Colorado Rapids
Fredy Montero maybe never knew it or others purged it out of him: But like it or not, no matter what the formation may show on any given matchday, Montero is an old-school No. 10.
A No. 10 as in a supremely skilled, game-breaker. They may not be the fastest, the tallest or the strongest, but they're capable of that stroke of genius that other players can only dream about.
No. 10s are hot and cold. They're often enigmatic and maddening. They need freedom because they don't fit a specific mold. They can't be judged by the same measure as other players. They're different.
Well, since Montero was counted on for goals (he did score double-digit goals in each of his four seasons), we could instead use the "No. 9.5" label that Michel Platini once coined for Italian Roberto Baggio: the No. 10 who also finds the back of the net.
Whichever label fits him best, it's no secret that tweeners like Montero are dying a slow death in modern soccer, which is increasingly based on athleticism and production. The sport has very little patience any more for the artisans, whose production may not always be reliable or punctual, but whose craft is inimitable.
If Montero's return to Colombia does materialize, MLS will have lost one of its artisans -- the author of some of the best goals in league history. True gems. But these days the Sounders are not interested in art and pretty pictures. They want goals. Goals that win them trophies.
Montero's exit, if it happens, would follow that of No. 10's Sebastián Grazzini (Chicago Fire) and Davide Chiumiento (Vancouver Whitecaps), who departed during the 2012 season. Toronto FC also sent attacking catalyst Joao Plata back to Ecuador in midseason.
Meanwhile, as creative types like Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union) and Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers) suffer through existential crises (where and how do they fit in MLS?), there have been rumors of another potential return to Colombia for FC Dallas playmaker David Ferreira.
Real Salt Lake are desperately trying to cling to their No. 10 Javier Morales and the New York Red Bulls looked far and wide before landing 37-year-old Brazilian Juninho Pernambucano.
Who's left out there? Columbus have their fingers crossed that a healthy Federico Higuaín can regain his form, while Colorado hope Martín Rivero can actually find his.
Before we get too alarmed, what we may very well be witnessing could just be a transition phase in MLS. A changing of the guard. The slighter, softer Montero's making way for a new breed of modern gamebreakers who are built stronger (see Sporting's Graham Zusi), bigger (see Toronto's Luis Silva), tougher (see Philly's Michael Farfan) and show up every game.
But finding another Farfan is easier said than done. Good luck, Seattle.
Suite du résumé des bilans de saison des clubs faits sur MLSsoccer.com, avec ceux des quatre autres formations qui n’ont pas atteint la phase finale de la compétition.
C’était une première depuis 2009 pour Dallas, dont la saison a été marquée par de nombreuses blessures. L’arrivée de Julian De Guzman et le retour en santé de l’indispensable David Ferreira ont permis à l’équipe de mieux tourner en fin de saison, mais les Texans avaient un retard trop important à combler. Arrivé en début d’année, le directeur technique Fernando Clavijo n’a pas tout chamboulé : l’équipe portera davantage sa marque la saison prochaine.
Montréal (qui n’a mis personne à la disposition de MLSsoccer.com pour la traditionnelle entrevue de fin de saison) peut être satisfait des résultats obtenus pour sa première campagne en MLS. Quand on approfondit, on se rend compte que cette place dans le ventre mou ne reflète pas une équipe globalement moyenne, mais bien une formation avec de solides points forts et des manquements criants, ce qui ouvre grand la porte à l’incertitude.
Colorado a connu une saison difficile : le club a relativement bien transféré mais a été privés de plusieurs valeurs sûres. L’équipe a dû s’habituer au style de son nouvel entraîneur, Oscar Pareja, qui prône la patience et souhaite voir ses joueurs faire preuve de davantage de concentration. On a vraiment affaire à une équipe en construction et 2013 pourrait être une autre année de transition.
Un mot peut résumer la saison 2012 de Columbus : déséquilibre. Bloc de béton sans inspiration en début d’année, l’équipe est devenue durant l’été aussi virevoltante devant que friable derrière. « Nous avons été très constants », se réjouit cependant l’optimiste entraîneur Robert Warzycha. Matthew Doyle, un des analystes de MLSsoccer.com, pense qu’il accomplit du bon travail malgré des résultats sur la pente descendante.
