THE WATCHGRIDOMETER CAN WAIT ON NIGHTS LIKE TONIGHT
Sometimes the universe aligns and delivers a perfect night of soccer. The chaos of a full matchday can be great, but, personally, give me a few outstanding games I can take in without distraction. We’ve got that tonight. It’s like we’ve been granted an Audi MLS Cup Playoff night a month early. You and I are truly blessed. Truly blessed.
Austin FC vs. LAFC | 8 pm ET - ESPN, ESPN Deportes
The fight before the fight
First and foremost, let’s be clear about what we’re getting here. The main course of this meal is about as excellent a soccer game as regular season MLS can offer. You have the probable Landon Donovan MLS MVP going up against the probable Supporters’ Shield winners in a probable Western Conference Final matchup and both sides play gorgeous soccer. Throw that in front of one of the best atmospheres in the league in maybe the biggest game in the stadium’s early history and we’ve got a special concoction here.
But we also have the last time these two teams will see each other unless they meet with a trip to MLS Cup on the line. The first time they met, Austin proved that they were capable of winning more than just bonus games and overwhelmed LAFC in their own stadium. A lot has changed since then, though.
This is the fight before the fight for some version of the final forms of both teams. I say some version because both are still somehow adding DP-level players, but this will mostly be the same group that would meet in October. There are psychological advantages to be won and tactics to either practice or hold onto until a later date. Honestly, if either team has some kind of trick up their sleeve that they feel will give them an advantage over the other, I’d bet they hold onto them for later. But we still might be able to learn a decent amount about how both teams would approach a future contest.
In particular, I’m curious to see how much of the ball LAFC actually wants. Both teams have possession-based attacks, but Austin hold onto the ball as much as anybody in the league. That is largely because they don’t really have players who are going to beat you off the dribble and try to create in 1-v-1 situations. Patience is somewhat of a requirement in that case. Which means that patience is often a requirement defensively. If LAFC want to, a shift toward a more counter-attacking setup in this game may pay dividends. Or they can take a page out of the Red Bulls’ playbook that worked so effectively against the Verde & Black a few weeks ago and work overtime to force the Austin backline into critical mistakes in the buildup.
Or, ya know, both teams just go full throttle and this thing opens all the way up in a game that’s relatively meaningless as far as the actual standings go. Either way, we’re going to be entertained. There’s too much talent on the field not to be.
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC | 10 pm ET - ESPN, ESPN Deportes
A big deal
Every meeting between these two is required viewing. But how often do we get to go into this game knowing that the playoffs are on the line for both sides?
Do I even need to set the table more than that? It’s Timbers-Sounders, they’re even on points, and they can both jump into a playoff spot with a win. I don’t know what more you need.
However, it’s fair to say that both teams are kind of limping into this one. The Timbers haven’t won in their last five games and just got blasted in back-to-back matches by Toronto and…uh…wow, Sporting KC. Woof, Portland. Maybe, you can argue that they were looking ahead to tonight and weren’t up for Sporting. But even if you aren’t up for Sporting this year, there’s no reason to lose 4-1.
Meanwhile, Seattle’s midfield is genuinely cursed. After losing Joao Paulo and Obed Vargas to injuries, they moved Cristian Roldan into a double-pivot with Albert Rusnak. And, well, what do you know, Roldan is out for at least 4-6 weeks. The Sounders have had terrible injury luck at a critical position and it’s the biggest reason we’re even worrying about their playoff hopes in the first place.
So, it may not be the prettiest edition of this game. In fact, it may look a lot like two people on crutches trying to smack each other while not falling over. But that doesn’t make it any less important. Both the fanbases and the teams themselves need this one.
AND OTHER THINGS
- New England Revolution sign Polster to contract extension: The New England Revolution have signed midfielder Matt Polster to a contract extension through the 2024 season, with an option for 2025. Polster, 29, is in his third season with the Revs, scoring four goals and four assists in 66 appearances (52 starts). He was a key piece during their record-setting Supporters' Shield campaign in 2021.
- Charlotte FC sign forward Shinyashiki to contract extension: Charlotte FC have signed forward Andre Shinyashiki to a new deal that runs through the 2025 season with an option for 2026. The 25-year-old native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, joined the expansion side in May via a trade with the Colorado Rapids, becoming the team’s second-highest scorer in the process.
- Charlotte FC sign midfielder Bronico to contract extension: Charlotte FC have signed midfielder Brandt Bronico to a new contract through the 2025 season. Bronico, 27, has established himself as Charlotte’s midfield stalwart during the club’s inaugural campaign, scoring one goal and notching three assists while appearing in every CLTFC match - starting all but one.
THE READING RAINBOW
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