MLS preview: in-form LA Galaxy look to dominate against Sporting KC

TeamMoose Posts : 6545 Join date : 2013-07-19

Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan battles for the ball with Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman during their game last week. Both players were voted into the MLS All-Star XI voted for by MLS fans, this week. The All-Stars face Bayern Munich in Portland on August 6th. Photograph: Jae C. Hong/AP

Here at the Guardian, we’re all about the team, which there is no "I" in. Nor is there a G-U-A-R-D-I-A-N in it. The results of the fan-selected XI for the MLS all-star game was announced during Wednesday night’s games, and for the 18th consecutive year, there was no Guardian in the starting line up, despite some vigorous ballot stuffing while the bits of the league that aren't in Canada were distracted watching USA v Portugal.

Instead, plucky unknowns Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan stunned the nation with their selection, while the Guardian was left muttering to itself about letting the ball do the work, if the editors wanted this weekend’s previews that badly.

No dice. So with journeyman resolve we’re buckling down to this weekend’s games, while pointedly re-enlisting the help of our regular cast of fan reps, bloggers, beat writers and podcasters, who are all stars, in our ingratiating opinion.

Straight away we’re into Portland’s Friday night game against Colorado, with the Timbers still smarting from last week’s Cascadia Cup defeat in Seattle, but still struggling to get momentum going in a season with just four wins in it. They’re taking on the Colorado Rapids, who continue a road stand that yielded a high-scoring draw in Philadelphia last week, at Providence Park.

Over in the East, Sporting KC return from a midweek victory over Columbus to host the LA Galaxy, with both sides rounding into some ominous form. The Galaxy battered an increasingly ragged looking New England in midweek. We asked Josie Becker of LA Galaxy Confidential and Mike Kuhns of Down the Byline to preview this one. Josie first:

The LA Galaxy have begun the traditional second-half run of good form that has come to define the last few seasons.They're unbeaten over their last seven matches, and have only given up multiple goals in a match twice since April. The club holds the best goals-against average in the league, despite shipping their top right-back to DC United, missing Todd Dunivant through injury, and going without Omar Gonzalez for more than half their fixtures.

LA already had two bye weeks before they rescheduled a March match-up to prepare for the Concacaf Champions League, leaving them with several games in hand. Still, they've done fairly well, and currently boast the second best points per match average in the Western Conference. For the most part, it's involved them riding their strong defensive play. Only four players on the roster have more then one goal on the year, and the Galaxy have a top-three goal differential despite a league-bottom amount of goals scored.

Its been a hodgepodge of players contributing. Tommy Meyer seems to have won favor again with Gonzalez gone, as the yearly Leonardo experiment has yet again failed. Robbie Rogers has found a new home replacing the injured Dunivant, and has supplied fine defense and great overlapping service.

And here’s Mike’s take:

Sporting KC continue a busy week this week returning home to face the Galaxy. After a success road trip to Montreal and Columbus, KC need to rediscover their form at Sporting Park. Kansas City hasn't won a league game at home since their home win over Columbus in early May. While that's only a stretch of four league games, it's still a long time for a team that has prided itself in making Sporting Park a fortress.

Saturday KC will attempt to get it done against the LA Galaxy, who have themselves on an eight-game unbeaten run after their win Wednesday. Kansas City is finally looking healthier after a long stretch of dealing with absences from injuries and the World Cup. Still they may be short handed in the middle of defense again Saturday as Aurelien Collin was red carded in the team's 2-1 win on Wednesday in Columbus. Based on Peter Vermes' comments after the game on the team's broadcast, I'd expect Sporting to appeal the red card to hopefully have him available for the game. If not, three of KC's back four will be from the KC area as Kevin Ellis will likely partner Matt Besler in the middle of defense, with Seth Sinovic on the left and Brazilian Igor Juliao on the right. It'll be a difficult task against a Galaxy team that really took it to the Revolution Wednesday.

New York continue to baffle this year. A 4-1 victory over Columbus on Saturday was followed with a 3-1 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Thierry Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips added to their respective assist and goal tallies in that game, but defense is still an issue for the Red Bulls, which might be good news for San Jose, who have found themselves at the bottom of the West after the mini Chivas USA revival, but have Chris Wondolowski back to bolster their attack.

