Soccer <\/p>\n
I\u2019m back after some load management, and now we\u2019re a month into the 2025 season. Some teams are starting to swim, and others are clearly beginning to drown. New coaches have made a difference. New DPs, less so. Here\u2019s my favorite bit of data so far:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Year-over-year improvement has largely come from within, and with a dose of freshening up the message in the locker room.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive into Matchday 4:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
The degree of difficulty so far for the league\u2019s last remaining perfect team has been off the charts. We all know the toll that Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> play takes on teams, even deep and excellent ones (LAFC<\/a> and Columbus<\/a> are struggling; Seattle<\/a> and Cincy<\/a> might be dying).<\/p>\n However, the Vancouver Whitecaps<\/a> \u2013 the Vancouver Whitecaps!!! \u2013 have not missed a beat, balancing a perfect regular-season start with what is threatening to become a legendary continental run.<\/p>\n Beating Saprissa, one of the giants of Central America, over two legs (and making it look easy in the second) is a feather in any MLS team\u2019s cap. Outplaying and outlasting CF Monterrey, who have more CCC pelts on the wall (many of them MLS colors) than any team in the region? That\u2019d be a landmark win* for literally any North American club, and is unquestionably the biggest result in the \u2018Caps MLS history.<\/p>\n And this was not a smash-and-grab: Vancouver were the better team for huge chunks of the second leg (including a pivotal 25-minute stretch in the middle of the second half) on Wednesday night and earned their result.<\/p>\n <\/em> Technically it was two draws, with Vancouver advancing via away goals. But c\u2019mon, that\u2019s a win.*<\/p>\n On top of all the results, they\u2019ve checked a few boxes that I frankly doubted they were capable of, which has given me some level of confidence that this isn\u2019t just a hot start with limited durability:<\/p>\n That third point\u2026 whew. Vancouver\u2019s not out of the woods yet, as Gauld is expected to be out for at least another month (and will thus likely miss the CCC quarterfinal matchup vs. Pumas UNAM). But what they did without him, this week, is impressive as hell.<\/p>\n Ok, I\u2019ve buried the lede: \u201cWhat they did without him, this week\u201d includes not just eliminating Rayados, but also stopping by Frisco on their way home and coming away with a 1-0 win<\/a> over FC Dallas<\/a>, courtesy of a Tristan Blackmon<\/a> back-post header off a well-worked set piece.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Boys are cookin’ ???? pic.twitter.com\/DWjrXAY3Tz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n It was ugly. It was grimy. And it was the type of win the \u2018Caps have had precious few of in their MLS existence, as they went on the road and just about strangled the life out of a pretty decent Dallas side.<\/p>\n \u201cI could see at the end that obviously we looked a little tired, and that was natural,\u201d new head coach Jesper S\u00f8rensen said in the post-game presser. \u201cBut over the course of the game, I thought that we were the better team and that we were controlling most parts of the match. We also looked very solid defensively \u2013 not that we were standing low, but we just looked solid and didn\u2019t give much away.\u201d<\/p>\n S\u00f8rensen hit on it with that second sentence, about controlling the match. That\u2019s one of the big changes for the \u2018Caps, who have always struggled (to one degree or another) with pitch control.<\/p>\n No more. They are fifth in the league in possession and have been the very best at making possession meaningful, totaling 6.68 expected assists as per Opta \u2013 far and away the league\u2019s best mark. They don\u2019t do it with defense-splitting through balls (they\u2019ve hit just two all year), but with combo play through midfield and into the final third (only a handful of teams hit more passes in those two parts of the pitch).<\/p>\n That pitch control S\u00f8rensen talked about? They are third in the league in field tilt and second in final third passing accuracy. They hit the fourth-fewest long-balls, but that\u2019s not because they can\u2019t hit them: it\u2019s because they\u2019re selective. Right now they\u2019re completing the highest percentage of their long-balls in MLS, and they were equally effective in CCC play against Monterrey.<\/p>\n These numbers aren\u2019t exactly night-and-day from last year as the \u2018Caps, under previous coach Vanni Sartini, were middle-of-the-pack in most of the above. But it speaks to an evolution not just of Vancouver\u2019s style, but of their mentality: they are going out there, both at home and on the road, determined to set the terms of the engagement.