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Monday MLS Breakdown: Bright Future Is Now For Ambitious Sounders FC
In its first year, Seattle has entered MLS and developed a new standard for success off the field. Kyle McCarthy tries to figure out what Seattle has done right and whether its model can transfer to the other 14 teams.
Aug 24, 2009 9:32:30 AM
By Kyle McCarthy
SEATTLE – When Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer looked into the future of his new expansion team, he envisioned Sounders FC as a major player in the Emerald City sports scene.
He didn't anticipate that the future – the sold-out crowds, the rabid fan support and the community-wide engagement – would arrive immediately.
“I don't think anyone imagined this kind of success,” Hanauer said as he watched his team train in Tukwila on Wednesday morning. “Long-term, we did. We thought we would build this into a franchise that felt like a major league franchise in the market that was relevant beyond the hardcore soccer fan and that had a fan base that was committed. … We didn't necessarily think it would be there from day one.”
Surprise, surprise.
Sounders FC turned into an overnight hit in a city reeling from the Sonics' departure to Oklahoma City and a couple of underachieving years from the Mariners and Seahawks. Every MLS franchise craves the staggering off-the-field success Seattle has achieved in its inaugural season. Sounders FC will almost certainly break the average attendance record set by Los Angeles in 1996 and will do so in a community that embraces its side like a small British city would support its long-established club.
In some quarters, Seattle's success is somewhat dismissively chalked up to the right place, right time theorem. Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said that characterization uses a broad stroke when an intricate explanation is required.
“Sometimes, other teams around the league try to slough it off and say we were lucky,” Schmid said. “You always need a little bit of luck, but I always say that luck is where preparation meets opportunity. I think we were prepared and the opportunity was here, so I think that other teams should look at the preparation that we put in and maybe that could be emulated in some other places.”
As both Hanauer and Schmid pointed out, the success wouldn't be there if Sounders FC didn't have the plan, the personnel and the resources in place to seize the opportunity presented to it.
The investor/operators – actor Drew Carey, local businessman and former USL Sounders owner Hanauer, Hollywood producer Joe Roth and Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, a group headed up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen – backed the team financially by acquiring Schmid from Columbus and shelling out big bucks to Freddie Ljungberg to give the team pedigree on the sidelines and on the field. The Seahawks (also owned by Allen) provided the business acumen and the additional manpower to promote and run the new franchise off of it.
In order to best take advantage of the available resources, Seattle also studied the rousing success Toronto has had in building its fervent following and incorporated some of those practices into its own planning, according to Schmid.
“I know the Sounders people here learned some things from looking at Toronto and how they launched their franchise,” Schmid said. “There's nothing wrong with borrowing. You don't have to reinvent the wheel if something is successful. You borrow from that and hopefully other franchises are looking at what's being done here.”
The tempting option for those observing the Seattle phenomenon is to gently query why other MLS markets aren't doing exactly what Schmid suggests and generating the same type of the success. That line of questioning isn't entirely fair to the other 14 franchises because it tries to compare apples to oranges and places unrealistic expectations on entrenched markets. While teams around the league are certainly trying to adjust their best practices to generate fan interest and revenue with Seattle in mind and meeting with Sounders FC personnel to pick up any tips they can, no amount of copying from the Seattle blueprint can fix the inherent problems in some established markets.
In the brand building game, a good plan influenced by the success of others only goes so far without the correct infrastructure and the financial resources to back it. Part of the reason why Seattle has enjoyed such rousing success is its willingness to seize upon its inherent advantages (stadium location, soccer interest in the market and a clean slate) by stepping up to the plate financially, an approach not necessarily shared by other teams around the league.
MLS is trying to help its teams do more with less by beefing up and emphasizing its team services department and developing strategies to increase revenue and attendance. While that approach will help in some respects, the logistical differences from market-to-market – soccer pedigree in the city, stadium location and entrenched beliefs previously developed about the existing team – make translating the Seattle blueprint and other league-wide best practices difficult in certain markets.
Hanauer and Sounders FC won't have to worry about trying to rectify a project that has run off the rails for the foreseeable future. With the right plan and the necessary resources in place, Seattle took advantage of a fertile soccer market and an urban and accessible stadium location to achieve the success most thought would take considerably more time to develop.
The future, at least in Seattle, thrives in the present.
