MLS Five-a-side:
The skinny on five things that matter this week in Major League Soccer:
1. Some injuries hurt worse than others: The news is fairly grim in Columbus, where hard-working midfielder Adam Moffat was returning to health before suffering yet another lengthy setback.
Moffat, who was one of the lesser sung heroes in the Crew's fast start, suffered a left knee injury Thursday during practice. He'll miss at least four weeks. Or, if doctors discover more damage he could miss the entire season.
That's tough to hear for Crew fans. While Moffat's name might not inspire the same Google hits as some of the team's marquee names, he was a big part of the central midfield revolution that swept through Sigi Schmid's side. He offered the early, initial pressure during matches, slowing the opposition attack while Brian Carroll sat in behind and got things organized.
On offense, Moffat's late runs into the penalty area and boldness in shooting from distance gave defenses disparate elements to worry about.
Consider the clearest evidence of his impact: The Crew is 6-0-1 in matches that Moffat started. Since his injury, the team's record is 1-2-1, and the lone win against expansion San Jose.
Columbus, which held the Eastern Conference lead through much of the first two months, appeared to have the makings of a special season. Now they'll need someone else to provide the energy and effort Moffat had brought. Brad Evans has gotten his chances. So has young Emmanuel Ekpo, but in smaller batches. Or maybe the best chance is a healthy Duncan Oughton, who may be ready to claim his first minutes of 2008.
Whatever happens, it will have to start with a win this weekend against San Jose. Schmid's team hasn't scored in three consecutive MLS matches. So the Bay Area visitors, themselves struggling mightily for offense, represent a great chance for Columbus to leave the three-game losing streak back in May.
2. Jozy Altidore, we hardly knew ya. The young Villareal-bound man surely provided some thrills along the way, before signing this week to join the Spanish side.
How, exactly, did his totals with the New York Red Bulls stack up over an abbreviated MLS career? He scored 15 goals in 37 matches, which is approximately one goal every 2.5 matches.
That's not exactly Juan Pablo Angel-type numbers. The veteran Red Bulls man has struck for 21 in 31 matches, a truly remarkable ratio of one goal every 1.5 matches.
But young Altidore's strike rate stands right there with one of the league's top all-time goal scorers, Ante Razov, who has 110 in 249 appearances (one every 2.26 matches).
How about that high-scoring crew out in L.A.? Landon Donovan has struck at a rate of once every 2.3 matches. Carlos Ruiz, now healthy again and apparently ready to contribute, has one of the best all-time strike rates for a forward who has performed over a number of years with 81 goals in 143 matches, a rate of one goal every 1.76 games.
3. TFC about to test its new success on the road: There can be no doubt that Toronto FC is a vastly improved lot. The attack is night-and-day better, and the defense looks more settled.
On the other hand, we're about to learn if John Carver's crew can really be threat this year to make noise in the postseason, of if "respectability" is this year's plateau.
Take a closer look at the schedule and notice that almost all of TFC's success has been at BMO, where the team has already seized the first hill in establishing team competitiveness: to make the home ground a fortress.
Toronto is one of three clubs that remain undefeated at home (along with Houston and Real Salt Lake). The men from Canada are 4-0-2, having conceded just one goal. And a friendly schedule allowed Toronto to really get on a roll at BMO; six of its last seven have been at home.
Now the club must test it's mettle on the road, beginning with a match Sunday in Houston. In Toronto's road tests this year, that defense hasn't looked quite as rock-solid. Look at the road goals allowed by the same fellows doing the business so well at home (generally Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Marco Velez and Jim Brennan): 2, 4, 2 and 3.
That's not going to win many on the road.
4. Dodging the sophomore slump: Dane Richards' swell assist Thursday night, converted so clinically by Juan Pablo Angel, might get the Red Bulls flank attacker moving in the right direction. Richards had slid a bit since last year's fast start, unable to generate the same flash and dash that made us take notice last year, his rookie season.
To be fair, Richards' two goals and six assists were weighted toward the front of the season. It got harder for the young Jamaican once MLS sides gained awareness of his ability.
This year Richards had no goals and just one assist before Thursday. Injuries played a part, too, with Richards limited to just six appearances so far.
Any other young standouts from last year look prone to the dreaded sophomore slump? Adam Cristman looks right on track. He had four goals and four assists in 28 appearances last year. With three goals in 10 appearances this season, so far, so good.
Maykel Galindo's second MLS campaign has been injury-nicked. So far (one goal, seven appearances) he's not close to matching last year's breakout season (12 goals, five assists, in 28 matches).
Robbie Findley had six goals in 16 appearances for two teams last year. The exciting young U.S. striker has two goals and two assists in 10 appearances this go-round, including that terrific strike from range for RSL last weekend.
5: Team of May: Matt Reis's eight-save performance against D.C. United to cap May was certainly one of the goalkeeping highlights of '08. That said, it's getting harder to overlook the season Jon Busch is putting together in Chicago.
Stats don't always tell the whole story, of course. Still, Reis and Busch had faced the same number of shots going into Friday's match in New England. But Busch had played in two fewer matches, and had allowed far fewer goals (6 to Reis's 13).
So, with four goals allowed in four May matches, Busch is the choice in goal for the Team of May. The entire list:
Goalkeeper: Jon Busch
Defense: Bryan Namoff, Jeff Parke, Bakary Soumary, Gonzalo Segares.
Midfield: David Beckham, Shalrie Joseph, Jesse Marsch, Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Forward: Danny Dichio, Brian Ching
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
