MLS Newsstand - November 6, 2016
Published on November 6, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN5 1. Jelle Van Damme has Galaxy on edge of playoff breakthrough (Los Angeles Times) 2. Jelle Van Damme making all the right moves for LA Galaxy (LA Daily News) 3. Jermaine Jones probable to return to Rapids' starting lineup vs. LA Galaxy (ESPNFC.com)
New York Red Bulls vs. Montreal Impact, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN5/RDS 4. Red Bulls need their potent offense now more than ever (New York Post) 5. Red Bulls must stay dominant on home field to take down Montreal Impact in Eastern Conference semifinals (New York Daily News) 6. Red Bulls, NYCFC must win by multiple goals, or in OT or penalty kicks to advance (The Record) 7. Montreal Impact look to go further than ever in MLS Cup Playoff (CBC News)
New York City FC vs. Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m. ET, FS1/FOX Deportes/TSN4/TSN5 8. NYCFC not ready to panic, but here's the reality (New York Post) 9. Toronto FC on verge of 'something bigger' in New York (Toronto Sun) 10. Toronto FC looks to punch ticket to Eastern final (Toronto Star) 11. Toronto FC set for biggest game in franchise history - again (SportsNet.ca) 12. Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley leading by example in MLS playoffs (The Canadian Press)
FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 9 p.m. ET, FS1/FOX Deportes/TSN2 13. The Sounders' conference semifinal series against Dallas isn't - technically - over (Seattle Times) 14. 'Unsung hero' Jones a big contributor in Sounders playoff run (Tacoma News Tribune) 15. Our Team of Perpetual Hope (Dallas Morning News)
MLS Articles 16. As Cassar awaits his fate, players voice their support for his return (Salt Lake Tribune) 17. Klinsmann set to unveil World Cup qualifying roster with questions to answer (SI.com)
(Additional articles for consideration can be submitted directly to Jane Sexton of MLS Communications at Jane.Sexton@MLSsoccer.com.)
1. Jelle Van Damme has Galaxy on edge of playoff breakthrough
By Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times - November 5, 2016
Galaxy defender Jelle Van Damme speaks four languages and understands a couple more, which is natural for someone who grew up in Belgium.
While his English vocabulary remains a work in progress, he's already mastered a number of colorful - if unprintable - terms for use in the team's pregame huddle.
"When I'm fired up, when I hyped up, that's the way I speak," Van Damme said. "I think a lot of guys speak like that when you're hyped up."
Van Damme's actions have spoken even louder than his words, making him a big reason why the Galaxy need only a draw in Sunday's playoff game at Colorado (11 a.m., ESPN, ESPN Deportes) to reach the MLS Western Conference finals for the sixth time in eight seasons.
The Galaxy's 1-0 win last week at StubHub Center gave them a big edge in the two-game series with the Rapids, which will be decided by aggregate goals. With road goals serving as the first tiebreaker in the MLS playoffs, even a one-goal loss Sunday would be enough to send the Galaxy through, provided they also score.
If the Galaxy and Rapids are tied on aggregate goals after 90 minutes and the tiebreaker doesn't resolve the deadlock, the teams will play 30 minutes of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary.
Van Damme is hoping to avoid a stumble that would cost him a chance at an MLS Cup.
"I came here to win stuff," he said flatly.
He's unlikely to be disappointed. In addition to competing for a league title, Van Damme, already an MLS All-Star, is also a finalist for two individual awards: MLS defender of the year, which will be announced Friday, and the league's newcomer of the year, to be revealed Nov. 21.
Not bad for a 33-year-old learning a new position.
A forward in his youth and a midfielder early in his professional career, Van Damme played left back for most his five seasons with Standard Liege in the Belgian first division. However, for the Galaxy, Van Damme's size (at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds he's the team's biggest player) and physicality made him a perfect fit at center back, a position he had rarely played.
The move from the left side of the back line to the center is nuanced, like a corner outfielder moving to center field or a cornerback sliding over to free safety. The purpose is the same - play defense - but some of the responsibilities change. For example, left backs frequently push forward on the attack while center backs have to stay home, clearing crosses and marking the opposing team's top scorers.
"We saw a lot of qualities that he could transition into a center back," said Galaxy assistant coach Kenny Arena, who went to Belgium to scout Van Damme last December after the player's agent expressed interest in a move to MLS. "It might take some time, but we thought by the middle of the year he might be pretty good."
It didn't take nearly that long. Van Damme established himself as a punishing presence in his first MLS start, at Colorado, where he helped frustrate the Rapids until the final minute of stoppage time when they scored the game's only goal.
With Van Damme wearing the captain's armband - and leading the pregame huddle - the Galaxy defense has hit stride in their last three games, giving up just a penalty-kick score. They'll need to muster another stout effort Sunday, since Colorado has allowed only seven goals in 17 home games this season.
"Are we surprised? No," Galaxy President Chris Klein said of Van Damme, who signed a two-year contract in January. "We'd like to think it was the product of us doing our homework and finding the right player.
"But with how well he's done - both his productivity on the field and how he's integrated into our culture - that's a little bit of a surprise. Just because it's been so good."
2. Jelle Van Damme making all the right moves for LA Galaxy
By Damian Calhoun LA Daily News - November 5, 2016
Jelle Van Damme came to Los Angeles to join a new league, in a new country and to take on a new position.
The transitions have been seamless.
Van Damme, who is originally from Belgium, moved from left back to center back and has been the anchor on the Galaxy back line, helping the team become one of the stingiest defenses in the league (39 goals allowed). He's also a finalist for MLS Defender and Newcomer of the Year.
Van Damme isn't worried about individual awards, saying the focus is on winning the MLS Cup. The Galaxy will attempt to keep that goal alive in the final leg of their Western Conference semifinals series against Colorado today.
The Galaxy have a 1-0 lead in the series. Fittingly, it was Van Damme setting up that winning goal last Sunday.
"When I came here, the first thing (Galaxy coach) Bruce (Arena) told me was that I was coming in as a center back," Van Damme said. "I just focused on that position. People always told me, that eventually I would end up in that position and it came true."
Van Damme, 33, played recently at Standard Liege in Belgium. There have also been stops in Germany (Werder Bremen) and England (Wolverhampton, Southampton), along with stints at a pair of other Belgian clubs (Ajax and Anderlecht).
With the departure of Omar Gonzalez, Arena knew he needed to fill the center back position and Van Damme was the perfect replacement.
"He has the physical qualities to be a center back, very good feet and throughout his career he's shown to be a leader," Arena said of his first impressions. "Those are things that potentially gave him the ability to fill a hole we had at center back.
"When you look around for experienced players, around the world, I'll tell you, there aren't that many good center backs as it is, in my opinion. And to get somebody with his experience from a league that's pretty comparable to MLS, it was good and I think it was a good fit for us."
