Quick Weekend Overview

First, a quick look at this weekend's surprising MLS results (home team in bold):

Chicago 3 - 2 Chivas USA (Thurs 5/28)
Colorado 3-2 Red Bulls
New England 2-1 DC United
Houston 3-0 Toronto FC
San Jose 2-1 Real Salt Lake
Seattle 1-1 Columbus
Los Angeles 1-1 Kansas City
Dallas 3-0 Chicago (Sunday 5/31)

...if you followed my predictions for the week...I was a miserable 1-7.


Chicago, as expected, did pick up their first loss of the year...just not against the West's wonders in Chivas, but rather a shut out thrashing at home by the West's bottom-dwellers Dallas. Thursday's undeserved win over Chivas only exemplifies the problems with officiating in the MLS this season---a problem that has 3 people/groups to blame: the USSF (US Soccer Federation), Major League Soccer referees, and the players themselves. The USSF publishes weekly critiques of every official's performance on the US Soccer website, available both as a report and as a podcast. As official's now know that not only will they be assessed by the Federation on a weekly basis, but that that assessment will be available to the masses, they are calling games by the book, to the letter of the law. One problem with that...the laws of the game are idealistic, they're not designed letter-for-letter, word-for-word around the actual flow of the game. Referees need to interpret the laws as they fit the game, not necessarily as they're written letter-for-letter, but these critiques are preventing them from doing that. The Federation needs to stop these very public published assessments, the referees need to grow a pair and call the game the way it needs to be called. The players need to step up as well...officiating has been bad, but some things are not completely the referees fault. These stats don't lie...through this week's games (84 games in total), MLS officials have issued 312 yellow cards, and 28 ejections. The yellow cards (3.71 per game) is pretty much equal to the frequency seen in the English Premiership this year, but the ejections (a red card issued once every 3 games) are occuring nearly twice as often as the Premiership. This doesn't come down just on the officials---stupid elbows, useless slaps, unnecessary fouls have all led to players seeing red this season, and the players have nobody to blame for those but themselves.



If you're visiting New York City on business or vacation, I used to almost always recommend a trip to a Red Bulls game at nearby Giants Stadium while you're in town. After Saturday's debacle, though, save your money. Each of the last two seasons, the Bulls have managed a very respectable (if not intimidating) 9-3-3 record on the Giants Stadium FieldTurf. To manage that this year, the team can't afford to lose another match at home, and with their 2-3-2 record being a semi-accurate account of their play (one of those wins came against a San Jose team that couldn't beat a U-10 team...prior to this weekend, that is), I wouldn't hold my breath for a miracle summer. When you're playing poorly at home, you absolutely have to step up on the road...the Red Bulls, though??? Nope. 0-4-1 and yet to score a goal outside the state of New Jersey.
This past weekend demonstrated just how rocky a season this team is having. Colorado came in a solid .500 team, nothing special. Sure, Connor Casey came in tied for the league lead in goals (and left with sole possession of that honor), and Matt Pickens is having a solid season, but this is a team New York needed to take it to right from the opening whistle. Instead, they sat back, used yet another new formation (Mac Kandji started the game in the playmaker's role as an offensive midfielder), and gave an overall abysmal performance. The Rapids held possession in the offensive third for long periods of time (on the road?) and capitalized on their chances. Offensively, New York managed only a Juan Pablo Angel PK and a garbage time rebound from substitute Danleigh Borman.
Something has to change with this team, in two places in particular. First, Osorio is done. Once more, another new lineup (many of the same players, but in a completely different formation) is not helping this team...and Osorio is continuing to make questionable (if not downright unexplainable) substitutions. After his team blew a 2-1 90th minute lead to DC a few weeks back (where only 2 defenders were on the field for the final 10 mins...with a one-goal lead), Osorio managed the moves poorly again this week. Down a goal with 30 mins to go, pulling a defender is a wise move...but replacing Alfredo Pacheco with Luke Sassano (who sat just in front of the back 3)??? Seth Stammler was already firmly entrenched in the holding midfielder role, and this sub needed to create more offense. One of those options, Danleigh Borman, came on in the 66th to replace an utterly useless Sinisa Ubiparipovic, and managed a garbage time goal. The third sub was a no-brainer, with John Wolyniec coming on for Seth Stammler, but came too late in the game (87th min). The loss drops New York to 1-5-1 in their last 7, and, as a season ticket holder, I'm certainly hoping that the team returns to Giants Stadium (after 3 games on the road) with a new coach on the bench.
Second shake up...in net. Jon Conway is not playing like a 'keeper who makes a 6-figure salary. While Conway does, just barely, own the better goals-against-average between himself and back-up Danny Cepero (1.43 vs 1.47), Cepero sits 3rd in the league with a 77.7% save percentage. Aside from Cepero's first loss (3-0 at Seattle in the Sounders' first-ever game), he's backstopped ties against Houston (2nd in the West) and East-rival New England, beaten San Jose (okay, no big deal), and played admirably in a 1-0 loss to Chicago (which leads the East with a 5-1-6 record). It's time to turn the gloves over to the kid for a few games...



One last note for today---Sky Blue FC, the last-place NY/NJ representative in the WPS, came through with a solid showing in a 2-1 win over the second-place Boston Breakers. Sky Blue played an entertaining game, pushing the offense, while still putting in a solid defensive performance, as well. If not for Jenny Branam's horrific gaffe (who knew a 'keeper who dropped a cross into her own net could still be named Player of the Game...though Branam did make some big saves in an attempt to redeem herself), Sky Blue would've walked off the Yurack Stadium field at Rutgers with a shutout. Cheers to an excellent, entertaining performance.


Rapidly approaching 48 hours until kickoff at Estadio Saprissa in Costa Rica, and it looks like Frankie Hejduk is out through injury. Be sure to check back tomorrow night for a full preview!