Methodically, Real Salt Lake has opened up a four-point lead in the Supportersโ Shield race, and while thatโs a testament to the quality Jason Kreis has forged within a rebuilt squad, standing in a race is always relative to those around you. While RSL has continued to post impressive results, the rest of the league is failing to keep up.
Among those falling behind, four teamsโ Saturday results are going to force them to take another look at the drawing board. In some cases, that drawing board had already seen new plans drawn up. With others, Saturdayโs results will force new perspective on their ongoing problems:
FC Dallas โ Nobody expected Schellas Hyndmanโs team to compete for the West, but for much of the season, they sat at the top of the conference. But after Saturdayโs 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake, Dallas have dropped to third, with last weekendโs 2-0 loss to the Galaxy serving as further notice Dallas isnโt ย on the same level as the Westโs best. Now the question is to accept that and consolidate around a more-modest vision or to strive for a standard which, while achieved over the seasonโs first two months, may be unrealistic. Hyndmanโs already hinted at changes.
LA Galaxy โ Some how, some way, the Galaxy need to stop giving away points at the end of matches. Andrew Jean-Baptisteโs 94th minute goal in Portland left the defending champions with nothing from a match they could have won, a result that conjured memories of their collapse in Stanford as well as a number of other capitulations. After Saturdayโs game, player acknowledged the problem and were clearly frustrated with this inverse Goonie-ism theyโve developed. Unfortunately, they also had no solutions. At key points of games, the Galaxy are just being outplayed. They need to be better.
Montrรฉal Impact โ Like Dallas, they may have been playing over their head through the seasonโs first two-to-three months, but now having fallen out of first in the East, the Impact need to address that defense, one that was blitzed in a 4-0 loss at New York. Theyโre old, at times slow, and lack athleticism, and by now, teams have figured out how to get at them. Right now, Montrรฉal doesnโt look like a team that can keep its place near the top of the Eastern Conference. They need a new plan, not just better performances.
Seattle Sounders โ Again with Seattle, itโs not that they lost. Itโs how they loss. The attack didnโt register a shot on goal until the 83rd minute, and while head coach Sigi Schmid spent time post-match pointing to San Joseโs style of play, at some point, his underperforming team has to develop a sense of urgency. With 17 games played, they still have a number of matched in hand on all of their conference competition. The more worrisome thing, after being shut out in three of their last four road games: The team just doesnโt look playoff caliber.