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s working. They\u2019re getting on the ball and making it sing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of games in a short period of time, so we just found, I think, this bit of flow where it was game, then alright, turn the page, next game, turn the page, next game,\u201d said star striker Brian White<\/a>, who\u2019s having yet another excellent season (four goals in about 600 minutes across all competitions). \u201cSo we\u2019ve been in this little bit of a grind and flow, and credit to the boys \u2013 we\u2019re doing everything we can to get some really good results in these 24 days with eight games.\u201d<\/p>\n Calling this stretch \u201cgood\u201d undersells things. The \u2018Caps look real in a way they\u2019ve never quite managed before.<\/p>\n Dallas\u2026 still need work. They\u2019ve generated chances this year via individual quality, but overall they haven\u2019t consistently generated the type of rhythm in possession that gives them ownership over a match. That cost them with a late collapse last week vs. Chicago<\/a>; this week, it cost them as they never really got into the game.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime you drop two games, especially at home, you have to look at what you’re doing,\u201d head coach Eric Quill said, before basically promising there\u2019d be changes. \u201cIf you\u2019re a guy who hasn\u2019t had a lot of minutes, it\u2019s game on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Nico Est\u00e9vez has made it a priority to fix Austin<\/a>\u2019s defense during his first year at the helm, just as he did with FC Dallas in his first year back in 2022. It was extremely necessary then; it is even more necessary now, as Austin have been a bad defensive team since Day 1. They finished second-to-last in the Western Conference in expected goals allowed last year; fourth from bottom in the conference in 2023; third from bottom in their remarkable (and unsustainable) 2022; and second-to-last in their debut 2021 season.<\/p>\n If not for Brad Stuver<\/a>\u2019s yearly excellence, this team would have been ever-present in the Wooden Spoon race this decade. As it is, they have mostly scuffled along just outside the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs picture.<\/p>\n So yeah, even with around $30 million worth of attacking spend over the past two transfer windows, the first item on the to-do list for the new head coach had to be the defensive structure and overall performance.<\/p>\n The early returns are good, particularly following their 1-0 win<\/a> at LAFC on Saturday:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Austin’s rediscovered \u2013 or maybe just discovered \u2013 the defensive basics, which has made them very, very hard to break down early this season, and should give them time to figure out their attack. pic.twitter.com\/dero29q86a<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n This is basic stuff \u2013 keeping the game in front of you and denying teams access to the half-spaces is the whole point of playing a low block \u2013 but getting the basic stuff right is how you become the type of team that can sustain slumps or injuries or underperformance. And it\u2019s how you become the conference\u2019s best defense in terms of underlying numbers, which is exactly where Austin are now.<\/p>\n The issue, as mentioned in the video, is they\u2019ve got just two goals in two games (both off set pieces). Est\u00e9vez never quite figured out that side of the ball in Frisco; for his next trick, he will need to solve it for the Verde & Black. Next weekend\u2019s Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire visit from San Diego<\/a> would be a very opportune time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not there yet. We are building that,\u201d Est\u00e9vez said after the final whistle. \u201cBut it takes time. The courage, the determination, the connection, the sacrifice that the team showed, it shows the mentality of a team that wants to win, but in the middle of everything, we still need to improve. We have to play better.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this time we talk about we have to be more aggressive, we have to be more brave to win,\u201d he said later. \u201cWe can’t just defend.\u201d<\/p>\n Not over the long term, no. But in the short term, at least, \u201cjust defend\u201d has been a great plan for Austin.<\/p>\n As for LAFC, they looked gassed for one. For two, waaaaay too much of the creative burden is falling onto the shoulders of Mark Delgado<\/a>. Really good player, mind you, and an excellent progressive passer. But he\u2019s never been the type of guy to crack open a set defense, and so far, neither are any of the other central midfielders.<\/p>\n And for three\u2026 look at the midfield spacing in that clip again. Might want to work on that this week in the film room.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve now lost three straight across all competitions over the past week (though one of them was a second-leg \u201closs\u201d that still saw them through to the CCC quarterfinals), and I think it\u2019s fair to say they\u2019ve missed the creativity \u2013 and subsequent attacking unpredictability \u2013 Eduard Atuesta<\/a> brought to the side last year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n 13. The Fire have made visible progress<\/strong> defensively over the past month, and put together their best outing on that side of the ball in a 2-1 win<\/a> at Toronto<\/a> \u2013 Chicago\u2019s second straight comeback victory on the road.