MLS Week Three: Five things we learnt this week...

Week Three is finished and MLS 2015 is now in full swing – as the league’s international stars jet off we have taken a look back at the past seven days.

Dallas made it three straight wins, New England and Colorado still haven't scored and San Jose began life at the Avaya Stadium with victory.

Here are the five things we have learnt this week...

1) More people watch MLS than English Championship games

MLS fans have poured through the gates so far this season

It’s official the average attendance at this season’s MLS games is higher than the average attendance in the English Championship.

Over 26 games so far average MLS attendance is 23,406, almost 6,000 more than the Championship’s average of 17,599.

That’s no small feat considering the Championship includes clubs with huge fanbases such as Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Derby County.

2) Bradley Wright-Phillips is back

He was MLS’s top scorer last year with 27 goals and he sprung into life in Week Three – Wright-Phillips volleyed home his side’s opener before assisting Lloyd Sam for their second.

Some doubted whether the striker, who scored at better than four goals every five games last season, would succeed in the absence of Thierry Henry.

After Sunday, the answer has to be yes. The former Manchester City player was outstanding against DC United, and will be key for the Red Bulls again this time round.

3)Each MLS gameweek there are three red cards

Shelton has earned a call up to USA's U-23's

The red mist is descending on MLS. In three weeks there have been nine red cards – that is three a week, every week, no more, no less.

Week three saw Zach Pfeffer, Hassoun Camara and Shay Facey take part in the trend that is sweeping through the MLS as players hunt down last season’s tally of 34 red cards.

If the reds keep coming at this rate there will be a staggering 102 dismissals in the regular season
alone!

4)Rookies are proving their worth

Last season’s rookie of the year, FC Dallas’ Tesho Akindele, didn’t make his debut until April 12 in his side’s sixth match of the season.

Fast forward a year and eight of the SuperDraft first-round picks have played, and starred, in the opening three weeks of the season.

Fourth pick Fatai Alashe scored the first goal at the Avaya Stadium, Axel Sjoberg, No.7 pick, has been splendid in defence for Colorado and Khiry Shelton has shone as a substitute for New York City.

Tradition suggests rookies have more impact later in the season; if so the class of 2015 are definitely worth getting excited about!

5)There is no international break for MLS sides

Heath is struggling to name a full squad amid an injury crisis

As we prepared to settle into an in depth analysis of this week’s international football, the MLS weekend fixture list took us by surprise.

Having grown accustomed to Europe’s top leagues taking a short break for international fixtures at least we have an excuse.

On the other hand, Orlando really should have known – as it is their coach Adrian Heath is struggling to name a full 18 for their clash with Montreal due to injuries and absentees.

Images courtesy of Ultras Montreal [UMO2], Elsa and Alex Menendez, with thanks.