It didn't take Van Damme long to adjust to life in Los Angeles.
"I'm pretty sociable," he said. "I adapt pretty fast. I've never had issues with that in the past."
Getting used to travel during the season, however, was a different story.
"It was pretty rough in the beginning, I wasn't used to it," he said. "Flying 3-4-5 hours to play 90 minutes of soccer ... time zones, it affects the body."
As the season has progressed and Van Damme seized the leadership reins of the defense, he's developed into more of a two-way defender, pushing forward starting the Galaxy attack, just as he did setting up Giovani dos Santos for the winning goal last week.
"He understands that there has to be a little bit of a balance," Arena said of Van Damme. "He has to pick his spots. He's gotten a little crazy at times.
"His leadership has been great and he's been good on and off the field. I think he'll be even better next year."
Update: The Rapids enter the game undefeated at home during the regular season (11-0-6). Even though the Rapids have been strong defensively, the same can't be said of their goal-scoring abilities. Colorado scored just 39 goals this season and only two against the Galaxy. There are several possibilities that could send the Galaxy to the next round, including a scoreless draw, 1-0 win, 1-1 draw or even a 2-1 loss. "We've been a team that's very difficult to beat and that's a good attribute to have," Landon Donovan said. "If we do get beat, it's rarely by multiple goals. Our mentality is to go to Colorado and do what needs to be done to advance."
3. Jermaine Jones probable to return to Rapids' starting lineup vs. LA Galaxy
By Jeff Carlisle ESPNFC.com - November 5, 2016
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Colorado Rapids manager Pablo Mastroeni says there is "a good possibility" that midfielder Jermaine Jones will be in the starting lineup for the second leg of the Western Conference semifinals against the LA Galaxy.
The Rapids head into Sunday's match trailing 1-0 from the first leg, and given that they only scored 39 goals during the regular season, they'll need all the offensive firepower they can muster. That demands that Jones be on the field from the beginning.
If that's the case, it would mark Jones' first start since July 4 against the Portland Timbers, when he tore the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Since then he has been limited to two substitute appearances -- a 22-minute stint in the regular-season finale against the Houston Dynamo, and the second half of last week's playoff opener against the Galaxy.
"[The knee] is getting better and better, but you can only do so much running in training," Jones said following Saturday's training session. "You need games. I want to bring what I can do on the field."
As for whether he'll start, Jones said, "It looks like it. I feel good and I think it's an important game.
"For me, personally, what I want to do what do always, go out and play with that effort. And try to push the younger players or my teammates to the glory, to that win that we want."
Jones' return to the starting lineup would also be good news for United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is set to announce his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica.
But precisely where Jones will line up for the Rapids on Sunday is unclear. He spent the early parts of this season playing as a central attacking midfielder, but he was stationed on the left wing against the Galaxy. Mastroeni wouldn't tip his hand, but did indicate that has a few tactical wrinkles planned for the Galaxy.
"I think we went into [the first leg] with the mindset that we were well organized, to not be easy to play through when we went to LA," he said. "I think it's going to look a little bit different [Sunday]. I think the element of surprise is critical in that regard, so I think once you'll see it, you'll say, 'Wow, that's a little different.'"
Regardless of the approach, the Rapids will need to take a balanced mindset into the match. The Galaxy has plenty of players capable of punishing opponents on the break, including Gio dos Santos, Landon Donovan and Emmanuel Boateng.
"You have to be really careful," Jones said. "If you go out there and try to run and go crazy, and they sit back and wait for one counter-break, then you need three goals to win.
"We have to be smart, but still we play at home, and we go in with a little bit of confidence that we've never lost here at home.
"That's what we take into that game. And after that, it's a game that you want. Go out there and enjoy it."
4. Red Bulls need their potent offense now more than ever
By Mark Cannizzaro New York Post - November 6, 2016
There will be no secrets Sunday when the Red Bulls host Montreal in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
For Montreal, the task is simple: Keep the Red Bulls from scoring and it advances to the conference final to play the winner of Sunday's semifinal between New York City FC and Toronto FC.
To do that, the Impact's plan is simple: Clog defensive side of the field and thwart the Red Bulls' potent attack, which produced the most goals in MLS this season.
The question will be whether Montreal can sustain that tactic for 90-plus minutes. Montreal enters the match having won the first leg, 1-0, at home in the two-game aggregate series.
That means the Red Bulls, if they are able to prevent Montreal from scoring, must win 1-0 in the first 90 minutes to force overtime and possibly penalty kicks to decide the series. Any win by two or more goals advances the Red Bulls to their second consecutive conference final. Because road goals are weighted as a tiebreaker, if Montreal scores one goal, the Red Bulls will have to win by at least two.
There is significant pressure on the Red Bulls for a long list of reasons, beginning with the fact they are the No. 1 seed and Montreal is No. 5. Also, this is the second season in the past three the Red Bulls own the top seed and the seventh consecutive season they have advanced to the playoffs.
Yet the one thing missing on their mantle is an MLS Cup. The Red Bulls never even have advanced to the MLS Cup title game, and this is a source of serious frustration for the franchise that has accomplished everything else there is to accomplish in the league.
"I believe we have the right guys, the right group in the right moment for us to come home and get a [winning] result," Red Bulls midfielder Felipe said. "We fully believe we're going to get the result and we're going to the conference final and going to the MLS Cup."
The Red Bulls will carry plenty of baggage into Red Bull Arena, having fallen behind Columbus 2-0 on the road in last year's conference final only to fall just short at home despite a late flurry.
The Red Bulls, who led the league in goals and are 13-2-2 at home this season, say the 1-0 deficit is not daunting.
"We're in a good spot," goalkeeper Luis Robles said. "Down 1-0 coming back to Red Bull Arena is not the worst position to be in."
Still, the Red Bulls are in a precarious situation because knowing they have to attack - already their philosophy - they are vulnerable to the counterattack goal, which is what doomed them in Montreal last Sunday.
"We know they're going to bunker in, but if we can break them down we know that we're going to score some goals," Robles said.
In the teams' last meeting, Montreal was particularly physical with Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who led the league with 24 goals, and midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who led the league with 20 assists.
Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch suggested the referees called a loose game in Montreal, allowing the impact to rough up his star players, and he called for a more tightly called match this time.
"This is how playoff games are - they're tight and they're frustrating,'' Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty said. "But now we're back at Red Bull Arena, so there are no excuses. We know we can turn this around. We just have to go on the field and be confident.''
The Red Bulls are no strangers to adversity this season, having dealt with some trying times, beginning with their 1-6 start that could have doomed their season. They rebounded and went unbeaten in their final 16 regular-season games (9-0-7) before the loss to Montreal last Sunday.
