{"id":1097293,"date":"2019-07-07T18:15:59","date_gmt":"2019-07-07T17:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1097293"},"modified":"2019-07-08T01:45:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T00:45:41","slug":"mls-week-18-paxton-pomykal-fc-dallas","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/mls-week-18-paxton-pomykal-fc-dallas\/","title":{"rendered":"Paxton Pomykal: The prince of USMNT continues to light up MLS with FC Dallas"},"content":{"rendered":"

An absolutely stacked week 18 saw no fewer than 19 games across Thursday, Friday and Sunday, with some quite frankly mind-blowing results. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Goals galore, red cards and shock scorelines were on the menu once again as the race to reach the play-offs ramped up another notch.<\/p>\n

Read on as Squawka helps you pick through the bones of another double match week in MLS.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7304751-lampard-s-chelsea-midfield-set-up-will-be-inspired-by-his-ancelotti-days<\/p>\n

MLS week 18 snapshot<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With the sheer amount of goals in week 18, it really is tough to know where to start. However, hold your breath as we dive into the biggest results of the week.<\/p>\n

The LAFC steam train got back on track following its 1-0 hitch against Colorado Rapids, crushing Sporting KC 5-1 away on Thursday before recording a 6-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps at the Banc of California Stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning (UK time). Are Bob Bradley’s team the best we’ve ever seen during the MLS regular season? It’s hard to argue against that at the moment.<\/p>\n

Reigning champions Atlanta United continued their recent inconsistent streak, collapsing in spectacular style with a 5-1 defeat away to Chicago Fire, finding themselves 5-0 own with Leandro Gonzalez Pirez sent off by half-time. The Five Stripes were again without internationals Josef Martinez, Ezequiel Barco and Hector Villalba but, still, the shock of that result is emphasised by the fact that it was the Fire’s first win in eight games, and they followed it up by losing 1-0 away to Sporting KC.<\/p>\n

Atlanta thought they’d recovered from that defeat on Sunday, with the returning Martinez bagging twice in the second half to put Frank de Boer’s side 3-2 up against rivals New York Red Bulls with moments remaining. But, once again, the Five Stripes defence couldn’t hold up, allowing Bradley Wright-Phillips to grab a 93rd-minute equaliser in a heated, entertaining clash.<\/p>\n