There's always so much going on in the world of soccer, how can you stay up to date? Here are three bite-sized stories from the weekend that was: Mor
There’s always so much going on in the world of soccer, how can you stay up to date? Here are three bite-sized stories from the weekend that was:
Morgan gets going in France
Alex Morgan is part of the wave of U.S. Women’s National Team players to have gone to Europe this winter, and while her stint with French side Lyon is meant to be temporary before a midseason return to NWSL side Orlando Pride, she notched her first goal(s) for her side this weekend.
Playing in a Coupe de France Feminine match against Rodez, Morgan scored a hat trick in a 6-0 victory for Lyon. The goals came in Morgan’s fourth game for the French powerhouse, so a scoring rate of three in four is pretty darn good.
.@OL 6-0 @OfficielRAF
le triplé de @alexmorgan13
(images @OLTV_officiel)#TeamOL #OL pic.twitter.com/wviqAL5g8n— OL_Plus (@OL_Plus) March 12, 2017
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The Diamond Bar native is now in the semifinals of the Coupe de France Feminine and with Lyon winning the last five cups in a row, she’s on track to get some silverware with her new side.
Is that a red card?!
The LA Galaxy are 0-2 to start the young MLS season, after losing 1-0 to the Portland Timbers on Sunday at StubHub Center. Certainly, failing to tally a point in two home games is a bit concerning, but the Galaxy lost arguably their most important player on the field, when Jelle Van Damme was sent off for a second yellow card in the first half. Replays indicate he made no contact with Timbers midfielder David Guzman, so it seems the Belgian, holding together very much a makeshift backline for LA, was hard done by.
Van Damme sent off for two yellow cards. #lavpor pic.twitter.com/OSdFiYssvx
— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) March 12, 2017
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It seems possible either Van Damme’s suspension for the Galaxy’s next game will be rescinded, and/or Guzman will get some sort of sanction for what appears to be a dive. Stay tuned, but between Van Damme’s ejection and Gio dos Santos exiting the game at halftime, it’s safe to say the Galaxy did not have the breaks in their latest loss.
Snow game!
One of the fun things to see on TV (maybe less fun to experience in person) is a snow game. Sunday’s “MLS expansion derby” between Minnesota United and Atlanta United was a full-on snow game.
First hat trick in club history ✅@JosefMartinez17 had quite the outing. #ATLUTD https://t.co/OieX9aPzy0
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 13, 2017
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It was also the coldest game in MLS history! No surprise considering it was also the first ever game in Minnesota in league history.
The downside to crazy weather conditions is often that the play itself is bad. While this one was hard to watch at times, there were seven goals in the game, as Atlanta rather surprisingly crushed Minnesota 6-1. Not bad for a team thought to be underdogs because of the weather on the day.