"Look at how we've responded to adversity this season,'' Robles said. "We just have to continue to believe in what we do. We maintained that belief when we were 1-6. This is another one of those steps, and if we can take it the next step is the conference final."
Shep Messing, goalkeeper for the Cosmos during their heyday in the mid-1970s, is a Red Bulls analyst for MSG Network. He breaks down the matchups vs. Montreal at newyorkredbulls.com, and shares some insights with Post readers:
Based on what you've seen, can the Red Bulls' defense keep Montreal from scoring a road goal?
I have no doubt this Red Bulls defense can prevent Montreal from scoring. It starts with pressure they have to apply in the midfield on Ignacio Piatti. Piatti has the freedom to find space to operate anywhere he wants in the midfield. The primary Red Bulls responsible for him are their two central midfielders, Dax McCarty and Felipe Martins. Sacha Kljestan will challenge Piatti when Piatti sits deeper in his own midfield. But every Red Bulls player must be aware of him at all times.
What makes the Red Bulls so good at home?
The Red Bulls' style of play with a high line and pressure all over the field makes them so dominant at home with the crowd behind them.
Is the Red Bulls' attacking style conducive to winning or a detriment in a game like this when they can't afford to yield a goal?
Their style is very conducive to getting the result they need on Sunday. Even if Montreal scores a goal, the Red Bulls have the ability to score four.
Where do you rank Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles among the league's best?
Robles is the best goalkeeper in the league for having the total balance of skills needed: shot stopping, hands and reflexes, command of the penalty area, age, experience, vision and mental fortitude. Great goalkeepers combine the power of a train wreck with the tranquility of yoga. Robles has both.
Who makes the Red Bulls' offense go more: Sacha Kljestan or Bradley Wright-Phillips?
Sacha is the player that makes the team go. He is big, strong and quick for a player with such skill with the ball at his feet. He's both a ball winner and a playmaker with superior vision and decision making abilities. He's super intelligent with his runs with and without the ball and deadly with his set pieces. BWP is deceptively strong, incredibly durable and most of all a deadly finisher. He has an extraordinary range of skills to score and most of all is unpredictable in the ways he can finish. Which make him a nightmare for goalkeepers.
Will the Red Bulls survive Sunday?
They will not only survive, but thrive. I think they will score three or four goals and be ready for the next opponent.
5. Red Bulls must stay dominant on home field to take down Montreal Impact in Eastern Conference semifinals
By Frank Isola New York Daily News - November 6, 2016
The best football coach in New York finished the regular season in first place in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year.
Jesse Marsch's team plays an entertaining style of attacking, high-pressure soccer. They're nearly unbeatable at home. And he's established a winning culture and laid a foundation for the future that he believes will have the club - from the Academy level to the first team - "poised for success for many years to come."
Now, all Marsch and the Red Bulls have to do is one thing: win. As in lifting the MLS Cup.
"I think we had a really good season and we've grown a lot," Marsch said. "But in the end you're judged by winning a championship. Or not."
The Red Bulls enter Sunday's home leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Montreal Impact needing at least a 2-0 win to advance to the conference final. A 1-0 win would mean two 15-minute overtime periods and potentially penalty kicks since Montreal won last week's opening match 1-0. If the Red Bulls concede a goal - an away goal is weighted more than home goals - the Red Bulls would need to win 3-1 to advance. Two Montreal goals would mean a 4-2 Red Bulls win to advance.
"The main emphasis is not to concede," Marsch added. "I'm confident that at home we'll be dangerous and score goals. The game plan is to be aggressive but also cautious."
Last season, the Red Bulls entered the home leg of the conference finals having lost the first leg 2-0 to Columbus. They scored only one goal at Red Bull Arena and were eliminated.
This year's team is again led by Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has been the league's leading goal scorer in two of the last three seasons. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who has found his way back to the U.S. National team, recorded a league-high 20 assists.
The team's two holding midfielders, Felipe Martins and Dax McCarty, are both tough and feisty, just like their head coach.
"I want my team to constantly take things personally," Marsch said. "Never back down and always be up for the challenge."
The challenge could be even more daunting with the possible return of former Chelsea man Didier Drogba, who at one time was one of the world's most feared strikers. It's unlikely that Drogba could play all 90 minutes but if Montreal is trailing Drogba could be used as a second half substitute.
Either way, Marsch's side will be ready. The Red Bulls Arena field is massive and Marsch's athletic, pressing lineup has given teams problems in Harrison. The Red Bulls' home record the last two seasons is 27-5-4, including 13-2-2 this year. They had an overall 16-match unbeaten streak snapped last week in Montreal and Marsch's team had a troubling habit of conceding late goals, which could prove fatal on Sunday.
Red Bulls give up more late goals and draw D.C. United, 2-2 "You can already say the season has been successful but we're all striving in the big way to finally reach the ultimate goal," Marsch said.
"I think we will emerge on Sunday."
6. Red Bulls, NYCFC must win by multiple goals, or in OT or penalty kicks to advance
The Record - November 5, 2016
The Red Bulls know what they have to do to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for a third-straight season: win by two goals or more today in Harrison against the Montreal Impact.
"It'll be a chess match and I think that both teams will be trying to cautiously go after the game," Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said.
The Red Bulls trail after a second-half goal from Matteo Mancosu last Sunday. Their offense was shut out for just the second time since July 10 and the first time against MLS competition. New York was shut out once in CONCACAF play, a road draw in Guatemala City.
But the Red Bulls are home today in Leg 2 with a chance.
"They [had] a week to prepare, so they might throw a couple wrinkles at us," Marsch said. "But we'll be ready for that."
Should New York win 1-0, the match would head into extra time. The teams would play two 15-minute sessions, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary. The away-goals rule does not count for goals scored in overtime. Any other one-goal victory would see Montreal advance on the tiebreaker, away goals.
"We'll tweak some of our tactics to address what we think can take care of them and throw them off a little bit," Marsch said. "The first 15 minutes will be interesting to watch. We will see what their approach is, and see what our approach is, and we will try to put the game on our terms early and see how it goes."
At Red Bull Arena this season, the team set a franchise record for home wins, finishing with a 13-2-2 record. The Red Bulls' loss last Sunday was their first in 21 games.
Bradley Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan lead the team offensively. Wright-Phillips earned a second MLS Golden Boot in the past three seasons with 24 regular-season goals. Kljestan led MLS with 20 assists, just the second player in league history to reach that mark in a single season.
Goalkeeper Luis Robles recorded the third 100-plus save season of his MLS career, and led the league with 11.
A FIRST: NYCFC will host a playoff game for the first time in club history when they take on Toronto FC in the second leg of their Eastern Conference semis..
