LAFC defender Laurent Ciman drove a free kick from distance into the back of the net, scoring his club’s first goal against Montreal, and the Impact fans cheered.
They showered Ciman with whistles and applause, welcoming back the man who had committed to Montreal three years ago and set down roots before being traded away this offseason. He blew kisses back to the fans, showing his appreciation.
Ciman scored his third career MLS goal in LAFC’s 5-3 comeback win against the Impact Saturday. Between the goal, the Montreal fans’ support and the win, it was a memorable return for the Belgian international.
“Today’s a perfect day for me,” Ciman told reporters after the match. “The fans cheered for me before the game, during the game, after the game. They cheered when I scored. Montreal will always have a place in my heart.”
Ciman chose to move to Montreal ahead of the 2015 season to get access to specialized care for his daughter Nina, who is autistic. He and his wife, Diana, had a second child and had a house built. Then in December he was traded to LAFC.
NYCFC’s unbeaten streak finally ends
Portland handed NYCFC its first loss of the season, ending its unbeaten streak at seven matches.
The Timbers did so in convincing fashion, shutting out the MLS frontrunner while scoring three goals of their own in the process. The loss knocked NYCFC (5-1-2, 17 points) out of the No.1 spot in the league standings, making way for Sporting Kansas City (5-2-1, 17 points), which held the tiebreaker.
Sounders finally win
Seattle claimed its first win of the season over the weekend.
The Sounders, the MLS Cup runner-up last season, snagged their first win of 2018, beating Minnesota United 3-1 on Sunday.
Heading into Sunday, the Seattle was the only remaining winless cub in the league. The Sounders (1-3-1, 4 points) pulled themselves out of last place in the league after defending champion Toronto (1-4-0, 3 points) suffered its fourth loss of the year to occupy that spot. The Sounders still sit at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, of Sweden, celebrates his second goal of the game during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Los Angeles FC Saturday, March 31, 2018, in Carson, Calif. The Galaxy won 4-3. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
MLS Top 10
1. Atlanta United (last week: 2) • Atlanta didn’t allow Zlatan Ibrahimovic to even take a shot in his second MLS start.
2. New York City FC (1) • For the first time in the season, NYCFC lost, and for the first time it doesn’t top the power rankings.
3. Sporting Kansas City (6) • SKC ran with the advantage of two red cards issued to Vancouver to beat the Whitecaps by six goals.
4. Toronto FC (3) • TFC put its early-season focus on winning the CONCACAF Champions League final, but the 5-1 loss to the Dynamo in Houston was still a disappointment.
5. Los Angeles FC (8) • LAFC improved its already-impressive road record to 4-2-0 with a comeback win at Montreal.
6. New York Red Bulls (4) • Chicago hasn’t looked good to start the season, but on Saturday, the Red Bulls were worse.
7. Columbus Crew SC (5) • The Crew halted a three-game losing streak with a draw, but still haven’t claimed a W this month.
8. FC Dallas (9) • Dallas is the only undefeated team remaining, although its strength of schedule hasn’t been anything to write home about.
9. LA Galaxy (7) • The Galaxy still haven’t figured out their identity with Zlatan, which Atlanta exposed this weekend.
10. New England Revolution (10) • The Revs trailed twice against Columbus before rallying to earn a draw and point on the road.