• DC United and RSL reach Open Cup final
• San Jose suspend 1906 Ultras' tifos
• Colorado win Rocky Mountain Cup
Welcome to the MLS week 24 previews brought to you in association with Deuce Frenzy™. Yes, from tiny Twitter acorns a massive oak of rumor and confirmation has grown and flourished in the past week in the Seattle area, as the Tottenham Hotspur man pitched up with the Sounders.
It's likely that the sightings of Dempsey in a Seattle jersey may remain limited to the coy reveal from beneath his hoodie during last weekend's Sounders' pre-game, for now at least. Seattle are at Toronto on Saturday evening and it may come too soon for a Dempsey still in pre-season mode with Spurs when he moved.
Just over the border Columbus play host to a surging Red Bulls side who were also active in the transfer market this week, though less spectacularly. The Red Bulls signed Australian defender/midfielder David Carney on MLS deadline day on Thursday, though like Dempsey, he's unlikely to see the field as he awaits his P1 visa.
San Jose will be dealing with their fair share of visa issues this fall as they got their Concacaf Champions League campaign under way this week, but judging by the second string side they put out in midweek, the priority is definitely still the difficult task of securing a playoff spot. The defending Shield holders go to Vancouver on Saturday night, while the team that beat them in CCL action, Montreal, go to a Chicago side smarting from being dumped out of the Open Cup semi-finals by D.C. on Wednesday evening. Perhaps the Fire took time after that game to let DC know how to beat Philadelphia, who they dispatched last week, and who host United this week. Under the circumstances though, perhaps not.
Sporting KC put last week's New York defeat behind them with a midweek CCL win and now return to Sporting Park to host the Revs, or the "surprisingly resilient" Revs to give them their full name. Having lost the lead in the East, Sporting won't find it easy to get it back, while New England are keeping up a playoff push of their own. Meanwhile over in the West. RSL have been reeled back in in recent weeks and now share the shield lead with the Red Bulls. They host Houston knowing that one of the teams on their tail, rivals Colorado, have a relatively straightforward trip to Chivas this week.
Chivas's StubHub Center neighbors, the Galaxy, have been up against the likes of Juventus, Madrid and AC Milan in International Champions Cup play this past week. The glamor continues on Sunday night when they head to Frisco, Texas, to try and compound the misery for a once front-running Dallas side who have now slid out of the playoff places. Will the recovery start here for Dallas?
Never in need of recovery and existing in a seemingly perpetual state of good humor and (rude) health, our team of writers and fan reps for each of the weekend's competing teams are back with their heady cocktail of optimism and fatalism this week. See what they make of the main stories for their teams this week, have your say in the comments below and join us on Monday for Five Things we Learned (now with DEUCE™).
All kick off times are listed as ET
Toronto FC vs Seattle Sounders
Sat 7pm, BMO Field
Sonja Missio, 90 Minutes of Hopp:
When you're a Toronto FC fan, there's a certain amount of flattery held in the fact that the soccer gods hate your team. I mean, that's the only explanation for the last seven seasons, right? Some sort of divine intervention, with the sole purpose of making Toronto look like a hilariously terrible soccer team; there is no other earthly explanation. So when the soccer gods become distracted—say, answering the prays of a Seattle fan for the signing of Clint Dempsey—and forget their mission to plague Toronto, sometimes, just sometimes, Toronto takes charge of its own destiny. Which brings us to the last two weeks of the MLS season: Toronto managed to earn six points in two games, beating New England Revolution 1-0 in Massachusetts on Saturday (thanks to an early goal by Matias Laba) and Columbus at BMO Field a week prior (thanks to a soggy and slippery stoppage-time goal by Andrew Wiedeman).
While the six points may be too-little-too-late to salvage the season (TFC remain in 9th place in the Eastern Conference), it does give the team—and the fans—a well-deserved boost of confidence. In addition, there's an air of positivity towards Toronto FC's recently announced signings: former Academy player Manny Aparicio and former FC Winterthur/Swiss defender Jonas Elmer. Dare I say, Toronto fans may actually be looking forward to the next TFC home match on Saturday against the Seattle Sounders.
