Major League Soccer Week in Review – Round 24

Clint Dempsey was re-introduced into MLS, Landon Donovan nailed a hat trick and Federico Higuain scored an absolutely gorgeous goal in Week 24. Let’s get into it …

Clint Dempsey’s debut

Now that U.S. international is on the field, maybe we can set aside the debates about whether he can make Seattle a league contender and whether he represents the most significant MLS signing to date. For awhile, maybe we can just debate his actual play on the field. Here’s how Dempsey say things as he played almost an hour Saturday in Seattle’s 2-1 win over Toronto FC.

“I’m not there yet,’ he said, “but I was happy with the touches that I got tonight and the work that I put in and the chances I created. Hopefully those start falling for me in the games to come.”

By the way, don’t read too much into Seattle’s win; Sigi Schmid’s team was seriously hanging on at the end, and that was against one of the league’s worst teams.

Landon Donovan’s hat trick

Mark this one down under “Performance of the Weekend.” The U.S. international doubled his 2013 goals output in a single evening, scoring all three for the LA Galaxy in a riveting 3-3 draw at FC Dallas. Blas Perez hit two for FCD in the back-and-fourth contest.

United’s youngsters

Speaking of “league’s worst teams:” United lost once again, but it wasn’t exactly an exercise in futility. Coming off a mid-week U.S. Open Cup win, Ben Olsen fielded a D.C. United lineup that averaged 22.6 years old, according to The Washington Post. That is ridiculously young.

Montreal keeps sliding

The Impact lost in Chicago – The Fire won without Mike Magee, and how about that! – and has now claimed victory in just one of its last eight matches (a 1-4-3 record during that stretch). That’s not great in an Eastern Conference where eight teams remain realistically alive for five playoffs spots. Then again, that’s nothing compared to the West …

Ridiculous playoff race in the West

Three points currently separates second place from seventh in the Western Conference. Yes, the final 10 rounds will be something else.

Busy week … and not just for league play

This time of year is stacked and packed with matches – and not always just for league play. There are all those friendlies to play, the matches that tend to make extra cash for clubs. There were two U.S. Open Cup matches, both of which were all-MLS matchups. (D.C. United will play at Real Salt Lake later this year for the tournament’s 100^th title.) And three MLS clubs got into CONCACAF Champions League action during the week.

Conor Casey to the rescue

While young striker Jack McInerney, who was so prolific earlier this year, has lost his way toward goal lately, former Colorado Rapids man Conor Casey is enjoying a career renaissance. Casey is 11 years older than McInerney, but they are now matched for team lead with nine goals each. Casey supplied both goals as his team downed D.C. United at PPL Park on Saturday.

Meanwhile, we suggest the league create a new award for the big fellow – or perhaps modify an existing one.

The Reo-Coker effect

Nigel Reo-Coker probably not getting sufficient credit for Vancouver’s push into playoff positioning (currently second in the standings). His drive from midfield (and sometimes from right back) has pushed Martin Rennie’s team out of the average zone and into something starting to resemble an MLS contender. The Englishman’s sum contributions don’t always show up in the box score, but did on Saturday when he collected two assists in a win over San Jose.

New Crew owner says “What a night.”

Anthony Precourt, having recently purchased the Columbus Crew from Hunt Sports Group, was in his new stadium for a win that kept his new team’s pulse beating in the playoff race. “We had a great crowd tonight, we loved seeing that,” he said. “The energy in the stadium was fantastic. We’ve got to have that every time, the players responded.”

Best goal

Would you just look at what that wily ol’ Federico Higuain did to poor Luis Robles, the New York Red Bulls goalkeeper who wandered just a wee bit too far off his line as the Crew playmaker led a fast-moving attack. What Crew manager Robert Warzycha said about the beauty: “If you score goals like the second one … that’s why we come to the stadium. That’s why we’re coaching, that’s why we’re playing: because you’re looking for goals like that.”

Here ‘tis:

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