Write On Sports LLC - "Major League Soccer: Week 4 Previews" by Jeff Bull

Major League Soccer: Week 4 Previews

2007-04-25 01:07:02 | By: Jeff Bull

The sparse number of games featured in Week 3 might be responsible for the sprawling flood of games on tap for Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Week 4. Between tonight and next Monday, MLS teams will play a combined total of eight games, with a few of those looking like momentum-building or backbreaking affairs. A couple teams who had bye weeks in Week 3 - notably DC United and the LA Galaxy - must be chomping at the bit after stumbling in the season’s early days; it’s possible that Toronto FC would rather wait another few weeks, but they’ve got two games this week already pushing “must-win” status. Other teams, most notably Red Bull New York, hope their impressive starts snowball into something bigger and better.

Before moving on to the Week 4 preview, let’s take time to note the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew in a U.S. Open Cup play-in game on Tuesday night. Forward Nate Jaqua scored the game’s only goal, which gives the Galaxy the privilege of facing the red-hot Red Bull New York for yet another play-in - and THAT’S the game that finally sends one of these MLS teams to the U.S. Open Cup proper.

Moving on, now, to the games on tap for Week 4:

Kansas City Wizards (1-1-0, 3 pts.) v. Toronto FC (0-2-0, 0 pts.)
April 25, 2007; 5:00 p.m. PST

Players to Watch: KC - Carlos Marinelli, Eddie Johnson, Michael Harrington; Toronto - Alecko Eskandarian, Marvell Wynne, Jim Brennan

There’s nothing quite like a game against an expansion team staggering on sea-legs to restore a team’s swagger - something the Wizards lost over the past week after dropping games in two competitions. KC will have that in Toronto FC, a club still looking for its first goal in MLS play. Both clubs have new signings to show off: Argentine Marinelli played the second half in KC’s loss to Chicago and even managed a late goal; as for Toronto, Wynne joined the side from Red Bull New York to shore up a south-of-shaky defense, as did Kevin Goldthwaite from the Houston Dynamo.

FC Dallas (2-1-1, 7 pts.) v. Red Bull New York (2-0-1, 7 pts.)
April 26, 2007; 4:00 p.m. PST (ESPN2)

Players to Watch: RBNY - Dane Richards, Josmer Altidore, that rock-solid defense; FCD - Kenny Cooper, Ramon Nunez, that less-than-rock-solid defense

MLS has so far struck lucky in their attempt to make Thursday Primetime soccer’s version of Monday Night Football. Featuring two of the top teams of the early season, this one is a rematch of an earlier game in which Red Bull beat up on Dallas in Nor’easter conditions; it also has game of the week written all over it. Red Bull has allowed no - as in zero - goals so far, while Dallas has shown a league-high penchant for leaking them; fortunately for Dallas, they’re also tops when it comes to scoring. Red Bull is arguably the surprise of the season so far, but Dallas’ facility with scoring suggests they’ll have to work to keep the surprises coming.

Toronto FC (0-2-0, 0 pts.) v. Kansas City Wizards (1-1-0, 3 pts.)
April 28, 2007; 8:30 a.m. PST

Players to Watch: Just one addition to those noted above: Ronnie O’Brien

Assuming Wednesday’s game plays to expectations, Toronto will surely relish playing in their home stadium, BMO Field, for the first time. Given their incredible season-ticket sales, a sellout for Toronto’s home-opener is all but assured - assuming no one has been chased off by the Canadian’s team early returns. On the upside for the home team, KC has proved beatable already this season; better still, Toronto should have the services of Ronnie O’Brien, one of the league’s best midfielders, for this game. Even so, Toronto FC is more likely to score their first goal here than they are to pick up the win; whatever happens, though, they’ve got to solve their problems on defense.

