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A handful of MLS teams were in action over the weekend as clubs played their games in hand. Here are the five biggest talking points from the few but vastly eventful games on Saturday.
Crew must forget goalkeeper fiasco, but MLS should remember
Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki (25) takes the field as goaltender in the first half at Lower.com Field. Mandatory credit: Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Whether it is a good thing or not, this headline-making match will go down in MLS folklore.
Columbus Crew suffered a 4-0 loss at the hands of Seattle Sounders after goalkeeper Abraham Romero was sent off with a straight red card in the first half. With no other goalkeeper on the bench after already hitting their quota for replacement call-ups, the visitors took advantage of midfielder Sean Zawadzki acting as a makeshift shot-stopper.
The result was a huge missed opportunity for Wilfried Nancy’s side, with the manager making more headlines for airing his frustrations after the match. Winning that game in hand would have put the Crew second in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of FC Cincinnati and seven off of leaders Inter Miami.
Next for Nancy and company is a meeting with the above blue and orange rivals in the Hell is Real derby. It is a repeat of last year’s Eastern Conference Final and if that was not enough to fire the Crew up, there is even more pressure on them now after their recent fiasco.
They must move on swiftly and will welcome the return of all their internationals. However, as they forget these events, perhaps MLS won’t, and fans could see new rules around call-ups implemented in the future as clubs continue to play in multiple competitions.
Seattle Sounders handed playoff lifeline
Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Albert Rusnak (11) celebrates his second goal of the match with teammates in the second half against the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
As a result of the Crew’s implosion, the Sounders were handed a clutch lifeline with their massive win on the road.
Brian Schmetzer had an in-form Albert Rusnák to rely on, whose first career hat trick (finally after over 200 games) lifted the visitors to take home three clutch points in their most challenging game remaining in the regular season. The victory moved Seattle into fifth in the Western Conference standings and they subsequently sit in the hunt for a playoff spot.
The four clubs occupying the playoff spots below are hot on their heels, though. Vancouver Whitecaps, Houston Dynamo, Portland Timbers and Minnesota United sit sixth through ninth and all have games in hand looking ahead to the post-season. However, the lifeline obtained in Columbus means the Sounders would remain in playoff contention even if their opponents won those extra matches.
Can Seattle make the most of the recent gift with six games to go?
LAFC must return with a bang on the big stage
Aug 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Olivier Giroud (9) runs for the ball in the second half against Houston Dynamo FC at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
As one of the best teams in MLS, it’s uncharacteristic for LAFC to drop points, let alone doing so in back-to-back league games.
The Western Conference giants first lost to Houston 2-0 last matchday before drawing with them 0-0 over the weekend. Although LAFC were missing six stars due to international break call-ups, that one point from a potential six is a worrying statistic worth highlighting.
The club still had Olivier Giroud, Eduard Atuesta, and Timothy Tillman on the pitch on Saturday but only registered two attempts on goal. They have now gone two games without a goal and have one strike from their last three in all competitions, which arrived via the penalty spot.
Coming up next for Steve Cherundolo’s men is a timely clash with rivals LA Galaxy. So what better way to kickstart their run for the top spot in the West than now? It would be a much-needed confidence booster, that’s for sure.
Golden Boot race continues to go down to the wire
Sep 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; D.C. United forward Christian Benteke (20) looks on during the game against Chicago Fire FC during the first half at SeatGeek Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
MLS constantly delivers some of the best goals in professional soccer week after week, and a handful of names are still in the mix for this season’s Golden Boot.
Christian Benteke became the outright leader when he pulled off a brilliant first touch and blasted home against the Chicago Fire. It is his 18th of the season after beginning the year with a hat-trick and he currently sits one ahead of Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango.
The Colombian, however, is in a slump, having missed two games through suspension and recently picked up a hamstring injury. Arango has not found the back of the net in MLS since July 6, and other names threaten to overtake his position. The next time he scores, however, he will become RSL’s record-holder for the most goals in a single season.
Lurking just behind him and leader Benteke are Denis Bouanga (LAFC) and Luis Suárez (Inter Miami), both on 16 goals and capable of keeping things interesting. The Uruguayan has scored a brace or more on five occasions, something the Gabon international has also done. Buckle up!
Chicago Fire continue cries for a rebrand
We have already discussed the top half of the conference tables, so rightfully, we turn to the other end. Chicago Fire made it only one win from their last seven after failing to complete a comeback over D.C. United.
It continues the club’s poor playoff record, failing to reach the post-season since 2017. This starkly contrasts with their strong showing during their first few seasons in MLS. Chicago finished the regular season in the top three during their initial six seasons, claiming first twice. Meanwhile, they have now failed to crack the top 10 in their last five of six seasons.
Perhaps it’s time for a true rebrand at the club? Manage Frank Klopas still thinks his side can sniff out a spot in the playoffs with six games to go.
“We can talk about playoffs — that’s always there because we’re not out of it until we are,” he said. “I think it starts with looking at one game at a time now. I’ve talked about every game being a final, but we need more complete games — 90 minutes in every game and leave everything on the field. We’ve got to get a little bit better.”
They currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference. Winning all of their last six games, including two meetings with bottom-side Nashville, will see them finish with 44 points, their highest tally since 2017.
Feature image credit: © Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK