Welcome to the first MLS Weakly Review/Preview of the 2022 regular season. As implied by the title the first half of this post takes a look back at what happened with MLS Week 1 and the second looks ahead to MLS Week 2. I’m also going to squeeze longer notes on the next two opponents for the two teams I cover on this site, the Portland Timbers and FC Cincinnati, so maybe call those the first and second thirds instead. It’s possible (eh, make it probable) I’ll start posting separate previews for both teams when I’ve got more with which to work. Speaking of…
People familiar with this site and its…sure, let’s call it a methodology, know that I’ve grown increasingly obsessed with results over the past several seasons. Think of it as the “G” in “xG,” only it’s Results versus expected results.
Now, because there’s just one game in the books all ‘round…hey, just noticed no one had a bye week. Huh. Back to it, a one-game sample isn’t even 1/10th of dick, so don’t expect any sweeping conclusions below, declarations of doom or glory, etc., but, that doesn’t mean assumptions haven’t been made. I wrote a pair of posts in the second half of January 2022 - one where (after a bunch of bullshit) I effectively dismissed six teams from each conference as irrelevant, and another where I listed all the teams in the league and talked about how I see them historically. If I didn’t mention it at the time, I wrote both those posts to provide some sloppy scaffolding for interpreting the first…call it 10 or so weeks of Major League Soccer’s 2022 season. For what it’s worth, I think it takes a dozen weeks' or so worth of results before one can really establish any kind of context for expectations for what should happen one week to the next. And, yes, after that a quarter of the teams will throw those out the window by either tanking (thinking Orlando City SC and the Los Angeles Galaxy for 2021) or thriving (thinking my Portland Timbers or the Vancouver Whitecaps for 2021) down the stretch. All this? It never stops being fluid.
If you didn’t read either of the two posts linked to above, I only linked to them for the curious or very bored. You won’t actually need to make sense of this post and these will get easier to figure as time goes on. With that out of the way, let’s kick around MLS Week 1.
People familiar with this site and its…sure, let’s call it a methodology, know that I’ve grown increasingly obsessed with results over the past several seasons. Think of it as the “G” in “xG,” only it’s Results versus expected results.
Now, because there’s just one game in the books all ‘round…hey, just noticed no one had a bye week. Huh. Back to it, a one-game sample isn’t even 1/10th of dick, so don’t expect any sweeping conclusions below, declarations of doom or glory, etc., but, that doesn’t mean assumptions haven’t been made. I wrote a pair of posts in the second half of January 2022 - one where (after a bunch of bullshit) I effectively dismissed six teams from each conference as irrelevant, and another where I listed all the teams in the league and talked about how I see them historically. If I didn’t mention it at the time, I wrote both those posts to provide some sloppy scaffolding for interpreting the first…call it 10 or so weeks of Major League Soccer’s 2022 season. For what it’s worth, I think it takes a dozen weeks' or so worth of results before one can really establish any kind of context for expectations for what should happen one week to the next. And, yes, after that a quarter of the teams will throw those out the window by either tanking (thinking Orlando City SC and the Los Angeles Galaxy for 2021) or thriving (thinking my Portland Timbers or the Vancouver Whitecaps for 2021) down the stretch. All this? It never stops being fluid.
If you didn’t read either of the two posts linked to above, I only linked to them for the curious or very bored. You won’t actually need to make sense of this post and these will get easier to figure as time goes on. With that out of the way, let’s kick around MLS Week 1.
First things first, I grouped the results from Week 1 into four loose groups. I think each group explains itself well enough that I won’t do it here, so, moving on. And, for anyone who wants to know a little more, I linked to The Mothership’s recaps in each score.
Results to Ignore
FC Dallas 1-1 Toronto FC
Inter Miami CF 0-0 Chicago Fire FC
Houston Dynamo FC 0-0 Real Salt Lake
I think expectations for all these teams presently top-out at making the playoffs (though Houston just added some spice), and all those results are duds. That makes this a bunch of middling teams doing nothing, next.