Columbus Crew (0-0-3, 3 pts.) v. DC United (0-2-0, 0 pts.)
April 28, 2007; 4:30 p.m. PST

Players to Watch: Crew - Ned Grabavoy, Jason Garey, Kei Kamara; DC United - Christian Gomez, Luciano Emilio, whomever starts at right back

DC United’s return to play after a shocking start and a week-and-a-half layoff serves as another big story for Week 4. The key question is which DC team will show: the one everyone expected or the nerve-ridden spectacle so far seen in 2007? DC faces a Crew team anxious to win after taking the crucial first step of scoring a goal in Week 3. A key detail to watch regarding the Crew is who starts at forward: Garey has gotten the nod so far this season, but not without a healthy number of observers pointing out that Kamara has looked more dangerous; the fact that the latter scored last week may tip the starting call in his favor.

Los Angeles Galaxy (0-1-1, 1 pt.) v. Chivas USA (2-1-0, 6 pts.)
April 28, 2007; 7:30 p.m. PST (Fox Soccer Channel)

Players to Watch: LA - Landon Donovan, Robbie Findley, Santino Quaranta; Chivas - Maykel Galindo, Francisco “Panchito” Mendoza, Alex Zotinca

In this, their third year of existence, Chivas USA heads into the “LA Derby” with the momentum and, possibly, the better team. Another team having a bye in Week 3, LA is desperate to get on track after scoring only one goal so far this season. They’ll be facing a stingy Chivas defense that has allowed only one goal this year...though it’s worth noting that they’ve compiled that record against some of MLS’s lesser lights. The return of Quaranta to LA’s line-up may help with scoring by taking some attention away from Donovan; on the other side, Galindo’s great week for Chivas, in which he used his considerable speed to score twice, came with help from right back Zotinca.

FC Dallas (2-1-1, 7 pts.) v. New England Revolution (1-1-1, 4 pts.)
April 29, 2007; 12 noon PST

Players to Watch: Carlos Ruiz, Ramon Nunez, Dax McCarty; Revs - Taylor Twellman, Andy Dorman, James Riley

While Thursday’s game will likely impact Dallas’ mental state, the Revs’ come into this one wanting to make up for a mistake-ridden performance against Columbus. Riley gets crowned the goat for committing the crucial error that allowed the Crew to score, though Twellman’s failure to bury a short-range shot also played a role; if one asked Revolution head coach Steve Nicol, though, he’d pass out a few more crowns. Dallas’ key players will challenge the Revs’ defense more than Columbus did, while the Dallas defense can be counted on to surrender at least one goal of the low quality that the Crew let in last weekend. This one is truly anyone’s game.

Houston Dynamo (1-1-1, 4 pts.) v. Chicago Fire (2-0-1, 7 pts.)
April 29, 2007; 12 noon PST

Players to Watch: Dwayne DeRosario, Brad Davis, Brian Mullan; Fire - Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe, Matt Pickens

Expect a chess match here, as two of the toughest teams in the league square off. Thanks to a below-expectation start to 2007, Houston has more to prove - especially the three midfield players named above; DeRosario, in particular, has disappointed thus far. Chicago, on the other hand, seems to have mastered grinding out results; that’s not often pretty to watch, but it has them placed as the second-best team in MLS on goal differential (their +2 edges out Dallas who, at time of writing, has scored as many as they’ve allowed).

Real Salt Lake (0-1-2, 2 pts.) v. Colorado Rapids (1-1-1, 4 pts.)
April 30, 2007; 6 p.m. PST

Players to Watch: RSL - Nick Rimando/Chris Seitz, Jeff Cunningham, Freddy Adu; Rapids - Kyle Beckerman, Herculez Gomez, Greg Vanney

With this “Monday Night Special” (MLS rarely plays on Monday) being Salt Lake’s third home game of the season, one has to think that head coach John Ellinger is running out of chances before his team has to fight the road as well as the other team. The talking points start with a potential battle for the starting ‘keeper’s role on RSL’s side - it’s either Rimando, who has fouled up badly thus far, or the rookie, Seitz. Salt Lake will have a fight on their hands no matter how one sizes their prospects: first, they tend to struggle against Colorado; second, Gomez is tearing it up for the Rapids and he’s another speed player, which is precisely what nailed RSL last weekend; third, with all the grit and aggression in the Rapids center (Beckerman) RSL will likely have to win on the flanks.