MLS Top 5/Bottom5: Week 3.

Where do Will Bruin and the Dynamo sit in my first rankings?

So I really wanted to try my hand at some rankings and trend spotting this year in MLS.  The fact that there is so much parity in the league makes this kind of thing really fun and challenging for me, and gives me something to think about during long lulls at work, and to keep me up at night with my mind turning over and over.  I decided to wait a couple of weeks though, until everybody had at least a couple of games under their belt, though I suspect that rankings like this are always fairly inaccurate this early in the season anyway.   What I'm going to present to you are my top five and bottom five, with comments on each.

TOP 5--   


1. HOUSTON DYNAMO --The Dynamo were quite impressive in their opening matches, and Will Bruin (above) was on fire.  According to the league site, he is one of the most captained fantasy players going into week four as well.  Dom Kinnear's side has also yet to give up a goal.  However, they still might be a paper tiger.  Their first match was against the Revs, who have been absolutely awful so far, and their second was against the almost equally hapless Montreal Impact, sans Marco Di Vaio.  Also, both of those matches have been at home, where they're always good.  This week they travel to Vancouver, who should provide a better test.

2. TORONTO FC--I've been pretty skeptical about TFC in the offseason and through the preseason.  These new additions are great, but at this point, I still have to see it to believe it from them.  However, I just might be starting to see it.  The win at Seattle was definitely a quality win, though a 1-0 victory over DC at home was slightly less impressive.  Defoe and Bradley have been the real deal for sure, and Cesar is big time keeper in net.  However, their job gets a little harder this weekend coming to RSL, especially without speedster Jackson, who has been suspended by the disciplinary committee. 

3. REAL SALT LAKE--RSL's biggest problem in the opening weeks has been a failure to land the knockout punch, or the inverse, letting some rather simple defensive mistakes put teams back on level ground.  Still, undefeated with 5 points from 3 games with LA and San Jose (2 of them on the road) is a pretty solid start.  The other issue is injuries, especially up top, with Big Dev, Joao Plata, and Robbie Findley all injured. 

4. SEATTLE SOUNDERS--It wasn't a pretty performance, but Seattle took down Sporting in the first match at home at beat the Impact on the road last week.  Those two results were sandwiched around that home loss to TFC.  The Sounders played well at Montreal and executed their game plan and counter attack very effectively, despite not having Clint Dempsey.  If Obafemi Martins stays healthy, he's gonna cause MLS defenses some issues this year, without having to compete with the large "Pay Me" ego that he used to partner with.

5. COLUMBUS CREW--The Crew opened the season with an absolute smack down of DC United at RFK, and then beat the Union at home in week three.  They had to hold on a bit in that one, but it was still an impressive performance against a Union squad that I think is gonna be pretty good.  This weekend they travel to Seattle, where the local supporters will be less than welcoming after the fiasco that surrounded the "Seattle is sending capos to Columbus for the USMNT" article that happened last summer.  They have potentially the biggest test of any of my top five this weekend.


BOTTOM 5--

15. PORTLAND TIMBERS--Sorry, I'm still not sold on the Portland Timbers.  Apparently "Porterball" still means draw at home and lose on the road, at least so far this year.  Their defense is still suspect, and while the midfield is a strength, they still lack a true target guy up front.  Urruti doesn't cut it for me, he's just a bull in a china shop.  The Timbers have yet to show me that they can take the next step by converting all those draws from last year into wins and gain points consistently on the road.  It doesn't get any easier for them this weekend as they play at FC Dallas, who just missed out on my top 5.

16. CHIVAS USA--The Goats are definitely an improved side, and looked decent in their first two matches, even though they had to largely resort to packing it in to try to keep the Whitecaps out after going a man down at home.  It didn't work.  This last weekend they were largely pasted by FC Dallas on the road.  They're better, but not good enough, yet.  This weekend they travel to New York, where the Red Bulls will be looking to smack them around and get their season on track.

17.  MONTREAL IMPACT--I'm not rating them lower because they've been without Di Vaio, and hey, that  road swing through Texas isn't going to be easy for anybody.  However, they never really threatened the Sounders at home either.  They were in the match, but I never really thought, "Oh yeah, here they come."  Getting Di Vaio back will help, but as of right now, I really can't see Montreal really making a push for anything.  This weekend they play at Philly, and I'm forecasting a Union victory.

18. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION--I'm so disappointed in the Revs so far.  I really thought they were gonna build on the playoff run from last year, and they still might.  However, it's hard to really find much that they did right in their opening three matches, though they did get their first point this last weekend, albeit without managing to score a goal.  It's too bad that they didn't get to hold on to Juan Agudelo.  This week they travel to play at San Jose, and you'd have to figure in a win for the Quakes, maybe without having to pull the "Goonie" stuff.

19. DC UNITED--DC was another team that ostensibly got better this offseason, at least they threw a bunch of money at players, particularly one Eddie Johnson.  They then paired Mr. "Pay Me" with Mr. "I Dive and Miss Big Shots" in Fabian Espindola, who also is known to be a bit combative.  Both Seattle and RSL fans predicted that this experiment was not going to go well.  For all their spending and revamping, DC have shown nada, zero, zilch.   This week they host the Fire, and Mike Magee will probably look to feast on DC's back line.

MLS Inquest 2013: DC United

Dwayne De Rosario has already become a victim of DC's horrible showing this year.

Puddle's 2013 MLS Inquest:
Team: DC United
Points: 16
Finish: 10th, Eastern Conference

Player of the Year--Luis Silva
Last year Silva was my player of the year for TFC.  This year, DC brought him in around the midpoint of the season , and though he had injury issues, he was pretty much a lone bright spot in DC's lineup through the second half.  He lead the team in goals with three.  That's right, three.  Though he only appeared in 13 matches, he'll be a good one for DC to keep around and build around for the future.

Flop of the Year--Carlos Ruiz
This could honestly be the joke move of the entire MLS season.  United brought in the former big scoring Guatemalan to help bolster their rather impotent attack.  The result?  Zero goals and zero assists in 13 games.  This experiment went so awry that DC has already cut him loose as they start to clean house.

The Good--
This is pretty obvious.  Somehow, despite their horrible form in league play, DC managed to get it together enough to make a run to the US Open Cup final, where they stunned a heavily favored Real Salt Lake squad at Rio Tinto Stadium to take the trophy.  I was there, and there's just no way to explain it.  It was a Wiganesque performance if there ever was one, but good on them and good on their supporters.

The Bad--
Three wins all season in league play.  Let me repeat that, three wins all season.  This was a playoff team a year ago and a team that I picked to be back in the playoffs again this year.  What went wrong?  I think it was a combination of injuries, desperation, and poor management.  So many DC players missed significant time due to injury, including Dwayne De Rosario and Chris Pontius, two heroes of last year's playoff campaign.  This helped drive DC into a panic mode which resulted in guys like Ruiz and Alain Rochat being brought in for zero impact.  Rochat was gone after four matches.  Also, what did they ever think they were going to get out of Lionard Pajoy?  Finally, to me Ben Olsen seemed to be in over his head at times, as I think it's fair to say that poor management contributed to the downfall of this already ragtag, patchwork lineup.

The Ugly--
Speaking of Olsen, it grew tiring to see him show up at press conferences week after week and blame the referees.  Yes, I think he had some valid points.  Yes, overall I think MLS referees took a step backward this year, but they were hardly the reason that DC United lost 24 games.  That's as many as the New York Red Bulls, the Portland Timbers, and Real Salt Lake lost all together.  At one point Olsen even said, "Nobody wants to listen to the coach in last place complain about the refs."  He was exactly right, and all it accomplished was to further tarnish his once bright star.

