 |
| If you can see where I'm going, I've got it. |
You won’t believe this, but I've come up with a concept! It’s pretty damn hack, but it’s also completely consistent with what still strikes me as the best way to get the best possible pulse on trends in MLS. Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls: I give you:
Results Rankings (yes, the rare, all-the font adjustment effects)
Imperfect as every other ranking system, but with one foot at least on something as final and intangible as a final score: how do you beat that...I mean, without watching...just so much fucking soccer? I drop in notes on…sigh, literally every game (plz. halp) below and organize them according to how significant or important they seem to me. Full disclosure, I only watch two games every week, but I sit through as many condensed games as I care about and look at stats and highlights on the rest; for branding purposes, I call the condensed game/stats review the “Silver Service Review.” Only three didn’t get a Silver Service Review this week - e.g., the ones at the very end (call it the copper review, and don’t capitalize that garbage) - and for the reason above: they don’t feel important, so why get too hung-up on what happened or why? At this point in the season, that making that call turns on two things:
1) was the result more or less entirely expected; and
2) it involved two more or less irrelevant teams.
There might be other kinds of nothing games out there - who knows? - but those are the only two that come to me right now. Also, I expect the Type 2 games (please excuse the phrasing) to make it easier to skip more games as the season goes on, but, when you’re compulsive, you’re compulsive. At any rate, here’s how I saw the results from Week 6 stack up in order of importance. Oh, and I'll link to the odd important video or detail, but, when I don't, I expect people who feel like they need more to click the link under each score and sort out what I missed on his/her own. Moving on:
New York City FC 1-2 Columbus Crew SC
On the one hand, don’t read too much into this result: by everything I saw and stared at, NYCFC should have gone up 2-0 in the first half. Valentin Castellanos looked active and stressful and did good things, including set up the first goal. Despite finding good openings, Les Pigeons looked a little hasty out there tonight (they forced shit too much). On the other hand, how well does a team need to play if Lucas Zelarayan can hit a free-kick so unstoppably sweetly? (Related/unrelated, the knuckling on his first goal must have been vicious.). I called this “a statement game” for NYCFC in my preview thread and, for as well as they played, they failed to finish the thought. Columbus isn’t out of the hole by any means, but three big points against the competition always rates.
Results Rankings (yes, the rare, all-the font adjustment effects)
Imperfect as every other ranking system, but with one foot at least on something as final and intangible as a final score: how do you beat that...I mean, without watching...just so much fucking soccer? I drop in notes on…sigh, literally every game (plz. halp) below and organize them according to how significant or important they seem to me. Full disclosure, I only watch two games every week, but I sit through as many condensed games as I care about and look at stats and highlights on the rest; for branding purposes, I call the condensed game/stats review the “Silver Service Review.” Only three didn’t get a Silver Service Review this week - e.g., the ones at the very end (call it the copper review, and don’t capitalize that garbage) - and for the reason above: they don’t feel important, so why get too hung-up on what happened or why? At this point in the season, that making that call turns on two things:
1) was the result more or less entirely expected; and
2) it involved two more or less irrelevant teams.
There might be other kinds of nothing games out there - who knows? - but those are the only two that come to me right now. Also, I expect the Type 2 games (please excuse the phrasing) to make it easier to skip more games as the season goes on, but, when you’re compulsive, you’re compulsive. At any rate, here’s how I saw the results from Week 6 stack up in order of importance. Oh, and I'll link to the odd important video or detail, but, when I don't, I expect people who feel like they need more to click the link under each score and sort out what I missed on his/her own. Moving on:
New York City FC 1-2 Columbus Crew SC
On the one hand, don’t read too much into this result: by everything I saw and stared at, NYCFC should have gone up 2-0 in the first half. Valentin Castellanos looked active and stressful and did good things, including set up the first goal. Despite finding good openings, Les Pigeons looked a little hasty out there tonight (they forced shit too much). On the other hand, how well does a team need to play if Lucas Zelarayan can hit a free-kick so unstoppably sweetly? (Related/unrelated, the knuckling on his first goal must have been vicious.). I called this “a statement game” for NYCFC in my preview thread and, for as well as they played, they failed to finish the thought. Columbus isn’t out of the hole by any means, but three big points against the competition always rates.
Portland Timbers 3-0 Los Angeles Galaxy
As covered at length in my extended notes on this one, this game turned on either the red to LA’s Derrick Williams or Portland’s Felipe Mora getting into the game. Either way, this hangs an asterisk on the Galaxy’s “strong” start because they didn’t pose much of a threat and this makes it twice they lost to a Cascadia team - which like it or not, translates as a “Western Conference power” until further notice. The Galaxy is clearly better than some, but climbing to the top means being better than either everybody, or most of them often enough.
