We're about two-thirds complete with the MLS season and we still haven't figured much out. One week, New England is the best team in the league, the next thing you know they are dropping their second straight game. San Jose meanwhile was given up for dead but now they are legitimately chasing a playoff spot. It's part of the topsy-turvy league that is MLS.
Top XI
G: Joe Cannon
D: Seth Stammler
D: Nick Garcia
D: Chad Marshall
M: Ricardo Clark
M: Fred
M: Paulo Nagamura
M: Guillermo Barros Schelotto
M: Ronnie O'Brien
F: Conor Casey
F: Brian Ching
Coach: Tom Soehn. A day after acquiring Louis Crayton, he puts the Liberian into the starting lineup and is rewarded with a shutout. It came a lot sooner than Zach Wells' first clean sheet and may have spelled the end of Wells' tenure as starting 'keeper.
Top goal: Plenty to choose from but I'll go with Ricardo Clark's long-distance blast against Real Salt Lake.
Top save: Joe Cannon made a save midway through the second half that could have leveled terms. Adam Cristman knocked a shot on goal off a corner kick but Cannon did well to make the save. Had the Revs tied it, perhaps that late goal onslaught doesnt come as easily - or at all.
Top game: Galaxy-Chivas USA. Yes, it's a battle of struggling teams but the game was what we've come to expect from a Clasico.
LOWLIGHTS
Sean Franklin had a horrific, horrific night for the Galaxy. He was burned badly twice, and both plays resulted on goals. He actually got lucky that his elbow on Jesse Marsch didn't result in a red card. It may have been unintentional but an unintentional elbow cost a player a red card Sunday as Gabriel Cichero was sent off after elbowing Danny Dichio in New York's game with Toronto. Somehow, though, Franklin is thought to be a Rookie of the Year candidate.
New England fell apart at the seams against San Jose. Yes, the 'Quakes are better but New England shouldn't have lost 4-0 to them.
Cobi Jones should have been given more time as Galaxy coach. I thought he should have stayed the rest of the season, but Bruce is Bruce and the Galaxy management wanted to go in a different direction. With Cobi, though, that direction may have included the playoffs. Now, I don't see that happening.
Have to disagree with you on Franklin. Don't know about the elbow because the only TV view of it was from so far away I couldn't tell if it was inadvertent or not, but I watched both Chivas Goals multiple times and Franklin did the best he could on both goals and was hung out to dry both times by lack of any midfield support and Chris Klein being pushed too far up the field to get back and help. Because of that, on both goals, Franklin was left to cover 2 men. Even a Rookie of the Year candidate can't cover 2 men...
ReplyDeleteStammler was his usual solid self, but if any players stood out for the Red Bulls, it was Juan Pietravallo and Mike Magee.
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