ExtraTime Radio Podcast
LISTEN: That pit in your stomach ... it's likely to be around for awhile. The United States will not play in the 2018 World Cup. It's tough to type. The guys mourn the national soccer nightmare with Fox Sports pundit Alexi Lalas (19:04), Paul Tenorio (35:38) of FourFourTwo and Brian Sciaretta (45:27) of American Soccer NowSubscribe now and preview the MLS weekend. "Like" our Facebook page so you never miss a show! Download this episode!
Congrats to the Houston Dynamo for what they did on Wednesday night. That come-from-behind 2-1 win over Sporting didn't exactly clinch a playoff spot for H-Town, but it put them damn close – 95%, according to FiveThirtyEight's SPI ratings. That's two percent better than the USMNT had of making the World Cup as of Tuesday afternoon.
sigh
Tomas Martinez is starting to do stuff in the attacking third, like pop up on the back post for a goal, or slip the ball into the box from that gap on the left wing he seems to like to inhabit. He's clearly not a Mauro Diaz-style No. 10, but he's got two goals in his last two starts, and the Dynamo have eight points from their last four games.
A month ago, after that miserable 1-0 loss to San Jose, they were very, very out. Now they look very, very in. We'll see how they do in the return date at Sporting on Sunday (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE) in a game that will do lots to determine who hosts whom when the Western Conference playoffs start.
Elsewhere...
New York Red Bulls vs. Atlanta United: The biggest, most playoff preview-y game of the weekend comes from Harrison, where the Red Bulls host the Five Stripes (5 pm ET; FS1 & Fox Deportes in the US | MLS LIVE in Canada).
Our Ben Baer tried to put a number to what makes Atlanta's front four so fearsome. It's worth a read, even if they'll only have three of those guys (Miguel Almiron is still hurt). Elsewhere, Jesse Marsch is openly talking about hiding some of his cards considering the relative importance of this game compared to what will be coming in a few weeks.
My guess is whatever he holds in reserve will be some defensive rotations and pressing triggers – I bet neither wingback gets particularly high. Offensively, I entirely expect the triumvirate of Bradley Wright-Phillips, Sacha Kljestan and Daniel Royer to share the field. These guys need reps before the playoffs begin.
Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact: I bet Toronto fans are going to love unveiling the Supporters' Shield ahead of this game on Sunday (5 pm ET; TSN1/4 in Canada | MLS LIVE in the US). I also bet that Jozy Altidore will get some rest, while Michael Bradley will not. We might also get a taste of what Greg Vanney is thinking at right wingback – Nicolas Hasler probably has done enough to displace Steven Beitashour as the starter by this point.
Most interesting to me, though: Sebastian Giovinco. If he walks out onto that field and puts in real, healthy minutes... good luck, everyone else. Good luck.
Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas: Seattle have won once in the last two months. Dallas have won once in the last three. Sunday's match-up (7:30 pm ET; FS1 & Fox Deportes in the US | MLS LIVE in Canada) is a weird one, considering these are two of the favorites to come out of the West.
The Sounders were lost the last time out, a 2-0 loss at Philly. They were barely able to get past the midfield stripe with any sort of numbers:
Dallas have been better-ish in the build-up since putting Javier Morales into the lineup as a No. 8, but they're still the gang that can't shoot straight. And while JaviMo's touch and vision are ageless, he's not out there covering ground defensively. Orlando City couldn't take advantage of it a couple weeks ago, but Nicolas Lodeiro and Victor Rodriguez and presumably-pissed-off-beyond-rational-thought Clint Dempsey should be able to.
One more thing to ponder:
Happy weekending, everybody.