Noted
Philadelphia Union 1-1 Minnesota United FC
Austin FC 5-0 FC Cincinnati (My extended notes on it; again, for the curious)
Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 New York City FC
This group is messy, in that it amounts to a back-burner - i.e., I didn’t look more closely than the final score - and the result means something different in each chase. For instance, I expect both Philly and Minnesota to be competitive…and they were, so what is there to add? NYCFC was one of the several teams that competed in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) in the mid-week before Week 1, plus they were on the road, so seeing them get beat by a late goal doesn’t strike me as news. Austin v. Cincy, on the other hand, would have been a nothing game had Austin not taken Cincy behind the shed and done something unprintable to them. At the same time, Cincy’s track record is such (aka, the longest skid marks known to man) that seeing any team beat them by any magnitude doesn’t change my opinion on that team. It did, however, do enough to make we want to see how Austin handles its next game…which has a similar dynamic.
Interested…
This is the section where I talk about games separately, though briefly, because I did pick around the details. More or less.
DC United 3-0 Charlotte FC
The result wasn’t unexpected, but it’s worth watching the MLS in 15 for this one. Based on what I saw, DC tried to run Charlotte off the field…only Charlotte didn’t go easy. In fact, they mostly matched DC on the numbers, all three of DC’s goals counted as fortunate one way or another, and ex-DC/now-Charlotte man, Yordy Reyna, pinged one off the post. Long story short, Charlotte looked all right and piqued my interest. And the way DC played caught my eye.
Orlando City SC 2-0 Club du Foot Montreal
This presents as another game where the CCL curse bit, but the result had some wrinkles. Judging by the MLS in 15 highlights, Montreal had the better first half and, honestly, looked to have their angles down throughout. The box score confirms the vague impression that Orlando made the most of 10 shaky minutes for Montreal by just wanting it more. Both teams saw red - Romell Quioto around the mid-60s and Robin Jansson around the 80th - but my main takeaway/possibility to track was that Montreal might exceed my expectations.
Atlanta United FC 3-1 Sporting Kansas City
This one was marginal because the result itself didn’t really surprise me. It took the scuttle-butt about the subbing and subsequent parting of ways with Jose Mauri, combined with what I saw in the MLS in 15, to move it into this group instead of the one down below. SKC played its normal up-tempo game - and got a reward by winning the numbers - but it looked over-eager and, for lack of a better word, scatter-shot and effort-drunk. Atlanta responded by keeping their shit together, turning them over and going up 2-0 by the half (their first goal gives a fair impression of the mechanics). It’s probably worth noting Dom Dwyer looked all right for Atlanta, I heard Tyler Wolff’s name more than expected, and a 17-year-old kid named Caleb Wiley scored on his debut. Daniel Salloi scored a tidy, tricky goal, but, overall, Atlanta looked better than I expected and SKC worse. So, here they are…
Expectations Met, One Way or Another
The rest of the results matched expectations, more or less, either mine or my interpretation of everyone else’s. More than anything else, it doesn’t change my take on any of the teams involved, even the ones with the lopsided scores. Let me explain…
Columbus Crew SC 4-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
It’s possible I’m a little higher on Columbus than most, but I still expected them to win…if perhaps not by so much. Based on the MLS in 15, they came up with picks and shovels with a clear eye to burying the ‘Caps early (15 of Columbus’ total shots and 5 of their shots on goal came in the opening 35 minutes). Still, the final score arguably flatters Columbus in that Vancouver had Jake Nerwinski sent off for a second yellow and they scored two goals in garbage time -and nearly 30 minutes after Nerwinksi got booted.
Los Angeles FC 3-0 Colorado Rapids
I only had the baby highlights and the box score to work with for this one, but it’s a similar story to the one above: LAFC jumped all over a CCL-drunk Rapids team early and that was that. Still, call it a bracing result for LAFC with good omens flowing from a Carlos Vela hat-trick - and two of those goals had something ominous (e.g., strength and his trademark precision). As noted above, it didn’t change my opinion on Colorado. At least not for now…
San Jose Earthquakes 1-3 Red Bull New York
The Red Bulls are another Eastern Conference team in which I’ve chosen to see good-to-great things - in this case, getting back to the energy-drink soccer that made them repeat Shield winners in the mid-2010s. Like the Crew, the Red Bulls padded their score late, but they also merrily ceded the ball to San Jose and made this a contest of wasted effort against relentless pressing. Still, based on the MLS in 15, Red Bull had the better chances throughout, while Chofis only had a (peculiar) moment. To clarify, I don’t expect much of San Jose, and that only made this hold up the more.