The Verdict--
Nobody saw this coming, but DC just fell flat.  I was really hoping that the US Open Cup win would propel them to make something out of the end of their season, but Olsen continued to experiment and the results blew up in his face like a dirty old meth lab.  Nobody wants to see DC United in last place, well except for maybe Union supporters.  They were once the pride of this league and they have great fans.  In the end, I think a shaky start combined with fitness and injury issues pushed DC into Panic mode.  From there, questionable personnel choices pushed them so deep into a hole that Ben Olsen could not dig them out.  Open Cup aside, the house cleaning as already begun, including sending DeRo packing, so it will be interesting to see what this team looks like in 2014.

MLS Eastern Conference at the Halfway Point: Entirely Up For Grabs

The failings of Ben Olsen's DC United headline the first half back east.

Interestingly enough, the major story of the Eastern Conference in the first half is not who is at the top of the table, but rather who is at the bottom.  No disrespect to the Montreal Impact, who sit up top, but they've really slipped in recent weeks, and the fact that they remain in 1st place is more of a monument to the inconsistency of the teams behind them than a tribute to their play.  At the bottom though, DC United have been a league worst all season.  This from a team that I personally thought might compete for the Cup this year.  Here is my rundown of the teams and their top players for the first half.

1. Montreal Impact, 31 Points

The Impact have really shown that they are a force to be reckoned with this year, and they got off to a huge start, including road wins in Cascadia, to jump way ahead of the East.  However the shine has come off in recent weeks, especially on the defensive end.  The Colorado Rapids came from behind to beat them at Stade Saputo, and then last week they dropped points at home to the lowly Chivas USA, who actually led for a good portion of the match.  Still, the Impact lead the league in PPG, but my main concern for them going forward is can their aging roster (Di Vaio and Nesta types) keep up with the grueling MLS schedule in the second half, especially considering that they'll be playing in CCL.  

First half Team MVP--Marco Di Vaio.  The Italian leads the league in off-side calls, but he's right there in goals as well.  Until recently he has been a shoe-in for your three goal monte, but has kind of cooled off of late.  Still, he is a great scorer and gives opposing defenses plenty to think about.

2. Sporting Kansas City, 30 Points 
I didn't really think Sporting Kansas City was going to go away, despite the fact that they've struggled a bit more at home than they're used to.  In particular, they seem to be more prone at giving up goals at Sporting Park.  I still think this team has all the tools, particularly with the return of Kei Kamara from his loan in the EPL.  I think he's one of the most fun players in the league to watch and is almost always a danger man.    Like Montreal, Sporting will be dealing with CCL play later on this year, so it will be interesting to see how they hold up and if that gives some of the teams behind them an opening.
First half Team MVP--Graham Zusi.  Zusi is one of the best, if not the best, midfielder in MLS in my opinion, and he's made significant strides with the National Team. To me, Sporting seem to be lacking security in their play when he's not around, and he should help propel them through the congested second half.

3. New York Red Bulls, 28 Points.
I still don't think the Red Bulls have gotten it.  They seem to continue to believe that bringing in guys on basis of name recognition is the way to MLS Cup, regardless of the player's age.  At the beginning of the year they signed former Brazilian international Juninho.  Hey that's great, but he was 38 years old.  Did it work? Nope.  Red Bulls did help solidify their back line with the addition of Jamison Olave, but some injury issues, the same that affected him in recent years at RSL, have started to crop up again, as well as a red card every once in awhile.  However, I do like the signing of Ibrahim Sekagya, a 6'1 defender from Uganda.  He could step in beside Olave and help out a lot.  Tim Cahill has also started to come around, which should bolster their attack.
First Half team MVP--Tim Cahill.  Yeah, I'm not going with Henry here, mainly because I haven't been all that impressed with him this year.  To me the times when the Red Bulls have really been able to hit a higher gear is when Cahill has been in form and in the lineup.  They'll need him to stay consistent to keep threatening the top of the conference.

4. Philadelphia Union, 27 Points.

Well hello there, Philadelphia.  It seems like this team has finally recovered from the junk and the drama that Peter Nowak put them through at the end of his tenure.   Jack McInerney has been the star of the squad, and the return of Sebastian Le Toux has reignited his form and given the Union another weapon.  Speaking of weapons, how about Conor Casey?  Has there been a more underrated pick up in MLS this year?  I kind of figured Casey might be through after being jettisoned from the Rapids, but not only has he stayed healthy, but he has proven that he can still be one of the most productive big men in the league.  My question about the Union is in goal.  Zac MacMath is progressing, but the youngster is still essentially learning on the job and has been fairly inconsistent. I think he'll need to step it up a bit going forward, but still the Union look pretty solid as a playoff team right now.
First Half Team MVP--Jack McInerney.  This is pretty easy to justify.  He's turned into a big time goalscorer who has also proven his ability to pass off to teammates to help create.

5. Houston Dynamo, 26 Points.
Injuries and international absences have hit the Dynamo hard so far this season.  They've been without Brad Davis quite a bit, as well as Oscar Boniek Garcia.  Will Bruin has played well, but is also in the USA camp.  Meanwhile the Dynamo acquired former Rapids man Omar Cummings, but unlike Casey for the Union, Cummings has failed to yield any real dividends for Houston.  To make matters a little more pressing, Houston lost their unbeaten streak at home.  It seems like more and more opponents are figuring out the stadium, and the Texas summer heat only lasts for so long.  I have my doubts as to whether the Dynamo can retain their playoff position, but they always seem to stick around somehow.
First half Team MVP--Tally Hall.  I look at Hall a lot like I do Clint Irwin of the Rapids.  He keeps Houston in matches, and with a little more support he can keep them in the playoff hunt.

6. New England Revolution, 24 Points.
Don't look now, but here come the Revs.  They've been kind of quiet about it, but I think they're one of the more improved sides in MLS.  Diego Fagundez has really come on strong, as has Bobby Shuttleworth in goal.  As you probably know, GK Matt Reis's father in law was severely injured in the Boston Marathon bombing, and the emergence of Shuttleworth has been great to let Matt and his family focus on that.  Saer Sene continues to be a force in attack as well.  Right now they're just a little too inconsistent, especially playing from a winning position.  They seem to be learning how to close matches out.  Still, this team just might fly under the radar right into a playoff spot.
First Half Team MVP--Diego Fagundez.  Sure, he isn't scoring all the goals, but he's proven himself to be highly capable both attacking and creating.  This young man is the future of this club and the future is now!

7. Columbus Crew, 23 Points.
The Crew have been a little disappointing for me this year.  However, they have a completely valid excuse.  They've lost a few key players, including Eddie Gaven, to season ending injuries, and it's wreaked havok.  Jario Arrieta has also missed significant time for national team duty.  Federico Higuain has struggled a bit more than last year, it's possible that the league is adjusting to him somewhat.  What is of more concern however is the fact that he is among a group of Argentinian players who have been suspected of doctoring their passports.  We'll have to see where this goes, but whatever happens, I think the Crew could use multiple reinforcements if they want to stay in the playoff race.
First Half team MVP--Dominic Oduro.  You may not have heard much about him in the rest of MLS, but Oduro has really settled in nicely in Columbus and fashioned himself into one of their top weapons.  His speed is always tough to deal with and his eight goals show an improvement in finishing.