Movsisyan's Mentality, Part II
In this space a few weeks ago, I wrote how integral Yura Movsisyan, in the right frame of mind, would be to Real Salt Lake's playoff hopes. At this point, it doesn't look like Movsisyan will play much, if any role, in sealing RSL's return to the postseason.
Movsisyan was left off Real Salt Lake's travel roster for Sunday's 3-1 loss in New England, though the reason for his omission differed depending the source. RSL listed Movsisyan as doubtful with a rotator cuff impingement ahead of the match and coach Jason Kreis said on Saturday the striker left off the trip because he was injured and unavailable. A source close to Movsisyan suggested that isn't the case and indicated that Movsisyan is fully healthy, leading to the inevitable question of whether Movsisyan had fallen out with RSL at some point since appearing as a substitute in last Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Houston.
RSL captain Kyle Beckerman lent credence to the latter theory when asked after Sunday night's match whether Movsisyan's pre-contract agreement with Randers (Denmark) and the subsequent turmoil it caused had impacted the team's performance.
“I don't think so,” Beckerman said. “We've sorted it out. We wish Yura all of the best. He does the same for us. Whatever is going to happen with it, it's happened. It's done. We wish him the best.”
Beckerman also implied, when asked about whether Movsisyan might have helped on a night when RSL could have used some firepower off the bench, that Movsisyan's divided loyalties could be at the heart of his omission.
“Yeah, for sure,” RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. “He's a good player. He's got a lot of talent. We could use him, but the guys we have here [] are committed (and that) we believe in, so we have to go forward with what we've got. We're happy with it.”
Week 23 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers
Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Kheli Dube, forward, New England
In a week when Juan Pablo Angel, Omar Cummings and Sacha Kljestan each registered a pair of goals, Dube went one better with his Sunday night hat trick in New England's 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. As avid readers of this column know, scoring the most goals in a given week isn't always enough to win this gong. Dube's performance – active, bright and threatening from the opening whistle in place of the injured Edgaras Jankauskas (adductor) – and production ensured that it would be in this competitive week.
Best Use of Rain Gear to Ward Off Foul Weather – Sigi Schmid, coach, Seattle
The assembled media throng at Seattle's training session on Wednesday morning expressed considerable surprise when it realized that Schmid donned a black tracksuit top to run training on a bright and sunny day in suburban Tukwila. When Schmid ambled over after training to chat with the media, he was asked to explain his unusual clothing choice.
“This way, the rain stays away,” Schmid said, explaining that he had used a similar tactic when he was coaching at U.C.L.A. “You have me to thank for the weather. I just want to Seattle to know that.”
Best Use of a Stepstool – “db”
As New York interim head coach Richie Williams (Wikipedia listed height: 5'5”) entered the first postgame press conference of his second stint as Red Bulls interim boss, he encountered a step stool with a note on it.
“Welcome back to head coaching, db.”
The identity of “db,” according to the crack New York media member who tipped me off to the prank, is still unknown.
Best Bit of Diplomacy to Avoid Ruffling the Feathers of Old Friends – Adrian Hanauer, general manager, Seattle
In his first MLS season, Hanauer hasn't shied away from making headlines (see: Kevin Payne, D.C. United and the U.S. Open Cup final). Naturally, I couldn't resist asking Hanauer about the USL's future given his experience as an owner in the league.
“I wouldn't want to speculate,” Hanauer demurred. “I have a lot of good friends at the USL. I'll let them figure out their path. I think they've done a lot of things at the Super Y level, the PDL and the W League. It's been a bit of a tough road with MLS coming into the market and how you decide to compete or not to compete, but I wouldn't want to speculate on what they do with their business.”
Best Use of a Letter to Express Disgust – Dustin Christmann, fan, FC Dallas
By just about every account, Christmann is the first fan in FC Dallas history. By all accounts, he is a diehard. Even though he has lived 1,000 miles away from Pizza Hut Park since 2007, he had maintained his FCD season tickets. That streak will end in 2010. In a letter sent to HSG head honcho Clark Hunt and posted on 3rddegree.net, Christmann said he would not renew his season tickets to protest the Hunt family's stewardship of the franchise.