Columbus have seen promising start to the season drift into indifference, and are trying to avoid a third defeat in eight days this weekend. They may be in luck, depending on which Montreal Impact shows up. Montreal continue to play some attractive soccer going forward (Justin Mapp in particular has had a good season) and some sloppy defense at the back. A home loss to Sporting KC last week was just the latest setback for a team that have been leaking points all season.

Speaking of dropped points, Chicago Fire have earned something of a reputation as draw specialists under Frank Yallop, in a modest season, though they added to the Revs free fall last week with a 1-0 victory on the road. With Philadelphia coming into the game straight off the boost of a victory over New York, this one could be lively.

New England didn’t get any sympathy from LA after that setback last week. The Galaxy hammered them 5-1 on Wednesday night, and Jay Heaps’ team are losing ground in the East rapidly. They’re not helped by having to continue their travels playing in the Dallas summer heat on Saturday night, nor by the fact that Dallas, with Mauro Diaz back and his team-mates gradually playing into form in his absence, are beginning to remind us of their early season form. And while New England were getting knocked around in LA, Dallas were the enjoying their rest week.

No rest for Toronto, who followed up last week’s 4-2 home victory over Houston Dynamo with a point against the visiting Vancouver on Wednesday. They’re on the road on Saturday night though, and against familiar opponents, as it’s Houston again. The Dynamo seem to have at least addressed their goalscoring problems since Brad Davis returned to the team from Brazil, with four in their last two games. They’ve conceded six, though. Always something, as coach Dominic Kinnear might say.

RSL could do with something right now. Their World Cup players are back (just in time for Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman to pick up all-star fan nominations) but they’re having trouble putting the ball in the net, as they prepare to host the Vancouver team who snatched a late, late draw when these two last met at Rio Tinto Stadium. We asked Matt Montgomery of Under the Crossbar, and Brenton Walters of the Two Fat Bastards podcast, to preview the game. Matt first:

It’s been an odd, somewhat excruciating and altogether exciting time for Real Salt Lake. We experienced the elation of seeing Kyle Beckerman on the stage bigger than no other, but in his absence, the team took a dip in form. It was painful, but it was explainable.

Since the return of Beckerman and national team third-stringer Nick Rimando, the team’s had a slight uptick in form, but a loss last week to LA Galaxy dampened the mood somewhat.

The team remains without top Costa Rican striker Alvaro Saborio, whose broken foot ruled him out of involvement at the World Cup and will keep him out until the fall. Without his hold-up play, it’s been difficult to tactically suss out that forward role; Devon Sandoval, in his second year, has been underperforming despite being the most natural option in Saborio’s stead; Olmes Garcia, the speedy and tricky Colombian striker, has been out of form for some time.

The goings have been rocky for some time now. Since May 24, Real Salt Lake has stumbled into a win only once, and that was against a New England side that looks worse weekly — and it took two penalties to make it through. Adjusting to absences has been difficult, but a three-game home stand is staring the club right in the face. If there was ever a time to pull out of a potential spiral, this is it.

And here’s Brenton:

World Cup, Schmorld Cup, amirite? You thought the Belgium-US game was exciting? You wondered if any team could match the offensive output of the Brazilians?

Well, never fear, MLS fans. If there were ever a team that could impress you, wow you, make you stand up and take notice, it's this iteration of the Whitecaps – young, fast, dangerous, etc. Right?

Not so fast, zippy. While the pre-World Cup Whitecaps were among the lead leaders in goals scored, the last bunch of games have shown a team struggling to produce anything up front as well as putting in some pretty lacklustre performances:

D-L-W(against Seattle's reserves)-L-D. Huh.

If there's cause for optimism, it's that over the season Carl Robinson has found ways to right the ship - when the Whitecaps lost twice earlier in the season, it ended with the start of an 8-game unbeaten streak.

Robinson has proven to be a decent study at this soccer thing - he's built a dynamic team that has shown, alternately, defensive solidity and offensive flair, a team that can handle tough opponents home and away. Lucky, because we're facing RSL. On the road. Fingers crossed.

