ASN: Seattle Tops NYCFC, Appears to be like Like MLS Cup Contender

Led by a healthy-seeming Clint Dempsey and a persistently harmful Obafemi Martins, the Seattle Sounders look extra decided than ever to make a run for MLS’s final prize. 

BY

Brooke Tunstall

Posted
Might 05, 2015
9:30 AM

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WEEK 10 OF THE MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER season noticed the final remaining unbeaten group lastly fall; contenders proceed to emerge from the pack; and among the prettiest build-up to objectives ever seen within the league’s historical past. 

The New York Crimson Bulls misplaced its “unbeaten” tag Saturday when it dropped a hard-fought and entertaining 2-1 resolution to the surging New England Revolution. The Revs are actually unbeaten in seven straight and are neck-and-neck with D.C. United atop the Japanese Convention.

Out west, the Seattle Sounders proceed to serve discover that when it clicks on all cylinders it’s going to be robust to beat. In the meantime FC Dallas despatched a message that it has recovered from a mini droop by occurring the street and dominating cross-state rival Houston, 4-1. 

But it surely was the teamwork, precision, and ability in a pair of objectives which may be most memorable from this week’s slate of video games. 

First, watch the one-touch passing and off-the-ball motion that results in this aim by the Revolution’s Teal Bunbury.

Then try the sequence of vertical passes that go proper up the backbone to permit Obafemi Martins to attain an insurance coverage aim towards New York Metropolis FC final night time. It regarded like a passing drill from coaching.

WHO’S HOT

New England is 5-0-2 since shedding its first two video games of the season and is clicking at each ends of the sphere. Extra particularly, ahead Charlie Davies has a aim in three straight video games, exhibiting that his kind from final 12 months’s playoffs, when he scored 4 objectives and an help in 5 post-season video games, wasn’t a mirage. Simply as importantly, Davies all the time has one of the best goal-scoring celebrations.

Towards New York, the Revs introduced Lee Nguyen, a 2014 MVP finalist, off the bench and he appeared to take that message to coronary heart, enjoying with conviction and incomes the help on the aim proven above. It’s the uncommon MLS group has the depth to have the ability to bench somebody like Nguyen simply to make some extent however that’s the lineup Jay Heaps and Mike Burns have inbuilt Foxborough, Mass.

Including to the depth, Jose Goncalves, the 2013 MLS Defender of the Yr, additionally got here off the bench after lacking two video games with a calf harm. His return enabled Jermaine Jones to maneuver from the backline to his most popular midfield place.

Now with 17 factors, the Revs are tied atop the Japanese Convention with once-beaten D.C., which has one sport in hand. D.C. dispatched an excellent Columbus Crew group 2-0 at RFK, securing its fourth shutout within the course of.

United was the highest common season group the final 12 months and gave up the fewest objectives. Ben Olsen’s males are utilizing that very same system this 12 months, and the group’s six objectives allowed is tied with Seattle for greatest within the league. United has scored simply 10 objectives and no United participant has greater than two, however the gamers grind like no different group in MLS.

The one draw back for United is that its success isn’t carrying over to the stands. On a stupendous spring night with no different native groups enjoying at house, a first-place group drew an introduced crowd of 13,107—making United’s season attendance common the bottom in MLS. This, regardless of enjoying in a Prime 10 market that’s prosperous, numerous, and has a protracted historical past of supporting soccer.

Elsewhere, we’re not fairly able to say Toronto FC is scorching however after shedding 4 straight Greg Vanney’s males have received two straight video games, by shutout no much less, the newest being a 1-0 win over hapless Philadelphia due to this superior free kick by Italian worldwide Sebastian Giovinco.

Out west, FC Dallas continues to see its kind bounce round like an EKG studying. The group began the season 3-0-1, then dropped two straight—together with an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at house to Colorado—and now it has gone 2-0-1 in its final three after touring to Houston and stomping the Dynamo 4-1.

Fabian Castillo, who doesn’t flip 23 till subsequent month, had a aim and two assists towards Houston and has emerged as an MVP candidate for Dallas with 4 objectives and 5 assists this season. FC Dallas is averaging 1.67 objectives per sport, making the Western Convention leaders the highest-scoring group in MLS.

Proper on their heels, each within the standings (and with a sport in hand) and the goal-scoring charts, is Seattle is nipping at FC Dallas’ heels, and the Sounders made it three wins in a row after defeating New York Metropolis FC 3-1 at Yankee Stadium. Seattle is getting nice productiveness from its forwards: Obafemi Martins leads MLS with six objectives whereas Clint Dempsey has 5 objectives and 4 assists.

AND WHO’S NOT HOT

NYCFC continues to be lower than the sum of its components—regardless of being an growth group. Metropolis is now winless in seven video games and has misplaced three straight and 5 out of six. Targets have confirmed significantly elusive, with Mehdi Ballounchy’s tally towards Seattle the membership’s sixth of the season. Or, put one other approach, the identical quantity that Martins has scored by himself.

