Oddest situation: Who knows Law 4 from the FIFA set of rules that stodgy old set of game governances? I bet everyone around San Jose does this morning.
It’s all explained in yesterday’s post, but here is the super-short sum-up: Two players went off to change their shoes. The referee refused (correctly) to let them back on until a stoppage in play. Exploiting the 11-on-9 advantage, Vancouver nailed the game-tying goal in a 1-1 draw in Northern California. San Jose players and coaches humbly copped to their schoolboy mistake.
Hottest coaching seat: Who would have thought we would say this? It’s in Seattle, where Sigi Schmid’s Sounders are Major League Soccer’s only winless team. And things promised to get a little rockier still this week as Seattle completes the “away” leg of its two-game CONCACAF Champions League semifinal set with Mexico’s Santos Laguna. It don’t look good. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Frank Klopas turned down the heat on his situation, at least for now.
Best tactical adjustment: Manager Caleb Porter made a wise adjustment in the Portland Timbers breakthrough win over Houston, the first victory for the Timbers’ first-year head coach. With Darlington Nagbe looking ill-suited as a playmaker in a 4-2-3-1, Porter shifted the team into a more conventional 4-4-2, and Diego Chara (pictured) proceeded to the run the show, and run Houston out of town with a 2-0 loss.
Best tactical tweak, Part II: In Chicago, Klopas pushed Joel Lindpere out wide, away from his holding role alongside Jeff Larentowicz. It worked out OK – this was mostly Lindpere’s spot during previous years with New York – but things clicked even more in the second half. In the second 45, Klopas encouraged his Estonian midfielder to actually stay out wide along the left, rather than working inside as much.
Trouble with penalty kicks: Chicago and Real Salt Lake both missed spot shots over the weekend. Chris Rolfe took a short run-up and pushed his shot wide left in the Fire’s win over New York. And Alvaro Saborio saw his shot from the 12 saved quite nicely by Colorado Rapids rookie Clinton Irwin. That was real justice, too, because the penalty decision in that one was pretty weak sauce.
Best individual performance: Whoa! Not so fast there, cowboy! Check back later today when we drop our ProSoccerTalk Player of the Week and Team of the Week.
Best goal: Had to be Darel Russell’s stunning, out-of-nowhere, laser-guided stinger in the closing minutes. Not only was it a great strike from the Toronto FC man, it was the late equalizer that punctuated a two-goal rally for the Reds in a 2-2 draw. Watch it here:
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