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MLS Week 3: A Look Back

UnionCelebrates (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by ISIphotos.com 

The Philadelphia Union threw one heck of a homecoming party on Saturday, and capped it in style with a victory Philly soccer fans won't soon forget.

Almost as promising as the more than 34,000 that turned out for the Union's 3-2 win over D.C. United was the performance by a Philly team that looked miles better than the squad that lost to Seattle in the season opener.

The defense was far more organized (a ten-minute stretch in the second half notwithstanding) and the attack showed signs of life. Roger Torres really does have the look of a future star while Sebastien LeToux has solidifield himself as a fan favorite for his hard-working style and an unforgettable hat trick.

Does this mean the Union will be challenging for a playoff spot? They may still be a few players away, but at the very least there is reason for optimisim and reason to believe we won't see another nightmare expansion season like Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC endured.

In case you missed it, here is my FoxSoccer.com piece on Philadelphia's inaugural home match.

Here are some more observations from Week 3 in MLS:

Stevie Nicol just never ceases to amaze. Every year New England loses players and every year Nicol finds new impact players to plug in. Zach Schilawski's hat trick was a quality display of finishing and both he and fellow rookie Seth SInovic look like the latest diamonds unearthed by Nicol.

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Toronto FC fans that made the trek to see TFC's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of New England had to be asking themselves why it was Jim Brennan, and not Nick Garcia, that retired. Garcia is a liability and Toronto is (at least) two centerbacks away from being a serious playoff contender.

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Edson Buddle is in the zone. It isn't as if he hasn't had great runs before in his career, but he could be part of something special on an LA team who already has the strong defense in place. If Buddle can keep this up, the Galaxy will have to be favored to win a third MLS Cup title.

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Houston's third MLS Cup looks ages away after a home loss to the Galaxy. Brian Ching's absence figured to hurt the Dynamo attack, but it's becoming clear that the losses of Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark are going to prove extremely difficult to overcome. That's not to say the Dynamo should be counted out, but it is clear that Houston is going to have to spend this summer to fill the team's dire need for a forward and a playmaker.

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As if returning most of the key pieces of its championship team wasn't enough, RSL could have one of the off-season's best winter signings in Alvaro Saborio, who's clutch equalizer helped RSL tie Seattle and put more pressure on Jason Kreis to have the Costa Rican in the starting lineup. It's a nice problem to have.

As for Seattle, Brad Evans will want to forget about Saturday after being beaten for both of Real Salt Lake's goals. The late goal aside, the Sounders should feel good about taking a point away from Rio Tinto Stadium.

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There isn't a more surprising winless team in MLS than the Chicago Fire, which has one point from three matches under new coach Carlos De Los Cobos. Costly defensive blunders and an underachieving offense have to be worrying Fire fans. As for De Los Cobos, he's on a two-year guaranteed contract so he isn't likely to feel much pressure yet, but he should.

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San Jose deserves credit for winning on the road and doing so impressively. Their defense looked very shaky in the season-opening loss to Real Salt Lake, but with rookie Ike Opara looking like the player he was touted as being coming out of college, and with veteran Jason Hernandez healthy, the Earthquakes just might have a defense that can keep San Jose out of the West basement. I won't give them much more than that because the Earthquakes offense is still pretty undewhelming.

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Jesus Padilla came off the bench to provide a vital spark for Chivas USA. Will this lead to Padilla living up to the hype surrounding his arrival to MLS last season?

As a whole, Chivas USA showed more toughness and life on Saturday, things that were painful absent in season-opening losses to Colorado and Los Angeles. The Rojiblancos still need a top striker, though Dario Delgado looks like a quality centerback option.

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The Red Bulls didn't show much energy in losing to Chivas USA, and while it shouldn't be used an excuse for losing, why does MLS have an East Coast team making consecutive trips to the West Coast (NY played Seattle last week and Chivas USA in Carson last Saturday).

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More concerning for the Red Bulls than jet lag is the inconsistent play of Bouna Coundoul. When he's on, Coundoul can be a dominant and acrobatic goalkeeper. When he's not, he can be a mistake-prone, timid and unreliable goalkeeper.

Coundoul's performance makes it even more mind-boggling that New York didn't sign Jon Busch. It likely has nothing to do with faith in back-up Greg Sutton, but more the likelihood that the Red Bulls will try to bring in a foreign goalkeeper this summer.