“So after 14 years, no, I am not going to renew,” Christmann said in his concluding paragraph. “I’m not spending as much on season tickets as other people, but it’s my money and I’m not too interested in using it to reward incompetence. Your ownership has been a complete failure, with one notable exception. You have taken a team that had no owner, no money, no prospects for the future, but one with pride and savvy and guile, and turned it into one which will be a joke for many years to come. I’m not sure which is worse.”
MVP Tracker
With the season winding down, the time to start looking ahead to the MVP race has arrived. From now until the end of the season, this will remain a Monday fixture.
1. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles midfielder – No other player in this league can influence a game like Donovan, who basically kept the Galaxy afloat earlier in the season when they weren't the verve-filled unit currently on display. He is the leader by some distance at this point.
2. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus midfielder – The hamstring injury and the success the Crew had without him may have seriously harmed his chances of a MVP repeat after he jumped out to the front of the pack early, but a torrid and healthy conclusion to the season can fix that easily enough.
3. Chad Marshall, Columbus defender – Columbus Dispatch columnist Mike Arace wrote a persuasive piece on Friday championing Marshall's case. Given Marshall's performances at the back and his presence on set pieces, it's a great shout. Two lingering questions – and an inherent bias against defenders in the MVP race – work against Marshall right now: (1) will his month away on Gold Cup duty harm his case (even with Donovan missing a similar amount of time on Confederations Cup duty)? and (2) are the award voters conscious enough to take his nuanced candidacy seriously?
Next in Line: Dwayne De Rosario, midfielder, Toronto FC; Fredy Montero, Seattle forward; Conor Casey, Colorado forward; Shalrie Joseph, New England midfielder; Omar Cummings, Colorado forward
The Starting XI
1. D.C. United fans were up in arms about two refereeing decisions on Luciano Emilio in Saturday night's 0-0 draw against Los Angeles: a close offside call that ruled out an early goal and a late non-call on a push by Todd Dunivant in the penalty area that could have resulted in a penalty kick. The offside call provided the more persuasive case (the AR was ahead of the play and Emilio looked even, according to replays), but it's somewhat surprising that both close calls went against United at home.
2. What a great, stooping header by Chris Wondolowski to hand San Jose a 1-0 win over Kansas City in second half stoppage time. Ramiro Corrales hit a good ball in from the left side, but Wondolowski did all of the hard work to tuck the game winner inside the far netting. Though Kansas City probably should be upset at conceding such a goal in second half stoppage time, Wondolowski deserves significant credit for a difficult finish.
3. Kljestan submitted a splendid performance in Chivas USA's 2-0 win over Toronto FC. With this type of renewed commitment and endeavor, Kljestan may just be able to salvage something from what has to be deemed a lost season to date.
4. Prior to scoring the first of his two goals against TFC, Kljestan hadn't scored in MLS play since June 19, 2008.
5. Toronto FC can't afford to have Amado Guevara continue this playing when he wants to bit he's practiced since his torrid start. The Reds are in the thick of the playoff race and they need Guevara at his best consistently in order to reach the postseason. Then again, the defensive performance against the Goats once again suggested that TFC's most significant issues are at the back.
6. After 108 days and 16 matches in all competitions, New York finally tasted victory with a 3-2 win over FC Dallas on Sunday afternoon. The Red Bulls, under Williams' temporary stewardship, survived two FCD equalizers (one by former Red Bull hero Dave van den Bergh) and Kevin Goldthwaite's dismissal to set the stage for Angel's 88th minute winner. “I think we all knew we had it in us,” Williams said. “We are not a 2-16-4 team. We know we are better than that. We just had to bring it out and we brought it out today.”
7. With his two goals, Angel broke the Metrostars/Red Bulls club record formerly held by Giovanni Savarese. Angel now has 42 goals in 68 MLS matches, an impressive strike rate made even more impressive by New York's struggles this season.
8. New England coach Steve Nicol made four changes to the starting XI that beat Seattle 1-0 on Thursday night for Sunday night's 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. All four exerted some influence on the match: Dube with his hat trick, Mauricio Castro with the cross on Dube's first goal, Michael Videira with the low shot to the far post to elicit the rebound for Dube's second and Wells Thompson with his participation in the buildup to Dube's final tally.
