MLS Round-up: Porter’s Portland sink Vancouver while Dallas down Dempsey’s Seattle.

Red Bulls add gloss to a hard fought first leg win.

For New York Red Bulls it was a case of job done against D.C. United on Sunday. Their 1-0 win was a mirror of the first leg down at RFK Stadium and highlighted how simple and effective they can be. Arriving through an injury time goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips (his sixth in the playoffs, a franchise record) it was well deserve given their dominance of proceedings.

Providing few shocks, D.C. United have often been cast as the underdogs this season, using that tag to their advantage. At times this season. Unfortunately for their fans they struggled to even reach their expected level on Sunday with a laborious and lacklustre performance. Playing against a high pressure Red Bull side they consistently struggled to maintain possession and play out from the back with Dax McCarty managing 7 ball recoveries in the opposition half (United’s midfield duo managing just two).

Given that the Black and Red also rely heavily on individual brilliance they were always likely to come unstuck against such an organised opponent with Chris Rolfe and Fabian Espindola struggling to find the rhythm of the game. That was emphasised by the fact it took the team 145 minutes to register a shot on target during the course of th two legs, with their long ball approach producing poor results.

In the wider picture the off-season now represents an important crossroads for D.C. United. They are just one of two teams in the league with one Designated Player on their roster, although this is about more than just spending money. The team lacks a true identity on the field and that will make keeping promising young players like Bill Hamid and Perry Kitchen difficult amid interest from Europe. Hamid in particular was in fine form on Sunday and has often been a difference maker for the team this season.

For the Red Bulls however, their march to the final continues. Their high tempo style is very pleasing on the eye but their mental toughness is what makes a greater impression. In previous seasons the Red Bulls have tripped themselves up in the playoffs but something feels different this time round. They now have an aura about them and that is likely down to the detail-orientated approach Jesse Marsch employs.

They will now face the Columbus Crew SC in the next round and arguably sit as favourites. A testament to the work of Marsch and his team, 2015 may just be the year the Red Bulls earn their first MLS Cup, which seemed unthinkable when Marsch was hired.

Lights, Kamara, action as Kei earns redemption with brace to overcome Montreal.
In the build-up to this game much of the talk centred around the influence of an African striker. Didier Drogba has provided a significant mid-season boost to the Montreal Impact with his goals dragging them into the playoffs.

The Columbus Crew SC have seen a similar influence from a powerful target man in Kei Kamara. Quiet during their 2-1 first leg loss, Sunday night saw him with a point to prove. Levelling things on aggregate with a header after just four minutes it is that aerial dominance that has made Kamara such a threat this season. Leading teammate Ethan Finlay to call him a ‘freak physically’ it is something the striker embraced during our recent interview. Unable to add a second from the penalty spot in the second half, he managed to earn redemption late in the game when he notched a second headed goal – justifying Gregg Berhalter’s decision to run the play through the flanks.

However just as important to that success is Wil Trapp. The young midfielder is wise beyond his years and reads the game incredibly well. He produced more interceptions than any other midfield player on Sunday and his mid-season absence due to concussion really hurt the Crew SC. If he can stay fit there’s every chance they topple the Red Bulls next time out.

By contrast Montreal struggled to make the most of their target man. Didier Drogba completed just 13 of his 27 passes in the attacking third and mirrored his poor performance from the first leg. With teammates and fellow Designated Players Laurent Ciman and Ignacio Piatti also struggling (the former giving away the penalty that Kamara missed) it proved a bridge too far for Mauro Biello and his side.

Hiring Biello full-time will be an important first step. His handling of the team since arriving as interim head coach has been excellent (something Evan Bush touched on in our interview last week). Giving him a full season should produce good results and guarantee that Montreal make an impact on the playoffs next year too.

The kids are alright as Dallas down Seattle on penalties.
It took until the 84th minute for this game to spark into action but when it did it was well worth the wait.

Sitting on a 2-1 aggregate advantage Seattle Sounders sat deep and attempted to close the game out. In need of a 1-0 win to send them through on away goals, FC Dallas threw every man forward. Finally earning the breakthrough when Tesho Akindele poked the ball home from a cross, that’s when things got really exciting.

First Chad Marshall headed Seattle in front from a corner in the 90th minute before Walker Zimmerman levelled it up on aggregate sixty seconds later. An enthralling contest, extra time saw thirty minutes of stretched soccer and nerve shredding action for fans of both teams. Looking drained physically as the clock ticked down this was a true war of attrition.

Eventually requiring penalties it was the moment for Seattle’s pedigree names to show their class and experience. Instead 20 year old FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez stole the show with saves from Andreas Ivanschitz and Chad Barrett. In many ways this result broke long held beliefs pertaining to both teams.

Seattle’s big money names simply didn’t perform when they needed them most with Obafemi Martins a real disappointment during both games against Dallas. That could force the club’s decision makers to evaluate the position of Sigi Schmid. The second longest serving manager in MLS he has done well to deliver a Supporters’ Shield and US Open Cup but he looks no closer to earning them the much coveted MLS Cup. Given that Jason Kreis is now available the decision to inject new blood into the team may also apply to the coaching staff.

Meanwhile for the Texan side have often faced questions about whether their young stars could handle the pressure of the post-season. Not only did they do just that during the penalty shoot-out (not one of their penalty takers was over 24) they also dominated large portions of the match against Seattle and didn’t look phased at all. Such a performance will no doubt concern those left in the playoffs with Oscar Pareja deserving immense credit for instilling such confidence in his team.

Portland’s versatility helps them earn a narrow win in Vancouver.
When Caleb Porter arrived in MLS to coach the Portland Timbers he was highly regarded. His Akron Zips side played some beautiful soccer and that earned him admirers across the league. As he adjusted to the professional game he enjoyed contrasting fortunes the Timbers, taking them to the top of the Western Conference in 2013 but failing to make the playoffs at all last year.

His critics said his obsession with possession was his Achilles heel. So determined to play one brand of soccer, modelled on the popular Tiki Taka style, it made his team too predictable. “The biggest thing I’ve learned the last several years is you don’t always need to decide the game with possession,” Porter told Sports Illustrated in March this year and that point has been proven time and again during the season.

The Timbers now operate with far more flexibility. Able to play the long ball up to Fanendo Adi (Porter stated this as one of the reasons they bought the Nigerian), they are also able to calmly play the ball in neat triangles. They did both during Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps as well as producing a lightning quick counter-attack for Diego Chara’s injury time goal.

Such versatility is now their greatest strength. The midfield typifies that as Diego Valeri’s creativity meshes beautifully alongside Diego Chara’s bite and Darlington Nagbe’s effortless dribbling and speed. Cast alongside that fluency was a Vancouver Whitecaps side short on ideas.

Impacted by the first half injury to Kekutah Manneh, his replacement Mauro Rosales lacked the speed and dribbling needed to truly test the Timbers backline. Notching a first half goal through Adi it allowed Portland to sit deep and limit the space in behind that Vancouver so often like to exploit. Given the Whitecaps finished the season shut out in 5 of their last 6 games it highlights the need to revamp their attacking options during the off-season.

Meanwhile the result means that Portland will meet FC Dallas in the next round in a battle between two exciting young managers, with Porter looking ready to lead his side all the way to the final.

Results
New York Red Bulls 1-0 D.C. United
(2-0 on aggregate)

Columbus Crew SC 3-1 Montreal Impact
(4-3 on aggregate)

FC Dallas 2-1 Seattle Sounders
(3-3 on aggregate, Dallas advance 4-2 on penalties)

Vancouver Whitecaps 0-2 Portland Timbers
(0-2 on aggregate)