Week 11 was a week of firsts as Montreal claimed their first
win of the season and Orlando City cruised to their first home win against MLS
Cup holders LA Galaxy.
But who will be on cloud nine and who will be despairing
after another thrilling MLS weekend...
 |
| Wondo could be the second fastest man to 100 MLS goals |
Flying High...
1) Wondo on the brink
On Saturday Chris Wondolowski moved to within one goal of
joining the elite MLS 100 club. He will almost certainly become the eighth man
to reach the landmark. Not bad for a man who scored seven league goals in his
first six MLS seasons. Oh and did we mention Wondo is on track to become the
first man in history to reach 10 goals in six consecutive MLS seasons? Belgium
is becoming a distant memory...
2) Orlando have lift
off
They had to wait until their fifth home game of the season,
but Adrian Heath’s side burst into life at the Citrus Bowl in splendid style as
they thumped LA Galaxy 4-0. There were positive’s all over the field for
Orlando – the defence limited Galaxy to one shot on target, Darwin Ceren was
exceptional in midfield and Cyle Larin was outstanding upfront. The number one
SuperDraft pick is quickly becoming a candidate for Rookie of the Year.
3) 25 and counting
It wasn’t quite the breathtaking move Arsenal produced to
allow Jack Wilshere to tap home against Norwich in 2013. It lacked some of the
fluidity of Esteban Cambiasso’s World Cup masterpiece for Argentina. However,
let us all bow down to Seattle Sounders for showing MLS teams the power of
possession. The 25 pass sequence that saw Chad Barrett produce an excellent
left-footed finish was the longest unbroken sequence in the league this season.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 17, 2015
In the Pits...
1) Chicago’s Fire
burning out
Frank Yallop will already have been thinking about a job
well done with his side 2-0 up against a ten-man expansion side just before
half-time. However, as we all know, you can never say never in MLS; Chicago
relaxed, became sloppy in possession and ultimately paid the price as Khiry
Shelton’s first professional goal earned New York City a well-deserved point.
You cannot throw away two-goals leads away from home and hope to make the
play-offs.
 |
| Gerrard's arrival can't come fast enough for LA Galaxy |
2) Whitecaps Wobbling
Carl Robinson’s Vancouver Whitecaps have been brilliant in
the early stages of the season but they are showing the first signs of wobbling.
Vancouver took 16 points from their first eight matches. Since then they have
taken four points from their next four matches and suffered home defeats to
Seattle and DC United. Their next three games are Colorado, RSL and Montreal,
all of whom are struggling – they could define their season.
3) In a Galaxy far,
far away...
Images of Landon Donovan lifting the MLS Cup in his final
appearance for LA Galaxy must seem a long way away for Galaxy fans. Their side
are known for starting slowly, but the sheer ineptitude of their recent performances
is a real cause for concern, and Bruce Arena publicly criticised his side
following their 4-0 humbling at Orlando. The major problem comes in midfield
where Mika Varynen is failing to fill a Steven Gerrard-sized void.
Images courtesy of Ronald Martinez and Bongarts, with thanks.
Images courtesy of Ronald Martinez and Bongarts, with thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment