MLS Week 26: New Technology Needed for Coping

by user The Manly Ferry

It’s not often I wish I owned a television capable of simultaneously showing three or four games - for one, I imagine watching it would make me nauseous. But with a slew of compelling match-ups across Major League Soccer (MLS) this weekend, I’d be willing to down some Dramamine and give it a shot. As much as I complain about parity, it has conspired to inject playoff repercussions into every one of the weekend match-ups - yes, even the one involving the Columbus Crew. While everyone is, miraculously, still alive, this ought to be the weekend where that changes for a team or two.

Whatever happens, I’ll only get to one game this weekend, so let’s start with that one...and, for the record, the “form” listing for each team extends back to August 15 and counts all competitions. Oh, and here are the league standings for context.

DC United v. Red Bull New York

TV: ESPN2, Saturday, September 23, 1:30 p.m. PST

(MLS’s preview)

DC United: Overall, 14-4-10, 52 pts.; Home, 8-1-4; Form, TTWLTWLTTL

Red Bull: Overall, 7-10-11, 32 pts.; Away, 1-7-6; Form, TLLWTLLWL

With both teams hardly looking impressive, it makes sense here to go with the team that demonstrated an ability to actually play soccer at some point in the season - and that would unquestionably be DC United. Chuck home-field advantage onto the scale and this looks like a chance for DC to regain some confidence by beating up on a lesser team. Against that, though, DC picked up a(nother) rash of suspensions in their recent loss to Chicago: Brian Carroll and Bryan Namoff, both keys to DC’s defense, as well as right-sided dynamo, Joshua Gros will sit this one out. Another team might have the firepower to take advantage of this, but if Red Bull has the capacity to do so, they’ve been keeping their powder not only dry but in some deep, deep bunker.

Prediction: DC UNITED WINS - if they don’t, they’re really in trouble.

Columbus Crew v. Houston Dynamo

(MLS’s preview)

Columbus: Overall, 6-14-8, 26 pts.; Home, 3-6-5; Form, LWLWLL (eww...)

Houston: Overall, 10-8-10, 40 pts.; Away, 3-5-6; Form, LWLTLLWT

Based on Houston’s general and away form, any other team and Houston’s hold on second place would look damned precarious. Credit MLS’s interns - or whomever writes their previews - for this perspective (though it needs editing): “[The] Dynamo are still sitting in second place in the Western Conference, but after just one [win] in their last six games, they have just a one point margin on the tie for third place and are just four points from being out of the top four altogether.” After that slim margin, they’ve also got key players one yellow card away from suspension in positions where tackling is part of the job: Ricardo Clark, Eddie Robinson, and Adrian Serioux. Columbus have deadly problems with injuries of their own (Sebastian Rozental and Jose Retiz), on top of suspension problems (Joseph Ngwenya), but who cares, right? I mean, they're done. All in all, this game is more about Houston jockeying for the post-season. I don’t know that they’re up for it.

Prediction: nothing would surprise me, but HOUSTON DYNAMO WINS.

New England Revolution v. Kansas City Wizards
(MLS’s preview)

New England: Overall, 9-8-11, 38 pts.; Home, 6-3-4; Form, LLWLWTW

KC: Overall, 9-13-6, 33 pts.; Away, 3-9-2; Form, LTWTLW

It’s worth noting that the Revolution’s three recent “W’s” came against Columbus (once) and Red Bull (twice) - officially, the two worst teams in the league. The cause for optimism comes with Taylor Twellman’s goal in the midweek win over Red Bull; getting Twellman on track and scoring goals could change this team’s fortunes on its own. Word that Shalrie Joseph, the team’s talismanic midfielder, will miss the rest of the season constitutes the bad news. But Joseph’s absence is worse still against against Kansas City this is a team with players - Davy Arnaud and Jack Jewsbury, to name two - who can shell the goal from distance, in fact, right around the place where Joseph typically lurks. New England’s defense needs to watch that while keeping things tight inside; they’ve also got to cope with players of their own - Joe Franchino and Andy Dorman, in particular - who are one card away from suspension. I’m guessing Kansas City will go for the throat; they’d be idiots not to anyway.