8. Chicago Fire, 21 Points. 
When you talk about the story of the Fire's season so far, you have to talk about Mike Magee.  Some folks wondered if he could continue to play as well as he has after departing the Galaxy.  Yes he has, and he's been the man for the Fire.  Bakary Soumare came over from Philly and helped solidfy things at the back in front of Sean Johnson, one of the better young 'keepers in the league.  However, it seems like the Fire are still having a little trouble putting all the pieces together on a regular basis.  Right now I don't see them as a playoff team.  Sure, they've gotten better, but I can't see them cracking the top five.
First Half Team MVP--Mike Magee, cause duh.  #MikeMageeFacts

9. Toronto FC, 13 points.
At some point the long suffering fans in Toronto are going to get a winner, but it doesn't look like it's going to be this year as TFC have already lost touch with the playoff group.  Last week local media trumpeted the arrival of Diego Forlan, and MLS even asked via Facebook if TFC were now contenders.  Forlan and his agent shot down the reports the very next day, but for a few hours the fans had something to be excited about.  The revolving door of players continues, and I don't see Ryan Nelsen bringing in the stability that the club needs, at least not yet.  I look for the carousel of players to continue as Nelsen looks for guys that fit his mold, whatever that is.
First Half Team MVP--Robert Earnshaw.  One of the new additions that has stuck, Earnshaw has been one of the few bright spots for TFC.  He is probably their only consistent goal scoring threat, for what it's worth.

 10. DC United, 10 points.
How do you go about pinpointing what in the world is wrong at RFK?  Both Dwayne De Rosario and Chris Pontius have been injured, and that hasn't helped, but the defense has been a disaster in front of Bill Hamid.  The front office has seemed clueless for much of the year, and Ben Olsen's penchant for blaming the referees has gotten real old, real fast.  United needs help everywhere.  If they can solidify the lineup and make a run ahead of Chivas USA and TFC, that might be something to build on.  If they can't, Olsen's days may be numbered.
First Half Team MVP--Dwayne De Rosario.  The former MVP has to get healthy and stay healthy.  He is the best hope this team has of getting out of the cellar.

So there you have it, my thoughts on the East.  In the end I suspect that Sporting KC, Montreal, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia, and the Revs will be your five playoff teams, but there is a lot of football left to be played.

DC United On the Move, Add Luis Silva

Former TFC Superdraft pick Luis Silva is headed to DC United

It would be quite an understatement to say that DC United's season has been incredibly disappointing.  That just doesn't quite cut it.  United were a team that many, myself included, expected to be in the playoff hunt all season long.  Instead, this proud club finds itself sitting below even the lowly Chivas USA in dead last.

However DC seems to be wasting little time in trying to make the club better with transfer proceedings opening up.  This morning TFC's Luis Silva was conspicuously absent from training.  As it turns out, he had been traded to DC United for allocation money.  

I think it's a great move for United.  Silva is an outstanding talent who was my player of the year for TFC last year in my post season review.  He's young and still raw in many ways (think trying to kick Tony Beltran in the back of the knee), but he should really help DC improve.

Silva was not the only deal triggered by DC today either.  They sold Alain Rochat to Young Boys in Switzerland for what is rumored to be a 500 K dollar transfer fee.  Rochat had been recently acquired from the Vancouver Whitecaps, but wasn't happy about it.  He blasted the MLS (USA) system of trading players from club to club and it's not hard to imagine that he probably wanted out.

So the moves are coming for DC, but they need to make a few more.  We'll have to see what happens in the weeks ahead.  I think this is a positive start though.

RSL Warned, TFC Fined Over Saturday Incident.

There has been disciplinary fallout from the TFC vs RSL clash last weekend.

Many folks expected some fallout from the disciplinary committee following the confrontation between TFC and RSL late in the match last Saturday.  Tony Beltran and Doneil Henry were given red cards and Robbie Findley was given a yellow as RSL held on for the 0-1 win.

All the cards stand, as expected.  Tony Beltran will not serve his suspension until he returns from US International team duty for the Gold Cup.  Henry will serve his suspension this week against Montreal.  Toronto FC and head coach Ryan Nelsen were fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league's mass confrontation policy.  TFC had been warned about this previously.  RSL were given a warning over the incident, meaning they will be subject to a fine the next time they violate the policy.  TFC's Luis Silva was not sanctioned for trying to kick Tony Beltran in the back of the knee, which started the whole thing.

In other disciplinary news, San Jose's Shea Salinas was suspended for one game.  He was busted for elbowing Robbie Keane "above the shoulders" in the 5th minute of Saturday's Cali Clasico.  The red card (2nd yellow) to Victor Bernardez stands, so he will miss a game for that offense and another game for yellow card accumulation.

Three other coaches got hit by the league as well.  DC United's Ben Olsen was fined for public criticism of officials for his meltdown after DC's loss to Vancouver.  Apparently he was right, the league didn't want to listen to the coach in last place complain about officials.  Montreal Impact's Marco Schallibaum was fined and suspended for entering the field of play during the Impact's loss to Colorado on Saturday.  His assistant, Philippe Eullaffroy. was also fined and suspended for a game for entering the field of play and throwing the ball at a Rapids player.

MLS 2013: Eastern Conference Predictions and Questions

With the MLS season finally starting tomorrow (yay!) it's time to sit down and pound this out.  I'm not gonna call it a preview this year, because hey, what we all come up with during these prognostications means exactly SQUAT.   I watch as much MLS as anyone who's not paid to do it, and hey, even I'm not sure what's going on.  I think the league could be wide open this year, especially in the Eastern Conference.  So, I'll give my predictions on the order of finish from the ground up, and make a couple of observations about each club.  Then I'll pose a few questions that I think might have an effect on the conference race.

10. Toronto FC--Sorry guys, I just can't see anything better happening for TFC just yet.  I really want to, for their fans' sake, but I just don't see it there.  Last year I predicted they would make the playoffs for the first time.  I'm not going anywhere NEAR that route.  Kevin Payne and Ryan Nelsen can provide a solid foundation, I think, but they don't have the players.  Robert Earnshaw could be a good signing though, and their fortunes might improve if Danny Koevermans can stay healthy.

9. New England Revolution--I'm not sure what New England has really been up to to improve in the offseason either, except for the addition of Juan Toja, which, while solid, isn't a huge "move up the table" move for me.  Jerry Bengston and Saer Sene have quality, Sene showed it more, but I think the Revs will need more from these guys.  Matt Reis is as solid as they come in goal, but they have to keep him from facing firing squads all season.  The other thing this team desperately needs is their own stadium.

8. Philadelphia Union--What do you do with the Union?  I put them above New England pretty much because they got Sebastien Le Toux back.  He'll do good things, but who else will?  Freddy Adu is, what exactly?  Gone I guess.  Carlos Valdes is out on loan, and come on, there is a reason the Rapids got rid of Conor Casey.  I would tab Antoine Hoppenot to up his contribution though.

7. Montreal Impact--The Impact continue to strive to be the first Serie A team from the last decade to be located in North America, but to what end?  Does anybody really think Alessandro Nesta is gonna last all year without getting injured?  The Impact were pretty decent last year, and they have most of their guys back, but I just don't see it as enough to catch the top 5 in the Eastern Conference.  Stranger things have happened though.