NYCFC trails 2-0 in the aggregate series and will look to find some more magic at Yankee Stadium, where they are unbeaten in their past eight games (7-0-1).
"I don't think we have to panic," midfielder Frank Lampard said. "We're all frustrated, but once the dust settles I think you realize we're very capable of winning by two goals. We'll play on the front foot, which is what we've done at home all year anyway."
With the exception of Shannon Gomez and Connor Brandt, who are out with long-term injuries, coach Patrick Vieira should have a full complement of players, including Andrea Pirlo, who missed the first leg with a tight calf.
"What is really good is that everybody wants to play the game," Vieira said.
7. Montreal Impact look to go further than ever in MLS Cup Playoff
By Douglas Gelevan CBC News - November 5, 2016
The Montreal Impact are a game away from going further in the MLS Cup Playoff than they ever have before.
They have a healthy starting eleven and are riding a wave of momentum following two victories to start the playoffs.
But standing in the way is the top team in the conference, the New York Red Bulls, and a venue, Red Bull Arena, where they've never won a game.
Another 'monkey off their back'
When a team breaks a bad trend there is old saying to describe it as "getting the monkey off your back."
Impact have never won in Red Bull Arena so you could say there is a gorilla size primate perched on the team's shoulders this weekend.
In the five years Montreal has played in MLS, they've visited Red Bull Arena seven times. They have zero wins and have been outscored 21-7.
But this year, historical insufficiency hasn't proved to bother the squad.
The Impact had never won in Toronto, but this year they did. The Impact had never won in D.C., but they did it in the playoffs.
That's two monkeys already. With a win Sunday, the Impact have enough to fill a barrel.
Impact look to end road losing run to Red Bulls Counter punch
Mauro Biello has coached his team to buy into a counter attack strategy which is turning long shot situations away from home into victories.
"Most of [our] record at away games is really good and there's a reason why," says midfielder Dominic Oduro.
"We are very, very smart and we are very, very in-sync in terms of team shape and everything. It's just a matter of who wants it out there."
The Impact don't keep their plan a secret - sit back and play defence then turn up the offence when the opponents overextend themselves.
With a 1-0 lead coming into the game, Biello knows that the Red Bulls are going to have to attack.
"The message is that you gotta believe that we can score at any moment in a game. We're going away and away goals are important and having that mentality and that mindset is a start to what we want to achieve," said Biello.
Goal-den touch
Since Matteo Mancosu replaced the legendary Didier Drogba as the Impact's starting striker he's shown that he has the magic touch.
Mancosu has three goals in two playoff games.
"I'm going through a good period right now, I'm scoring goals," said the 31-year-old Italian striker. "I'm seeing the net very well. I hope it continues."
The Impact could advance with a 0-0 draw but mostly likely they're going to need a goal.
And while Mancosu could provide it, it's probable that Drogba will be called to come off bench and save the day.
Drogba has made a career out of rising up to the moment and if he were able to deliver for Impact fans this weekend it could also save his legacy in the city.
Drogba's decision to walk away from the team ahead of the final regular season home game has turned many against him.
His refusal to accept Biello's coaching decision to start him on the bench was seen as selfish "me-before-the-team" move.
Since then he's come back to the team but hasn't played due to a back injury.
But now he appears healthy and this changed his tone to that of the ultimate team player who is willing to do whatever the coach asks.
"I've done that in my career even in Chelsea in the Champions League ... I can be on the bench without making it a big drama," Drogba said.
All will be forgiven if Drogba comes through when it counts.
8. NYCFC not ready to panic, but here's the reality
By Mark Cannizzaro New York Post - November 5, 2016
The question to Frank Lampard, New York City FC's star midfielder, was a simple one: What is the approach to Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal second-leg match against Toronto FC at Yankee Stadium?
"To win 3-nil,'' the former Manchester City star said. "I don't think we have to panic.''
Panic? No. But the task is daunting for NYCFC. The club is proud of qualifying for the playoffs in just its second year of existence, but it would like to stay a little longer.
Because of that, though, NYCFC is faced with having to overcome its 2-0 loss at Toronto in last Sunday's first leg. To do that, to advance to the conference final against the winner of the Red Bulls-Montreal match, NYCFC must either be leading Toronto 2-0 entering overtime and a possible penalty-kick shootout finish, or it must defeat Toronto by at least three goals.
"We were frustrated after the [last] game, but once the dust settled I think we realized we're very capable of winning by two goals,'' Lampard said. "Obviously, the complications of away goals means we have to be as secure as we can be. But we've got to play on the front foot, which is what we do at home anyway.
"The good news is we're not out of it and we have another crack at it at home and I feel that we can do the same sort of thing to them that they did to us out there."
Indeed, because away goals are weighted more heavily than home goals as a tiebreaker, if NYCFC, which has not had a shutout since a 2-0 win at Houston on Sept. 30, yields one goal, it will have to win 4-1; two goals, 5-2, etc.
For the optimists, the good news is the last time NYCFC played at home, it beat Columbus 4-1 in the regular-season finale.
Now, for the bad news:
In 16 home games this season, NYCFC won by three or more goals just three times.
Just two teams in MLS history have advanced in the playoffs after trailing by two goals on aggregate - the San Jose Earthquakes in 2003 and the Kansas City Wizards in 2004.
Midfielder Andrea Pirlo, a key cog who makes the offense go, is questionable to play with a calf injury that kept him out of the first leg.
NYCFC is playing with five players who received yellow cards in the loss at Toronto, leaving each in jeopardy of being ejected if they get another on Sunday.
And most importantly, Toronto has a highly skilled front line led by Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore, and shutting them out is not likely.
"When you play against a team like that it's going to be very difficult for us not to concede [a goal],'' NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira said. "So we have to have a different approach because we are 2-0 down. It is important for us to create chances and score goals and not to concede. It's going to be a difficult task.
"It will be very important for us to keep our calm, to be really composed. We need everybody to be at their best. We need players to perform because it is a big game for us and for our fans and we need to be at our best to have a chance."
NYCFC, which is capable of scoring in bunches, must be cautious about yielding the weighted road goal. Both Toronto's goals (84th minute and extra time) were results of NYCFC's inability to clear the ball away from their own box. NYCFC allowed 57 goals during the regular season, third worst in MLS.
"It's win or go home, so we're going to leave it all out there,'' NYCFC defender R.J. Allen said.
"I'm confident,'' Vieira said. "I look at our players - I've been working with them for the past seven or eight months - and they will give everything Sunday. And then football will dictate."
Glenn Crooks - NYCFC's color analyst on WFAN, host of "The Coaching Academy" on SiriusXM FC and coach of Carli Lloyd during a 14-year tenure at Rutgers - gives his insights on Sunday's second leg between NYCFC and Toronto FC.
