Expansion Montreal moves up off the bottom this week in ProSoccerTalk’s weekly MLS quality rearrangement. Here are 13-19. (Parts II and III are on deck …so check back)
13. Toronto FC – Aron Winter left four starters out of the lineup for Saturday’s test at Seattle, which was always going to be a toughie, with TFC coming off that historic Champions League triumph and all. The result? About what you’d think. They got clobbered by the Sounders. Torsten Frings’ hamstring injury further dampened the evening, and may further weaken a defense that was an absolute mess Saturday.
14. Philadelphia Union – Union manager Peter Nowak left captain Danny Califf on the bench, which makes his young team even younger. Midfield creator Roger Torres, sat for first kick in this one, too, although he came off the bench after the break to enliven the attack. Might starting the pair have made a difference, especially given Zac MacMath’s latest stinker in a rare loss at PPL Park? We’ll never know.
15. D.C. United – We’re already hearing about “lack of fight” and similar old RFK refrains from 0-2 D.C. United? Right. Because it can’t be anything else. Oh, by the way, manager Ben Olsen didn’t seem to think there was anything unusual about leaving two Designated Players on the bench to start this one (a 3-1 loss at Los Angeles).
16. Columbus Crew – The side was idle in MLS, but new Chilean signing Milovan Mirosevic showed promise in a friendly against Michigan State. Expansion Montreal visits this week in one Robert Warzycha’s side really needs.
17. New England Revolution – Heading into Livestrong Sporting Park looked like a tough assignment all along. When referee Silviu Petruscu ejected makeshift center back Stephen McCarthy, the mission became impossible. Jay Heaps’ side was never in this one, walking away on the wrong side of 3-0 setback.
18. Montréal Impact – Davy Arnaud hit the historic first goal, and the club set a record for soccer attendance in the city. (And Josh Gardner came within a whisker of scoring a goal that would never, ever, ever be forgotten in Quebec, lashing one from distance off the post in the dying seconds of a 1-1 draw with Chicago. What a shot! Enjoy that one …)
19. Chivas USA – The team looks awful and the Goats’ miserable attendance is starting to get more attention. Maybe they get a teeny-weeny crowd-count pass on Saturday’s attendance crusher, because it apparently does, sometimes, rain in Southern California. It’s sure going to rain on manager Robin Fraser if his Ameri-Goats are shut out at home anymore. Because 180 minutes with zero goals at home? Not. Good. At. All.
