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.

Mixed Results for MLS at the End of CCL Group Stage.

The group stage of the 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions League wrapped up last night, and it was a mixed summer for MLS squads.  This year the LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes, and Sporting Kansas City filled the four US slots in the tournament while fellow MLS side Montreal Impact took the one Canadian slot available.  Three of the five MLS clubs will be moving on, but each one will face a tough Liga Mx side in the quarterfinals.

As RSL found out last year, the new tourney format with 8 groups and only the winner advancing is quite unforgiving.  The Dynamo learned this lesson last night as well as they fell to Arabe Unido 1-0 in Panama, which knocked them out of the tournament.  Of course, they continued to participate in what to me is a disturbing trend, MLS clubs fielding weaker sides in these matches.  Now, it's hard to blame the Dynamo for doing this when they have their regular season finale this weekend with the playoffs on the line, but it still goes to show where most MLS clubs rank this tournament.

Also in action last night were the LA Galaxy who traveled to El Salvador to take on to take on Isidro Metapan.  The Galaxy also fielded a weakened side, but their passage to the next round was already assured.  However, Metapan forward Nicholas Munoz dropped an insane 4 goals on the defending MLS Champs to crush them 4-0.  The Galaxy dropped from the 1 to the 6 seed in the next round with the loss, which as we'll see in a minute, created an interesting matchup.

Wednesday night Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes secured their passage to the knockout rounds as well.  Sporting held Honduran side Olimpia to a 0-0 draw at Sporting Park and the Quakes managed a 1-0 win over Heredia at Buck Shaw, thanks to a goal from Chris Wondolowski.

With all that said, here are the CCL Quarterfinal pairings, with the higher seed listed first:

Toluca vs San Jose Earthquakes
Cruz Azul vs Sporting Kansas City
Club Tijuana vs LA Galaxy
Arabe Unido vs Alajuelense

Honestly, I don't see much hope for MLS sides in this draw.  The Liga MX sides will be into their second half and the MLS sides will be looking at preseason type form.  Toluca should smash the the Quakes.  Sporting could have a shot at Cruz Azul if they can win at home.  The most interesting matchup is Tijuana and Herculez Gomez vs the Galaxy.  The Xolos haven't exactly been setting Liga Mx on fire, currently placed 12th out of 18.  However I still think this is going to be a tough ask for the Galaxy.  Should be a great tie to watch though.  Maybe Fox Sports 1 will actually show it, if not I can watch it on the Mexican broadcast I guess.  I'm sure Fox will have better things to show, like 20 consecutive replays of it's highlights show.

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.

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.

Montreal Impact Name New Coach.

The Montreal Impact have named Marco Schallibaum their new head coach

You probably missed this headline, in fact I had to dig for it, but yes the Montreal Impact have named their new head coach for next season.  This is probably a good thing for them as the MLS Combine kicks off later this week.  (Somebody might wanna wake up the Red Bulls.)

Today the Canadian franchise named Marco Schallibaum as the man to take the helm next season.  Who is he, you ask?  Well, apparently he's been a big deal in the Swiss Super League, managing FC Basel, FC Sion, and BSC Young Boys.  He's also worked as a FIFA coaching instructor in Qatar, South Korea, and Mongolia....of all places.

Seemingly more importantly to L'Impact, Schallibaum speaks four languages.  Among those languages is Italian, which will obviously help as Montreal further attempts to become the first Italian Serie A side based outside of Italy.  Either that or they just like washed up Euros.

If you sense my skepticism and sarcasm, sorry.  Honestly I thought Jesse Marsch did a pretty decent job last year, but rumors suggest that part of his issue was not being on the same page as the club's almighty Italian contingent.  In the end, I'm also somewhat skeptical of "Euro" coaches ultimately finding a lot of success in MLS, Exhibit A: Aron Winter.  Exhibit B: Hans Backe.

At any rate, Montreal seems to have a pretty good fanbase going up there, I'd hate to see them become another TFC, but time will tell.

Jesse Marsch Out in Montreal

The Montreal Impact and head coach Jesse Marsch have agreed to "part ways," coming to a mutual agreement to end his tenure at the helm of Major League Soccer's newest franchise.  Marsch's assistants will take over the club on an interim basis.

At a press conference yesterday Marsch said that while he and and ownership had the same long term goal for the club, they differed significantly on how to get there.  Also in attendance was Impact owner Joey Saputo, who called the situation an "amicable parting ways."  Saputo didn't comment on any exact philosophical differences between the front office and Marsch other than just to say that sometimes it's the "little things" that get in the way.

For his part, Marsch was asked if "philosophical differences" had iced the relationship between himself and star players Marco Di Vaio and Alessandro Nesta.  He responded only with, "I'm not going to comment on that.

The Montreal Impact finished 12-16-6 on 42 points.  They were 11 behind Houston for the final playoff spot in the east.  Saputo said the failure to make the playoffs was not the reason Marsch was leaving.  This was echoed by Mateo Ferrari, who told reporters that while the Impact should have made the playoffs with the team they had, the fault did not all reside with Marsch.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Sanna Nyassi vs Revs

There were quite a few wonderful goals around MLS this weekend, but to my mind, none better than this strike by Montreal's Sanna Nyassi in New England.  Check out the skill as he nutmegs one defender before slamming the finish into the back of the net.

Impact News: Rivas Suspended, Di Vaio Cleared

Montreal's Nelson Rivas has been suspended for this headbutt on Antoine Hoppenot

It's been a good news/bad news week for the Montreal Impact.  The bad news was expected.  The good news was kind of expected, but still comes as a relief for the club and their supporters.

First the bad news.  Defender Nelson Rivas has been suspended for a total of three games for the above headbutt on the Union's Antoine Hoppenot.  The second half incident resulted in a broken nose for the Union man.  Rivas will get an automatic 1 match ban for the red card, and the disciplinary committee added on an additional 2 matches.  Of course he was also fined the regular "undisclosed amount."

In better news for the Impact, DP striker Marco Di Vaio has been cleared of charges related to match fixing in Italy.  He missed the Union match while in his native country facing a hearing on those counts.  Had he been found guilty, he would have been unable to play in any professional league, including MLS.  However, as coach Jesse Marsch expected, he was found innocent and has returned to the club.  He will be available for selection when the Impact travel to take on the New England Revolution this weekend.

Match Thoughts: Impact Win 10 vs 10 Bruiser Over Union

The Union's Jack McInerney sees red after an altercation with Nelson Rivas (Getty Images)

Unfortunately the story of this match isn't going to end up being the Impact's continued dominance at Stade Saputo, or Felipe's gorgeous second half goal.  It's not going to be the Union's missed chances either.  It's going to be about two stupid choices made by players who should know better, and the Disciplinary Committee will surely have something to say about one of them.

The last time the Union met the Impact in Philly it was a close, physical affair, and it wasn't much different last night in Montreal.  However, the Union did some really nice things in the first half and probably were unlucky to not have netted at least one goal.  Lionard Pajoy nearly put Philly out in front in the 21st minute after Carlos Valdes dumped the ball to him after the Colombian had made a brilliant full field run.  Pajoy sliced through the last of Montreal's defense, but his shot hit the far post and bounced out of trouble.  Then in the 28th minute Jack McInerney headed a free kick into the ground in front of the Montreal goal, but Donovan Ricketts was on his game and managed to keep it out.

The Impact seemed to have trouble getting their attack going through much of the first half.  They were missing DP striker Marco Di Vaio, who was in Italy facing charges over the match fixing issues there.  Andrew Wenger stepped into that role, and got the Impact on the board right before halftime.  In the 44th minute Patrice Bernier sent a cross into Wenger off of a corner kick and the rookie headed an expert shot into the goal to give the Impact a 1-0 lead going to the break.

The Union nearly equalized early on in the second half as Michael Farfan nodded a Sheanon Williams cross just wide of the post, but the big story of the half came in the 69th minute.  Philadelphia's Antoine Hoppenot went up for a header with Montreal's Nelson Rivas.  Hoppenot tossed the Impact defender to the ground as the two landed, and Rivas took exception. He walked up to the Philly forward and sent him crashing to the ground with a nasty head-butt.  At that point Jack McInerney came rushing to his teammate's defense with a punch/shove from behind on Rivas.  Both Rivas and McInerney were shown the red card, McInerney's seeming to be for retaliation. 

The match did open up a little with the 10 on 10 action, but Montreal iced it in the 78th minute.  Felipe took a cross from Hassoun Camara and whipped in a goal that you'll most likely see a few times on this weeks highlight reel, and Montreal took a 2-0 lead.  In the 83rd minute Michael Farfan had a shot saved, but it fell to Valdes, who had a great look at the open net.  Unfortunately for the Union, the ball came in at a bad angle and Valdes had to lift his leg rather high to get it, tapping the the shot wide of the near post, sealing the 2-0 win for the Impact at full time.