Take THAT, soccer gods.
Sam Chesneau, Gorilla FC, Seattle:
Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls
Sat 7.30pm, Columbus Crew Stadium
Ben Hoelzel, Crew Union, Columbus Crew:
To be honest, there seems to be very little fan discussion about this week's match. The Crew continue a run of poor form, while New York is currently sitting atop of the league. In their last two games, NY has scored seven goals while beating Supporter Shield contenders Salt Lake and Kansas City. Scoring goals isn't really the Crew's thing right now, nor is tight defense. Look for NY to steamroll the Crew. So, what have Crew fans been talking about? Anthony "Aces" Precourt, the club's new owner and Chairman. Bi-polar supporters went from fears of the team being moved to hopeful wonderment about what sort of positive changes this young, energetic new boss will bring. I for one have loved everything he has said, appreciate his openness with fans, and have noticed he's surrounding himself with the right people (including spending some time with Sporting KC's new owners to learn how their transition has been so successful). This season may be all but lost, but the supporters are very excited to see what Tony Aces has in store. I would also be remised if I did not take this opportunity to once again thank the Hunt family for everything they have done for Columbus and American soccer. Without the Crew's founder, the late Lamar Hunt, there would be no Crew, probably not even an MLS, and he will always be the man that built the first ever soccer specific stadium in America, right here in Columbus. Thank you Uncle Lamar. Aces, you've got some might big shoes to fill.
Dan Dickinson, Sports editor, Gothamist, New York:
The Red Bulls always carry the weight of expectations, thanks to a high salary load, star players, a big stadium, a big market, and an empty trophy case. Historically, they've done a poor job of living up to those expectations, and so they mutate into being simultaneously high (the Red Bulls should win trophies with this team) and low (the Red Bulls won't win trophies with this team).
This duality reached new heights last weekend when, after putting on a counter-attacking clinic, New York found their third win in four weeks against a team that was ahead of them in the shield race. With Montreal, Salt Lake, and now Kansas City in the rear view, the remainder of NY's season features just one team in the top 8 of the league. Tied atop the Shield standings, we now enter a semantic argument: is it that the Red Bulls could win the shield, or that they should?
The first stop as New York tries to open a gap in the tie with Salt Lake is to the Crew. Their first meeting of the year at Crew Stadium saw NY take the points on a Tim Cahill goal; their second meeting (in Harrison) requires a Jamison Olave late goal to bail the team out with a draw after a controversial penalty. New York should beat the Crew handily, but they could come out flat like they did against Toronto and fall back down into the pack.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Jose Earthquakes
Sat 7.30pm, BC Place (TSN, RDS2)
Benjamin Massey, Editor, Maple Leaf Forever, Vancouver:
Defensive injuries are the question of the day for the Vancouver Whitecaps. In fact they've been the question for several days, and regular readers of this column will probably be throwing mud at their monitors and flipping over their tables to see me bring them up again. Well, sue me. Brad Rusin went off hurt in Portland and tweeted a picture of his ankle which made it look like he'd been savaged by a bear. Andy O'Brien should be back but oh boy we've said that before, and even if he does return he can't possibly be match fit. Yeah, it's just the San Jose Earthquakes but eventually Chris Wondolowski is going to find the scoring boots in his closet and Vancouver's back line may still prominently involve the phrase "Carlyle Mitchell". Jun Marques Davidson, who almost counts as a defender, is back from suspension but may be relegated to the bench on account of his season-defining attack of the stupids a couple weeks ago. Knuckles will be chewed on in the Southside this weekend.
Nerdy Gales, Center Line Soccer, San Jose:
It's been a roller coaster for the Quakes fans over the past couple of weeks. The Earthquakes are in the midst of a three game winning streak in the regular season. Recent victories over West Coast rivals Seattle, Portland and Chivas have rekindled playoff hopes, with only three points separating the Quakes from fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Chris Wondolowski needed Google Maps to find his way home to Buck Shaw stadium after 77 days away on Gold Cup and All-Star Game duty; Wondo's brace accounted for the 2-0 victory over Chivas USA last Saturday. This week the squad is north of the border, having just fallen 1-0 to the Montreal Impact in the CONCACAF Champion's League midweek. On Saturday, they hope to extend their winning streak with metric cleats in Vancouver – a victory crucial for our playoff hopes.