ESPN says Toronto FC has an 88 percent chance of advancing. What does NYCFC need to do to climb back from the 2-0 hole?
What's meaningful is to know what you have to do. I think the most difficult part of this game, and one of the reasons it's at such a high percentage by ESPN, is that the [prospect] of New York City shutting out Toronto FC, based on the history and based on the amount of goals New York City has surrendered during the course of the year, is unlikely. Therefore, if one goal is scored by Toronto, then New York City has to score at least four. Which they can do. They scored four against Columbus in the season finale, but Toronto FC is a much stingier defensive side. The away goal situation with the two legs has really put New York City in quite a predicament because they failed to score in Toronto.
Does David Villa deserve the MVP?
David Villa deserves to win the MVP. It's a very close call and the reason Villa deserves it is that New York City would not be in the position they were entering the playoffs, and getting a bye, without him. The other teams can claim the same about their candidates - Sacha Kljestan, Bradley Wright-Phillips [both Red Bulls] and Sebastian Giovinco [Toronto FC] - but I don't think to the extent that David Villa provides the big goal at the big moment and has really been a godsend for this franchise in his two years.
Who should start at keeper?
It's between Eirik Johansen and Josh Saunders, who played every minute of every game until the regular-season finale, when Johansen played. If Patrick Vieira sets up his team tactically the way he has all year, where he wants to build through the back and build through the keeper, Eirik Johansen is the best keeper to fit into that style.
Will the Third Rail supporter group impact the match?
The atmosphere in Yankee Stadium is fantastic and a lot of that is generated from the left-field bleachers where all of the supporters clubs are, not just the Third Rail. But they definitely have a big impact on the team. The team loves to attack that goal in the second half. If they have a choice at the beginning of the game, they'll set it up so they're attacking toward their supporters in the second half because it really generates a lot of New York City's intensity that's needed to finish off games.
Which Brit had the more surprising season: old man Frank Lampard or rookie Jack Harrison?
It should be no surprise that when Frank Lampard is healthy, he is still a class player, he can still finish with the best players in MLS. Because of his injuries and extended absences, people were wondering if he had anything left. I'm more surprised by Jack Harrison because other than watching a little film of him from Wake Forest, I really had no idea what kind of impact he could have on this league. He tore it apart early. The league figured him out a little bit, and because he's such a smart soccer player he's made the adjustments.
Will NYCFC survive Sunday?
The team has managed to overcome adverse conditions throughout the year. My prediction is that they will overcome the most difficult hurdle of the year and beat the enormous odds with a 4-1 victory.
9. Toronto FC on verge of 'something bigger' in New York
By Kurt Larson Toronto Sun - November 5, 2016
NEW YORK - Back then, New York City FC was merely an idea.
Jermaine Defoe was scoring goals and former coach Ryan Nelsen was still in the fold.
It was halftime between Toronto FC and visiting Columbus back in May of 2014.
Yours truly entered the executive suite for a sit-down interview with Tim Leiweke, who needed to get something off his chest.
Smiles turned to straight faces before a brief lecture, which preceded this exclusive chat.
"You were wrong," Leiweke started, referring back to a column he deemed overly harsh after the Reds fought back the previous weekend to draw Kansas City.
It was just the beginning of a rebuild, according to the club's head honcho - a positive symptom of signing guys like Justin Morrow and Nick Hagglund, both of whom started that night at Sporting Park.
They'll also be in the lineup Sunday night here in the Bronx, when the Reds - rebuild complete - take a 2-0 first-leg lead into Yankee Stadium, seemingly destined to advance to the Eastern Conference final.
And there will be Leiweke, watching from a luxury suite high above Yankee Stadium's oblong pitch, where the club he helped rescue is in position to become what he said it could - something bigger.
The Reds are two halves from what comes next - a conference final fixture so big it would garner unprecedented attention in a city that seems ready to go soccer crazy.
But Toronto FC must tread lightly. It's like sudden death looms large following the aforementioned nail-biter, one that saw Jozy Altidore and Tosaint Ricketts put the Reds in front.
Not that they're comfortable. Consider the scenarios.
It's all but over if TFC scores first. New York City then would need to score four against a side that has conceded just 1.15 goals per game this season - the second lowest rate in MLS.
Moreover, City will realize newfound hope if it pulls one back in front of home support. It's about planting that seed of doubt and watching it grow. Strange things happen in this game when nerves start to play a role.
"We're trying to cover as many scenarios as we can," TFC coach Greg Vanney said before the Reds boarded a charter flight Saturday afternoon to White Plains, N.Y.
"From the beginning of these playoffs we've talked about one play at a time, one half at a time and making sure we take care of the details on every single play."
Adding to the puzzle is the pitch at Yankee Stadium. It's significantly - estimates are five to seven yards - more narrow than it should be. It's both a benefit and a detriment to teams holding a lead.
Limited space will make it easier to contain talented attacking players like Jack Harrison and David Villa, who scored 23 times this season. The concern, though, is how quickly balls find dangerous areas.
"Small fields tend to lead to more chaos," Vanney explained. "Things get in front of goal quicker. The game is a lot faster. No matter what we do we have to stay together as a group."
The big decision for Vanney is whether to press or sit back in a 3-5-2. The Reds had success last Sunday when they applied pressure all over the pitch. City struggled to connect passes in the defensive and middle thirds.
But with Frank Lampard and, potentially, Andrea Pirlo set to return to Patrick Vieira's more offensive lineup, Vanney must consider whether to drop off and clog spaces on what's a shrunken pitch to begin with.
Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore are more than capable of working alone on the counter.
Then it's about veteran midfielders Armando Cooper and Michael Bradley acting as disrupters.
"One of our objectives in the off-season was to collect enough experience and to find guys who played in big games so when the pressure mounts they've been there before," Vanney added.
"This group has that kind of experience. They're guys who have won championships and been in big environments."
They're guys Leiweke and Tim Bezbatchenko and president Bill Manning believed would get them to November.
"It's good to be playing in November," Manning reminded the Sun in passing at the club's training ground this week.
Leiweke's vision, though, was to see the Reds playing in December.
He wasn't going to miss this prerequisite.
10. Toronto FC looks to punch ticket to Eastern final
By Laura Armstrong Toronto Star - November 5, 2016
NEW YORK CITY - It's not a win-or-go-home scenario for Toronto FC against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night, in the second leg of their MLS Eastern Conference semifinal, but that doesn't mean the Reds are overlooking the possibility of elimination.
After winning the opener 2-0 at BMO Field last weekend, TFC could lose Sunday's return match and still advance to the conference final. Heading into the big game, though, they seemed focused on making sure that cushion doesn't translate into complacency.