Montreal's Rivas Channels Joey Barton, Gets Ejected (Video)

Well, well.  Check out this little altercation between between Montreal's Nelson Rivas and Philadelphia's Antoine Hoppenot and Jack McInerney.  Rivas and McInerney were shown straight reds on the play.  Do you agree?




My thought is this, the contact from McInerney probably warranted just a yellow, but when it's retaliation, expect to see red, especially from a young, card happy ref. Rivas is gonna miss a few games though.

Montreal Forward Di Vaio Faces Charges In Italy

Montreal's Marco Di Vaio is attending match-fixing hearings in Italy (CBC)

It looks like the Italian match fixing scandal may be washing up on the shores of MLS, albeit ever so briefly.  Montreal Forward Marco Di Vaio will miss this weekend's match with the Philadelphia Union as he is in his native Italy answering charges related to the most recent allegations of match fixing in that country.

The charges stem from Di Vaio's time with Bologna.  Much like Conte for Juventus, he is not charged with participating in the actual match fixing, but failure to report the activity to the Italian Footballing authorities.  If found guilty on these charges, Di Vaio could face a six month ban from playing football anywhere, even in MLS.  His MLS salary would also be subject to fine.

Di Vaio maintains his innocence and unlike Conte, has not sought a compromise or plea bargain.  The Impact are confident that he will be cleared, and he's expected to return to Montreal on Sunday.  Impact manager Jesse Marsch says he hasn't given it a second thought.

Di Vaio has struggled thus far in his first MLS campaign.  He's only scored once in eight games, but his goal came in the Impact's last match against the Red Bulls, and the Impact were hopeful that he was finally finding his feet in the league.  Rookie Andrew Wenger will start in his place against the Union.

Related to the same charges. Bologna captain Daniele Portanova faces a three year ban if convicted.

MLS Transactions; RSL Acquire Local Boy, Vancouver Sells Chiumiento

RSL have acquired former Chivas and Montreal striker Justin Braun (right)

There were a couple of big time moves that went down in MLS yesterday, one will be of particular interest to Real Salt Lake Fans.  RSL have acquired striker Justin Braun from the Montreal Impact for a conditional 2014 SuperDraft pick.  So basically RSL acquired the 2nd leading scorer in Chivas USA history for practically nothing.

Braun is also the only native of Salt Lake City currently playing in MLS, so it will be a homecoming for him.  It gives the Claret and Cobalt a nice local tie in.  Braun adds immediate depth to the RSL front line, and he is expected to compete with Paulo Jr and Emiliano Bonfigli for the the 3rd striker roll behind Alvaro Saborio and Fabian Espindola.  This will be crucial going into CONCACAF Champions League play.

Braun had 24 goals in all for Chivas USA.  He went to the Impact in a deal during the off season, but never caught on north of the border.  He's played in 12 games for the Impact this year, but has yet to score in 2012.

In other MLS player news, the Vancouver Whitecaps sold Davide Chiumiento to Swiss Super League side FC Zurich.  This is somewhat puzzling as he's been a key cog in the Whitecaps lineup this year, leading the club with five assists.  His role is expected to be filled by Scotsman Barry Robson, who has yet to impress after outings against Colorado and TFC.

Chiumiento has played in the Swiss League before.  He spent three years with FC Luzern in his native country.  In 2009-2010 he scored 11 goals for the club.

Impact Sign Nesta

New Montreal Impact signing Alessandro Nesta (TVA Sports)

So the Montreal Impact have staged a bit of a coup, signing former Italian International and AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta.  The club did not release official details of the deal, but it is believed to be an 18 month deal.  However, MLSsoccer.com is reporting that he will NOT be a designated player.

The 36 year old defender has played his entire career in his native Italy, including winning the FIFA World Cup in 2006 with the Italian National team.  He has also won the Serie A title, the UEFA Champions League, the Coppa Italia, and the FIFA Club World Cup while on duty with AC Milan.

