Outside90’s Daniel Fraiz-Martinez breaks down all the biggest talking points to come from the latest round of Major League Soccer action.
Montreal show they do not need Drogba to make an Impact
No Drogba, no problem!
That may well be the motto of his Montreal Impact teammates, who without their most high profile Designated Player dispatched their second heavily fancied opponents in as many MLS matchdays on route to a comfortable, and well deserved, 3-0 home victory over last season’s Supporters Shield Champions the New York Red Bulls.
In the absence of the former Chelsea and Ivory Coast star, it has been the other DP, Argentina’s Ignacio “Nacho” Piatti, who has taken all the headlines. Albeit in truth, the Argentine has long since been a paradoxical combination of one of the leagues most unheralded stars, but most efficient performers.
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Piatti followed up his opening weekend brace and assist by helping create Montreal’s first and clinically dispatching their second in a comprehensive 3-0 victory, over a Red Bulls side which continues to exhibit the ring-rustiness of a squad in preseason.
With the season barely underway it would be premature to jump to snap conclusions, but the Impact have given their fans reasons to be optimistic.
The pace of the livewire and “freaky fast” Dominic Oduro (who has also scored in consecutive matchdays), Lucas Ontivero and Johan Venegas, the guile of Piatti and former Chicago Fire schemer Harrison Shipp added to the raw power previously exhibited by Drogba to such devastating effect already in the MLS, providing the team with a potent, varied attacking cocktail capable of causing any teams problems in the league.
If Mauro Biello is capable of finding the required consistency – somehow reducing last seasons Jekyll and Hyde type form of outstandingly brilliant one week, to bewilderingly bad the next, they may well prove a potent force in terms of playoff contention at least.
https://youtu.be/Qr_6PlN7CG4
Houston have lift off with Texas derby massacre
On a Saturday night full of upsets, it was undoubtedly the Houston Dynamo’s 5-0 drubbing of local rivals FC Dallas that topped the pile.
Heading into the game as heavy favourites, Dallas’ spectacular capitulation that saw them 4-0 down inside 45 minutes would have seemed at best implausible, based on the recent history of the curiously named El Capitan rivalry between the two sides.
However, in truth Owen Coyle’s Houston Dynamo deserve much praise for demonstrating the ruthless efficiency to tae advantage of the growing pains that young sides such as FC Dallas are bound to exhibit from time to time.
This was highlighted emphatically with a bizarre own goal after a nonsensical mix-up between defender Matt Hedges and 20-year-old goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez.
The second-half proved to be a more subdued affair, in part perhaps down to the injuries to the Dynamo’s key duo of Giles Barnes and Cristian Maidana. Forward Will Bruin would put the gloss on a resounding victory that could well prove conclusive in terms of the El Capitan series also.
Perspiration outlasts innovation as Toronto FC play out an intriguing contest
Heading into his home MLS debut, one thing new boss Patrick Viera cannot be accused of is not taking into consideration the size of the task at hand…quite literally speaking as demonstrated on Soccer Sunday’s showpiece game!
The former France midfielder had clearly done his homework, recognising the size and narrow nature of their home field at Yankee stadium as a potential opportunity.
Thus, when New York City FC lined up in seldom seen 3-6-1 formation, introducing a much needed MLS style enforcer in the shape of Boca Juniors academy product Federico Bravo, the primary aim was to support their divisive DP and Italian international Andrea Pirlo.
Bravo, along with a tucked in Thomas McNamara and Mix Diskerud, formed an inventive midfield triumvirate that allowed Pirlo a greater amount of freedom that he had barely been afforded during his time in MLS.
With the strategy paying dividends early on, New York City raced to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of a brace from their other superstar Designated Player on the night, record Spanish International goalscorer David Villa.
However, what Viera, Pirlo and company had not accounted for was that their opponents Toronto FC would create a tactical shift of their own, moving wide midfielders Marco Delgado and Jonathan Osorio inside to make contest somewhat of a stalemate.
Usually when a game becomes so narrow, the beneficiary will be the side capable of creating a moment of magic, and in Sebastian Giovinco Toronto has a player capable of giving the great Houdini a run for his money.
The ‘Atomic Ant‘ had been on the fringe for much of the game early on, albeit still producing some superlative skills.
Although Giovinco would first crucially create a goal with barely seconds left in the first-half, with the change allowing his side a greater share of possession the Italian maestro would produce his now characteristically sublime dribbling and a finish to level the contest late on.
In truth the draw was perhaps the most fair result, with both teams feeling they could have won but neither sustaining their dominance enough to deserve it. While Viera’s innovation is a welcome change within MLS in particular, the jury is still out as to if the Frenchman is any closer to finding a conducive strategy to accommodate all his expensively recruited jigsaw pieces.
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