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Armchair Analyst: All 23 MLS teams ranked by tier – revisited

May 14, 20181:15AM EDT

First a tip of the cap to the great Zach Lowe, who coined this column format with his “Annual Tiers of the NBA” tome. I’ve blatantly copied that approach for my own preseason Tiers of MLS, and since you all liked it so much and since about 30 percent of the season is in the books, now’s a good time to revisit.

What follows are not hard-and-fast Power Rankings, per se, but rather something a little more loose in terms of talent level, cohesion, chemistry and all the et ceteras that make teams tick (or make them awful).

These teams are mostly in the order I think they’ll finish, but what really matters is the tier designation.

TIER I: THE ALPHAS

Atlanta United

They’re leading the Supporters’ Shield race and they just took six out of a possible nine points during what was a very, very tough week (Tata Martino says it should’ve been nine, given what happened on Wednesday against SKC). They have the league’s MVP (Miguel Almiron) and co-Golden Boot leader (Josef Martinez), and have proved to possess enough depth to weather a formation shift, a couple of underperforming attackers, and a bunch of injuries.

They have Michael Parkhurst, who is aging backward. They have Darlington Nagbe playing the best soccer of his career. They have Ezequiel Barco, who’s starting to look like a $ 15 million man:

They also, remember, still have a bunch of allocation cash after this winter’s Carlos Carmona sale, and I’m not about to doubt their ability to go into the transfer market this summer and find a difference-maker.

Atlanta have all of the above going for them and are, at this point, playing what I’d consider to be a B+ version of their best game. I think they have another gear they’ll find as the season goes on, provided Tata learns from last year’s mistakes and doesn’t run his troops into the ground.

My Worry: I don’t always love the body language from Martinez, which seems to have drifted from “aggressive” to “hostile” when he doesn’t get a pass he thinks a teammate should’ve hit. It’s probably nothing, but it’s maybe something.

New York Red Bulls

They weathered the CCL hangover infinitely better than any of their peers despite having the most reason to curl up into a shell and die after the disappointment of that home leg against Chivas. They’ve shown they’re probably this year’s deepest squad – nobody is better at finding contributors via the academy and USL – and at the top end, they now have Kaku (the league’s best newcomer) to join MVP candidate Bradley Wright-Phillips.

RBNY also have formational flexibility in a way they really didn’t over the last few years. They’re a more mobile team all over the field, which has allowed Jesse Marsch to toggle pretty seamlessly between the 4-2-3-1 and the 3-3-3-1. No matter how they line up, though, they understand exactly how they want to play:

New York’s going to win a trophy this year. It might not be the one they want most, but silverware’s silverware.

My Worry: The history of coming up short in front of goal in the biggest games is just impossible to ignore. It happened in last year’s U.S. Open Cup, and it happened in last year’s playoffs, and it happened in this spring’s CCL. Maybe Kaku changes that. Maybe he doesn’t.

Also, you can still bunker against this team.

So my official take is that this week’s salary release from the MLS Players Association should terrify folks specifically with regard to LAFC. Most teams have at least one (many have many, many more than one) contract that is just inexplicable, but the Black-and-Gold are clean as a whistle.

That means they have both money and cap flexibility, and can use both to address whatever needs they feel have cropped up/will be cropping up.

They’ll also be adding a DP mid-season, and have just added a TAM striker in Adama Diomande. For some coaches and some teams there’s such a thing as too much talent, but Bob Bradley’s a veteran at this job and will know how to hold a locker room together while keeping everybody’s egos in check. We’ve already seen some of that following the back-to-back losses against the Galaxy and then Atlanta.

LAFC bounced back from those two games, in which they allowed nine unanswered goals, by going on a still extant six-game unbeaten streak in which they’ve outscored opponents 13-6. Carlos Vela is an MVP candidate and Diego Rossi is a young player of the year candidate. This team’s still only about 75 percent complete and look at where they are, smashing the bad teams they play and going toe-to-toe with the good ones.

My Worry: There’s not a lot of depth at center back and my god do they take risks, both tactical and physical. That 5-0 loss to Atlanta isn’t who they are, but it’s who they can be if and when things go pear-shaped.

New York City FC

They’ve actually played the toughest schedule in the league thus far with road games at the four other teams in this tier (1-1-2 record, which is pretty good!) and have done so while managing an injury to David Villa, some churn along the backline and a bunch of new faces in attack. Seven of their 11 games overall have been away from Yankee Stadium.

And here they are on 1.91 ppg, good for third in the East. Red Bulls fans have justifiably spent most of the past week dunking on the Cityzens, but come on – this team’s legit. You don’t win 2-0 at Sporting, you don’t draw at both Atlanta and LAFC if you’re not.

The most important development for this group, one that we’ve seen slowly evolving since Patrick Vieira took over in 2016, is a commitment toward playing a true high-pressing system. NYCFC are as front-foot as almost anybody in MLS, and for the most part it’s been working, and that in turn has taken some of the larger burden off of Villa. They can actually generate goals now when he’s not on the field, just by turning defense into offense.

My Worry: Vieira is suicidally stubborn about playing from the back:

I’ve never seen anyone play into RBNY’s hands as much as NYCFC did last weekend. It was brutal.

Sporting KC

They’ve mostly figured out the defensive issues that looked like they were going to sink SKC’s season before it even began. March was ugly for this team as they gave up uncharacteristically soft goals again and again and again, and couldn’t seem to figure out how to send numbers forward without getting punished. It felt like the polar opposite of Sporting’s teams this decade.

But they slowly improved while the attack didn’t slow down much at all. It was probably stupid of me to doubt Peter Vermes’s ability to diagnose what was plaguing his defense and then fix it.

It’s still not as good as it was last year, mind you. But SKC are comfortably the West’s best defensive team over the past six weeks, and punctuated that with Wednesday’s significant 2-0 win at Atlanta. They’ve managed it while Felipe Gutierrez, who was a goalscoring wonder in March, slowly works his way back toward health.

I didn’t think they’d make it up to this level, but here they are.

My Worry: Khiry Shelton has been wonderful at doing all the grunt work you could want out of a center forward. He makes unselfish runs off the ball to open space, contests every header, is as diligent as they come on the defensive side, and is a much better passer than the average fan seems to realize.

And yet:

With Justin Meram’s goal on his 29th shot, the MLS leaders in shots without a goal this season:

24 – Ager Aketxe (1.75 xG) 23 – Khiry Shelton (3.20 xG) 21 – David Accam (1.75 xG)

— Paul Carr (@PaulCarrTM) May 14, 2018

They need to start getting goals from that spot.

Also, this is SKC. Nobody will *really* believe they’re for real until they manage not to collapse down the stretch. Vermes has been a little more willing to rotate his squad this year than in years past, so perhaps they’ll be able to avoid their usual October malaise in 2018.

TIER II: STOP IT, THEY’RE FINE

Toronto FC

This is the dumbest sentiment that people keep tweeting at me:

I won’t say anything about Orlando’s d because they’re bad. I do have problems with the way TFC gets a pass.

— Connor (@drake_sucks) May 13, 2018

Toronto, fluctuating between about 60 and 85 percent health, were good enough to beat Tigres and America in the CCL before falling to Chivas in penalties. We don’t have to reach into ancient history to know this team is elite on both sides of the ball once reasonably healthy; we just have to flip the calendar back a couple of weeks.

Taking 0 of 6 points over the last seven days was a very, very bad stretch for the Reds, but Chris Mavinga and Victor Vazquez both got healthy. Justin Morrow, Eriq Zavaleta and Nick Hagglund are almost there. Gregory van der Wiel will be back next weekend as well. I count three Best XI-caliber players and three solid, starting-caliber players there.

It’s been an ugly two months of regular-season play, but TFC’s going to be fine.

My Worry: If they drop home points next week against Orlando City, then maybe they won’t be fine. But the truth is the Lions, Crew SC and Revs have all played home-heavy schedules at this point, and all three are vulnerable to extended runs of bad form/any type of slippage.

Honestly though if anybody out there offers you a bet that the Reds will finish out of the playoffs then take the odds and enjoy your winnings.

TIER III: GETTING THERE

Columbus Crew SC

One of the big questions we all asked before the season started was “how can Columbus account for all the goals they shipped out in the form of Justin Meram and Ola Kamara?” The Meram goals are still an open question, but it turns out “play to the strengths of the system” is the answer for Kamara’s output:

Here’s the rates Kei, Ola, and Gyasi have scored at with and without Gregg Berhalter. Small sample sizes apply of course, but we can at least say, recently, 3G has demonstrated success at getting his center forwards goals pic.twitter.com/ZgRFyNslBb

— Kevin Minkus (@kevinminkus) May 12, 2018

Maybe Gyasi Zardes eventually goes ice cold in front of goal again, but I don’t think that’s going to happen as long as he’s playing for Gregg Berhalter. It’s mid-May and Zardes is tied for the Golden Boot lead for a reason: he understands how to get himself into position to finish off the good work of the guys around him, and makes no muss, no fuss runs for both the team and himself.

Nobody should be surprised by this since it’s exactly what he did in 2014 when he scored 16 goals for the Galaxy. Everyone somewhat justifiably chalked that up to Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane being so great, and fair enough. But now he’s doing the same thing in Ohio as well as/better than the guys who came before him, and the team’s winning because of it.

They’re also winning because of their defense, as Crew SC are now unbeaten in five and have posted three straight shutouts. That’s an especially good thing right now, because the schedule’s about to get brutal: at New England, at Sporting, vs. TFC, vs. RBNY, vs. Atlanta, at LAFC are the next six. If they take seven points from that, they should be happy.

My Worry: The Meram goals so far mostly don’t exist. One of the wingers needs to start putting the ball in the net or Columbus will leave the door open for disappointment.

Orlando City SC

Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta was weirdly the most encouraging performance of the season from Orlando City largely because they showed they could defend and strangle the game at least a little bit. Far too often they’ve been far too gappy, and I went into the weekend working on the assumption that the Five Stripes would crack them open and drop at least three on their southern neighbors.

To be fair, Atlanta did bag two goals in the first 30 minutes and could’ve had two more by halftime. They got a lead and protected it.

But Orlando City made them work to protect that lead, and poured good (not irresistible, but still good) pressure on without becoming overly vulnerable at the back. More than their six-game winning streak against either short-handed or inferior opponents, Sunday’s loss suggested this team could compete at the very top of the league and perhaps give as good as they get.

Also, here’s Will Johnson with our Face of the Week:

pic.twitter.com/QH5T5PeDkB

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) May 14, 2018

Imagine reacting like that after you’ve blatantly dived.

My Worry: The Lions have never traveled well, and four of their next five are on the road. If you look at their next 11 games (7 on the road), I’d say they’re outright favorites in only two of them.

Things look pretty good now. But as last year showed, things can get pretty bad pretty fast.

Somehow I didn’t do a video on Mauro Diaz, who is still my favorite player in MLS, after Saturday’s dominant, three-assist performance. Say a prayer for every Galaxy defender he sent to the spirit world on this play:

Of course that’s our Pass of the Week.

