MLS Weekend: Shots On Frame

WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 20, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Four games in and it's San Jose showing they could be more than gimme points at the bottom of the Western Conference. 

Salt Lake 0 - Toronto 1
So how do we do the math relative to DC United?  RSL puts four past them, and can't beat Toronto FC a week later.  Plus, they get to serve as the backdrop for Laurent Roberts' first statement game, with his freekick ending it just after half an hour.  Queue Toronto coach (but not manager) John Carver and an ever-so-pertinent response:  "We've had one or two critics about the way we defended, I thought the second in particular we had to defend, it was the cliché game of a game of two halves, and it certainly was today. But I thought we defended ever so well, we put our bodies on the line."

For his part, RSL coach Jason Kreis got in on the standard soccer cliché:  "It was definitely a tale of two halves I think that we came out tactically and played that game a little bit wrong, to be honest. I think the coaching staff takes full responsibility for us sitting back, perhaps we should have pressed them from minute one."

What this means relative to the rest of the League is a surprisingly open question.  Give Kreis credit for candor with too many teams believing that other soccer cliché.  The one about the opening twenty minutes and feeling each other out.  Over and over this season we've seen the game all but done early.

New England 1 - New York 1
Continuing with the cliches, there's the one about winning just after your coach is fired.  Unfortunately for the Revolution, there's not an equivalent for an incident at a baseball stadium.  This time the man advantage and goal happened late and in the other direction.  With Red Bull New York riding Jozy Altidore's 'Europe, come get me' opener, the Revs go a man down and then get the late equalizer.  All fair right?  Right? 

"I promised my wife that I would not talk about the referees," said Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio. "So, I am disappointed at the wall and I think that we had enough numbers in the wall, but it's an inside shot, not even instep. It wasn't a hard shot, it was down low, and if I had been standing in the wall, I would have put my face through that ball and that's what I expect from my players, and they know that."

Not feeling the same caveat, here’s Revs coach Steve Nicol: "For me the whole night, the referee gave the front two no protection. It's the same every week now, the two guys up front are getting pushed and shoved and kicked and they're getting away with it. We can't expect them to hold balls when there's someone on their back."

San Jose 2 - Colorado 0
Credit Colorado for trying to change things up at the half when it was obvious their offense wasn't getting very much against an improving San Jose.  Ronnie O'Brien's opener two minutes from the end of the half could've easily been San Jose's third or fourth.  In sync from early on, San Jose had answers on both ends of the field, while Colorado looked like they just wanted to get to halftime with the game still in reach.  They did, but San Jose got the look that mattered in the final 45, with Kei Kamara sealing it in the 61st.

"We started very poorly, and our passes were not connecting," said Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo. "When you play like that you are not going to get very many results. We didn't have the same attitude, we didn't move the ball quick enough like we have the last three games. San Jose is a good team, they have two guys up front who battle, are physical, and gave us all kinds of trouble. They have quality players."

The rest of the League should pay attention to the tail end of Clavijo's statement.  San Jose has the position players to make good teams suffer.  Hey, just ask Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop: "I knew all along that we would be fine, but it is nice to get that first win so we don't have to think about it. We can't dwell on this one though because we have another tough one on the road next week we have to be ready for."

Houston 2 - Los Angeles 2
The Galaxy make it exciting, equalizing twice through the expected channel of Beckham to Donovan.  How Houston let this happen should be an object lesson for any team playing them in the near future.  Houston's inability to control the game in the second half is as much of a story as Los Angeles' issues in the first half.

"First half, terrible. Second half, better," said LA midfielder David Beckham. "There was no fight in the first half I thought. No urgency in our play. Throw-ins, free kicks, everything was slow. A few words were said during halftime by players and our management. We came out in the second half, the feel changed. The mentality changed. We had a bit of fight in our game. It got us back into the game. "

It was LA who ended up putting more shots on frame and had more of a case for taking all the points.  Had they, Houston becomes the team with the most to figure out before their next game.  As it stands, they still might be that team, regardless of Dominic Kinnear's post-game comments.

"As far as our game, that was a very good soccer game," he said. "I thought our team played very well. Some of the stuff in the first half we did was some of the best stuff I've seen all season, not only from this team, but others. It was good. I'm sure both teams will point to their missed chances. I thought we had some good chances. If we had a bit more of a cushion in the second half, it would have opened up things a little more. We just couldn't hold to the ball as well as we did in the first half. That hurt us a little bit."

Kansas City 1 - Chicago 0
In an homage to the 2000 MLS Cup, the Chicago Fire once again decided to see how many shots they could throw at Kansas City without actually scoring.  A title on the line aside, this one was actually worse statistically.  On that Sunday in 2000, ten of Chicago's 22 shots were actually on frame.  On this Sunday, they  went 5 for 19. 

"In the first couple of games we finished our chances," said coach Denis Hamlett.  "Tonight we get many chances and we just don't finish. It's going to happen in soccer, there's going to be days where you dominate game and you just can't get the goal."

Shades of '00, the lone goal came early, with Jack Jewsbury scoring in the 4th minute when Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch left his line.

As willing as he was to share the glory a week ago, Busch made a point of putting this afternoon on himself.  "It's my fault, I take the responsibility and you know, on another day, when the field's wet, the ball slips through and I catch it cleanly and we're off playing. At the end of the day you can look back and say, 'you know what, we had luck last weekend in San Jose and hung on for dear life and pulled off three points, and today we didn't.' And that's the way soccer goes. It is what it is."

Dallas 2 - Chivas USA 0
Following the template from the afternoon game, FC Dallas hit a 4th minute opener from Kenny Cooper and rode out a win against a Chivas USA team that couldn't keep their shots on frame.  Abe Thompson got FC's second in the 80th minute.