Portland Timbers 2-2 New England Revolution
In the interest of time, I’m going to invite the curious to read my extended notes on this game, but this one boiled down to a (somewhat) short-handed Portland team coming back twice against last season’s record-breaking Shield-winning team. The Revs did well for being on the road, and it took scoring a pair of beauties for the Timbers to survive the night.
Seattle Sounders 0-1 Nashville SC
The Sounders get the CCL pass for this one - especially given the hurt they dropped on their mid-week opposition - but this still counts as three big points for Nashville, who, again, I expect will be good this season. Based on the MLS in 15, the game looked fast and combative, but still clean. Seattle held what I call “control stats” (possession, etc.), but, despite what looked like a decent game, the xG numbers….well, they sucked (scroll down and despair). Just to note it, Nashville has a weird set-up, even I’m not totally clear on the particulars. Broadly, though, it’s Dax McCarty, Sean Davis and Anibal Godoy in midfield, with Randall Leal, Hany Mukhtar (who had a good game) and C. J. Sapong running in front of them. I don’t see how that worked, but, fuck it, it did.
And that wraps up Week 1. The preamble will disappear, promise. Now, it’s time to preview - or, rather, talk expectations, for MLS Week 2. Once again, I’ve lumped them into various categories and, as with the above, I’ll have notes when they seem worth sharing. Here goes…
Results to Ignore
FC Dallas 1-1 Toronto FC
Inter Miami CF 0-0 Chicago Fire FC
Houston Dynamo FC 0-0 Real Salt Lake
I think expectations for all these teams presently top-out at making the playoffs (though Houston just added some spice), and all those results are duds. That makes this a bunch of middling teams doing nothing, next.
Noted
Philadelphia Union 1-1 Minnesota United FC
Austin FC 5-0 FC Cincinnati (My extended notes on it; again, for the curious)
Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 New York City FC
This group is messy, in that it amounts to a back-burner - i.e., I didn’t look more closely than the final score - and the result means something different in each chase. For instance, I expect both Philly and Minnesota to be competitive…and they were, so what is there to add? NYCFC was one of the several teams that competed in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) in the mid-week before Week 1, plus they were on the road, so seeing them get beat by a late goal doesn’t strike me as news. Austin v. Cincy, on the other hand, would have been a nothing game had Austin not taken Cincy behind the shed and done something unprintable to them. At the same time, Cincy’s track record is such (aka, the longest skid marks known to man) that seeing any team beat them by any magnitude doesn’t change my opinion on that team. It did, however, do enough to make we want to see how Austin handles its next game…which has a similar dynamic.
Interested…
This is the section where I talk about games separately, though briefly, because I did pick around the details. More or less.
DC United 3-0 Charlotte FC
The result wasn’t unexpected, but it’s worth watching the MLS in 15 for this one. Based on what I saw, DC tried to run Charlotte off the field…only Charlotte didn’t go easy. In fact, they mostly matched DC on the numbers, all three of DC’s goals counted as fortunate one way or another, and ex-DC/now-Charlotte man, Yordy Reyna, pinged one off the post. Long story short, Charlotte looked all right and piqued my interest. And the way DC played caught my eye.
Orlando City SC 2-0 Club du Foot Montreal
This presents as another game where the CCL curse bit, but the result had some wrinkles. Judging by the MLS in 15 highlights, Montreal had the better first half and, honestly, looked to have their angles down throughout. The box score confirms the vague impression that Orlando made the most of 10 shaky minutes for Montreal by just wanting it more. Both teams saw red - Romell Quioto around the mid-60s and Robin Jansson around the 80th - but my main takeaway/possibility to track was that Montreal might exceed my expectations.
