MLS Recap, Giovinco continues to amaze while Drogba has a moment of madness

Article by Matt Lichtenstadter   Now that the All Star Game is a distant memory, and the secondary transfer window is about to shut, the stretch run in the 2016 MLS Season is truly on. Playoff races are starting to tighten up, a couple of teams have thrown in the towel on this current season and are prepping for the next one and a few clubs are going to have to start juggling commitments and competitions against each other. It makes for a fascinating time in the season, and there was no shortage of fascinating storylines this weekend.   Did NYCFC play their Best Game Ever? Any time a club wins 5-1, it raises eyebrows. Beating a team 5-1 that had only allowed seven goals total in their previous five games, hadn’t lost in nearly four months and hadn’t given up more than two in any game this season without the league’s leading scorer is wildly impressive. Most of the damage was done after Colorado went down to 10 men, but the performance they put in against the Rapids can’t be undersold. Beyond Frank Lampard’s hat trick, and his MLS career has rebounded in much the same way Steven Gerrard’s has, NYCFC’s depth showed up and made an impact. Steven Mendoza and Tony Taylor both scored with David Villa shelved, and Patrick Vieira’s team is going to need those goals come the postseason to do any damage. But once again, they looked vibrant going forward with Jack Harrison instrumental as ever and their back four was solid. Colorado was due a game like this, especially considering the luck they’ve ridden all year, but this result says way more about NYCFC than it does them. They’ve scored, and given up, the most goals in the league, which means their games are often exciting. Saturday in the Bronx was no different.   Nico Lodeiro is for real, but the Sounders are still Snakebitten: The Sounders have been crying out for a player of Nicolas Lodeiro’s quality not just this year but last too, and he immediately made a major impact for Brian Schmetzer’s Sounders in his first game with the club. Instantly, the Rave Green looked more positive and fluid going forward, and if it wasn’t for multiple goal line clearances, Seattle would have won convincingly. But, those goal line clearances always seemed to come, and in a sign that it’s not the Sounders season, the Galaxy equalized on a horrific defensive lapse in a game they did not deserve anything from. The signs are positive for the Sounders going forward with Lodeiro and former Sounder Alvaro Fernandez back in the fold, but maybe 2017 is when the full effects of the big money moves this summer will come.   Orlando City looks the part for Jason Kreis: Kreis’ first game in the Orlando City dugout was a successful 3-1 comeback against New England at the Citrus Bowl, and many are going to wonder: where have these Lions been? Their sluggish start has hidden just how good Cyle Larin and Kevin Molino are, but also how much talent they have elsewhere that wasn’t used properly under Adrian Heath. Even Antonio Nocerino, who has been a disaster of a signing for Orlando City, looked right. There is still plenty of work for Kreis to do to steer OSCS into the postseason, but this is not a bad way to start. And though the Revs lost, it was awesome to see Charlie Davies back on the pitch after missing a few months fighting cancer. His story is one of the most tragic in US Soccer history, and it was great to see him back on the pitch again.   Sebastian Giovinco continues to Toy with MLS Defenses: I don’t mean this in any negative way: Sebastian Giovinco is too good for MLS. He does things that almost no other player in the league can do on a seemingly weekly basis. TFC doesn’t have Michael Bradley, Will Johnson or Benoit Cheyrou right now all due to injuries, and that trio is the basis of the TFC midfield. But thanks to Giovinco, it doesn’t really matter. Another game, another goal and two assists to the Atomic Ant’s credit. He was on an eight game scoreless drought, but has busted out of that in a big way. It’s rare that Toronto FC is a quieter team among the league’s stories, but they’re a supremely dangerous team come the playoffs with Giovinco in this form and the depth they’re developing. By the way, the fortunes in Columbus haven’t changed a bit, and it’s time to wonder if Gregg Berhalter is the next manager to be handed a pink slip.   Didier Drogba gets a Red Card: Against DC United, Didier Drogba had a bit of a moment of madness. He put his foot through Marcelo Sarvas after the two had gone into a challenge, and it was a moment of rash indiscipline for a player that usually does a good job in keeping his head, though not here. The Impact managed to scrape a 1-1 draw out of DC in a game they played quite poorly in, and not having Drogba next week will hurt, but the Impact have done well without him before.   What to watch for next week: MLS’ involvement in the CONCACAF Champions League begins, with four of the five teams that qualified in action, including the Whitecaps, Red Bulls, Timbers and FC Dallas. Of the five teams in, only FC Dallas has really assured themselves of a playoff spot, so how those teams juggle the playoff race and these extra fixtures will be a fascinating watch. Next weekend, tune in for NYCFC’s road trip to San Jose on Friday night, a matchup of Jason Kreis against a team many thought he’d eventually coach in Seattle, and the first New York-LA matchup of the season as the Red Bulls travel to Carson to play the Galaxy. Don’t forget, MLS’ transfer window closes on Wednesday, though moves can still be announced after and players can still move on after the window closes as well.