"It's important to bring the right intensity, bring the right mentality and realize that it's playoff soccer and it's another do-or-die game," says TFC goalkeeper Clint Irwin, who has conceded just one goal in two playoff games. "We know it's not finished."
Coach Greg Vanney says his players have been anything but smug and that the tempo of the deciding game - against an attacking team that finished above the Reds in the regular season standings - coupled with the field dimensions (the smallest in MLS at 110 yards long and 70 yards wide, often leading to chaotic action) will keep the team focused.
"I know once kickoff time comes, just enough butterflies and anxiety will keep everybody on edge," he says.
Every game Toronto FC plays in this post-season raises the bar, after just one previous appearance in franchise history - losing in the knockout round to the Montreal Impact last year. Vanney says the team understands the significance of this playoff run, and that he'll lean on veterans such as captain Michael Bradley, centre back Drew Moor and midfielder Will Johnson to take that next step.
"It think that's where experience bodes our team well," Vanney says.
Johnson, who won the MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers, sees similarities between the Reds and those championship teams when it comes to talent and motivation. He also knows every team needs a little luck to go all the way.
"The playoffs, the runs that I've been on and the teams I've been a part of all have those qualities, and the teams that I've lost with also have those qualities," he said. "You need a break or two. You need a bounce or two, a bit of luck. At certain moments in these do-or-die games, even if you play to the best of your abilities with a special group it doesn't guarantee a trophy."
11. Toronto FC set for biggest game in franchise history - again
By John Molinaro SportsNet.ca - November 6, 2016
NEW YORK CITY - They keep moving the goalposts on Toronto FC.
TFC's 3-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Union on Oct. 26 in the first round of Major League Soccer's playoffs was dubbed "the biggest game in franchise history." Four days later, again at BMO Field, the Reds defeated New York City FC 2-0 in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals in what was at that moment "the biggest game in franchise history."
Now, TFC will play "the biggest game in franchise history" for a third time in 12 days when they visit Yankee Stadium on Sunday evening for the decisive second leg against NYCFC.
Goals by Jozy Altidore and Canadian Tosaint Ricketts in the opener of this two-game aggregate series gives the Reds a huge advantage going into the return match - Toronto only needs a draw, and it could even lose by two goals so long as it scores at least one, to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
This playoff run is unchartered territory for Toronto FC, but not for all its players. Many of them have MLS post-season experience or have played in important games in high-profile European leagues. Off-season additions Will Johnson and Drew Moor are MLS veterans who have won the MLS Cup earlier in their careers.
There is no fear or jitters in this group over playing "the biggest game in franchise history." Instead, coach Greg Vanney said his players have embraced it.
"There are guys here who have won championships, guys who have played in big environments. This will just be another one of those, and I think everyone feels [the excitement] at the start of the game, but once the game gets going you kick it into autopilot and you do what you've done a thousand times," Vanney explained.
"Always at the start it's about managing the emotions and the thoughts that go through your head of this being a big match. I think that's where our experience bodes well for this team."
Midfielder Michael Bradley feels he and his teammates have met the previous two challenges of playing in "the biggest game in franchise history."
"This is what we had talked about from the first day of pre-season this year," the Toronto captain said after last week's first-leg win over NYCFC.
"A team that on the toughest days could stand up. On the toughest days, could hold up to every challenge. Up until now that's the biggest game we've played in this season and every single guy who stepped on the field - from the guys who started to the guys who came on the field - came through in a big big way."
As for complacency, due to their 2-0 lead, forget about it. Not with this group.
"That's the one thing I don't have to worry," Vanney offered.
"I know that once kickoff time comes, just enough butterflies and anxiety will keep everybody on edge. I'm sure with the tempo of the game in the stadium that it'll keep everybody at heightened alert for the duration."
When asked about his strategy in this year's Major League Baseball playoffs, Toronto Blue Jay manager John Gibbons explained he just liked to keep things simple, saying, "I'm a firm believer that sometimes when things start going your way, don't screw it up, don't start tinkering with things."
Vanney takes a similar approach, and he finds that he has less to say to his players, taking a more "hands off" approach to man management.
"It comes down to details. We've played, I don't even know, almost 40 games this year. It's not reinventing the wheel. It's just about details and making sure that [everyone] knows their responsibility on the day, and that we know what are our priorities as a team. It comes down to don't make it too complicated, keep it simple, and make sure that everyone is on the same page," TFC's coach explained.
It'll be interesting to see how this game plays out and what, if any, adjustments Vanney would have to make. If New York opens the scoring, would Vanney have his team sit deep and protect its aggregate lead? If Toronto scores an early opening goal, NYCFC would then need to score four times to win the series - would Vanney then go for more or shut it down? And what if Toronto happens to be reduced to 10 men? Then what?
"I don't put too many of [those scenarios] on the group; they're just for me to think about. ... I think of all the different variations and possibilities that we have so that when it comes game time the adjustments are just pulled from thin air. They're all things that have been thought about and scenarios that have been covered in terms of my preparation," Vanney stated.
NOTES: If NYCFC leads 2-0 at the end of regulation on Sunday, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety, followed by penalty kicks, if necessary. The away goals tiebreaker will not apply in extra time... These teams played to a pair of draws during the regular season... TFC has never won at Yankee Stadium (one loss and a draw) since NYCFC entered MLS in 2015... The winner of this series advances to the Eastern Conference finals where it will meet the winner of the Montreal Impact-New York Red Bulls playoff. The Impact won the first leg 1-0 at home.
12. Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley leading by example in MLS playoffs
By Neil Davidson The Canadian Press - November 5, 2016
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Prior to the opening game of the MLS season, Toronto FC held a meeting to ensure everyone was on the same page.
"We wanted to clear the air from the past couple of years, understand that this is a new group going forward and we have certain responsibilities to each other, to hold each other accountable and to try to push each other to be the best," said midfielder Will Johnson.
"Because if there's no competition, if there's no accountability, then you don't have a whole lot. You just have a bunch of guys coming in and working. Most of the teams that are not still playing in November fall in the other end of the spectrum."
Toronto is still playing, making franchise history with each post-season victory. While the team boasts a deep leadership group, captain Michael Bradley is front and centre.
On Sunday, the 29-year-old Bradley looks to help TFC finish off New York City FC in the return leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal. Toronto goes into the game at Yankee Stadium holding a 2-0 lead.
"This is what we talked about being about from the first day of pre-season this year - a team that on the toughest days could stand up. And, on the toughest days, could hold up to every challenge," said Bradley.
Bradley, who says he has felt "very good" about this team for some time now, deflects praise about his play to his teammates. But he has shown in recent weeks that the playoffs are like mother's milk to him.