The Magic Little Unicorn™ had been benched, either coming in as a sub or not playing at all, over the past four games. He responded with three assists in a Man of the Match performance as FC Dallas continue to look, little by little, something close to the team that collected 60 points in both 2015 and 2016, and then made it all the way to the CCL semis last spring before last summer’s epic collapse.

Does Diaz’s return (and Kellyn Acosta’s) mean he gets to start forever now? Probably not, and that’s the best thing about the new version of FCD! Oscar Pareja has clearly challenged his best players to win their jobs, finally holding them accountable, and most have responded.

They’re winning again and they’re fun to watch again.

My Worry: The defense is not what it was in 2015 and 2016, which means Jimmy Maurer is having to play like an All-Star week after week. So far he’s been up to the task, but that’s only “so far.”

Also, after next week’s visit from the ‘Caps they’re about to leave Texas for a bit. The home/road split has helped Dallas a ton thus far, and to be honest that might be enough to compete for the third or fourth spot in the West. But also… maybe not?

TIER IV: PROMISING BUT FLAWED

New England Revolution

The Revs have been perhaps the season’s biggest surprise, using their high press and some red-hot finishing from Teal Bunbury to collect 17 points from 10 games and grabbing ahold of the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Following Saturday’s 3-2 win over visiting TFC they’ve got a 10-point cushion on the Reds, and historically speaking it’s kind of rare to see teams blow leads like that.

I’ll say the above is especially applicable to well-coached teams, which is what I’m thinking New England are. Brad Friedel doesn’t have them pressing just because he like the high press; he has them doing so because he wants to control game states and make sure that his backline isn’t asked to go out there and win him games.

They have done that, mind you. Their 1-0 win over SKC two weeks ago was impressive. But it was also followed by a 4-2 beatdown by Montreal and this weekend’s game in which New England looked eternally vulnerable in the second half. I think, defensively speaking, the Revs are closer to that than they are to the team that shut down Sporting.

Friedel’s been good enough to figure that out and play toward his team’s strengths. It’s encouraging.

My Worry: Eventually everybody’s going to force the Revs to start doing stuff with the ball:

Armchair Analyst: With the Lee Nguyen trade, the Revs are all-in on Diego Fagundez as a #10. The kid’s creative in the final third but has some work to do learning when to be brave on the ball & drive the game through midfieldhttps://t.co/vZlSdcr6wN

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) May 6, 2018

I don’t think they have the personnel for it. Midfield turnovers have an outsized effect on this team’s chances of winning.

Houston Dynamo

I love what I see from the Dynamo in attack pretty much every single game, and their ability to build chances out of possession has taken a major step forward over what they managed in 2017. This team generally plays pretty, smart soccer – I’ve only seen them get out-smarted once, when the Revs countered them to death – and in Alberth Elis they have a Best XI-caliber attacker.

Their young players are improving, and in Eric Alexander they have one of my favorite “man, nobody talks about him but he can really ball” central midfielders in the league. I always hedge toward teams that want to pass the ball, and actually can do so.

On top of all that they take some of the most inventive set pieces in the league, and will be getting unsung d-mid Juan David Cabezas back soon.

My Worry: How soon, though? Houston have already squandered four results – two draws turned into losses, two wins turned into draws – which has cost them nine points. That includes Friday night’s 2-2 draw at Vancouver, in which they somehow managed to let poor Andrew Wenger try to defend 1-v-2 at the back post against Kendall freaking Waston:

I would be having words with Rommel Quioto if I was Wenger.

So this team finds a way to lose points, and as much praise as I think Wilmer Cabrera’s due for his generally really good talent development and gameplans, he deserves a ton of criticism for his insane sub patterns and inability to get his team to sub out games.

Portland Timbers

They were very not good to start the year, which was understandable given they 1) had five straight on the road, and 2) played a chunk of that time without Diego Chara. They are still helpless without the Colombian d-mid.

They’ve rebounded with four straight wins though, and while a big part of that is just getting some personnel back, another part is that Gio Savarese has made a couple of good adjustments. One is that they’re no longer bothering with the notion that they’re a “possession team.” The Timbers are just fine giving you a ton of the ball and waiting to hit you on the break, which they do as well as anyone in the lead.

The other big adjustment is that Savarese’s had this team playing a lot out of a 4-3-2-1, the old Christmas Tree formation that’s designed to gum up the works in Zone 14 and make all opposing attacking midfielders unhappy. To that end:

Timbers have earned 3 consecutive shutout victories for first time in MLS play and first time in all eras since July 2007. #RCTID

— Mike Donovan (@TheMikeDonovan) May 13, 2018

They’re not winning with style, but who cares? What matters is that they’re winning.

My Worry: The biggest one is Chara. He’s 32 and has logged a ton of miles, and it’s fair to question how long he can keep it up. Portland have never had an answer without him.

If he goes down for any length of time the Timbers will lose most of those games. It might not be fatal in the West, but it could cost them homefield advantage when the playoffs start, and that likely would be fatal.

Chicago Fire

Chicago are probably the most “they’re missing a piece” team of this bunch, as it’s been clear that they could use either a playmaking central midfielder or a playmaking, goalscoring winger or both.

But they’ve managed to pick up some results and put in some pretty decent performances without either so far in 2018, and it’s a credit to both head coach Veljko Paunovic’s ability to gameplan against an opponent, as well as his team’s ability to buy into their roles. Bastian Schweinsteiger has played sweeper, regista and attacking midfield; Brandon Vincent both left back and left wingback; Mo Adams has been a destroyer and a man marker and a pure d-mid; Grant Lillard and Johan Kappelhof have been complementary pieces on the backline.

The above, along with Nemanja Nikolic’s and Dax McCarty’s continued presence in central midfield, goalscoring, has given the Fire enough flexibility to match up against most of the league’s best teams in weird and weirdly positive ways.

My Worry: It’s still not clear what they’re building toward, or if they’re building toward anything at all. Right now it feels like they’re just patching holes from week to week instead of building from one strength to another.

The truth is simple: Unless they upgrade the No. 10 spot or add an All-Star caliber winger, they’re almost certainly not going to be a playoff team in 2018.

TIER V: THEY MIGHT BE BROKEN

Seattle Sounders

Can this whole section just be “My Worry?” No? Ok then.

In terms of on-paper talent, the Sounders are still probably one of the top teams in the West, and I don’t think any truly rational observer would say otherwise. And the defense can still go out there and win them a game, or at least a point, every now and then.

Plus they’re used to starting slow. It’s an annual tradition.

My Worry: Everybody’s hurt, and a bunch of those who aren’t hurt are clearly in the very last stages of their career. Clint Dempsey has one goal in his last 14 regular season games, and Ozzie Alonso can only look like Ozzie Alonso for 45 minutes at a time, and can anyone honestly say that Chad Marshall or Gustav Svensson have been as good as they were last year?

On top of that, they do not make good adjustments:

If you’re playing without a playmaker, you’ve got to figure out how to turn defense into offense. Seattle don’t do that.

Things are not hopeless, but they’re pretty bleak.

Real Salt Lake

RSL ended last year as one of the most open, fun and exciting attacking teams in the league. And while they weren’t exactly an airtight, shut-it-all-down defensive unit, they were mostly pretty good and mostly pretty solid.

That mostly hasn’t been the case so far in 2018 as they’ve bounced between decent enough wins and “oh my god what are you doing” losses. On Saturday against D.C. they flashed at least a little bit of their old verve in the build-up:

Corey Baird’s a real one. He’ll leave some goals on the table – he’s not a great finisher at this point – but his willingness to work his ass off and always give his teammates a run to aim at has been livening things up over the last few weeks. I think he’s claimed the starting No. 9 spot for now, and isn’t playing like he wants to give it up.

This team should start to score more regularly than they managed in March and early April.

My Worry: They still can’t defend at all. It’s starting upfield, but it gets catastrophic in central midfield and both fullback slots have been open wounds all year long.

You don’t give up two against 10-man D.C. United if you’re playing at all well. RSL should be happy for the three points and everything, but the performance left a ton to be desired.

They’ve got a lot of individual talent, especially in attack.

My Worry: The most expensive defense in the league has thus far been a tire fire, week after week after week. Calen and Bobby took a shot at diagnosing it:

I don’t entirely agree with their analysis, but this point is one I’ll sign on for: The Galaxy, when they push up, lose all their connection. It’s a block of five attackers, and a block of five defenders, and other than Ashley Cole there are no two-way players (and it’s really charitable to call Cole any kind of defensive presence these days).

So when the ball is lost, the Galaxy are extraordinarily vulnerable. There’s no working in sync to win it back, and there’s no quick transitions to drive it forward on the rare occasions when they do.

LA quite obviously have the talent to be one of the best teams in the league, but does anyone really think they’ll get there?

Vancouver Whitecaps

The ‘Caps actually dominated that game against Houston on Friday, twice fighting back from a goal down and certainly creating enough chances to win the game. Just in terms of robust physicality, they are in on almost every challenge and able to dominate on most set piece situations (both goals against the Dynamo came via restarts – though it should be noted those were Vancouver’s first set-piece goals of the season, and yes that’s kind of surprising).

Plus Alphonso Davies has been really, really good at driving the game forward off the dribble. He’s a weapon in that regard unlike any other in the league.

My Worry: The ‘Caps won a lot of games over the last few years just by bunkering up and protecting the 18. They’re not as good at that so far this season. And when they do come out of their shell to try to play a little bit…

My job is to overcomplicate the game in order to make it seem like I’m smart but usually it’s just like “hey see that guy literally right in the middle of your 2 d-mids and 2 CBs? You should probably mark him.” #VANvHOU pic.twitter.com/Jtg8CeJy6H

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) May 12, 2018

They’re giving up cheap goals this year. They didn’t last year.

Beyond that is the standing concern about their lack of playmaking in central midfield.

TIER VI: TRUST THE PROCESS

Philadelphia Union

Via native Pennsylvanian Bobby Warshaw: I’m sensitive toward the phrase “Trust the Process.” The Sixers did a really intelligent, well thought-out plan and got mocked for it. You should only put that much faith in a process if it is well thought-out and you truly believe in. The Sixers had multiple No. 1 overall picks and consensus franchise game-changers on their team!

Have the Union really put that much effort into making their long-term plan? Are they really sure these guys are worth the short term pain? Are they doing everything they can to help the kids to ensure long term payoff validates that years of futility? I’m down for playing young players and taking that risk, but if I’m a Union fan I’m not sure the front office have laid the ground work for me to trust anything.

I get his concerns, but hey, they just took their academy-laden backline up to Montreal and shutout Ignacio Piatti et al. Even if Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie aren’t going to be stars, they’re at least starting to look like good pros.

Shout out as well to Cory Burke, who did his time in USL and earned that game-winner on Saturday.

My Worry: What if Ben Simmons’s jumper really is broken beyond repair?

TIER VII: OOOF

Minnesota United

Francisco Calvo stopped just short of throwing his teammates under the bus and asked the media to do it for him. Not a good look from the captain.

The Loons have lost six of eight and are actually defending worse than they did at this time last year. At least Darwin Quintero is fun.

Colorado Rapids

They tore down and rebuilt a good chunk of this roster over the winter, investing a ton on the backline and at d-mid. That’s somehow left them more vulnerable to pretty routine attacks like this:

Are these your European veterans? The Rapids have lost four straight and been outscored 8-2 over that stretch.

