Matchday 31 served up only six fixtures thanks to the international window. But the points on the line therein count just the same as the rest, and the desperation was every bit as palpable as usual among the postseason chasers, as all six contained Audi MLS Cup Playoffs consequences.
So we’re back with a slightly abbreviated edition of #YPPOTW, made that much easier by the impressive exploits of a few teenagers turned game-breakers. One of them did so in Harrison, New Jersey, our starting point.
Nine minutes, eight touches, two successful dribbles out of two attempts, two shots, and one goal. That’s all Hall needed to make the difference in the Red Bulls’ 1-1 comeback draw vs. Sporting KC on Saturday. And here’s another bit of math to add to the equation: 26+38/16.
At a mere 16 years of age, Hall dug out a potentially vital home point for RBNY by getting the best of SKC center back Robert Castellanos and goalkeeper Tim Melia, two veteran defensive presences with a combined age of 64 and nearly 400 professional appearances between them:
Watching that play, it’s hard to believe the kid’s barely old enough to drive legally in the United States. Hall’s technique, decision-making and body control were elite as he blocked a clearance, corralled the ball, then shifted his positioning to trick his opponents with a hip-switching finish to the near post. Minutes later he followed it up by dribbling past Jake Davis to draw the SKC midfielder into a tackle that resulted in a second yellow card and a man advantage for the hosts.
Inevitably, some will tag everything about the Sounders’ 4-0 win at Columbus with an asterisk due to the first-half red card to Crew goalkeeper Abraham Romero, which is understandable. That said, the result remains a massive one for the Rave Green as they pursue a top-four finish in the Western Conference and the playoff bracket benefits that represents.
With Nouhou Tolo away on international duty with Cameroon, RBW stepped in at left back, and Seattle barely missed a beat. The 19-year-old homegrown was generally calm and composed as usual, tabbing 56 touches, 35/41 passes completed, five defensive actions, 5/6 ground duels won and five recoveries.
That’s an impressive stat for Baker-Whiting, especially considering the competition he’s always faced for minutes on this roster. We have a feeling he’ll be padding it with more regular starts in the coming months and years.
Despite taking a 2-1 lead into the final 20 minutes of play, the Revs were unable to hang on for the W against visiting St. Louis over the weekend, with circumstances that left head coach Caleb Porter fuming postgame. Those two dropped points might prove costly for their playoff push, but Miller offers a silver lining.
Making just his second career league start, the 16-year-old looked up for the fight and then some as he went the full 90 at right back. Miller stacked up 45 touches, completed 21/27 passes, went 2/4 on dribbles, won 7/10 ground duels, successfully completed all three of his tackles and totaled seven defensive actions.
He also displayed remarkable recovery speed and even found moments to roam forward and contribute to the attack; you can see it yourself by hopping on social media and perusing the touch compilations that have already cropped up. We believe New England have another academy gem on their hands.
The Red Bulls’ young box-to-box midfielder has been so consistent that his contributions risk getting overlooked, but not here. We’ll turn it over to our esteemed colleague Jonathan Sigal to explain:
“I would argue Daniel Edelman has subtly been RBNY’s most important player for about two months now. With Emil Forsberg still hurt and Lewis Morgan away on international duty, all the underlying stats point to him being his normal dependable self. And with the Red Bulls now adding new Designated Player Felipe Carballo to their central midfield, Edelman's role could shift, but remains crucial.”
The homegrown just keeps putting in the hard yards week after week. Against SKC, Edelman completed 89% of his 74 passes, created one scoring chance, won 2/2 tackles and 4/6 ground duels, drew two fouls and tabbed four recoveries.
LAFC's 20-year-old academy product made good use of his 23 minutes off the bench in the 0-0 draw at Houston, helping the Angelinos secure a road draw against the side that had just battered them on home turf last week.
Ordaz won 3/4 duels, drew three fouls and completed 75% of his passes – nothing overly fancy or eye-catching, just the type of dependable graft that helps teams live at the top of the table and win things.
