It's a light weekend, thanks to the international date. That means Canadian fans get to sweat out a pair of World Cup qualifiers with Belize, while US fans get to prep themselves (read: drink lots of bourbon) over the course of two friendlies ahead of next month's CONCACAF Cup showdown at the Rose Bowl against Mexico.
Here are a few things to look out for:
1. Ten Years Gone
What do we make of the Montreal Impact, who just canned their third coach in their not-yet-four-year MLS existence, who have had trouble putting together any sort of danger save for on the counter, and who have two big-name, high-profile, over-30 DPs that may be available... or may be hurt?
This is the devil's deal you do when you buy guys on the wrong side of that number. Nobody would argue that Ignacio Piatti and Didier Drogba aren't elite MLS-level difference-makers on their day; it's just that, as they age, "their day" happens with less and less frequency.
Both are considered "maybes" for Saturday's home game against the Chicago Fire (8 pm ET; MLS LIVE), which will have to do for now. How available they are for the rest of the season will likely determine whether or not Mauro Biello gets that "interim" tag removed at some point this winter.
Also likely very involved in that decision will be Justin Mapp, who's returned to action and is already pulling off passes like this:
That is a symphony, but Mapp is yet another member of the over-30 crowd.
And that makes this an immutable truth. Even though the Impact's core group -- those three guys and Laurent Ciman -- have yet to play a single minute together, the clock is already ticking and their window of opportunity is closing.
Desperate times.
I'll also be watching... Harry Shipp. He's lost his starting job over the last couple of weeks, but with the departure of Shaun Maloney and absences of David Accam and Joevin Jones, this game is a good opportunity to win it back. His movement and final ball in the final third are so good, but his finishing hasn't been up to par, and he hasn't been particularly clean with his touches in possession.
If he gets those things right, he's back into the mix.
2. Good Times Bad Times
Back to defense for Brad? The Seattle Sounders eked out a win last weekend, but the midfield was mostly a mess and the defense had serious issues building from the back. It was damn near a horror show from Roman Torres -- who's out on international duty with Panama -- and Chad Marshall:
So we need to consider Torres' absence, and the return of Ozzie Alonso (hopefully good for an hour or so in this one?), and the realities of the current table -- Seattle need to win this game to stay in the playoff picture. I'd say it's time to go back to the Brad Evans/Marshall combo that worked so well in March, April and May when the Sounders were running away with the West and regularly drilling teams. You just couldn't press them with Evans in there, and his comfort on the ball made it easier and easier for them to play higher in attack as a team.
Remember when they were stringing together 25-pass scoring sequences on the road at Vancouver? Yeah... That's the team the Sounders need to get back to being. Obviously it has to do with more than just Evans as a central defender, but I think it's just as obvious that having a true ball-playing option in that spot was a big part of it.
How it goes on Saturday when they host Toronto FC (10 pm ET; TSN 2 | MLS LIVE) remains, of course, to be seen. But I expect to see something close to what the Sounders used to be, before their summer of discontent.
I'll also be watching... Jonathan Osorio. He's so skilled, and so comfortable with the ball, and so capable of making the game look easy. He also frequently fades out of games, and hasn't yet become the kind of consistent force that the Reds need him to be if they're going to compete with the league's best.
A great performance here would be a real marker for him. It also might make a certain Spaniard take notice.
3. When the Levee Breaks
I've been so focused on what Columbus aren't this season -- a shutdown defensive team that can lock results away when it really matters -- that I've at times lost focus on what they are. That's a run-and-gun, chance-creating juggernaut that can put up numbers against anybody and has only lost twice in their last 13. Sure, those were both blowouts against mediocre teams (3-0 to Montreal, 5-2 to Orlando City SC), but at least they're not allowing those kinds of runs to string together.
That said, it's hard to lose sight of how fragile they've been on defense. Only two losses in 13? That's nice, but they've also posted only one shutout in that time as well, and the way to unlock them is as simple as can be.
Route one, win the aerial, pick up the second ball and walk it into the area. The balance just hasn't been right for this team, and pretty much every decent attacking team they've faced has found a way to take advantage.
FC Dallas, who pay a visit to MAPFRE Stadium on Sunday (7 pm ET; FoxSports 1 | FoxSports GO | FoxDeportes), are a good attacking team, even when they're short a few valuable pieces (Blas Perez and Fabian Castillo on international duty, and perhaps Mauro Diaz to a lingering ailment). They're also more than willing to go route one when necessary.
I'll also be watching... Ryan Hollingshead has quietly had a solid first year in the league, bouncing around both wings and both fullback slots. Oscar Pareja -- who has a knack for developing young players -- seems to see him as a left back in the long run, and the kid has started there in six of FCD's last seven outings.
Since the US are always short on left backs, I'm monitoring this development with interest.
One more thing:
Testing your limits is important...
So is knowing when you've hit them.
Happy weekending, everybody.
