Ok kids, it’s time for our Weekly Top 5, as Week 15 in MLS play comes to a close. This week our writers again gave Los Angeles top honors, as they keep their spot at the top for a seventh straight week. The remaining four spots saw a bit of shuffling that resulted in New York Red Bulls being ousted from their spot in last week’s Top 5.
1. LA Galaxy – Ok, there’s been speculation all week since Mike Magee’s glorious goalkeeping debut as to whether or not his performance between the pipes was overrated or expected. For my money, any guy who can come into a position-specific job like goalkeeper, being sub-six foot no less, and shut down the opposing offense gets my vote anyday. What’s more impressive was the way the Galaxy backline acted like a brick wall in the absence of Ricketts and Saunders. The team performance against San Jose was akin to the defensive play of a baseball team behind a pitcher hurling a no-hitter. Even if you hate the Galaxy, you have to respect the whole team for that game.
2. Seattle – The Sounders are putting together quite a run in the month of June, going undefeated, and touting a +4 goal differential over 5 games. While the Sounders probably should have fared better than draws against Chicago and the Whitecaps, their play over the last three games sees them building positive momentum going into the heart of the season. Seattle grabbed 11 out of a possible 15 points, an impressive month for sure.
3. FC Dallas – Dallas’ attendance woes notwithstanding, the team is building on some positive results this month, culminating in a routing of Portland Timbers in the squad’s last MLS match of the month, before last night’s US Open Cup match. Although Dallas won nearly every game in the month of June against beatable teams, they are still gaining points in the standings, and are now tied for 2nd the conference standings with Seattle, and tied for the most wins amongst MLS clubs with LA Galaxy, who also have 9 wins on the season. If the rest of the Conference isn’t careful, they could all find themselves looking up at Dallas very soon.
4. Philadelphia – The Union didn’t have a knock-down month in MLS play. What they did accomplish, though, was a run of games good enough to help them grab 1st place in the weaker Eastern Conference. Philly played to a draw in three of their five matches in June, while losing only to Vancouver. The letdown for Philadelphia is that they could have expanded quite a comfortable lead in the East had they closed the deal on Vancouver and Kansas City, both of which are far down in the overall standings. Still, Philly now sits atop the East, with a Red Bulls team below them struggling to find offense and goalkeeping, and a Columbus Crew team that is erratic at best at this point in the season.
5. Real Salt Lake – It’s not unlikely that the run RSL was on coming into this season is what has kept them alive in any Top 5 list this season, especially post-CCL Final. Salt Lake has struggled in games they should have won, and walked away from many matches this month leaving points behind. While RSL is most definitely in the thick of things, a 2-1-3 record in the Western Conference and 4th place position in the standings will have to improve for Salt Lake to make a real impact come playoff time.
Do you agree or disagree with our writers? Feel we left any deserving teams out or overrated a team? Tweet us @TotalMLS and let us know.
Image courtesy of LA Galaxy
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