Week 21 of the MLS campaign was highlighted by several quality goals and a few intense matchups that went down to the wire. There were also poor officiating decisions and a questionable ejection.

Game Recaps

FC Dallas 1, Houston Dynamo 0

FC Dallas opened the week with a Thursday night victory over the Dynamo. Jeff Cunningham continued his torrid pace, connecting for a goal in the 9th minute. Brad Davis was shown a red card for leaving the bench, even though he managed to restrain himself.

LA Galaxy 2, New England Revolution 1

The Revs staged a frantic comeback, but fell short to the streaking Galaxy. Landon Donovan connected on a wonder goal in the 21st minute. Jovan Kirvoski put the visitors ahead by two after a poor clearance by the Revs backline. Steve Ralston converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute but the Galaxy held off additional pressure to win.

Columbus Crew 3, San Jose Earthquakes 0

The Crew struggled to create chances in the first half, but three quick goals but the game out of reach. Substitute Alejandro Moreno found the net first, followed by Robbie Rogers and Adam Moffat. The Quakes controlled the first half but quickly fell apart after surrendering the first goal.

Real Salt Lake 1, Seattle Sounders FC 0

Robbie Findley used his blazing pace to get behind a lackadaisical Sounder defense to score the only goal. The Sounders failed to create many chances against the stingy RSL defense, which silenced Fredy Montero. The Sounders should have been awarded penalty in the dying minutes of the match, when Will Johnson slapped a ball down in the area.

Colorado Rapids 4, Chivas USA 0

Connor Casey and Omar Cummings picked apart the weak Chivas USA defense, which featured Jonathan Bornstein in a center back role. Pablo Mastroeni scored a rocket in the first minute and Casey added three more. Shavar Thomas was shown a red card in the closing minutes of the first half.

Houston Dynamo 3, Chicago Fire 2

The Dynamo rebounded from a loss in the Texas derby with a win over the Fire. However, it did not come easy as the visitors scored two quick goals after half-time. Stuart Holden powerfully converted the game winning penalty kick to give the Western Conference leaders the win.

Player of the Week: Connor Casey, Colorado Rapids

Casey returned from injury to score a first half hat trick, giving his team a comfortable lead. While none of his goals were spectacular, he managed to put himself in a quality position and convert his chances.

Goalkeeper of the Week: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

Rimando hit the pass on a dime that sprung Findley’s goal. He managed to turn away what few chances Seattle could muster and had a great read late in the match to ensure his team of three points.

Team of the Week

Goal of the Week: Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy

Donovan put his team ahead in the 21st minute with a cracking first-touch left footed volley. The Fire’s Peter Lowry has to get honorable mention, with his sweet first-time side volley while running at full speed.

Save of the Week: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

With his team nursing a 1-0 lead, Rimando snuffed out a chance late by coming off his line and calmly blocking the shot. He controlled the ball enough to scoop up the rebound and preserve the lead.

Assist of the Week: Robbie Rogers, Columbus Crew

Rogers unselfishly used his head to redirect a cross into the path of Moreno that led to the first goal for the Crew. He recognized he was not position to put the ball on frame while running at full speed.

Sub of the Week: Emmanuel Ekpo, Columbus Crew

Ekpo opened up the game for the Crew with his pace and quality distribution. His pinpoint cross to Rogers led to the first goal. He played both ways, contributing to the defensive effort as well.

Rookie of the Week: Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy

He did his part in helping his team to a 2-1 win over the Revs. The talented center back combined with his teammates to limit the Revs to only four shots on goal.

Best Coaching Performance: Robin Fraser, Real Salt Lake

Fraser stepped in for Jason Kreis, who was serving a one game suspension for being ejected, and led  RSL to a critical win. With several job openings looming, Fraser is sure to get an interview somewhere.

Worst Coaching Performance: Preki, Chivas USA

Preki had to somehow patch together a backline riddled by suspensions and injures, but the Goats came out of the gate with no energy and showed a lack of discipline. After giving up  a goal in the first minute, it was painfully obvious the game was destined to be a blowout.

Best Refereeing Performance: Alex Prus

Prus kept everything under control in Rapids-Chivas USA game, which is not always easy to do in a blowout and with Jesse Marsch on the field. He correctly sent off Thomas. His decision to give the PK was also correct, since the foul occurred outside but continued into the area.

Worst Refereeing Performance: Jeff Gontarek

The players in the Crew-Earthquake had no clue what was being called a foul and what was not. Gontarek was inconsistent with his calls and failed to apply advantage in two key situations for Columbus.

What are your thoughts on this past week? Was Lowry’s goal better than Donovan’s? Was the handball in the RSL-Sounder game a penalty or not? Comment below.

Every MLS fan should be cheering for Fredy Montero. I am not talking about wearing a Sounders jersey when you attend a MLS game (unless you are going to a Seattle game, then it would be a good idea), rather just a silent cheer when he touches the ball.

Montero’s contract is not owned by MLS, but by Columbian side Deportivo Cali. He is on loan to the Sounders until the end of the season. He is also a member of the Columbian national team pool and has three caps and one goal for his national team side. He is only 21 and still considered a prospect.