<\/p>\n The first goal, an Andrew Gutman<\/a> screamer, came off their high pressure as the Reds tried to play out. The second goal, a Hugo Cuypers<\/a> tap-in, came off one of those patented, Berhalter-ball \u201cturn possession into penetration\u201d back-to-front movements.<\/p>\n Chicago are still under water by most metrics (they have the worst xGA in the league), but at this point in the season I\u2019m less interested in the numbers than I am in the trendlines. And the trendlines over the past few games have been good, even with crucial pieces missing.<\/p>\n I had TFC pegged as Wooden Spoon favorites heading into the year and they have yet to disabuse me.<\/p>\n 12. Oscar Pareja was very clever<\/strong> in having his Orlando City<\/a> side mirror RBNY<\/a>\u2019s 3-4-2-1 shape in their trip to Harrison on Saturday afternoon, which resulted in an open and attractive 2-2 draw<\/a>, powered by a couple of assists from Atuesta:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Orlando City have mirrored RBNY’s shape this afternoon, and that’s made it difficult for the Red Bulls to get any kind of pressure to the visitors on the build-out. pic.twitter.com\/ekEPxNkshu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 15, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n I\u2019ve written a few times this year (ok, I\u2019ve written it every single week) that Orlando are a defensive piece or two short. Alex Freeman<\/a>\u2019s ascent at right back and Kyle Smith<\/a>\u2019s comfort playing as a left center back in the modified backline somewhat eases that, but they should still be shopping.<\/p>\n As for the Red Bulls, they play fun soccer \u2013 they care about completing passes now, and are pretty good at it \u2013 but they also press like a team built around two DPs in their mid-30s, and haven\u2019t been super organized in that back three. So I wouldn\u2019t be shocked if a formation change (they were best last year in a 4-2-2-2) is nigh.<\/p>\n 11. Speed kills, and that was the whole story<\/strong> of Charlotte<\/a>\u2019s 2-0 home win<\/a> over struggling FC Cincinnati. First Liel Abada<\/a> got onto the end of a disastrous back-pass to make it 1-0, and then a few minutes later Pat Agyemang<\/a> got his first of the year on the break. This was all straight out of Dean Smith\u2019s dream journal.<\/p>\n Nothing\u2019s going right for Cincy. They\u2019ve now won just one of their past six across all competitions and saw Miles Robinson<\/a> substituted with an injury at the half-hour mark, then saw Gilberto Flores<\/a> earn himself a red card late in the second half.<\/p>\n Pat Noonan\u2019s going to have to get creative with that backline next week.<\/p>\n 10. CF Montr\u00e9al did well to go down to D.C. United<\/strong> and hold on for a scoreless draw<\/a>, picking up their first point of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are happy to have unlocked our counter,\u201d said Montr\u00e9al head coach Laurent Courtois afterward, perhaps overstating things just a tad. \u201cWe tried to be a little more aggressive in transition, and that’s something we believe we can improve on in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n D.C.<\/a> are technically unbeaten, but they\u2019ve played by far the easiest schedule in the league and have managed only a single win. Things get much more difficult over the next, uh, forever. I guess.<\/p>\n 9. Our Pass of the Week goes to<\/strong> Keegan Rosenberry<\/a>, who sliced the Quakes<\/a>\u2019 defense open for the late winner in a 2-1 win<\/a> for the Rapids<\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Keegan Rosenberry played this perfectly to Calvin Harris ????@ColoradoRapids<\/a> take the lead! pic.twitter.com\/2fKbIYnM6O<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n This is one of the weak points in a 3-5-2 that any team playing in a back four has to exploit: bring your fullbacks up, force the opposing wingback to make a choice (pressure the ball or stay deep on the winger), and if you get a passing lane, hit it.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll say again in this space that Zack Steffen<\/a> has been excellent this year. He\u2019s staying deeper on his line and doing less in build-out, and simplifying the game like that seems to have suited him.<\/p>\n 8. Let’s turn it over to Armchair Analyst Special Correspondent<\/strong> Calen Carr, who was on the 1s and 2s for New York City FC<\/a>\u2019s 2-1 win<\/a> over visiting New England<\/a>:<\/p>\n New England managed to take the lead from an own goal by Thiago Martins<\/a> \u2013 the Revs\u2019 first goal of the year \u2013 in the first half off a dangerous cross from Brandon Bye<\/a>. That\u2019s sometimes the break a team needs to get the season going, but the equalizer for NYCFC was a perfect example of New England’s problems. They\u2019ve stayed compact defensively for much of the season, but haven\u2019t taken enough risks to generate chances. When they did commit numbers forward, though, in this case just before halftime with Jackson Yueill<\/a> overlapping Carles Gil<\/a>, they left acres of space for NYCFC to counter into.