welcome to another year of MLS. will likely add a few smaller plays to this week but these are my main two
Montreal at Vancouver
- These teams will meet 4 times this year. They played in preseason (Caps 3-0 winners), once in regular season, and twice in Canadian championships. I rate Vancouver as the most improved team in MLS and Montreal at, or very near, the bottom. Vancouver had a nice preseason at 5-3-0 which included winning the Disney Soccer Classic and outplayed every MLS team they faced, including Montreal who they beat 3-0, one of four shutouts they posted. Montreal had a real decent preseason including a win over Hacken, draws against SKC and Houston but nearly half of their roster has never played in a MLS match. They do have some solid, but unspectacular, veterans of MLS like Arnaud, Mapp, and Thomas who have all been in the league for 10+ years but they lack any type of star power or creativity. I don't think they'll be an easy team to break down but for a squad making first MLS trip it usually ends in a loss. In fact, Seattle's expansion club 3 years ago is the only one to gain points in first away match or win more than 2 wins away in a season so excusing them you have the past 5 expansion clubs posting a 0-1-4 1/8 record in first away match. Their combined away results for inaugural season are 5-18-57 which is an average of taking 13% of available road points.
Portland 2011 lost 3-1 at Colorado (went 2-6-9 away)
Vancouver 2011 lost 1-0 at Philadelphia (went 0-5-12 away)
Philadelphia 2010 lost 2-0 at Seattle (went 2-1-12 away)
Seattle 2009 won 2-0 at Toronto (went 5-5-5 away)
Toronto 2007 lost 2-0 at Chivas USA (went 1-4-10 away)
RSL 2005 drew 0-0 vs Metrostars (went 0-2-14 away)
To compete for a playoff spot, or even top 6 finish, in the Western Conference the Whitecaps will need to be really good at home especially when much weaker Eastern teams come into BC Place, the stadium they moved into in October. They missed important guys like John Thorrington, Atiba Harris and Jay Demerit for many matches last year so if they can avoid major injuries in MF and DF they will be a real decent team. Unfortunately Thorrington is out with a quad injury but he looks like the only starter that won't be available but is a major blow for sure in defensive midfield. He'll be replaced by Matt Watson who was with Rennie in Carolina and knows the system well but will make his MLS debut. 'Caps return every player that scored at least 2 goals last year and really only lost one guy, Shea Salinas, that put up any sort of offensive numbers. They've significantly upgraded that sector and are now a very dangerous team with Camilo, Hassli, Chiumiento, Salgado, and Harris leading the way. This is not an horrendous Montreal team but first year playing together and many making their league debut is not easy, particularly with a 2800 mile trip. While these teams might not end up with such a gap in talent next year the Whitecaps certainly have every advantage this week. Two young coaches as well but the Whitecaps' Rennie came to Vancouver last year after some a half dozen successful years in US lower levels while Jesse Marsch will be coaching his first match in charge of any club in his career.
Vancouver 6u +120 pinnacle
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San Jose Earthquakes vs New England Revolution
I have the Quakes pegged around 5th or 6th in the West but with the ability to push into top 4 if either Dallas and/or RSL can't stay healthy or if Tressor Moreno becomes an elite playmaker. New England I have slotted as either 9th or 10th in the East with a roster I'm not at all fond of especially their attack and defense. They might actually have the MF advantage in this one but SJ must win matches against weak Eastern opponents. San Jose lost just once at home against the east in 2011, 4-4-1, including a 2-1 win over New England. Revs were winless out west last year, 0-4-5, and haven't defeated a Western team on the road since August 2009, 0-6-13 in last 19 tries. Quakes with major coaching advantage as Yallop is a proven winner (former MLS champ) while Jay Heaps has never coached a meaningful game in his life. I can't help thinking that Montreal and New England simply saw the success RSL has had under Jason Kreis when selecting their unproven coaches but even Kreis' RSL team finished last in his inaugural season of 2007 (6-9-15) before reaching the playoffs in 2008. Revs will miss their two top forward as Jose Moreno is having visa issues and Saer Sene will be kept out due to knee swelling. Their starting LFB, Tierney, is suspended while projected starting RMF, Nyassi, is out with a hamstring injury. After a really impressive preseason, San Jose have all their top players ready to go and won both meetings against the Revs last year.
