THE WEEKEND IN MLS had some interesting games and some boring games but it doesn’t matter because everything was really drowned out by the performance of the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night. This was the leagues marquee matchup between the two best teams and Philadelphia was simply class in a 5-0 rout. All other stories and games were a distant second.

Through it all, the playoff situation became clearer. There are some surprises but nothing that we haven’t known for weeks now – the Galaxy are terrible, Nashville can grind out results, the Red Bulls are hanging in there, the threats in the west (Seattle, Portland, Kansas City) are still the best of the bunch, and New York City is moving up.

Colorado returned to action this weekend for the first time in a month and you had to feel bad for them. Robin Fraser’s team won three of four before a COVID-19 outbreak shut the team down for weeks. Now it is essentially in preseason form, extremely rusty, with little chance to compete, and were easily routed by Sporting Kansas City 4-0 on Saturday. That is tough on a team that relies heavily on young players – and it is an unfortunate set back for players like Cole Bassett and Sam Vines who were making important strides. But it is still good to see them back on the field and 2020 is an unfair year for many.

Anyway, here are my thoughts from the weekend in MLS

 

Philadelphia’s epic performance

The teams with the top two records in the league met on Saturday night in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia dazzled with its performance en route to a 5-0 rout over Toronto FC.

First, let’s grant the obvious – Toronto was missing four to five starters in this one. But this was such a mismatch that it wouldn’t have altered the result. It might have made the score closer, but Philadelphia was winning this one. Sergio Santos had a hat trick, Mark McKenzie, and Jamiro Monteiro each added one. Brenden Aaronson and Alejandro Bedoya ran with easy around the midfield.

Philadelphia isn’t just a good team – they are also a load of fun to watch. As a unit, fullbacks, midfielders, and wingers are excellent in transition. The players can all get out of tight spaces and create openings.

The result is you get goals like this

Dummy from Brenden Aaronson, awesome finish from Monteiro. The Union are having a huge game against TFC pic.twitter.com/cMSKTmHI8G

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 25, 2020

 

and this ...

 

Here’s the goal from Santos - assisted by Aaronson. In better times without COVID, this stadium would be packed and loud with Philly fans while enjoying this performance pic.twitter.com/bbsZC1m79Z

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 25, 2020

 

Philadelphia has a team that is so well built right now. You have a perfect blend of experience and youth. It creates a great environment that is perfect for the development of some of the most promising teenagers in American soccer. Who better to teach Brenden Aaronson than a model professional like Alejandro Bedoya?

Meanwhile, Mark McKenzie will be in the running for the league’s defender of the year at the end of the season. The Delaware native has been in outstanding form over the past few months and the is not regressing in his development. Like Aaronson, Anthony Fontana, and Matt Real, the improvement in the team’s young players is steady and generally lacks any regression.

A lot of this is due to Jim Curtin who should be getting a lot of votes for the 2020 MLS Coach of the Year and who told ASN back in June: “every time I’ve given a young player a shot, they’ve proven me correct.” But Curtin has this team believing and hungry to win the first silverware in its existence, the 2021 Supporters’ Shield, which is back on after last week’s backlash. All that stand its Philadelphia’s way are tough games against Chicago, Columbus, and New England.

 

Red Bulls hanging in, Chicago improving

 

The Red Bulls and Chicago played to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday night and there should be a lot to like for supporters of both of these team. For one, Chicago is improving at a decent rate under Rapha Wicky and it is getting a lot out of U.S. U-23 midfielder Djordje Mihailovic – who was stagnating in 2019 but who has improved a lot since the restart of play. Robert Beric also has nine goals.

The Red Bulls scored first and had a good first half but were badly outplayed in the second half, but then rallied late with second consecutive stoppage time equalizer from Brian White. Brian White is a player who might not pass the eye test but who seems to make the most of his opportunities. He gets a lot of luck with some of the situations he is in, but does well to take advantage of it.

