10 things we learned from MLS Gameweek 18

Here are the ten things we learned from week eighteen of the MLS season.

1. Seattle Strikes A Blow To Save Its Season

There is no torture in soccer like the torture of being unable to score goals. That’s what the Seattle Sounders were facing as they played on the horror show that is Univision’s MLS coverage for the first time on Friday night against DC United.

Seattle came in with one goal – none from the run of play – in its last three games, all losses against teams lower in the table. The Sounders were always just going to try to tread water until the end of the Gold Cup, but with noted smash-and-grab specialists DC coming in, the situation was getting desperate for the Rave Green.

Even with Fabian Espindola getting sent off for what seems like the 61st time in the last two years late in the first half, Seattle’s offense sputtered. With Sigi Schmid throwing formations and reserve players against the wall, and DC positioning for another hard-fought, against-the-odds result, it was full-back Tyrone Mears who hit a beautiful game-winning goal with time almost up.

Mears has been a terrific signing for the Sounders – who really haven’t missed DeAndre Yedlin – and is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Seattle. Thing is, he might have to score a few more before the month is out – Obafemi Martins is out, and Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans, and Marco Pappa are all gone for the Gold Cup.

This was a huge result for Seattle, because during this stretch, every point is to be savored. Mears’ strike wasn’t a solution. But it was absolutely vital.

2. A Surprising Goodbye

The LA Galaxy are almost comically good at the StubHub Center right now. They’ve now scored fourteen goals in their last three home games, smashing a short-handed Toronto FC 4-0 on Saturday night with Steven Gerrard watching on from a suite.

Now, though, Gerrard’s arrival – and the potential arrival of Giovani Dos Santos – is even more vital. Stefan Ishizaki, quietly one of the more important pieces of LA’s sensational last year and a half of attacking football, is leaving the club.

With his wife expecting twins, Ishizaki is moving back to Sweden to be near his family. LA will miss him. An engaging, pleasant Japanese and Swedish blend, the winger was an understated and underrated constant for the Galaxy who took plenty of set pieces and had an especially good feel for distribution and spacing in an LA attack that got increasingly intricate over the cup-winning run of 2014.

Even if – or when – Dos Santos is signed, Ishizaki would have retained a major role in the Galaxy attack over the rest of the year.

This marks the second consecutive campaign in which Bruce Arena has been informed of a surprising departure from LA midseason – but last season, Landon Donovan stuck around until the end.

Ishizaki is gone effective right now. And maybe that is the only thing that can derail what looks like a stupendously good team in Carson.

3. The David Villa Show

New York City FC wants to keep itself around the playoff chase so by the time its full compliment of players have arrived – and at least three new starters will be integrated by the end of July – they have a shot at making a late run.

That’s why results like the 2-1 win at Stade Saptuo on Saturday over the Montreal Impact are so vital. The Impact, usually pretty solid at home, dominated stretches of the game, but David Villa’s class told.

His brace has brought his goal total for the season up to eight, he’s getting about one every two games, and while Villa has cut a frustrated figure at times this season – notably in the derbies – there’s no saying he doesn’t care.

As Villa knows, he’s about to get a lot more chances. The payoff for his coming to New York City is about to come – but his contributions before the arrival of his star-studded DP cast-mates shouldn’t be forgotten.

4. Taylor Twellman Is Fantastic

It was the final salvo from the Portland Timbers: A free-kick on the left wing in stoppage time of a controversial, intense match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Providence Park that, for 90+ minutes, was somehow scoreless.

Taylor Twellman said that Diego Valeri would smash it in at David Bingham and hope for something to happen. Seconds later, Valeri would fire it at Bingham, and Timbers legend Jack Jewsbury would somehow prod home an emotional winner.

It wasn’t the first time Twellman called his shot either. He is simply, by far and away, MLS’ and the United States’ best soccer analyst. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and delivery are superb.

Twellman’s friend, and now broadcast counterpart Alexi Lalas, has the mantra that the most important part of being on television is performance – but the best performances are natural.

It seems like Twellman loves what he’s doing. He’s dialed in every time he steps into the booth, and ESPN and MLS is lucky to have him. Right now, no one is even close to his ability.

5. Jermaine Jones Or Bust

The New England Revolution, dismantled in Dallas on the 4^th, are settling into their usual midseason swoon. They’ve only won one of their last eleven games, and, despite not losing a single player to the Gold Cup, aren’t showing any signs of improvement.