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n It\u2019s a lose-lose for New England where they can\u2019t win the tight games right now and also can\u2019t risk opening themselves up, either. Their attack still seemed mostly toothless and without Leo Campana<\/a> (likely out the next three matches), teams can send numbers around Gil while he tries to buy time to scan for runners.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n As for NYCFC, 1) a counter goal from Juli\u00e1n Fern\u00e1ndez<\/a> (punishing New England\u2019s messy rest defense), 2) a true poacher\u2019s goal from Alonso Mart\u00ednez<\/a>, and 3) another really promising performance from young Jonathan Shore<\/a>. They don\u2019t look great<\/em>, but they\u2019re answering some crucial questions they had entering the season.<\/p>\n 7. Face of the Week goes to this guy,<\/strong> who was in the pits of hell early in what looked like another surefire Sporting KC<\/a> loss:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n I missed this live but lmaoooooooo (h\/t @Dwade<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/lYIWzfcubL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 CJ Fogler ???? (@cjzero) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n But for the first time in club history, Sporting came back from a three-goal deficit to snag a result! A mad dash through the tape over the game\u2019s final 25 minutes saw them overturn Minnesota<\/a>\u2019s 3-0 lead (a brace from Tani Oluwaseyi<\/a> and a THUNDERBASTARD from Hassani Dotson<\/a>) and come away with a point thanks to a 3-3 draw<\/a>.<\/p>\n That snapped a 10-game losing streak across all competitions, one that stretched back to the end of 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cI can say this: It shows that at least the guys are fighting and that part is very good. It’s easy for a team not to fight, but they did,\u201d manager Peter Vermes said in the postgame. \u201cThey could have given up.\u201d<\/p>\n This was an uncharacteristic meltdown from Minnesota, who have mostly been very good defensively since August of last year. Gonna give them a mulligan and see what happens next week.<\/p>\n 6. Diego Luna got himself a goal and a secondary assist<\/strong> and just looked like the best player on the field by a mile in RSL<\/a>\u2019s 2-1 win<\/a> at Houston<\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Diego Luna has become the type of No. 10 RSL fans (and #USMNT<\/a> fans) have been dreaming of.<\/p>\n I can’t wait to watch him in the Nations League. pic.twitter.com\/EsLmB9Ch8W<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n RSL have now won two of three. Houston, meanwhile, have taken just one point all year, and have lost all three of their home games.<\/p>\n Three of their next four are on the road. Maybe that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n 5. The Sounders seem a little cursed.<\/strong> Between injuries (Paul Arriola<\/a> is likely done for the year<\/a>; Jordan Morris<\/a> and Pedro de la Vega<\/a> are shelved for the next month or so) and self-inflicted wounds \u2013 including Jackson Ragen<\/a>\u2019s slip and hand-ball that led to Eduard L\u00f6wen<\/a>\u2019s free kick banger in this one, a 1-0 loss<\/a> in St. Louis<\/a> \u2013 they just can\u2019t seem to catch a break.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n St. Louis, meanwhile, have now pitched four straight shutouts for the first time in club history, this one even coming without the injured Roman B\u00fcrki<\/a> (hand).<\/p>\n Still, they were down around 35% possession and are playing against the ball more than new head coach Olof Mellberg would like.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we’re trying to be better on the ball and have more quality, and now we are playing again [against] a team that is very good on the ball,\u201d Mellberg said. \u201cSo, we would like to have more possession, and a little bit more quality when we win the ball, especially. We are still wasting possession a little bit too fast and too easily.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Columbus went to San Diego and,<\/strong> short-handed and on short rest, got themselves a point against los Ni\u00f1os in a 1-1 draw<\/a>. The first half was a clinic on how to attack the hosts\u2019 ultra-compact shape:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Crew are so good at using width to crack open compact teams and get access to Zone 14. They gave San Diego \u2013 who play as compact as anyone \u2013 a real lesson on this goal pic.twitter.com\/YIVZUgpe0p<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The second half, though, was a different story, as San Diego head coach Mikey Varas dropped an attacker for a midfielder, switching from their typical 4-3-3 into more of a 4-4-2 diamond with two forwards just relentlessly attacking the channels for balls over the top.