Can Seattle rattle the Galaxy?
The LA Galaxy have lost their last two games, failing to score in either of them. And while Bruce Arena’s team are traditionally nonchalant about early season form they really won’t want a third defeat to come against a Seattle Sounders team that many expect to again be their closest challengers in the West.
Because the Galaxy are all about hitting peak form in time for the playoffs, there still isn’t much of a panic about the fact that they have just one win from their opening five games but the pressure of facing the team that they have met three times in the last five playoff campaigns should force LA to raise their game.
The big question will be how the Galaxy defence, which has been shaky at times this season, will cope with the Sounders strike force of Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey. Martins has scored three in as many games, and Dempsey has three goals and two assists in his last three outings. The Galaxy missed the presence of Brazilian defender Leonardo in their 2-0 loss at Vancouver although he could be back alongside Omar Gonzalez, if passed fit.
The Galaxy have been the main reason why Seattle have yet to win an MLS Cup but this is the first meeting of two in the post-Landon Donovan era. We should get a clue on Sunday as to whether the balance of power in the West has moved up the coast.
Will Orlando find a way to finish what Kaká creates?
Overall Orlando City have made a good showing so far in their maiden MLS season and Kaká has certainly silenced those cynics who thought he might be in the league to stroll his way to an easy paycheck. The Brazilian has got better with each game but will be frustrated that, as with last week’s home defeat to DC United, his creativity in the final third isn’t being matched by quality finishing.
The problem was so blatant last week that the international media has been busy linking strikers with the Florida club but while Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez and Luis Fabiano would be both be great solutions – and the latter sounds a realistic DP option – coach Adrian Heath has to find a finisher now.
The situation isn’t helped, for Sunday’s game at Portland, by the hamstring injury to Kaká’s compatriot Pedro Ribeiro, who had looked a solid presence at centre-forward, nor the continued absence through injury of English forward Martin Paterson, who has yet to play a minute. Young Canadian Cyle Larin looked a little to raw and overawed against DC United while the highly-rated young Honduran Bryan Rochez has had fitness issues and appears to be being eased in. Winger Carlos Rivas can play down the middle but that would lose his impact in wide areas so it may be down to Larin to prove he has a more clinical touch than he showed last week.
Revenge already on the menu
It is only week six, but thanks to the Byzantine world of MLS scheduling, we can already look forward to the second meeting of the season between DC United and the New York Red Bulls. Or, if you want to buy into league marketing, game two of the three game series for the Atlantic Cup.
The Red Bulls won the first encounter, in March, 2-0. But both teams have made good starts to the season. DC have won three out of four and the Red Bulls two out of three. A win for Red Bulls and they’ll have their first ‘trophy’ of the year, with the season barely begun.
Will Montreal pay for Champions League adventures?
Montreal Impact made history during the week by becoming the first Canadian team to reach the final of the Concacaf Champions League. Despite being beaten 4-2 in Costa Rica by Alajuelense, they went through on away goals thanks to a 2-0 win in the home leg. Now they face a two-legged final this month against Mexican giants Club America, starting with Wednesday’s trip to the Azteca Stadium.
Juggling a domestic and international schedule is, of course, a problem that top European and South American teams face frequently but given MLS’s relatively poor record in Concacaf, this is a novel situation. Will the Impact rest players for Saturday’s trip to face the Dynamo in Houston? Will they be able to cope with the additional games this month? Certainly Houston will hope to benefit from their opponents’ extra exertions - Owen Coyle’s team have won just once in their opening five games.
Winless Philadelphia have keeper troubles
Probably the last thing that winless Philadelphia Union needed was a goalkeeping crisis but they find themselves in a strange situation after the awful performance from Algerian international Rais Mbolhi in last week’s shambolic 3-2 loss to Sporting Kansas City.
Mbolhi has not only been dropped but has gone back to France, according to coach Jim Curtin to “reflect on things”. Curtin said the keeper’s “confidence is gone” although it’s not clear how leaving the country is going to help with that.
With Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake still recovering from a knee injury and not match fit, former USL goalkeeper John McCarthy, previously with the Rochester Rhinos will start. The Union have picked up just two draws from their opening five games and although some of their attacking football has been bright and inventive, they have conceded a league-worst nine goals.
