MLS Week 23: Midweek Previews

by user The Manly Ferry

After weeks of relying almost exclusively on Major League Soccer’s (MLS) in-house game previews, I discovered, while working on another project, that MLS’s website is pretty dang blogger-friendly. Once you know where to look, it quickly becomes apparent that it’s no longer necessary to wait on MLS’s (no doubt underpaid) interns to crank out game previews.

The main thing I found useful in MLS’s previews was a list of players missing through injury or discipline. The season series information between the teams in question helps to some extent and that’s pretty easily found through any given team’s season schedule (for example). One final detail I picked up from USSoccerplayer.com’s Kyle McCarthy: a look back over past games - and McCarthy’s magic number is five games. The one thing I added to all the above was avid use of the current league standings; after all, this shows things like home and away records, goal differential, goals for and against, etc. Good stuff.

And so, equipped with all those details, you’re ready to produce your own game previews. I suppose this also makes one qualified to be an MLS intern - cha-ching!! Just watch them nickels roll into the bank!

Right. This Wednesday’s games, with home team listed first:

Kansas City Wizards v. Red Bull New York

INFO BOX

Kansas City: Last 10 (W-L-T): 3-4-3; Home Record: 5-4-3

Injuries: OUT: Jimmy Conrad, Alex Zotinca; PROBABLE: Kerry Zavagnin, Josh Wolff, Will Hesmer.

Red Bull New York: Last 10: 4-4-2; Away Record: 1-5-5 (ouch!)

Injuries: OUT: Peter Canero, Mark Lisi, Elie Ikangu (who?), Shawn Kuykendall, Mike Magee.

Previous Meetings: 06.03, 1-1 @ KC; 7/22, 1-0, Red Bull @ Red Bull

About the only thing that could lift Red Bull New York out of the reality of their crappy, crappy road record is a sense of elation at pounding the crap out of Real Salt Lake this past weekend. They could also get an assist from the Kansas City Wizards’ tepid record at home. (What can you say? They play to the crowd.) In any event, the odds of Red Bull doing to Kansas City what they did to Real Salt Lake run somewhere well south of remote. With both teams enjoying mini-revivals - and with Red Bull’s being the stronger - it’s powerfully tempting to call this one for Red Bull...but not tempting enough. Then again, KC’s not exactly famous for scoring. Hence... Prediction: DRAW - probably goalless to boot.

Real Salt Lake v. Los Angeles Galaxy

INFO BOX

Real Salt Lake (RSL): Last 10: 5-2-3; Home Record: 4-3-5

Injuries: OUT: Paul Broome, Seth Trembly, Christian Jimenez, Daniel Torres; PROBABLE: Nelson Akwari, Cameron Knowles, Atiba Harris.

Suspension: Jack Stewart.

Los Angeles Galaxy: Last 10: 6-1-3; Away Record: 5-6-2

Injuries: OUT: Kyle Martino, Cornell Glen, Nathan Sturgis; QUESTIONABLE: Tyrone Marshall.

Previous Meetings: 04.29, 3-2 to LA @ Salt Lake; 05/13, 3-0 to RSL @ LA; 07.08, 2-0 to LA @ LA.

With the Los Angeles Galaxy doing their late-season, mock-the-playoff-format surge, no one should want to face them right now. That goes double for Real Salt Lake, who just ended a pretty good run of their own with a total collapse against one of the league’s perennial mediocrities (aka, Red Bull New York). Fortunately, RSL possesses an entirely respectable home record, even if it’s heavy on draws. The X-Factor comes down to RSL’s capacity to cope with last weekend’s abuse. Says here (and here in the review of their game) they can’t do it. Prediction: LOS ANGELES GALAXY WINS.

Chicago Fire v. Houston Dynamo

INFO BOX

Chicago Fire: Last 10: 5-3-2; Home Record: 5-3-3

Injuries: OUT: Craig Capano, Jeff Curtin; DOUBTFUL: John Thorrington; QUESTIONABLE: Chris Rolfe, Thiago

Suspension: Logan Pause

Houston Dynamo: Last 10: 3-4-3; Away Record: 2-4-5

Injuries: OUT: Brian Ching, Mpho Moloi (who?)

Suspension: Ricardo Clark

Previous Meetings: 05.20, 1-0 to Chicago @ Houston

Shorten the Houston Dynamo’s last ten to six games and this team went 1-4-1. Worse, till last weekend’s two-goal effort (and hella tough loss) against Chivas USA, they’d scored exactly two goals in league play over the previous five games. Between their “issues” in front of goal, their poor road record, and the Chicago Fire’s defense coming fully online - they’ve allowed two goals in all competitions in the month of August - and it’s hard to see Houston coming away with anything in this one. Add Ricardo Clark’s absence through suspension and Houston should be quite pleased with a draw of any sort. And I doubt they’ll even get that. Prediction: CHICAGO FIRE WINS.

Colorado Rapids v. FC Dallas

INFO BOX

Colorado Rapids: Last 10: 3-5-2; Home Record: 8-2-3

Injuries: OUT: Terry Cooke; DOUBTFUL: Matt Crawford, Chris Wingert.

Suspension: Hunter Freeman, Pablo Mastroeni, Kyle Beckerman (ouch!)

FC Dallas: Last 10: 4-6-0; Away Record: 3-6-2

Injuries: Jeff Cassar, Roberto Mina

Previous Meetings: 04.16, 2-2 @ Rapids; 06.24, 1-0 to Dallas @ Dallas; 07.29, 4-1 to Dallas @ Dallas

FC Dallas isn’t much on ties; it’s an open question as to whether that’s good or bad, but at least the fans go home with unambiguous feelings. But the reality is, in the Colorado Rapids, they’re playing one of the best home teams in the league after having lost the their last three consecutive games, all of those on the road. The problem is, FC Dallas hasn’t scored since late July - then again, that’s when they knocked four past this same Colorado team. That won’t happen this time around. Prediction: COLORADO RAPIDS WIN.

Date

Tue 08/29/06, 11:48 am EST