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Curt Onalfo's decision to use Jaime Moreno off the bench was a curious one. Did he fear the abuse Union defenders would inflict on the aging star? Either way, D.C. had no offense to speak of until he entered the match.

If Moreno's benching had more to do with his inability to give more than 45 good minutes, D.C. is going to be in a world of trouble offensively. Chris Pontius looks better suited to play on the wing and Danny Allsop looks like a player who won't do a thing unless he's getting quality service.

D.C. United's bigger problems lie in the back, or perhaps more specifically, with the D.C. midfield's inability to support the back four. In all three games, D.C. has seen its back-line overrun because of a lack of defensive support from midfield. That is something that will remain a problem while Clyde Simms is injured.

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Columbus has to feel disappointed about coming away with just a point after leading FC Dallas until the final seconds. Yes, Eric Avila's stunning equalizer probably shouldn't have counted because of his handball just before that play, but Crew star Guillermo Barros Schelotto deserves some blame for leaving Avila alone to complain to the referee.

While FC Dallas showed heart in finding a late equalizer, playing a second straight match in front of less than 10,000 fans (8,422 to be exact) is awful. Will Dallas fans ever make the trip north to Frisco to watch FC Dallas, or will FCD owners have to think about a new plan (and new home)?

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That's all for now. I'll add some more thoughts through the day so feel free to check back in.

What stood out for you from Week 3 in MLS? Who impressed you the most? Who do you think looked awful?

Share your thoughts below.

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Comments

  1. Doyle’s got stones… in his head. Signing Busch was a stupid move in the first place (Weber isn’t great as a first-teamer, but he’s young and talented enough to be a backup, just needs time), as was letting Amarikwa, Salinas, and O’Brien go. Doyle is the biggest problem with our team, he’s got to go.

    Agreed on the win at Chicago – we needed something to boost the locker room, and if Jason’s save didn’t do it, I don’t know what will. Opara still needs some time to communicate with the team better, but I feel good about our defense. If Eduardo and Gjertsen can boost our offense, I think we take RJ out and put Alvarez up front with Eduardo. He looked better there than he did at the wing all of last season.

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  2. As a NE fan I am right there with you. Mansally and Dube were fantastic last year in open cup but could not do anything in the league. Mansally is finally getting to that point again, but I am still not sold on Dube.

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  3. Yep, it seems that the KC coach cannot find good enough players here in the US; he’ll take a guy from “soccer powerhouse” India and take a spot on the team. Let’s see:

    India

    Guadalupe

    Argentina

    Colombia

    Sierra Leone

    England (2)

    Honduras

    Denmark

    Hungary

    Senegal

    Canada( pass on that one )

    The UN security council

    I know some have a work permit and don’t count against the spot but honestly…

    I know the MLS is a growing league but let’s be serious this trading of international spots that give people that many is foolish.

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  4. I agree about Buddle. A huge part of soccer is how well players play together, and I think it would be a HUGE benefit to have Landon and Buddle playing together late in a game when we need a goal!

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  5. Let’s see how they do when they leave Mickey Mouse B-ball park and come here to Seattle where there are more than the 10,000 person sellout crowds.

    On the Morsink I could care less but let’s be honest their game last week all 3 goals were on Perkins, unless your boy Morskin plays keeper also not much to say there. KC fans hate the kid because he benched mediocre hacker Zavagnin which is a sin in the midwest.

    Let’s talk Saturday afternoon when Casino Jimmy and the United Nations of Kansas City comes to play.

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  6. DC United for the first four years of the MLS was its best-run club, now it is the worst. Management put together a team (including coach) on the cheap. The DC government provides no help. RFK stadium still has the gridiron football markers from a “bowl” game last December. The parking lot is torn up from trucks hauling snow onto it during the winter blizzard, half of it fenced off as unusable. The DC United front office does not answer season-ticket holder inquiries about where they could park.

    It looks as if both team management and the city government have given up on the team, it is time to relocate the franchise.

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  7. Well, Landin deserved that red card for the retaliation bit, not to mention the leg sweep. Either one is worthy of getting tossed and he should know better. I’m sure Dom chewed his *** out for it. Check the replays again. Dumb move that didn’t cost us that game, but could cost us dearly against Chivas. The only bright side is that we typically pound the next team after an embarrassment like that.

    As for midfield, thank GOD we got Palmer. He looks very good, but I hope Dom is looking around for an AM. Cameron may learn the role, but by then it may be too late for the playoffs.

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