New England Revolution 3-1 Red Bulls New York
First things first, read that score-line like a drunk telling you how many they have every week - e.g., double or triple it depending on the drunk. They made plenty of good looks - 23 shots, with 11 of ‘em on goal - so this could have been a run-away. The deeper point: the Red Bulls looked like shit on both paper and video; sure, they scored first, but that was a cameo in a tragedy. To make a rare comment on a ‘keeper, I don’t know where RBNY’s Carlos Coronel comes from, but he simply must come off his line more often. I’ve got a USL ‘keeper starting for my team and I’ll keep ‘im, thanks. For all my (quiet, growing) doubts about the Red Bulls, I might have expected them to lose, but I didn’t expect them to get run over. And they did. Big win for the Revs.
San Jose Earthquakes 1-3 Sporting Kansas City
The ‘Quakes had to feel good when they went up 1-0 in the fourth minute, but the gap between, say, Chofis and Alan Pulido, defined this game. Pulido made SKC’s equalizer, scored their noteworthy second goal and, for what it’s worth, his name came up around their third goal as well. About that, if Daniel Salloi gets going…just watch Sporting KC. San Jose defended its home turf proudly, and they had great chances - e.g., Cade Cowell during the first half - but this was 1) at home and 2) their third straight loss to a team somewhere up the Western Conference pecking order (e.g., first Seattle, then Portland, then SKC). The ‘Quakes are dropping down the Western hierarchy in real time, which feels, y’know, significant. Also, and this isn’t deeply observed, but Chofis looks like a bit of a ball hog; dish it here and there, kid, y’know? Oh, and one final note (big one): San Jose looks better in an open game, so file that away. Related, SKC might have discipline issues in that same kind of game…
Orlando City SC 1-0 Toronto FC
The shooting stats are kinder to TFC than the passing network - e.g., Richie Laryea disconnected from the rest of the attack - but the video says Toronto got outplayed on Saturday. One thing to note: Yeferson Soteldo has a rare combination of velvet feet and speed - he had one hell of a miss (no isolated video, sadly) - and it’s worth contemplating what he’ll look like with Alejandro Pozuelo playing beside him. Based on what I saw, though, Orlando made the better chances throughout, I don’t know who this Silvester Van der Water kid is, but he done good on the assist, and, if there’s one phrase to flag in Orlando’s performance, it’s this: “Urso has been everywhere.” He’s a rock star based on everything I’ve heard and seen of him, and a key reason why Orlando will be a pain in the ass/competitor in 2021. If they’ve got a ceiling, it’s Tesho Akindele. Sure, he scored, by Van der Water put it on a plate for him - also, Toronto’s defense, flag that long-term - but he also missed two one-on-ones. That said, the preview take-away holds: Orlando needed this one and they got it. As for Toronto…I don’t know. I only know I don’t pick them for anything in 2021.
Seattle Sounders 1-1 Atlanta United FC
I’ve never seen that many cheap yellows in one game - e.g., shirt-tugging, grasping, even full-body hugs from behind - all meant to kill a play before it could get rolling; Nouhou Tolo forced two, maybe three all on his own. That makes the score fitting, if nothing else, but, on the evidence, Atlanta out-played Seattle by a nose. While you don’t want to read too much into it in either direction - every team has a bad day at the office, and maybe this was Seattle’s after several very good ones - but call it an encouraging result for Atlanta, a team I still expect to see in the mix at the end. The simple fact they’re able to call real options of the bench - e.g., Jake Mulraney - sends a message. As for Seattle, they’ll almost certainly get better when Nico Lodeiro comes back but that still means tinkering with a formula that genuinely solid success so far in 2021. One final thought: Raul Ruidiaz scored a strong header and he’s got six goals, just one behind Chicharito, and it’s damned close to cricket. I fucking hate this team, but…c’mon…
FC Dallas 2-2 Real Salt Lake
An otherwise unremarkable result - i.e., two, for now, middling teams playing to a draw - but one made remarkable by how thoroughly Dallas appeared to dominate the proceedings (it’s New England v. Red Bulls level, at least on paper). Based on results so far, RSL will continue to earn points through Rubio Rubin and Damir Kreilach, but…somehow, against both results and reason, I keep waiting for Dallas to go on a run. Maybe that’s just losing to them in the 2020 playoffs talking, but it’s still what I’m saying.
Montreal Impact 1-2 FC Cincinnati
As explained in my, frankly, bizarre notes on this game, nothing about this game felt quite right - and I mean that all the way down to Montreal’s will to live basically evaporating. Reputationally, this hurts Montreal more than it helps Cincinnati, but don’t you ever stop that from letting you daydream about a home win against New England, because it’s not like they’ve been any good so far. Also, it’s entirely possible I rated Montreal higher than I ever should have, dammit….
