Here are the ten things we learned from Week 22 of the 2016 MLS season.

1. The Red Bulls Get Hosed

Hilario Grajeda is one of MLS’ best referees for what he doesn’t call – Grajeda’s games tend to flow because there are so few stoppages, and because he can maintain control without using his whistle.

But the New York Red Bulls’ hugely dramatic and frequently unsettling 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy on Sunday night at the StubHub Center unquestionably got away from the official.

The Red Bulls, who from Jesse Marsch on down have been loudly voicing their frustration with a perceived lack of respect from officials this year, saw three players exit injured – two after challenges from Jeff Larentowicz, who was never booked – and had two stonewall second half penalties not given.

An apoplectic Marsch would eventually be sent off – the only surprise was that the dismissal lasted as long as it did – and he had every right to be irate. The Red Bulls got a raw deal.

And while the Red Bulls certainly got some favorable treatment from Mark Geiger a few weeks ago in a high-profile game against NYCFC, it’s not hard to feel Marsch’s pain.

The truth is that MLS stars who aren’t international stars don’t get nearly enough respect from referees. Just ask Caleb Porter about Fanendo Adi.

Marsch’s team is full of MLS stars who aren’t international stars, and it’s worth remembering that the Red Bulls came into this game a week removed from captain Dax McCarty getting butchered last weekend in Chicago.

Marsch can still be plenty proud of his team, who played extremely well under the circumstances, but he has every right to be upset. Grajeda, who did give a poor game-deciding penalty about in late June in Portland, will be upset too.

2. Jon Champion Takes MLS

For whatever reason, Jon Champion was on hand at Providence Park on Sunday afternoon to call his first-ever MLS regular season game between the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City.

It was a treat. Champion, unsurprisingly, put in an absolutely magnificent afternoon of work. He is one of the very few announcers in the world who make a game measurably more enjoyable to watch.

He had plenty of drama to work with – two red cards and three dramatic goals – but as a wordsmith and a narrator, Champion is absolutely peerless in football commentary.

Every MLS game that Champion does is a gift. If ESPN could possibly get him as their permanent MLS play-by-play man, it might just be this country’s greatest football triumph over England since the 1950 World Cup.

As things stand, Champion will be here ESPN throughout August – with a US Open Cup game this week, and Portland’s derby with Seattle at the end of the month on his upcoming schedule.

3. A Potentially Season-Defining Win For Portland

When Diego Chara was idiotically sent off after just twelve minutes of Portland’s game against Kansas City, the odds facing the Timbers appeared nearly insurmountable.

Caleb Porter’s team was looking at playing eighty minutes down a man against a team that they had not scored against in regular season MLS play since April of 2013.

What’s more, the Timbers were using a backline that had never started a league game together – down Chara both starting center backs.

But Portland, thanks in large part to a kamikaze challenge on Diego Valeri from Soni Mustivar that reduced Sporting to ten men just before halftime, responded with a stirring second half performance.

Diego Valeri scored another breathtaking goal, Darlington Nagbe was familiarly dominant from central midfield, and the team’s rag-tag defense – thanks in large part to a resurgent Amobi Okugo – held its nerve.

By the time it was over, Portland was running away at 3-0. It was a remarkable turnaround, and a reminder that the champions – however many body blows they’ve taken this year – still have a gear that few other MLS teams possess.

The Timbers aren’t going down without a fight. If defensive reinforcements Steven Taylor and Vytas are as good as advertised, they’ll be a team no one in the West will want to play in the fall.

4. Colorado Continues To Soar

The Rapids were back in the win column on Sunday night, bouncing back from their drubbing in New York with a commanding 2-0 win over the dismal Vancouver Whitecaps at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Even without Jermaine Jones, Colorado just keeps coming. Marlon Hariston has been the breakout performer of the last few weeks, and Tim Howard has now racked up three clean sheets in his first six games with the club.

Plenty of credit has to go to Pablo Mastroeni, who, along with Patrick Vieira, has to be the front-runner for Coach of the Year.

And in praising the coach, you have to praise the Rapids’ much-maligned upper management. I’d have fired Mastroeni five different times in 2014 and 2015, and nine out of ten clubs around the world would have too.

MLS is a coaches’ league, and there’s something to be said for the kind of continuity built up by sticking with struggling managers – especially former players like Mastroeni who are just learning their trade.

5. Kamara Not Working in New England

They might be in sixth place – albeit on goal difference – but New England is not having a good season. With a lopsided loss in Toronto on Saturday night, the Revs have now taken just 26 points from 23 games so far in 2016.

