There's room for Pajoy and McInerney in new look Philadelphia

Amid the generally approving noises made about Philadelphia's much improved performance against DC United last week there was some concern about where the goals were going to come from. McInerney's link up play had been a revelation in his first start, Hoppenot had caused all sorts of problems and hit the post in a sparkling sub's cameo, while the general fluidity of the transition play was matched by defensive endeavor - but DC got the only goal.

With Sporting KC at PPL Park this week, new interim coach John Hackworth was going to be up against the side who've played 4-3-3 as successfully as anyone over the past two seasons, and had to make a decision about how he wanted to set up against them. McInerney had made a strong case for his inclusion, Adu provides much needed inventiveness, and now he had Pajoy coming back into the scene - but was there a way to accommodate them all without losing defensive solidity? Turns out there was...stick with 4-3-3 and play all 3 up front, while trusting that each would drop deep when required to pick up their share of defensive harrying. In short, play like Sporting KC.

Within a minute, it had paid off. The overlapping Gaddis broke free on the right and ripped a dangerous looking ball across the SKC goal. Pajoy raced through to reach it, and rather than trying to tap in from an acute angle, made a rapid and inventive decision to back heel the ball back for the arriving McInerney to crash home. Just before half time it was two as Kei Kamara, doing his own deep defending, conceded a free kick to the side of the box, from which the Union worked another for McInerney. A Pajoy penalty and a Hoppenot chip (as the young sub made his own case for a regular start) rounded out a performance where for once, everything went right for Philadelphia.

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It wasn't as big a rout as the 4-0 scoreline suggested. Had Sporting taken their chances at 2-0 it could have been a nervy climax to the game for the Union, but those are part of the stakes when you choose this formation. As against DC there were moments when Philadelphia were caught out of possession with men ahead of the ball, but also as per the DC game there was a willingness to track back and fight for each other. The next stage will be to add some discretionary discipline about when to go and when to stay, and also to manage the formation in a way that routinely stifles the opposition when out of possession - again, all lessons, that ironically enough they could learn from Sporting KC at their best. This was not their best...GP

Houston's defensive frailty catches up with them

A worrying week for Dominic Kinnear. Houston are still unbeaten at BBVA Compass Stadium, but that was more to do with the fragile psyche of Toronto FC, who contrived to throw away a 3-1 half-time lead in midweek (prior to throwing away the same margin against New England yesterday), after Danny Koevermans had bullied the Dynamo back line in front of a disbelieving home crowd. Then on Saturday, they came totally unstuck on the road at Montreal, as the Impact put four past them, before Adam Moffatt added insult to injury by getting sent off for a foul and follow up kick on Felipe. You could understand his frustration, if not his actions. As he had been in last week's four goal evisceration of Seattle, Felipe was a menace throughout. Against Houston, he picked up where he'd left off - threading a ball through Geoff Cameron's legs to set up Nyassi for the opener, with just four minutes on the clock, and being menacing throughout.

As in midweek, Houston's forwards got them back in it, equalizing twice - but they can't make up for repeatedly undefended balls in the six yard box, or the lapses of defensive concentration that have caused the problems these last couple of games. It's not what we expect from Dominic Kinnear's Houston and certainly not what we expected from this particular squad before the season started. We expected defensive solidity as the attack found its feet and probably for some of the road-game mentality fostered in their early season away run to carry into the summer. We didn't expect the team to be relying on the goals of Will Bruin (nine so far this season, including a well-taken goal yesterday), or for the defense to concede multiple goals so that the attacking contribution was moot. Houston got lucky against Toronto, but their luck ran out in Montreal.

There have been rumors of a European transfer for Geoff Cameron this summer - this week at least he'll have been glad most European eyes are on events on home soil. For the first time since his transplant from midfield last season, he's looked out of position at the heart of the Houston defense. Some back to basics training looms for the Houston defense this week, before a resurgent Philadelphia visit next Saturday. At the moment that one promises to be lively - Kinnear though, would be happier with a dour 1-0 for the home team. GP

New York buck early goals trend

Very early goals set the tone in over half the games over the weekend - most of them being a case of the home side coming out of the blocks quickly and getting instant results. We've mentioned the Union's Q.E.D. display of their new attacking trident, and Nyassi's quicksilver plundering behind Houston's back line, but there was also, for example, Marco Pappa's second minute opener for Chicago against Columbus. Philadelphia and Montreal went on to record big wins and Chicago also won - though they had to hold out a little after Segares saw red for them in the 29th minute. Toronto briefly looked like getting in on the act against New England with Koevermans fourth minute opener, but, well... Still, they took a point.

In the weekend's climactic, televised, rivalry games, Portland waited till a positively tardy 16 minutes for Kris Boyd to open the scoring, though perhaps they were waiting for ESPN viewers to realize they'd been shunted to ESPN2, to accommodate England's lurch out of Euro 2012 on the other channel. Viewers who didn't switch over missed a rather wonderful sight - a tifo display by the Timbers fans that covered the entire home end. Even Sounders fans, who know a thing or two about large tifo displays themselves, offered some grudging respect on Twitter. Portland went on to win 2-1, despite losing Palmer to a red card in injury time, in an incident that also saw the Sounders' Freddy Montero ejected. A vital boost for the Timbers to beat their rivals, and another defeat in a month that, cup run aside (and how intriguing does that quarter final with San Jose look, on current form?), Sounders fans will want to forget.