Je recommencerai cet exercice à quelques reprises dans les prochains jours jusqu’à ce que le tour d’horizon de tous les clubs soit terminé. Rendez-vous ici pour retrouver sur la même page un lien vers tous les textes et les dates de parution des prochains bilans.
By now you've probably seen "the list," the group of guys available for the third-ever MLS Re-Entry process, which includes Stage One and Stage Two Re-Entry Drafts on Dec. 7 and 14.
Things could certainly change between now and then – guys could opt out of the process, come to new terms with their clubs, be traded to another MLS team or head overseas – but I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of lineup you could pluck from those made available by their clubs.
Without too much in-depth research, below is my Re-Entry XI. Feel free to discuss and share yours in the comment section below.
Goalkeeper: Kevin Hartman
Defense (left to right): Gonzalo Segares, Marvell Wynne, Ike Opara, Jeremy Hall
Midfield (left to right): Justin Mapp, Julian de Guzman, Tony Tchani, Eric Avila
Forwards: Juan Pablo Ángel, Maicon Santos
Après les flops hier, j'inaugure aujourd'hui le classement « Pleine lucarne », mon top 10 de la saison, avec des satisfactions qui nous viennent de clubs qui ne se sont pas qualifiés pour la phase finale. Mais ce n’est pas parce qu’on n’a pas terminé en haut de classement qu’on n’a aucune raison de se réjouir.
10. Jaime Castrillon et Brian Mullan sauvent l’honneur de Colorado
Si la saison de Colorado est bien moins réussie que la précédente, c’est surtout la faute à sa défense. L’équipe a marqué autant en 2012 qu’en 2011 et deux joueurs m’ont particulièrement plu. Brian Mullan ne s’est pas fait remarquer uniquement pour sa poignée de main avec Steve Zakuani, qu’il avait gravement blessé l’an dernier. Malgré ses 34 ans, il a été cette saison un des meilleurs centreurs de MLS. Quant au Colombien Jaime Castrillon, il peut être qualifié de transfert réussi : ce milieu de terrain s’infiltre très bien, possède le sens du but et a fait preuve de beaucoup de présence dans le petit rectangle adverse.
9. Patrice Bernier - Felipe, axe des succès montréalais
Avec un bilan de 42 points, Montréal a disputé une première saison plus qu’honorable. Il le doit en grande partie aux buts qu’il a construits dans l’axe, pour lesquels il n’avait pas d’égal en MLS, et compte en Felipe Martins le meilleur passeur de la saison régulière depuis cette partie de terrain où Patrice Bernier a aussi brillé. Un duo en or, qui a notamment aidé les Québécois à remporter cinq victoires de suite durant l’été. Les nouveaux venus en MLS ont aussi réussi l’exploit d’ouvrir la marque 9 fois de suite en début de saison… mais ont rarement su conserver cette avance.
The playoffs are upon us, but if that isn't enough to satiate your thirst for soccer, we've got another contest to keep you busy throughout November.
Yes, it's time to select another AT&T Goal of the Year. Just like 2011, 64 of the year's best strikes – including all 31 AT&T Goal of the Week winners – are up for nomination, and a fan vote will whittle the field down all the way down to the year's best strike.
Whose goal are you looking forward to seeing in contention? One of David Beckham's many wonderstrikes? Or perhaps your tastes run more on the Fredy Montero side?
Tune in to MLSsoccer.com tomorrow, Oct. 31 at 1 pm ET, to find out the first 16 goals up for election and cast your vote!
In the meantime, tide yourself over with last year's winner, an absolute stunner from the Portland Timbers' then-rookie, Darlington Nagbe:
The San Jose Earthquakes topped the final regular season installment of the MLS Power Rankings on Tuesday, and it was a fitting end to an impressive season for the Quakes. Although they were one the season’s biggest surprises (MLSsoccer.com had them ranked No. 9 at First Kick), the Quakes ascended to the top spot in Week 16 and never really let up.
In fact, the Quakes held the top spot in the Power Rankings for 17 weeks this season (tops among all teams), and led the way for 14 consecutive weeks after reaching the top midway through the season. They relinquished their spot just once - to Sporting Kansas City in Week 30 – but claimed it again the next week and carried the torch each of the final three weeks of the season.
Some other notes on Power Rankings this season:
- The biggest surprise of the year was easily D.C. United, who came in at No. 16 at the First Kick poll in early March and finished the regular season at No. 3. They also proved to be one of the most volatile teams on the poll this year, rising to No. 2 in Week 15 before plummeting back to No. 12 as late as Week 28 before they surged down the stretch to finish in the top 3.
