This week was a bad look for MLS, hoo boy, let's get to it.
1. The Referee Situation Needs to Be Fixed
I could focus and rant about all the bad calls this week, the two shaky red cards in San Jose vs Dallas (that last one to Koval was absolutely correct) and the various refereeing mistakes by Baldomero "Wild Card" Toledo that led to that point. I could rant about two terrible calls that essentially handed Sporting KC a win against the Sounders, a phantom offside call and a bad penalty call, for those that missed the game. I could talk about how the ref in RSL vs Colorado Rapids essentially allowed both teams to foul each other all over the field for most of the match, but none of that would be terribly productive. Instead, I think that it's time to look at the (conveniently timed by MLS) article for "referee week" on the MLS website.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/referee/news/article/2011/10/12/ref-week-former-players-reluctant-switch-allegiances
It's a bit of an interesting read, one filled with irony. Players and coaches want people who have played the game to referee, but players won't become referees because it would be viewed badly by their former colleagues. I've been a referee before, at the amateur level, and it really is a thankless job, even if you're just the ref for little kids people don't like the ref; give a (deserved) red card to someone's perfect little snowflake only if you're ready to confront an angry dad who will have to be held back by the other parents as he shouts profanities unfit for 14 year old ears. People only notice the ref, usually, if they do something wrong and the entire match they'll get berated, usually unnecessarily by players, fans and coaches, even when the call is the right one. Add in that, usually, referees are pretty poorly paid by comparison; even the most experienced MLS refs get a mere $1,100 per game (about $38,000 per year), unless refereeing a playoff match. So maybe the fix isn't just saying we want players to ref or that we want better refs, maybe the key is to make the job a better one; berate the refs less and pay them a little more and maybe you'll get more competent people.
2. Portland Gets Their First Ever 3 Game Win Streak
Portland, with their win over the New England Revolution, have recorded their first ever MLS 3 game win streak. Having Wil Johnson back certainly seems to help, but it seems like the run is more than just that. Asprilla is, arguably, playing his best soccer so far this year, Nagbe is actually making good runs and Adi is coming on as a super sub that scores goals and gives defenders fits. With all of that said, this run of form has been primarily off of the backs of out of form opponents, with the exception of the 1-0 win over DC United Portland beat Colorado (bottom feeders of the west) and a wounded and incomplete Revolution side, at home. Upcoming matches away against LA and against the Quakes and Sounders at home should tell us a lot more about this team.
3. The Impact Make an Impact
Montreal continues to surprise this season, their gritty 2-1 away win against Columbus has put them up to 6th in the eastern standings, but that is with 6 games in hand against the current #1 in the east (and several other eastern teams). Montreal currently has 1.4 points per game, good enough for a tie for third with the Revolution in the east, while their wins aren't usually the prettiest, they still seem to get things done. The Impact's upcoming schedule is also filled with squishy teams, the next four are against NYCFC, Orlando SC, Toronto FC and Philadelphia, if they can get a result against Toronto the remaining games should let the Impact rise up into the playoff spots. For Columbus, I thought they might be the best in the east at one point, but their form has dropped off significantly, they're now in danger of dropping out of the playoff spots unless they can find a solution and soon.
4. International Call Ups Are Still a Problem
It bears repeating here, MLS why can't you get take these international breaks off? If Montreal Impact can squeeze in a third of a season in the space of the quarter of one, you can certainly squeeze in a week off here and there for international call ups. Dallas was without star striker Blais Perez, the Sounders would have been without Clint Dempsey if he wasn't already gone for the birth of his son and they were without Brad Evans, Michael Bradley at Toronto, Mix Diskerud was missing from NYCFC and Break Shea from OCSC; these guys are some of your biggest names and they were all out due to international duties. I understand not taking time off for the U-20s, but at least take the week off for these friendlies. These are your biggest stars and you're missing them (and the dollars they bring in) out of stubbornness.
5. The Sounder Have Scary Depth At Midfield
With Dempsey, Martins and Barrett out up front the Sounders deployed a 4-5-1 (or a 4-2-3-1, depending on how you want to look at it) in their match against Sporting KC. Despite missing their DP defensive mid Ozzie Alonso on a conduct suspension the Sounders midfield was formidable, pretty much any of the Sounders starting 11 on Saturday at midfield would get play elsewhere, Rose, Azira, Roldan, Pappa and Pineda all had very good games. If the Sounders' bet on the Brazilian Thomas pays off they could have the scariest midfield in MLS.