MLS

Atlanta United blown away 6-1 by the Columbus Crew, Morris' four-goal haul lifts Seattle

By Sports Desk March 26, 2023

Atlanta United lost their position atop the MLS' Eastern Conference standings after a surprise 6-1 hammering at the hands of the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Atlanta boasted three wins and a draw from their first four matches of the season – and had won their past two by a combined margin of 8-1 – but they were no match for an inspired Columbus outfit in front of their home fans.

Crew forward Christian Ramirez bagged a brace in the second half, while Alexandru Matan was credited with three assists in Columbus' second win of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Seattle Sounders striker Jordan Morris raced out into the Golden Boot lead with a four-goal haul in his side's 4-1 away win against Sporting Kansas City.

The 28-year-old American more than doubled his three goals from the opening four matches, opening up a two-goal lead on rest of the competition.

With Atlanta going down, it was the New England Revolution capitalising and taking over as the Eastern Conference leaders, overcoming a first-half strike from Christian Benteke to defeat D.C. United 2-1.

The loss left D.C. near the bottom of the standings with four points from five matches, where they are joined by Charlotte after their 1-1 home draw against New York Red Bulls.

Cincinnati are the only undefeated team in the East through five matches, securing their third win with a 1-0 triumph over Nashville, to go with two draws as they sit one point behind New England.

A 92nd-minute winner gave the Chicago Fire a 3-2 victory away from home against Inter Miami – their first win of the season – while two goals in the first 10 minutes were enough for Orlando City to prevail 2-1 against the Philadelphia Union.

LA Galaxy remain winless after battling out a 0-0 draw against the Portland Timbers, while it was more dramatic for the Vancouver Whitecaps as they needed a 98th minute equaliser to snatch a point in their 1-1 tie with Minnesota.

Austin FC let a golden opportunity to climb the Western Conference slip away as they dropped points in a 1-1 home draw against the cellar-dwelling Colorado Rapids, who doubled their points tally for the season with the result.

A 55th-minute penalty from Amine Bassi was enough to give the Houston Dynamo a 1-0 win against New York City, while expansion side St. Louis City continued their perfect start to their first season with a convincing 4-0 drubbing of Real Salt Lake, leaving them the only side with the maximum 15 points from five matches.

In the late window, Los Angeles FC benefitted from a first-half red card to defeat FC Dallas 2-1, while Toronto FC battled out a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.

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    The new Tottenham manager reportedly wants to take assistant boss Kennedy down to north London along with Gavin Strachan when he officially takes over on July 1.

    Kennedy had a spell as interim manager in 2021 before the Australian took over, having previously worked under Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon.

    The 39-year-old could be a contender for the Celtic job and was linked with the Hearts vacancy before Steven Naismith was handed an extended deal.

    Beattie speculated that Kennedy will have a difficult decision if Postecoglou is keen to continue their working relationship.

    The PFA Scotland player relations officer told Sky Sports News: “I know John well. He is hugely ambitious, his work ethic is second to none.

    “Spurs are a huge club so if Ange decides he wants to take him, then John has got that decision. I won’t tell John what to do because he is very much his own man.

    “He will be a manager at some point, he will be a great manager at some point.

    “For me it depends on when John wants to make that step. We have seen recently where young managers have done it too early so he might just be looking at going down there and working with the likes of Harry Kane and Son (Heung-min). There are some exceptional players down there he could work with.

    “Does he want to be a manager in his own right or go down to the Premier League as a number two and gain even more experience so when he decides to be a manager, he has huge experience to tap into when required.

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  • Steven Naismith gets new job title as he agrees deal to continue leading Hearts Steven Naismith gets new job title as he agrees deal to continue leading Hearts

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    Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay told the club’s website: “We are thrilled to confirm Steven, Frankie and Gordon as our coaching team.

    “We received a number of excellent applications, and, after a robust recruitment process, we believe the three were the best candidates to lead us into next season while sharing our vision for the club’s future.

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    Former Preston manager McAvoy, previously assistant to Alex Neil at several clubs, joined Hearts as head of the youth academy in February 2022 while Forrest followed Neilson from Dundee United in 2020.

    McKinlay said: “Frankie has vast experience from his time coaching on both sides of the border and possesses an impressive track record of developing talent. Gordon, of course, is very familiar with the club already. He’s an outstanding presence on the training pitch and a very gifted coach.”

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