{"id":1100111,"date":"2019-08-05T16:42:42","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T15:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1100111"},"modified":"2019-08-06T10:59:51","modified_gmt":"2019-08-06T09:59:51","slug":"atlanta-united-alejandro-bedoya-mls-week-22","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/atlanta-united-alejandro-bedoya-mls-week-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlanta United reveal their true colours while Alejandro Bedoya sends powerful message: MLS Week 22"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week 22 in MLS was full of drama with a whole heap of massive results. <\/strong><\/p>\n

We’re getting very close to the final sprint at the play-offs, with some teams in a real ‘now or never’ situation, while there are a few who can pretty much pack up and go home until 2020.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7330203-it-s-easy-to-get-backwards-but-liverpool-s-dependence-on-their-front-three-isn-t-a-weakness<\/p>\n

Others, meanwhile, still have some much loftier targets \u2013 especially in the Eastern Conference, where the top eight teams are separated by just 10 points.<\/p>\n

So, with 12 games to pick through the bones of, let’s get started.<\/p>\n

MLS week 22 snapshot<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Things didn’t exactly go to plan for the MLS All-Stars on Thursday as they went down 3-0 to Atletico Madrid in Orlando. In fairness, the All-Stars played some brilliant football but as more and more substitutions were made to save players for MLS action, the flow of their game was disrupted. Joao Felix, in particular, benefited.<\/p>\n

Week 22 kicked off in some style on Saturday with the defending champions Atlanta United beating a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-less LA Galaxy 3-0, in what was arguably the Five Stripes’ most complete performance of 2019 so far. Brace yourselves for some Zlatan fallout. Saturday’s other kick-off saw the Red Bulls grab two second-half goals to beat Toronto FC 2-0 at home, lifting them to third in the East.<\/p>\n

Onto Sunday and New England Revolution’s brilliant run under Bruce Arena was finally ended by, yes, you guessed it: LAFC. The Black and Gold continued their ruthless domination of the Western Conference with a 2-0 win in Boston. FC Dallas have really struggled for consistency recently and that continued with a 2-0 away defeat to Orlando City, who keep their faint play-off hopes alive, while FC Cincinnati remain stranded at the bottom of the entire standings on 17 points with their 2-1 home loss to Vancouver Whitecaps.<\/p>\n

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READ MORE:<\/span> MLS All-Stars 0-3 Atletico Madrid: Full player ratings as Joao Felix dazzles in Orlando<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

You can always rely on one thing in MLS: goals. They were in free supply as Colorado Rapids overcame Montreal Impact in an incredible 6-3 win. The Impact had gone ahead early on through Kei Kamara and although the Rapids kept trying to pull away, the Canadian side kept snapping at their heels.<\/p>\n

Houston Dynamo’s slide down the standings continued as they lost 1-0 at home to Chicago Fire, while San Jose Earthquakes and Columbus Crew played out a 1-1 draw \u2013 the point was enough to lift the Quakes to joint-second in the West having looked resigned to finishing bottom just a couple of months ago. Real Salt Lake pulled off a valuable and somewhat surprise 3-1 win over NYCFC, although the Bronx side still have three and four games in hand over their Eastern rivals and could fly up the table between now and the end of the season. Minnesota United’s impressive season continued with a 1-0 win over Portland Timbers.<\/p>\n

Week 22 was rounded off in ridiculous fashion during the early hours of Monday morning as Eastern leaders Philadelphia Union demolished conference rivals DC United 5-1 at Audi Field, with the home side seeing Junior Moreno sent off just before half-time.<\/p>\n

Phili captain Alejandro Bedoya used his third-minute goal as a chance to send a message to the US government after two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend resulted in the loss of at least 29 lives. Bedoya shouted into a pitchside microphone: “Congress, do something now. End gun violence.”<\/p>\n

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Our captain @AleBedoya17<\/a> making a statement. Our hearts go out to everyone affected. pic.twitter.com\/sJuKxjbIOA<\/a><\/p>\n

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 5, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n