As teams begin to establish whether they are for real or just pretenders, we take a look around the MLS matchups for this coming weekend and how they could have serious impact not just on standings next week, but give us a glimpse into how serious teams are.
Shockingly powerful
#3 New England Revolution vs #4 DC United
Well, these weren’t words I would have expected to type a few months ago.
New England and DC United will battle for first place in the East tomorrow at Gillette Stadium at 7:30pm.
With the Revs in first place and DC behind by a pair, a win for either club either gives them the lead or extends it.
New England, winners of four in a row and undefeated since April 5, will take on a team that’s played a midweek game for the third straight week. And for DC United, they will be playing for the third time in eight days.
However, relief is on the way for the visitors, who get Eddie Johnson back from suspension. He wasn’t needed as they downed Houston on Wednesday 2-0 with goals from Chris Rolfe and Fabian Espindola, who leads DC with five goals and five assists, the latter of which is among the league leaders.
“I was happy I got a chance to play a little higher,” Espindola said after the match. “I think in a way Eddie and I are similar like that. Rolfe is a very technical player, highly skilled, so I think we worked well together.”
It will be interesting to see who head coach Ben Olson decides to select up top with so many players in good form.
For New England, they became just the third team in MLS history to score five goals in back-to-back matches last weekend, and are destroying anyone and anything in their path. The high-powered matchup could either give the hosts plenty of room at the top of the table, or make things that much tighter.
Fulfilling high expectations
#10 New York Red Bulls vs. #18 Portland Timbers
Portland looks to end their draw-happy stretch that has them in last place as they travel across the country to Red Bull Arena in New York. The Timbers have drawn their last three matches and seven of their eleven total this season, and their failure to hold onto three points is threatening to doom their season.
The hosts have also struggled to live up to last season’s expectations, with the defending Supporter’s Shield winners dropping their last two matches in completely opposite fashion, proving this season’s inconsistencies are a serious issue. They fell just short in a barn-burning comeback against Chicago 5-4, and followed it up a week later by getting shut out at the hands of Toronto.
In order to follow up last season’s success with more, the Red Bulls are going to need to find ways to beat the top teams, but taking advantage of a struggling Portland side would do just as well. They’ll hope first to hold off on conceding an early goal, like they have in the last few games, dooming them to come from behind most of the match.
#8 Vancouver Whitecaps vs. #1 Seattle Sounders
The first place Seattle Sounders are headed north of the border to take on the surging Vancouver Whitecaps, in fifth place and climbing after finding themselves undefeated in their last four.
The Sounders have - for now - proven that their demolition at the hands of the Revolution was just a blip, but will have to be up for the match against a team brimming with confidence.
As some added importance to the match, Vancouver has never defeated Seattle since coming to the MLS, with two losses and three draws in the last five.
#19 Montreal Impact vs. #9 Colorado Rapids
Striker Marco di Vaio will return for the Impact as they take on Colorado. They sure as heck need him, as di Vaio has missed five matches this season, and Montreal has lost four of them. When he’s in the lineup, they’ve lost just one out of five.
While di Vaio has just one goal, he certainly makes an impact on the game...yea that definitely wasn’t supposed to happen. Sorry.
#11 Columbus Crew vs. #13 Chicago Fire
It’s been yet another season of fighting from behind for Chicago and Columbus, as they look to climb the East despite poor results.
Columbus has yet to win since March, but Chicago has already begun that climb. After failing to win their first eight, they’ve got six points in two impressive results back-to-back.
Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson said the team appreciates that they “know how to win again,” while Columbus just enjoys knowing how to score again, killing their 335-minute goalless streak, but it will take much more than that to beat a surging Chicago team.
#2 Real Salt Lake vs. #6 FC Dallas
This high-powered matchup takes unbeaten Real Salt Lake and a not-so undefeated FC Dallas.
With five losses and a draw completely scuppering the visitors’ flaming start, it’s essentially back to the drawing board for Oscar Pareja. Center-back Matt Hedges said it best after their loss last week to LA Galaxy: “We have to figure out what was going on and why he was so open.” The key there is they have no idea what’s going on.
With Dallas spiraling out of control, it’s a perfect opportunity for Real Salt Lake to pounce and jump on any potential Seattle slip-up.
#12 Los Angeles Galaxy vs. #15 Philadelphia Union
A handy little west-coast road trip for Philadelphia begins in Los Angeles, and that would have been great except for one thing: an angry Landon Donovan isn’t going to be a fun Landon Donovan.
The Union will have to contend with the US icon who failed to make Jurgen Klinsmann’s World Cup roster, and he clearly isn’t too happy about it. He will be involved the match, Bruce Arena confirmed, which isn’t good for Philadelphia.
Between a Donovan with a chip on his shoulder and an in-form Robbie Keane, it will be hard for Philadelphia to swing their penjulum back to the good side. It’s been swinging back and forth all season, and they would like it to come back up after a hammering by New England.
#16 San Jose Earthquakes vs. #7 Houston Dynamo
Speaking of pendulums, Sunday’s late game features a Houston Dynamo squad that has gone win, loss, win, loss in their last four, which in all honesty is an improvement from the beginning of the year. With a chance to put their dud against DC United behind them, the Earthquakes won’t let it come easy.
San Jose was downed by that goal by Obafemi Martins. You know, THAT goal, that chip goal. They lost to the first-placed team on that, Mark Watson’s gang certainly won’t be taking Houston lightly, especially in front of the home fans.