Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Holden Trent passes away at 25
Major League Soccer is mourning the passing of Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Holden Trent, who passed away on Saturday afternoon. He was 25 years old.
Orlando host Charlotte, LAFC welcome Vancouver
Two playoff games for you tonight. Orlando City and Charlotte face off at 7:30 pm ET and LAFC take on the Whitecaps at 9:45 pm ET. Take a look at the full schedule here.
Inter Miami defender Fray out with meniscus injury
Inter Miami CF defender Ian Fray will soon undergo surgery after suffering an injury to his right medial meniscus. The 22-year-old homegrown got hurt during the second half of Inter Miami's 2-1 win over Atlanta United on Friday night, raising concerns about potentially a fourth ACL (knee) injury in his young career.
Giving up five goals to one of the best attacks in MLS history is one thing. That happens. But, man, not even getting on the board in that same game? Not even getting a shot on target?? PUTTING UP ONE SHOT???
I had to look at multiple sources just to make sure those numbers were even real. As far as fake numbers go, the Galaxy had a postgame win expectancy of about 150%. There are zero timelines where the Rapids win that game last night. Like, dear God, here’s the shot chart from this one (via Fotmob).
The lone Rapids field goal attempt came in the 80th minute.
I don’t know whether to be more horrified at what the Rapids have turned into—that’s five straight losses by the way—or impressed by the Galaxy’s defensive performance. It’s only one game…but has a series ever felt more over without being over?
We’ve got two series openers tonight. Here’s what to keep an eye on for each team.
Will Orlando accept the protagonist role?
You should know by now the Lions are hot. They’ve been on a 2.06 points per game pace since the midway point of their season. That surge has been fueled by an attack that finally found the right pieces and took the restrictor plates off. They began creating chances at a high level and bullying teams. In fact, after Leagues Cup, only two MLS teams—LA and Portland—generated more xG per game.
The playoffs are different though. Not just in the quality of the opponent, but in the approach teams tend to take. Oftentimes, they lean towards pragmatic and cautious. It’s understandable. But I think it’s fair to wonder if that’s the best move for Orlando here. You’ve been ripping teams apart. Charlotte would love for this to be as cagey as possible. Why take your foot off the gas?
Now, that could happen simply because Charlotte effectively stifles Orlando. But, for the Lions' sake, hopefully it doesn’t happen because of a tactical shift that’s intent on keeping things boring. This Orlando side is good enough to surprise some folks and make a run. I think it will help if they act like it.
Can Charlotte thrive in the antagonist role?
You should know by now Charlotte are all about stout defending and making life hell for the opponent. They’ll be heavily invested in making sure Orlando’s attack stays as quiet as possible even if that comes at the expense of attacking opportunities. That will be especially true today on the road.
But what you may not know if you weren’t paying attention is Charlotte started to find a groove getting forward at the end of the season. The Crown scored 14 times over their final five games on their way to picking up 13 points in that span. Pep Biel, Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski and Patrick Agyemang all found the net multiple times. Charlotte weren’t just stifling teams, they were stifling them AND finding moments to get forward.
In fact, according to American Soccer Analysis, Charlotte actually posted a better rate of xG created per game than Columbus since Leagues Cup. They can make things happen. The big question today is whether that can continue if Orlando are controlling the game at home.
LAFC are going to do LAFC things
Do you need more than that ^^^? Like, I don’t know y’all, they’re gonna try and overwhelm Vancouver with talent. They’re heavy favorites in this series and favorites to get back to MLS Cup for a third straight season. You should know by now.
Did we see the real Vancouver in Portland?
I still can’t quite get over what Vancouver did to Portland in the Wild Card round. Circumstances were far from ideal and yet, for some reason, Portland imploded at home while Vancouver thrived on the road. The Caps throttled the Timbers in a 5-0 rout.
Did we see the real Vancouver there? Or did Portland compound their own issues so much that any team could have rolled to a big win?
Either way, LAFC will provide a much tougher test tonight. Vancouver should at least be feeling a whole lot more confident heading into this one though. Their first moments of joy in a while came at the perfect time. And, on top of that, they should have a chip on their shoulder. It’s no secret there are plenty of doubters out there. If they’re going to find a way against LAFC in LA, it’s going to come down to whether or not the team can squeeze everything out of a “the haters say we can’t” mentality.
Even then, that might not be enough. On paper, they’re outmatched here. But, to be fair, it seemed that way heading into the Portland game. Maybe we saw the real Whitecaps that night?
Recent history with this team suggests, well, probably not. But I’m at least willing to feel just the tiniest dose of optimism with this side now against the league’s most talented teams. That’s a big change.
- Riqui Puig and Dejan Joveljić dominated the Rapids.
- LAFC are seeking a third consecutive MLS Cup run.
Good luck out there. Make the first one count.
