Major League Soccer Weekend Review: The Big Three, Now With 100 Percent Less Los Angeles

For one more week, the LA Galaxy will stand atop the combined table in Major League Soccer, getting a point in Chicago, assuring their goal difference will keep them ahead of the Columbus Crew¹. But more and more, Columbus looks to be a better bet for their third straight Supporters Shield, with Real Salt Lake posing a more serious threat than Los Angeles. Both Columbus and Real Salt Lake got three points this weekend, registering 1-0 wins over DC United and New York Red Bulls, respectively. Los Angeles failed to take advantage of Gonzalo Segares inexplicably excusing himself after 21 minutes, missing the ensuing penalty kick and needing a second half stoppage time tally to salvage a 1-1. Los Angeles and Columbus now have 44 points, with RSL sitting at 43.

Segares’s Saturday act was one of the more subtly selfish you’ll see from a player in a team sport. The defender threw an overhand right from behind Leonardo in the 21st minute, his hand and elbow making contact with the right side of the Brazilian’s head, sending him to ground. The incident happened in full view of referee Mark Geiger, tasked with monitoring the action inside the box on the restart. The obligatory dismissal (and subsequent suspension) was the result of a horrendous, individual decision by somebody others describe as teammate, leaving the Fire to play 70 minutes down a man. The punch also gifted Los Angeles a potentially match-deciding penalty kick. When Landon Donovan’s sub-par shot was saved by Sean Johnson, Segares was given a temporary reprieve, but none of his teammates heroics would excuse the defender’s momentary selfishness.

Collins John came close to absolving his teammate. In the 88th minute, the Fire striker curled a free kick into the left side of Donovan Ricketts’ net, exploited the goalkeeper’s poor position behind his wall, giving Chicago a 1-0 lead. Still, Segares was back on the hook two minutes later when Omar Gonzalez put home a Donovan corner, drawing the match.

While Segares’s decision made the Fire-Galaxy match the weekend’s most compelling, the result is something that should satisfy neither team. The Galaxy should have expected three points after the Fire’s early dismissal, but their inability to take advantage only highlights the depths to which the team has fallen. The question surrounding the Galaxy continues to shift from when they’ll regain their early-season form to where they’ll settle. They’re not in the same class as Columbus, Real Salt Lake and Dallas. Is this a team that can get out of the playoffs’ first round?

Meanwhile, those big three continue winning, all recording 1-0. Real Salt Lake played in the weekend’s marquee match, got an early got from Fabian Espindola (thanks to a brilliant ball from Kyle Beckerman), and saw brilliant saves from both goalkeepers preserve the 1-0 result. Columbus and Guillermo Barros Schelotto got a gift from some comical Bill Hamid ball handling and controlled the rest of their 1-0 win, while Dallas opened the second half with a Jeff Cunningham goal in their win over visiting Toronto. Dallas is now only four points back of Los Angeles with eight to play.

Elsewhere in Gotham:

1 - The first tie-breaker in MLS is head-to-head points, one that is still unsettled between LA and Columbus. Los Angeles beat the Crew 2-0 in their first meeting. The teams meet for the final time next weekend in Los Angeles.