6. Chicago Fire--To me. the Fire are the question mark team out east.  They were VERY active in the offseason, and I think they made some nice additions.  Think Jeff Larentowicz, Joel Lindpere, and Maicon Santos.  Sean Johnson is certainly up to the task in goal, and the defense is solid.  They could easily be a 3,4, or 5 team, but I've got them just on the outside looking in.

5. Columbus Crew--The Crew were one of the toughest games for opponents late last year, and I think they've just gotten better.  If Dominic Oduro finds his form, watch out.  The team brings back Federico Higuain and Jairo Arrieta, plus they're always tough score against, especially at Crew Stadium.  I think they'll hit the playoffs this year, and they could do some big damage if they get there.  Don't sleep on this club.

4. Houston Dynamo--Ok, we get it.  Two-time defending Eastern Conference Champs.  The quality on this side is undeniable, and I think they'll still have a significant edge at BBVA Compass Stadium.  Ching is back as player/coach, so his influence is still there.  I don't see why this team couldn't at least follow the same map as they have the last couple of years.  Plus, I wouldn't bet against Dom Kinnear, unless they're playing the Galaxy in the MLS Cup Final.

3. Sporting Kansas City--The loss of Espinoza and Kamara are going to hurt this club.  The addition of Benny Feilhaber is cringe worthy in my opinion, but I will admit I'm biased because I don't care for his attitude.  Their trump cards are Graham Zusi and Jimmy Nielsen.  Plus, like Houston, they're one of the few clubs that I feel have an actual home field advantage at Cheatstrong, err, I mean Sporting Park.  It's not fair to chide Sporting over that though.  They're still one of the top sides out east and should continue to play like it.

2. New York Red Bulls--You'd think this team almost couldn't help but be in the top two just by showing up on the pitch.  The addition of Jamison Olave is a MAJOR step toward addressing their defensive concerns, provided he stays healthy and doesn't continue to fall prey to some of those mental lapses that seem to plague him the last year and a half or so at RSL.  They also have arguably the best player in the league in Henry.  If they can pull it all together, a big "if," they could finally get their hands on some silverware this year.

1. D.C United--I'm a huge fan of what Ben Olsen has done with this team, in fact I see it as being very similar to what Jason Kreis has done with RSL.  Sure, it would be nice if DeRo stayed healthy and stopped head-butting people, but Chris Pontius is one of the the most dangerous players in MLS to my mind, and they added Carlos Ruiz not only to score some goals, but help rub some people the wrong way.  Hamid is a great talent in goal, and their defense, though not the flashiest or meanest, is more than up to snuff.  This could be the year that DC adds another star over their crest.

Eastern Conference--Three Big Questions

1--Can the New York Red Bulls put it all together and make the run people have been predicting since Henry signed on?

My Answer--YES.  My big beef with the Red Bulls has been defense, and they've definitely improved.  Ultimatey I think DC takes the regular season, but I'd love too see these two squads in the conference final.


2--Who is the "sleeper" team in the conference this year?

My Answer--The Columbus Crew. The middle of the east could be pretty crowded with Houston, Columbus, Chicago, and maybe even Montreal all getting into the mix.  If the Crew can get to the playoffs, they could follow the Houston Blueprint very easily.


3--Is this year when the East catches, and eclipses, the West?

My Answer--YES, in a way..... I still see the top couple of teams out west being better than the top couple of teams in the east.  However, I really see this as being the year those middle teams in the east might outpace the mid-table teams in the west.  That would have a bigger impact, pardon the pun, if we still had a balanced schedule.

So there are my thoughts for the east this year.  Starting tomorrow, we'll get to see just how full of BS and hot air I am.  Good luck to all of the clubs and their supporters.  A couple of you are going to need it.

MLS Announces 2012 Best XI

MVP Candidate Chris Wondolowski highlights the 2012 MLS Best XI

Today during his State of the League call, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced the 2012 MLS Best XI.  The votes are cast by players, club leadership, and media members.  Here is the list, by position.

Goalkeeper--
Jimmy Nielsen--Sporting Kansas City (Denmark)

Defenders--
Victor Bernardez--San Jose Earthquakes (Honduras)
Matt Besler--Sporting Kansas City (USA)
Aurelien Collin--Sporting Kansas City (France)

Midfielders--
Osvaldo Alonso--Seattle Sounders (Cuba)*
Landon Donovan--LA Galaxy (USA)
Graham Zusi----Sporting Kansas City (USA)
Chris Pontius--DC United (USA)

Forwards--
Thierry Henry--New York Red Bulls (France)
Robbie Keane--LA Galaxy (Ireland)
Chris Wondolowski--San Jose Earthquakes (USA)

*Osvaldo Alonso became a naturalized US Citizen earlier this year, however his nationality for FIFA purposes is still Cuba at this point.

The Puddle would like to congratulate these men for their excellent seasons in 2012.

Seattle, LA, DC, and Houston Advance to MLS Conference Finals

Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry were unable to push NYRB onward (Getty Images)

To say that the MLS playoffs have been interesting and eventful so far would be an understatement.  We've had games moved and postponed by weather, trophy winners have crashed out, there have been stellar performances in goal, and an era has probably ended at one of MLS's most successful clubs in recent years.

There was another very noticeable trend as well. Every team that had the so called "advantage" of having the second leg of the tie at home lost.  Of those four teams. only Sporting Kansas City went home in trouble, but the visitors were able to move on in every case.

The first series to be decided was Sporting KC versus Houston on Wednesday night.  The Dynamo went to Livestrong Sporting Park up 2-0 on aggregate after beating KC fairly handily at BBVA Compass Stadium.  Sporting pressed Houston all night long, but for the most part came up short trying to find the target.  Seth Sinovic scored for KC on a diving header in the 64th minute, but they couldn't beat Tally Hall again, and the US Open Cup winners crashed out of the MLS Cup Playoffs 1-2 on aggregate. 

The result in Wednesday's second match was perhaps even more surprising.  It looked like business as usual for the San Jose Earthquakes when they scored a stoppage time winner in the first leg of their series at the LA Galaxy, sending them back to Buck Shaw stadium with a 1-0 aggregate lead.   However in the second leg, LA pretty much put the "Goonies" to the sword rather quickly.  Robbie Keane scored twice and Mike Magee added one as the defending MLS Cup Champs pushed out to a 1-3 aggregate lead.  Alan Gordon added a goal late on to make it 2-3, and things seemed like they might be set up for more stoppage time magic for the Quakes, but LA held on to end the season for the Quakes, your 2012 Supporters Shield Winners.

Thursday night the odd series between New York Red Bulls and DC United finished up.  It was supposed to finish Wednesday as well, but the appearance of snow at Hurricane Sandy battered Red Bull Arena forced a 1 day postponement, much to the annoyance of DC United.  In the end, DC would get the last laugh in this wild game.  DC 'keeper Bill Hamid was sent off for bringing down Kenny Cooper in the box in the 69th minute.  Cooper converted the PK, but it was called back after NY's two most expensive players. Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry, were called for encroachment.  DC backup 'keeper Joe Willis saved the second PK attempt to preserve the 1-1 aggregate score from RFK.

Shortly thereafter, Rafa Marquez was sent off for a second yellow card, leaving both sides with 10 men.  DC's Nick DeLeon then found the winning goal late on to make the final aggregate score 1-2.

