What A Horrible Week.

So this is way late but I am going to do a quick recap of some the games I watched in MLS last week. I normally write this up Monday  but between some other obligations and just a horrible week for America I have not had really any desire to write anything up. But on wards and upwards, I need a good distraction and I need to write.

So instead of my normal write up I am going to just offer a few brief notes from this past week in MLS.

RSL 1 at 1 VAN

The Whitecaps have a lot of positives from the game but where lucky to get the point at home. Although creating more shots on goal, other than two Camilio chances, a great Rimando save and a free kick off the bar, they did not create much going forward. RSL got a good goal in the second half. VAN left the rookie Garcia with plenty of time on the ball and he hit a perfect ball that dipped over the keeper. For future defenses playing Garcia, so far he has shown some speed and the ability to hit a great ball with time, so don't leave him time. The play reminded me of playground hoops, where you leave a guy open until he can prove he can hit the jumper. Well Garcia has proved it so MLS should take notice. As well Garcia has shown that he is not used to the speed and physicality of MLS.  Vancouver got the equalizer on a harsh PK. RSL defender Nat Borchers, slipped on the fake turf while under no pressure in the box and as he put his hand down to brace for impact handled the ball. That was the ball game. Russel Teibert looked very good for Vancouver, he took his first start and showed that it will be hard to take that position away from him.

NE 0 at 0 SEA

Seattle not scoring at home vs. NE just shows that they need to figure out how to use the offense players they have. Hopefully for them Martins getting healthy will help, because their defense is not strong enough to win games for them. This team was built to score goals so score goals it needs to start doing.

DC 0 at 2 NY

NY looked great this game. Henry took over and played wonderfully. DC however is just a mess. They have only one player who looks like he can score, Pontious, and he plays as there right midfielder. (a 442 diamond that plays more like a 433 with a wide midfield and bunch central front three) DC will need to get DeRosario fully fit, and I believe play Ruiz more if they want to generate any offense.

CHV 0 at 1 COL

The kids in the mountains keep getting it done. The rookies on Colorado beat the other great kids from no where in a fairly drab game. Dershon Brown scored on a PK after drawing the foul. He continues to look good Clint Irwin saved a Pk and two teams that looks destined for bottom of the league in preseason both look competitive.

DAL 1 at 1 LA

This was an odd game. Had two missed PK's Both Kenny Cooper and Landon Donovan had PK's saved, neither took a great shot. Cooper had no power after his stutter step move, and Donovan failed to hit it all the way to the side netting and kept it waist high. Donovan's is probably the least worrisome, he is just starting the season, but Cooper needs to quit trying to be reactive on PK's and just hit so the keeper can't save it. Both PK's where not the heaviest tackles though both where fair calls. Leonardo was probably unjustly given a red, it is hard to see that play as the last man on a clear cut scoring chance, but he did bobble his pass to the striker and brought him down. In the end George John got his head to a rebound, as Hassli headed the ball to the cross bar on a corner kick. John was then struck in the back of the head with an aluminum bear bottle, by his own fans. Might just be one of the stupidest moves by a fan of all time. And like that 10 man LA lost.


EDIT.  I originally  forgot to write about one other Game I watched over the weekend. Also glad that the Boston craziness has now gone from ongoing police action to clean up and recovery mode. That with, dumb Senators, and West TX made for a horrific week here in the states.

San Jose 0 at 1 Portland

This game was really one sided and ugly. Timbers controlled the game through out and San Jose really had no offense to speak of.  Most of San Jose's problem came from putting DP and leading scorer Chris Wondolowski on the wing. This is not a position he excels in. He is best as a poacher up close to goal. The idea behind this move is to get him on the field at the same time as both Lenhart and Gordon. The problem is  both Lenhart and Gordon are big physical players and it is not clear if they up top together will create enough offense.   Against Portland the two where completely ineffective, neither was able to hold the ball, both's strength, and the San Jose offense was stagnant. Gordon had a complete shocker of game, yelling homophobic slurs at Will Johnson on camera, (got a 3 game suspension) and getting a second yellow for a elbow to the face of Silvstre, that left the Frenchman bloody and mad.  Defensively San Jose kept Portland at bay through physicality. The lone goal of the game came on a sublime Will Johnson free kick from 20 odd yard out.  No matter how you look at the game the Timbers where the more positive team, and created the best chances.  To make matters worse for the quakes there fans are starting to get a bad reputation around MLS, something that needs to be dealt with, by support groups, the organization and the league.