This article is part of our In-Formed series.
Welcome to RotoWire's new Major League Soccer piece, In-Formed. Every few weeks, we'll examine two teams in top league form and two in a downward spiral, with some thoughts on how they got there and where they may be headed.
First, let's look at the form table:
(Note: green indicates a win, grey indicates a draw and red is a loss. Additionally, all scores marked in white are home games)
Toronto FCAfter losing four of their first five matches this year, Toronto FC have begun to show what they're capable of. One major difference between the poor start and more recent history is that TFC had to start the year with an extended road trip as BMO Field was finishing renovations. Just as important as the home cooking is that Sebastian Giovinco has now broken in his MLS saddle and opponents will be hard pressed to unseat him no matter how much additional attention they throw his way. He has quickly made a case for top player in the league, and he could just be getting started.
This team has been referred to, fairly, as a squad that was bought and not built and this is apparent when TFC are at their weakest. No matter how affective Giovinco, Jozy Altidore, and Michael Bradley are in the attack, the defense needs to hold up its end of the bargain. During this run of games, they have done just that. Chris Konopka has grabbed hold of the goalkeeping position with a string of excellent performances while Damien Perquis is looking more and more like the quality centerback the team hoped it had signed in the offseason. Benoit Cheyrou's midfield synergy with Bradley has the potential to be really special, and has been a difference maker in several recent matches.
Going forward, Toronto FC should continue to be a dangerous team, but the No. 1 spot in the form table is slightly deceiving. Obviously, Giovinco is amazing and Altidore's return from his hamstring injury should help even further. However, TFC have yet to win against one of the top-notch MLS teams this season and both their depth and consistency remain a concern. Bradley will be missing significant time with the U.S. Men's National Team during the summer months, and in learning to live without him, Toronto may grow just enough to become a true top team once he's back in the fold. There are surely still some bumps along the road for Toronto this season, but it's going to be a fun roller coaster with plenty more ups than downs.
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting are the only team that can boast being unbeaten over the past six matches. Each of their previous four results have come against teams considered to be contenders this season: Dallas, Seattle, New England and D.C. Benny Feilhaber continues to be one of the most impressive and consistent midfielders of the season, and Matt Besler has regained the form that earned him a spot on the World Cup team for the US. Joining the ranks of Kansas City heroes this year is Krisztian Nemeth. The Hungarian forward has been superb, whether lined up on the wing or in the middle of the attack. Dom Dwyer's absence was hardly noticed last week, as Nemeth throttled a respectable Dallas defense.
Earlier in the year, when Ike Opara went down with a serious Achilles injury, the defense took some time to adapt. Kevin Ellis has emerged as a surprisingly reliable partner for Besler and has helped this team stand strong against some high-quality attacking sides. Luis Marin is gone from goal nearly as quickly as he arrived, and replacement Tim Melia has looked a sharper and more capable option. Soni Mustivar doesn't grab much attention, but he has played well in front of the SKC defense, and was particularly important during Roger Espinoza's absence.
Manager Peter Vermes simply has all of Sporting's players competing every night and at a high level. The group has not been near the healthiest in the league thus far, but the next men up are filling in capably. It's downright difficult to try and write off this run of form, and they even have room to grow. Graham Zusi has recently come back with an extra hop in his step, and Dwyer has yet to find his highest gear. If Feilhaber can continue playing the best soccer of his career and Nemeth refuses to slow down, Sporting Kansas City could be much closer to an MLS Cup run than many expected just weeks ago.
New York Red Bulls
It wasn't all that long ago that the Red Bulls were the lone unbeaten team in Major League Soccer (3-4-0 to begin the year). Then the last six matches happened. Their only win in this stretch was against the only team in the league with worse form, crosstown rival NYC FC, and manager Jesse Marsch has gone from Coach of the Year front runner to a man looking for some answers.
Two main developments have crippled the Red Bulls in recent matches: first, the scoring boots simply haven't been laced on properly for Marsch's men. The team has just five goals over their last six games, and while three were from 2014 MLS leading goalscorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, one of those was a penalty and the others came against expansion side NYC FC. BWP needs to both create more chances and finish the ones he's getting. It's been a while since he has had to dig himself out of a slump, and the longer this goes on, the more concerning it will be. The second major factor in the team's struggles is the loss of center back Matt Miazga. The 19-year old was playing well beyond his years before departing for the U.S. U-20s and formed a steady partnership with Damien Perrinelle. The Red Bulls do not have a deep group of quality defenders, and when one piece is missing, the house of cards begins to crumble quickly.
Moving forward, the long-term outlook for this team is bright. They sport arguably the league's best midfield with Dax McCarty, Sacha Kljestan, Lloyd Sam and Felipe Martins. They also have one of the league's best finishers (should he right the ship) and two remaining Designated Player spots that the front office certainly will want to fill. In the near future, however, the outlook is not quite as bright. Multiple players will be leaving for international duty, possibly the highest amount of any team in the league. While these absences occur, Marsch will also need to better integrate his team to his system. The wing play is lacking both in supporting the defenders and in a haphazard attacking approach, while Wright-Phillips must concentrate on finding better scoring opportunities through smart and focused positioning. In a season with higher expectations and added pressures, the Red Bulls will want to get back to winning ways as soon as possible before this thing has a chance to spiral out of control.
New York City FC
It would be very difficult to argue that New York City FC has not been the league's worst team, both statistically and aesthetically. With only one win in 13 matches, and four losses in their past six matches, the Powder Blues resemble Chivas USA more than the Manchester City that Jason Kreis spent over a year studying. For so much preparation, Kreis has had so few answers.
A hampered David Villa should be schooling opposing defenses, but what is happening around him is simply too far below the level required in Major League Soccer. The midfield is desperately lacking any sort of connectivity or creativity, an area where many hoped Mix Diskerud could show at least a touch of what he flashed in U.S. National Team action. Defensively, NYC FC have relied on Josh Saunders in goal to keep their score lines respectable. Perhaps the most baffling part of how Kreis has built and managed this team is its lack of a defensive midfielder akin to Kyle Beckerman. After playing and coaching in this league for over a decade, Kreis should know the value of an Ozzie Alonso destroyer-type of midfielder. Virtually every quality MLS team has a pretty good one: Beckerman, Alonso, McCarty, Matias Laba, Will Trapp, Perry Kitchen...the list goes on and on! Rather than stick to what he knew and had seen with his own two eyes time and again in Beckerman, Kreis added players like Sebastian Velasquez and Mehdi Ballouchy who fall well short of bringing a well-rounded game to the midfield.
There is no where to go but up for Kreis' squad, who will add English legend Frank Lampard in early July. That should certainly help solve some issues, but at 37 years old, it's unlikely he can mask them all. This group just doesn't have the right tools to go far, no matter who they sign as their final Designated Player. The defense needs to be fortified, the midfield needs to resemble something more than watching paint dry, and Kreis needs to choose a consistent partner for Villa rather than continually rotate through each option. The intriguing question that remains, for both fantasy players and fans, is of how much success Lampard and Villa can find individually on a poor team. Fortunately, we have a month to figure that out, which buys NYC FC some time to try and get things right.