9. As Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis stridently expressed his displeasure with his team's defending on the night, he singled out the manner in which his team conceded the first goal for particular rebuke. Jay Heaps' long ball down the left caught Chris Wingert out, allowing Mauricio Castro to get in behind him and send in the cross that Dube poked through Nick Rimando's legs. “It's another game where we're on the road and we give away another goal early on,” Kreis said. “When I say giveaway, I mean giveaway. I don't think they did much to deserve or earn that goal. That's clearly not good enough from us defensively.”
10. Chicago played without its starting back four – Wilman Conde (hamstring), Gonzalo Segares (hamstring), Bakary Soumare (dropped after a conflict with Fire head coach Denis Hamlett) and Tim Ward (broken metatarsal, out eight weeks) – and still managed to collect all three points with a furious late comeback to stun Colorado, 3-2, at Toyota Park. With Dasan Robinson now facing a one-match ban after taking off his shirt while celebrating his stoppage time winner and picking up his second yellow card in the process, the Fire will face a significant defensive crisis if one of those hamstrung defenders doesn't get healthy in time for next Saturday's clash with D.C. United at Toyota Park.
11. "Sometimes you have games that are defining moments and this game was one that was very important for our character,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said after Sounders FC grabbed a 1-1 draw in Houston despite falling behind and missing a host of chances, including an incredible close-range moonshot from Steve Zaukani in front of an open goal. “Being able to come down here and get a tie at the team that is tied for the league lead in points and do it against obstacles like weather and missing those chances, it was a big character building moment for us."
The Playoff Picture
Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (10-3-9, 39 pts.)
2. Chicago (10-5-8, 38 pts.
Western Conference
1. Houston (11-6-7, 40 pts.)
2. Los Angeles (8-3-11-, 35 pts.)
Wild Cards
1. Chivas USA (10-7-3, 33 pts.)
2. Seattle (8-6-9, 33 pts.)
T3. New England (8-6-6, 30 pts.)
T3. Colorado (8-7-6, 30 pts.)
==
T3. Toronto FC (8-8-6, 30 pts.)
D.C. United (6-5-11, 29 pts.)
Real Salt Lake (7-5-9, 27 pts.)
FC Dallas (6-11-5, 23 pts.)
Kansas City (5-9-6, 21 pts.)
San Jose (5-11-5, 20 pts.)
New York (3-16-4, 13 pts.)
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page.
SEATTLE – When Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer looked into the future of his new expansion team, he envisioned Sounders FC as a major player in the Emerald City sports scene.
He didn't anticipate that the future – the sold-out crowds, the rabid fan support and the community-wide engagement – would arrive immediately.
“I don't think anyone imagined this kind of success,” Hanauer said as he watched his team train in Tukwila on Wednesday morning. “Long-term, we did. We thought we would build this into a franchise that felt like a major league franchise in the market that was relevant beyond the hardcore soccer fan and that had a fan base that was committed. … We didn't necessarily think it would be there from day one.”
Surprise, surprise.
Sounders FC turned into an overnight hit in a city reeling from the Sonics' departure to Oklahoma City and a couple of underachieving years from the Mariners and Seahawks. Every MLS franchise craves the staggering off-the-field success Seattle has achieved in its inaugural season. Sounders FC will almost certainly break the average attendance record set by Los Angeles in 1996 and will do so in a community that embraces its side like a small British city would support its long-established club.
In some quarters, Seattle's success is somewhat dismissively chalked up to the right place, right time theorem. Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said that characterization uses a broad stroke when an intricate explanation is required.
“Sometimes, other teams around the league try to slough it off and say we were lucky,” Schmid said. “You always need a little bit of luck, but I always say that luck is where preparation meets opportunity. I think we were prepared and the opportunity was here, so I think that other teams should look at the preparation that we put in and maybe that could be emulated in some other places.”
As both Hanauer and Schmid pointed out, the success wouldn't be there if Sounders FC didn't have the plan, the personnel and the resources in place to seize the opportunity presented to it.
The investor/operators – actor Drew Carey, local businessman and former USL Sounders owner Hanauer, Hollywood producer Joe Roth and Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, a group headed up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen – backed the team financially by acquiring Schmid from Columbus and shelling out big bucks to Freddie Ljungberg to give the team pedigree on the sidelines and on the field. The Seahawks (also owned by Allen) provided the business acumen and the additional manpower to promote and run the new franchise off of it.