We’d be remiss to not elevate a phrase of warning about New York’s different group right here, too. Regardless of shedding for simply the primary time Saturday, the Crimson Bulls solely managed attracts in its earlier two video games and have solely scored one aim per sport throughout this 0-1-2 run. If NYRB needs to be thought-about an elite group, it must step it up.

After a street tie towards the Los Angeles Galaxy, Colorado is unbeaten in three video games. That’s the glass half-full model. The flip facet is that the Rapids have one win this season and are 0-3-1 in its ast 4.

Additionally struggling is Actual Salt Lake’s offense. As soon as probably the most dynamic attacking group in MLS, RSL have switched to a 4-3-3 formation this 12 months and the group has struggled for objectives all season. The membership have solely two objectives in its final 4 video games and a type of got here by way of an personal aim scored by San Jose in a 1-1 draw Friday. 

On paper, Jeff Cassar’s males have the personnel to make a 4-3-3 work however proper now it’s simply not occurring. A return to a 4-4-2 could also be wanted to jump-start the assault.

And no speak of who’s not scorching in MLS can be full with no reference to the Philadelphia Union, which has dropped three straight, is winless in 4, and has been shutout 4 occasions throughout its 1-5-3 begin.

Sooner or later Union possession must search for the frequent denominator within the membership’s perennial failure and under-achieving. Head coaches and gamers and technical administrators have come and gone whereas hands-on CEO Nick Sakiewicz stays. The issue for Union followers is that Sakiewicz has sweat fairness within the membership and that offers him an possession stake that makes him exhausting to take away.

However the Sons of Ben are among the greatest followers in MLS and deserve higher. If Sakiewicz can’t orchestrate a turn-around, he ought to fall on his sword and notice the membership is likely to be higher off with others operating issues, not less than on the soccer facet of the enterprise.

NEITHER HOT NOR COLD

This can be a particular class we’ve applied only for this 12 months’s Los Angeles Galaxy, who look like pacing themselves, not enjoying badly however not enjoying significantly nicely, both. The defending champs’ 3-2-4 report isn’t trigger for panic nevertheless it has dropped 4 factors the previous two video games after a house draw with Colorado. 

The Galaxy are enjoying with out reigning MVP Robbie Keane, who’s nursing an harm that his sidelined him for many of the previous month. When the membership will get him again and when Steve Gerrard joins the group this summer time, the Galaxy will boast a formidable beginning XI. However they group is presently tied with Kansas Metropolis for fourth within the Western Convention and Bruce Area’s costs might want to begin getting some wins to keep away from falling additional behind Seattle, Dallas, and Vancouver.

NATIONAL TEAM WATCH

Dempsey as soon as shaped an efficient nationwide group partnership with New England’s Charlie Davies, and Davies’ present kind suggests he could possibly be a pleasant bench choice for Jurgen Klinsmann. If you embody the tip of final 12 months and the playoffs, Davies now has 10 objectives and 4 assists in his final 26 MLS video games. He isn’t a probable starter for the U.S. however his tempo and expertise (4 objectives in 17 nationwide group video games) could possibly be a pleasant choice off the bench. 

On the different finish of the sphere, Perry Kitchen continues to excel on the defensive midfield place for D.C. United. Kitchen has his hand full when it comes to battling the nationwide group’s central midfield depth although Klinsmann praised his efficiency in aid of Kyle Beckerman on the finish of final month’s win over Mexico. Perry has the boss’s consideration and serving to United gut-out all of those low-scoring wins received’t harm his possibilities. 

Lastly, on event rosters versatility is a key and fewer gamers within the U.S. pool are extra versatile than Seattle’s Brad Evans. A midfielder most of his MLS profession he moved to proper again for the U.S. throughout World Cup qualifying in 2009 and scored a key street aim towards Jamaica. 

Now he’s enjoying middle again for the Sounders and after a tough begin that noticed him battle in a 3-2 loss to the Earthquakes in Week Two, Evans and middle again associate Chad Marshall (who we additionally suppose ought to nonetheless be on Klinsmann’s roster) have solely allowed three extra objectives.

FUTURE NATIONAL TEAMERS

Amongst those that went 90 this weekend had been a handful eligible for this month’s U-20 World Cup. With a roster announcement from U.S. coach Tab Ramos imminent, Philadelphia midfielder Zach Pfeffer, Los Angeles ahead Bradford Jameison IV, and Crimson Bulls middle again Matt Miazga all went the space. Jordan Allen began and performed 40 minutes for Salt Lake and Cristian Roldan made a cameo for Seattle.

Moreover, 18-year-old Sebastian Saucedo bought eight minutes for Salt Lake whereas Alejandro Zendejas, who at 17 is age-eligible for Richie Williams’ group that may play on this 12 months’s U-17 World Cup, made his MLS debut with 4 minutes for Dallas.