So, while things are going well on the field, off the field the front office is under pressure. It's long been apparent to fans driving by the new stadium site that no physical construction has been initiated. So it came as no surprise that "unforeseen circumstances" have delayed the stadium opening from the start to the middle of the 2014 season. By "unforeseen" they mean bunkers and used munitions on the former site of the Bradley armored-vehicle manufacturer; I'm no clairvoyant, but really – nobody expected that? Another lack of transparency came with the indefinite suspension of the entire 1906 Ultras supporters group. An Ultras tifo mentioning a previous incident among fans in Portland was brought to the attention of MLS commissioner Don Garber. The resulting probation, handed down on his behalf by the Quakes Front Office, 'prohibits' tifos, profanity and away travel by the Ultras. The LA road trip is approaching – surely a well-coordinated supporters group would be much easier to manage by Stub Hub Center security.
Philadelphia Union vs DC United
Sat 8pm, PPL Park (NBCSN)
Dan Walsh, Philly Soccer Page, Philadelphia
The team finally looks set for Philadelphia Union. This is all they're going to get. No further dreams of big signings this year. No significant boost to the midfield. This is the team. For many Union fans, this will come as a disappointment. While their team has impressed in the standings this year, holding steady in a playoff position even through the schedule's toughest stretch, North America's answer to Stoke City haven't been pretty to watch. The Union have attained an inflated place in the standings thanks to opposition red cards, picking up 16 of their 34 points in the eight games when their opponents have seen red. Their midfield has been one of the league's weakest, largely because their 4-1-3-2 functions more like a 4-2-4 as the wide midfielders play more like true wingers in a 4-3-3 and make it difficult for the team to maintain possession. The two players most often deployed at center attacking midfield, Michael Farfan and Keon Daniel, have often struggled as a result.
So Union fans were hoping for more significant signings than a midfielder from Brazil's lower tiers and a left back who washed out of Australia's league. The team, however, remains financially handicapped, and with the league's international transfer window closing on August 8, further international acquisitions won't be forthcoming.
This week, the Union face rivals D.C. United, who have won two straight matches after importing reinforcements for their struggling attack. The playoff race is tightening. A win is necessary.
Kim Kolb, Screaming Eagles:
Last week was a down week, so naturally, this week has been an up week. Over the weekend fans figured the game against the Montreal Impact would be a throw away match as the US Open Cup semi final match loomed midweek. Naturally, the new young core of the team helped a three goal eruption, with Luis Silva scoring his third goal in three games (and taking the team scoring lead) and Conor Doyle scoring his first professional goal for the game winner and setting up childhood teammate Jared Jeffery for the injury time finish to seal the game. It wasn't just the goals, the new young players looked comfortable on the field, including homegrown Collin Martin who entered the game while a desperate Montreal was trying to tie the game. In the US Open Cup semi final, United needed to travel to Chicago. Travel hasn't been a good element for United, and the best results to date are a couple of scoreless ties in MLS, and the scoreless tie that led to a shootout victory against Richmond earlier in the Open Cup. Though United showed composure against the Fire, and Luis Silva is really starting to click with regulars Dwayne DeRosario and Nick DeLeon. DeRosario capitalized on a Sean Johnson flub late in the first half, and DeLeon scored just after the break. United was shaky at times defending against the desperate Fire, but held on for the clean sheet. Though every game must bring a bit of bad news as Silva left the game and was being tested for a possible concussion, which will lead United with needs for the trip up I-95 to Philadelphia this weekend.