"It's a fun time of year," he said. "You play all year to get to this point where the games are big - not everybody is left playing at this point - and they're only going to get bigger."
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko says Bradley has the ability to evaluate the moment, size up the challenge and do what is called for.
"That's when I think Michael shines the best," said Bezbatchenko.
Bradley, who doubles as U.S. national team captain with 122 caps for his country, has not disappointed.
Heaven help you if you do. Bradley wears his heart on a sandpaper-like sleeve. Among reporters covering the TFC beat, the skipper's stare is legendary.
It grabs you like a pair of pliers, bores into you like a science-fiction death ray and holds you until he is finished. Like a solar eclipse, it happens only periodically but people talk about it.
Teammates also know that steely glare, more perhaps for failing to live up to standards than delivering a subpar question.
"That's his job as captain," said goalkeeper Clint Irwin. "He does it here with the players and I think its a good thing. It's one where you know he cares about the result. It's his way of making you better and showing that he cares about you as a player.
"It's more so how you take it. I hope the reporters don't take it too harshly, because I don't. It's just a professional thing and it brings the right intensity to our locker-room. Ultimately it's a positive for us."
Bradley joined Toronto in January 2014, an intense counterpoint to England striker Jermain Defoe's laid-back demeanour when the two were unveiled before chanting, singing fans looking down from the balcony of the hangar-sized Real Sports Bar & Grill.
"I can tell you all I have never been more excited, more determined and more motivated for any challenge in my entire career," Bradley said at the time.
Defoe lasted one season. Bradley is still here, leading a resurgent Toronto deep into the playoffs.
Bradley, the son of renowned coach Bob Bradley, grew up early in soccer. He spent 2002 to 2004 in the U.S. under-17 team residency program before turning pro at 16 when he taken 36th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars.
After one season in MLS, he moved to SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands, with stints at Borussia Moenchengladbach, Aston Villa, Chievo Verona and Roma before signing with Toronto.
There were growing pains. TFC stumbled to an 11-15-8 record in 2014 to finish seventh in the Eastern Conference. The fact that that was an improvement - Toronto was ninth in 2013 and 10th in 2012 - shows just how low the franchise had fallen.
Bradley was clearly the captain in waiting, a transition the club fumbled as incumbent skipper Steven Caldwell twisted in the wind until the change was finally made in February 2015.
It has proved to be a marriage well made, however. Toronto deepened its roster, unloading Defoe in a deal that saw Jozy Altidore come the other way, and hit the jackpot in signing Sebastian Giovinco.
In addition to his on-field talents, Bradley has worked on creating a winning culture - no small feat for a franchise that was once the league doormat.
"Michael, more than any player on our roster today, has put more into this project," said Johnson, who has known Bradley since childhood and is one of the captain's closest friends.
Bradley leads by example. Toronto coach Greg Vanney says Bradley's professionalism in ensuring he is always ready physically and mentally is exemplary.
"He has a very high standard both of himself and of everybody else," Vanney added.
And in recent years, Bradley has got much better in helping others excel, according to the coach.
"He's really learned how to take those standards, hold them high and bring people with him to the standards, and really use a positive message to lift guys and find the strengths in guys and to really bring those out in everybody.
"I think he's learned it along the way, I think he's got better at it along the way and I think he's been phenomenal the last three, four weeks in terms of really instilling that within the group."
TFC is feeling good about itself, says Vanney, with Bradley and Giovinco leading the way. He also points to Altidore in helping the group's confidence.
Having learned Italian during his time overseas, Bradley has his own pipeline to Giovinco.
"Michael's role as a captain is the perfect role," the Atomic Ant said through an interpreter. "He's a captain in the team as well (as) in life and as an overall person."
The translation may be open to interpretation. The Italian forward appeared to be saying his captain is a natural leader.
In a city with a proud tradition of hockey captains - although no one wears the C for the Leafs at present - Bradley said he knew what it meant when he became skipper.
"I had already figured out that being captain or a big player on a team in this city carries extra weight and responsibility. And I've loved every second of that," he said.
"Not to say that every second of my time here has been exactly what I or the fans would have hoped but I've enjoyed every second of playing in this city, playing for this city and being captain."
In his early days in Toronto, Bradley suffered from trying to do too much in too many places.
But under Vanney, Bradley's on-field role has largely been as a deep-lying midfielder who breaks up attacks and shields the backline. Listed at six foot two and 185 pounds, Bradley is deceptively strong and has a turn of speed that can help him break up plays.
"He's been unbelievable the last two games ... He's the engine of this team right now," said veteran defender Drew Moor.
Bradley has a good eye for a pass and can also use his engine to drive into the box, although his forays forward have been limited.
While Bradley is front and centre as captain, Toronto has other leaders. Vanney also regularly consults Moor and Johnson, who captained Colorado and Portland respectively prior to coming to Toronto, in addition to Giovinco, Altidore and Benoit Cheyrou.
"Everybody's all bought into what we're trying to do but there's definitely different levels of accountability," said Johnson. "There's no one guy who can see everything."
For Vanney, the idea is to make sure everyone is on the same page and ensure the same message gets delivered to every corner of the locker-room.
"The more guys feel like they are involved in something bigger than just themselves, the more you get out of each guy," said Vanney.
Three seasons into his tenure in Toronto, Bradley remains a complex character outside the protective walls of the locker-room.
Away from the team, the father of two can be warm and engaging with a reporter. "He's easy-going when the moment is easy-going," said Bezbatchenko.
At TFC's well-appointed training centre, the skipper is more pharaoh than pal to those outside the inner circle.
"What we have in the locker-room, it's a sacred place," Johnson explained. "It's our place. We banter in there and we build bonds that last for lifetimes on successful teams. And that's just how it goes. And obviously outside of that comfort zone, you have to have your walls up and protect against all outside forces that are trying to penetrate - even in a positive or negative ways."
13. The Sounders' conference semifinal series against Dallas isn't - technically - over
By Matt Pentz Seattle Times - November 5, 2016
FRISCO, Texas - The Western Conference semifinal series between the Sounders and FC Dallas isn't over, as much as it might seem that way.
The two teams will play 90 more minutes on Sunday night at Toyota Stadium. They might even tack on another half-hour, should Dallas manage to score three unanswered goals.
It isn't over. That's been the message all week from Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer - interim no longer - and he isn't, technically, wrong. That he's taking injured center back Roman Torres to Frisco at all is an indication of how serious Seattle is taking the second-and-final leg of this series.
It isn't over. But let's put it this way: only a meltdown of the highest order would prevent the Sounders from making their third MLS conference final berth in club history.