The final match of the round took place in Sandy between RSL and Seattle Sounders.  The teams had fought to a scoreless, bloody draw in Seattle, and things were largely the same at Rio Tinto Stadium as both Christian Tiffert and Tony Beltran would get bloodied in this hard fought, well played match.  In the end, Seattle capitalized on an RSL mistake, as Jamison Olave turned the ball over and Mario Martinez scored an absolute GOLAZO to notch the only goal of the series as Seattle deservedly took the tie 0-1. 

So now the season has ended for everyone but four teams, and the conference finals are set.  They'll take place over two legs on the next two Sundays, with LA and Houston hosting this weekend and Seattle and DC hosting the second legs next weekend.  Both should be interesting ties.

DC United Hopes Take Hit as DeRo Out For Season

Dwayne De Rosario suffered a major knee injury on international duty.

DC United's playoff hopes took a huge hit this week as captain Dwayne De Rosario suffered a major knee injury on international duty with Canada.  The reigning MVP suffered the injury during Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Panama.  United are currently ruling him out 10-12 weeks, which means he will miss the rest of the regular season.  They're hoping that he might be able to return for the playoffs if they're able to make a deep run.

This is a big blow to DC, who sit one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with seven matches left.  DeRo has seven goals and twelves assists on the season, landing him second in MLS in the assist category.

DC coach Ben Olsen said: 

 “DeRo is our captain, a great player and impossible to replace.  With that said, we have talented players that will step up in his absence and this injury will not be an excuse to fall short of goals we set for ourselves as a team at the beginning of the season.”

DeRo recently scored his 100th MLS goal and also became Canada's all time leading scorer.  DC host the New England Revolution Saturday in their first test without their captain.

DC United and Philadelphia Draw Contentious Derby

Dwayne De Rosario looks on after being subbed in stoppage time (Getty Images)

It used to be that the big rivalry for DC United was against the New York (or New York/New Jersey) team.  However, if this match from last night is any indication, the rivalry between United and the Philadelphia Union is getting to a rather, shall we say healthy, stage.

The match was nothing if not contentious and controversial, and it was the Union who jumped out to the early lead.  In the 8th minute Freddy Adu sent a ball in that found Carlos Valdes, whose shot was blocked by DC.  Unfortunately for United the ball fell to an onrushing Brian Carroll for the Union, who popped it into the back of the net to make it 0-1 to the visitors.

DC struck back in the second half after the cards had begun to be dealt.  Sheanon Williams picked up the first yellow of the match for Philly in the 37th, and it would come back to haunt him.  DC got their first goal in the 57th minute, courtesy of a Union own goal.  Branko Boskovic sent in a free kick that got by pretty much everyone except Union defender Amobi Okugo, who accidentally headed it into his own net to tie the match at one.

The controversy really kicked off in the 64th minute when United had a go ahead goal disallowed.  Hamdi Salihi appeared to have scored as he poked the ball past Zac MacMath, but the referee ruled that Salihi interfered with the Union shot stopper.  DC and their crowd weren't at all happy, and replays seemed to suggest that MacMath did not have control of the ball.  Nevertheless, the match continued at 1-1.

However United would have a great chance to cinch up the points late, as the Union conceded a PK in the 86th minute.  DC captain Dwayne De Rosario stepped up to take the spot kick and drilled it into the net to seemingly make it 2-1.  The celebrations were short lived though as referee Mark Geiger rained on their parade once again.  He ruled that both a DC and a Union player had encroached on the PK, so the kick had to be retaken.  This time, the replays and still photos showed Geiger to be correct.  DeRo had to wait as other Union players argued about the kick for several minutes, and finally missed the retake and the score remained 1-1.

The drama was nowhere near done though.  In the confusion around the penalty kick, a fight ensued that saw Boskovic receive a red card and Gabriel Farfan and Roger Torres receive yellow cards for Philly.  Then in the first minute of stoppage time, Emiliano Dudar got DC's second red after a nasty studs up tackle.  Philly was not able to capitalize on the two man advantage though as just a couple of minutes later Williams got his matching orders after a second yellow card.  The match descended into pushing, shoving, and near anarchy as Geiger finally blew the whistle and ended things at 1-1.

The argument going around DC this morning was that the encroachment call is "trifling" and should not have been called by Geiger, basically saying the Salihi's infraction didn't affect anything and should not have been called.  This apparently comes from a USSF clarification on the LOTG.  However, DC clearly had a player in the arc and Philly clearly had a player in the box when DeRo struck the kick.  However FIFA law 14 clearly states that if a player from both teams encroach, the kick must be retaken.  Add to that the fact that Geiger warned the players before hand about encroachment, and there's no surprise that it was called.  In the end, the referee doesn't take the kick, and had DeRo hit the second attempt, this conversation would not be happening.

I doubt that it will make DC United fans feel better though, but the point does put DC back into the playoff places in the east, 1 point ahead of Montreal.

Match Thoughts: Sporting Kansas City vs. D.C. United

Teal Bunbury works around DC's Chris Korb (Getty Images)

This match really could have been one of the weekend's main events with a healthy DC United squad, however the squad that took to the pitch in Kansas City was missing several key players and had a tough time challenging Sporting.  However, knowing that that KC had just played a hard fought cup final in the midweek, DC still had hopes of getting a result.

Sporting sought to crush those hopes early on though, setting the pace right out of the gate.  Over the first 10 minutes of the match Sporting gained an increasing amount of time on the ball, and it was only a matter of time until the quality chances started coming along.  Their first goal of the match came in the 13th minute.  Graham Zusi knocked a corner kick toward the six, where it found the waiting head of Teal Bunbury.  The KC forward calmly headed the ball past Bill Hamid to make it 1-0 to Sporting and leaving the visitors scratching their heads.

DC United did find a way to stay in the match, even though they really didn't look very dangerous on offense.  They struck gold on a counter attack chance in the 23rd minute, with Honduran Olympian Andy Najar providing the spark.  Bolting up the pitch, Najar connected with Nick DeLeon in the area, who worked around a Sporting defender and slotted the ball home to knot the match at 1-1.

That would be about all that DC United could muster though, as Sporting really took control in the second half.  Zusi nearly put the men in blue on top in the 53rd minute, but his effort to chip Hamid hit the crossbar.  it was the second time Zusi had hit woodwork in this one.  However just ten minutes later he hit pay dirt.  Kei Kamara had sent a cross through the box that found it's way all the way through to Zusi on the far post.  He smartly slapped a shot through Hamid's legs and into the net to make it 2-1, which was the score at full time.

Notes:  With the win, Sporting takes control of sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference on 43 points, two ahead of New York.  They showed no hangover from their midweek match, with several players, including Zusi, going the distance.  Zusi is also my man of the match with a goal and an assist.  DC United was missing several key players, including Dwayne De Rosario, Maicon Santos, Hamdi Salhi, and Robbie Russell.  Formerly in first place, they now sit just three points ahead of the Montreal Impact for the final playoff spot in the East.

Puddle's MLS Preview 6/23-6/24

When looking at the MLS fixture slate this weekend, there's automatically two matches that jump out at you, unless you're just here for the Cascadia.  On Saturday, the top two teams in the Western Conference will do battle at Rio Tinto Stadium as Real Salt Lake hosts the San Jose Earthquakes.  Sunday will feature a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference's top two sides, as the New York Red Bulls host DC United.  Let's start with a look at the action that will take place at Red Bull Arena.

New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United, Sunday, 6/24/12, 7PM EDT.