He is on loan for one reason. His club side and agents are attempting to showcase his talents for European scouts. If he can impress, and so far he certainly has, then it is likely a major European club will make a bid for his services. MLS will not receive a dime of the transfer fee.

Why should fans be rooting for Montero then? It is simple. If he is successful, other clubs will look to loan their top young players to MLS in attempt to showcase them and make a profit. The overall quality of play in the league will improve tenfold.

If young South American prospects using MLS as a launching pad to Europe becomes a trend, the league will eventually be able to cash in. Agents will advise players to sign with MLS when they are ready to turn professional. The player would then use MLS as a bridge for a few seasons between South America and Europe, instead of jumping straight to the continent.

It is a win-win situation for all parties involved. The players are able to be closer to home and adjust lifestyles in the melting-pot that is America. This would be an alternative to going straight to Europe, where many players have struggled with the transition. MLS benefits from the improved quality of the league and could also earn a transfer fee or a kick-back.

So next time Fredy Montero is on the ball, you don’t have to stand up and cheer widely for him. But instead, say some quiet words of encouragement. After all, it is for the good of the league.

Do you think Montero’s success will open the door for other young South American players? Should MLS ask for a percentage of any future transfers for players it showcases? Share your thoughts below.

-Yesterday’s loss was heartbreaking. But to help keep things in perspective, read An American Fan’s View from Baghdad from the Goal blog. The Corner Kick blog says that soccer may have just arrived in the US. American Soccer News does a great job summing up the Confederations Cup and WVHooligan talks about the US getting respect from average fans.

-Edgar Castillo is open to playing for the US. Castillo would immediately make an impact at the left back position.

-Grant Whal is reporting that Michael Bradley is being investigated for an incident following the US vs. Spain game. I wrote the other day about how US players were being discriminated against from referees.

-ESPN has announced its plans on how it will cover World Cup 2010.

-Fredy Montero has been named player of the week by MLS-Daily. WVHooligan posts a Week 15 roundup, as does US Soccer Players.

-MLS Talk discusses the new USMNT depth chart after the Confederations Cup.

-Soccer y Futbol asks what happened in the Dynamo’s 1-0 loss to the Galaxy.

-DC United released defender Anthony Peters today. Peters only appeared in one match for United.

How are you recovering from the US loss? Are you excited about Edgar Castillo potentially playing for the US? What do you think about the Bradley incident? Share below.

Latin American players have been a main-stay in MLS since its inception. But as the years have gone by, emphasis has been placed less on signing superstars like Carlos Valderrama and Marco Etcheverry. Instead, clubs have been snapping up young talent, as well as veterans who are not good enough to play for major South American or European sides.

But recently, there is a trend showing that MLS clubs might be shying away from acquiring Latin American talent. Juan Carlos Osorio, manager of the Red Bulls, told the New York Post that he plans to focus on signing young American talent. He cited the uniqueness of the league as his reason.

Latin American players must adjust to several different factors. The physicality and pace are a drastic change. There is also a different level of officiating and poor field conditions at some stadiums (namely New York), as well as wild temperature swings from the start of training camp to the dog days of summer.

However, MLS clubs must continue to pursue Latin American players. With rapid expansion on the horizon, the US player pool does not provide enough talent to supply eighteen or more teams. European players have shown little desire to come across the pond and talented African players usually end up playing elsewhere.

Signing Latin American talent boosts the perception of the league. MLS has been criticized for its lack of skillful players. While Americans posses more raw athleticism, the majority of Latin American players bring skill and vision that can improve the game, boast ticket sales, and increase TV ratings.

Latin American players provide a natural fit. Clubs must do a better job of scouting players that can quickly adjust. No one will argue that Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Fredy Montero have made a positive impact on their teams. But recently there have been more flops than successes.

Which clubs do a good job of identifying Latin American talent? Do you agree with Osorio and think the league is focusing too much on Latin American players? Share your thoughts below.

-A day after the US dropped its opening match against Italy; the soccer blogosphere is buzzing about the game. In the other Group B match, Brazil beat back Egypt when Kaka converted a penalty in stoppage time.

-Player ratings from the US game: Soccer Academics, Soccer365, MLS Talk, Goal

-If you were hopeful that Jermaine Jones would be available for the next qualifiers, Soccer By Ives is reporting that Jones will not be eligible to play for the US until October.

-Pat Noonan was traded yesterday from the Crew to the Colorado Rapids. If the Rapids can get steady production and keep Noonan healthy, it will be a fair deal for both sides. Paul Bravo explains the trade on the Rapids team blog.

-Extra Time is reporting that the Red Bulls have former Rapid keeper Bounda Coundoul in for a trial. It also reports that a handful of others, including Red Bull Salzbarg winger Ernst Obster, are currently in camp training with the senior team.

- The Seattle Times has an article on Fredy Montero and explains that Sigi Schmid has not lost confidence in the youngster.

-The Cam Weaver discussion continues, via the New York Times Goal blog.

-Behind the Shield discusses the youth players that recently went on a trip to Madrid