San Jose Earthquakes

At least there was a hint of hope with Chris Wondolowski coming off the bench to change the game:

But here’s the dirty: San Jose are 2-0-0 with six goals scored and three allowed against MNUFC. Against everyone else they’re 0-5-2 with 9 scored and 14 allowed.

They are what their record says they are.

Montreal Impact

Remi Garde apologized to the fans for the loss to the Union, which… I mean, he’s not wrong to do that. Montreal have now taken just three of the last 21 points on offer and are on track to obliterate the record for defensive futility MNUFC set last year.

D.C. United

Obviously the extended road trip isn’t helping but D.C. are dead last, with five points through eight games, for a reason – and it’s not entirely about their odyssey. Their defensive shape breaks all the time, both fullbacks (but especially left back) have been overrun, they don’t hold the ball well in possession, they don’t transition well, and they don’t create many good chances.

Wayne Rooney might fix some of that, but he’s not going to fix all of that. To borrow a line from Taylor Twellman: D.C. United, it’s not on him to make it work. It’s on you.

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Armchair Analyst: All 23 MLS teams ranked by tier – revisited was originally published on 365 Football

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Examining Jay Ajayi’s (Former) Offensive Line and Right Knee

On the surface, a fourth round draft pick for Jay Ajayi feels like highway robbery.

Here’s a guy who ran for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He’s 24 years old and under contract for $705,000 next season.

So what’s the catch?

Is this a classic case of sending your team a message? Making an example out of a guy? Did Ajayi wear out his welcome in Miami? The ex-Dolphins running back reportedly did not have a great relationship with head coach Adam Gase, who criticized his running backs after Thursday’s 40-0 loss in Baltimore. Gase said that his team has “got to stop trying to hit home runs all the time” and insinuated that some Dolphins don’t even know the full play book.:

“Offensively, it’s a joke,” Gase said. “We’ve got too many guys that don’t want to take it home with them. Until our best players actually put forth some effort, it’ll be [expletive].”

In 2017, Ajayi has 465 yards and zero touchdowns on 138 attempts. He’s on pace for about 66% of last year’s total yardage production and is finding zero red zone success.

Kyle mentioned earlier that Miami’s offense is pretty bad, and that can’t be understated.

Jay Cutler was poor and Matt Moore is worse. The Dolphins are the only team to score under 100 points this season and they rank dead last in total offense. Teams were able to stuff Ajayi with eight man fronts and sell out in rushing defense to make a one-dimensional offense become zero-dimensional. The Dolphins also spent a lot of time playing from behind, so they were chucking it in the losses against Baltimore (40-0), New Orleans (20-0), and the Jets (20-6). Somehow, they’re 4-3 and will probably be in the wild card hunt because their defense is pretty good.

Here’s Ajayi’s 2017 game log:

He had a nice day in Atlanta and also in the Tennessee win, but his 3.4 YPC average is way down from last year’s 4.9. Fantasy owners were constantly bitching because he wasn’t finding the end zone.

A lot of his runs look something like this, where blockers are being pushed into the backfield and he finds himself trying to juke or create something for himself two yards behind the line of scrimmage:

Here’s another example, where he’s barely able to squeeze through in an effort to reach the line of scrimmage:

Watch how far Anthony Steen (65) gets pushed into the backfield on this Jay Ajayi run. Who wants to guess why Ajayi is averaging 3.5 ypc? http://pic.twitter.com/mm1fmkrcTM

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) October 23, 2017

There’s little red zone film to dig up from this season, obviously, since Ajayi hasn’t scored. Believe or not, Miami doesn’t have a rushing touchdown at all. They have nine passing touchdowns, seven of which have been caught by Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry. Ex-Eagle Cody Parkey leads the Dolphins with 32 points scored on 8 XPs and 8 field goals.

I did find this clip of Ajayi running it from the five yard line in the Chargers game, a play where he’s stuffed by a linebacker. Does he hit the right hole here?

It really doesn’t matter, because this is LeGarrette Blount and Zach Ertz territory anyway. Ajayi can run goal line plays, but he won’t have to in this offense. He’s a guy who can burst through the line and break off a big run, unlike Blount, who has shown some flashes but usually has trouble getting upfield on those stretch/outside zone runs that the Eagles continue to call. Ajayi will be much better on those designs while Blount needs to be the de facto goal line guy.

Based on the clips above, nobody is going to have success in the red zone running behind that Miami line. And when you’re struggling, sometimes you lose your focus and try to do things that take you out of your element. I think that’s the case with Ajayi in 2017, which is probably exemplified here, where he makes something out of nothing:

Jay Ajayi had no blocking in Miami, and he still did things like this http://pic.twitter.com/hmj0xnbBi8

— Ben Livingston (@bliv94) October 31, 2017

The Dolphins’ offensive line is responsible for the NFL’s second-worst rushing yard total (535). Only Arizona is worse, and they’ve been hit by injuries and multiple members of the Eagle defensive line.

Miami is also tied for second-worst with a 3.2 YPC average among all runners. They have 30 negative rushes on 168 attempts. So 18% of their runs have gone backwards.

And the number you see below on the far left, “EXP,” is the combined career starts for their five linemen. They’re 14th out of 32 teams in that category, so you can’t blame it on youth.

Is the knee an issue?

ESPN’s Jeff Darlington had to go and be the asshole by dropping this after the trade went down:

Something to keep in mind about Ajayi trade: Dolphins don’t believe he has much left in his knees. Longer-term play. Something to watch for.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) October 31, 2017

I mean, look, it’s fair, but Ajayi would still have to pass a physical before the trade is finalized, so I don’t know if there’s much of an issue here. Ajayi did have problems dating back to his Boise State days, when he tore his ACL as a freshman and had to have his right knee surgically repaired.

That was 2011.

He returned in 2012 and put up 3,796 yards and 50 touchdowns in the next three seasons, so it seemed like the ACL was no longer an issue.

But his draft stock declined amid reports that the knee was still a problem and might require future surgery. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Ajayi had a “bone-on-bone” issue in that same knee, so the concern was basically that a heavy workload would limit the longevity of his NFL career at a position where even healthy players don’t last too long to begin with. Miami didn’t seem concerned at the time and drafted him in the fifth round. Some boards had Ajayi originally going above the likes of Tevin Coleman, David Johnson, and Ameer Abdullah.

As for the rest of his medical history, Ajayi did miss some time in 2015 with a hamstring pull and broken ribs. That cut short his preseason and kept him out until November of his rookie campaign. He dislocated a shoulder in December of last year but played in the season finale against New England, so that didn’t turn out to be a long-term thing.

Regarding trade cost, the Eagles had three fourth-round picks next season, so losing one of them isn’t much at all. Trading one of them for an affordable running back who can help you win now is even better. The Eagles last five fourth-round draft picks were Mack Hollins, Donnel Pumphrey, Jaylen Watkins, Matt Barkley, and Brandon Boykin, so it’s not like they’ve been snagging game-changing talent in that round anyway.

So even if the knees end up being a problem, this is still a low-risk move with high potential. This isn’t coughing up a second-rounder in desperation to put the team over the hump.

Also, it’s worth noting that the Cowboys now have to look elsewhere if they’re thinking about grabbing a replacement for the soon-to-be suspended Zeke Elliott.

Examining Jay Ajayi’s (Former) Offensive Line and Right Knee published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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njawaidofficial · 7 years

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NFL Players, Celebrities Hammer Donald Trump for Comments on Anthem Protests

http://styleveryday.com/2017/09/23/nfl-players-celebrities-hammer-donald-trump-for-comments-on-anthem-protests/

NFL Players, Celebrities Hammer Donald Trump for Comments on Anthem Protests

10:36 AM PDT 9/23/2017 by Ryan Parker

“It’s really sad man … our president is a asshole,” said LeSean McCoy of the Buffalo Bills.

NFL players on Saturday ripped into Donald Trump for comments he made that those who sit during the national anthem should be fired.

The president made the comments Friday night at a rally for Alabama Republican Senate candidate Luther Strange, saying in part “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he’s fired. He’s fired!”

Commissioner Roger Goodell on Saturday morning said in a statement that Trump’s remarks showed a lack of respect for the game and players. The players’ union also criticized Trump for the remarks.

Players took matters into their own hands, laying into Trump via social media.

“The behavior of the President is unacceptable and needs to be addressed. If you do not Condemn this divisive Rhetoric you are Condoning it!!” said Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s really sad man … our president is a asshole,” said LeSean McCoy of the Buffalo Bills.

“Does anyone tell trump to stick to politics, like they tell us to stick to sports? Smh,” said Eric Ebron of the Detroit Lions.

Now long after, the hashtag #TakeAKnee was Twitter’s top trend.

The story was the top headline for most news outlets and after a while, celebrities began to weigh in on the issue.

“He’s not declaring war on NFL and NBA. Owners are his donors. He’s declaring way against black people with opinions,” Ava DuVernay tweeted.

To #TakeAKnee, it’s not to dishonor fallen US vets. What service member gave up life so that cops could kill innocent Americans with impunity?” Jeffrey Wright tweeted.

“We’re not on the plantation anymore Chump. There will be no “buck breaking” out here. Fingers on the hand form a fist. #TakeAKnee ‘til free,” Jesse Williams tweeted.

The showdown may lead even more players to protest via gestures on the field, which would put the league and the broadcasters that show games in an awkward position.

Last season, free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first to sit out the national anthem in protest of the treatment of African Americans in America, especially at the hands of police officers. Since then, numerous other players have protested in similar fashion.

While some were said to be interested, no team picked up Kaepernick’s contact this season, which some NFL insiders said may be due to his actions.

Around 11:30 a.m., Trump doubled-down on his comments.

“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!” Trump tweeted.

See a collection of player and celebrity tweets to Trump below:

The behavior of the President is unacceptable and needs to be addressed. If you do not Condemn this divisive Rhetoric you are Condoning it!!

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 23, 2017

It’s really sad man … our president is a asshole

— Lesean McCoy (@CutonDime25) September 23, 2017

Trump stay in ur place… football have nothing to do wit u smh

— Zach Brown (@ZachBrown_55) September 23, 2017

Where was Trumps “son of a bitch” comments when the racists gathered in Charlottesville?! He spoke about them in a respectable way smh

— Jermon Bushrod (@j_bushrod7475) September 23, 2017

cloth has more value than people. apparently. https://t.co/PZjeRA9861

— feeno (@ArianFoster) September 23, 2017

Continue to use your voices and your platforms for racial equality and to stop injustices in our communities. This is bigger than us!!!

— Michael Thomas (@Michael31Thomas) September 23, 2017

Does anyone tell trump to stick to politics, like they tell us to stick to sports? Smh.

— Eric Ebron (@Ebron85) September 23, 2017

Sources: Bills locker room has been so emotional about Trump comments that team made plans to address topic during a team meeting tonight.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) September 23, 2017

If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

…our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

He’s not declaring war on NFL and NBA. Owners are his donors. He’s declaring way against black people with opinions. https://t.co/lnEIKs1e9I

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) September 23, 2017

To #TakeAKnee, it’s not to dishonor fallen US vets. What service member gave up life so that cops cld kill innocent Americans with impunity?

— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) September 23, 2017

We’re not on the plantation anymore Chump. There will be no “buck breaking” out here. Fingers on the hand form a fist. #TakeAKnee ‘til free.

— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) September 23, 2017

Updates:

Sept. 23, 1:20 p.m.: Updated with celebrity reaction.

Sept. 23, 11:30 a.m.: Updated with new comments from Trump.

#Anthem #Celebrities #Comments #Donald #Hammer #NFL #Players #Protests #Trump

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junker-town · 7 years

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MLS scores, Week 3: The Portland Timbers front 6 is the Death Star

There might be better teams in MLS, but there isn’t a scarier attack than Portland’s. Plus more from all around the league.

If you missed any of the action in MLS during Week 3, you missed a lot of goals. There were 32 of them, to be exact, and every game had at least two. Four of them were scored by the Portland Timbers, who look very scary.

After three games, the Timbers have 10 goals, and it’s tough to see how anything but an injury crisis can slow them down. They’ve scored them every way you can — goals from slow build-up, counters and set pieces, through brilliant combination play and stunning individual efforts. Five different players have found the back of the net.

Elsewhere, NYCFC turned in a solid performance, but they’re not doing a good job of masking Andrea Pirlo’s deficiencies. Atlanta impressed again, with a rookie making the best play of the week anywhere in MLS. And FC Dallas pulled off a comeback win, but not in the way you’d expect them to.

Saturday’s games

New York City FC 1-1 Montreal Impact Atlanta United 4-0 Chicago Fire Vancouver Whitecaps 0-2 Toronto FC D.C. United 0-2 Columbus Crew SC Orlando City 2-1 Philadelphia Union FC Dallas 2-1 New England Revolution Sporting Kansas City 2-1 San Jose Earthquakes Colorado Rapids 2-2 Minnesota United Real Salt Lake 1-2 LA Galaxy Portland Timbers 4-2 Houston Dynamo

Sunday’s game

Seattle Sounders 3-1 New York Red Bulls

So the Timbers’ attack is seriously nasty

The quartet of Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe, Diego Chara and Fanendo Adi has done some great things over the last couple of years. But the Timbers needed the right winger and the right defensive midfielder to reach their full potential. Now that Sebastian Blanco and David Guzmán are in the starting XI, Portland’s attack is flying.

Here’s how Adi capped off the Timbers’ scoring against the Dynamo. This is just outrageous stuff.

The composure, @fanendo. THE COMPOSURE. #PORvHOU https://t.co/vnq60jJG03

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 19, 2017

You might think that Blanco — a talented DP winger out of Argentina — was the biggest missing piece, but it was probably Guzmán. Before he arrived, Chara’s partners were mostly limited true holders or very attacking midfielders that forced Chara to sit deep and limit his game. With the more dynamic and balanced Guzmán as a partner, Chara can dribble and run forward, while occasionally holding to let Guzmán do the same. Portland’s third goal came from the midfielder’s picking a smart spot to switch roles, letting Guzmán combine with Nagbe and get on the scoreboard.

Now, to temper your excitement a bit: Portland might have the best attack in MLS now, but it’s not clear that all of their problems from last year have vanished. Guzmán’s arrival has taken a lot of pressure off the Timbers defense, but their back line is still flimsy, while goalkeeper Jake Gleeson has made a couple of errors this season.

Still, they’re better equipped to win shootouts than they were last season. Portland might not be the best team in MLS, but they’re a very good one, and the quality of their front six is indisputable.

OK, we must oblige the Sounders fans

Your attack is good too! The Joevin Jones nutmeg setup was outrageous. Ending New York Red Bulls’ undefeated streak was impressive. I hope I have done enough to prove to you that I am not biased, or as it’s more commonly stated online, “YOUR BIAS.”

Andrea Pirlo isn’t bad. He just doesn’t fit.

Since he’s arrived in MLS, Andrea Pirlo has caught a lot of criticism for being really bad on defense. And honestly, this isn’t his fault. He’s still an extremely useful player if you limit situations where he might get isolated in space.

NYCFC isn’t doing this at all. They’re playing with an extremely high press and asking Pirlo to do a ton of work. And there’s a lot of reason to believe that they’re better off changing their DM than changing the system to fit Pirlo.

Here’s a moment in the first half of NYCFC’s match against Montreal where their two central players ahead of Pirlo — Maxi Moralez and Alexander Ring — pressure aggressively. Moralez’s excellent pressing forces Impact fullback Chris Duvall to make a risky pass to Calum Mallace, which results in a turnover. Ring closes down this space in less than two seconds and sets up what becomes a clear-cut chance.

But what happens when NYC doesn’t close down the space fast enough? Pirlo gets hung out to dry. In the second half, Moralez and Ring weren’t moving quite as quickly, giving Montreal chances to attack the center of the pitch with long balls that beat Pirlo.

It would be unfair to say that any of Ring, Moralez or Pirlo is playing poorly. They just fit different systems. If Patrick Vieira is committed to a very aggressive five-man high press — and on the evidence of the 14 shots inside of the box his team created against Montreal, he should be — he needs an athletic DM who can cover a lot of space quickly. Otherwise, NYCFC is going to keep drawing games where they were the superior team.

Julian Gressel made the play of the week

This wasn’t a goal or an assist, but it did more to alter the outcome of a game than any play you can see on a box score this week. Check out rookie Julian Gressel stealing a throw-in and quickly playing a perfect through ball to Josef Martinez, drawing a red card.

Kapelhoff deja con 10 hombres al Chicago Fire. http://pic.twitter.com/wNHAhNKX8k

— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) March 18, 2017

Just like that, game over for the Chicago Fire. Gressel made a play so good that it effectively ended the match and almost guaranteed three points for Atlanta.

Everyone’s favorite pretty passing team went all Tony Pulis

FC Dallas might play the best soccer in MLS, and their passing style is a huge reason why their head coach Óscar Pareja is a popular pick for next USMNT manager. Sometimes your favored style isn’t the best way to win, though. Sometimes you need to boot it and run.

TOP. SHELF. Urruti does it again for @FCDallas. 2-1. #DALvNE https://t.co/S5opk1dmxx

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 19, 2017

Maxi Urruti scored two second half goals to fire Dallas to a win over New England, and they looked pretty similar. Both were created by long balls, though the setup for the first goal by Maynor Figueroa was a bit more skillful and targeted. This second goal is just straight up dump-and-chase, and it worked.

MLS Live power rankings

This is not a ranking that has anything to do with how good a team is at soccer. It's simply about how likely you are to be entertained if you choose to watch their game on MLS Live.

Atlanta United

Portland Timbers

Seattle Sounders

Minnesota United

Houston Dynamo

FC Dallas

New York City FC

Toronto FC

New York Red Bulls

Orlando City

LA Galaxy

Vancouver Whitecaps

Montreal Impact

Sporting Kansas City

Chicago Fire

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

Columbus Crew SC

Philadelphia Union

San Jose Earthquakes

New England Revolution

D.C. United

This year’s huge yo-yo team is probably going to be the Quakes. I don’t know how to feel about them right now, and I had to drop them quite a bit after other teams played games I liked watching a lot more than theirs. Timbers and Sounders did enough going forward to move ahead of Minnesota, who looked like a somewhat competent team against Colorado. That’s good for their fans, and bad for this ranking.

Here is a list of way-too-early takes that are not worthy of an entire column. You should argue with me about them.

My belief that Toronto and Seattle are still the league’s two best teams got a lot stronger this week.

The Timbers know their defense is suspect and they’re on the hunt for a big time June signing.

The Chicago Fire aren’t as bad as their showing against Atlanta. That early red was a killer.

Josef Martinez will slow down a bit, but Miguel Almiron won’t. Once again: he’s an MVP candidate.

It’s Week 3 of Sean Davis struggling to fill Dax McCarty’s boots. Know who’s really good? Tyler Adams!

D.C. United needs... something. A new signing? A swift kick up the backside? They’re extremely flat, and their worst player through three weeks has strangely been last year’s breakout star, Steve Birnbaum. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but they look extremely bad.

Orlando City is going to have a difficult time keeping hold of Cyle Larin this summer.

Doubling down on Mike Petke being RSL’s manager by July.

Here is a photo I love from this week’s games

Sounders legend Zach Scott can’t even believe he won MLS Cup. You deserve it buddy.

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Have a great week!

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therealcrimediary · 1 month

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Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] 36 True Crime Stories of Murder & Mayhem Readers love this series - More than 7,000 five-star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads Three Book Collection: Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of the True Crime Case Histories Series (2021) ***This series can be read in any order.***A quick word of warning. The true crime short stories within this three-book collection are unimaginably gruesome. I start all of my True Crime books with a quick word of warning. Most news articles and television true crime shows skim over the vile details of truly horrible crimes. In my books, I don’t gloss over the facts, regardless of how disgusting they may be. I try to give my readers a clear and accurate description of just how demented the killers really were. I do my best not to leave anything out. The stories included in these books are not for the squeamish. What you are about to read are Volumes 4, 5, and 6 of the True Crimes Case Histories Series. The stories in this collection will make you realize just how fragile the human mind can be. A sampling of the 36 stories includes: The Darlington Cannibal: The story of a young English man that had plans to become the UK’s most notorious serial killer but couldn’t keep his mouth shut after his first kill and bragged to over twenty of his friends. The Carnival Cult: A group of four young men who believed they could do anything they wanted because their lord Satan protected them. Satan apparently couldn’t protect them from prison. Dead in the Water: A father of eight children lured women to his boat, raped them, and threw them overboard. Ingenious forensic science was eventually used to catch the killer. The Crossbow Killer: A young, intelligent man that would rather kill his entire family with a crossbow than tell his girlfriend that he had been lying to her. The Broomstick Killer: The Texas Penal System failed to protect the people of Texas by releasing a brutal killer of three teenagers. As a result, he killed as many as eleven more women. Body in the Bag: A young man obsessed with the macabre followed voices in his head when his teenage girlfriend dumped him. Authorities found her eight weeks later stuffed inside a duffel bag. The Copper Gulch Killer: A sixteen-year-old prodigy child is found with five gunshots from three different guns, but police are convinced there was only one killer. Ten years later, crime scene evidence is found in an abandoned storage locker. The Incest Killer: Katie Fusco learned she was adopted when she was eighteen. Within a year, she was married to her biological father and pregnant with his child. When authorities force them apart, everybody dies. Plus, 21 more truly disturbing true crime stories. Scroll up to get your copy Included in this volume: Kenneth McDuff, Tommy Ragan, Bruce Kim, Will Matheson, Lyndsay Van Blanken, Stephen Grant, Tara Grant, Steven Pladl, Katie Pladl, Candace Hiltz, Rob Lemke, Brandi Hungerford, Rick Chance, Jennifer Pan, Austin Sigg, Sarah Ridgeway, Zach Bowen, Addie Hall, Denise Williams, Brian Winchester, Mike Williams, Vlado Taneski, Carri Williams, Larry Williams, Hana Alemu, Peter Madsen, Kim Wall, Dorothy Maraglino, Louis Perez, Jessica Lopez, Brittany Killgore-Wrest, William Earl Cosden Jr, Kathy Divine, Ed Gingerich, John Famalaro, Denise Huber, Sally Challen, Richard Challen, Jack Spillman, Melissa Ann Shepard, Brett Ryan, Father Gerald Robinson, Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, Dixie Dyson, Taw Benderly, Loretta Bowersock, Chadwick Wiersma, Michael Madison, Eddie Araujo, Gwen Araujo, Carl Eder, Donald Smith, Cherish Perrywinkle, Rayne Perrywinkle, Oba Chandler, Jimmie Lee Pence, Mark Goodwin, Keith Lawrence, Robert Mark Edwards, Sandy Murphy, Rick Tabish, Ted Binion, Robert Moorman, Shelly Mickelson, Kenneth Biros, Tami Engstrom, David Parker From the Publisher