In order to best take advantage of the available resources, Seattle also studied the rousing success Toronto has had in building its fervent following and incorporated some of those practices into its own planning, according to Schmid.
“I know the Sounders people here learned some things from looking at Toronto and how they launched their franchise,” Schmid said. “There's nothing wrong with borrowing. You don't have to reinvent the wheel if something is successful. You borrow from that and hopefully other franchises are looking at what's being done here.”
The tempting option for those observing the Seattle phenomenon is to gently query why other MLS markets aren't doing exactly what Schmid suggests and generating the same type of the success. That line of questioning isn't entirely fair to the other 14 franchises because it tries to compare apples to oranges and places unrealistic expectations on entrenched markets. While teams around the league are certainly trying to adjust their best practices to generate fan interest and revenue with Seattle in mind and meeting with Sounders FC personnel to pick up any tips they can, no amount of copying from the Seattle blueprint can fix the inherent problems in some established markets.
In the brand building game, a good plan influenced by the success of others only goes so far without the correct infrastructure and the financial resources to back it. Part of the reason why Seattle has enjoyed such rousing success is its willingness to seize upon its inherent advantages (stadium location, soccer interest in the market and a clean slate) by stepping up to the plate financially, an approach not necessarily shared by other teams around the league.
MLS is trying to help its teams do more with less by beefing up and emphasizing its team services department and developing strategies to increase revenue and attendance. While that approach will help in some respects, the logistical differences from market-to-market – soccer pedigree in the city, stadium location and entrenched beliefs previously developed about the existing team – make translating the Seattle blueprint and other league-wide best practices difficult in certain markets.
Hanauer and Sounders FC won't have to worry about trying to rectify a project that has run off the rails for the foreseeable future. With the right plan and the necessary resources in place, Seattle took advantage of a fertile soccer market and an urban and accessible stadium location to achieve the success most thought would take considerably more time to develop.
The future, at least in Seattle, thrives in the present.
Movsisyan's Mentality, Part II
In this space a few weeks ago, I wrote how integral Yura Movsisyan, in the right frame of mind, would be to Real Salt Lake's playoff hopes. At this point, it doesn't look like Movsisyan will play much, if any role, in sealing RSL's return to the postseason.
Movsisyan was left off Real Salt Lake's travel roster for Sunday's 3-1 loss in New England, though the reason for his omission differed depending the source. RSL listed Movsisyan as doubtful with a rotator cuff impingement ahead of the match and coach Jason Kreis said on Saturday the striker left off the trip because he was injured and unavailable. A source close to Movsisyan suggested that isn't the case and indicated that Movsisyan is fully healthy, leading to the inevitable question of whether Movsisyan had fallen out with RSL at some point since appearing as a substitute in last Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Houston.
RSL captain Kyle Beckerman lent credence to the latter theory when asked after Sunday night's match whether Movsisyan's pre-contract agreement with Randers (Denmark) and the subsequent turmoil it caused had impacted the team's performance.
“I don't think so,” Beckerman said. “We've sorted it out. We wish Yura all of the best. He does the same for us. Whatever is going to happen with it, it's happened. It's done. We wish him the best.”
Beckerman also implied, when asked about whether Movsisyan might have helped on a night when RSL could have used some firepower off the bench, that Movsisyan's divided loyalties could be at the heart of his omission.
“Yeah, for sure,” RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. “He's a good player. He's got a lot of talent. We could use him, but the guys we have here [] are committed (and that) we believe in, so we have to go forward with what we've got. We're happy with it.”
Week 23 – Questions, Thoughts, and Answers
Monday MLS Breakdown Player of the Week – Kheli Dube, forward, New England
In a week when Juan Pablo Angel, Omar Cummings and Sacha Kljestan each registered a pair of goals, Dube went one better with his Sunday night hat trick in New England's 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. As avid readers of this column know, scoring the most goals in a given week isn't always enough to win this gong. Dube's performance – active, bright and threatening from the opening whistle in place of the injured Edgaras Jankauskas (adductor) – and production ensured that it would be in this competitive week.
Best Use of Rain Gear to Ward Off Foul Weather – Sigi Schmid, coach, Seattle
The assembled media throng at Seattle's training session on Wednesday morning expressed considerable surprise when it realized that Schmid donned a black tracksuit top to run training on a bright and sunny day in suburban Tukwila. When Schmid ambled over after training to chat with the media, he was asked to explain his unusual clothing choice.