Over to Red Bull Arena for the final game of the round. Would we see an early goal in this one too? Well, yes - and in the first minute too. But it was scored by Chris Pontius, for New York's rivals DC United. But unlike the other games where this phenomenon occurred this weekend, the team that scored early took nothing from the game.

A lot of the talk beforehand was how New York fans would respond if Dwayne De Rosario happened to score his 100th MLS goal against the team he once played for. In the event we did see a player who had played for both DC and New York get two goals, but rather than bringing up a century of goals, they were his first ever MLS tallies, and they were scored for the home team. Brandon Barklage, picked up by New York after being deemed surplus to requirements at DC, was man of the match in an entertaining game that finished 3-2 to New York, and having scored his first by crashing into the box to meet a Lindpere corner with a glancing shot, he scored a sweet volley on the stroke of half time to give proof, if it were needed, that he's a New York man now.

It's the fifth successive league game New York have fallen behind in and they've taken something from four of those games - this is a more resilient, if still unpredictable Red Bulls side, who now stand level on points at the top of the East with their DC rivals, in a conference race that like the West, is heating up nicely for summer. Just be in your seats early... GP

LA back in the groove

At the start of last week LA were languishing near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Three wins out of three and nine points later, LA have moved up to fifth, just six points off Vancouver in third place. And it was the

Whitecaps who felt the wrath of the resurgent Galaxy on Saturday.

In 25 devastating first half minutes LA struck three times, the game effectively over when Landon Donovan stroked home his spot kick just before the break. Mike Magee opened the scoring while returning Irish captain, Robbie Keane, waltzed through the 'Caps defense to double LA's lead. Keane postponed his trademark celebration and paid tribute to Ireland fan James Nolan, who tragically died at the European Championships.

While Keane has been away at the Euro's, his club side have been rampant, gathering successive wins against Portland and Real Salt Lake. The latter was an impressive 3-2 come from behind win, showcasing LA's grit and determination as they seek to show their critics that it's far too early to write their season off. After the laid back dismantling of Martin Rennie's usually impressive Vancouver side, managers and players across the league will be looking over their shoulders with unease. Many have attributed that slow start to their shocking exit in CCL action to Toronto FC (one that looks even more shocking since TFC's struggles.) But the demise of their defense has been the real problem.

When 2011 MLS defender of the year Omar Gonzalez crumpled in a heap during his first training session while on loan with Nurnberg in January, part of LA's 2012 title bid fell to the floor with him. The Galaxy have used countless partnerships in central defense so far this season, but finally they seem to have found one that works in A.J. DeLaGarza and David Junior Lopes.

Arena used the recent international break to regain that key ingredient they've lacked: defensive solidity. With two clean sheets in their three win streak, LA are back to the solid style which ground out win after win last season on the way to winning the cup. The transformation is not complete yet however, after a fine stretch where Beckham, Donovan and now Keane look back to their best, the Galaxy are still 13 points behind San Jose at the West's summit. JPW

The Goonies compound RSL's home struggles

When asked a few weeks ago why San Jose keep striking late to snatch points, charismatic (/pain in the backside) striker Steven Lenhart replied, "The Goonies never say die." Cue 80's hysteria erupting on Twitter and message boards.

These Goonies aren't kidding though; they really aren't going to lie down without a fight. In fact when Chris Wondolowski struck late on to seal a 2-1 win at Rio Tinto on Saturday, the Quakes moved above Salt Lake to top the Western Conference.

It was a game to look forward to, as both sides play expansive, attacking soccer which has helped to set them apart from other stuttering sides such as LA and Seattle so far this year. San Jose have done it on a shoestring budget. Salt Lake have relied on their philosophy of stylish soccer, played at high intensity in front of a passionate loyal fan base. But actually, they aren't playing anywhere near their best in Utah. Only four of the league's other 18 teams - LA, Chivas USA, Philadelphia and Toronto - have lost more games at home than RSL. Quite a shocking stat considering Jason Kreis' men have spent the majority of the season in the top two in the West. That's because their away form, just two defeats from eight, has kept them in the hunt. Why have RSL been struggling when hosting? Partly it's down to teams coming to the "RioT" and parking the bus to frustrate the mercurial talents of Javier Morales, Fabian Espindola and Alvaro Saborio. Yet their last two defeats, to LA on Wednesday and to San Jose on Saturday, proves that teams who attack also have success in Utah. In fact LA scored three unanswered goals to defeat RSL 3-2, marking the first time Salt Lake had ever given up a two-goal lead to lose in their history.

Defensive frailties were shown in abundance against LA and they surfaced again when Wondo struck in the 85th minute to give San Jose a 2-1 win. RSL switched off from a throw-in and the clinical striker reacted first to Alan Gordon's flick on.

RSL's sloppy defending and poor home record aside; it was another remarkable win for San Jose. Gordon was unleashed from the bench to bury the opener, then set up the winner. He's now scored five times in 2012, all after coming off the bench. The 30-year-old striker epitomizes the Quakes' never say die attitude which head coach Frank Yallop has generated by

grouping hungry players who are desperate for success together. Hence two late wins in close proximity, adding the scalp of Colorado to RSL, as Wondo struck in the 93rd minute to down the Rapids.

San Jose have won 10 of their 16 games this year, recording the fewest defeats in the league, just three. They also have the best away record in MLS, grabbing 19 points from a possible 27. Proving the Goonies often leave it late, but never say die. JPW

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