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allthingsdarkanddirty · 4 years

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#TeaserTuesday #ComingSoon Damaged Elite (The Darlington Elite) by Waverly Alexander is releasing 8/12! Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2XQBbe2 Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2Mb5FBS Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3dhIIJ3 Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3dhHL3H Most Anticipated August Romance ➜ https://tinyurl.com/MostAnticipated #TBR ➜ https://tinyurl.com/DEgdrtbr Blurb Zachary Masters For almost two years, Kennedy has been my best friend—she's laughter and comfort, everything I need but don't deserve. I'm not boyfriend material—not with a past like mine, I'm too much like my father. So I've kept those lines firmly drawn in our relationship. But when the Elite became the target of some shady happenings on campus, I had no choice but to move Kennedy in with me. Now, the closer we get, the more protective I feel, and it scares me. I'll keep her safe though, even if it means agony for me. Even if it means keeping her safe from me. I'll make her hate me before I hurt her. Kennedy Prescott I heard about Zach and his penchant for parties and wild nights long before he stumbled past my dorm room looking for a quick escape from a puck bunny. He’s one of the Darlington Elite—the kings of the campus, and I’m the sarcastic, vegan girl who thought the Elite boys were nothing but arrogant, entitled jerks. And they are, to outsiders. But I’m one of them now, and we look out for each other like a family. Zach and I shouldn’t be best friends, but some forces of nature are unavoidable. He pulled me into his world only to push me away. If he thinks I’m playing this game, he’s in for a rude awakening. #AlsoAvailable #KU #Amazon Broken Elite Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2zKIvzI Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/36MNwnf Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2AnJZzM Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2Mcq3Cu #damagedeliteteaserreveal #waverlyalexanderauthor #newadultromance #augustrelease #mustread #thedarlingtonelite #tbr #preordernow #goodreads #amazon #kuromance Hosted by Enticing Journey Book Promotions

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allthingsdarkanddirty · 4 years

Photo

#TeaserTuesday #ComingSoon Damaged Elite (The Darlington Elite) by Waverly Alexander is releasing 8/12!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2XQBbe2 Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2Mb5FBS Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3dhIIJ3 Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3dhHL3H Most Anticipated August Romance ➜ https://tinyurl.com/MostAnticipated #TBR ➜ https://tinyurl.com/DEgdrtbr Blurb Zachary Masters For almost two years, Kennedy has been my best friend—she's laughter and comfort, everything I need but don't deserve. I'm not boyfriend material—not with a past like mine, I'm too much like my father. So I've kept those lines firmly drawn in our relationship. But when the Elite became the target of some shady happenings on campus, I had no choice but to move Kennedy in with me. Now, the closer we get, the more protective I feel, and it scares me. I'll keep her safe though, even if it means agony for me. Even if it means keeping her safe from me. I'll make her hate me before I hurt her. Kennedy Prescott I heard about Zach and his penchant for parties and wild nights long before he stumbled past my dorm room looking for a quick escape from a puck bunny. He’s one of the Darlington Elite—the kings of the campus, and I’m the sarcastic, vegan girl who thought the Elite boys were nothing but arrogant, entitled jerks. And they are, to outsiders. But I’m one of them now, and we look out for each other like a family. Zach and I shouldn’t be best friends, but some forces of nature are unavoidable. He pulled me into his world only to push me away. If he thinks I’m playing this game, he’s in for a rude awakening. #AlsoAvailable #KU #Amazon Broken Elite Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2zKIvzI Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/36MNwnf Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2AnJZzM Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2Mcq3Cu #damagedeliteteaserreveal #waverlyalexanderauthor #newadultromance #augustrelease #mustread #thedarlingtonelite #tbr #preordernow #goodreads #amazon #kuromance Hosted by Enticing Journey Book Promotions

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Armchair Analyst: US lock down a 1-0 win, but what's the process?

March 27, 201810:01PM EDT

More than we’d like to admit about success and failure in this game of ours is determined by simple commitment and engagement. Are you present for every moment of the game? Are you determined to close plays down? Are you making yourself available for an outlet when and where a teammate needs one? Are you going to win your 1v1s?

The US answered “yes” to all of the above on Tuesday. They played with both commitment and engagement in a 1-0 win against Paraguay, and I’m going to take a minute to appreciate that because it doesn’t always happen with friendlies. Hell, forget “always” – it doesn’t often happen in USMNT friendlies, and for the better part of this decade.

And it’s not just limited to friendlies. I’ve re-watched the loss to Trinidad & Tobago five times in the last five months, and there’s a lot that Bruce Arena and those players should’ve done differently. No. 1 on the list, though? Play with some damn commitment.

If nothing else – and really, there wasn’t a much else at all to see – at least Dave Sarachan got that out of this bunch. The young USMNT played, in what I’m going to consider a warm-up for the 2019 Copa America, with a lot of energy and a matching amount of steel.

I’m not too proud to enjoy that bare minimum of progress even though I was left wanting much, much more.

Here are a few things I saw on the evening:

• There was a distinct lack of creativity in the US lineup

Sarachan trotted out a lineup with dual No. 8s (Tyler Adams and Marky Delgado), one of whom is actually a No. 6 (Adams). They were in front of another true No. 6 (Wil Trapp, who was excellent). He had two non-inverted wingers (Kenny Saief and Darlington Nagbe) and a lone center forward (Bobby Wood) who hasn’t scored in months.

It was not awful, per se. The US ended up with over 50% of the ball and Nagbe, in particular, had some good ideas with it. They got and deserved the night’s only goal when Delgado caught Paraguay raggedly pressed up and Adams made a smart – and ultimately decisive – run into space. This really is lovely:

Tyler Adams draws the penalty, Bobby Wood converts it!

USA leads Paraguay 1-0 at halftime. pic.twitter.com/LtTNv8BNg3

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 28, 2018

But this team predictably lacked the ability to turn possession into penetration. For as good a job as they did of rocking Paraguay back on their heels through the first 30 minute, and as well as Trapp played, and as daring as Jorge Villafaña was on the overlap, this team generated exactly one shot from open play until the waning minutes of second-half stoppage time.

Fear of creative players is our cultural disease. We need both a cure and a vaccine.

• The USMNT crossed the ball 16 times and did not complete a single pass in Zone 14

“Zone 14” is explained HERE. But basically: it’s the most dangerous plot of ground on the field, and it’s good to create at least a little danger there. You don’t need to live there, a la Riquelme and Valderrama and the No. 10s of old, but any team that intends to get on the ball and knock it around some should at least be familiar with the spot.

Not the US on this night:

pic.twitter.com/vYYFTbW8gn

— God’s Plant Alex Warneke (@alexwarneke) March 28, 2018

I understand that the ranks of US playmakers are not exactly deep. Sacha Kljestan, Benny Feilhaber and Lee Nguyen have aged out. Sebastian Lletget and Kelyn Rowe have been used mostly in other spots. Emerson Hyndman and Paxton Pomykal are fighting for minutes, and Andrew Carelton is still just 17. There is no obvious non-Pulisic alternative at this point.

Except Saief has, indeed, played as a central playmaker more than just a little during his professional career. Why not, after halftime at the very least, give him 20 minutes there and sub on a true winger? Why not call Hyndman even though he hasn’t been playing, or take Lletget or Rowe?

Anyone who looked at this lineup beforehand would’ve said “defensively sound, but will lack penetration,” and that’s exactly what we got.

And yes, we won. But process matter more than results at this point, and what was the point of this process? Are we really going to start trotting out three d-mids at a time again because that worked so well for Jurgen Klinsmann after all?

• I like our defense, though DeAndre Yedlin struggled

I have finally come around on Cameron Carter-Vickers, whose loans have clearly done him some good. Same with Matt Miazga. And Villafaña – who we actually didn’t need to see in this one, but whatever – looked exactly like a guy who’s starting and playing excellent soccer for the team sitting atop the table in Liga MX.

Yedlin, on the other hand, will still spin himself like a top from time to time. His recovery speed covers up a lot of mistakes (both his own and his teammates’) in transition, but in 1v1 defense he’s still weirdly vulnerable.

• I’ve got a lot of Zach Steffen stock

He plays brave but not stupid. I like that from a young ‘keeper.

• Paraguay are in more trouble than we are

I mean, the next time the US play a meaningful game Pulisic will be there, as will a couple other high-level players. For Paraguay, this was damn close to an “A” group, and they had no real ideas. You can see why they missed out on the World Cup, just like the US.

Both teams have a lot of work to do before next summer’s Copa America.

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Armchair Analyst: Frontrunners, the Pack & all 23 MLS teams by tier

February 28, 20181:17PM EST

With a tip of the cap to the great Zach Lowe, here’s my own version of his “Annual Tiers of the NBA” column, MLS-style. What follows are not hard-and-fast Power Rankings, per se, but rather something a little more loose in terms of talent level, cohesion, chemistry and all the et ceteras that make teams tick (or make them awful).

These teams are mostly in the order I think they’ll finish, but what really matters is the tier designation.

TIER I: COME AT THE KING

Toronto FC

Last year I picked TFC first, talked about how Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore were the league’s best forward pair, and how Victor Vazquez would provide the third heat in attack to make them damn near unbeatable. I worried a bit about the defense if Drew Moor got hurt, but they survived – even thrived – when he missed a chunk of time early in the season. They managed when Altidore and Michael Bradley were on international duty, and they managed with Giovinco never really playing at more than 75 percent of what he’d been in 2015 and most of 2016.

Everything went right. Alex Bono established himself as a top MLS ‘keeper, and Chris Mavinga was arguably the league’s best center back for the second half of the season. They found depth at both fullback positions, and bring almost all of it back (including what appears to be an on-paper upgrade at right fullback/wingback).

They’re also going to be a touch more flexible with their formation this year. I think it’s safe to say they won the Canadian Championship and Supporters’ Shield playing a 3-5-2, but then clowned Seattle in MLS Cup playing a 4-4-2 diamond. Greg Vanney has proved to be one of the very best coaches in the league at making tactical adjustments based upon both his own personnel and on-field match-ups.

My only worry is if Justin Morrow – who’s 30, and is closing in on 20,000 minutes – gets hurt/goes missing. Last year they had Raheem Edwards, who put up 1g/8a in 1300 minutes across all competitions, which is an insane level of productivity for a left back/wingback (and he did it in big moments, too). But “oh man we no longer have a game-changing reserve left back” is such a first world problem, even in the TAM era, that it’s not worth getting hung up on.