Downside for the Impact, he's 36 years old.  Serious back injuries nearly forced his retirement a few years back.  Last season he only made 17 appearances in Serie A for Milan, along with 7 appearances in the UEFA Champions League.  It will be interesting to see how he can hold up over the course of the MLS season, with the artificial turf at some venues and the extensive travel.  However, there is no question that he will add some veteran leadership to the Impact.

MLS Slaps Beckham on the Hand, Fines Two Coaches

Ah yes, that time every week when the MLS Disciplinary Committee comes out and largely makes a fool of itself by handing down (or not handing down) punishments for the past weekend's offenses.  It's like waiting to hear about a US Supreme Court decision, only much more lame.  You may fault the Supreme Court's logic in the recent health care ruling, but they seem down right logical next to what came out of MLS today.

Rewind to last weekend's California Clasico.  Ok, first off, MLS doesn't have "clasicos."  Lets stop pretending we do.  Rivalry?  Yes.  Derby?  Sure.  Clasico?  Get outta here. 

But I digress.

Last weekend David Beckham showed us all what a complete and utter tool he can be during the Galaxy's loss to the San Jose Earthquakes.  Not only did he stomp all over the pitch throwing temper tantrums like the spoiled brat he actually is, but he got into it with the Earthquakes' MASCOT.  He also kicked a ball square at the referee, who happened to be attending to an "injured" Earthquakes player at the time.  I guess Becky-wecky was a little peeved that he didn't make the Great Britain Olympic team.

News flash dude, you play in MLS.  Your once formidable team is mired midtable.  Nobody cares.

Anyway, MLS really had the chance the drop the hammer on Beckham.  After all, Brek Shea got a three game ban for kicking the ball at a linesman a couple of months ago against the Crew.  MLS handed down Beckham's punishment today.  He got a once match ban.  Double standard much?  Yes, I know Beckham missed the last match against Philly for yellow card accumulation, but that's altogether separate.  MLS had a chance to come out and show they treat players equally in this process.  What they actually showed is that a meal ticket like Beckham is head and shoulders above everybody else, even the league's other bona fide stars like Brek Shea.  So Beckham will miss this weekend's match at Chicago.  I doubt he cares one lick.

In other semi interesting disciplinary news, MLS hit Galaxy coach Bruce Arena and Montreal coach Jesse Marsch with fines of undisclosed amounts for complaining about the officials.  Arena complains all the time.  Marsch felt his team was cheated by some questionable PK calls against Sporting Kansas City.

No word on if or when MLS will actually admit that their officials stink.

Montreal's Ricketts Injured On International Duty

Possible some bad news on the MLS injury front for the Montreal Impact.  Their number one goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was stretchered off the field in the 17th minute of Jamaica's win over Guatemala in World Cup Qualifying.  He apparently took a knock to the lower body.

Montreal manager Jesse Marsch has said that Ricketts experienced some pain in the top of his knee, and he expects the move was just a precaution.  He's expected to return to Montreal late Thursday night where the Impact medical staff will judge him for fitness for this weekend's MLS match.  Stay tuned to the MLS official site for developments.

Montreal will host Seattle Sounders at 7:30 Eastern Time on Saturday.  It will be the grand reopening of their home ground, Stade Saputo.

Match Thoughts: Sporting Kansas City vs. Montreal Impact

Felipe celebrates his opening goal at Sporting Kansas City. (MLSSoccer.com)

What have you done for me lately?  That might be the thought that Major League Soccer fans are expressing about Sporting Kansas City right now.  True, Sporting got off to one of the hottest starts in MLS history winning their first seven matches.  Since then they've had two losses book ended around a bye week, one loss to bottom of the West table Portland Timbers and the other at home to the expansion Montreal Impact.  By the time this match was over, one could see the formerly cocky attitude of Sporting completely drain away as the Impact celebrated their first ever MLS road win on the Livestrong Sporting Park pitch.

Sporting came out and appeared to have the Impact pegged wrong from the opening minutes.  They seemed to think that Montreal was just going to park the bus and try to survive the match,  This was reinforced by the comments of the SKC commentary team, who I actually really enjoy.  The Impact had other plans though.  They actually started to get some possession and really limited Sporting's chances.  C.J. Sapong forced a save out of Donovan Ricketts in minute 15, and Graham Zusi had a shot tipped wide in the 27th, but it was hardly a firing squad for the Jamaican International.

The confidence and bits of possession finally paid off for Montreal in the 30th minute.  Felipe ended up with the ball after a throw in and found some space outside the box. He blasted home the shot from distance, and it ripped past Jimmy Nielsen to give the Imapct the 0-1 lead.  Sporting were stunned.

