We're down to the final few regular-season games, with a mid-week appetizer before the manic simultaneity of Weeks 33 and 34. Choices must be made, so here are a few ways to focus the lens through Decision Day.
Red Bulls Charge Up the Charts
Remaining Games
vs. CLB: Sunday, Oct. 16; 3pm ET | MLS LIVE
at PHI: Sunday, Oct. 23; 4pm ET | MLS LIVE
Bradley Wright-Phillips – for the second time in last three seasons – has rocketed to the top of the MLS Golden Boot, becoming the first MLSer to twice top the 20-goal plateau. As he sets and extends club records, the English striker is being pushed by cross-river rival David Villa, who's led the race for much of the year (more on DV below), but bolstered by midfield maestro Sacha Kljestan. The Red Bulls' No. 10, so good with New York he's played his way back onto the US national team roster, has dished out a league-high 17 assists – after last year's 14 landed him in the top five.
According to Opta Sports, Kljestan has directly assisted six BWP goals this season, leading the league (Next: A five-spot for Oduro-to-Piatti in Montreal) and one off the single-season high for a combination since Opta began tracking MLS statistics in 2010: Donovan-to-Keane (LA) and Henry-to-Cooper (NY) in 2012, along with … Henry to Wright-Phillips in that 2014 Golden Boot run.
If they can hold on to their respective positions atop the category leaderboard, they'd become only the third set of teammates to do so, and first since 2001, when Alex Pineda Chacon (19 goals) and Diego Serna (15 assists; tied with Columbus' John Wilmar Perez) achieved the feat for the erstwhile Miami Fusion. Last season, Sebastian Giovinco managed to post a one-man double with 22 goals and 16 assists; no one else on Toronto threatened either top 10.
Colorado Concedes Little
Remaining Games
vs. SJ: Thursday, Oct. 13; 9pm ET | MLS LIVE
at POR: Sunday, Oct. 16; 5pm ET | ESPN; MLS LIVE in Canada
vs. HOU: Sunday, Oct. 23; 4pm ET | MLS LIVE
The Rapids are threatening worst-to-first, and making folks eat crow around these MLS streets. Sure, their defense is good – but did you realize it could be best-ever good?
That's right. Colorado have 'shipped a league-low 29 goals this season, including a staggering five (5!) at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The overall average, at 0.94, would rank seventh-best on the all-time chart – not quite Real Salt Lake's 0.67 (20 through 30 games) in 2010 – but the 0.33 home mark would best RSL's 0.47 from that record-setting season, when the Claret-and-Cobalt allowed seven goals at the RioT.
With matchups against an anemic offense (San Jose), an inconsistent one (Portland) and a team focused on the other side of the ball (Houston), the Rapids have a favorable schedule closing out the slate, and the motivation – winning out means taking the Supporters' Shield – to chase history.
David Villa: Terrific Two Ways
Remaining Games
at DC: Sunday, Oct. 16; 3pm ET | MLS LIVE
vs. CLB: Sunday, Oct. 23; 4pm ET | MLS LIVE
Our own Armchair Analyst has outlined the case for David Villa's greatness extending beyond the goal counter, but if you're only tracking the attacking half of the field, you're missing out on MVP-caliber trackbacks for New York City FC. Here's head coach Patrick Vieira after a win two weeks back:
"From the first minute, the way he’s closing people down, the way he’s fighting, he’s the captain of the team, a leader of the team."
When the coach is saying that about his best player, one can be fairly confident the rest of the locker room is going to play follow the leader. No excuses exist down the experience ladder if the top talent is making every effort. NYCFC has a real shot to solidify its spot atop the East, and if they do, it's going to be because David Villa does the dirty work.
Toronto DPs Meeting the Mark
Remaining Games
at MTL: Sunday, Oct. 16; 3pm ET | ESPN, TSN, RDS
vs. CHI: Sunday, Oct. 23; 4pm ET | MLS LIVE; TSN in Canada
It took nine long years for Toronto FC to make the playoffs, and 90 minutes to make their first exit.
But the first step forward helped TFC realize exactly how close they stood to the Cup, and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko shored up the defense behind a trio of toweringly talented Designated Players: captain Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and reigning MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco.
Settled in as a team-leading trio, Toronto's stars have each carried the load for stretches, with Giovinco ranking – again – among the league's top five in both goals and assists, Bradley running the show out of the back and Altidore finding first-rate form with eight goals in nine games since returning from injury.
The result has been an impressive run to the top of the Eastern Conference, and a season-long sense that this could be the year for the Reds. Securing a spot in the Conference Semifinals is the next step, and that starts with a rivalry matchup against Montreal on Sunday at Stade Saputo.
United on the Fly
Remaining Games
vs. NYC: Sunday, Oct. 16; 3pm ET | MLS LIVE
at ORL: Sunday, Oct. 23; 4pm ET | MLS LIVE
Eighth.
That's where D.C. United stood on September 26. But a sneaky-good on-the-fly rebuild had the Black-and-Red amidst a 5-1-6 stretch that's carried them to fourth in the East. They've scored a league-high 30 goals in the 13 games since acquiring Patrick Mullins from NYCFC.
With a third-straight postseason appearance looking likelier every week, D.C. host high-powered NYC before an eliminated Orlando City on Decision Day, and wins seal a home showing in the Knockout Round. Yet for all the additions, it might simply be the in-season adjustment of Argentine No. 10 Luciano Acosta that proves the largest driver of United's potential run through the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Are you there RSL? It's me, Offense.
Remaining Games
vs. SKC: Sunday, Oct. 16; 3pm ET | MLS LIVE
at SEA: Sunday, Oct. 23; 4pm ET | MLS LIVE
For a team that's settled solidly into the playoff picture all season, Real Salt Lake has been sputtering to the finish, producing only a single goal in its last four games (0-3-1). The thought entering the year was that the offense would carry RSL toward any success, and despite talent at the top of the ticket – Joao Plata, Yura Movsisyan, Burrito Martinez – they rank only 12th in goals scored.
All three need to be threats for RSL to advance out of the Knockout Round, and with previews of potential playoff opponents in each of the next two weeks, we'll have a read by the end of Decision Day on exactly how confident we can be in the Claret-and-Cobalt.
Riding the red line
Ostensibly, there are five teams fighting for two spots. Musical chairs, anyone? In the West, it's Sporting KC, Portland, and San Jose vying for that final spot above the red line. (That's assuming RSL doesn't really sputter. See above.) Based on a glance at the form guide, it's hard to handicap this one. None of the three have been particularly impressive of late, though, to be fair, the Quakes are riding a one-game winning streak. Being honest, it might come down to the San Jose-SKC game on Oct 23 (4pm ET), which is exactly why Decision Day was created to begin with.
In the East, it's really a two-horse race between Philly and New England. Midseason, you would've laughed to think the Union were in any danger of missing the postseason. But they've gone 3-6-4 since July 17, and slipped steadily down the table. Luckily, the Revs weren't much better, suffering a four-game losing streak in the summer.
But the resurgence of Juan Agudelo, Kei Kamara, and Lee Nguyen has led the Revs back into the mix, with four wins in their last five games. This one's coming down to the wire, folks, so strap in and get ready for the ride.