Atlanta United FC 3-1 Sporting Kansas City
This one was marginal because the result itself didn’t really surprise me. It took the scuttle-butt about the subbing and subsequent parting of ways with Jose Mauri, combined with what I saw in the MLS in 15, to move it into this group instead of the one down below. SKC played its normal up-tempo game - and got a reward by winning the numbers - but it looked over-eager and, for lack of a better word, scatter-shot and effort-drunk. Atlanta responded by keeping their shit together, turning them over and going up 2-0 by the half (their first goal gives a fair impression of the mechanics). It’s probably worth noting Dom Dwyer looked all right for Atlanta, I heard Tyler Wolff’s name more than expected, and a 17-year-old kid named Caleb Wiley scored on his debut. Daniel Salloi scored a tidy, tricky goal, but, overall, Atlanta looked better than I expected and SKC worse. So, here they are…
Expectations Met, One Way or Another
The rest of the results matched expectations, more or less, either mine or my interpretation of everyone else’s. More than anything else, it doesn’t change my take on any of the teams involved, even the ones with the lopsided scores. Let me explain…
Columbus Crew SC 4-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
It’s possible I’m a little higher on Columbus than most, but I still expected them to win…if perhaps not by so much. Based on the MLS in 15, they came up with picks and shovels with a clear eye to burying the ‘Caps early (15 of Columbus’ total shots and 5 of their shots on goal came in the opening 35 minutes). Still, the final score arguably flatters Columbus in that Vancouver had Jake Nerwinski sent off for a second yellow and they scored two goals in garbage time -and nearly 30 minutes after Nerwinksi got booted.
Los Angeles FC 3-0 Colorado Rapids
I only had the baby highlights and the box score to work with for this one, but it’s a similar story to the one above: LAFC jumped all over a CCL-drunk Rapids team early and that was that. Still, call it a bracing result for LAFC with good omens flowing from a Carlos Vela hat-trick - and two of those goals had something ominous (e.g., strength and his trademark precision). As noted above, it didn’t change my opinion on Colorado. At least not for now…
San Jose Earthquakes 1-3 Red Bull New York
The Red Bulls are another Eastern Conference team in which I’ve chosen to see good-to-great things - in this case, getting back to the energy-drink soccer that made them repeat Shield winners in the mid-2010s. Like the Crew, the Red Bulls padded their score late, but they also merrily ceded the ball to San Jose and made this a contest of wasted effort against relentless pressing. Still, based on the MLS in 15, Red Bull had the better chances throughout, while Chofis only had a (peculiar) moment. To clarify, I don’t expect much of San Jose, and that only made this hold up the more.
Portland Timbers 2-2 New England Revolution
In the interest of time, I’m going to invite the curious to read my extended notes on this game, but this one boiled down to a (somewhat) short-handed Portland team coming back twice against last season’s record-breaking Shield-winning team. The Revs did well for being on the road, and it took scoring a pair of beauties for the Timbers to survive the night.
Seattle Sounders 0-1 Nashville SC
The Sounders get the CCL pass for this one - especially given the hurt they dropped on their mid-week opposition - but this still counts as three big points for Nashville, who, again, I expect will be good this season. Based on the MLS in 15, the game looked fast and combative, but still clean. Seattle held what I call “control stats” (possession, etc.), but, despite what looked like a decent game, the xG numbers….well, they sucked (scroll down and despair). Just to note it, Nashville has a weird set-up, even I’m not totally clear on the particulars. Broadly, though, it’s Dax McCarty, Sean Davis and Anibal Godoy in midfield, with Randall Leal, Hany Mukhtar (who had a good game) and C. J. Sapong running in front of them. I don’t see how that worked, but, fuck it, it did.
And that wraps up Week 1. The preamble will disappear, promise. Now, it’s time to preview - or, rather, talk expectations, for MLS Week 2. Once again, I’ve lumped them into various categories and, as with the above, I’ll have notes when they seem worth sharing. Here goes…
MLS WEEK 2 PREVIEW
Games (for Neutrals) to Ignore
Well, I’ll be damned, they all seem worthwhile one way or another…so I’ll start with the ones that should match expectations.
The Tale Continues…
New England Revolution v FC Dallas
San Jose Earthquakes v Columbus Crew SC
FC Cincinnati v DC United
Real Salt Lake v Seattle Sounders FC
Vancouver Whitecaps v New York City FC
Charlotte FC v Los Angeles Galaxy
[Ed. - Yeah, I see it too. The formatting's a mess. What can I say? I got deadlines.] Long story short, I expect all the home teams except the Revs go leave the game with either a tie or a loss. Even if they don’t, it wouldn’t change how I see any of those five teams (but I’ll have more on Cincy v DC below). A New England loss would peak my interest, but that’s about it.