What’s been the problem? New England has had problems with injuries and defending, but Kei Kamara hasn’t been anything close to the driving force the Revs were looking for when they brought him in from Columbus.

Kamara has scored in just three goals – two of which were New England losses – and he hasn’t been the focal point of a Revolution attack that still runs through Lee Nguyen.

Kelyen Rowe can be a good crosser of the ball, but he’s not Ethan Finley. What’s more, the Revs’ offense still usually goes through the middle of the field. Jay Heaps has a lot of work to do as the stretch run approaches.

6. Seattle Hits Its Stride

Their 5-0 win several weeks ago against FC Dallas’ B-team notwithstanding, the Seattle Sounders’ 3-1 demolition of Orlando City on Sunday night at the Citrus Bowl was the Rave Green’s best performance of 2016.

Frequently, the Sounders have fallen off dramatically after going behind this year – but their response to Seb Hines’ opener was excellent. Nicolas Lodeiro was phenomenal again, and Clint Dempsey scored the easiest hat-trick of the season.

As Sigi Schmid could testify, getting Dempsey onside is crucially important for any Sounders team and coach. Right now, with Lodeiro in the fold and his understanding with Jordan Morris improving, the Texan’s mood looks drastically improved.

With Roman Torres preparing to come back in, and two games against Portland looming at the end of the month, the Sounders might have a late push in them.

The question is how Garth Lagerway wants to handle his head-coaching position. Brian Schmetzer is clearly plenty capable – does he have an outside shot at the full-time job?

7. The Union Get Their Man

Philadelphia finally made a big move this week, landing Alejandro Bedoya after trading with the Chicago Fire for the number one spot in the allocation order.

Bedoya should be an important player for the Union, doing some of the things that Vincent Nogueira was so good at when he was in Chester, and adding another veteran presence to what is still a very young team.

Between Bedoya and Mo Edu, who should be back healthy at some point soon, Philadelphia can expect a boost in the coming weeks. Charlie Davies, if he can get going, could be important as well.

While losing Sebastien Le Toux hurts, the Union can be plenty happy with their summer business. This is a playoff team, and it could do some damage in November.

8. Toronto On The March

TFC, with another ridiculous Giovinco hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of New England, has moved within a point of NYCFC at the top of the Eastern Conference – and they shouldn’t be trailing New York for long.

Toronto, still with a game in hand on NYCFC, now has the East’s best goal differential and a glut of home games to finish the season. They’ve also got Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore back healthy, with Will Johnson and Clint Irwin soon to follow.

Although the center back spot next to the excellent Drew Moor remains a concern for Greg Vanney, TFC might just be the East’s most complete team. The only other team that could claim that mantle is the Red Bulls. Neither NYC nor Montreal has the requisite defensive chops.

If Toronto keeps up the pace they set in the last six days – in which they collected nine points – they might even be outside contenders for the Supporters’ Shield. At the very least, BMO Field will host its first playoff game this fall.

9. Does San Jose Have Enough

The Earthquakes were held to a 0-0 draw by NYCFC on Friday night at Avaya Stadium – a disappointing result that leaves Dom Kinnear’s team languishing in eighth place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

San Jose’s only significant move of the summer – trading Matias Perez Garcia to Orlando for Darwin Ceren – is a good one at face value, but it’s hard to see it having a significant impact on the ‘Quakes’ playoffs chances.

Ceren is a good player – and MPG didn’t have a future in San Jose – but the ‘Quakes were already solid in central midfield even with Fatai Alashe playing center back. What this team needs is more attacking production from every position not occupied by Chris Wondolowski.

Simon Dawkins has had his moments, but he’s had an underwhelming year. The same could be said of Alberto Quintero, and Quincy Amerikwa has just a single goal in his last sixteen starts.

It looks like the ‘Quakes aren’t going to have enough offense to get by Portland or Kansas City or RSL and into the playoffs. For Kinnear, it’d be a second consecutive year without postseason football – and it’d prompt some serious questions about the direction of the franchise.

10. Rimando Breaks Wins Record

Nick Rimando got win number 181 as Real Salt Lake beat the hapless Chicago Fire 3-1 on Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium, breaking Kevin Hartman’s all-time MLS record.

He’s somehow never won MLS’ Goalkeeper of the Year honor, but there’s no arguing with this. Rimando is the greatest goalkeeper in league history, and, for what it’s worth, he’s showing no signs of slowing down – his double save at the end of this game was of a vintage mint.

When it’s all said and done, Rimando may end up with more than 200 wins. Along the way, he’s carried himself with class and an infectious enthusiasm for the game. MLS has had few better ambassadors.