5 things we learned in MLS Week 15: Orlando unites, NYCFC stars shine

Week 15 of the 2016 MLS season was the first week of action following a two-week break for the Copa America Centenario and there were plenty of storylines across the league.

Here's what we learned:

Sport helps heal tender wounds

In the days following the deaths of the 49 people killed in a nightclub in Orlando, the city's soccer club paid proper tribute with multiple displays at the Citrus Bowl.

Fans filled the seats wearing shirts of different shades, creating a rainbow around the field, waving rainbow-colored flags as "All You Need is Love" played on the speakers prior to kick-off.

A section of 49 seats remained empty, save for a balloon of various colors tied to the chair, in remembrance of those who had lost their lives.

In the 49th minute, the referee stopped play and a minute of silence was observed as well, a powerful moment for all those watching and in the stands.

Orlando united in the wake of this tragedy and the city now begins the long process of healing.

Sometimes, the stars do align

Fans of New York City FC who purchased a ticket for the team's latest match against the Philadelphia Union were treated to quite the show as all three star players found the back of the net in a 3-2 win.

David Villa has (deservedly) avoided criticism but Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard have become whipping boys for the team's short-comings, largely for their inability to keep up with the speed of play in their advanced age.

But if they are to be faulted for their running, they can't be faulted for their skill and talent. Lampard and Pirlo remain among the finest midfielders in the world in that regard.

It's a lesson Philadelphia learned the hard way.

Life without Higuain won't be easy

Last month, the Columbus Crew bosses were forced to make a tough choice, as a line was drawn, publicly, in the sands between top scorer Kei Kamara and attacking midfielder Federico Higuain.

The club chose Higuain and traded Kamara to the New England Revolution.

But Higuain has now been sidelined for at least five weeks and, as made clear against the Montreal Impact, his absence leaves the team with no answers in midfield; Mohammed Saeid did not look good in the No. 10 role.

Gregg Berhalter needs to come up with a solution here, and there are multiple attacking players who could fill in across that three-man attacking core in a 4-2-3-1, including Justin Meram, Ethan Finlay, Cedrick Mabwati and Emil Larsen. Perhaps a flat 4-4-2 with Conor Casey and Ola Kamara up top would do the trick, too.

Whatever Berhalter decides, one thing is clear - life without Higuain is going to be quite the challenge for the Columbus Crew.

Soccer's technology problem

It's 2016, a year where GoPro cameras have GoPro cameras attached to them, where virtual reality headsets put you right inside a soccer stadium with a 360 degree camera, where you can capture a fan in the nosebleeds scratching his armpits in high definition from the middle of the field.

So the fact that using a camera to help referees out requires years and years of studies, funding, planning, deliberating and arguing before being implemented is utterly ludicrous.

Why can't referees get a second look, today, from the video board, when an obvious play like this occurs?

(Courtesy: @ESPNFC)

Poor FC Dallas was robbed of a perfectly legitimate goal because it's 2016 and Major League Soccer still isn't using (or isn't allowed to use) video replay, goal-line referees, or goal-line sensor technology or any of the dozens of potential solutions to this really, really simple problem.

Now, it's understandable that officials want to make sure that any technology implemented works properly, and doesn't cause further problems. And that takes time. But video technology is old technology at this point.

So when a referee makes a wrong decision and 10 seconds later the in-house video board shows how completely and obviously wrong that call is, it ruins the spirit of the match.

Lucas Melano takes a tumble

Ever knock over one of those wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men?

We imagine it looks something like this from Portland Timbers man Lucas Melano: