Real Salt Lake celebrate salvaging a point vs the Philadelphia Union. (Deseret News)
So now we're basically at the halfway mark of the 2013 Major League Soccer season. To me, it really seems like it's flying by. No matter how you slice it, the 1st half has been full of drama and surprises. Here is how the Western Conference shakes out, with some of my thoughts on the individual clubs.
1. Real Salt Lake, 34 Points.
Let's cut to the chase here, very few people expected RSL to be on top of the table at this or any point of the MLS season. I didn't either. Expectations were tempered with the off season losses of RSL mainstays like Will Johnson, Fabian Espindola, and Jamison Olave. However, despite the flat out RAGE from some fans, RSL quietly maintained that they were reloading, not rebuilding. So many guys have stepped up for the Claret and Cobalt this year. Josh Saunders making a great game saving play against the Union is just the latest in the long line of fine performances in many different positions. Still, you don't get anything for being first on the 4th of July. RSL will have to avoid their usual "summer swoon" to stay on top.
RSL Halfway MVP: Javier Morales--Javi has shrugged off the early season injury to come back and play some of his best football in recent memory, setting guys up for goals and scoring a few himself.
2. FC Dallas, 31 Points.
There was a time earlier this season when it looked like Dallas was going to run away with the Western Conference, and maybe even the Supporter's Shield. They've come back to earth in recent weeks, dropping road results at Portland and LA, and scraping by a little bit at home. Still, I think Dallas is the real deal and I don't think they're going away. To me the biggest difference has been in team discipline, which means they've been putting themselves in fewer deep holes in matches. Blas Perez continues to be a force to be reckoned with and David Ferreira is still one of the best in the league. The Hoops have also improved on defense and in net.
FCD Halfway MVP--Raul Fernandez. The Peruvian International 'keeper has just earned a spot in the MLS fan XI for the All Star game and has proven to be a great pickup in Frisco. He's saved a few points for Dallas this year and should continue to do so in the second half.
3. L.A. Galaxy, 30 Points.
There's always a storyline going on with the Galaxy, but hey, it's Hollywood, right? Earlier this year it was Landon Donovan's "sabbatical." Then it was the fact that they traded Mike Magee for Robbie Rogers while Magee was right there leading the league in goals. Now it's the fact that Rogers has basically done squat since coming on board. You know what though? Despite the unrest and the "wtf" storylines that swirl around this club, they continue to be right there in the thick of it. You just can't bet against a team with Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, and Omar Gonzalez. However the glaring weakness for this team is in goal. Carlo Cudicini is NOT cutting it, and one wonders if this issue will bite LA in the rear before the season is over. Matt Pickens anyone?
LAG Halway MVP--Landon Donovan. Beckham who? Since returning from his "Holiday in Cambodia" Landon has proven that he is still the beating heart of this club. Now, he hasn't always been at his best, but he is the force that drives this team and there's no reason why he can't drive them to another MLS Cup right now. You have been warned.
4. Portland Timbers, 30 Points.
You have to give the Timbers a ton of credit. I basically gave them no chance in my preseason preview, and they've certainly proven me wrong. This team has WAY more heart than the previous editions have had, and the Timbers Army seems to finally have a group that cares as much as they do. Still, while MLS has seemed to want to crown Portland as the new Kings of Cascadia and maybe even the league, I'm not sold yet. That big unbeaten streak? Yeah, there were a lot of draws in there, a lot of points left on the table. Last year they were losing a lot of the matches they've drawn this year. Now they have to start converting some of those situations into wins if they really want to stay in the Shield hunt going forward.
PDX Halfway MVP--Will Johnson. RSL's loss was Portland's gain, BIG TIME. Will finally had the chance to be the man up in Portland, and he's come through big time. You can really see the team reflecting his Never Say Die, 90+ minute attitude. He'll need some help going forward though, especially on the back line.
5. Vancouver Whitecaps, 29 Points.
Just when you want to count the Whitecaps out, BANG, they come out and slap Seattle. This club is a bit of an enigma, on one hand, you look at their roster now as opposed to a year ago and think that they have to be worse off now, but they might not be. Camilo has been in high gear recently, and Kenny Miller finally looks like he's settling into MLS. The problem for the 'Caps is going to continue to be on defense, where injuries have hit them hard, including losing Captain Jay DeMerit to an ACL injury in the 7th minute of the season. I don't see the 'Caps challenging for the top of the table, but if they can get into the playoffs and stay healthy, they could make some noise.
VAN Halfway MVP--Camilo. There is no question for me here. He is one of the most dynamic players in the conference, and he's starting to finally form a nice partnership with Kenny Miller. The Caps' fortunes will follow his own.
6. Colorado Rapids, 27 Points.
The Rapids have been the most Jekyll and Hyde like team for me out west this year. The last week at home is a case in point. They beat the NY Red Bulls 2-0 in one of their better performances on the year, then they come out and look totally uninspired against a DC squad that they should beat in their sleep at the Dick, only earning a scoreless draw. Their main problem seems to be inconsistency, and their spotty defense has had a lot to do with it. Finishing also seems to come in fits and starts for them, it seems like they're going to either put up 2 or 3 goals, or none at all. However, they are a fairly young team, and young teams can be prone to these inconsistencies. I will say this though, if they get into the playoffs, this is the one team I DO NOT want to face in the first round. They'll be hungry and have the players to do the damage.
COL Halfway MVP--Clint Irwin. Irwin has come up huge for the Rapids since the early season injury to Matt Pickens. He has started to show his youth a little bit of late, but a lot of the goals against him have been goal of the week type strikes. Make no mistake, Irwin keeps Colorado in matches.
7. Seattle Sounders, 24 Points.
The Sounders are easily the biggest disappointment in the conference so far. The season has been fairly disjointed as much of their early schedule was disrupted due to CCL play. They've played three less games than most of the conference, so they have time to improve, but improve they must. Osvaldo Alonso can't be back soon enough, and the defense has been down right atrocious lately. They seem to just be going through the motions a good portion of the time, and it's not cutting it. They have the weapons up front, but it seems like they have little else, except a frustrated fanbase.
SEA Halfway MVP--Obafemi Martins. He's been streaky, but when he's been on, he's provided most of the good moments for the Sounders.
8. San Jose Earthquakes, 21 Points.
My, my, what a difference a year makes. All those things that were going right for the Quakes last year? Yeah those breaks have turned against them. The suspensions and fines have piled up as their, shall we say provocative, style of play has caught up with them. Injuries have also been a big issue. Plus Chris Wondolowski has gone from MVP to down right invisible in many matches. The Quakes have fired their Shield winning coach and sit eight points back of a playoff spot. They're going to need a huge dose of that "Goonie" crap to turn it around now.
SJE Halfway MVP--Jon Busch. He drives me nuts sometimes, but he's one of the most underrated netminders in the league. Without him, the Quakes might be in Chivas USA territory.
Speaking of.....
9. Chivas USA, 14 Points.
What else is there to say about the doormat of the conference and perhaps the worst managed organization in the league? El Chelis was a joke. It was a gimmick, and I'm sure even he knew that. Since the Chelis spotlight has drifted away, the Goats have made just a TINY bit of improvement, picking up 2 road points at Dallas and at Montreal. Still, the Goats have light years to go before they can be looked at as respectable.
CHV Halfway MVP--Dan Kennedy. He's the only one really worth mentioning. When I mention him, I like to mention that he should be playing for the OTHER team that calls that stadium home.
So there you have it. Does it make sense? Maybe not so much, but the second half promises to be just as exciting as the first. What you can positively say is that at least ONE really good team is probably going to miss the playoffs.
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