Armchair Analyst

It's something of a transition year for Sporting KC, as they commit a little more fully to building chances from possession, rather than forcing chances via turnover.

That said, forcing midfield turnovers is still a huge part of their game, their high pressure still works, and someone still needs to do the dirty work in the midfield. Uri Rosell, the Barcelona product, has been more than happy to do that particular job:

Leading the league in recoveries is no small thing – Ozzie Alonso's done it each of the last two years, and is rightly regarded as one of the two best d-mids in the league. But Rosell could push himself into that conversation if he keeps playing at this level.

Dax McCarty, by the way, probably already belongs in that conversation. He was second in recoveries to Alonso last season, and would be leading the league this year if he hadn't missed the past couple of games through injury. It's fairly amazing that the Red Bulls have coped so well without him.

You've probably noticed that the Portland Timbers are pretty tough to beat. They're one of only two teams in the league with just a single loss, and it's not because they're bunkering.

On the contrary, they'll holding the ball higher up the pitch, and defending from the front better than anyone in the leauge:

That's what coach Caleb Porter has instilled from Day 1: Defend the ball, not the goal. And his team has taken to it with aplomb thus far.

If you want to understand what "Porterball" really is, that's where you need to start.

P.S. We'll get to that outrageous 2012 number for Chivas USA at a later date. Statistics, remember, can often be damned, dirty lies.

It took two games for Roy Miller to become a punchline this season, but since his return to the lineup in mid-April, the New York Red Bulls have gone 4-1-0. Here's a chart that should give you some idea as to why:

This is not to say that Miller, alone, is the cause for New York's crossing prowess. In fact, he rates significantly lower than Heath Pearce – the "other" left back in Mike Petke's rotation – by Opta's count.

But one of the best aspects of Thierry Henry's game is his ability to drop deep on the left, find space, then curl in a right-footed cross to the penalty spot – usually aiming for the head of Tim Cahill, who still excels at making those delayed runs from central midfield.

The reason Henry has all that space? Because Miller overlaps as relentlessly as any fullback in the league, dragging defenders away from the Frenchman, creating new passing lanes, and just making it harder to defend that side of the field.

Put this one in the "It's about time" file: FIFA finally approved goal-line technology last summer, and now they've picked out a provider for this summer's Confederations Cup and next summer's World Cup, both of which will be held in Brazil.

The lucky winners are GoalControl of Germany, who were chosen ahead of three other competitors from around the world, according to a FIFA press release.

Goal-line tech has already been used at last December's Club World Cup, so the Confederations Cup will mark the second FIFA tourney to use it should the final tests go to plan. The Club World Cup went off without incident.

The move for goal-line tech gained momentum after the 2010 World Cup, in which Frank Lampard had what appeared to be a good goal ruled out against Germany in an eventual 4-1 England loss. Some, however, still argue that the shot didn't cross the line.

MLS executives have previously expressed interest in using goal-line technology, though FIFA licensing requirements make the timeframe a bit of a moving target.

Think it's time to make goal-line technology standard? Let us know in the comments section below.