MLS opening Kick

Thoughts on the games I watched and MLS first weekend.

 Colorado Rapids 0 at 1 FC Dallas.

        Lets be honest making the playoffs would be a good season for either of these clubs. The game itself was rather nondescript neither side to much with the ball, It felt like Colorado was more likely of the two to score through out most of the game. The goal came off a error from the goalkeeper. Would like to say that it took a odd hop but It looked like Beus over committed, left the box and was not able to elevate high enough to head it out. Hopefully that is just a mistake of a inexperienced keeper, and one that he will not make again.
Dallas was the team with all the fire power on paper, but it was Colorado, with veteran Atiba Harris* playing the role of pest and promising rookie Deshorn Brown with the goal scoring oppurtunities. Brown and second year man Dillion Powers look, after one game, to be solid players and a good future for Colorado.
          As for Dallas, count me as skeptical of Kenny Cooper being able to recreate his goal total from last season. Even with all the fire power around him, on paper Dallas has the makings of a offensive juggernaut, Defenses can key in on Cooper, and he does not have Henry and Cahill to draw the watchful eyes of opposing defenders. Not to mention how to figure out how to get enough playing time for Cooper, Eric Hassli, Blas Perez, David Ferriera, Fabian Castillo and company. A potent attack is their am not sure that Schellas Hynedmena can figure out how to make it work.

 Impact Montreal 1 at 0 Seattle Sounders

    A great win for the French Canadian Azzuri. For Seattle other than the great debut of home grown talent, Denadre Yellin**, it was a mostly forgettable game. Seattle's Midfield and Defense lacked Osvaldo Alonso. In attack Eddie Johnson missed the presence of Fredy Montero. The Columbian for all his unrealized potential, had the ability to, hold up, come back to midfield and play creator, as well as lead a line, all of which tended to create space for Johnson. Moving Forward they need to figure out how to create more space. With Mauro Rosales, Mario Martinez and Steve Zakuani they should be able to create more chances for EJ.
      Montreal,  the Serie A retirement home, played a great Italian game. They kept there shape, defended as a team and then looked dangerous on the counter. Most of the chances of the night where with veteran Marco Di Vaio trying to beat the offside trap. The loan goal was a product of Di Vaio knocking back a ball for an on rushing Davy Arnaud to finish.

 NYRB 3 at 3 Portland Timbers

 Game of the weekend. The first half was belonged to the Red Bulls. The first of the NYRB goals was scored when RSL import Fabian Espindola (with a haircut) pounced on a bad backpass by New CB Mikel Silvestre. The Second was from Silvestre mis reading the bounce of the Field turf letting Espindola bag a brace. The third was after a set piece with fellow RSL import Jamison Olave getting away from Silvestre again. This really was the extent of NYRB offense. Non of the three DP's Henry, Cahill or Juninho did anything memorable. Non did anything wrong but neither did they leave and imprint in the game. Especially in the second half when NYRB was bunkered against a continuous Timbers attack. There has been some talk about travel being a reason for dead legs for the end of the game and that may be, at least partially to blame. 
       The Timbers first goal came in the first half from a splendid piece of skill from Argentian new comer Diego Valerie. Easily the goal of the week, the DP took the flicked the ball on the run and dribbled twice before cooling flicking the ball with the outside of his foot into the corner of the net. The second Goal was scored from Darlington Nagbe banging home the rebound of a Diego Valerie shot. The third came off a own Goal when substitute Jose Adolfo Valencia knocked in a cross off of Jamison Olave. Timbers where also denied a penalty, when Heath Pierce brought down promising young defender Jean Andrew Baptiste in the box. Though scoring three goals the score line flattered the visitors. The first two Goals where off of mistakes that hopefully a veteran like Silvestre will remedy, by learning the bounce of field turf, and more familiarity with Ricketts. Silvestre passed it to the foot of Ricketts who anticipated the ball being let to roll through for him to handle instead. The Second half belong to the Midfield of Timbers. Newcomer Valerie looks like a star in the making, while Nagbe, playing under his old college coach showed for prolonged stretches what he only showed in flashes in the past. Also adding to the Timbers new attitude was new Captain Will Johnson. The Former RSL man patrolled the center of the pitch with bite that has been missing from recent Timber teams.

 Real Salt Lake 2 at 0 San Jose Earthquakes

        This game was a bit of a let down after the frenetic pace of the nights earlier match in Portland. The first half was mostly devoid of chances. San Jose's striker, and last years Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski, had two decent looks at goal which he failed to put on frame. Neither was an egergious miss but both where scoralble and San Jose would expect more from there striker. The second half really came alive when Joao Plata replaced Robbie Findley for RSL. The dimunitive forward soon become a pest, making telling runs, using his 5'3" frame to hold the ball up, and chipping a wonderful ball for Alvaro Saborio to run onto for the first goal. The second came from a Kyle Beckerman assist to Saborio after continued spell of possesion for RSL. The build up had 12 passes from RSL most down the right channel and near the box.
          For all the prognosticators believing that Salt Lake would be the team to regress in the west, the night showed them to be a superior team than San Jose. Last season, the quakes benefited from an phenomenally healthy season. They seem to have regressed to the mean already with a long list of injuries to start the season. The other factor in San Jose's success last year was a large number of come from behind victories on late goals. Most of those came about through the tireless running and pressing of Stephen Lenhart and Alan Gordon, both of whom star out the season injured. I don't think it can be underestimated the how much the willingness of Lenhart and Gordon to harass defenses trying to close out the last few minutes of games led to so many late goals last year. With out either of them or anybody else willing to do that work RSL was able to pass it around to close out the match. Where as RSL major losses seem to be decently covered by already present players, like Gil, Schuler, Mansally, Watson-Sirobe and Velassquez stepping up. And key acquisitions of Findley, Plata and Kahri Stephenson leaving RSL with even more depth than at the start of last season.


 *Once saw Atiba Harris get a red card in an exhibition match against Real Madrid as Dunseth said during the game Harris only knows how to go all out. And for fans of teams that he has played on know, that usually leads to reckless tackles.

 **Would be interested to find out why he was not on the U-20 team.