#Pat Noonan

On a day of catharsis and celebration at Subaru Park, the Union clinched first place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-0 rout of Toronto FC. A Dániel Gazdag hat trick - his 20th, 21st, and 22nd goals of the year - and Mikael Uhre's 13th tally earned the Union a first-round playoff bye. The defense also delivered a historic day: with a 13th shutout…

Some observers and fans were concerned when FC Cincinnati's away game against Seattle Sounders FC was moved from April 9 to Sept 27. The Sounders, who needed the scheduling tweak to accommodate their Concacaf Champions League campaign, are usually firing on all proverbial cylinders come September. September is late-season in Major League Soccer,…