The Watch-List
This next group is a little trickier in that what happened in Week 1 added a little spice and intrigue to the match-up. More than anything else, though, I don’t know what to expect. Taking them in the order in which they were played…
Club du Foot Montreal v Philadelphia Union
I’m mostly watching Montreal in this one. They’re at home and don’t have the CCL to distract them. Beating a solid team like Philly at home would goose my expectations for them.
Chicago Fire FC v Orlando City SC
I didn’t expect much from Chicago in Week 1 - on the road, even against Miami counts as an obstacle - so this strikes me as their first chance to show what Ezra Hendrickson’s new-look roster can go against a credible team at home.
Colorado Rapids v Atlanta United FC
I’m watching both teams here. The Rapids like to pace the game more than SKC, only they do it with the ball. Again, Colorado won’t have the CCL distraction/drain and they’ll be at home, both of which gives them a chance to get back on their feet.
Minnesota United FC v Nashville SC
Expecting a snooze-fest here; I’m mainly watching to see if Nashville can swing two straight on the road…
Austin FC v Inter Miami CF
I wouldn’t have cared had Austin not handed Cincy both head and balls last weekend. But they did, so I do.
A Narrative Deepens…
This small group fine-tunes the concept above. What happened in Week 1 still matters here…just a little more. To explain…
Toronto FC v Red Bull New York
This call follows the same logic as what I wrote above about Nashville. The difference here is that I think the Red Bulls will win this game. I’m a little irresponsibly over-sold on them as a surprise team for 2022 at the moment…
Sporting Kansas City v Houston Dynamo FC
Here, it’s the opposite. On the one hand, yeah, yeah, I know how MLS works, it’s a (stupidly) long season, the margin for error scales to Great Plains expanses, etc. And yet, if SKC can’t calm down long enough to find their collective feet in this game and execute, I’ll start to watch them for further slippage. There really was something in that Atlanta loss…
That takes care of the grand scheme. Careful readers, squares and bean-counters, professional and amateur, may have noticed I skipped one game. That’s because it happens to track as the one, clear Marquee Match-Up of MLS Week 2. As such, it rolls in nicely with the two teams I follow.
Los Angeles FC v Portland Timbers
I fully understand that this result won’t change either the world or either team’s long-term fortunes, but, both teams come in off, not just good results, but good elements within those results. For LAFC that’s Vela looking good, plus Team of the Week honors for Jose Cifuentes and, for Portland, that’s a remarkable showing of fight ‘n’ resilience with: 1) a new-ish goalkeeper (Aljaz Ivacic); 2) a make-shift (but lovable) starting CB pairing (Bill Tuiloma and, genuine novice, Zac McGraw); 3) no Felipe Mora; and 4) about 1/4 a Sebastian Blanco.
Nothing I’ve seen tells me the Timbers won’t have to do it again and, for what it’s worth, I don’t hate their chances. The big concern comes at the back, especially with Vela adept as he is with exploiting the gap between the fullbacks (e.g., Josecarlos Van Rankin and Claudio Bravo, who both have defensive issues) and the center-backs (e.g., the make-shift pairing noted above), but I trust the midfield…however constituted, to hold up against LAFC’s new-look set up of Kellyn Acosta and Cifuentes - both workhorses, both solid passers - on other side of the silky Ilie Sanchez. I don’t see them running the same crushing gegen-press LAFC used to run with Mark-Anthony Kaye, Latif Blessing and Eduardo Atuesta, if nothing else. So long as the midfield can help the backline get through it, I can see the Timbers scoring, even if I have no goddamn clear idea of who will do it or how.
As much as anything else, I see this as two good Western Conference teams figuring out how to get better against real, clear-and-present-danger-if-in-the-long-term opposition. And, now, for something completely different…
Some more on Cincy v DC
Between the MLS in 15 where I watched 1/6 of what DC did last Sunday and the full(ish), painful 90 minutes I spent watching FC Cincy catch fire against Austin, two main things stood out.
1) If DC plays Cincy at the same pace they played Charlotte, I’m very worried about Cincy’s chances; and
2) As noted in my post, Cincinnati looked like they didn’t know what the hell they were doing out there.