“This way, the rain stays away,” Schmid said, explaining that he had used a similar tactic when he was coaching at U.C.L.A. “You have me to thank for the weather. I just want to Seattle to know that.”
Best Use of a Stepstool – “db”
As New York interim head coach Richie Williams (Wikipedia listed height: 5'5”) entered the first postgame press conference of his second stint as Red Bulls interim boss, he encountered a step stool with a note on it.
“Welcome back to head coaching, db.”
The identity of “db,” according to the crack New York media member who tipped me off to the prank, is still unknown.
Best Bit of Diplomacy to Avoid Ruffling the Feathers of Old Friends – Adrian Hanauer, general manager, Seattle
In his first MLS season, Hanauer hasn't shied away from making headlines (see: Kevin Payne, D.C. United and the U.S. Open Cup final). Naturally, I couldn't resist asking Hanauer about the USL's future given his experience as an owner in the league.
“I wouldn't want to speculate,” Hanauer demurred. “I have a lot of good friends at the USL. I'll let them figure out their path. I think they've done a lot of things at the Super Y level, the PDL and the W League. It's been a bit of a tough road with MLS coming into the market and how you decide to compete or not to compete, but I wouldn't want to speculate on what they do with their business.”
Best Use of a Letter to Express Disgust – Dustin Christmann, fan, FC Dallas
By just about every account, Christmann is the first fan in FC Dallas history. By all accounts, he is a diehard. Even though he has lived 1,000 miles away from Pizza Hut Park since 2007, he had maintained his FCD season tickets. That streak will end in 2010. In a letter sent to HSG head honcho Clark Hunt and posted on 3rddegree.net, Christmann said he would not renew his season tickets to protest the Hunt family's stewardship of the franchise.
“So after 14 years, no, I am not going to renew,” Christmann said in his concluding paragraph. “I’m not spending as much on season tickets as other people, but it’s my money and I’m not too interested in using it to reward incompetence. Your ownership has been a complete failure, with one notable exception. You have taken a team that had no owner, no money, no prospects for the future, but one with pride and savvy and guile, and turned it into one which will be a joke for many years to come. I’m not sure which is worse.”
MVP Tracker
With the season winding down, the time to start looking ahead to the MVP race has arrived. From now until the end of the season, this will remain a Monday fixture.
1. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles midfielder – No other player in this league can influence a game like Donovan, who basically kept the Galaxy afloat earlier in the season when they weren't the verve-filled unit currently on display. He is the leader by some distance at this point.
2. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus midfielder – The hamstring injury and the success the Crew had without him may have seriously harmed his chances of a MVP repeat after he jumped out to the front of the pack early, but a torrid and healthy conclusion to the season can fix that easily enough.
3. Chad Marshall, Columbus defender – Columbus Dispatch columnist Mike Arace wrote a persuasive piece on Friday championing Marshall's case. Given Marshall's performances at the back and his presence on set pieces, it's a great shout. Two lingering questions – and an inherent bias against defenders in the MVP race – work against Marshall right now: (1) will his month away on Gold Cup duty harm his case (even with Donovan missing a similar amount of time on Confederations Cup duty)? and (2) are the award voters conscious enough to take his nuanced candidacy seriously?
Next in Line: Dwayne De Rosario, midfielder, Toronto FC; Fredy Montero, Seattle forward; Conor Casey, Colorado forward; Shalrie Joseph, New England midfielder; Omar Cummings, Colorado forward
The Starting XI
1. D.C. United fans were up in arms about two refereeing decisions on Luciano Emilio in Saturday night's 0-0 draw against Los Angeles: a close offside call that ruled out an early goal and a late non-call on a push by Todd Dunivant in the penalty area that could have resulted in a penalty kick. The offside call provided the more persuasive case (the AR was ahead of the play and Emilio looked even, according to replays), but it's somewhat surprising that both close calls went against United at home.
2. What a great, stooping header by Chris Wondolowski to hand San Jose a 1-0 win over Kansas City in second half stoppage time. Ramiro Corrales hit a good ball in from the left side, but Wondolowski did all of the hard work to tuck the game winner inside the far netting. Though Kansas City probably should be upset at conceding such a goal in second half stoppage time, Wondolowski deserves significant credit for a difficult finish.