TFC are the favorites by a mile.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: This might get a little squirrelly given their midweek CCL duties. Also, don’t be shocked if they break out the 3-5-2 just to mess with Columbus.

TIER II: TOP CONTENDERS

Seattle Sounders

Was Nicolas Lodeiro the same player in 2017 that he’d been in 2016? Was Osvaldo Alonso? Was Jordan Morris?

The answer across the board was “no,” but Seattle were pretty clearly the best team in the Western Conference anyway. I know they didn’t prove it in the regular season, but come on – there wasn’t much doubt. And then they absolutely waltzed through the playoffs before getting clowned by the Reds.

The fact that they survived those individual drop-offs but still did what they did is indicative of the level of depth this team was able to cobble together. With Ozzie out, Gustav Svensson stepped up. With Morris hurt (and he’ll be hurt again, unfortunately), Will Bruin found the range. Clint Dempsey came back healthy and had a good-if-not-great season, Cristian Roldan continued his evolution into a very complete No. 8, and the fullbacks were constantly productive.

First and foremost, though, this team was about the center back pairing of Chad Marshall and Roman Torres, and I expect that to be the case again. Here’s the problem, though: By mid-season, those guys will be a combined 66 years old, and there still isn’t a high-upside replacement behind either of them. If one or the other goes missing, the Sounders struggle – which they’ve showed in CCL action already. Garth Lagerwey needs to address that in the next few weeks.

EDIT: He addressed that literally as I was writing this column. The Sounders officially signed South Korean international CB Kim Kee-Hee on Tuesday evening. He will, I’m guessing, eventually be a starter.

This team will play mostly a 4-2-3-1 again (though we might see some diamond), and will be mostly very good again. I don’t think they’re too old to challenge at the very top of the league, but it feels very much like the last dance for a group of guys that’s won every domestic title available to the over the previous three seasons.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: As with TFC, this might go a little sideways given the midweek CCL game. Also, bear in mind that I’ve got Magnus Wolff Eikrem out of position here, but this remains my best guess.

New York City FC

At this point you know they’ll build from the back at all costs, you know they’ll play that 4-3-3 almost every time out, and you know that they’re going to press higher and harder than they did when Patrick Vieira first took over in 2016. NYCFC have transformed from an old and slow group to one of the youngest and most athletic teams in the league, but obviously one that prioritizes skill over everything else.

They’ve also gone out and prioritized depth this offseason, which makes sense given how their goalscoring dried up down the stretch as the likes of Jack Harrison and Rodney Wallace faded (I still think Vieira made a mistake by not getting more minutes for Jonathan Lewis). They’re two deep at every spot on the field, and if TFC slip in the regular season – which often happens to defending champs, especially ones determined to make lengthy CCL runs – NYCFC are my pick to pip them in the Shield race.

The one big concern? There is simply no replacing David Vila from what I’ve seen or can imagine. When Giovinco goes down the Reds either slot in Tosaint Ricketts to be a field-stretching striker or bottle up into a 5-4-1, and they’ve won their share of games both ways. When Villa goes down, the Cityzens… lose. They just lose.

Maybe Norwegian international Jo Inge Berget, signed this offseason, can change that. But A) he’s already hurt, and B) isn’t that much of a goalscorer. Villa has to fight off Father Time for one more season.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Expect Rodney Wallace and new Young DP Jesus Medina to swap sides quite a bit.

Atlanta United

In 2017 Atlanta United had the third-best expansion season in league history, behind only the 1998 Chicago Fire and 2009 Seattle Sounders (both of whom won trophies, which is an open-and-shut argument for their superiority). They did so with relentless pressure from front-to-back, dynamic wing play, a much-better-than-I-expected-it-to-be defense, and superhuman finishing from Josef Martinez.

Pretty much all of that is back and has arguably been upgraded. I’ll admit some doubt about Ezequiel Barco being better than Yamil Asad was (ED NOTE: Barco will be out 4-6 weeks after suffering in training Wednesday), but am buying plenty of Franco Escobar stock at right back. I also expect big steps forward from second-year youngsters Andrew Carleton, who was sublime in preseason and at the U-17 World Cup, and Miles Robinson, who could end up giving the backline the dose of athleticism it lacked at times in Year 1.

There is depth and creativity and chemistry and knowhow and, look, I’ve gotta say it: There’s a big old hole in central midfield where Carlos Carmona was. The Chilean vet is gone and in his stead is Darlington Nagbe, who is a much different player. Nagbe will at times make the attack prettier, and along with Barco will be an off-the-dribble weapon the team lacked last season. He brings stuff to the table.

I worry about what he takes off the table, though. Carmona was masterful at making it miserable to receive a pass in midfield, and his distribution was both clean and early. Nagbe is not that kind of defensive presence, and while his distribution is the cleanest in the league it is almost never early. He plays at a different pace, and it showed in preseason. Add in 34-year-old Jeff Larentowicz inching close toward the light, and I’m officially a little bit worried about central midfield for the Five Stripes. They’ll still be good if those guys struggle, but that could/will be the difference between “good” and “great.”

Also, don’t expect Martinez to finish at superhuman rates again. He’s still a good bet for the Golden Boot, but if he slows down to even that lofty level we’ll see Atlanta playing from even or behind more often, and that could give this year a whole different kind of feel.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: I’m not sure that this backline is what I think it is. Tata Martino has been using Larentowicz in Parkhurst’s place, which is… weird.

TIER III: PLAYOFF RACE (AND MAYBE MORE)

I’ve spilled so much ink on this team over the last eight months, so I’ll just say it one more time: What happened last year – the mid-season collapse – was unprecedented in MLS history. Never has such a good team become such a bad team so fast.

Instead of blowing it all up they decided to move out a couple of players, move in a few others, and move up a few more beyond that. Reggie Cannon’s the starter at right back now, and Paxton Pomykal should get meaningful minutes at a couple of midfield spots. Jacori Hayes will as well, and rookie Homegrown Jordan Cano could end up getting some real run. FCD are re-embracing their #PlayYourKids ethos.

At the same time, they went out and spent this winter like they never have before, both on the backline (Reto Ziegler and Anton Nedyalkov) and in attack (DP forward/winger Santiago Mosquera). Add in a healthy-and-balling Mauro Diaz, and a hopefully locked-in Maxi Urruti, and there is, hopefully, enough to pull this talented group back up toward the top of the standings.

But let’s face it: Last year’s collapse wasn’t about talent. It was about chemistry. Something broke inside the Dallas clubhouse, and beyond anything else, fixing that has to be Oscar Pareja’s concern.

My guess is he manages it.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: This is not their first XI, and there’s a chance I’m being too optimistic about Pomykal and Cano in particular. But I just can’t see Pareja going with the starters on short rest in Week 1. Let Diaz ease into the season, keep him healthy, and give the kids a big of run.

Portland Timbers

For the first time in five years the Timbers enter an MLS season with a new head coach, and given Gio Savarese’s credentials it’s probably justifiable for Portlanders to be hyped. The man hasn’t done it in the top flight yet, but he’s won and managed big egos and handled locker room strife and speaks three languages and has played in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying meat grinder and and and and…

Savarese’s got impeccable credentials. I think he was a great hire, and the fact that he’s inheriting a team that won the (regular season) Western Conference – then added a bunch of quality-on-paper pieces to that group – suggests Portland should compete at the top of the conference again even if Diego Valeri becomes something less than the MVP. Samuel Armenteros has been especially prolific in preseason, and there’s also young depth (which Savarese will actually be willing to develop and use, if his track record is any indication) pretty much everywhere.

That all makes me high on the Timbers. But not so high that I can overlook two things.

The preferred CB combo is old, slow and injury prone.

What’s the right formation for these guys?

Liam Ridgewell and Larrys Mabiala played well together last season, but how many “together” minutes will they manage in 2018? And while I’ll happily hit “buy” at every other position’s depth chart, I’m giving center back the old side eye until I see what Julio Cascante can really do. And by the by, there’s no longer “Prime Diego Chara” in front of this group to chew up the field protecting them (his age, foot injury and lack of playing time in the preseason worries me).

So they’ve looked vulnerable, for the most part, throughout February. The times they haven’t looked vulnerable have been when swapping out of the tried-and-true 4-2-3-1 that Portland have played for 95 percent of the time since 2013 and into either a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-1-4-1.

I’m not sure results matter that much in the preseason, but the eye test matters. Especially when you have new players, a new coach and the same old high expectations.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Kiiiinda just making this up to be honest. Only thing I know for sure is there’ll be four at the back.

Columbus Crew SC

Speaking of preseason results maybe not mattering… Columbus are going to desperately hope they in fact do matter, because they looked like a juggernaut over the past six weeks. Federico Higuain was at his “float around the field and control the entire shape of the game” best, the wingers were livewire and occasionally productive, 19-year-old left back Milton Valenzuela is the best young DP in this league that you’ve never heard of, Wil Trapp + Artur = HELL YES, and Gyasi Zardes is out there slotting home tap-ins like it’s 2014.

It is entirely possible that I’m overreacting to their late-season form and playoff run, as well as what they did in preseason. The defense still has the look of a group entirely capable of catastrophe, there’s probably not as much depth at fullback anymore, Higuain’s entering his mid-30s, and Justin Meram is gone. Beyond that it’s just hard to talk yourself into Zardes being as consistently productive as Ola Kamara (also gone) was.

Except… maybe? Kamara’s success was a product of his instincts and skill, but also of the system. Columbus are a big chance-generating juggernaut and have been for four years under Gregg Berhalter, and Zardes has shown an ability in the past to convert those into goals. So much of Crew SC’s potential relies upon him rediscovering that, but I’m a big “system first” guy and thus I’m gonna choose to believe in this Columbus group.

They’re not favorites. They don’t have a good enough defense or enough proven attackers to be that. But they’ve shown repeatedly that they know how to win, and they’ll obviously be playing with some extra motivation in 2018.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: The wings will swap a ton.

Sporting KC

Speaking of “system first,” let’s go back to the banks of the Missouri River. If Columbus are the pre-eminent example of an attacking system in MLS, then SKC are the pre-eminent example of a defensive system in MLS. No matter who they trot out there, no matter how many years in a row, they lead the league in fewest expected goals allowed, fewest chances generated from Zone 14, most turnovers forced in their own attacking third and most misery inflicted upon their opponents.

Sporting play hard and fast and will continue to do so for as long as Peter Vermes draws breath.

The problem is twofold. First is that playing hard and fast every single game out has taken the mickey out of this group come August in each of the last four seasons. Vermes has to either A) become more comfortable rotating the squad to keep his most important pieces fresh, or B) figure out a different way to play from time-to-time (not gonna bet on that happening).

Second is that nobody scores, man. In 2017 they underperformed their expected goals for the fourth straight season, and for the second straight year they did so massively. And instead of bringing in a high-profile center forward, Vermes & Co. decided to roll the dice on Diego Rubio again.

Rubio’s a nice player and the underlying numbers like him, but that’s the point: The underlying numbers have loved SKC the last four years, but they keep coming up short. Add in a high-risk swap of playmakers from Benny Feilhaber to the underwhelming-in-preseason Yohan Croizet, and you’ve got potential for major problems.