Prediction: Because it worked for me earlier in the week, I’m going to say - KANSAS CITY WINS - and hope I’m jinxing it for them. Go New England!!

FC Dallas v. Real Salt Lake
(MLS’s preview)

FC Dallas: Overall, 14-10-4, 46 pts.; Home, 10-3-1; Form, LLLWWTLL

Real Salt Lake: Overall, 10-12-6, 36 pts.; Away, 4-8-1; Form, WWLWLTW

Impressive as FC Dallas’ home record is, their recent form hardly inspires confidence. They’ve blown their two recent chances to clinch a place in the post-season by losing both games - one of them to this same Real Salt Lake team, who was playing 1) a man down when they turned a 2-1 loss into a 3-2 win, and, 2) without star-striker Jeff Cunningham. With long-time starting ‘keeper Dario Sala down, Shaka Hislop, of Trinidad & Tobago World Cup fame, gets his first start in goal. Maybe that’s what Dallas needs to bounce back from last week’s debacle - and I say bounce back because they really haven’t done all that badly on the defensive side (their 34 goals allowed is on the low side of the league average). As for Real Salt Lake, what can you say? Their form numbers say plenty, but they’ve got results home, away, and against good teams and bad (including a shellacking by Red Bull - go figure). They can win this game - and they’re hungry enough to do it - but Dallas at home is a hell of a thing.

Prediction: FC DALLAS WINS - and RSL finds themselves in trouble.

Chicago Fire v. Los Angeles Galaxy
(MLS’s preview)

Chicago: Overall, 11-9-8, 41 pts.; Home, 7-3-4; Form, WWWWTWWWLW (crap!)

LA: Overall, 9-13-6, 33 pts.; Away, 5-7-2; Form, WWWLWWLT

Honestly, this is the pick of the pack for this weekend. Setting aside LA’s two recent fluky results, these are easily the two hottest teams in the league. A look at LA’s form numbers suggests it makes as much sense for the rest of the Western Conference teams to turn their backs on an armed, angry drunk as it does for them to ignore the LA Galaxy - and that goes double for FC Dallas, who closes the season with a two-game, home-and-home series with the Galaxy. As for the Fire, they’re playing some inspired stuff. How they’re doing it merits attention as well; they’re rotating players, sometimes by choice, sometimes not, and discovering as they do it that they’ve got personnel willing and able to step up. Call this one the match-up between a star - Landon Donovan - and Chicago’s collective. And, for fun, watch it again on Wednesday, when these two teams meet in the U.S. Open Cup final.

Prediction: So close to call, I’m calling a DRAW. The sight of Chicago pulling off a win, should it happen, should put the fear into the rest of the league.

Sub-Prediction: CHICAGO WINS THE OPEN CUP. And I’ll double-down if they lose on Saturday.

Chivas USA v. Colorado Rapids
(MLS’s preview)

Chivas: Overall, 9-7-12, 39 pts.; Home, 6-2-6; Form, TWLTWT

Rapids: Overall, 11-11-6, 39 pts.; Away, 2-8-3; Form, TLLWLWT

Another damnably tough call. With their second-worst away tally, this looks like too much for Colorado. They’ve got some firepower missing through Terry Cooke and the newly-arrived Alain Nkong, but, with one having been injured for months and the other new to the team, odds are these won’t be significant. Chivas, now officially Kings of the Tie, should certainly be hungry for the win and with their defense seemingly improving, they should also be good for it. It only helps that Colorado can be a bit blow-out prone.

Prediction: CHIVAS USA WINS - and announces they have arrived, while Colorado begins to scrap in earnest with LA and Real Salt Lake for the fourth playoff spot.

Date

Fri 09/22/06, 12:20 pm EST