Two teams in need of results got just what they needed in their last respective outings - the Red Bulls, a 1-1 draw at New England, and FC Dallas, an improbable 1-0 win over Chicago at home - and the two teams will meet on Saturday in the battle for momentum.
While the Red Bulls' Juan Pablo Angel is still questionable for Saturday's contest, the lingering question is to whom the scoring slack is going to be left to, especially with Jozy Altidore now in Spain with his new club.
Against New England, however, the Red Bulls' were able to penetrate the Revs' defense, ranked third in the league (15 goals against).
Coach Juan Carlos Osorio's 4-2-3-1 formation saw Oscar Echeverry's first start since April 12, Sinisa Ubiparipovic's first start since April 27 and Mike Magee returned to the starting XI after not seeing action in Saturday's loss to D.C. United. Despite the positive result, Osorio hopes to find some sort of consistency with his lineup.
"If I'm honest, we still have three big players missing today," said Osorio of his juggled lineup. "We are coming to terms with that and hopefully in the next four weeks we get two or three players and we become a better team."
Speaking of consistency, FC Dallas isn't familiar with it. Saturday's game against the Red Bulls marks the first for head coach Schellas Hyndman, who was hired on Tuesday. The hiring followed a month-long guessing game for players and staff alike.
On the field, FCD is led by former Manchester United forward Kenny Cooper, whose seven goals places him in third for the annual Golden Boot award, while midfielder Andre Rocha has six assists on the season. Defensively, FCD is led by Drew Moor, but Moor has been recalled by the U.S. national team for the second leg of the team's World Cup qualifier with Barbados, and it is likely that Moor will miss Saturday's match, unfortunate news for Dallas' back line, which ranks fourth-worst in the league (19 goals against).
FCD defeated New York on April 12 at Pizza Hut Park behind an Arturo Alvarez goal just 51 seconds in, and Cooper added an insurance tally early in the second half.
Of course, any MLS team forced to quickly turn around and prepare for another opponent on two days rest is under pressure. It is evident that the Red Bulls' result against New England took doses of effort, and while mentally a draw ought to be a boost to the club, physically the story could be different. Unless the plan is to get rest, and plenty of it.
"You have to build on the positives," Carlos Mendes said after the match on Wednesday. "The effort was there. New England is a good team ... on the road, we got the point. We have to get some rest, and be ready for the weekend now."
