"Hey! It's Major League Soccer! Remember me?"
by Steve Davis on Jun 6, 2010 8:45 PM EDT
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MLS is probably feeling a little like the woman who ends up in the wrong hotel for the weekend. She may be a good solid 7 or 7 ½, but if there’s a supermodel convention in the house, she’s just not going to get a lot of attention.
Similarly, Major League Soccer isn’t getting a lot of heads turning its way right now. Not with World Cup strutting and sashaying around. Did you even know that Sacha Kljestan is about to sign with Anderlecht in
Thus, MLS was smart to finally relent and take a World Cup break. (The league played straight through World Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2006). The next full match week for MLS will commence on June 24. Enjoy your World Cup!
Meanwhile, here’s a quickie synopsis of MLS Week 11.
Kicking grass, taking names:
Surprise of the week: There was a real edge to L.A.-Houston – then the Dynamo fell completely apart on defense and it wasn’t much of a game. The Galaxy clobbered Dom’s Dynamo, 4-1. I had settled in for a slugfest; I got a TKO. By the way,
Best Goal: Seth Stammler’s screamer for Red Bull
Player of the Week: Jimmy Conrad was a monster for Kansas City against Toronto. Yes, I know Jovan Kirovski had two goals. They were pretty easy put-aways. And yes I know that Michael Stephens had three assists; they were barely assists. So, my vote goes to Conrad.
Worst referee decision: Chivas
Most comically ridiculous decision: Chivas’ Osael Romero isn’t dismissed for a two-footed reckless, cleats-up lunge against Seth Stammler. Vaughn really doesn’t need to referee professional matches.
Worst coaching decision: Peter Vermes left Craig Rocastle on the field carrying a yellow card. In an act as predictable as John Harkes saying “cover and balance,” at least once a broadcast, Rocastle collected a second yellow and
Heat alert: The summer is here. And how. Sultry weather in Chicago and D.C. took some sting from matches. It was just plain hot in Dallas, in the 90s at kickoff. It was even sunny and warm in Toronto.
Best scene: MLS all-time scoring king Jaime Moreno banging the drums with La Barra Brava, United’s irrepressible supporters’ outfit.
Finally, I have to re-visit this (because I thought I was about to proven wrong earlier this year, when TFC looked so shabby):
I picked
He has things pointed in the right direction at TFC. Preki has assembled a team of grinders and one of reasonable depth. Dwayne De Rosario, Julian de Guzman and goalkeeper Stefan Frei may be the only irreplaceable parts – and you’d get some good debate going in the pubs around exhibition place that de Guzman doesn’t deserve to be mentioned on that list. But that’s another story.
Otherwise, he’s built a roster on the cheap, and he’s getting results just like he did at Chivas
Saturday’s result and the way Preki saw it was instructional, too. Preki, usually a spring-loaded coil of a coach, was subdued, almost forlorn in his post-game assessment. He said he viewed the draw “as a loss.”
“Both teams looked tired. It was hot, and a bumpy field didn’t help,” he said. “You name it, it went wrong for us today.”
That from a man whose team is 4-0-1 at home. But that’s the point: Preki never accepts 80 or 90 percent effort. That’s just not good enough – and that’s why I think they’ll make the playoffs in the end.
OK. Now, enjoy the World Cup.
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I'd take Gonzales' over Zakuani's too
Left foot to the far right post at a sharp angle. Zakuani’s volley was okay, but he was in the front of the goal mouth and nearly missed by smacking it off the crossbar. I’m just niggling though.
I disagree
Leo’s ball was bouncing for him, Zakuani’s was a high arching ball that he volleyed; ie, Zakuani’s was much harder to hit squarely.
DCU
DC is rounding into form. 5 unbeaten in all matches, tied the defending champs (and had the better of the game) players coming off injuries. With the nice World Cup break, think the team can rise to the point where they’re not “just” DC United.
better of the first half
Listen I can’t make any excuses for RSL’s first half performance, they sucked. The reality was in the second half DC sat back for huge stretches of time. When RSL can sit in their own half and complete 11 straight passes without any pressure from a United player, we call that bunker ball. When your offense can’t score off all the great chances they had, I understand it but rounding into form? Come on not even close yet. You don’t have anyone who can finish, until you deal with that you’re not even close to form.
finishing
King had an off night but he had a lot of shots on goal. He’s normally more accurate… Pontius and Quaranta can score and if teams keep double and triple teaming Najar (who was in high school at the start of this year) like RSL did, a lot of space is going to open up. Haven’t even mentioned the old timers who are probably still good for a few more goals. Meanwhile the defense was rock solid and RSL didn’t get a real sniff. Maybe not rounding into form but how about rounding into rounding into form…?
Good points as usual
Another week of head scratching and wondering to myself, “What IS it going to take to improve USSF/MLS officiating?”
Still don’t understand why Chivas jettisoned Preki. As you outlined well, the man knows how to coach his team into good results. Though, after his full-throttle, goal-scoring machine playing career, I’d never have guessed his coaching philosophy would be grind-it-out.
Mixing up the Jimmy's?
So you picked Conrad as your player of the week. Are you sure you don’t mean Nielsen? Sure, Conrad played well, but the goalkeeping was the only thing that kept Kansas City in that match..