Houston Dynamo FC 2-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
According to light research, this one looks exactly like what it appears to be: too little, too late for Vancouver. They weren’t far off, but Houston was always better. This felt like an easy call going in - e.g., I rate Houston the better team, plus playing at home, etc. The only wrinkle I’ll had here is this: I see Houston as a playoff dangerous team in 2021 - e.g., something like Colorado in 2020, but maybe better. They are, for lack of a better word, like a really good USL team competing in MLS: none of them are league-best at their position, but, throw them together, and you’ve got a brotherhood of savvy veterans thrown together for a run at one more big score...
Los Angeles FC 2-1 Colorado Rapids
Totally predictable result, but, given LAFC’s struggles and Colorado winning their last three games, I still had to see this one. And it was…interesting - and it looked fun. The key phrase for this game is “dynamic running,” or so the broadcast booth said, but they had a point; if you want to know why the hosts won this game, their second goal answers some questions. If anything stood out in LAFC’s performance, it was the handful of sloppy moments at the back - e.g., defenders getting their wires crossed or losing their marks, players falling down. It’s not the LAFC you see in your head - or the one they keep telling you about. Still, they won by most of the numbers…except expected goals (just to note it, “except expected” is the typing equivalent of a tongue-twister): Michael Barrios might have done enough on his own to make that happen, but that gets to the remarkable thing about the Rapids. For a team on a tight budget, they have guys up and down the roster that you would want on your team. Not players you’d take; players you’d want. My short-list: Jack Price, Sam Vines, Barrios, Lalas Abubakar…and, after that performance, I wonder whether Auston Trusty is getting back on some lists. I don’t think I’d ever find my jaw if the Rapids won anything this season, but seeing them call Jonathan Lewis off the bench…
And here's where copper service starts.
DC United 0-1 Philadelphia Union
Few teams suffer periodic bouts of extended irrelevance like DC; they make it hard to care about them. The highlights are, like, fully 50% dissecting the Union’s admittedly nifty winner, but DC had some real chances and this one…but also Andre Blake in goal to get over. They didn’t, of course, so that leaves this where it is: a good team beating a bad one. Still, there’s a lot of “new” around DC (coach, in particular) and this makes me want to keep them on my watch list.
Nashville SC 1-0 Austin FC
I guessed a combination of a good spine, a home game, and one year’s experience would tip the win to Nashville, so, no surprise here (and do mind the xG). Nashville actually won the game on a ‘keeper cock-up (though not as bad as the one below), but it didn’t look like they made a lot of ways to get there; I mean this more as an argument than an insult, but I don’t think many ‘keepers quake at the phrase “Dominique Badji is alone on goal.” For me, that translates to both teams writ large: they’re good, but incomplete, and I’ll still rather be Nashville - especially in the West.
Chicago Fire FC 1-0 Inter Miami CF
The stats say the Fire legit won the game, the highlights either didn’t go justice to the 20 shots they fired or they just weren’t that good, but they still won on a shit goal (major goalkeeper hiccup), and came close enough to giving up an equalizer. Still, barring major improvement from either team, this was just two no-hopers getting a work-out. Miami, in particular, doesn’t have much more than a fun location going for them at this point. They have real league-worst potential…
To wrap all that up in something trend-based - and don’t read anything into the order here, because I’m listing them according to who played first in Week 6, let’s go with:
Stock Up
Portland Timbers, New England Revolution, Sporting Kansas City, Atlanta United FC, Nashville SC
Stock Down
Los Angeles Galaxy, Red Bull New York, San Jose Earthquakes
Watch List
FC Cincinnati, Club de Foot Montreal, New York City FC, Columbus Crew SC, FC Dallas (I know, I know; I’m wrong), Houston Dynamo, Colorado Rapids
No Surprises
Chicago Fire FC, Inter Miami CF, Orlando City SC, Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, Vancouver Whitecaps, Los Angeles FC, Seattle Sounders, DC United, Philadelphia Union, Austin FC
And, to clarify, teams on all kinds of different levels showed up in each one of those categories - e.g., “No Surprises” includes both the good (e.g., Seattle) and the terrible (DC United). The thing I’m trying to capture are things like, what teams are either building an ongoing narrative (e.g. Atlanta or Nashville) or answering some questions (e.g., Portland and New England).
“Watch List” is the tricky one. For now, that’s where I put teams that I still can’t sort out for one reason or the other. For what it’s worth, only Montreal is there for the wrong reasons (OK, yes, Dallas too). I have questions about the other ones in the other direction.
All for this one and I hope it painted a less abstract picture.
No comments:
Post a Comment