Last week, D.C. United ended their seven-match losing streak against one of the tougher teams to do that against, and this week, they'll look to finally put a second tally in the win column against another difficult opponent. Tonight, United will host the Portland Timbers, who haven't lost since the third week of the season - coincidentally, the last time D.
We're always eager to find the scoop on other teams in MLS, particularly when our boys in black will be playing them. In that spirit, we exchanged a few questions with Geoff Gibson in advance of D.C. United's match this Saturday against the Portland Timbers. He's the managing editor at SB Nation's beyond excellent Timbers site, Stumptown Footy.
For the first time in a couple months, we can't say "another week, another loss" for D.C. United. Last weekend, the Black-and-Red took their first step forward in some weeks, earning a home draw to Sporting Kansas City. That leads off this week's episode of Filibuster - the Black & Red United podcast.
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Exciting news for Red Bull fans this week: In order to alleviate the problems with the overcrowded stadium and exorbitant secondary ticket market prices, MLS announced the addition of a second New York team.
The hits keep coming for D.C. United. First, there was the nightmarish 4-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo at a damp RFK Stadium. Next, United faced FC Dallas - top of the table at the time - on the road and, while playing something close to competently, still lost 2-1. Most recently, the Black-and-Red managed to avoid defeat for the first time since the Nixon administration, putting up a decent 70 minutes before hanging on for dear life to hold Sporting Kansas City to a 1-1 draw.
When David Ferreira was injured in the early stages of the second half of FC Dallas' 1-1 draw with Portland on Wednesday night in Frisco, the early thought was that his right leg was cramping up.
And when Ferreira returned to the field after a short time on the endline, that assessment appeared to be dead on.
It was a really wide open game. I thought both teams came in not at their best. Both teams were missing some players. At the same time they're very athletic. We were very concerned about their attacking players. In the first half we were giving too many balls away in the center of the field, and we talked about getting the ball up wider, quicker, and finding David (Ferreira) more as quickly as we could.
While the calendar may say it's Memorial Day weekend, the pair of high-profile playoff rematches on the docket will be giving MLS fans a tantalizing taste of November soccer.
After having their 36-game home unbeaten run ended by Sporting Kansas City earlier this month, the Houston Dynamo will look to return the favor with a road result of their own at Sporting Park in a key clash for the crowded Eastern Conference.
The Colorado Rapids are the only MLS franchise with multiple players named to the most recent U.S. U-20 Men's National Team roster with Shane O'Neill and Dillon Serna being named to Tab Ramos' squad for the Toulon Tournament. While the tournament runs from May 28 through June 8, O'Neill will stay with the club for its June 1 match with FC Dallasbefore flying to France.
Nine games on the slate this week in Major League Soccer, including the seemingly annual Memorial Day weekend meeting between two of the most famous fanbases in the country. We've collected all of Black & Red United's coverage into one convenient place.
Last week, D.C. United, while not having an objectively good week with a home draw, enjoyed the best week the team has had in a couple of months.
In Portland's first two seasons in the MLS, the Timbers longest unbeaten run was five games. But just one-third of the way into head coach Caleb Porter's first season, his squad is rewriting the record book.
The club has already doubled their longest unbeaten streak in MLS having gone ten matches in a row without a defeat.
The last thing the Los Angeles Galaxy needed in their current three losses in four games skid is to lose their captain for an extended period of time.
This looks to be the case, as Galaxy manager Bruce Arena and captain Robbie Keane came to an agreement to allow the 32-year-old forward to play for the Republic of Ireland on four different occasions in the next three weeks.
With the FIFA international dates coming closer, and national teams in the CONCACAF region preparing for either Hexagonal play, friendly matches, or both, numerous Major League Soccer players have been chosen to take part.
Jamaica has called up Portland Timbers duo Donovan Ricketts and Ryan Johnson along with Vancouver Whitecaps forward Darren Mattocks to a 12-day training camp, where the Jamaican side will play Tottenham Hotspurs in a friendly match on Wednesday and then The Bahamas on May 31, before three World Cup qualifiers in June.
[[Show as slideshow]]Seattle Sounders looked to keep the winning streak alive by making it 3 in a row versus FC Dallas on a mild night in Seattle. Dallas had been red hot riding a 9 game unbeaten streak (6-0-3) and are 1st on the table comfortably with 6 points on the next in line Portland Timbers.
Down to ten men and down a goal on the road, it looked as if the Timbers record unbeaten streak might come to end. But Jose Adolfo Valencia made sure it didn't.
Valencia's goal six minutes from the end, earned Portland (4-1-7, 19 points) a 2-2 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday at BC Place.
The Seattle Sounders are on a roll, having put together a five-match unbeaten streak to climb out of the Western Conference basement and make their march toward the top of the standings.
Waiting for them at the top is FC Dallas, which is in Seattle tonight to try and keep their own nine-match streak alive.
PORTLAND, Ore.-It has been 390 minutes since the Timbers have conceded a goal in front of the home fans and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is one of the major reasons why Portland is enjoying its best run of form since joining MLS in 2011.
The Jamaican International arrived in Portland last August in exchange for fan favorite Troy Perkins.
