Avoiding the Drop

Houston Dynamo  v. Toronto F.C. (Saturday)

This match has gained a great deal of importance since last week.  After skyrocketing through the Western Conference table for a few months, Houston now has a legitimate challenger in the Sounders and cannot afford to start dropping points on a regular basis if they want to keep their top spot.  Toronto, meanwhile, have plodded their way to legitimacy in the Eastern Conference and now find themselves out of first place only on the basis of Chicago’s better goal differential.  With Chicago facing a weak San Jose side, Toronto is going to need to pull off an upset against the Dynamo just to keep pace with the Fire.  Regardless of the outcome of this match, the implications will be felt in both conferences and my more than just Houston and the Reds.

Real Salt Lake  v.  Columbus Crew (Saturday)

This is just the kind of match that Columbus has to win if we are all to remain on board with their phoenix-like rise from the early season ashes.  On points, both teams are even.  However, the consensus seems to be that the Crew are the far superior team, and they probably are.  Unfortunately, a lot of that belief could come crashing down if the Crew are unable to dispatch mid-table Real Salt Lake- at home no less.  Columbus also needs to keep in mind that they have Kansas City and its game in hand lurking just behind them.  Conversely, RSL needs a win to further the belief that they are a quality club and just to keep within striking distance of the top Western Conference teams.

Colorado Rapids  v.  D.C. United (Saturday)

Here we have another situation where the teams are equal on points and where there seems to be a collective belief that one team- D.C. United- is much better than the other- Colorado.  I’m not so sure.  While there is nothing about Colorado that I find particularly compelling (including, or perhaps “especially,” Conor Casey), D.C. has not impressed me as of late either.  They are certainly better than they were at the beginning of the season- they have too much talent for that not to have happened- but since then they’ve just seemed, “okay.”  Their 3-2-2 record since the beginning of June kind of says it all- solid, but not great.  Certainly not the kind of record that’s going to move them forward in the Eastern Conference.

San Jose Earthquakes  v.  Chicago Fire S.C. (Saturday)

Chicago may be the only MLS team this weekend that should expect to win.  If they do, they remain in first place no matter what else happens.  If they let that “expectation” become “complacency,” and lose, they risk falling as far down as fourth place in the Eastern Conference.  San Jose just can’t seem to break through.  After a six match losing streak earlier in the season the have gone W-D-L-W-D-L in their last six matches.  Certainly that is an improvement, but they nevertheless remain deep in last place due to their abysmal start.  Perhaps, though, at least for those who believe in things like numerology, patterns, and what not, a win is in the cards this week, followed by a draw against D.C., and a loss to the Sounders.  We’ll see…

Chivas U.S.A.  v.  New England Revolution (Sunday)

Here follows an exercise in “homerism”:  The circumstances of this week’s match seem to favor New England.  They earned an well-fought draw against Kansas City, they played well (and Edgaras Jankauskas scored!) in their SuperLiga match against Chicago, and they still have two or three games in hand over all the Eastern Conference teams above them in the table.  Add these to the fact that Chivas are 0-5-1 in all competitions since early June (including a 3-1 thrashing at the hands of USL side Charleston Battery in the U.S. Open Cup) and things are looking good for the Revolution- even with all of the injuries that have befallen them.  The game will also be in New England, so that’s a help as well.    Chivas will need to win or risk falling behind yet another team in the Western Conference and finding themselves all alone in fifth place.

Western Mass Pioneers  v.  Bermuda Hogges (Friday and Sunday)

Last weekend’s trip to Wilmington and Charlotte was not a good one.  The Pioneers lost 4-0 and 5-0 respectively and dropped back down to 8th place in USL-II, ahead of only this weekend’s opponents, Bermuda Hogges.  With these losses whatever faint hope of promotion was raised during an undefeated June schedule was gone.  Now all that remains is to finish well and hope for a better showing next year.  Bermuda, whose ten losses long ago killed off any promotion hopes, will be hoping to sweep the series and move out of last place- to be replaced by Western Mass- in USL-II.  I may be attending Friday night’s match as it is AAA (not AARP!) Discount Night and I like to save money- even though tickets are only $9 to begin with!