San Jose 5u +100 pinnacle
Montreal at Vancouver
- These teams will meet 4 times this year. They played in preseason (Caps 3-0 winners), once in regular season, and twice in Canadian championships. I rate Vancouver as the most improved team in MLS and Montreal at, or very near, the bottom. Vancouver had a nice preseason at 5-3-0 which included winning the Disney Soccer Classic and outplayed every MLS team they faced, including Montreal who they beat 3-0, one of four shutouts they posted. Montreal had a real decent preseason including a win over Hacken, draws against SKC and Houston but nearly half of their roster has never played in a MLS match. They do have some solid, but unspectacular, veterans of MLS like Arnaud, Mapp, and Thomas who have all been in the league for 10+ years but they lack any type of star power or creativity. I don't think they'll be an easy team to break down but for a squad making first MLS trip it usually ends in a loss. In fact, Seattle's expansion club 3 years ago is the only one to gain points in first away match or win more than 2 wins away in a season so excusing them you have the past 5 expansion clubs posting a 0-1-4 1/8 record in first away match. Their combined away results for inaugural season are 5-18-57 which is an average of taking 13% of available road points.
Portland 2011 lost 3-1 at Colorado (went 2-6-9 away)
Vancouver 2011 lost 1-0 at Philadelphia (went 0-5-12 away)
Philadelphia 2010 lost 2-0 at Seattle (went 2-1-12 away)
Seattle 2009 won 2-0 at Toronto (went 5-5-5 away)
Toronto 2007 lost 2-0 at Chivas USA (went 1-4-10 away)
RSL 2005 drew 0-0 vs Metrostars (went 0-2-14 away)
To compete for a playoff spot, or even top 6 finish, in the Western Conference the Whitecaps will need to be really good at home especially when much weaker Eastern teams come into BC Place, the stadium they moved into in October. They missed important guys like John Thorrington, Atiba Harris and Jay Demerit for many matches last year so if they can avoid major injuries in MF and DF they will be a real decent team. Unfortunately Thorrington is out with a quad injury but he looks like the only starter that won't be available but is a major blow for sure in defensive midfield. He'll be replaced by Matt Watson who was with Rennie in Carolina and knows the system well but will make his MLS debut. 'Caps return every player that scored at least 2 goals last year and really only lost one guy, Shea Salinas, that put up any sort of offensive numbers. They've significantly upgraded that sector and are now a very dangerous team with Camilo, Hassli, Chiumiento, Salgado, and Harris leading the way. This is not an horrendous Montreal team but first year playing together and many making their league debut is not easy, particularly with a 2800 mile trip. While these teams might not end up with such a gap in talent next year the Whitecaps certainly have every advantage this week. Two young coaches as well but the Whitecaps' Rennie came to Vancouver last year after some a half dozen successful years in US lower levels while Jesse Marsch will be coaching his first match in charge of any club in his career.
Vancouver 6u +120 pinnacle
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San Jose Earthquakes vs New England Revolution
I have the Quakes pegged around 5th or 6th in the West but with the ability to push into top 4 if either Dallas and/or RSL can't stay healthy or if Tressor Moreno becomes an elite playmaker. New England I have slotted as either 9th or 10th in the East with a roster I'm not at all fond of especially their attack and defense. They might actually have the MF advantage in this one but SJ must win matches against weak Eastern opponents. San Jose lost just once at home against the east in 2011, 4-4-1, including a 2-1 win over New England. Revs were winless out west last year, 0-4-5, and haven't defeated a Western team on the road since August 2009, 0-6-13 in last 19 tries. Quakes with major coaching advantage as Yallop is a proven winner (former MLS champ) while Jay Heaps has never coached a meaningful game in his life. I can't help thinking that Montreal and New England simply saw the success RSL has had under Jason Kreis when selecting their unproven coaches but even Kreis' RSL team finished last in his inaugural season of 2007 (6-9-15) before reaching the playoffs in 2008. Revs will miss their two top forward as Jose Moreno is having visa issues and Saer Sene will be kept out due to knee swelling. Their starting LFB, Tierney, is suspended while projected starting RMF, Nyassi, is out with a hamstring injury. After a really impressive preseason, San Jose have all their top players ready to go and won both meetings against the Revs last year.
San Jose 5u +100 pinnacle