The defense should still be good enough, but even that is a risk – will Ike Opara play another full, healthy season? Will age and miles catch up to Matt Besler and Graham Zusi? Cristian Lobato at left back? Really? Gonna do that with a team who had five one-goal wins and 13 draws while getting a blinder of a season from Tim Melia last year?

If not for The System™, I’d have this team two tiers lower than I do. But I’ve got to trust it because it’s worked so well for so long.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Pretty pretty sure that’s gonna be it.

Orlando City SC

Every year there’s at least one team that crawls up from below the playoff line into something approaching “contender” status. Sometimes you see it coming, as with Toronto in 2016. Other times it’s pretty well concocted out of the blue, as with Houston last year.

If it happens for Orlando City, it’ll be more toward the “TFC, 2016” side of the ledger. The Purple Lions have spent up and down the roster, using TAM and GAM, DP slots and the SuperDraft, Homegrowns and NASL and USL and a commitment to kicking over every rock and digging up any/every piece of talent possible, and then (hopefully) making them fit. Even if it doesn’t work out for them I love what they did this offseason because they committed in equal measure to getting guys in their prime, and getting youngsters on the come-up.

So they are now both more experienced and younger than ever before. The kids will have to fight to get on the field, and the veterans will have to fight to keep their spots. It’s pretty much exactly how I would build a team if somebody offered me a GM job.

Could all the bad things happen and Orlando City miss the playoffs? Yes, of course. There’s no guarantee there will be any chemistry with this many new arrivals, there’s no guarantee the kids will be good (though I’m betting heavy on all four of Chris Mueller, Josue Colman, Cam Lindley and Pierre da Silva), injuries have traditionally ravaged this club, I’m slightly worried about their finishing, and they need another CB.

But this was a magnificent job by the Orlando City front office. Jason Kreis, the ball’s now in your court.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: The Lions haven’t been publishing their lineups this preseason, so some of these are guesses. Bear in mind that Sacha Kljestan’s suspended, Dom Dwyer’s hurt and Uri Rosell just stepped off a plane. Once those guys are back they’re the presumptive starters – though given this team’s depth, they’ll have to earn it.

TIER IV: DARK HORSES

New York Red Bulls

I’m maybe being a little bit naive here in that I’m not super concerned about the RBNY defense. Yes, Aurelien Collin is closer to the end than the beginning, but 1) I don’t think he’ll be asked to play every single minute, and 2) I believe in Jesse Marsch’s ability to coach young players up. We’ve seen him do it with young midfielders a bunch, and with young defenders to the on-field and financial benefit of the whole franchise. Can Tommy Redding be the next Aaron Long or even Matt Miazga? Could Fidel Escobar or Michael Amir Murillo or Hassan Ndam? At least one of them will push through, and RBNY will be fine on the backline, fine in goal, and fine (or better, depending upon how Tyler Adams develops) at d-mid.

The question, really, is in attack. RBNY shipped out Sacha Kljestan and for as long as Marsch has been the boss in Harrison his team has been helpless when Kljestan’s been off the field. I get it, though – they replaced Kljestan with Alejandro Romero “Kaku” Gamarra, a 22-year-old, high-priced import from the Argentine Primera. Kaku was legitimately one of the most productive chance creators in that league, and unlike Kljestan he is a goal threat himself. The Red Bulls got younger and, they’re guessing, better. They’ll also likely be more comfortable toggling between the 3-3-3-1 they used to such good effect last year, to the 4-2-3-1 they used in 2015 and 2016, to the 4-2-2-2 they’ve toyed with at times in the past.

If all of the above is the case, if they’re indeed both better and more flexible, they will be one of the best teams in the league. That is a massive “if,” however.

OPENING LINEUP

NOTE: Another bald-faced guess. But I figure they’ve started out the last couple of years in the 4-2-2-2, so why not make it three in a row?

Real Salt Lake

Is it still appropriate to call this team a dark horse? RSL were pretty obviously one of the two best teams in the Western Conference over the last four months, with only a historically bad start to the season keeping them out of the playoffs. They then followed that up with a productive offseason, adding pieces at spots (right back, central midfield and especially center forward) that were occasionally problematic last season, and the trajectory of their kids over the past 18 months suggests that the best is yet to come.

Bear in mind: This can go wrong. We’ve already seen Danny Acosta lose out on the starting LB job to 34-year-old veteran Demar Phillips, which isn’t a great sign, and we saw what happened to the defense last year when Justen Glad wasn’t around. Can he play 2800 minutes or so? He probably needs to.

Phillips, by the way, would only be the third-oldest starter, behind Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando. They’re not going to stay young forever. And while a lot of smart folks like new striker Alfredo Ortuño, he’s never really put it together for a full season, has he?

So yeah, it can go wrong. I don’t think it will, though. The RSL team we saw in the second half of 2017 is the one I expect we’ll see in 2018, and if that’s the case they’ll make their way to the top of the West.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: This one looks pretty well locked in at this point. Your move, Danny Acosta.

TIER V: PROVE IT AGAIN

Vancouver Whitecaps

I didn’t have the ‘Caps up near the playoffs ahead of last year. I’m not going to make that same mistake twice, but at the same time I’m not expecting them to spend most of the season in the top three of the West once again. There’s just too much turnover year-to-year, not enough top-end talent and probably not enough diversity in attack. Vancouver were pure bunker-and-counter in 2017 and while that took them to the Western Conference Semifinals, it also led to them putting in one of the most feeble attacking performances over two legs in league history.

Have they gotten better in the offseason? Well, Kei Kamara’s probably not an upgrade over Fredy Montero in terms of raw talent, but he’s a better fit at center forward as long as age doesn’t catch up to him. The other big addition was veteran Mexican international Efrain Juarez, who’s probably spent 85 percent of his career at a defender but will be slotted into central midfield instead (Carl Robinson loves switching up his central midfielders all the time, and I’ll admit I don’t get it).

My big worry? Tim Parker seems to want out and given how many moves Vancouver’s made for young-ish center backs this offseason, it looks like he’ll get it. Parker and Kendall Waston were one of the most solid CB combos in the league over the past two years.

My big hope? Alphonso Davies just starts roasting fools. The 17-year-old was magnificent at last year’s Gold Cup and magnificent in this year’s preseason. If he’s not a Day 1 starter I will riot.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: There was talk about a 3-5-2 in preseason, but it looks like back to the 4-2-3-1 that might be more of a 4-4-1-1. Not sure Aly Ghazal will be available from the start.

San Jose Earthquakes

If not for their California neighbors the Quakes would easily win the “Largest Gap Between Your Ceiling and Your Floor” award, which is pretty much exactly what you’d expect of a team that A) made the playoffs, with B) the 19th-best goal differential (-21) in MLS last year. When they were good they were really pretty good – pinging the ball around, combining nicely through midfield, generating quality chances – and when they were bad they got pounded all to hell and lost 5-0. It was uncanny.

I don’t think this team will have such wild swings in 2018. New head coach Mikael Stahre has a reputation as a solid defensive coach, and he has actual defenders he can use this year (while pushing Florian Jungwirth up to his natural d-mid slot). How those defenders will do is something of a mystery as there will be three new starters on the backline, but it looks like it should work.

The attack should work as well even as Chris Wondolowski heads into his final chapter. Stahre has a couple of goalscoring wingers to call on, Danny Hoesen is an under-the-radar pick for a big year at center forward, and this will finally be Tommy Thompson’s break-out year, I swear it!

I really do think the Quakes will be solid or better. I’m just not super eager to bet my life on it.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: I’ll be surprised if I don’t get this one spot on.

ED. NOTE (BAER): Doyle’s wrong, Shea Salinas is going to start at left back.

Houston Dynamo

If tell me you thought, in 2017, that a backline prominently featuring Leonardo and 400-year-old DaMarcus Beasley would produce a playoff-caliber defense, I’m calling you a liar. Houston snuck on pretty much everybody last year pretty much all over the field. Yes, their attackers got most of the glory – they were fun and fast and attackers always get the glory – and yes, that midfield was way better than you think when they had everybody healthy.

But look at how that defense performed, both by the numbers and the eye test. The Dynamo were very good at the back, never gave up cheap goals, and played deep into November because of it. “First do no harm” was the mantra they lived by and it worked.

Teams across the league have tape of that now, and that worries me at least a little bit. Remember how Colorado overperformed in 2016 then came crashing down to reality in 2017? I don’t it’s going to happen quite so dramatically for the Dynamo, but I’m not emotionally capable of ruling it out.

Houston are, relatively speaking, both old and shallow, and adding “scouted” on top of that has me skeptical of their ability to recapture 2017’s magic in 2018. If they manage it, it’ll be because they’ll have added a new wrinkle – maybe they press high, or Tomas Martinez proves to be an elite chance creator from possession, or maybe something totally from out of left field.

I just don’t know what to expect here.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Martinez is suspended for the opener.

Chicago Fire

Chicago finally climbed their way into the playoffs – and all the way up to third place in the Supporters’ Shield standings – after years of dormancy. It was a very nice and long-awaited bounce-back for a franchise that’s mostly had a miserable decade.

They’ve followed that up with a strangely quiet offseason. The biggest news was the egress of David Accam, who was traded to Philly for a sack of GAM and TAM. It makes sense, then, that the biggest acquisition of the offseason was a winger, Serb Aleksandar Katai. He’s not Accam’s direct replacement (Accam is an inverted left winger, while Katai is an inverted right winger), but he’ll theoretically serve the same purpose once the ball is kicked: lots of goals and a little bit of playmaking.

As it stands now, though, it looks like the Fire are betting large on a cadre of youngsters. Homegrown rookie Grant Lillard maybe has the inside track on the starting job at left center back, and draft pick Jon Bakero, the 2017 Hermann Award winner, is maybe probably perhaps gonna be the playmaker this team’s fans have wanted for nearly a decade? Both guys are excellent. I love Bakero and if you like pretty soccer, you should too. But it’s a weird gamble for a team whose most important players (Bastian Schweinsteiger, Nemanja Nikolic and Dax McCarty) are all over 30.

If Lillard and Bakero and Daniel Johnson are as good as I think they can be, Chicago will have improved. If they’re not – and bear in mind I’ve been wrong maybe twice before in my entire life, so it’s possible here – they’re in trouble.

OPENING LINEUP

NOTE: Maybe Christian Dean instead of Lillard since Lillard’s nursing a slight knock? Also, the Fire don’t play their first game until Week 2, so things can change a little bit.

TIER VI: OPEN QUESTIONS

D.C. United

The big question heading into 2017 for D.C. was “Was that real?” with “that” being the 3-month buzzsaw of an attack they generated at the tail end of the 2016 season. United scored more than two-and-a-half goals per game, pushed their way up to third place in the standings, and looked for all the world like a young(ish) team on the come up.

Then Patrick Mullins got hurt, Patrick Nyarko got hurt, and Marcelo Sarvas and Lloyd Sam got old. D.C. got shutout 17 times in 34 games. In the final three months (13 games) of 2016, they scored 33 goals. In all of 2017, they scored 31.