Seattle takes a 3-0 lead into the second leg, having overwhelmed Dallas with three goals in eight minutes on its home turf last weekend. Nicolas Lodeiro scored twice. Nelson Valdez, postseason specialist, bagged the other. The defense was hardly threatened, with FCD sitting deep in a disastrously spontaneous 5-3-2 formation.
The hosts will attack from the start of Sunday's match at Toyota Stadium. They have no other choice. Dallas must win 3-0 just to force extra time. A single Sounders score, and thanks to the away-goals tiebreaker, and FCD will have to net five to advance.
It isn't over, but it's definitely close to it.
Both Andreas Ivanschitz and Alvaro Fernandez, both of whom are dealing with nagging leg injuries, have been ruled out of Sunday's match. Without those two wingers, Seattle's lineup will look very similar to the crew that was so rampant last Sunday at CenturyLink Field.
Torres, however, the intimidating center back who has been a major piece of the Sounders' late-season turnaround, traveled with the team to North Texas. It is tempting, with a bye weekend preceding the first game of a potential conference final series, to think twice about giving Torres that extra time off to fully recover from his hamstring injury.
Schmetzer, though, with action underpinning his words, says that if the Panamanian gets the all-clear from the medical staff, he'll play. The stakes are too high, even with a comfortable lead, to take any chances.
"This is still a must-win game," Schmetzer said earlier this week. "The guys that are healthy and in the starting group, they're going to play. Now, I have confidence that - Zach (Scott) came in and did a great job. Nelson came in and did a great job. Do I have confidence in that? Yes. But the team comes first. ... We're making sure that we're going to win this game.
"We're going to try to win the game. We've said that over and over. ... We're not going to sit back and defend for 90 minutes."
Maybe not, but the Sounders would be just fine should Sunday's match turn into even more of a defensive slog than the Colorado-Los Angeles conference semifinal earlier in the day promises to be.
It isn't over, but with a disciplined and resolute shift, soon enough it will be.
14. 'Unsung hero' Jones a big contributor in Sounders playoff run
By Todd Miles Tacoma News Tribune - November 5, 2016
A year ago, Joevin Jones was cleaning out his locker with Major League Soccer's worst team - the Chicago Fire.
Now, the lightning-quick Trinidad and Tobago native is assisting on some of the biggest goals in Seattle Sounders playoff history.
In the knockout round, it was Jones' left-footed cross to Nelson Valdez in the 88th minute that netted the goal in a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City.
And last Sunday, that Jones-Valdez combination worked in the same manner. Charging up the left sideline, Jones' cross hit Valdez's head in stride for the game-winning goal early in the second half of a 3-0 victory over top-seeded FC Dallas in the first leg of a Western Conference semifinal series.
"(Valdez) always attacks crosses. He is always in the right position. He knows where to run. And he is experienced enough," Jones said. "I am happy to serve balls in there."
Valdez certainly has been a key trigger man in these playoff matches. But Jones' contributions - three assists - have not gone unnoticed.
"Joevin has probably been our unsung hero," Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan said. "He's been good throughout the year, but he's come up big in the playoffs."
It took a full season for the Sounders to eventually find DeAndre Yedlin's replacement at left back.
Last season, Dylan Remick, Oniel Fisher and aging defender Leo Gonzalez all rotated in at starting left back. The team jettisoned Gonzalez after the season.
That left a starting position open - one the Sounders filled in a trade last January.
After an 8-20 record, the Fire cleaned house, bringing in a new general manager, Nelson Rodriguez, and a new coach, Velijko Paunovic, who wanted to retool the roster immediately.
Seattle sent its 2016 first-round pick and allocation money to get Jones. Chicago turned that pick into getting defender Jonathan Campbell. The Fire eventually traded for Brandon Vincent to play left back.
"It's tough for me to say, 'Hey, we got the better end of that' because they got a bunch of assets which they wanted to rebuild," Sounders general manager Garth Lagerway said. "Anytime you have a new regime coming in, they are going to have different opinions of certain players."
That's not to say the Sounders aren't giddy about the return in Jones, who fits in well with a nucleus of exciting young players, along with Roldan and forward Jordan Morris.
Jones is an attacking left back who has the speed to play deep at both ends of the field.
Earlier this season, then-Seattle coach Sigi Schmid often lauded Jones' off-the-charts talent, but showed frustration over the 25-year-old's inconsistent effort, especially on defense.
Lately, that effort has improved, even though Jones has been playing with a broken toe throughout the summer and early fall months - one that has required "three or four injections before every game," he said.
"(Jones) has always been committed (to playing defense)," new Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "He is a very good (one-on-one) defender, but people might forget that with all the flash and attention he's gotten with the assists and attacking movement."
Now a veteran on the Trinidad and Tobago national team, Jones is enjoying his first season with an MLS organization greatly supported by a raucous fan base - and one that has the potential to make a long run in the postseason.
"Seattle ... the atmosphere is awesome. You don't get to play in an atmosphere like this often," Jones said. "I landed in a great position. I am moving forward in the right direction in my career. It is a blessing."
15. Our Team of Perpetual Hope
By Nathan Nipper Dallas Morning News - November 5, 2016
I confess that I haven't really been looking forward to Sunday night's second-leg Western Conference Semifinal match against the Seattle Sounders at Toyota Stadium. The moment the Sounders buried their third goal in the net last Sunday night, making the score 3-0, the hearts of FC Dallas fans across North Texas collectively sank as we knew it nearly extinguishes the flame of this otherwise terrific season for the Huntsmen.
It didn't help matters that FCD barely managed any shots on goal (official stats say there were three) in the loss at Seattle, providing little offensive hope for fans to cling to heading into game two. Immediately after the Sounders' third goal, the return leg in Frisco took on the feel of one of those European "testimonial" matches, just one last chance for us to applaud FCD for accomplishing the best season in club history, but with the bittersweet knowledge this could've been the year of an unprecedented treble.
There was plenty of understandable knee-jerk-reaction finger-pointing and excuses from sad FCD fans in the wake of last week's disaster: bad formation/tactics, loss of Mauro to injury, loss of Castillo to... money I guess (?), not acquiring a reputable striker during the transfer window (raise your hand if you totally forgot about Getterson), the rainy/lame Seattle turf, no real higher-seed "advantage" in having to play the first leg on the road, the Supporters' Shield vs. MLS Cup significance, etcetera, etcetera.
But everyone knows the rules going in - that the MLS season is essentia
Major League Soccer Stories from November 6, 2016
- Matchups Set for Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Championships - MLS
- LA Galaxy Postgame Quote Sheet: LA Galaxy 0 (1), Colorado Rapids 1 - LA Galaxy
- New York Red Bulls Post-Game Quote Sheet - New York Red Bulls
- Red Bulls Fall in Eastern Conference Semifinals - New York Red Bulls
- MLS Newsstand - November 6, 2016 - MLS
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