Friday night served up a Group D doubleheader at the MLS is Back Tournament, and it’s safe to say they were two distinctly different experiences.
First the Colorado Rapids and Sporting Kansas City treated us to a cage-match sort of experience, as two teams who badly needed a win after tough losses in their openers showed urgency and then some, combining for five goals, four yellow cards, two ejections and a whole lot of anger and angst in referee David Gantar’s direction.
So maybe Minnesota United FC and Real Salt Lake were looking out for everyone’s emotional well-being by producing a rather soothing scoreless draw in the late match, a result that nudges both teams one step closer to knockout round qualification.
Here’s a few observations.
Colorado Rapids
I’m not sure anyone has suffered worse luck and been punished more harshly for their lapses at MLS is Back than the Rapids, and it’s got them staring at elimination. They outplayed Sporting for most of the game’s first hour, when it was still 11 vs. 11. Then the wheels started falling off.
Danny Wilson, making his first appearance of 2020, hauled down Khiry Shelton in a DOGSO scenario and saw his initial yellow turn red after Video Review. Soon after VAR bit the Mile High Club again, awarding Sporting a penalty kick for the subtlest of handballs, and the sense of grievance deepened in the aftermath as influential midfielder Jack Price lost his cool and got sent off for his word choices in Gantar’s direction.
EVEN AT THAT, they clawed back to level with nine men thanks to Jonathan Lewis, only to be undone by a loopy deflected winner in injury time. Coach Robin Fraser was the picture of controlled fury in his postgame press conference, his comments somehow even more incisive than usual as his frustrations simmered under the surface, and that seems to reflect his group’s mindset, too.
“I've got a team that would go on and play another game right now, so I'm not really worried about picking them up for the third game. I'm worried about containing them for the third game,” said Fraser. “They're chomping at the bit to go and get after somebody else.”
Minnesota had best bring the mustard on Wednesday.
Minnesota United
After their never-say-die comeback win over Sporting last week, the Loons drifted towards “Loonesta” mode this time around, conceding relatively little in the way of clear chances to RSL yet coming up short in terms of their own attacking creativity. At least we got a rare Thomas Chacon sighting, though!
While this one wasn’t quite as entertaining to watch as the previous game, that’s a clear sign of the Honey Badger’s return. Ozzie Alonso did his usual search-and-destroy job at the base of midfield after missing MNUFC’s MLS is Back opener due to injury and his presence dramatically boosts his squad’s ceiling in Florida.
“Ozzy's arguably been the best No. 6 in this division for 10 years, and he was a calming influence this evening,” said Adrian Heath postgame. “The amount of times he pinches balls that are meant to go into strikers, and then he composes the game. He’s a huge piece for us, you know, and I think it showed again tonight.”
Perhaps these two teams had taken note of the Colorado-KC result, because both played like sides who’d be content with a draw. Though no one has clinched advancement yet, MNUFC and RSL have pole position on first and second place. The Loons will need to keep focus against an angry Colorado side, however.
Real Salt Lake
Bad news first: I’ve got real concerns about RSL’s paucity of dependable, go-to finishers.
They’re not short on creativity and might just trundle on with a goals-by-committee approach, but things looked a little labored in and around the MNUFC penalty box here. Their unconventional strike duo of Douglas Martinez and Damir Kreilach have combined to produce just two shots on goal over their first two matches at MIB and that’s probably not going to cut it when the intensity cranks up in the days ahead.
Now the good news. RSL are one of only two teams yet to concede a goal at this tournament, and you know what they say about what defense can win you. Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva look like a sturdy center-back bloc and fullbacks Aaron Herrera and Donny Toia – the latter of whom is sporting one of MLS is Back’s many impressive mustaches – look comfortable and committed in both directions.
That’s been their back four for the past two games; given the tropical conditions and physical demands that Sporting KC are likely to impose on Wednesday morning, I’m wondering if Freddy Juarez rotates in defense. SKC need a positive result for their own advancement hopes so it’s a tricky decision.
Sporting Kansas City
I can’t shake the irony of a no-nonsense character (and nails defender in his day) like Peter Vermes finding his team involved in one open, chaotic game after another, often struggling to get hold of the tempo and forced to be responsive rather than proactive. Is his squad really wired for success in these situations?
Up top, Alan Pulido and Khiry Shelton were a handful against the Rapids and there were stretches in which the entire team looked like the bruising SKC of old, pressing and harrying with bite. Yet at key times it was way too easy for Colorado – even with nine men – to play through them at speed, which exposed the lack of speed in the SKC defense and left them scrambling.
The Rapids won 71 duels compared to 44 for Sporting, a hint of the lag in intensity and situational recognition among Vermes’ side. As last year showed, this is a veteran group that doesn’t seem comfortable getting stretched and having to take part in track meets against vertical opposition.
It’s important to note here that KC have been restricted to almost no group activities outside of training sessions in the wake of the positive COVID-19 test for one player a week ago. On Friday, their coach spoke of the psychological challenge that situation has imposed – “Honestly, our training was a disaster,” said Vermes – and they’ll hope to freshen up the mood a bit as they ease back into something akin to a normal MIB routine this weekend.
Little details like that may prove to be the margin between advancement and elimination in this event’s next phase.