Sporting Kansas City vs New England Revolution
Sat 8.30pm,Sporting Park
Mike Kuhn, Editor, Down the Byline, Sporting Kansas City:
The big story this week is KC's struggles at home this season. They're one of only two teams in the league with a better points per game average on the road than at home (oddly enough this weekend's opponent, New England is the other). After last weekend's loss against New York, Kansas City is now just 5-4-3 (W-L-D) at home this year. A disappointing record at home playing in a facility that continues to get talked up for how intimidating it is for opponents to play. In KC's last game at home against New York is was a stereotypical Sporting home game. They out shot New York by a lot, 27-5, but could only put 8 of those shots on goal. It's been the story for KC throughout their history at Sporting Park. Even bringing in more of a pure finisher like Claudio Bieler hasn't helped to resolve that issue.
This weekend Sporting welcome another decent road team to Sporting Park in New England. After their 6 game unbeaten run KC has dropped two straight to teams at the top of the Eastern Conference. The result has made the East that much tighter. The Revolution, currently outside the playoffs are only 6 points back of Sporting KC who are currently in second place.
Julie Kumor, Midnight Riders:
Last week the Revs had just moved into the last playoff spot with 2 straight wins, and I said in order for them to continue this track they had to be consistent. When up against one of the worst teams in the league at home, they should have won, they needed to win, and they didn't. That was one of the most frustrating games to watch. They didn't play poorly. They looked pretty good, they had possession, and they moved the ball well. It was just one mistake in the midfield, that I want to blame on Toja , just because I don't like him starting over Rowe.
I am not even sure the goalie deserves that much credit for keeping the ball out of the goal – he should buy his defenders a box of Tim Horton's finest. They cleared the ball off the line twice by my count. The Revs are facing 3 games against 3 teams that are also in the playoff hunt and teams that are playing consistently. Can the Revs go to Kansas City and get a win? Other teams have certainly proven that winning at Sporting Park isn't impossible. I would like our chances better if Agudelo was healthy and not with one foot out the door, or if the newly (rumored) acquired Charlie Davies was in any way available to help. Do we need to get a win in Kansas City? Yes, if they want any last shot at the playoffs.
Chicago Fire vs Montreal Impact
Sat 8.30pm, Toyota Park
Dan Martin, Whiskey Brothers Aught Five, Hot Time in Old Town, Chicago:
It's a quiet Thursday morning and the Fire are out of the US Open Cup. DC United walked onto the field at Toyota Park where they had been outscored 6-1 this season and overcame a listless Fire squad to book their trip to the Cup final. It's hard to describe the match free of the usual cliches like "DC wanted it more", which perhaps indicates exactly how Fire fans are taking this loss – mostly quiet resignation and wistfulness over what could have been.
League play, of course, allows scant time for navel-gazing. On Chicago's remaining schedule only two games are against non-Eastern Conference clubs, and if the Fire are to have any chance of making the playoffs in the fall they must make up ground on conference opponents. The best place to start is Saturday at home against Montreal.
Patrick Nyarko left the Open Cup match with what was described as a head injury and his status is unknown at this time, so figure on an outside midfield pairing of Lindpere and Duka if Nyarko is unable to go. New DP Juan Luis Anangonó saw late action against DC and will likely play a role on Saturday as well, which could push Chris Rolfe into the midfield (or perhaps onto the bench).
Fire Designated Players have been a popular topic of late, spurred by an oddly-timed editorial on the club's website that touched off wild commentary on social media and even a statistical rebuttal. That debate, when coupled with the USOC loss, leaves at least one thing clear: this club needs everyone – the players, the technical staff, the front office, and ownership – to step up in order to find success. Excuses such as "it's really hard" aren't going to suffice.
Sofiane Benzaza, Mount Royal Soccer, Montreal:
After a big win in Concacaf Champions League, the Montreal Impact get back to winning ways, but are still looking for back to back wins in MLS. Hassoun Camara scored the only goal, off a Hernan Bernardello free-kick, in the 1-0 CCL victory over the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Argentinean Designated Player Bernardello had a complete game and gave a taste of things to come. But even though the Impact won the game, the way Les Bleus played was not impressive, especially against the B-squad fielded by Mark Watson of the Quakes. The new DP will definitely provoke a shuffling in the lineup.