- The biggest disappointment was easily the Portland Timbers, who carried the No. 8 ranking into First Kick and effectively slipped into a free fall from there. They bottomed out at No. 19 in Week 19 and ended up holding that spot for a total of seven weeks this season.
- Toronto FC led the league with most weeks spent at the No. 19 spot – 14.
- Six teams held the bottom spot at least once this season – Toronto, Portland, Chivas USA, Philadelphia, FC Dallas and Montreal. The Impact held that spot at First Kick but never graced it again after Week 4.
- Five teams held the No. 1 ranking at some point this season – San Jose, Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, Seattle and the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy held it at First Kick and never got it back, slipping all the way down to No. 17 in Weeks 11 and 12. The swing of 16 spots is the largest of any team in the rankings this season.
- The most stable team this season was Sporting Kansas City, who never fell lower than No. 7 and spent a total of seven weeks at No. 1. The Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake both bottomed at No. 8 and reached No. 1 at various points in the season.
- The Houston Dynamo also never fell outside of the top 10 at any point this season, falling as low as No. 9 and rising as high as No. 2 in Week 22.
- The biggest one-week jump of any team this season belonged to San Jose, who leaped from No. 9 to No. 3 in Week 4 after a 1-0 win in Seattle. The Quakes never fell lower than No. 4 the rest of the way.
- The biggest one-week drop also came in Week 4. FC Dallas plummeted from No. 6 to No. 15 after a 4-1 loss at D.C. United.
- The Vancouver Whitecaps are the only playoff team not ranked in the top 10 at the end of the season. They fell to No. 12 in Week 25 and have languished outside the top 10 ever since.
- Chivas USA was only team to go out the way they came in. They were ranked No. 18 at First Kick and finished No. 18 in the final rankings on Tuesday, having never climbed any higher than No. 12.
Note: There were no rankings for Weeks 13-14 due to international dates.
This is Part 2 of our three-part series examining long build-ups that lead to goals, and both the "how" and the "why" they happen.
In Part 1 we took a look at the role pressure - or the lack of it - plays in the long build. Now we're going to swap from what the defense is doing wrong to what the attack is doing right, with a spotlight on the role the center forward plays.
Ever wonder what the days are like in the life of MLSers leading up to matches?
Well, now you can find out. Major League Soccer and NBC have announced a new, day-in-the-life series, MLS 36. The program – which follows in the footsteps of fellow NBC Sports Network series Fight Night 36, IndyCar 36 and NHL 36 – takes viewers behind the scenes for a player's 36 hours prior to kickoff.
San Jose Earthquakes star and golden-boot leading Chris Wondolowski wil be the first league player highlighted, when his preparation for the 2012 MLS All-Star Game will air on Sunday, August 5 at 9:30 pm ET on the NBC Sports Network. The second installment is set to air the following Friday, August 10 when Seattle's Fredy Montero's preparations are recorded ahead of the Sounders' World Football Challenge match vs. Chelsea on July 18.
Additional episodes and players of MLS 36 will be announced at a later date. Which player to the right would you want to see featured? Or, let us know who else you would want in the comments below.
On vient de dépasser la mi-saison et j’avais envie de voir à quel point les équipes en étaient par rapport au même stade l’an dernier. Le calendrier de la MLS étant ce qu’il est, j’ai d’abord réalisé un classement des 18 premières rencontres de chaque club (qui permet au passage de relativiser le classement actuel). Ensuite, je l’ai comparé avec le classement de leurs 18 premiers duels l’an dernier pour voir leurs progressions / régressions respectives. Même s’il faut prendre ces tableaux avec des pincettes, notamment en raison du déséquilibre entre les matchs joués à domicile et à l’extérieur, ils n’en demeurent pas moins des indicateurs très intéressants. À vous d’en tirer vos propres conclusions… N’hésitez pas à les partager !
