Total-MLS Weekly Review – September 14

Team of the Week: Toronto

 After Aron Winter’s summer garage sale and trip to the bank, it seems as though this Toronto squad is slowly nearing the level of play their most supportive fans deserve. For the first time since his arrival two years ago, Julian de Guzman seemed to be comfortable on the pitch as he netted his second MLS goal and two assists against the East leading Columbus Crew. If Guzman can turn into the player we all expected him to be, Toronto’s revamped lineup surely wouldn’t be one to disregard in the future. Toronto is also the recipient of this week’s Stat of the Week: TFC has more wins 5 (MLS/CCL) since July 27th than it had the whole first half of the year.

Player of the Week: Charlie Davies

 You wouldn’t know it from his inconsistency, but Charlie Davies is 3rd in the league in scoring with 11 goals after his hattrick over the weekend. Davies had been on a serious goal drought leading up to DCU’s clash with Chivas USA on Saturday, having not been selected to the USMNT or scored since June. However, Davies’ terrific performance will surely boost his confidence and keep him working hard to eventually get back into a USMNT jersey.

Goal of the Week: Sebastien Le Toux

http://phitv.neulion.com/mlsvp/console.jsp?catid=1880&id=18808

Le Toux’s stoppage time goal salvaged a home point for the Union to cap off a remarkable comeback.

In honor of the MLS’ Top 24 Under 24 annual voting, I have decided to recap the results and state which of these players you should keep a special eye on in the future.

Destined for the USMNT:

Brek Shea- The man’s size and speed make him an absolute monster not only in the MLS, but on the international level too. You would have to think the sky is the limit for this Texan.

Juan Agudelo- The kid is already a household name after two international goals and a Thierry Henry-esque flick-volley goal. We know he’ll be around the USMNT for a while, but most likely not much longer in the MLS.

Freddy Adu- Despite still not making his first USMNT appearance under Klinsmann, Freddy remains a viable option for the US due to his flair and creativity. He has been around for ages, yet the lad’s merely 22.

Others: Teal Bunbury, Bill Hamid, Danny Mwanga, Omar Salgado, Luis Gil

The Ceiling is Close:

Sainey Nyassi- The lad might be a fan favorite, but Nyassi surely will never be a dominant winger in this league due to his lack of size and soccer IQ.

Will Bruin- Don’t get me wrong, Bruin has been a great addition to the Houston offense this season, but it will be a tough road to the international spotlight as a target forward in the US player pool. Bruin might go on to have a decent MLS career, but I can’t see him developing into anything worth shouting about.

Not Quite There Yet-

Luis Gil- The 17 year old wonderkid has shown signs of brilliance so far this MLS season, and if what the scouts say is true, this is only the tip of the iceberg for the RSL midfielder. With a few more years under his belt, Gil will be ready for the USMNT and a much-anticipated move overseas.

Omar Salgado- Salgado is young and still has plenty of time to prove his #1 pick abilities. The only difficulty then will be trying to break into a forward-filled USMNT roster.

Sean Johnson- Johnson has had a good first couple of seasons with the Fire, yet he hasn’t yet established himself as a premier goalkeeper like fellow American Bill Hamid. However, his size and quickness make me think that Johnson could actually someday best Hamid and be Tim Howard’s successor for the USMNT. The bad news is Howard isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The good news is Johnson has then plenty of time to develop his skills and assert himself into Howard’s role.