Cold open: Minnesota United brutally exposed as ill-equipped for the task
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Version 0 of 1. You only get one chance to make a first impression. That’s rather unfortunate for Minnesota United, who have made the worst first impression of any expansion side in Major League Soccer history, conceding 11 goals in their first two games, including six in Sunday’s humiliating home opener defeat to fellow expansion side Atlanta United. Somebody did make a rather good impression at a freezing TCF Bank Stadium, though. Miguel Almiron arrived in MLS with a hefty reputation, even if few had watched much of the Paraguayan before signing with Atlanta. Now, however, there’s already enough evidence to suggest the Georgians were justified in making him the most expensive signing in league history. MLS has a new superstar. Atlanta dominated Minnesota all over the field, but it was Almiron along with striker Josef Martinez, who struck a hat trick, that impressed most. Everything Tata Martino’s side did well flowed through the 23-year-old, lashing home a near-post finish to double Atlanta’s lead after 13 minutes and finding the corner with a half-volley from the edge of the box to make it 4-1 in the second half. Almiron is the embodiment of Atlanta United’s approach as an expansion side, targeting young South American players with big potential. Martinez also fits that bill and with that duo leading the line the Georgians have the kind of attacking pivot that has many suggesting they could make the play-offs at the first attempt this season. The outlook isn’t so positive for Minnesota United, though. Expansion teams are expected to find it tough, but not this tough. Adrian Heath and his side were given something of a free pass after their 5-1 thrashing in Portland on opening weekend, but this was meant to be a truer gauge of where the Loons are right now. Atlanta United, another team put together in the space of just a few weeks and months, were supposed to provide a more suitable yardstick. All Atlanta United did was brutally expose just how short of the required standard Minnesota are. Desperately short in quality, essentially playing in MLS with a squad equipped for the NASL, the Loons were also poorly organized at the back, perhaps getting caught up in the occasion that comes with a crowd of 35,043 who braved snowy conditions. “Our performance today, overall, was shocking,” confessed Collen Warner afterwards. “Coming into these games, we need to be less naive and rash in our decision-making. We need to be a little bit more disciplined in our decisions.” But primarily, Minnesota must sorts things out at the back before they can begin to even address any other issues because if the Loons keep conceding at the rate they are they’ll let in 187 goals this season. That’s probably a few too many. Luis Robles: MLS giant and record breaker The last time Luis Robles missed a game for the New York Red Bulls, Donald Trump was still merely a TV celebrity, Jeremy Lin was the Knicks’ biggest star and millions were still trying to Stop Kony. Four and a half years have passed since the Iron Man watched a match from the sidelines, setting an MLS record for consecutive games played by starting in Saturday’s win over the Colorado Rapids. It was his 142nd match in succession. Signed in the summer of 2012 as something of a stop-gap solution for the injured Ryan Meara, Robles has grown into a giant of the league, adding his name to the list which counts Nick Rimando, Jimmy Nielsen, and his opposite number on Saturday Tim Howard as goalkeepers that have defined an era. “I was a little surprised after the game how we got caught up in it,” Robles said after the win over the Rapid, in which he kept a clean sheet. “I feel grateful for all of the coaches who believed in me. Hans Backe for giving me my first start, Mike Petke for staying with me when maybe other people were saying that we should move on and of course, Jesse [Marsch] when he came from Day One … [saying] that I was going be huge part of this organisation. To have these coaches backing me has been important.” To have Robles’ backing has been even more important to the Red Bulls. The Houston Dynamo might be MLS’s destination for fun this season You didn’t watch the Houston Dynamo unless you absolutely had to last season. A visit to BBVA Compass was never an especially enjoyable experience with Owen Coyle, and then Wade Barrett, in the dugout. How things have changed, at least on the basis of Houston’s opening two performances to start the 2017 season. Under Wilmer Cabrera the Dynamo have the look of the most exhilarating side in the league, claiming a 3-1 win over Columbus following on from their opening day win over Seattle. They have become an inherently fun side, boasting a frontline which could prove to be one of the most dangerous in MLS. Cubo Torres, a player who couldn’t come by a goal in first spell at Houston no matter who hard he tried, embodies the remarkable turnaround at Houston, netting twice in two games. He is now the modern forward playing for a distinctly modern team. The weekend the goals arrived After an opening round which saw teams opt for caution over ambition, with three goalless draws witnessed, this weekend was very different. 31 goals were scored 10 games, with a number of thrillers contested across the league. There was the exhilarating 2-2 draw between the Montreal Impact and the Seattle Sounders, in which the defending MLS Cup champions scored two late goals to snatch a point. There was also a 2-2 draw between the Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC, with the lead shifting back and forth between the two sides four times. New York City FC netted four times in a comprehensive dismantling of DC United, with Atlanta United putting five past Minnesota United in the aforementioned battle of the expansion sides. But the pick of the bunch saw the San Jose Earthquakes come from 2-0 down against the Vancouver Whitecaps to claim a 3-2 win, giving Dominic Kinnear’s side two straight wins to start their season. This was the weekend the goals arrived in MLS. Goal of the week honors go to Ignacio Piatti. There were a few stunners in MLS this weekend, including Animal Godoy’s dipping strike from the best part of 25 yards for San Jose against Vancouver and Cubo Torres’ curler in Houston’s win over the Crew, but the Argentine’s dribble and low finish for the Montreal Impact against Seattle was the best of the bunch. Stat of the week: By beating the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center on Sunday the Portland Timbers recorded their first away win in March since a victory over California Surf in 1981 back in the old NASL days. It was an impressive victory, but how many of you knew just how historic it was? |