The Red Bulls have struggled a little bit coming out of the international break, with a loss against Chicago and underwhelming draw at Vancouver.  However, they haven't had their best players on the pitch either.  Both Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez have been missing of late, and both are officially listed as questionable for this match. 

If they don't play in this one, where will the Red Bulls get the goals to compete with the high octane DC offense?  Last Wednesday Heath Pearce scored off of a set piece, but it was his first goal in MLS in four years.  Kenny Cooper was largely absent against Vancouver without the creative force of Henry teamed up with him.  This time the Red Bulls will also be without Dane Richards for this one, who picked up 5th yellow card during the midweek match. 

Things are a little bit more straight forward for DC United.  MF Danny Cruz is listed as probable, but the rest of the Eagles' big guns look set to roll.  Last time out against the Red Bulls at RFK, DC got a hat trick from Chris Pontius en route to a 4-1 win last April.  They'll be looking to assert their dominance over the Eastern Conference with a repeat performance.  It'll be up to the patchwork New York back line and ROY contender Ryan Meara in goal to keep the Red Bulls in this one.

Mark Geiger will be the center referee in this match.  His stats in 97 MLS matches:  FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 22; pens: 32.  I look for the Red Bulls to actually hold United off at home and pull out a 2-1 win.  If DC come out with a victory, they'll be up 6 points on NY.


Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes, Saturday, 6/23/12, 7PM MDT

Real Salt Lake is going to have plenty of motivation to come out and win 3 points against the Quakes.  Last April, RSL went down to nine men when playing the Quakes in San Jose.  Despite that, they took a 1-1 draw into stoppage time only to fall 3-1 to two late goals.  Then you have comedy of errors that led to the 2-3 defeat to the Galaxy Wednesday night.

Perhaps the biggest thing RSL can do is eliminate the many individual mistakes the cost them so dearly against LA.  They'll also need to keep their heads on straight as Beckerman, Morales, and Saborio will be suspended with their next yellow card.  Morales and Olave are listed as probable, while Luis Gil and Sebastian Velasquez are listed as questionable. 

The Quakes formula is simple, do what they've done all year.  A good defense and good 'keeper will keep them in the match and Lenhart and Wondolowski will get their chances.  RSL will have to come together at the back to stop them.    For San Jose, Ramiro Corrales and Diver/Wanker Alan Gordon will be suspended on their next yellow card. 

Jair Marufo is the ref in charge of this one.  His stats in 135 MLS matches: FC/gm: 24.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 32; pens: 42.  I'll take RSL to right the ship at home, though San Jose will certainly get their chances.  I'm going with RSL 3-2 in an entertaining match.

US Open Cup 4th Round Review

Last night wasn't quite as bad for MLS teams in the US Open Cup.  After all, DC and Colorado lost to other MLS sides.  However, there was at least one major disappointment for the MLS faithful to swallow as well.

That disappointment was the New York Red Bulls.  They lost 3-1 to the Harrisburg City Islanders in extra time.  The Islanders are known for giant killing in this tourney, but that's not likely to console the Red Bulls.  With the match knotted at 1-1 in the 4th minute of extra time, former Red Bull Sainey Touray lobbed a shot in over Ryan Meara to make it 2-1.  After the Red Bulls were incorrectly denied a PK for a handball, Lucky Mkosana fired home the final nail in the coffin in the 112th minute to make the final 3-1.

Handball in the box also played a significant roll in Chivas USA's 1-2 at the Carolina Railhawks.  Carolina had just taken down the Galaxy in the last round, but couldn't pull off the double over the LA teams.  Juan Pablo Angel hit a penalty kick in second half stoppage time after a Railhawk's defender handled in the box to give the Goats the win.

As mentioned earlier, there were two matches that took place between MLS sides.  Philadelphia needed extra time to overcome DC United 1-2 at DC.  At Livestrong Sporting Park, Sporting Kansas City shut down the Colorado Rapids en route to a 2-0 win.

The most interesting match of the night was supposed to be Seattle Sounders vs Cal FC at Seattle's Starfire Sports complex.  Amateur side Cal FC, coached by former US Soccer great Eric Wynalda, pulled off the upset in round 3 against Portland, but Seattle was just too big of an ask.  Despite being held scoreless in the first half, the Sounders poured on five in the second, two by Fredy Montero, to make it 5-0 at full time.

The evening's slate was rounded out in San Jose where the Earthquakes were pitted against Minnesota Stars FC, who took down Real Salt Lake last week at Rio Tinto Stadium.  Minnesota couldn't pull off the upset for the second straight week, as a goal from Steven Lenhart propelled San Jose to the 1-0 win.

Two other matches were held without MLS sides.  The Dayton Dutch Lions beat the Michigan Bucks 2-1 and the Charlotte Eagles took down NASL's San Antonio Scorpions 2-1 in extra time.

Match Thoughts: DC United vs New England Revolution

DC keeper Bill Hamid celebrates after the conclusion of the match (Getty Images)

First place in the Eastern Conference was up for grabs Saturday afternoon as DC United took on the New England Revolution.  A win for United would move them ahead of New York and Sporting KC for top spot.  The Revs needed 3 points to try to close the gap opening up between them and the middle of the Eastern table; Houston, Columbus, and Chicago.

The match was slow to get started as these oldest of MLS rivals felt each other out.  Still it was obvious that DC United had the better energy in the first half, and for the most part they were side pushing the advantage.  The first chance of the match fell to Hamdi Salihi in the 13th minute, but he watched his header go wide of the target.  United would take the lead two minutes later though.  Branko Boskovic sent a free kick into the area from distance and defender Brandon McDonald headed the ball into goal to make it 1-0 to DC United.

New England head man Jay Heaps was clearly exasperated, not only because the Revs conceded the early goal, but because the passion just didn't seem to be there in response.  It got worse for New England before halftime as well.  In the first minute of stoppage time United sent a corner kick into the six.  A scrum ensued, and DC defender Dejan Jakovic emerged and smacked the ball into the back of the net to give United the 2-0 lead going into halftime.

As the teams headed into the locker rooms, Jay Heaps got all fired up and went and screamed in the referee's face.  Apparently he gave his team the same treatment, because they came out looking like a totally different side in the 2nd half.

In the 48th minute Benny Feilhaber sent a scorching shot in at DC 'keeper Bill Hamid.  Hamid managed to parry the shot away, but the ball fell right to Saer Sene, who easily poked home the rebound to make it 2-1.  Just two minutes later, the Revs earned a corner kick, and AJ Soares headed it in for the equalizer. The teams proceeded through the next ten minutes on even ground at 2-2.

DC had one more trick up their sleeves though, and his name was Dwayne De Rosario.  In the 61st minute he penetrated the penalty area, then passed back to the top of the box where Maicon Santos was waiting.  Santos proceeded to smash the ball past Matt Reis to give DC United the 3-2 lead.

New England didn't just roll over though.  In the 90th minute Kelyn Rowe put a header on frame that looked to be the equalizer, but Hamid was able to save the shot and preserve the 3-2 win at full time.

NOTES: DC United did in fact take over first place in the east on 27 points from 15 matches. They trail only Real Salt Lake in the overall table, as RSL has 29 points from 14 matches.  Their next MLS match will be at Philadelphia on June 16.  The loss mires the Revs in 7th place, just one point ahead of the expansion Impact.  However, The Revs get a chance to make up ground as they play Chicago next weekend while the rest of the league is idle.