Can the Impact take that winning momentum to the Mid-West as it travels to Chicago to face the Fire? Led by Mike Magee, top MLS scorer with 14 goals, the Fire is taking its game to the next level and is pushing for a playoff spot. With the signing of DP striker Juan Luis Anangono, Klopas is going all in for the immediate future but also the long-term competitiveness of his team. Impact fans are waiting to see Patrice Bernier play alongside Bernardello. That might happen as early as this weekend, with Bernier relishing a more offensive role that will suit both himself and the club.
Real Salt Lake vs Houston Dynamo
Sat 9.30pm, Rio Tinto Stadium
Denzel Eslinger, RSL Perspective:
Real Salt Lake has just a single win in their last 5 MLS matches, during the long Gold Cup tournament that saw the team lose 4 starters and numerous injuries and suspension, and yet they are still at the top to the MLS table, an impressive feat. But now their players are back, most of the major suspensions are over and injuries are starting to heal. The timing couldn't be any better for RSL as their August is a busy month: already in the books is a 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids, a 2-1 US Open Cup win over Portland, and next up are the Houston Dynamo who will come to Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday for the only regular season match between the two sides. Houston is a team that always seems to get better as the season goes along, and this year is more of the same as they have 3 wins in their last 5 league matches.
These two sides have always played tough matches against each other, and I expect more of the same on Saturday — it will be the free flowing possession game of RSL vs the set piece exploitation of the Houston Dynamo, the high scoring RSL (38 goals for) vs Houston defense (21 goals allowed), oh and the spice on this cake of a match could be ref Jose Carlos Rivero. RSL fans will remember him from back in May where he lost control late in RSL's 2-1 win at New England — giving Carlos Salcedo a 2nd yellow for a handball in the area that was committed by Tony Beltran. It could be exciting for all the wrong reasons, but I am hopeful this one Stays Calm and they Play Soccer, Houston is a good road team but RSL should be able to use the return of Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman, and Tony Beltran to pull out a 2-0 win over the Dynamo.
Stephen Eastepp, Dynamo Theory, Houston:
The big news happening in Houston this week has all occurred in the last two days. News hit that the Dynamo were in discussions to bring another Honduran midfielder to the club. Turns out the rumors were true and Houston announced the signing of a new designated player Alexander Lopez. Lopez is another youthful addition to the club that will add some additional depth plus some offensive firepower to the Dynamo roster ahead of another CONCACAF Champions League tournament and the stretch run of the MLS season.
Before the paperwork is finalized and Lopez is officially wearing orange, Houston has a big task ahead this weekend. The Dynamo will take their recent success – unbeaten in their last four – to Rio Tinto Stadium and face the MLS powerhouse Real Salt Lake. RSL is sitting at the top of the MLS mountain, but the upside is they are in a bit of rut. Winless in their last three matches, Houston will look to capitalize on their recent form to steal some valuable road points.
With the Eastern Conference as tight as it is, the Dynamo can't afford to lose points – whether home or away. Additionally, it'll provide a test for Houston in terms of where they stand against the other strong clubs in the league.
After starting strong, Houston bottomed out a bit and now need to convince themselves they're championship caliber. With that confidence, the sky is the limit.
FC Dallas vs LA Galaxy
Sun 8pm, FC Dallas Stadium (ESPN2)
Gina Zippilli, The Inferno, Dallas:
The story is how bad we are right now. The past two games have been 3-0 losses to Salt Lake, who'd never got a win in Texas before that, and then on the road at Seattle. We've slipped outside of the playoff spots having been in first place in March and there's just something about this slump that feels like something's fundamentally wrong — there are no injuries at the moment and everybody is back from internationals, so there's no ready made excuse. And I can't point to any one player and say it's exclusively his fault. There have been different players at fault for all those goals and nobody's scoring either. There's generally little evidence of the talented group of individuals we usually console ourselves with when a Dallas team goes on a bad run. I just can't see where a spark is coming from.
I still think the team makes the playoffs — to fall from first place and then miss the playoffs would be the worst run I can remember in my ten years following the team, and one that would scream for a change of coaching staff. But I don't see much changing. Sure, the Hunts have sold Columbus and now Dallas is their only team, but I always got the feeling the Crew were their back burner team anyway, and I can't see a significant change in focus happening. And now we play LA this weekend. Ugh. We usually bring our 'A' game against the Galaxy, but our 'A' game is really bad right now, and they should have Donovan and Keane back. I hate making predictions, but we've lost our last two games 3-0...