Work together, cash it in. Kyle Duncan, with the left foot. pic.twitter.com/tBwyCScLx7

— Red Bull New York (@NewYorkRedBulls) October 25, 2020

Kyle Duncan is one of the more improved players in the league and his ACL injury in 2018 is a distant memory. His opening goal gave him three goals and three assists on the season.  His season makes him perhaps the best option for the U.S. U-23 team moving forward into qualifying next year.

When you consider that Kaku and Cristian Casseres have to miss time while abiding by quarantine protocols due to the last international window, the Red Bulls are punching above their weight and getting lucky. It is not sustainable but if the team can ever get its best players back onto the field for the playoffs, they shouldn’t be an easy out.

As for Chicago, a post season berth is possible. That isn’t saying much these days but you get the sense that this team is in better shape heading into 2020. 

 

One lane El Traffico

 

This meeting between the two Los Angeles teams went about as expected as LAFC got past a very poor Galaxy team 2-0. The Galaxy team looks like it has given up and the absence of Chicharito due to murky reasons spoke loudly.

The team now sits in dead last of the Western Conference and it shouldn’t be surprising. There isn’t any fun associate with the group. The team is a disaster and it is tough to look away. When you think about this team, only painful topics emerge: is Chicharito the biggest bust in league history? Between Chicharito and the Dos Santos buyout, how much money has this team blown? Where is the defense? Is Guillermo Barros Schelotto going to be fired? Why has the academy production been so poor despite so much talent from Southern California?

LAFC isn’t great like they were in 2019 but with Vela back, it will get more interesting in an already unpredictable Western Conference. But in the playoffs, it will come down being able to have big defensive performances that win games when your offense isn’t clicking.

One of the more interesting notes from the Galaxy came afterward when Schelotto seemed to hint U.S. U-20 right back/right midfielder Julian Araujo might be on the move soon.

“He’s growing and learning a lot,” Schelotto said of Araujo. “It’s very weird sometimes to find players that can grow and learn as fast as he can. We are very excited to have him because I think he’s a wonderful player. He’s playing with us right now, but I don’t know where he can finish. Right now we have him, but I think the future for him is really good. We are very happy with him.”

Araujo is one of the best players on the U.S. U-20 team and the Galaxy seem so far off being a contender that it is easy to see why Araujo might want out at this stage of his career. It will be interesting to see what the Galaxy would ask for him.

 

Nashville: ugly but effectively

 

Before the start of this season, few would have expected Nashville to be in a as good of a position as they are in right now. I didn’t. They’re not fun to watch but the defensive shape in the midfield and the organization along the backline has been excellent. Walker Zimmerman is there with Mark McKenzie as being in line for the defender of the year. 

LAFC’s trade of Zimmerman continues to have a huge impact on this season. It has been a huge part of why LAFC has gone from one of the best teams ever in the league to being significantly weaker. On the flip side, that trade has helped elevate a Nashville team slated to finish last and into the playoff positions late in the season.

The thundering header from @thewalkerzim to open the scoring. #EveryoneN #NSHvNE pic.twitter.com/v9xAxiJMDZ

— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) October 24, 2020

As of now Nashville is safely inside the playoff and it is doing this because a defensive approach that has conceded just 18 goals in 19 games. If it can focus on improving offense next season and in the seasons ahead while keeping the defense in good shape, it could be in business for a nice run to start its existence in the league.

 

Predicting the West

 

How do you predict the Western Conference? Between the top three teams in the current Western standings, Sporting Kansas City, Seattle, and Portland – there is just one win from the past three rounds of games. No one is stepping up at this late stage.

There is plenty of reasons why any of these teams could win it or there is plenty of reason why another team, like LAFC with Vela’s return, could win it as well. The same with Minnesota which is starting to get back on track.

Seattle has the inside track right now and Brian Schmetzer’s team has earned that distinction until some else knocks them off their perch. But Portland’s run at MLS Is Back showcased an impressive mindset to win in a tournament setting.

Sporting Kansas City can’t be discounted either because when Alan Pulido is on the field, Sporting can play with anyone. The Mexican international has seven goals in a little over 1000 minutes.

While the East’s top teams are known and established, the West is full of inconsistencies and unpredictability.