Los Angeles Galaxy wasted a golden opportunity to bridge the gap between themselves and the Western Conference playoff spots when they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.
In front of their home fans, Galaxy got off to flying start when Chicharito got on the end of a terrific ball from Victor Vazquez to put him through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and he made no mistake with his finish hard and low across the goal.
It was Chicharito's 200th club goal of his career, and his 33rd for Galaxy after arriving at the club in 2020.
That would be the only goal of the first half, but a penalty to Sporting in the 67th minute changed the complexion of the contest, with Johnny Russell equalising.
The visiting Kansas City side would have liked their chances of escaping with all three points after Felipe Hernandez gave them the lead in the 76th minute, but there would be another twist in the tale as Galaxy were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes.
Chicharito stepped up to the spot and tucked away his penalty high into the top-left corner of the goal, giving him 14 in 26 games this campaign, and he had a chance to make it 15 when there was another penalty given in stoppage time.
Trying to secure his hattrick and the match, Chicharito opted for the audacious panenka penalty, but was left red-faced as John Pulskamp in the Sporting goals did not flinch, catching it easily.
Elsewhere in California, Los Angeles FC had a much easier time in their 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake to strengthen their position atop the Western Conference standings.
After a scoreless first half, LAFC were dominant after the break, with Ryan Hollingshead finding the back of the net in the 49th minute and Cristian Arango doubling the advantage in the 68th.
Carlos Vela also missed a penalty for the home side in stoppage time, but his side were good value for their win, producing 3.16 expected goals compared to just 0.29 for Salt Lake.
The win moves LAFC nine points clear of the chasing pack in the West, while at the other end of the standings, Houston Dynamo were bumped down to the bottom after a 2-1 loss away against the Seattle Sounders.
It was Houston striking first, with Daniel Steres breaking the deadlock in the 26th minute, and that score would hold until Nouhou Tolo's equaliser in the 59th.
A missed penalty from Nicolas Lodeiro in the 75th minute appeared to be Seattle's wasted chance to secure all three points in front of their home fans, but less than a minute later a terrific cross from Tolo found Fredy Montero at the back post the head in the winner.
With Houston losing again, the San Jose Earthquakes took the opportunity to shed the last-placed tag with a 2-0 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps, thanks to first half goals from Jeremy Ebobisse and Jamiro Monteiro.
Despite only owning 35 per cent of the possession and finishing with 0.36 expected goals, New England Revolution treated their fans to an emphatic 3-0 home win against New York City, with Jon Bell, 17-year-old Noel Buck and Thomas McNamara providing the scores.
In the highest scoring game of the day, CF Montreal came away with a 4-3 win despite two goals from Toronto's Lorenzo Insigne.
The Portland Timbers took advantage of two penalties to defeat Atlanta United 2-1, and DC United fought out the only 0-0 draw of the day against the Colorado Rapids, with Christian Benteke missing a penalty for DC.
Veteran coach Harrison joins STETHS to lead athletic and football development
Renowned track and field coach, formerly of Munro College, Kingston College and Jamaica College, has taken his wealth of coaching experience to St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), where he is set to play a key role in the development of the institution's sporting programmes.
Coach Harrison officially joined the STETHS team on September 2, after having worked with the school in an unofficial capacity during the summer.
Harrison, a seasoned Physical Education teacher and coach, will not only continue his role on the track but will also extend his expertise to the school’s football programme. His responsibilities at STETHS go beyond coaching, as he will be tasked with overseeing the school's entire sports programme, ensuring that there are comprehensive development initiatives in place for student-athletes.
Principal Keith Wellington, speaking on Harrison’s appointment, highlighted the coach’s experience and leadership qualities as crucial additions to the school’s sports culture. "Coach Harrison brings significant experience and maturity as a Physical Education teacher, coach, and mentor," Wellington said. "He is expected to provide guidance, mentorship, and technical leadership to our overall sports programmes. It is also expected that Coach Harrison's addition to the STETHS team will lead to more of our student-athletes optimizing their talents across our various school programmes."
In addition to his coaching duties, Harrison will serve as a classroom teacher at STETHS, fostering the holistic development of students both academically and athletically. His mandate also includes the coordination of sports activities, working closely with Wellington to ensure that STETHS’ co-curricular programmes are robust and inclusive.
Harrison’s distinguished coaching career includes stints at Kingston College, where he served from 2014 to 2018, and Jamaica College, where he led the school to victory in the ISSA Boys and Girls National Championships in 2021. Despite his success, his contract at Jamaica College was not renewed for the 2024/2025 academic year, paving the way for his new role at STETHS.
With his extensive experience and proven track record of success, Coach Harrison's presence is expected to enhance STETHS' already formidable sports tradition, especially in track and field and football. Principal Wellington remains confident that Harrison will provide the technical expertise and mentorship necessary to elevate the school's athletic achievements.
STETHS has long been known as a powerhouse in rural Jamaica, and the addition of Coach Harrison to the team signals their intent to continue that legacy while nurturing young talent for years to come.