Mullins is back, battling with Darren Mattocks for the starting No. 9 job, but the rest of those guys are gone as the United braintrust have looked for younger and hopefully more durable players. Head coach Ben Olsen has a surfeit of attacking midfielders and wingers to pick from, and most of them are proven internationally, proven in MLS, or both. Add in an 18-year-old potential stud of a d-mid in Chris Durkin, and there’s reason to think this team can become something close to what they were 18 months ago.

There is worry at the back, though. Last year’s defense was as bad as the attack, and their one saving grace – Bill Hamid – is gone. David Ousted is an above-average MLS ‘keeper, but he’s no Hamid. The guys in front of him (most notably Steve Birnbaum) need to be better than they were last year, and they have to become so while playing 14 of their first 16 on the road.

It feels like this team should be bad. But it felt that way in the middle of 2016 as well, and we know what happened then.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Lucho Acosta is suspended for the opener. When he’s back, expect Ben Olsen to toy around with a 4-1-4-1 if either Canouse or Moreno show they can handle the job of being a lone d-mid.

It feels like this team should be good. But it felt that way – at least a little bit – at the start of 2017, and we know what happened then. LA had the worst year in franchise history, people lost their jobs, the locker room atmosphere was reportedly poisonous and suddenly there was a crisis in Carson.

The offseason has been mostly wonderful, though. Sigi Schmid took care of most of the family business, jettisoning (most of the) bad contracts and bringing in what appear to be quality players at a number of important spots. Ola Kamara gets goals, right? Perry Kitchen protects the backline, ok? David Bingham can recapture the form that had him on the periphery of the USMNT, maybe? All of this makes sense, and even if these guys are poor, that’s still a major step up from what the Galaxy had at those three positions last season.

But woof, I will admit some worry as to this team’s ability to defend based upon what I saw this preseason. Jonathan dos Santos looked like he was running in mud when trying to track Tommy Thompson, and just look at how poor Michael Ciani’s reaction is here. Those two guys have struggled a ton in preseason, and new presumptive starting right back Rolf Feltscher hasn’t inspired confidence, either.

Schmid might have to do some early-season damage control before this team, which is talented as hell, gets pointed in the right direction. And as we saw last year, sometimes damage control isn’t enough.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Why yes, I too would attack the right side of that defense.

Montreal Impact

The Impact finally decided to get younger, which is something the fans have been waiting on for a while. They could end up with as many as seven starters aged 25 or younger, and two of them – box-to-box midfielder Saphir Taïder and attacking midfielder Jeisson Vargas – are supposed to be legitimate stars. There’s also a distinctly Canadian flair to this group, with Raheem Edwards, Samuel Piette, Michael Petrasso and Anthony Jackson-Hamel all expected to play big roles.

So that makes this a season unlike almost any other in Impact history. This team’s been addicted to, let’s call it “experience” since Day 1, and now they’ve turned that page. And that, of course, makes them hard to predict.

There are also the elephant in the room: Ignacio Piatti’s age. The league’s best winger for three years running just turned 33, and while that’s not the very end he’s clearly operating on a different timeline than the bulk of this roster. If this were any other league in almost any other sport, there’d be serious talk about flipping him to a top-tier contender in exchange for a collection of other assets (money, younger players, Homegrown rights, etc.).

Business-wise, MLS hasn’t really grown into that sort of league just yet. But new manager Remi Garde was happy enough to trade Laurent Ciman (and then land a few verbal jabs on him) this offseason, so it’s not out of the question that the same could happen with Piatti. What if, say, the Fire offer up all their Accam cash and a good young player sometime in the next month? Garde doesn’t slam the phone down, right?

It’s something to think about here.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: I don’t think Vargas is going to start in Week 1, but what do I know, really?

ED. NOTE (BAER): Expect to see Raitala at center back and Daniel Lovitz at left back with Zakaria Diallo out.

New England Revolution

Based upon preseason, here’s one thing that appears to have definitely changed for the Revs: They will not be taking plays off. This very gifted group of technical players have had a habit, over the years, or tuning out for big chunks of matches. Sometimes that came in the beginning of games, and sometimes in the middle. Last year, however, it more and more took place at the end, and thus New England were probably the league’s most disappointing second half team in 2017.

I don’t think that will be the case this year. New head coach Brad Friedel has them getting “stuck in,” for lack of a better term, from minutes 1-through-90. It’s bordered on vicious at times, which is something the Revs really haven’t been for most of this decade.

Now, “hard tackling” is not an adequate substitute for “well coached” or “tactically astute” or even “prepared.” I don’t know if the Revs will be any of those things, and the Lee Nguyen saga virtually guarantees they will be a less dangerous team moving forward than they’ve been for the last five seasons unless – say it with me, now – this is the year that Juan Agudelofinally breaks through. There are a million-and-one questions, which is rare for a team that’s brought so many pieces back.

So I don’t know what to tell you here. New England’s a big old mystery.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Kind of throwing a dart for my pick at right wing. The rest of it I’m pretty sure of.

Colorado Rapids

I’ve spilled a lot of ink on this already, but I’ll say it one more time here: In this league, pretty much everyone has started to look to Latin America and to within, via academies, for their roster needs. We saw it all offseason as everyone from Orlando to Vancouver, from LA to Montreal and pretty much every stop in between raided leagues south of the border – and mostly south of the Panama Canal – with suitcases of TAM and GAM and DP slot.

They zigged. The Rapids zagged.

Everyone else is getting more Hispanic while Colorado have decided to get more northern European. They brought in Englishman Anthony Hudson as head coach, signed players out of the Championship and Scottish Premier League and Sweden and Germany, and are pretty obviously building a “stout at the back, kill ’em on the counter” group.

It’s not what I’d do, but at least it’s a plan. At least it’s a system and an ethos, with the idea that “Part A will function in this way because we want Parts B and C to function in these other ways.” I’m not sure that Colorado have really had that since 2013.

Who will be their best player? Ask again later. Who’s going to be their leading scorer? Honestly, you’ve got me there. Can they make the altitude work to their advantage? Let to tell you, I’m stumped. Will any of the young guys improve? No idea. Does Tim Howard have anything left in the tank? Um… I don’t want to answer that one.

I don’t expect much from the Rapids except no-frills, solid defense. As they showed in 2016, sometimes that’s enough. (But usually it’s not).

OPENER LINEUP

NOTE: Maybe the only predominantly 5-3-2 team in the league this year?

Philadelphia Union

The Philadelphia Union have been promising two things over the past several years: A true No. 10 and a youth movement. They’ve more or less failed to deliver on both promises, but – my goodness, my goodness – it looks like 2018 is the year that they’re going to deliver.

The Union signed Borek Dockal on Wednesday morning, the 29-year-old Czech international playmaker who seems destined to wear the No. 10 shirt. Dockal doesn’t have the world’s most impressive resume, but he’s been a very good player in the Czech league and in the Europa league for a long time, and he’s banged home meaningful goals against the likes of Turkey, the Netherlands and Iceland in international competition. Without having seen him play I’m going to lay money on him clearing the “Better than Roland Alberg” bar.

Him, and Accam and C.J. Sapong and a healthy Fabian Herbers/Fafa Picault platoon is not going to be the best attack in the league. But they will not have to work as hard just to create middling chances as they did the past few years. There is balance, experience, speed and creativity there.

My worry this year is on the other side of the field, at least in part because of the youth movement. Auston Trusty looks locked in as a starter at center back, and there just aren’t a ton of 19-year-old center backs who’ve ever played well in MLS. Matthew Real, another Homegrown, could end up playing lots of minutes at left back. He’s 18. If Haris Medunjanin continues to be as poor as he was in preseason, 20-year-old Derrick Jones could be the d-mid. Jack Elliott, all of 22-year-old and in his second year as a pro, is the grizzled vet in front of Andre Blake.

I’ll go ahead and admit that I love this. Let Philly be the Ajax of MLS as far as I’m concerned. I think the fans will live with a couple years of non-Ajax-like results as long as they see the ethos they were promised.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: I think Homegrown 18-year-old Anthony Fontana will get the start in Week 1 before Dockal takes over for good. I’ve also got Keegan Rosenberry pipping Raymon Gaddis at right back.

Minnesota United FC

I’m struggling with how to be gentle here, so I’ve decided to just go ahead and rip the bandaid off instead of easing into it. So here goes: I think there’s a decent chance Minnesota United will be worse in Year 2 than they were in Year 1.

Above and beyond everything else, there were three things that really worked for the Loons last year:

Sam Cronin solidified that central midfield, making them tough to break down

The Brent Kallman+Francisco Calvo CB combo worked pretty well

Christian Ramirez banged in goals at a DP-level

Well, Cronin’s been sidelined for unknown reasons (he missed a chunk of last year due to concussions), it looks like Michael Boxall – who wasn’t great – is preferred to Kallman or rookie Wyatt Omsberg (who will likely sign before the opener), and there’s a sneaking suspicion around the Twin Cities that Ramirez will be benched in favor of Abu Danladi.

So I’m just not sure that the things that worked in 2017 will be improved upon in 2018, and so in a lot of ways that makes this feel like a second straight expansion year. Obviously the scattershot way the front office has gone about collecting talent hasn’t helped even a little, but I think it’s fair to worry some about Adrian Heath’s decisions on the sideline as well.

The good news? Everybody in this league needs wingers, and MNUFC have a million of ’em. So if they need to swing another springtime trade like the one that netted them Cronin last year, they have the pieces to do so.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Bear in mind that I may be waaaaay off on this.

In terms of top-end talent, I think it’s fair to put LAFC in the same neighborhood as where Atlanta United last season. Carlos Vela was a roughly Giovinco-level player in Europe, and Diego Rossi is one of the biggest young (19) stars in Uruguay’s always bright attacking pipeline. Add in Portuguese playmaker Andre Horta (if they get him, and I think they will) and Colombian d-mid Eduard Atuesta – at age 20 one of the better d-mids in his native league – and it feels Five Stripes-ish, right?

In terms of filling out the rest of the roster, I think it’s fair to put LAFC in the same neighborhood as MNUFC last season. It’s taken them forever to even get up to 20 roster slots, the midfield is a mess (from the outside looking in, mind you), and I’ll admit a whole lot of “you know, I just don’t think that’s quite gonna work” about the backline.

More to the point, though, is that they simply don’t have the depth they need if things go wrong. What if Walker Zimmerman or Laurent Ciman continue with last year’s form, or if Benny Feilhaber hits the wall? Vela just pulled up lame; what now?

Atlanta had answers to these questions. LAFC don’t, that I can see.

Beyond that, it seems pretty clear they intend to play out of everything, and to use Feilhaber as a regista, a deep-lying playmaker who orchestrates more than creates. I love the idea behind it, but also let’s all just admit that the degree of difficulty for this gambit is damn near off the charts.

Of course, the rewards would be as well. It’s LA, so you’ve gotta go big or go home. Either way it should be entertaining as hell.

WEEK 1 LINEUP

NOTE: Some injuries, some uncertainty. What the hell, man, let’s just roll the ball out and see what happens!

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Armchair Analyst: Frontrunners, the Pack & all 23 MLS teams by tier was originally published on 365 Football

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