Kansas City didn't really respond well either.  It was the first time all season that they had trailed at home.  The best they could do was a shot from Kei Kamara in the 43rd minute that failed to find the target.  The first half came to an end with the Impact still leading 0-1.

Sporting did come out a lot better in the second half and took the game to the Impact a bit.  In the 53rd minute Matt Besler had a golden chance to equalize.  He got a free header in the six yard box on a free kick but somehow missed the target, much to the dismay of the Livestrong faithful.  Kamara tried his luck in the 58th minute, but again failed to trouble Ricketts.

Then in the in the 63rd minute Montreal put the dagger in the match.   Lamar Neagle sprinted into the area for an apparent 1v1 chance with Jimmy Neilsen, but Aurélien Collin came in from behind and cut him down, conceding a PK to Montreal.  A minute later Patrice Bernier iced the spot kick to make the score 0-2 to Montreal.

After the PK goal, Montreal did finally bunker in a bit.  Collin had a couple of chances to atone for the penalty, but sent headers wide of the target in the 66th and 72nd minute.  Roger Espinoza came closest to scoring for KC in the 88th, bombing in a shot from distance but again Ricketts was up to the task, hauling it in and preserving the 0-2 win for the Impact at full time.

Notes: It has now been over three weeks on the calendar since Sporting scored a goal, unless you count the Chance Myers own goal that sunk them in Portland.  Their scoreless streak stands at 205 minutes.  For the Impact, it was their second straight win and second straight clean sheet after blanking the Portland Timbers 2-0 in Montreal last weekend.  The Impact currently have more points than the defending MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy, 11 vs 10.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Felipe Bullet vs Sporting Kansas City

For my goal of the weekend, I take you to Livestrong Sporting Park, where Sporting KC has crashed back to earth somewhat after their rip-roaring start. Check out this wonder strike by Felipe Martins of the Montreal Impact. This was the first of two L'Impact would score on the way to sending Sporting to their first home loss of the season.

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.

Match Thoughts: Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC

Montreal Impact's Tyson Wahl in their win over TFC (AP Images)

I'm sure the Montreal Impact would have loved to have picked up their first MLS win before now, but I doubt they'll argue with getting it over their Canadian rivals Toronto FC.  Both of these clubs played, and lost, midweek but under different circumstances.  The Impact put out a gutsy performance and lost 1-0 at Real Salt Lake.  Toronto got put to the sword by Santos in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, 6-2.

Despite their drubbing in Mexico, Toronto FC looked pretty decent coming out in the opening minutes, creating a couple of chances.  In the 10th minute Logan Emory put a header wide of goal off of an attacking set piece.  Then in the 16th minute Nick Soolsma had a good look but tapped his shot just wide as well.  Soolsma was probably on TFC's best performers on the day.

Unfortunately it was bad defense and possession play that proved to be the Reds undoing in this one as well.  In the 18th minute Montreal's Sinisa Ubiparpovic got the ball from Lamar Neagle, who took it off of a lazy Terry Dunfield.  Ubiparipovic side footed the ball past Milos Kocic to make it 1-0 to Montreal.  Later, in the 28th minute, Sanna Nyassi had his chance on a break well saved by Kocic, and the teams went to the break with the Impact leading 1-0.

Montreal continued the attack in the second half as Toronto just looked war weary.  Both Felipe and Neagle had decent looks in the opening 20 minutes, but Kocic came up big and denied them.  That poor guy has just faced a firing squad this last couple of weeks.  Things didn't get any better for TFC when Emory was hit with a straight red card in the 66th minute for denying Nyassi a clear goal scoring opportunity.

There were more goals to be had in this one though.  Montreal looked to seal the match in the 81st minute when Andrew Wenger slotted the ball past Kocic on the break to make it 2-0.  It was Wenger's first MLS and professional goal.  Danny Koevermans pulled one back for Toronto in the 88th minute, heading in a cross to make it 2-1 and end the Impact's clean sheet, but it was too little, too late as the Impact held on for the 2-1 win.

The win is the first for Montreal, the former NASL side, in MLS play.  It puts them on four points.  The loss keeps Toronto in the cellar with 0 points.  They're the only MLS side to still not have a point this season.  The LA Galaxy are last in the west with three.