<\/p>\n It worked a charm, as they induced a Malte Amundsen<\/a> red card and then made that count by controlling the rest of the game and eventually finding the equalizer.<\/p>\n That equalizer, from Onni Valakari<\/a> off a set piece, was the first home goal in club history<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cDuring the week, we worked a lot on set pieces. We knew where the spaces are. We knew how they defend set pieces. We knew they’re really space-oriented, so we just have to make the correct runs,\u201d Valakari said. \u201cEverybody made the runs that they were supposed to do, and the ball just landed on my head.<\/p>\n \u201cHappy that I could convert. But the feeling that we have in the locker room, I think we were a little bit disappointed. Felt like two points lost. We tried to push for the second goal, but yeah, didn’t happen, and now we just recover and focus for the next week.\u201d<\/p>\n The job next week is that visit to Austin \u2013 an altogether different defensive challenge than the Crew \u2013 for Sunday Night Soccer.<\/p>\n 3. Nashville SC had to be really happy<\/strong> with not just the result \u2013 a 3-1 win<\/a> in Chester over the previously perfect Union<\/a> \u2013 but also with their composure as Philly repeatedly tried and failed to rev the tempo of the game. The \u2018Yotes weren\u2019t exactly prime Bar\u00e7a out there, but they were composed and determined to use the Union\u2019s penchant for over-pursuit against them.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to do that, you need two things:<\/p>\n I have been down on Sam Surridge<\/a>, but he was superb at all the little things. Any time it felt like Nashville<\/a> were about to let go of the rope, he was there to win a long-ball, or check into midfield to create a lane for Ahmed Qasem<\/a>, or simply combine with Hany Mukhtar<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just really excellent all-around stuff from the DP No. 9. Even without the goal (he opened the scoring in the 15th minute) he was superb.<\/p>\n I said after Matchday 2 that, despite playing better soccer overall, Nashville still looked distressingly soft and timid in both boxes.<\/p>\n That hasn\u2019t been the case the past two weeks. They haven\u2019t been clean, per se \u2013 they\u2019re leaving goals on the table, and were lucky not to ship three \u2013 but over the last 180 minutes they\u2019re showing a level of commitment that\u2019d been missing.<\/p>\n 2. Portland and LA both looked like teams<\/strong> that had great No. 10s last year and are still trying to figure out how to play \u2013 how to consistently create anything \u2013 without them this year. And so that resulted in a 1-1 draw<\/a> on Sunday afternoon with two veteran center forwards doing veteran center forward things on two of the even halfway decent chances on the night:<\/p>\n My theory of Galaxy<\/a> competence in 2025 revolved almost entirely around Marco Reus<\/a>\u2019s ability to be a very good-to-great creative hub for the first two-thirds of the season, until Riqui Puig<\/a>\u2019s healthy return. So far that has been a bad theory.<\/p>\n As for Portland\u2026 I usually don\u2019t write much about officiating here \u2013 the call\u2019s the call \u2013 but man, they\u2019re going to feel hard done by not getting a late PK after an insane Emiro Garc\u00e9s<\/a> tackle. I can\u2019t imagine why that one wasn\u2019t called.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n No penalty was given here for Portland in stoppage time pic.twitter.com\/dFrGw9vs62<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n 1. And finally, Miami went up to Atlanta<\/strong> and exacted a small measure of revenge for last year\u2019s playoffs elimination with a 2-1 win<\/a> thanks to an early Bartosz Slisz<\/a> giveaway and a late Faf\u00e0 Picault<\/a> header.<\/p>\n First, though, a moment of appreciation for Miguel Almir\u00f3n<\/a>, who is so much more than just speed and a good left foot:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Miguel Almiron is so good. Just a problem-solver for Atlanta out there in so many ways. pic.twitter.com\/TolgtXmdMu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n But the issue is you need several of those moments if you\u2019re going to survive vs. the Herons. And on the other side of the ball, you need to be clean \u2013 no cheap giveaways (Slisz) and no falling asleep at the back post (as happened on the Picault goal). The margins, when you\u2019re playing against Leo Messi<\/a> & Co., are smaller than against anyone else.<\/p>\n Credit to Miami for making that so, because it wasn\u2019t the case last year. Even as they were racking up points, you could get on the ball and get at them at times in 2024. But this season, with a simplified structure (they play a 4-4-1-1 with Messi in a completely free role), they\u2019re less prone to self-destruction.<\/p>\n And still, obviously, as ruthlessly opportunistic as anyone on the continent.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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