Josie Becker, Editor, LAG Confidential, Los Angeles:
The LA Galaxy have been off fighting a friendly fight in the Guinness International Champions Cup taking last weekend off to take on the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, and AC Milan. After getting a victory over the Old Lady at Dodger Stadium and not much else, LA has to turn their attention back to MLS action.
Looking at the standings the big change is the Colorado Rapids leapfrogging up to second place, with Cascadia clubs Portland and Vancouver sandwiching LA. The two played to a draw this past weekend, so LA still sits about where they left it.
FC Dallas has been in a bad way, winless in nine matches now. This after a nine match unbeaten streak earlier in the season. Certainly the Galaxy should be excited to get this new down on their luck version of FC Dallas. However, especially in their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Seattle Sounders FC, it appears that it is more a case of the rest of the Western Conference waking up than Dallas slumping.
With Portland not in action this weekend, LA has a real chance to gain ground in the standings. Robbie Keane has seen minutes in the ICC so he's likely back in the lineup, and the Galaxy will get to use Landon Donovan in MLS action for the first time in almost a month. The back line gets Omar Gonzalez back, which should shore up things better than was seen in the recent 2-0 loss in Colorado.
Chivas USA vs Colorado Rapids
Sun 11pm, StubHub Center (UniMas)
Alicia Ratterree, The Goat Parade, Chivas USA:
This week, the situation at Chivas USA has demonstrated the growing pains the team is still going through. Going up against a subdued San Jose Earthquakes team, Chivas were still the underdogs but had a solid shot in the match. Alas, they fell 2-0, behind a brace from Chris Wondolowski and a terrible red card from Carlos Bocanegra. Bad tackles happen in soccer, but it was disappointing to see Bocanegra react to what he thought was an uncalled foul with such an ugly tackle, especially as he's been seen as the linchpin of the new Chivas defense. The team missed his leadership after his ejection, and they'll have to miss him again against the Colorado Rapids, who have done what Chivas tried to do this season in going for youth and actually getting better as the season progressed.
At this point, the challenge for the Goats is to determine what the rest of the season will mean. They are out of the playoff hunt, and nobody wants to see them pack it in, especially since they have no draft assets to speak of next year. But should they play as many players as possible? Go with youth? Experiment with new positions for some guys? Try to play as competitively as possible each game? It looks like they are trying to be competitive, but I do see some players getting minutes in new positions, and it is worrisome. Perhaps in the long run, getting those reps now will help in the future, but if the team is completely overhauled once more next season, what's the point of developing players in meaningful minutes now?
Richard Bamber, Centennial 38 Supporters, Colorado Rapids:
Wow - what a week to be a Rapids fan. Lots of huge stories this week but we'll start with the one confirmed signing - that of Uruguayan forward Vicente Sanchez who arrived this week from Nacional in his home country but with time at Schalke & Club America under his belt. Sanchez has received his visa & international transfer clearance and is theoretically available to play.
Next up is the 'will he won't he' saga of Panamanian Gold Cup star Gabriel Torres (he was the one who had the unfortunate ball to the nether regions in the final!) who has also been courting attention from France & Mexico. The 24 year old would be the Rapids first ever designated player. The latest is that Torres is in Denver right now & he may be Burgundy man by the time you read this. As I wrote the Rapids have just over 5 hours to complete the deal before the MLS transfer window slams shut at 1am ET tonight.
However the real big news is that with after battling to come from behind twice on Saturday, the Rapids got the draw they needed against Real Salt Lake to ensure that the Rocky Mountain Cup returns to Colorado after a 6 year absence. The celebrations went on long into the night as the Rapids supporters got their first tangible proof that the team really is getting better & better.
So right now we really are riding high with wins against some of the best sides of the league & confidence at an all-time high. The weekend brings a Sunday night trip to Chivas USA, Rapids fans will be hoping that 3 points there is a formality & that we don't slip up.
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