This team still has everything it needs to make another run back to MLS Cup in the Eastern Conference. But without Jermaine Jones, the Revs simply aren’t imposing anywhere on the field.

Defense is a problem, but so is the lack of production from Lee Nguyen, and going back to 2013, Kelyn Rowe. Jay Heaps’ tenure in New England has been full of major swings. The Revs need their main man in Jones back, or else it’s going to continue to be rough going at Gillette Stadium.

6. Javier Morales’ Shenanigans

The headline from RSL’s bout with Orlando City on July 4^th was Kaka getting the first red card of his club career. The Brazilian, whose only previous experience seeing red was in the 2010 World Cup after a farcical dive from the Ivory Coast’s Abdel-Kader Keita, usually walks the straight and narrow.

But even Kaka, who is deeply religious and a noted sportsman, couldn’t handle Javier Morales. Perhaps it was the Brazil-Argentina tension, but Morales is one of the most underrated dirty players in MLS and has been for a long time.

Morales has gotten away with a lot over the years – his red card at Red Bull Arena a few weeks ago was the first of his MLS career – and he’s gotten in the heads of plenty of players.

Including, it seems, one of the world’s stars. Kaka kicked away at Morales several times before the stomp that got him sent off, and whether you think that the red was warranted or not, there’s no doubting that Kaka was extremely frustrated.

It was another scalp for Javi, and a rare moment of true embarrassment for his victim. Kaka will have the last laugh, though. He’s going to the playoffs, and Morales isn’t.

7. Portland Continues To Win 

In that game that Taylor Twellman and Adrian Healey called on ESPN, the Timbers won their fifth home game in a row and sixth out of their last seven in MLS.

It was a wacky game, with too many questionable refereeing decisions to recap – including center ref Ricardo Salazar having to do the job of one of his linesman as well.

But the Timbers, once again, found their goal – and it was Jewsbury again, the wily old veteran’s second stoppage time winner of the season. Portland is the best team in MLS after the 75^th minute, and one of the best in the second half altogether – and that’s when games are won and lost.

This team is rounding into very good form. Finally healthy, Caleb Porter’s side is undefeated when Will Johnson plays. Fanendo Adi has rediscovered his form, Diego Valeri is sharpening his, and the defense continues to be a calling card. Watch out for a summer acquisition at forward too – this team is a playoff lock. 

8. The East Still Sucks 

DC lost at Seattle, Toronto was pulverized at LA, and New England was crushed by Toronto. There was not a single positive result for the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference this week, and there have been few all year.

The overall league table still reads DC United and then seven Western Conference teams. United is the only team in the East that has won more games than its lost, with Columbus and Orlando both on even – and you probably shouldn’t read too much into this – records of 6-6-6.

Who all will be in the playoffs is a crapshoot in the East – and although the numbers would suggest it, DC United is hardly a convincing leader. Anyone from Toronto to Orlando could make MLS Cup. 

9. Chicago Making A Managerial Change?

The Fire got a draw in the first game on Friday night in Houston, an okay result that will get no one too excited outside of the return of talisman Mike Magee.

Earlier in the week, Liviu Bird of Sports Illustrated reported that the Fire had made an inquiry into Oklahoma City manager and Sporting Kansas City legend Jimmy Nielson for their managerial position.

Of course, that managerial position is occupied for the moment in the increasingly beleaguered figure of Frank Yallop, who quite honestly, has failed both as a coach and technical director in Chicago.

Things could have changed, of course, if the blind draw last summer had given Jermaine Jones to Chicago. If Jones goes to the Fire, they don’t get one of their three current underperforming DPs, and who knows how that changes the makeup of the team.

In MLS, the margins are especially thin. Now, Yallop has to fear for his job. 

10. The Fans!

Taking full advantage of the fourth of July – the only holiday that MLS has ever reasonably been able to claim as its own – being on a Saturday, this weekend was a bonanza for attendance.

Real Salt Lake broke the all-time attendance record at the Rio Tinto Stadium, Colorado and Dallas both shattered their attendance records for this season, and Montreal broke their record for 2015 at Stade Saputo.

The LA Galaxy, who have always played at home on the 4th, sold out as well. Add in home games for Portland and Seattle, and you have a weekend to remember. MLS is a better product when it’s played in full stadiums. It’s that simple. The question now is, how do you bottle the excitement from this weekend and translate it to the next?