This weekend's MLS notes ..................
Jul 29, 2018
Toronto won 3-0, San Jose-RSL finished 0-0, the other two games are scheduled for later today.
MLS: Saturday/Sunday (written 09.00 88/07)
Toronto FC - Chicago Fire
Last month I spoke about Toronto FC, how they had targetted the Champions League and dealt with a lot of injuries, including playing key midfielder Michael Bradley in central defence......
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I spoke recently about Philadelphia Union's numbers being a little better than the league table suggested at the time and they took ten points from four games, before a 3-1 loss at Atlanta United last Saturday where they played 75 minutes with nine men, after the double sending off of midfielders Haris Medunjanin and captain Alejandro Bedoya . The pair have been ever present and sit directly in front of the backline in a 4-2-3-1 or slight variation. Medunjanin has not missed a start since joining ahead of last season (only sat out three minutes in 2017), Union won 1 from 8 league and cup games that Bedoya was absent for last year, he was the stand out player for Philly in the 3-0 loss away to Toronto just five weeks ago and these two, who are the first two names on the team sheet, will be sorely missed in what is anyway, a bad match up for Union, having not beaten TFC in nine h2h meetings (conceding three goals on five occasions).
Toronto have had a bad season domestically after winning the MLS Cup in 2017, that in itself makes the next season difficult, add in a lot of injuries and priority being given to the CONCACAF Champions League and you have/had a lot of issues, I discussed all this ahead of their last home start, a visit from FC Dallas........
Toronto are MLS Cup winners, it is always tough for champions the next season, as you will have played more that seven weeks longer than half the teams and, TFC additionally targeted the CONCACAF Champions League through early season, where they finished runner up, losing on penalties to Guadalajara after beating two other Mexican teams in the last eight (UANL)and semis (America) which is both super tough and impressive. Since the start of the CL era, only Mexican teams have won and 7 of the previous 9 finals were all Mexican affairs and this is the closest anyone has taken a Liga MX team.
Dealing with all that and also injuries obviously took a toll and their MLS form paid the price. But they are starting to get players back now, last Friday they got a much needed win over Orlando City , with Eriq Zavaleta and Chris Mavinga returning from injury in central defence, which meant Michael Bradley, who had covered, could return to his normal position in midfield behind Victor Vazquez who played more than 45 minutes in the league for the first time since the 3-0 win here over Philadelphia Union. When Bradley is holding, Vazquez is 'free' and, when he plays an hour or more, TFC are 20-7-2 in the last 13 months, with the Mexican contributing 9 goals and 9 assists, but bringing much more besides to the party ! Add in the fact that Sebastian Giovinco returns from suspension tonight ( 33 goals 20 assists from 53 apps in the last two seasons, with a scoring contribution every 85 minutes he is on the pitch !) and they are starting to look in FAR better shape.
This game is HUGE for TFC, they have to win if they are to harbour hopes of another post season run , especially with 5/7 on the road after tonight. They are further helped IMO with this being a Friday kickoff, as this will be their third Friday home start of the month, so they are used to playing on this day and will already have adapted to the schedule and training change.
TFC did not, or rather chose not to risk any of the central defenders and stuck with Bradley in the backline ( I guess because they wanted to switch back to a 3-5-2) , they had 23 shots, 13 inside the box, 9 on target, 9 saves (!), 8 corners, 70% possession, owned all passing stats and lost 1-0 !
Next time out, in their only subsequent start, they went to a very strong home side in Columbus Crew set up 4-4-2 and led 3-0 after 57 minutes with Víctor Vázquez (see above) wreaking havoc and he and Sebastian Giovinco both scored. Of course they got sloppy defensively, but the first hour was a delight and showed what they are capable of and should give them confidence this evening against a weaker opponent. The tempation to move Bradley up field now must be huge and you would certainly favour them to boss the centre of the park regardless given the Union absences. Also TFC have had a free midweek and the short trip down to Columbus was only the second time they have left Ontario since April. In addition to the trip to Atlanta and time spent two men short, Union also played a midweek US Open Cup game, they rotated heavily of course, but four played in both games and some will be weary.
TFC head coach Greg Vanney said they had discussed and worked a lot all week on what had gone wrong defensively last week, but also wanted to focus on so many positives the team took from that game.
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They won that 2-0 but have won just one of seven subsequently, scoring 13 goals and conceding 16, blowing a couple of leads and losing games they were the better team and this has been an awful year for them. However, they did win their last start, 2-1 away to Chicago Fire the team they host today and last weekend's game also signalled the return of Jozy Altidore after four months out injured and now they reallly do look more like the old TFC, at least on paper. Altidore is very influential and since the start of 2017 when he plays 45 minutes plus TFC are 23-6-4 (2.27 points pg), without him 5-8-13 (0.88 ppg). He also got a 45 minute run out in the confidence boosting 3-0 win over Ottawa Fury in the Canadian Championship in midweek, which means he was fine after the Fire game and we can expect him and Toronto to thrive from here on in. They are some way off playoff pace, being nine points behind two teams (5th /6th) but have one and two games in hand on those teams (Revolution and Montreal) and have still to host both , with 15 starts remaining, nine here at BMO Field, so, not dead just yet and 2-3 wins in a row will give things a very different look. They have won 8 straight versus Fire, scoring 2+ goals in seven and I expect both trends to continue.
1.5 units Toronto FC -1.5 ball 2.21 asian line/Sportmarket.
Seattle Sounders- New York City
LA Galaxy- Orlando
Both Seattle and Galaxy played on the West Coast in midweek, Sounders on Wednesday, NYCFC and Orland met in Florida on Thursday and now play almost 5,000 km away three days later across three time zones which is crazy.