Match Thoughts: DC United vs. Colorado Rapids

Conor Casey was back in action for Colorado. (Getty Images)

Last night MLS staged a midweek stinker featuring a tired Houston squad and a Portland squad coming off of a bye.  Tonight they did the same, with a tired DC United team hosting the well rested Colorado Rapids.  Perhaps the Rapids were too well rested.  At least there were goals in this one tonight, but that ended up being little consolation for the Rapids.

Not much went wrong for DC United, and not much went right for Colorado.  The first half was a particularly dull affair.  Colorado seemed to get the ball for some fairly decent spells, but most of the possession proved rather pointless.  Once in awhile, they would try to flip the ball into Conor Casey, but the service was never all that great, and when it was, the big man was often hit with fouls for pushing off his mark.

DC seemed to be mostly content to sit back and hit on the counter, and that's how they got their first goal of the match.  Lewis Neal and Dwayne De Rosario streaked up the pitch, and the Rapids fell all over themselves on the back line, leaving DeRo with an easy look which he promptly smacked past a bewildered Matt Pickens to make it 1-0. 

After attaining the first goal, DC seemed to smell blood and took a little bit more of the attacking initiative.  Both Robbie Russell and Andy Najar would test Pickens again before the half, but the Colorado keeper played extremely well and kept the score at 1-0 going into halftime.

The Rapids looked a little better in the second half and finally put some pressure on Bill Hamid's goal.   In the early minutes both Tony Cascio and Jamie Castrillon managed decent looks, but the US U-23 keeper kept both shots out.

DC United stepped up and put the game away at the hour mark.  De Rosario again found himself free of the Rapids defense, which was a mess all night.  He cracked a shot that Pickens was able to knock away, but the rebound fell to Hamdi Salihi, who jumped to his left to knock the ball into the open net to make it 2-0.  Colorado would not threaten the DC goal again, and United ended up with the comfortable 2-0 win at full time.

NOTES:  New Rapids signing Edu checked into the game in the 65th minute, but failed to materialize as a threat.  It was his first appearance.  The win moves DC United level with Sporting Kansas City for second place in the East.

Match Thoughts: Houston Dynamo vs DC United

The new home of the Houston Dynamo:  BBVA Compass Stadium (Getty Images)

It looked like the star of this match was going to be Houston's brand new stadium, that is until one Brad Davis showed up.  His second half strike helped the Dynamo open their stadium in style, leading them to a 1-0 win over Eastern Conference foe DC United.

Despite a somewhat tentative start from both teams, it was clear throughout the match that the Dynamo were the side in the ascendency.  The more the match wore on, the more the Houston heat took effect on both clubs, but more so on DC United.  DC did have a chance in minute 13, but Maicon Santos saw his shot go wide.

After that it was pretty much all Dynamo, with Bill Hamid turning in a great performance to keep United in the match.  Houston had a couple of good chances before the break, as Bobby Boswell missed a shot in the 36th, and Je-vaughn Watson put a shot over the bar in stoppage time to keep the score 0-0 going into half time.

Davis's goal of the week candidate strike came in the 67th minute.  He took a ball from André Hainault and blasted a shot toward the goal from thirty plus yards.  Hamid jumped to his left at full stretch but couldn't get to the ball as it nestled in the net to give the Dynamo a 1-0 lead.

After that about the only thing the Dynamo faithful could ask for was a goal from their Captain, Brian Ching.  The beloved striker was somewhat controversially reattained from Montreal after being lost in the expansion draft, but it's clear his home really is in Houston.  He tried his best to add to Houston's goal tally, but just couldn't quite do it.  Hamid saved a close up effort in the 76th and he missed the target in the 77th.  He left the match in the 84th minute to a standing ovation.  In the end, the Dynamo would take it as they held on for the 1-0 victory.

NOTES:  Ching had reason to hope for a goal.  When Houston played their first match at Robertson Stadium in 2006, he scored 4 goals.  The win snaps a five game winless spell for the Dynamo, that included a loss at DC United a couple of weeks back.  For United, the biggest talking point was an injury to Perry Kitchen, who left the match in the first half with an ankle injury.  However, an MRI came back negative and he is listed as questionable for DC's next match against the Rapids.

Gotta See Save: Jon Busch Saves DeRo Bicycle

The full highlights are awesome, but move to about 4:15 to see the awesome save. I'm not sure what the sickest part of this highlight is: DeRo's bicycle or Busch's ninja save. What a play!

Match Thoughts: San Jose Earthquakes vs. DC United

DC's Dwayne De Rosario and San Jose's Chris Wondolowski Wednesday night. (Getty Images)

This Major League Soccer match was well hyped beforehand, and thankfully lived up to that hype.  San Jose has taken a lot of folks by surprise this year, firing atop the Western Conference.  DC United continues it's own resurgence, but most of their matches had been against Eastern Conference foes thus far.  Facing the Quakes at Buck Shaw Stadium was going to be a stern test of their team.  Some pundits are classifying this as the game of the year in MLS to this point.  I'll still take Portland vs. RSL, because it ended up being a closer margin, but this match is a close second.

DC United has really cranked up the offense this year, much of it thanks to Maicon Santos.  They've also been pressuring and scoring early in matches, and that was this case in this one as well.  Santos himself fired the opening salvo of the match in the 4th minute, but his shot from distance failed to hit the target.  It turns out that DC was just ranging in on the Quakes' goal.  In the 8th minute Danny Cruz dribbled toward the top of the penalty area, but was fouled and lost the ball.  The referee played a great advantage and the ball fell to Dwayne De Rosario, who hammered the ball into the Quakes' net to make it 0-1 to DC United.  Just two minutes later, they nearly doubled the lead, but Santos's free kick was well saved by Jon Busch.

Then San Jose woke up after going down a goal and woke up in a big way.  In the 13th minute they sent in a corner that found the head of Steven "Sideshow" Lenhart.  Unfortunately, the Quakes' forward watched it smack off the crossbar.  That didn't get Lenhart down though.  In the 19th minute Tressor Moreno had his shot blocked, but the ball fell kindly to Lenhart, who blasted it pats Joe Willis to tie the match at 1-1. 

San Jose was nowhere near down though, their offense just exploded.  In the 21st minute Simon Dawkins slipped the ball deftly to Chris Wondolowski in the box, and Wondo neatly tucked the finish home to make it 2-1 to San Jose.  Then in the 31st minute, Lenhart had a shot blocked in the 18, but Justin Morrow got a hold of it and managed to put a seeing eye shot into the DC goal to make it 3-1.

DC did respond though, and in the 34th minute they nearly got one back.  Dwayne De Rosario sent a Wayne Rooney-esque bicycle kick in on target from just outside the six.  Busch channeled all his Jedi powers, and dove back to his far post to make a gorgeous save and preserve the 3-1 San Jose lead going into halftime.

There were more goals to come in the second half as Ben Olsen made some offensive subs for United.  One of those was Andy Najar, who sent a shot in on the 63rd minute only to see it miss.  However DC did get one back in the 64th as Najar sent a gorgeous cross back across the six.  Daniel Woolard came diving in at the back post and sent a bullet header into the net to make it 3-2.

However, San Jose was determined to get their points at home and proceeded to put up yet two more goals.  In the 70th minute Steven Beitashour sent a nice ball across to Wondo, whose header easily beat Willis to make it 4-2.  Lenhart would add another in the 74th.  Marvin Chavez hit the crossbar from distance but Lenhart came charging in to tap into the net for an easy one to make it 5-2.