No. 2 feeds off No. 1, obviously, but there was also Cincy’s…just scaringly bad defensive performance in Week 1. Cincy’s press stymied Austin’s attack for most of the game, but, when their defensive resistance broke, it turned to dust. Austin scored five because they didn’t have to work that hard for any of them. And that brings No. 2 back into the conversation: if Cincy struggles as hard with playing whatever system they’re attempting as they did last week, a high-tempo game will hurt them; if the defense plays as badly as it did against Austin? Jesus. Just keep away the kids. They couldn’t possibly cope with failure of the magnitude. In snippets, maybe, but 90 minutes of it?
Based on what I’ve seen and read, Cincy seems just as likely to press. I’ll be fascinated if they don’t, but, in the likely event they try to press back…I kind of want to see that game. Assuming Pat Noonan trots out the same starting XI, there’s a fair amount of spring across the midfield - Yuya Kubo, Junior Moreno and Allan Cruz - and the attacking midfield/forward…space - Luciano Acosta. Brandon Vazquez, Nicholas Markanich - and I can see that unit swinging a decent press.
The real question is, can they make something out of it? There, I’m less sure, and that’s my point about Cincy knowing what they’re doing. They made a decent number of chances last weekend - 13 shots (OK), with two on goal (…less so) - but they kinda stank on the eye/nose test. Call it the difference between putting in the effort and straining: Cincy’s half-chances look like quarter-chances till further notice.
For anyone looking for good news, circle back to their three lucky chances in that win over Charlotte. The expansion team playing its first in MLS. With that, there’s nothing left to do but pray:
Dear FC Cincy, Unpredictable, Sure, but Mostly Cruel: Please let the notes on Charlotte make you feel more confident and, for the love of all the gods in all the heavens, move Heaven and Earth to avoid that making you feel like Orange and Blue shit if you lose to DC United in a blow out.
That’s all and ample for Week 1/Week 2. Till the next one.
Games (for Neutrals) to Ignore
Well, I’ll be damned, they all seem worthwhile one way or another…so I’ll start with the ones that should match expectations.
The Tale Continues…
New England Revolution v FC Dallas
San Jose Earthquakes v Columbus Crew SC
FC Cincinnati v DC United
Real Salt Lake v Seattle Sounders FC
Vancouver Whitecaps v New York City FC
Charlotte FC v Los Angeles Galaxy
[Ed. - Yeah, I see it too. The formatting's a mess. What can I say? I got deadlines.] Long story short, I expect all the home teams except the Revs go leave the game with either a tie or a loss. Even if they don’t, it wouldn’t change how I see any of those five teams (but I’ll have more on Cincy v DC below). A New England loss would peak my interest, but that’s about it.
The Watch-List
This next group is a little trickier in that what happened in Week 1 added a little spice and intrigue to the match-up. More than anything else, though, I don’t know what to expect. Taking them in the order in which they were played…
Club du Foot Montreal v Philadelphia Union
I’m mostly watching Montreal in this one. They’re at home and don’t have the CCL to distract them. Beating a solid team like Philly at home would goose my expectations for them.
Chicago Fire FC v Orlando City SC
I didn’t expect much from Chicago in Week 1 - on the road, even against Miami counts as an obstacle - so this strikes me as their first chance to show what Ezra Hendrickson’s new-look roster can go against a credible team at home.
Colorado Rapids v Atlanta United FC
I’m watching both teams here. The Rapids like to pace the game more than SKC, only they do it with the ball. Again, Colorado won’t have the CCL distraction/drain and they’ll be at home, both of which gives them a chance to get back on their feet.
Minnesota United FC v Nashville SC
Expecting a snooze-fest here; I’m mainly watching to see if Nashville can swing two straight on the road…
Austin FC v Inter Miami CF
I wouldn’t have cared had Austin not handed Cincy both head and balls last weekend. But they did, so I do.
A Narrative Deepens…
This small group fine-tunes the concept above. What happened in Week 1 still matters here…just a little more. To explain…
Toronto FC v Red Bull New York
This call follows the same logic as what I wrote above about Nashville. The difference here is that I think the Red Bulls will win this game. I’m a little irresponsibly over-sold on them as a surprise team for 2022 at the moment…
Sporting Kansas City v Houston Dynamo FC
Here, it’s the opposite. On the one hand, yeah, yeah, I know how MLS works, it’s a (stupidly) long season, the margin for error scales to Great Plains expanses, etc. And yet, if SKC can’t calm down long enough to find their collective feet in this game and execute, I’ll start to watch them for further slippage. There really was something in that Atlanta loss…
That takes care of the grand scheme. Careful readers, squares and bean-counters, professional and amateur, may have noticed I skipped one game. That’s because it happens to track as the one, clear Marquee Match-Up of MLS Week 2. As such, it rolls in nicely with the two teams I follow.
