Here are the ten things we learned from Week 16 of the 2016 MLS season.

1. California Clasico Delivers Again

For intensity, drama, and sheer entertainment value, this fixture – the California Clasico hosted by San Jose against LA at Stanford Stadium – is the most reliable game on the MLS calendar.

It never fails to deliver. This year’s game, played on Saturday night in front of more than 50,000 people in Palo Alto, was no exception.

It was a match that, especially in the second half, had it all. There was refereeing controversy, fired up star players, more than 30 shots – several of which clattered off posts and crossbars – and, particularly crucial to this rivalry, a late goal for San Jose from an uncompromising target forward.

On this occasion, it was Chad Barrett playing the role of Alan Gordon – as Gordon played the role of Gordon for LA – with an 89th minute equalizer for the Goonies off of a superb set-piece delivery from Shea Salinas.

Barrett’s goal was hard on the Galaxy, who, especially through their star players Giovani dos Santos and Steven Gerrard, played an excellent second half. But by whatever power lies in Stanford Stadium, it was the ‘Quakes who finished the game pressing for a winner as Ashley Cole was somewhat bizarrely sent off by Kevin Stott.

It did finish 1-1, a point that both teams will be happy enough with. It wasn’t a match, especially judging by the nature of the Quincy Amerikwa – Jelle Van Damme battle, played by or for the faint of heart.

The good news for the neutrals who enjoy this particular battle every year is that these two teams will see each other again down the road – possibly in the Western Conference playoffs.

2. Disgraceful Behavior from San Jose Fans

While it was a terrific spectacle, it wasn’t all good at the Clasico on Saturday night.

Throughout the match, a vocal minority of San Jose fans screamed the p-word at LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe as he released his goal-kicks, in the same fashion as we’ve become accustomed to hearing at the Azteca over the years.

That those supporters would repeatedly use a homophobic slur in our current climate – on San Francisco’s pride weekend, no less – is despicable. That the Galaxy is the only team in the league with an openly gay player just makes matters worse.

If this behavior continues at ‘Quakes games, all fans using the slur should be banned and the team should be fined and then docked points. It’s unacceptable, and, considering the past history of the 1906 Ultras supporters group, not entirely surprising coming from San Jose.

3. Seattle’s Nightmare Deepens

They got some help from a controversial Frank Lampard goal, but there was no denying that NYCFC deserved its 2-0 victory at CenturyLink Field over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon.

Sigi Schmid’s team has now lost five of its last six games. They’ve scored just three goals in the last month and a half, and if anything, the numbers flatter the Sounders right now.

This team is just uncompromisingly flat. Their total dearth of creativity and inventiveness in midfield and further forward, especially with Clint Dempsey away on international duty, makes soccer look virtually impossible.

Losing at home to NYCFC certainly isn’t great, but it’s also a fate that has befallen Portland and DC United this year. It was the manner of Seattle’s loss – in front of a full-stadium crowd, without ever truly threatening Josh Saunders’ goal – that is driving people crazy.

Brad Evans came off the field incensed at a perceived lack of effort and intensity from a number of his teammates. His mood was reflective of the frustration around the stadium.

Garth Lagerway needs to have a big summer. With uncertainty now hanging around the long-rumored Nicolas Lodeiro signing, a big summer isn’t a lock. But even a big summer isn’t guaranteed to turn things around. After all, Lagerway made three marquee signings last summer who have been of little to no help.

Still, Seattle must and will take action. They’ve messaged around improving in July, and they know that in its current state, this Sounders team is too old, brittle, and mediocre to get anywhere near the playoffs. If things don’t improve, this will be the worst season in the history of the club.

4. Orlando’s Cardiac Kids

Orlando City continues to be a heart attack.

The California Clasico is the league’s most reliable source of entertainment, but games at the Citrus Bowl aren’t far behind. All the late drama this year in Orlando matches has meant that Adrian Heath’s club leads the league in draws.

This week, though, the Lions took it up a notch – scoring what appeared to be the winner against Toronto in the 83rd minute, conceding an equalizer in the 90th minute, and then winning the match through a 100th minute penalty from captain Kaka.

The victory wasn’t without its fair share of controversy – which we’ll get to a minute – but it moves Orlando over the red line as we hit the midway point of the season. With Kaka healthy, Kevin Molino firing, and Julio Baptista playing a part off the bench, this is one of the league’s better attacks. Orlando should make the playoffs.

5. Refereeing

It was a rough week for several of PRO’s most trusted officials, as Ismail Elfath, Alan Kelly, and Hilario Grajeda all blew big calls in marquee moments.

Elfath was the difference in Orlando – TFC, failing to give a penalty as Joe Bendik took down Jordan Hamilton late, but then pointing to the spot in the 98th minute as the notoriously strong Baptista fell under a fairly soft hold from Drew Moor.

Elfath was one of the league’s best officials in 2013 and 2014, but his form over the last twelve months has been uneven and disappointing.

Kelly’s decision to give Lampard’s goal in the Seattle – NYCFC game, while defensible, was in all likelihood the wrong decision.

