As MLS fans love to say, “you can’t predict MLS.” Unlike many other soccer leagues, MLS has salary rules that keep their teams more evenly matched. That makes for unpredictable games and an unpredictable season. Even the savviest MLS observers have been surprised by a few teams’ performances this year, in ways both good and bad. Let’s take a look at some of the season’s embarrassing nosedives and pleasant surprises.
The Good: New York Red Bulls
What an offseason for the New York Red Bulls. New York made a run in the playoffs last year, though New England edged them out before they could reach the MLS Cup Final. But still, there was no doubt that 2014 was a successful season – which is why it was so shocking when the Red Bulls dumped their coach, franchise hero Mike Petke. The move was disastrous for PR. The team held a “town hall meeting” for season ticket holders, and the fans took the chance to bawl out team ownership. Some jumped ship for new club NYCFC. The Red Bulls seemed to have blown up a great team for nothing. Preseason forecasters predicted that the team would take a big step back, especially after losing star Thierry Henry to retirement.
But new coach Jesse Marsch has defied all expectations. His squad is arguably the best in all of MLS, and he’s doing it with a new-look team with an exciting new identity. The Red Bulls like to use the high press, intercepting the ball in their attacking third and relying on strong play from their defensive midfielders when it doesn’t work out. The Red Bulls are tops in the Eastern Conference and have the chance to pick up an even bigger lead as the season winds down: they’ve played fewer games than their competition.
The Bad: Seattle Sounders
The 2015 Seattle Sounders are okay. They’re going to make the playoffs. Who knows, maybe they’ll make a run. But the Sounders are definitely not the world-beaters that they were in 2014, when they won the coveted Supporters’ Shield by earning the league’s top record, and that’s a big disappointment for a team that was supposed to be one of the top squads in all of MLS.
Health has been the primary problem for the Sounders, though the loss of D DeAndre Yedlin hasn’t really helped, either. The Sounders are fifth in the Western Conference. They’re only one point behind Kansas City for fourth, but KC has played one fewer game than Seattle. As for conference leaders Los Angeles and Dallas, they’re miles ahead of the Sounders. The preseason dreams of another Supporters’ Shield have evaporated. The Sounders are still capable of big moments – they battled Los Angeles to a draw in Seattle just last week – but they’re a disappointment to many who expected them to be an elite team.
The Ugly: Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake was supposed to be mediocre. Instead, they’ve decided to be bad.
There’s no easy fix for this team. The core players on this roster are getting older, and the results just aren’t there. RSL wasn’t expected to dominate, but they were supposed to be a playoff team with some upside. Instead, they find themselves in a woeful second to last place in the Western Conference. Injuries haven’t helped, but you have to expect injuries when you field an aging roster.
RSL still has a slim chance of making the playoffs (they’ve played one game fewer than some of their conference competition), but it’s a serious long shot. This squad went from looking decent to looking awful, and it won’t be easy to fix the aging roster as things move forward.