MLS Round Eight: 5 things we learnt...

With 28 goals in nine games MLS Week Eight was one to remember as New York Red Bulls clung onto their unbeaten record and Benny Feilhaber snatched a point for Sporting Kansas City.

Here are the five biggest lessons we took from Week Eight...

Dempsey and Martins have both scored four goals this season

1)Dempsey the difference

Clint Dempsey’s sixth goal against Portland Timbers made him the all time top scorer in fixtures between the Cascadia Cup rivals.

Deuce’s fourth of the season proved to be the only goal of the game as Seattle claimed a third win in four and moved three points behind Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps.

With eight goals already, Dempsey’s partnership with Obafemi Martins is the most frightening in MLS this season, and their goals could see them retain the Supporters’ Shield.

2) Real Salt Lake run dry

After starting the season with a five-game unbeaten run, Real Salt Lake have lost their last two and failed to scored in any of their past three fixtures.

With just six goals Jeff Cassar’s team are the Western Conference’s joint lowest scorers with Colorado Rapids, who took more than four games to get off the mark this campaign.

With home games against fellow strugglers San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy, who haven’t won in ten on the road, coming up Cassar needs to find the goals to kickstart their season.

Altidore is becoming Toronto's lucky omen

3) Altidore is Toronto’s lucky omen

Since returning to MLS from his second stint in the Premier League Jozy Altidore has scored four times, and each time he scores, Toronto win.

Unfortunately for Toronto, those goals came in pairs and represent Greg Vanney’s sole victories of the season so far.

However, with Sebastian Giovinco also in red hot form of late, Toronto could climb the Eastern Conference quickly in the coming weeks.

4) Big name’s finding form

After FC Dallas and Vancouver set the early pace in MLS 2015, the leagues traditional big hitters are starting to find the form to match their reputation.

DC United sit level on points with last year’s MLS Cup finalists New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of perennial underachievers New York Red Bulls.

Meanwhile, the Sounders and Galaxy, who have taken seven points from their last nine, are reeling in the Caps’ at the top of the Western Conference.

5) No beginners luck for expansion sides

After promising starts to the season New York City and Orlando City are finding out the hard way just how unforgiving MLS can be.

Orlando are clinging onto a play-off spot but have lost three of their past four matches and have only scored in one of those games.

New York are on a six-game winless streak since beating New England in Week Two and are the second lowest scorers in MLS ahead of Montreal Impact, who have only played half as many games.

Images courtesy of Otto Greule Jr and Bongarts, with thanks.