3. Kljestan submitted a splendid performance in Chivas USA's 2-0 win over Toronto FC. With this type of renewed commitment and endeavor, Kljestan may just be able to salvage something from what has to be deemed a lost season to date.
4. Prior to scoring the first of his two goals against TFC, Kljestan hadn't scored in MLS play since June 19, 2008.
5. Toronto FC can't afford to have Amado Guevara continue this playing when he wants to bit he's practiced since his torrid start. The Reds are in the thick of the playoff race and they need Guevara at his best consistently in order to reach the postseason. Then again, the defensive performance against the Goats once again suggested that TFC's most significant issues are at the back.
6. After 108 days and 16 matches in all competitions, New York finally tasted victory with a 3-2 win over FC Dallas on Sunday afternoon. The Red Bulls, under Williams' temporary stewardship, survived two FCD equalizers (one by former Red Bull hero Dave van den Bergh) and Kevin Goldthwaite's dismissal to set the stage for Angel's 88th minute winner. “I think we all knew we had it in us,” Williams said. “We are not a 2-16-4 team. We know we are better than that. We just had to bring it out and we brought it out today.”
7. With his two goals, Angel broke the Metrostars/Red Bulls club record formerly held by Giovanni Savarese. Angel now has 42 goals in 68 MLS matches, an impressive strike rate made even more impressive by New York's struggles this season.
8. New England coach Steve Nicol made four changes to the starting XI that beat Seattle 1-0 on Thursday night for Sunday night's 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. All four exerted some influence on the match: Dube with his hat trick, Mauricio Castro with the cross on Dube's first goal, Michael Videira with the low shot to the far post to elicit the rebound for Dube's second and Wells Thompson with his participation in the buildup to Dube's final tally.
9. As Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis stridently expressed his displeasure with his team's defending on the night, he singled out the manner in which his team conceded the first goal for particular rebuke. Jay Heaps' long ball down the left caught Chris Wingert out, allowing Mauricio Castro to get in behind him and send in the cross that Dube poked through Nick Rimando's legs. “It's another game where we're on the road and we give away another goal early on,” Kreis said. “When I say giveaway, I mean giveaway. I don't think they did much to deserve or earn that goal. That's clearly not good enough from us defensively.”
10. Chicago played without its starting back four – Wilman Conde (hamstring), Gonzalo Segares (hamstring), Bakary Soumare (dropped after a conflict with Fire head coach Denis Hamlett) and Tim Ward (broken metatarsal, out eight weeks) – and still managed to collect all three points with a furious late comeback to stun Colorado, 3-2, at Toyota Park. With Dasan Robinson now facing a one-match ban after taking off his shirt while celebrating his stoppage time winner and picking up his second yellow card in the process, the Fire will face a significant defensive crisis if one of those hamstrung defenders doesn't get healthy in time for next Saturday's clash with D.C. United at Toyota Park.
11. "Sometimes you have games that are defining moments and this game was one that was very important for our character,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said after Sounders FC grabbed a 1-1 draw in Houston despite falling behind and missing a host of chances, including an incredible close-range moonshot from Steve Zaukani in front of an open goal. “Being able to come down here and get a tie at the team that is tied for the league lead in points and do it against obstacles like weather and missing those chances, it was a big character building moment for us."
The Playoff Picture
Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (10-3-9, 39 pts.)
2. Chicago (10-5-8, 38 pts.
Western Conference
1. Houston (11-6-7, 40 pts.)
2. Los Angeles (8-3-11-, 35 pts.)
Wild Cards
1. Chivas USA (10-7-3, 33 pts.)
2. Seattle (8-6-9, 33 pts.)
T3. New England (8-6-6, 30 pts.)
T3. Colorado (8-7-6, 30 pts.)
==
T3. Toronto FC (8-8-6, 30 pts.)
D.C. United (6-5-11, 29 pts.)
Real Salt Lake (7-5-9, 27 pts.)
FC Dallas (6-11-5, 23 pts.)
Kansas City (5-9-6, 21 pts.)
San Jose (5-11-5, 20 pts.)
New York (3-16-4, 13 pts.)
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page.
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