The reigning MLS Cup champions have left themselves little room for error in their quest to defend their title.
Down the stretch they come!
The final weeks of the regular season is under way and the final weekend of action before the October international break features some potential elimination games for several teams.
The Chicago Fire are the only team currently eliminated from playoff contention, while teams such as Houston, Columbus, San Jose, and Vancouver could see their faint hopes vanquished this week.
Then you have Orlando City and New England, which could also be eliminated if they lose and D.C. United wins.
And then we have the reigning MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers, who head to Colorado with the unenviable task of trying to secure their first road win of the season by beating a team that has yet to lose at home in 2016.
The fight for the higher playoff spots is just as fierce this weekend, with FC Dallas and the LA Galaxy squaring off in the most high-profile clash of the weekend. Toronto FC will look to maintain its slim hold on first place in the East by beating a suddenly dangerous D.C. United squad, while the New York Red Bulls put their 13-match MLS unbeaten streak on the line against a Philadelphia Union side enjoying a turnaround season.
Here is a closer look at the biggest talking points of Week 31:
The Portland Timbers are in serious trouble. Thanks to the recent surge by the Seattle Sounders, and Portland’s continued road woes, the defending MLS Cup champions find themselves in a precarious position heading into Saturday’s visit to the Colorado Rapids.
The Timbers are currently tied on points with Seattle in the race for the final playoff spot in the West, but Seattle has a game in hand and Portland is playing on the road against the Colorado Rapids. The same Rapids team that currently stands as the only MLS team with an unbeaten home record. And the Timbers record on the road? A futile 0-9-6.
As Caleb Porter will gladly point out, it isn’t as if the Timbers haven’t had games on the road where they have played well enough to win, but the team with the best road record in the league just a year ago has squandered countless opportunities to record that elusive first victory.
A loss to the Rapids, coupled with a Sounders win in Vancouver, would leave the Timbers at the very least two points out of a playoff spot with two matches remaining, and potentially four points out with two matches remaining if Sporting KC also wins its match this weekend (against New England). Even a draw would leave Portland on dangerous ground unless Seattle and Sporting KC stumble.
If this type of pressure-packed situaton seems familiar for the Timbers, it’s because they found themselves in similar territory last year, when they made their way to California to take on the LA Galaxy in a match many expected would be a loss that would cripple their playoff hopes. Instead of lose, the Timbers stepped up and won in a rout, sparking a late-season surge that culminated in an MLS Cup title.
Can the Timbers do it again? It seems like a tall task, but in MLS, which is known for unpredictable results, having a winless road team beating an unbeaten home team sounds surprisingly predictable, and the Timbers have experience delivering under pressure.
FC Dallas has had a bit of a stumble on its way to a potential treble, falling into a three-match winless rut after securing its U.S. Open Cup title. That stumble has kept the rest of the league’s top teams in range to potentially catch Oscar Pareja’s men, both in the Supporters’ Shield race and in the Western Conference standings.
The LA Galaxy are one such team, and with two straight meetings against FC Dallas, the Galaxy could leapfrog the current West leaders with a pair of victories. Bruce Arena will want to see his team respond well after laying an egg in last weekend’s 4-2 loss to the Seattle Sounders, a result that put a dent in their quest for a top two spot in the West, and the playoff bye that comes with them.
FC Dallas hasn’t exactly been terrible in recent weeks, their two matches since winning the Open Cup final were draws against New York City FC and Real Salt Lake. Matt Hedges and the rest of the FC Dallas defense will need to cope with the high-powered Galaxy attack, led by Robbie Keane, who enjoyed his share of success against FC Dallas last season.
One player to watch for the Galaxy is Gio Dos Santos, who recently earned his first call-up to the Mexican national team in a long time. FC Dallas does boast some strong defensive midfielders in Carlos Gruezo, Victor Ulloa and Kellyn Acosta to deal with Dos Santos, but if the Mexican playmaker is in the mood, the Galaxy could earn a vital road win.
Intra-conference battles headline the weekend’s slate, and the LA Galaxy’s visit to FC Dallas and D.C. United’s trip to Toronto FC should offer some of the best individual clashes on the schedule. Here is a look at this weekend’s best:
1. Robbie Keane vs. Matt Hedges. The best matchup in the weekend’s best game. Keane scored three goals in two meetings with FC Dallas last season.
2. Jozy Altidore vs. Steve Birnbaum. U.S. teammates collide as Birnbaum tries to keep the in-form Altidore under wraps, though it should be noted Altidore has been held without a goal for two straight matches.
3. Alejandro Bedoya vs. Dax McCarty. The midfield battle at Red Bull Arena will be fun to watch, and Bedoya will look to build off his goal-scoring performance last week while McCarty tries to help extend the Red Bulls’ unbeaten run.
4. Kei Kamara vs. Matt Besler. Former KC teammates square off in what should be a good physical battle.
5. Luciano Acosta vs. Michael Bradley. Acosta is a big key to the D.C. attack, but if Bradley can keep him under wraps, D.C. could have a quiet day in Toronto.
6. David Villa vs. Raul Rodriguez. Villa is putting the finishing touches on an MVP-caliber season, but his fellow Spaniard Rodriguez will look to make Villa’s visit to Houston a disappointing one.
7. Pedro Morales vs. Osvaldo Alonso. The Cascadia clash will come down to whether Vancouver can generate good chances against Seattle’s defense, and Alonso will do his best to stifle Morales’ creativity.
8. Ashley Cole vs. Michael Barrios. The LA Galaxy defense is coming off a forgettable performance, and if they want to avoid another, Cole will need to keep the speedy Barrios under wraps.
9. Patrick Mullins vs. Drew Moor. Mullins has helped lead the D.C. revival but Moor has turned TFC’s defense into one of the league’s best
10. Shklezan Gashi vs. Diego Chara. If the Timbers are going to post their first road win of 2016 then Chara must neutralize the elusive Gashi.