MLS Previews - Week 22

by user The Manly Ferry

Though I’m frittering away massive chunks of time on another, more involved project, I also feel compelled to compile the usual match previews ahead of this weekend's Major League Soccer (MLS) action. It’s actually looking to be a good weekend, even with four of the six games involving inter-, as opposed to intra-conference play.

In the interest of not sacrificing all my brain to soccer-related thinking, this week’s edition will be a bit sloppier than usual. Don't take it personal…

As usual, home team comes first and Major League Soccer's exhaustive in-house previews are embedded in the match-up; one can also refer to the wunder-previews Kyle McCarthy produces weekly over on USSoccerplayers.com. But that's me standing on the shoulders of others. Work on the other project revealed where the pros likely go to sifting for data: for instance, MLS reliably updates their injury reports; a check of the "schedule" tab on each team’s individual website provides links to match reports from ALL previous games (sample). And that's good stuff when trying to divine who will do what any given week...

...which makes it kind of a shame that I won't be mining that stuff this week. That other project is really quite consuming. Today's reports come from somewhere perilously close to my backside. Enjoy (or tolerate).

DC United v. Los Angeles Galaxy: The thin veneer that was DC United's swagger evaporated over the past couple weeks. The prospect of a Los Angeles Galaxy team that couldn't score if goals were acid at a Grateful Dead concert could be just the thing to help DC get their groove back. On the other hand, punchless as Los Angeles is in offense, they’re fairly solid in defense and DC has been a bit goal-shy themselves lately. And Los Angeles should have by now digested the cold reality that Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA, last year's league patsies, won't clear the path to the playoffs this time around. Still, look for the team playing angry (DC United) to roll over the team playing desperate (Los Angeles). Prediction: DC UNITED WINS.

Red Bull New York v. Real Salt Lake Call this one a clash of "wily veterans" and you won’t go far wrong. The difference between the two arises from the recent results produced by each. Real Salt Lake, now riding a four-game winning streak in league play, seems positively rejuvenated when they take the field. Red Bull New York, on the other hand, has about 45 minutes of quality soccer in them followed by an apparent need for a nap. Home field advantage aside, the spring-chicken visitors seem keyed to kick the can out from the home oldsters. Prediction: REAL SALT LAKE WINS.

Chicago Fire v. Colorado Rapids What happens when two of the most unpredictable teams in the league collide? It’s conceivable the world comes to an end, as when matter meets anti-matter, but that’s bound to be more exciting, and several times over, than this game. In the Chicago Fire, one senses a team on the rise: their key players are returning to fitness and, after three months of scheduling chaos, they now get return to the home-and-away rhythm that the rest of the league’s teams would recognize. As for the Colorado Rapids, predicting anything about them is a mug’s game...anything apart from the fact that they travel badly. Prediction: CHICAGO FIRE WINS.

Houston Dynamo v. Chivas USA TV: ESPN2, Saturday, August, 25, 8 p.m. PST One team can’t score (Houston Dynamo) while the other can’t stop the opposition from scoring (Chivas USA). This combination suggests a draw, but Chivas, with their stadium-mates, the LA Galaxy, poised to surge at any moment, has extra motivation to tighten things up in defense. With key-man Brian Ching still missing from Houston’s line-up, they fail to score; as a result, any goal Chivas can score gives them the three points. And, to make a stretch, Chivas will do it. Prediction: CHIVAS USA WINS.

New England Revolution v. Columbus Crew TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Sunday, August 26, 4 p.m. PST No one reading this will be able to hold me to this, but, if the Columbus Crew wins this game – playing away and all (not their strong suit; then again, what is?) – I’ll eat rancid meat. Don’t let last week’s win over Red Bull fool you: Columbus simply does not have the cohesion to play the ball intelligently toward goal – especially absent injured key-man Jacob Thomas. As downright wretched as the New England Revolution has been on both ends of the field lately, they’re better by far than Columbus can hope to be till 2008 at least. Even with Pat Noonan and Clint Dempsey still suspended, New England has enough to make the difference. Prediction: NEW ENGLAND WINS – at the very worst, this will end in a draw.

[http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20060825&content_id=70401&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Kansas City Wizards v. FC Dallas' Tough, tough call. The Kansas City Wizards, woeful as they’ve been, still have the players to win any game; the question comes with how to wake them up. For their part, FC Dallas hasn’t scored over (literally) scores of minutes. With Kansas City’s confidence near the toilet’s rim, one would think this provides an ideal confidence-builder to an FC Dallas side no less anxious to get back on track than their inter-conference rivals, DC United. One would think that... Prediction: Let’s go eccentric, KANSAS CITY WINS – I’ve been burned by Dallas a million times and then some.

Date

Fri 08/25/06, 7:28 pm EST