Two moments stick out to Caleb Porter regarding Rodney Wallace's rapid ascent from useful utility player to emerging MLS standout.
The first was in late January, at Estadio Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica. With the host nation locked in a scoreless Copa Centroamericana semifinal against Honduras, Wallace not only secured passage to the title game by converting a late back-post header — he also gave Porter a glimpse of his underestimated class in the final third.
Walker Zimmerman made his first appearance for FC Dallas Saturday, 113 days after being selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft. The Furman product came on as a late sub in the club's 2-1 victory over DC United.
The centerback had sustained a groin injury in the preseason and his recovery had taken longer than originally expected.
Just days after the club granted a young boy with cancer his Make-A-Wish wish a friendly against the senior side, the fans of the Portland came up with a choreograph. Only it's not your typical collective this one was for gay tolerance, fresh on the heels of the spate (yes, two is a spate in this respect) of outings in professional sports.
The Portland Timbers ran their league-high unbeaten streak to nine matches this week, and no player had a bigger role in that streak continuing than Rodney Wallace.
The Costa Rican attacker had a major hand in both results for the Timbers this week, setting up the loan goal in Wednesday's draw vs.
PORTLAND, Ore.-One team came into Sunday's match on a franchise-long unbeaten streak, while the other came in reeling. And after 90 minutes of play, it was easy to see which team was ascending and which finds itself in the conference basement.
The Portland Timbers dominated Chivas USA on their way to a 3-0 victory, in front of a sellout Mother's Day crowd at Jeld-Wen Field.
Sporting Kansas City returns to the house of horrors known as BBVA Compass Stadium to take on rival Houston Dynamo in a clash of Eastern Conference powers.
Today's MLS schedule features two games, including the weekend's most anticipated clash, between Sporting KC and the Dynamo.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee fined two coaches and suspended a player this week, including Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter for his comments about the officials after the Timbers' match against FC Dallas.
From the MLS press release here's what the DC can fine a coach for in regard to the referee.
When Matt Pickens fractured his arm in a mid-March match against Real Salt Lake, no one would have imagined the 31-year-old might lose his starting job while recovering. But his replacement, Clint Irwin, might not relinquish the spot after an exceptional run that has seen him shut out opponents in three of his last five matches.
FC Dallas and the Portland Timbers both came into their matchup riding seven-match unbeaten streaks. And after a 90-minute tussle, both teams walked away with their streaks intact.
The clubs battled to a 1-1 draw Wednesday night at FC Dallas Stadium to bring each team's unbeaten streak to eight games.
For the crowded top of the Eastern Conference table, which features a four-way tie for first, a packed slate of midweek games should provide some of clarity to the muddled race.
All four first-place teams are in action Wednesday night, with two of them — the New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact — going head to head.
PORTLAND, Ore.-For the the first time in their short MLS tenure, the Portland Timbers are preparing for a matchup that will involve two teams at the top of the conference standings.
And despite being in new surroundings, Portland and their coach Caleb Porter are comfortable heading on the road to play the Western Conference-leading FC Dallas.
The Los Angeles Galaxy looked poised for a long run atop the SBI MLS Power Rankings, but the Houston Dynamo stepped up to remind us that we can never take results for granted. Especially when we are talking about returning MLS Cup finalists.
The Dynamo recorded their first road win since last summer, and their first road win vs.
Major League Soccer saw one of their clubs make a dream come true for a young fan this week. Eight year old Portland Timbers fan Atticus Lane-Duprey has always wanted to play against his favorite team, and he finally got his chance this week.
Lane-Duprey is a cancer victim and despite his stricken state, he continues to fight for his survival and thanks to the Make-a-Wish foundation was able to set up an exhibition match between he and his friends of The Green Machine against the Portland Timbers.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Mikael Silvestre's debut season in Major League Soccer is all but over.
The Timbers announced that Silvestre had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, ruling him out for the next six to nine months.
Of the seven center defenders that the Portland Timbers had on opening day, just four remain, and two of those have never played an Major League Soccer game.
Whether the loss of Mikael Silvestre on Thursday night accelerated the signing process or not, the Timbers announced on Friday the signing of former Norway international defender Pa Modou Kah.
Since Jay Heaps took over as the New England Revolution's head coach I have been trying to figure out his preferred system of play.
At times Heaps and the Revolution have shown examples of Tika-Taka as well as the more direct long-ball approach.
But after watching the Revs pick up their fifth shutout of the season in a 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers on Thursday night at Jeld-Wen Field I finally saw Heaps preferred style of play; Catenaccio
Catenaccio is an Italian style of play with a strong emphasis on defence.
As we prepare for tomorrow's match-up between the Black-and-Red and the visiting Timbers, we look back at the last time the two teams met - last fall in Portland, where a controversial penalty gave D.C. the lead before United eventually succumbed to persistently shoddy defending and were forced to settle for the draw.
Down to ten men and trailing, the Timbers equalized late at BC Place to salvage a draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Portland dominated possession in the match, but the ‘Caps scored first in the 24th minute through a Camilo free kick from just outside the area.
Here is this week's Match In Media from the Whitecaps' 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers: The Whitecaps and Timbers tied 2-2, the Caps' goals came from Camilo and Gershon Koffie.