Chivas USA's Erick Torres, front, of Mexico, is challenged by Vancouver Whitecaps' Johnny Leveron.
Chivas USA's Erick Torres, front, of Mexico, is challenged by Vancouver Whitecaps' Johnny Leveron. Photograph: Darryl Dyck/AP
And that’s your lot for Saturday’s games, though there’s still one very intriguing game to come this weekend when DC United try to keep track with Sporting KC at the top of the East. They won’t have it easy though, with Chivas USA on a winning run of their own and picking up points on the road last week with a 3-1 win in Vancouver. It’s an intriguing one to end the weekend with, so we asked Kim Kolb of the Screaming Eagles and Alicia Ratterree from The Goat Parade to cast their expert eyes over it. They graciously obliged. First up, Kim:

DC United is currently riding high. Despite losing Fabian Espindola to injury for six weeks prior to the World Cup break, United has claimed six out of nine points. Espindola's injury created an opportunity for other players to fill the void, and at various times, Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, and Luis Silva have stepped up. Even Eddie Johnson is finding a place and rhythm with the team. The last three games have seen a very active EJ linking up with teammates, that work was rewarded with the PK goal against San Jose.

That production is coupled with a team defense that has clawed to help preserve wins, while more possession and late attacks would be nice, the character of the defense has shown it can handle pressure. The biggest element in the past two games, however, is the play of Bill Hamid. Apparently inspired by his mentor, Tim Howard, Hamid has come up with gigantic saves to preserve wins in Toronto and San Jose. Hamid has been solid, but those two weeks are a glimpse of what the next level could be like for Bill, if he can maintain that level of play it will become extremely difficult for teams to claim more than a point against United. Sunday's match against a red-hot Chivas USA will be another good indicator for where United stands in the league.

And here’s Alicia:

Just a few short weeks ago, Chivas USA's season appeared to be dead in the water, with the club struggling to find any consistency, and points hard to come by. But the World Cup break appeared to be the cure to all that ailed the Goats, as they have sprung to life since returning to league play, winning four in a row, their first such four-game winning streak since 2008.

Could it be that their skill (and let's face it, a bit of luck as well) has turned in their favor, and the season has rounded a corner as a result? Obviously, if Erick "Cubo" Torres keeps scoring, and the defense continues to be as stingy as they've been during this stretch, allowing just one goal in four games, then they have every chance to keep things going. Then again, four games does not a season make. Chivas USA fans have been down this road many times before in recent years, reaching a false dawn before the weight of reality sinks in again.

That's the context for Chivas USA's meeting against DC United on Sunday, a game in which two of the worst teams from 2013 have shown considerable improvement (DC's obviously much greater, or at least much sooner, than Chivas). Each team will be looking to maintain their respective winning streak, and while it won't be easy for the Goats, belief is starting to emerge, for the first time in years, and there's no longer the belief before games that this team can win "because any team can spring a surprise once in awhile in MLS." Maybe, just maybe, the team can show it's competitive in this league once again.

Anyway we’ll be back on Monday, with home-made silver numbers on our replica jerseys to tell you what we learned this weekend. Until then, you are all stars. All of you. Especially you in the comments section. Not you. The one below.

Schedule

Portland vs Colorado
Fri 11pm, Providence Park (NBCSN)

Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy
Sat 6pm, Sporting Park (ESPN2, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN2)

New York vs San Jose
Sat 7pm, Red Bull Arena (CSN-CA, MSG)

Columbus vs Montreal
Sat 7.30pm, Columbus Crew Stadium (TVA Sports, TWCSC-OH)

Chicago vs Philadelphia
Sat 8.30pm, Toyota Park (CSN-PHI, My50 Chicago)

FC Dallas vs New England
Sat 9pm, Toyota Stadium (CSN-NE, TXA-21)

Houston vs Toronto FC
Sat 9pm, BBVA Compass Stadium (CSN-Hou +, Sportsnet 360)

Real Salt Lake vs Vancouver
Sat 10pm, Rio Tinto Stadium (TSN, CW30)

D.C. United vs Chivas USA
Sun 8pm, RFK Stadium (UDN)