São Paulo F.C. v.  Santos F.C. (Sunday)

Why pick this match over any others in Brazil this weekend?  Because Pele played for Santos and that trumps the fact that I once owned a São Paulo shirt.  Both clubs are stuck in the middle of the table, so let’s talk about other things, shall we?  On three occasions S.P.F.C. Have won the old Intercontinental Cup or the new Club World Cup, essentially meaning they’ve been the best club side in the world.  One of Santos F.C.’s nicknames is “Villa’s Mackerel.”  I’m not really sure what to make of that.  Fun fact:  In order to prevent him from signing with a foreign team, the Brazilian government declared Pele a national treasure, ensuring he spent his entire career with Santos.  Well, at least until he “retired” and came to play for the Cosmos!

Deportes Quindío  v.  Club Deportivo Los Millonarios (Sunday)

Best of luck to Deportes Quindío in this Futbol Professional Colombiano match on Sunday, but the real reason I picked this match over all of the others is that I wanted to talk about Millonarios- and I didn’t want to discuss any of the teams based in Medellin or Cali for, um, obvious personal safety-related reasons.  El Ballet Azul is a club that once paid players so well that he likes of Alfredo di Stefano- probably one of the five best players ever- played there for six years.  Since then such players as MLS’s own Carlos “El Pibe” Valderrama and Argentine goalkeeping legend Sergio Goycohcea have played for “The Millionaires” as well.  Millonarios were also the last stop for woe-begotten former Chicago Fire and current New York Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorios.  I wonder if he’s been thinking about that much recently?

ES Bingerville  v.  ASEC Mimosas (Sunday)

You say you’ve never heard of Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas?  Well, you have, you just don’t know it!  Do any of these names ring a bell- Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora, Emmanuel Eboue, or brothers Ibrahim, Yaya, and Kolo Toure?  All of them- and many more- spent time at the club before moving on to play for some of Europe’s biggest teams.  That being said, you can be forgiven if you haven’t heard of their opponents this weekend, ES Bingerville.  They’ve only been around since the mid-1990s and have yet to distinguish themselves in the Côte d’Ivoire Premier Division.  They’ve also only had one player, goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare, play in Europe.  He plays for Belgian side Olympic Charleroi.  Fun fact:  Bingerville play in kits that would make Ronald McDonald very proud.

Hearts of Oak  v.   St. Mirren FC (Sunday)

Hearts of Oak have traditionally been one of Ghana and Africa’s best club sides and are currently in first place and poised to win the Ghanian Premier League.  St. Mirren are dead last in the table.  St. Mirren’s name may or may not have anything to do with the Scottish side of the same name, but there is now a friendly connection between the clubs and the Ghanian side occasionally don the black and white stripes of their Scottish namesakes.  Not to be outdone in terms of Scottish connections or similar nomenclature, former Hears of Oak player Laryea Kingston currently plays for Hearts of Midlothian in Edinburgh.  Fun fact:  There are also teams in Ghana’s One Touch Premier League called “Chelsea,” “Arsenal,” and the “All Blacks.”

Shimizu S Pulse  v.  Kashima Antlers F.C. (Saturday)

This J League match was an easy one to pick for the weekend preview.  Kashima are, and pretty much always have been, the best team in Japan.  Everything about them is “big,” their stadium, their success, the Flamengo-inspired home kit, the managers (Zico was one), the players (Bebeto was one) etc.  Which is all fine and dandy, but S Pulse are MUCH more interesting.  Orange home kits, a supporter’s section called “The Dragon Zone,” players who appear as characters in a manga and anime series, an exhaustive Wikipedia page, a mascot designed by the guy who does the “Nancy” comic strip in the U.S., and yearly team “slogans!”  This and last year’s are “We Believe,” but they pale in comparison to 2004′s “Hard & Attack” and, of course, 2002′s “Orange Fantasia!”

Gwangju Sangmu F.C.  v.  Jeju United F.C. (Saturday)

Gwagju “Phoenix” play in Guus Hiddink Stadium- yes, that Guus Hiddink- and currently sit second in Korea’s K League.  As is often the case, it is the less-successful side, 10th place Jeju United, that are the more interesting of the two clubs.  First, Jeju are the only K League that don’t play on the mainland.  Second, they have relocated six times in the last 25 years.  Third, they have changed their name four times during that same span.  Fourth, they play in red and orange home kits.  Fifth, they have a team crest/logo that looks like something you would find on the chest of a super hero in whatever Korea’s version of anime is.  Finally, they are managed by Brazilian Arthur Bernardes Ribas da Silva Filho, who, at the age of 54, has managed…wait for it…23 teams.  It’s not as bad as it sounds though, he managed Marilia (Brazil) and Al-Wasi (Dubai) twice.