Los Angeles FC v Portland Timbers
I fully understand that this result won’t change either the world or either team’s long-term fortunes, but, both teams come in off, not just good results, but good elements within those results. For LAFC that’s Vela looking good, plus Team of the Week honors for Jose Cifuentes and, for Portland, that’s a remarkable showing of fight ‘n’ resilience with: 1) a new-ish goalkeeper (Aljaz Ivacic); 2) a make-shift (but lovable) starting CB pairing (Bill Tuiloma and, genuine novice, Zac McGraw); 3) no Felipe Mora; and 4) about 1/4 a Sebastian Blanco.
Nothing I’ve seen tells me the Timbers won’t have to do it again and, for what it’s worth, I don’t hate their chances. The big concern comes at the back, especially with Vela adept as he is with exploiting the gap between the fullbacks (e.g., Josecarlos Van Rankin and Claudio Bravo, who both have defensive issues) and the center-backs (e.g., the make-shift pairing noted above), but I trust the midfield…however constituted, to hold up against LAFC’s new-look set up of Kellyn Acosta and Cifuentes - both workhorses, both solid passers - on other side of the silky Ilie Sanchez. I don’t see them running the same crushing gegen-press LAFC used to run with Mark-Anthony Kaye, Latif Blessing and Eduardo Atuesta, if nothing else. So long as the midfield can help the backline get through it, I can see the Timbers scoring, even if I have no goddamn clear idea of who will do it or how.
As much as anything else, I see this as two good Western Conference teams figuring out how to get better against real, clear-and-present-danger-if-in-the-long-term opposition. And, now, for something completely different…
Some more on Cincy v DC
Between the MLS in 15 where I watched 1/6 of what DC did last Sunday and the full(ish), painful 90 minutes I spent watching FC Cincy catch fire against Austin, two main things stood out.
1) If DC plays Cincy at the same pace they played Charlotte, I’m very worried about Cincy’s chances; and
2) As noted in my post, Cincinnati looked like they didn’t know what the hell they were doing out there.
No. 2 feeds off No. 1, obviously, but there was also Cincy’s…just scaringly bad defensive performance in Week 1. Cincy’s press stymied Austin’s attack for most of the game, but, when their defensive resistance broke, it turned to dust. Austin scored five because they didn’t have to work that hard for any of them. And that brings No. 2 back into the conversation: if Cincy struggles as hard with playing whatever system they’re attempting as they did last week, a high-tempo game will hurt them; if the defense plays as badly as it did against Austin? Jesus. Just keep away the kids. They couldn’t possibly cope with failure of the magnitude. In snippets, maybe, but 90 minutes of it?
Based on what I’ve seen and read, Cincy seems just as likely to press. I’ll be fascinated if they don’t, but, in the likely event they try to press back…I kind of want to see that game. Assuming Pat Noonan trots out the same starting XI, there’s a fair amount of spring across the midfield - Yuya Kubo, Junior Moreno and Allan Cruz - and the attacking midfield/forward…space - Luciano Acosta. Brandon Vazquez, Nicholas Markanich - and I can see that unit swinging a decent press.
The real question is, can they make something out of it? There, I’m less sure, and that’s my point about Cincy knowing what they’re doing. They made a decent number of chances last weekend - 13 shots (OK), with two on goal (…less so) - but they kinda stank on the eye/nose test. Call it the difference between putting in the effort and straining: Cincy’s half-chances look like quarter-chances till further notice.
For anyone looking for good news, circle back to their three lucky chances in that win over Charlotte. The expansion team playing its first in MLS. With that, there’s nothing left to do but pray:
Dear FC Cincy, Unpredictable, Sure, but Mostly Cruel: Please let the notes on Charlotte make you feel more confident and, for the love of all the gods in all the heavens, move Heaven and Earth to avoid that making you feel like Orange and Blue shit if you lose to DC United in a blow out.
That’s all and ample for Week 1/Week 2. Till the next one.
No comments:
Post a Comment