MLS round-up, March 2 & 3

Week 2 of MLS got underway with what was supposed to be a double bill from Minnesota and Utah, only for high winds to force the kick-off of the latter back two hours. In its stead, Minnesota United and Columbus Crew played out an engaging game at Allianz Field with plenty of attacking play (and some dreadful attempts at chant-starting from the United faithful). Reigning champions Crew took the lead through Cucho Hernandez just before the hour and looked to have stolen all three points, only for Tani Oluwasei - who was on loan at San Antonio in the USL Championship last season - to pop up five minutes into time added on to secure a deserved draw for interim coach Cameron Knowles. United finally have a new coach in former Manchester United assistant Erik Ramsey starting this week. The game in Sandy, Utah, finally got underway at 9.10pm (UK time) and was subsequently interrupted after just four minutes of play when the referee took the teams off because of lightning over the stadium. When they resumed an hour later, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles FC found a field covered in snow as a snowstorm swirled around them. They grabbed the orange ball and got on with things, with the home side taking a 3-0 lead at the break through an Andre Gomez brace and a third for Cristian Arango in stoppage time. Although LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo would later moan that the game shouldn't have gone ahead, it was a brilliant spectacle as a one-off and Real took the points despite losing Braian Ojeda to a red card five minutes from time.

Meanwhile, down in Florida, Inter Miami were taking Orlando City to the cleaners as they raced into a 3-0 lead by the half-hour mark, two goals for bitey racist Luis Suarez and a third from Robert Taylor when Suarez could have easily grabbed his hatrick. The second half wasn't much better for the Lions as Lionel Messi grabbed a brace to send Miami clear at the top of the table (although they have played a game more than their rivals). After missing out last week, Vancouver Whitecaps got their league season underway in front of a record crowd of almost thirty-thousand for their fiftieth anniversary season. They fell behind to a Iuri Tavavres goal for Charlotte FC but Ryan Raposo's equaliser in first-half stoppage time ensured the Whitecaps got a share of the points. After both teams drew their opening game, Chicago Fire and FC Cincinnati were looking for their first wins of the season at Soldier Field and it was the Garys who struck first, Aaron Boupendza giving the away side a lead in the thirty-ninth minute. A penalty from Xherdan Shaqiri levelled the tie in first-half stoppage time, with Chicago looking a much better side this season. However, centre-back Miles Robinson scored his debut goal for Cincinnati midway through the second half to give the visitors the points and continue a solid run of form that makes them one of the favourites for this year's trophy.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas welcomed CF Montreal to Toyota Stadium and saw the visitors leave with all three points as the home side looked down on scoring power. First-half substitute Jules-Anthony Vilsaint scored the opener for the Canadiens after just twenty minutes but Dallas clawed their way back into the game in first-half stoppage time through Petar Musa. The game could have gone either way in the second half but it was Josef Martinez who settled things in Montreal's favour on the hour mark. It was a similar story a few hours south in Houston where Houston Dynamo were also beaten 2-1 at home by New York Red Bulls. The Red Bulls are a different prospect under new coach Sandro Schwarz this season but still fell behind to Ibrahim Aliyu's opener for Dynamo, a goal which might have signalled a collapse last year. However, Elias Manoel and Lewis Morgan both found the net for the visitors, leaving them still unbeaten so far in 2024. Sporting Kansas City left it very late last year to make their bid for the play-offs but are still unbeaten this time out after a 1-1 draw at home with Philadelphia Union. Sporting looked to have had the game won through Remi Walter's first-half strike but a controversial goal from Alejandro Bedoya five minutes into time added on gave the Union a share of the points against the run of play.

Last season's Supporters Shield winner St Louis City stumbled somewhat on their defence of the title last week but found New York City much more accomodating opposition as they sent the visitors away from City Park with a 2-0 defeat. Celio Pompeu and Samuel Ideniran got the goals for City, with the Pigeons having James Sands sent off late in the game. The perenially lacklustre Colorado Rapids looked like they'd won their home opener against Nashville SC when Shaquell Moore fired through his own net to give the Denver side a lead just after the restart but the irrepresible Hani Mukhtar opped up with a ninetieth minute penalty kick to give the Coyotes a share of the points. Over on the West Coast, San Jose Earthquakes hosted LA Galaxy in the California Clasico and were shocked to go into the break 2-0 down thanks to goals from Joseph Paintsill and Dejan Joveljic. Riqui Puig added a third just after half-time and Preston Judd's goal for the Quakes - also celebrating fifty years since their formation - was mere consolation. Seattle Sounders and Austin FC drew 0-0. Portland Timbers got off to a great start under new coach Phil Neville last week and looked to continue that form at home to DC United. Timbers were 2-0 up by the hour mark thanks to goals from Dairon Asprilla and Santiago Moreno but DC under Troy Lesesne are a different prospect to Wayne Rooney's bunch last year, and a Mateusz Klich penalty brought them back into the game before Kristian Fletcher scored eight minutes from time to give them a share of the points. The weekend's final game was at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro as New England Revolution hosted John Herdman's rebuilt Toronto FC in front of the Revs biggest crowd since opening day in 1996. The home side had the best of the game but it was Lorenzo Insigne's wonder strike on twenty-seven minutes that separated the teams by the end, Toronto earning their first win in eleven games.