Ronaldo 'entitled to his opinion', says Ten Hag after Man United criticism
Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has brushed aside Cristiano Ronaldo's latest comments as he continues to block out the criticism surrounding his tenure.
Ronaldo, who recently surpassed 900 career goals during the international break, returned to Old Trafford in 2021 for a second stint at the club he made his name at.
The Portugal international netted 27 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions across one and a half seasons but fell out of favour under Ten Hag before joining Al Nassr in December 2022.
During the 2021-22 season, no one registered more goal contributions in the Premier League for United than Ronaldo (21, 18 goals and three assists), while he also produced an expected goals tally (xG) of 17.75, also the highest in the Red Devils squad.
And speaking to former United team-mate Rio Ferdinand on a podcast, Ronaldo said Ten Hag had been wrong to say in a pre-season interview that the club were "a long way away" from winning the Premier League.
When questioned about the veteran forward's comments, Ten Hag said: "No, he said this, if you read the article very well.
"He is entitled to his opinion. It's OK. He is far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester."
United headed into the international break off the back of successive defeats in the Premier League, the latest coming in a 3-0 humbling against arch rivals Liverpool.
The Red Devils have now lost as many as two of their first three league games in a season for the second time under the Dutchman's tenure (also 2022-23).
They last lost three of their first four back in 1986-87, when Ron Atkinson was sacked and replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson.
While United are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League away games against the Saints, the encounter at St. Mary's seems a seismic one for Ten Hag's future at the club.
The two-week break since the Liverpool defeat has seen Ten Hag's future widely discussed, but the Dutchman insisted that the outside noise did not bother him.
"It doesn't impact me. I know where we are in the process and what we have to do and where we are going," Ten Hag said.
"I have said before we are still in a transition period.
"We have to integrate a lot of young players in the team and still have to deal with injuries and bring players back into the team.
"Before anyone thinks about excuses, no, we have to win every game. I know that. The team knows that. It doesn't matter who is available."
Chicago Fire v New York Red Bulls: Klopas seeking to overcome slow starts
Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas insisted his side must overcome their slow start against D.C. United in order to push for the playoffs ahead of facing the New York Red Bulls this weekend.
Klopas watched on as his side conceded twice in three minutes midway through the first half against D.C. as Christian Benteke and Gabriel Pirani’s struck to secure the triumph for the visitors.
The result leaves the Fire 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, with Klopas stressing the importance of energy from the first whistle to his players.
“We needed to come out with energy. If we did that, I felt that we were in the game,” Klopas said.
“We got that goal. And then, if you see the second half, the amount of possession, and it's a team that was sitting back, looking to counter.
“We get in good spots, and then our ability in the final 25 yards from goal, whether it's just making a play, the quality of the crosses coming in, connecting, we get in really good spots and we need to be better and sharper in the final third, in those areas.”
The Red Bulls, meanwhile, played out a 13th draw of the season on home soil against Kansas City last time out, with 16-year-old Julian Hall snatching a point in the final minute of normal time.
It marked just their second goal from their last three MLS fixtures since returning from the Leagues Cup, and they have since lost pace with the top three in the Eastern Conference but are still four points ahead of rivals New York City FC in fourth place.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz acknowledged his side's difficulties in the final third of late but insisted that his squad have addressed their lack of confidence at the top end of the pitch.
“I think it is also from the mental side,” Schwarz said. “When you did not have the best game last week, and then you concede the first goal, it is not easy for a young team.
“On this point, I am very happy we were able to get this point. This is what we can improve, and this is what we have done also to create more of these moments in the final third.
“We had big chances throughout the game, but from this point you need a goal to give you confidence to believe in your quality – this is what we have to do."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Andrew Gutman
Gutman scored Chicago’s only goal against D.C. from outside the box, the seventh Fire goal from outside the penalty area in 2024.
Chicago last scored more goals from outside the box in the 2012 season (13).
NYRB – Cory Burke
Burke has scored 28 career regular season MLS goals with eight of those coming against this weekend’s opponents.
The Jamaican has not scored more than three goals against any other MLS opponent but has scored at least once in every season he’s faced the Fire from 2018 to 2023.
MATCH PREDICTION: NYRB WIN
The Fire are unbeaten in four straight meetings with the Red Bulls (W1 D3), including a scoreless draw at Red Bull Arena in April. Chicago last went five straight unbeaten against New York in all competitions from August 2010 to June 2012 (W2 D3).
However, they have lost three straight home matches in all competitions for the third time since the start of last season. Chicago had lost three straight home matches in all competitions just twice in the club’s first 25 seasons and have never lost four in a row at home before.
While coming into the encounter as favourites, eight of the Red Bulls’ last 11 regular season matches have ended in draws (W2 L1), including all four on the road during that time. They are also winless in six straight regular season road games (D4 L2) since a win at D.C. United in May.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 27.3%
Draw – 24%
NYRB – 48.7%
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