DC would get one last consolation goal in the 88th minute, as Hamdi Salihi expertly chipped the ball over Busch to make 5-3.  Still, it was too little too late, and San Jose held on through stoppage time to preserve the win and move into 1st place in the west all by themselves.

Not only was this game awesome because of all the goals, but both managers sent their teams out to play for the win.  There was no bunkering in.  Fans would like to see more of that in MLS, as opposed to the stinkfest that ended up being the Montreal vs TFC game in the Canadian championship.  This one was two offensive minded teams going at it, and it made for great entertainment.

Puddle's MLS Matches of the Week.

Last year I wrote a few entries previewing all of the MLS for a particular weekend.  Well my work schedule has changed a bit since then, so I don't get to do as much reading prior to the fixtures.  This year I'm going to try just a picking a couple of matches and keeping an eye on them.

D.C. United vs Houston Dynamo:
RFK Stadium, Saturday, 4/28/12 7:30 PM EDT

Last year the Houston Dynamo represented the Eastern Conference in MLS Cup.  Meanwhile, DC United began a process of trying to restore themselves to MLS powerhouse status under Ben Olsen.  This year both of these clubs are off to a pretty hot start, under somewhat different circumstances.

The Houston Dynamo come into the match on the sixth game of a rough road trip as they wait for the opening of their new BBVA Compass Stadium.  However, they've done well so far, claiming 8 points in the first five matches of the season.  Last week they played to a 2-2 draw against Columbus at Crew Stadium.  DC United currently sit in second place in the east, on 12 points.  Last weekend they thumped the New York Red Bulls at RFK stadium 4-1, in a match that was never close.

It will be interesting to see if Houston can contain DC's offense, which has really been amongst the goals in recent weeks.  Maicon Santos has been especially hot, scoring 4 goals and adding 1 assist in the last 5 games.  Also, Chris Pontius scored a hat trick last weekend against New York.  However, these aren't DC's only weapons.  Nick DeLeon is certainly an early contender for Rookie of the Year.  He's scored three goals already this season, tops among rookies.  Houston also can't forget Dwayne De Rosario, who hasn't found the back of the net yet in 2012, but is always orchestrating the United attack.

For the Dynamo, they'll still be without a couple of key figures.  Colin Clark is still serving his early season suspension, and Brad Davis is still listed as doubtful.  Luckily for the Dynamo, they've had some different weapons start to emerge in the last couple of weeks, namely their forwards.  Through the first three matches of the season, the Dynamo forwards had not contributed either a goal or an assist.  However, Will Bruin and Brian Ching have combined for the last three Dynamo tallies, leading them to draws in their last two away matches.  Houston will need these guys to put in a good work rate against a reforged DC back line now anchored by former RSL man Robbie Russell.

Houston leads the all time series between the two clubs 7-3.  There have been 2 draws.  However, all 3 of DC's wins have come at RFK.  I look for DC to have too many weapons and outlast the road weary Dynamo.  I'll say it'll be 2-1 DC at full time.


L.A. Galaxy vs. F.C. Dallas
 Home Depot Center, Saturday, 4/28/12 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Galaxy have pulled themselves away from the brink, and off of the foot of the Western Conference table, after a horrid start to the season.  Maybe expectations were tempered for the Galaxy after early home losses and an early exit from Champions League.  Maybe they just finally got their act together.  Who knows?  They do seem to be getting back in the saddle a bit after holding on to a tough win at the Colorado Rapids last weekend.

FC Dallas has been trending the other direction.  Over the last few years they've been a Western Conference power, but they've been sputtering this year.  Last weekend they lost 1-0 up in Vancouver, and dropped points at home against Real Salt Lake midweek, coming out with a 1-1 draw after being dominated in the second half.

The Hoops will have more hands to the pump against the Galaxy this weekend though.  Blas Perez will return after being suspended against RSL, so he'll be somewhat rested.  Jackson has been recalled from loan at Cruziero in Brazil, and made his first appearance of the year midweek.  Team them with Brek Shea and they could possibly deal some damage to an LA defense that has yet to hold a clean sheet this season.

However the Galaxy have been tuning up their weapons the last couple of weeks as well, beating both Portland and the Rapids.  Still, it must be said that they didn't dominate either opponent.  Only a Josh Saunders penalty stop preserved all three points against Colorado, and they didn't really get a good grip against the Timbers until late in the second half.  Certainly, Keane and Donovan will be about their usual activities, and David Beckham is listed as questionable, but should see minutes.  It will be interesting to see if the supporting cast can help them step up against a tough Dallas defense.  Keeper Kevin Hartman is listed as questionable to go against the Galaxy attack, however EJ Holland's article on the Dallas injury list says he will not play, and backup Chris Seitz will get his third consecutive start.

I'm going to call this one a draw, but I want to pick the Galaxy.  I do think they'll get to Seitz, however, with Perez coming back rested and Brek Shea being, well, Brek Shea, I look for them to keep the vulnerable Galaxy defense from notching their first clean sheet of the year.  Look for 1-1 or 2-2 at full time.

 

Match Thoughts: DC United vs. Montreal Impact

D.C. United's Dwayne De Rosario against the Montreal Impact (Getty Images)

D.C. United came into this match a little high on the hog, and rightly so.  They were unbeaten in their last four matches, including an impressive 1-2 win at New England last weekend.  One would have to figure they'd have a pretty good chance on their home turf against the road weary, expansion Montreal Impact.  That wasn't quite how it panned out though.

If I'm honest with you, the first half was a bit drab in this one.  Neither team created many chances, and the ones that came long weren't really good ones.  Montreal captain Davy Arnaud probably had the best look of the first half in the 22nd minute, but he hit his fairly open shot over the bar.

Most disturbing for DC was the fact that they seemed to be getting outworked for large stretches of time.  Montreal was winning a lot of the 2nd balls, and their front line was fairly easily winning balls in the air against the DC defense.  For offense, DC seemed content to lob the ball deep to try and find Pontius or De Rosario.  It didn't really work, but they held on to keep the match scoreless going into halftime.

They certainly changed things going into the second half, coming out with a lot more energy, but again, they really couldn't create any quality chances, save one when Donovan Ricketts managed to shut down De Rosario in a 1 v 1 situation.  The longer the game stayed scoreless, the more confident the Impact got.  Montreal turned this confidence into chances and then into the first goal of the night.

In the 67th minute, Bernardo Corradi got a pass from Arnaud in the six, but poked his shot just wide of the near post.  However, he got it right just two minutes later.  This time he got on the end of a gorgeous cross from Lamar Neagle and tucked the ball into the back of the net to make it 0-1 to the Impact. 

However, DC United had an ace up their sleeve and his name was Maicon Santos.  Santos has been cast off by a couple of teams in the last year, but he's been on fire for DC.  He kind of took the team on his shoulder and got them back in the match.  In the 72nd minute he knotted the match at 1-1 with a rocket strike from outside the top of the box.  Ricketts was helpless to stop it.

Montreal didn't look to be content with the draw though, and they had a great chance to pick up all three points late.  In the 87th minute, the Impact got a flurry of chances at the DC goal.  Most of the shots were blocked, but the ball finally fell to Arnaud, who looked to have anther great look.  However, he once again missed the target, and the match ended 1-1.

The result gave the Impact their first ever road point in MLS, and they played well enough in stretches to earn all three.  DC fought back well, but the continuation of their unbeaten streak may ring hollow as they've dropped more points at home.