This will be the toughest test for Sounders for a while, but they have all the advantages coming in and are building up a head of steam, prior to their 1-0 away win at struggling San Jose Earthquakes in midweek I wrote............
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Ahead of a San Jose Earthquakes trip to Montreal 11 days ago I wrote .........
Earthquakes are without a win in nine, have conceded a Western Division high 37 goals and have tried to incorporate a new, more open style which just doesn't play to their strengths/personnel. The main supporters blog made their feelings clear this week..........
Jesse Fioranelli’s biggest mistake is backing Mika Stahre. Dom Kinnear and Chris Leitch were fired for far less than what Mika Stahre has produced, yet Jesse Fioranelli continues to support the Swedish manager who appears to be in way over his head to lead the team. The Quakes were a one-and-done U.S. Open Cup team, have managed just two wins all season (both against the same team), and are on pace to finish last in the league. Stahre’s tactics are indiscernible and the defense is not even USL quality.
They then went on to list all that was wrong, but you get the picture.
They lost that 2-0 and have not played since, that might give them the chance to regroup, but I am far from sure, this seems a group on and off the pitch in freefall, players have been arguing amongst themselves on social media, rather than settling things on the training ground and walking straight to the changing room after being subbed ( Vako and Anibal Godoy ), then the GM talks about there still being unity amongst the group, whhen that is clearly not the case. When players go onto twitter and say that team mates are of "youth level" and call the coach out and question him on the sidelines during games, action needs to be taken, not swept it under the carpet and hope for change. Anyway, they are in a mess and face a team on the up in Seattle.
Sounders are coming off a 2-0 win over a weak Whitecaps team at the weekend .........
Ahead of Seattle's trip to Colorado earlier this month my notes included ..........
This is traditionally a high scoring fixture with 4 of the last five meetings here in Colorado producing 4+ goals, it also meets the criteria of the two struggling teams playing each other equalling goals mantra, that I trot out so often ! Sounders have scored a woeful 13 goals this season, but did notch two at the weekend against a very strong defensively Portland Timbers side (which we discussed) and veteran forward Clint Dempsey scored his first of the season the week before and surely team and player will up their production level in the coming weeks. Dempsey scored 11 with three assists from this same stage last year, including 2 and 1 in this fixture 364 days ago .
Rapids are coming from a very rare road win over a shorthanded Whitecaps on Sunday and have a quicker turnaround to handle and more travel. Both to score and "over".
Sounders won that 2-1 and have played two more road games subsequently drawing at both New England and "best" team in MLS Atlanta United, it was a rearguard action in the latter as you might imagine, but they only gave up one goal total in 180 minutes, allowing just one attempt on target v Revolution and playing for 30 minutes with ten men and without Dempsey in Atlanta. Really promising and back to something more like their old selves, at least defensively.
Vancouver have won 1/5 all comps and conceded 21 in ten and have struggled in this series, losing on their last three visits to Seattle by a combined 6-0 and winning only 2/8 in the reverse fixture. we are entering a huge period for Sounders they can afford few slip ups now if they want to at least put in a pretence at a playoff run and with 4/6 at home and the two road games at strugglers Minnesota and San Jose in that sequence, it feels like now or never. Whitecaps have played in Washington and Montreal (Canadian Championship) in the last week and despite resting 11 starters in the latter, seven still made the trip to both and that is the tiring part .
Both goals came early and Sounders could largely coast for the final hour. They have given themselves a post season chance , have some momentum and play 3/4 at home after this, so three points today would be huge. Last three visits here have ended all square, but it is a long time since they faced such a weak and troubled SJE.
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Another professional win, they also hit the woodwork and missed a good chance, could have won more easily but it was only ever going to be about the three points and if possible, saving a little something for today.
NYCFC are perhaps the second best team in the East and that Conference is the stronger nowadays, something we have discussed many times, but we have also talked about City being more suspect defensively than match results suggest and every advanatge is against them today and they must be drained after the Orlando game which was played in gruelling , muggy conditions.
Orlando have now lost 11 of 12 starts, conceding at the rate of 2.75 goals per game and meet a Galaxy side on the up with the hosts unbeaten in eight, scoring 21 goals, two or more in eight, three plus on five occasions, they are up to 4th and pushing towards first place, their next four (three at home) all look win-able and they should beat a weary and jet lagged OC who are devoid of confidence, with the minimum of fuss.
1.75 units Seattle Sounders -0.5 ball 2.25 asian line /Sportmarket.
1.75 units LA Galaxy -1.25 ball 2.08 asian line/Sportmarket.
San Jose Earthquakes- Real Salt Lake
Yet another defeat for Earthquakes at home to Seattle Sounders on Wednesday (see above notes) and now they have to find a way to get something from this, on paper it is easier, as Real are 1-1-8 on the road, but the visitors are better rested/prepared having not had a midweek fixture and have goals in them scoring 12 in six and one might again be enough this evening with San Jose seemingly having two styles, gung ho and then they lose a shoot out, or look to keep things tight and they lose a close one ! Basic stats might suggest that Earthquakes were unlucky against Seattle, but that was not the case, all attempts on target were simple saves and from distance, they did not look in danger of scoring and haven't kept a clean sheet in 26 starts. Florian Jungwirth was the latest playing to be subbed (not injured) and immediately left the pitch rather than sit with team mates and was, apparently out the door early, leaving the stadium well before everyone else and ignoring fans, including one small boy, which got a good deal of social media attention, on his way. This really doesn't sound good at all.
Real are in the final playoff spot in the West and need to stop the away day rot asap to secure that post season position, have played better than bare results suggest in losing their last three away starts and have to be the pick off level ball against the much troubled host.
1.75 units Real Salt Lake level ball 2.14 asian line/Sportmarket.
Good Luck.
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