Grajeda, meanwhile, had a shocker. His failure to book Diego Chara even after Chara’s fifth first half foul was absolutely indefensible, and his award of the winning penalty to the Timbers wasn’t much better.

In both of the latter cases, assistant referees knew best. Both officials conferenced with their linesman in the aftermath of their decisions, and in both cases, the original calls stood. Either the ARs need to be more assertive, or the referees need to heed their advice.

There were further grim moments for Elfath and old standby Kevin Stott in LA – San Jose. Both men gave straight red cards to players for verbal abuse, which, while not necessarily a bad thing, certainly isn’t ideal from anyone’s perspective.

What’s troubling is that these four are the best PRO has. The standard of good refereeing has been set this summer at the European Championships. MLS is nowhere near it.

6. Mix Diskerud’s Future

It isn’t going to be in New York. With Frank Lampard finally fit and Jack Harrison emerging as one of the league’s brightest young players, there’s no room for the perpetually underwhelming Diskerud in an extremely crowded NYCFC midfield.

All signs point to Diskerud being moved in the coming weeks, likely to another MLS team. Kwadwo Poku, meanwhile, is on his way to Miami in the NASL.

Diskerud simply didn’t cut it. He was a lightweight for NYCFC – unable or unwilling to impact games week in and week out. It was Diskerud’s ineffectiveness, maybe more than any other single factor, which hurt Jason Kreis last year. The US international has plenty to prove at his next club.

7. Union Missing Nogueira?

When Vincent Nogueira left the Union earlier this month for personal reasons – he’s just signed with Strasbourg in Ligue 2 in his native France – it wasn’t hard to forecast that Philadelphia were going to miss him.

This week showed why. The Union played twice at home, beating Chicago on Wednesday and losing to Vancouver on Saturday, and shipped six goals in the process.

And while Roland Alberg, who ostensibly replaced Nogueira in the starting lineup shined against the Fire, it’s defensively that the Union has struggled. Neither Alberg nor Tranquillo Barnetta, who slid back into central midfield against the ‘Caps, has the defensive chops of the Frenchman.

Barnetta is a #10, and Alberg is better further up the field as well, while Warren Creavalle, who got reps in central midfield against NYCFC last week, isn’t good enough on the ball to work in the role.

Beyond the fact that there was and is no readymade replacement for him, Nogueira was a metronome of sorts for Philly – dictating tempo and shape – and, perhaps relatedly, both games the Union played this week were unnecessarily frantic.

Philadelphia has been great this year, but, as is true of all upstart teams, their success in the Eastern Conference is tenuous. Losing Nogueira was the first major setback Earnie Stewart has had to face as technical director. How he, Jim Curtin, and their team responds over the next month will be key.

8. Heartbreak for Houston

The Dynamo have made significant strides under the direction of Wade Barrett in the last month, and can consider themselves hugely unlucky to have come away from Providence Park on Sunday afternoon with no points.

The team under Barrett, especially in midfield, looks organized and together. Collin Warner shut down Diego Valeri, the wide play from Boniek Garcia and Andrew Wenger was excellent, and the Dynamo took a deserved 2-0 lead in the first half.

Unfortunately for them, it wouldn’t last. On a decidedly Houston-esq day in the Rose City, the Dynamo ran out of steam around the sixty minute mark as the stupendously good Valeri and Lucas Melano drove the Timbers back into the game.

Still, it should have finished 2-2. Grajeda’s final penalty call was an abomination.

After the game, Barrett pulled his team into a full huddle around the center circle and talked for several minutes. It was an unusual thing to see at the end of a June regular season game, but it suggests that this Houston team cares and is finally getting stuck into 2016.

Barrett needs some wins to keep the Dynamo’s season afloat, but he’s looking very good for the full time job. Whatever the final result on Sunday, this is the best Houston has played all year.

9. Tim Howard To Arrive

The league-leading Colorado Rapids are about to get quite the boost when Tim Howard arrives fresh off an impressive performance for the United States in the Copa America third place playoff against Colombia.

With Jermaine Jones coming back into the fold as well, the good times should keep rolling for the Rapids – who finally saw a good crowd of over 18,000 in last weekend’s win over Chicago.

Howard’s first MLS game, depending on how Pablo Mastroeni wants to handle the transition from Zac McMath, could come on July 4th at home against the defending champion Timbers or the following Saturday at Vancouver.

10. Problems With Univision’s MLS Coverage Remain

Univision’s English MLS commentator Ramses Sandoval continues to misidentify players and butcher routine mechanics of broadcasting. On Saturday night, he mistook Ashley Cole for Giovani dos Santos at a crucial moment in the LA – San Jose game.

Perhaps it’s not a lack of preparation and simply one of the many issues with calling games off of monitors that is tripped Sandoval up, but his inability to identify players – mistaking often mistaking defenders for attackers and visa-versa – is hugely frustrating.

Univision’s MLS SAP coverage took a step in the right direction with the addition of Keith Costigan late last year, but it won’t be taken seriously until it has a serious play-by-play man – which is what viewers deserve.