| CLASSEMENT 2012 APRÈS 18 MATCHS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| J | Pts | ||
| 1. | San José | 18 | 36 |
| 2. | DC United | 18 | 33 |
| . | Kansas City | 18 | 33 |
| 4. | Salt Lake | 18 | 32 |
| 5. | New York | 18 | 31 |
| 6. | Vancouver | 18 | 30 |
| 7. | Chicago | 18 | 28 |
| 8. | Seattle | 18 | 27 |
| 9. | Columbus | 18 | 25 |
| . | Houston | 18 | 25 |
| 11. | Chivas USA | 18 | 23 |
| 12. | Colorado | 18 | 22 |
| . | New England | 18 | 22 |
| 14. | LA Galaxy | 18 | 20 |
| . | Philadelphie | 18 | 20 |
| 16. | Portland | 18 | 19 |
| 17. | Montréal | 18 | 18 |
| 18. | Dallas | 18 | 15 |
| 19. | Toronto | 18 | 13 |
| COMPARAISON 2012 / 2011 APRÈS 18 MATCHS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | 2012 | 2011 | Diff. | ||
| 1. | Vancouver | 18 | 30 | 14 | +16 |
| 2. | San José | 18 | 36 | 22 | +14 |
| 3. | Kansas City | 18 | 33 | 22 | +11 |
| 4. | DC United | 18 | 33 | 23 | +10 |
| 5. | Chicago | 18 | 28 | 18 | +10 |
| 6. | New England | 18 | 22 | 16 | +6 |
| 7. | New York | 18 | 31 | 25 | +6 |
| 8. | Houston | 18 | 25 | 20 | +5 |
| 9. | Chivas USA | 18 | 23 | 21 | +2 |
| 10. | Salt Lake | 18 | 32 | 31 | +1 |
| 11. | Seattle | 18 | 27 | 28 | -1 |
| 12. | Colorado | 18 | 22 | 23 | -1 |
| 13. | Columbus | 18 | 25 | 27 | -2 |
| 14. | Portland | 18 | 19 | 21 | -2 |
| 15. | Toronto | 18 | 13 | 15 | -2 |
| 16. | Philadelphie | 18 | 20 | 28 | -8 |
| 17. | LA Galaxy | 18 | 20 | 34 | -14 |
| 18. | Dallas | 18 | 15 | 34 | -19 |
There's like a 99 percent chance that, if you're reading this blog post, you also watched the 2012 European Championship final between Spain and Italy.
It was awesome. Even if you had no rooting interest (full disclosure: I'm a quarter Italian, but was pulling for Spain), it's hard not to get caught up when the stakes are that high and the quality of soccer on display matches it.
And it just kills me that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL can't figure out a way to get a "Copa Américas" up and running every four years, starting immediately after the Euros. What an incredible opportunity the two confederations are missing.
Hopefully someday, they'll figure it out.
Anyway, only one real observation this week...
Scoring keeps going up and up and up
You should be reading Andrew Wiebe's Opta Spotlight every week. This past week's edition was especially good. Click me!
OK, now that you've read it, you know that teams are passing more, passing more accurately, passing more aggressively, and as a result (we assume), scoring more. Before this week scoring was already up 12 percent over last season's pace. That will have gone up some more, since in Week 17's 10-game slate there were 34 total goals.
And it's not just a blip. Since the end of the international break, MLS clubs have produced 100 goals in 33 games (thanks to Greg Lalas for that little tidbit).
It's the reversal of a 10-year trend. Back in 2001 MLS averaged 3.28 goals per game; by 2010, that was down to 2.46. Here's the whole table:
2011 -- 2.58
2010 -- 2.46
2009 -- 2.54
2008 -- 2.81
2007 -- 2.66
2006 -- 2.62
2005 -- 2.87
2004 -- 2.61
2003 -- 2.89
2002 -- 3.01
2001 -- 3.28
2000 -- 3.19
1999 -- 2.86
1998 -- 3.57*
1997 -- 3.26
1996 -- 3.37
The key thing here isn't just that MLS have imported guys like Thierry Henry (one of the league's elite finishers) and David Beckham (one of the league's elite chance creators). The league's also kept guys like Dwayne De Rosario and Brad Davis, who've both had overseas interest; they've developed highly rated talents like Chris Pontius and Will Bruin, who've both been given plenty of time to figure out where the net is; and, of course, used the Reserve League to help build Chris Wondolowski, who's turning into one of MLS' all-time greats.
It's a multi-faceted approach to finding and cultivating talent, and the numbers say it's working.
* For those of you who don't remember 1998 for one reason or another ... yes, that season was as crazy as the numbers indicate. Go find some YouTube clips of that year's Galaxy squad — it'll be worth your time.