This article is part of our MLS Barometer series.
Three Up
Fabian Espindola
D.C. United have stopped two of Major League Soccer's best teams dead in their tracks in their past two matches, beating both Vancouver and Columbus. It is no coincidence that they were Espindola's first two games back. Fabi's motor never stops running, and it inspires the rest of his team to behave similarly. A brick wall of a defense and a tireless midfield ensure that D.C. United's forwards see a lot of the ball, and Espindola's combination of skill and tenacity makes him dangerous on each and every opportunity. That was evident on Saturday was a simple corner kick clearance led to a 90-yard Espindola counter-attacking goal.
He also grabbed an assist by swinging a nice corner kick into the box, and he should be over plenty of set pieces moving forward. When he's at his best, Espindola could be called a poor man's Carlos Tevez. There was skepticism that his return would be a cure-all for a fairly dull offense in the nation's capital, but so far, so good! Season-long fantasy players should take note of D.C. United's upcoming slew of double gameweeks and consider moving their star forward to the top of the shopping list!.
Sacha Kljestan
Kljestan's return to Major League Soccer has gone relatively under the radar with so many other notable names entering the league. His pedigree in European soccer isn't anything to scoff at, however, with many successful seasons in Anderlecht and a healthy dose of Champion's League action. Kljestan won't always stand out in fantasy scoring, as he adapts his game well to whatever the opponent requires. That said, he has been warming up to the attacking side of things in Major League Soccer. With a goal that made Bobby Shuttleworth look silly this past weekend, and a beautiful curling shot off the woodwork the week prior, Kljestan's confidence is sky high.
While he will rarely sacrifice defensively to jump into the attack, his instincts are in the upper echelon of MLS Soccer IQ. Additionally, Kljestan couldn't ask for a better surrounding cast in the midfield. Dax McCarty is even more under appreciated and just as valuable, while Felipe Martins has brought a keen offensive eye to the Red Bulls. Lloyd Sam is New York's answer to Fabian Castillo out wide, requiring defenses to show yet another of Kljestan's teammates extra respect. Bradley Wright-Phillips is the icing on the cake, taking at least two defenders with him anywhere he travels in the attacking third. All of this is great news for an increasingly eager Kljestan. His soccer acumen has seemingly translated to MLS better in a month than Michael Bradley's has in a year and it's time we give him the credit he deserves.
London Woodberry
After spending last season in the USL, young Woodberry looks to have earned himself a starting job in New England. It has been a surprising revelation, as most considered Woodberry more of a centerback than a fullback. Absences from Darrius Barnes and Kevin Alston have opened the door for the former FC Dallas player, and he may not be relinquishing his spot anytime soon. Through several appearances, Woodberry has proven equally adept at defending and supporting the attack. His crossing has been much more crisp than you would expect from a converted centerback, and his awareness is far better than most other USL promotions. New England are really rounding into form, so much so that Teal Bunbury has given them yet another option on the wing, too. The Revolution should control many games moving forward, which should help Woodberry gain experience while still being a valuable fantasy asset. While his upside is far below teammate Chris Tierney's, Woodberry's emergence provides us with a good cheap option on an above average back line.
Three Down
Fanendo Adi
Ever since the match against NYC FC in which Adi wasted plenty of opportunities, manager Caleb Porter has opted to start Maxi Urruti instead. Adi has come off the bench for a handful of minutes in the previous two matches, but hasn't done much to change Porter's mind. While they may need to go back to the big man soon, since Urruti is equally ineffective, the lack of confidence in Adi is worrisome. A promising designated player that can handle the most imposing of centerbacks should not find himself struggling for minutes, and it's fair to question his motivation at this point in the season. With Diego Valeri returning to health and Darlington Nagbe always creating, the forward spot in Portland is one to envy. While Porter should be getting Adi on track, he seems to just be grasping at straws to fit pieces like miniature Ishmael Yartey and an often disinterested Rodney Wallace into the front line. Once considered a brilliant coach, Porter hasn't brought out the best in very many of his players, and it's difficult to foresee him helping Adi find his groove any time soon. The smartest move is to wait for signs of life from Adi before you begin considering the sizable striker for your squad. Valeri will soon be able to pick up any attacking slack anyway.
Mix Diskerud
When Ned Grabavoy is playing in a more advanced midfield role than you, something is not quite right. Diskerud looks like he is auditioning to be Jurgen Klinsmann's next Kyle Beckerman or Jermaine Jones rather than focusing on helping NYC FC get some goals. Diskerud's talent has always been overblown, but he still should be able to impact most games in this league. Understandably, David Villa's absence has made things difficult in the city that never sleeps, but watching Diskerud much longer might just turn New York into the city that always sleeps. After a strong first two games, his form has undeniably gone downhill. His defensive contributions and efforts in possession haven't been bad, but that is not what he was signed to provide, and it doesn't even appear to be his intended role in the system. It's just what he defaults to during the game. The Scandinavian Twitter-philosopher should take a lesson from watching crosstown rival Sacha Kljestan if he wants to earn his spot alongside Villa and, eventually, Frank Lampard. Perhaps it is unfair to judge Diskerud's play in MLS without those two, but it is certainly reasonable not to trust him with the current edition of NYC FC.
Tyler Deric
The golden child of Fantasy MLS is quickly cooling off. After a start to the season that saw him win multiple Save of the Week honors, Deric and the Dynamo allowed four goals in back to back matches before losing 1-0 to San Jose on Tuesday. Houston's defense has shifted from downright solid to mistake prone in a hurry, and while it isn't Deric's fault, his production is undoubtedly a function of how well the crew in front of him plays. Manager Owen Coyle has opened up the attack, leaving the back line with slightly less support than they had early on in the year and it is showing. A rotating center back trio of Raul Rodriguez, Jermaine Taylor and David Horst could benefit from some consistency and Ricardo Clark hasn't been putting in as reliable a shift as MLS fans are used to. For his part, Deric isn't making the fantastic game-saving stops that he did early on, and certainly has had some opportunities to do so. A soft early-season schedule has given way to a fairly difficult stretch of upcoming games, which doesn't bode well for Deric turning things around. What once looked like this year's breakout star between the posts is looking more and more like simply a slightly above average MLS goalkeeper. It was fun while it lasted, though!
