal and then gift-wrapped another goal for the Galaxy to put the Earthquakes in their hole.
But the Earthquakes were totally unconcerned and tallied yet another comeback victory, their third in five games. The Earthquakes really are looking like one of these so called “teams of destiny,” in that everything they do seems to turn out perfectly.
Their defense is hardly spectacular, but seems to do just enough to the get the job done. Their offense doesn’t necessarily wow you with crisp passing and spectacular shots, but they have managed to score 35 goals and are averaging 2.05 goals per game. No MLS team has averaged more than 2.0 goals per game for an entire season since the Miami Fusion averaged 2.19 in the shortened 2001 season.
Speaking of which, Wondolowski is on a ridiculous pace as well. He now has 14 goals in 15 games, which puts him on pace for roughly 29 goals if he plays in every game from here on out. That would give him two more than current single-season record holder Roy Lassiter, who scored 27 in 1996.
Just for good measure, the Earthquakes are also on pace to break the single-season points record. Their 36 points are on pace for 72 and actually just two fewer than they had all of last year.
Toronto FC righting ship under Mariner
You have to squint a bit, but the good ship TFC has at least stopped taking on water. Under new manager Paul Mariner, they have gone a perfectly respectable 1-1-3 and might not even be the worst team in the league by this time next week.
The greatest showing of improvement came on Wednesday when they absolutely man-handled the Montreal Impact 3-0 in which they got goals from Danny Koevermans, Ryan Johnson and Torsten Frings. They followed that up by tying the New York Red Bulls 1-1 on Saturday.
Koevermans has rediscovered his scoring boots, tallying five goals in his past four games, and Torsten Frings is finally healthy. The chances of them making any kind of run at the playoffs are absurdly long -- they are 14 points off the pace -- but it’s at least no longer the heaping bag of fail that it was at the start of the year.
Renaissance in DC
It's easy to forget that it was just two years ago when D.C. United put together one of the worst seasons in MLS history. With 33 points in their first 18 matches. They not only have 12 more points than they had 2010, but they are also sitting atop the Eastern Conference. Their 3-0 thrashing of the Impact gives them an 11-point lead on the sixth-place team in the East, putting them well on pace to break their four-year streak of missing the playoffs.
Leading the way again was Chris Pontius, who notched his career-high ninth goal of the season. Pontius' strike gave United the early lead and proved to be all his team would need on the day.
Sounders smarting
Something has gone horribly wrong with the Seattle Sounders. Looking like a Supporters' Shield favorite during the season's first couple months, they suddenly can't buy a win (though their ownership is likely looking for ways as we speak). The latest failure came against the New England Revolution. The Sounders were mostly outplayed, but still managed to build a 2-1 lead behind the suddenly resurgent play of Eddie Johnson, who now has four goals in his past four games and seven for the year.
But a Diego Fagundez header at the death salvaged a point for the New England Revolution and ran the Sounders' franchise-record winless streak to eight games. What's particularly concerning is that after yielding just three goals in their first nine games, they've now allowed 15 in their past eight. Remarkably, they are actually in third place in the West, although they are quickly losing sight of the top of the table.
Chicago on Fire
Quietly, the Chicago Fire are riding a three-game winning streak after topping once-unbeatable Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on Friday. They aren't looking particularly dominant in any of these games, but credit where it's due; they have figured out how to get results, something they had much trouble with last year.
Kansas City largely dominated this match and came within inches of scoring several goals, but are suddenly struggling to get points. They have now lost two straight and have not won any of their previous three. As great as their start was, they are now just third in the East and only two points ahead of the Fire.
What’s wrong with RSL?
Real Salt Lake still has the third most points in all of MLS and is just four points behind the Earthquakes for the Supporters' Shield lead, but the last few weeks have been a wakeup call. You've got to assume that their 2-0 loss to a very mediocre Columbus Crew team on Saturday is rock bottom, as it's their third straight loss.
The common denominator has been some lax defense, as they've now allowed seven goals in their past three. In this one, they allowed goals to Tony Tchani and Eddie Gaven, both of which were the product of the RSL defense allowing players to get wide open inside 8 yards.
No one is denying that this isn’t one of the best teams in the league, but their recent struggles are just the latest reminder of how little separates the best from the worst in MLS.
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