Article by Matt Lichtenstadter
Now that the World Cup is over, the focus shifts back to the club game, which means MLS comes back into focus. While your eyes were over in Russia, and perhaps fixated on Ronaldo transfer rumors, MLS never really stopped, and in fact plenty of big stories have already emerged. Here’s what you missed, and what you need to look out for going forward:
The Defending Champs are probably missing the Playoffs! Toronto FC came within penalties of winning the CONCACAF Champions League in April. Since then in MLS play, they’ve been an absolute mess. Three wins, four draws and seven losses has taken them almost entirely out of the playoff conversation, because even in the wacky world of MLS, an 11-point gap between them and currently sixth Montreal is an almost impossible gap to make up with 15 games to play.Injuries have played a role, but Toronto FC look like they did when they were the joke of the league, not the class of it. With contract questions coming up for Sebastian Giovinco, Jonathan Osorio, and the front office firing a few transfer blanks, the squad could look radically different come the end of the transfer window. Perhaps TFC goes all out for the Canadian Championship to win the CCL berth for Canada and resets for 2019, because the prospect of a historic set of seasons for TFC looks like a demolished dream now; not an inevitability as it did even in April.
New Coaches in New York: Both Patrick Vieira and Jesse Marsch left for European challenges during the World Cup break, to be replaced by Domenec Torrent and Chris Armas respectively. Torrent got first blood in a recent New York Derby, and has won every game but one since taking over. NYCFC are playing a more pragmatic style that has seen defensive solidity but not the same free flowing attack of the Vieira days, and the Red Bulls manic pressing is not quite as manic as it once was. There is still more evolution to come for both clubs to be sure, and the transfer window may play a major role in that evolution, but both clubs aren’t what they were before the festivities opened in Russia, and the jury is still out as to whether they’re changing for the better.
Another not-expansion Expansion Team: What Atlanta United did as an expansion team last year seemed unmatchable; that is until LAFC came along and did everything the Five Stripes did but better. They play a beautiful brand of soccer with Bob Bradley at the controls. They’ve scored 41 goals, including nine from Adama Diomande, a former player of Bradley’s at Moldewho only played his first game at the end of May. And now, LAFC’s World Cup contingent including Carlos Vela are back, plus a new DP comes into the fold in the form of Portuguese youth international Andre Horta. It’s quite possible that the league hasn’t yet seen their best, and they’re second in the West. They’re an expansion team in name only, as their play on the field shows.
Wayne Rooney takes DC: DC United have been a bit of an MLS afterthought in recent times, because they’ve played in an outdated relic of a stadium, spent relatively little on players and have had occasional good seasons mixed in with gigantic disasters in between. But now, DC United is in a new stadium called Audi Field (sans raccoons sadly, but complete with failing infrastructure already in true Washington fashion) with a superstar in Wayne Rooney wearing their number nine. He made his first appearance for DC over the weekend; a 32 minute sub appearance in which he picked up an assist. His impact has already shown off the pitch in Premier League mad Washington, but if he can be more like Robbie Keane as opposed to his former England teammates Gerrard and Lampard in MLS, then he has the potential to transform DC United from also-ran to reminding the league of what DCU was like in the early days of the league: a true force. That process may be slow to develop, but the early indications from Audi Field and the new DC United are a good sign.
Atlanta United can’t break down a parked bus: Put a thumbtack in this little note for when the playoffs come around. Atlanta United have the league’s best attack, but that mostly comes to the fold when other teams allow them to play on the counterattack and in a wide-open game. At Mercedes-Benz Stadium, most teams won’t let them play like that. When Seattle Sounders came to town and parked the bus in front of the biggest crowd in MLS history, Atlanta United couldn’t break it down. Atlanta is 5-3-4 in their last 12 games, which isn’t great, especially by their standards. Most of that has to do with teams coming to Atlanta and sitting way back in a low block, and the five stripes can’t seem to solve that dilemma. ATLU might well win the Supporter’s Shield in any regard, but there’s now a blueprint to frustrate them in Georgia, and a formula that has been terrifyingly effective. Remember this come the playoffs, because this could be their undoing in a second leg at home.
The Transfer Window: As with everywhere else, the transfer window is open, and some teams have already made their mark. Seattle signed Peru star Raul Ruidiaz to be their number nine of the present and future, Atlanta signed a sorely needed defensive midfielder in Argentine Eric Remedi, and DCU as mentioned added Wayne Rooney, just to name a few new additions to the league. More are coming, and while none may be as impactful in terms of name value as Ruidiazand Rooney, in MLS the glue guys end up playing a bigger role in the playoffs than the stars. For the signings made until August 4 when the window closes, it might not be wise to look at the big names, but the small moves, such as Patrick Mullins going to the goal scoring factory in Columbus, which could make a bigger difference.
And in an underappreciated awesome story from during the World Cup, Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin came out as gay the day of his team’s pride night game back in June. MLS may do quite a few things wrong, but the way the league supports the LGBT community is not one of them. This league has now had two openly gay players play while out, and no other American pro league has had more than one. That is truly wonderful, and credit to Collin and the league for making it happen.
That’s some of what you missed when you weren’t watching MLS during the World Cup, but what you should now focus on as July turns into August and playoff races come into focus. There’s more uncertainty in these playoff races than those in baseball, if that’s any solace to you.
