10/17 - Matchday 30

1. How credible are Philadelphia Union as contenders in the East?

The Philadelphia Union are on a historic run right now. Having picked up 38 of the last 42 points available, the Union look like one of the very best teams in the league. But are they truly among MLS' elite? Several important personnel changes were the catalyst for Philadelphia's incredible run of form. It starts with playing the kids. Union II products Cavan Sullivan and Neil Pierre have been mainstays in the starting 11, with Sullivan growing into one of the top playmakers in the league. The return of club legend Kai Wagner at left back cannot be overstated. He provides so much quality and leadership on the left side of defense. Most importantly, and perhaps something that is an underrated part of his game, Wagner is an excellent 1 on 1 defender. Moving Harriel to center back and Iloski to forward has elevated good players to great players by getting them in their best spots on the field. Quinn Sullivan getting back on the field has given their attack has been given new life whether he's coming off the bench or starting the match on the field. Under interim manager Ryan Richter, Philadelphia are still one of the most direct teams in the league, but they are more patient in the final third. With all these changes, it feels like a completely different Philadelphia Union team than what we saw before the World Cup.

The new version of this club has been borderline unstoppable. Much of their unbeaten streak has come against poor opposition, but the Union are now amidst the toughest patch of their schedule. After beating Chicago 3-1 on the road, they host Charlotte this Saturday. Next week, Philadelphia welcomes New England to Subaru Park before traveling to GEODIS Park the following Wednesday to take on league-leading Nashville SC. That's the top five teams in the East sans Inter Miami. If the Union want to cement themselves as true contenders, they are going to have to perform against the East's best. Philadelphia passed the first test. After an evenly matched first half that saw the Union head into the break down a goal but up a man, Philly took control of proceedings, scoring thrice in the opening 22 minutes of the half to secure all 3 points. It was an overall solid performance that came away from home against a team they are chasing down in the leaderboard. And it was led by Uruguayan forward Bruno Damiani. Damiani assisted the first goal and scored the other two, continuing his rich vein of form. Since the beginning of September, he has scored 8 times in 7 matches. Unlocking the best out of the Uruguayan brings Philadelphia to a whole new level. Damiani does all the little things that are so important for the rest of the team. He presses, he holds up play, he throws his body around, he occupies center backs, he runs in behind. Now Damiani is adding goals to his game. Alongside Milan Iloski, the Union now have two potent goal scorers in front of an elite chance creator in Cavan Sullivan. It's supercharged this Philadelphia attack that has scored 28 times in their 8 game win streak. Philadelphia Union has the talent and cohesion to continue their ascent up the Eastern Conference standings. If they end the season strong, they will be one of the favorites to lift MLS Cup in December.

Answer:

A back and forth 2-2 draw showed why Philadelphia are an elite team but also that they still need to close the gap between themselves and the best of the best. The result extended Philadelphia's unbeaten run to 15 MLS matches. It was another impressive performance in attack for the Union. Cavan Sullivan was a constant menace and both forwards found the back of the net. Iloski's converted penalty moved him into third in the league in goals, just one shy of 20 in league play. His strike partner Damiani continued his lethal form, curling in a fantastic finish from range after incisive one touch combination play. On the whole, Philly were the slightly better side, forcing Kristijan Kahlina into some outstanding saves in the Charlotte net. But a couple of defensive errors were punished ruthlessly by Idan Toklomati and co. On the first Charlotte goal, Philadelphia turns off on a throw in. Toklomati drops off the front line and is not picked up by any Union player. Pierre had followed him across the field but dropped off when the ball went out of play, and neither central midfielder tracked him either. The Isreali forward had time to turn and split Union's backline apart with a perfect through ball to Aloko. On the second goal, Toklomati lost his man in the box and finished off a long-range cross from Schnegg, who was not put under any pressure. Both of these plays were well executed by Charlotte, but mistakes of this nature need to be cleaned up for a team that hasn't kept a shutout in their last 5 matches. Philadelphia are so good at front foot defending, but can be exploited when the high press is beaten. And against playoff caliber teams, Philly aren't able to dictate the terms of the games as well. So, they will need to shore up their defense heading into a couple of huge matchups against New England and Nashville. It's undeniable that the Union are an excellent team in this league, but if they want to establish themselves as true members of the top echelon of the East, they need to defend well over the course of the entire 90 minutes.

2. Is Brais Méndez and Santiago Rodríguez the next duo that can lead Columbus to success?

With Laurent Courtois in charge for Columbus, they have looked much better than the start of the season. After some experimentation, he has returned the Crew to their 3-4-2-1 formation that was so dominant under Wilfried Nancy. When playing in this formation, their results have been better, but even more important is their performances. They have been far more dangerous in attack when they implement this system. In the last 2 games alone, they have generated over 8 xG. When Columbus were so dominant in the Nancy era, they had the star duo of Cucho Hernández and Diego Rossi. Now, the Crew have a new pair of attackers in Brais Méndez and Santiago Rodríguez that could return them to the top echelon of the MLS. Méndez was acquired from Real Sociedad in this summer's transfer window and made his debut before Leagues Cup. He has been Columbus' chief goal scoring threat since he arrived and was at the heart of Columbus' success in Leagues Cup. At the end of the summer transfer window, Columbus went out and got Rodríguez, formerly of NYCFC, to complement their attack. He has settled right in, immediately reminding the league of his incredible talent that earned him a move to Brazilian giant Botafogo. When Méndez and Rodríguez both play for Columbus, they have 5 wins and 3 losses in all competitions. In those 8 games, Méndez and Rodríguez have 6 goals and 4 assists combined. Both of them line up just below the stiker in the line of 2, and they are the key to how Columbus wants to play.

Defining success for this Columbus side this season is pretty simple: they need to make the playoffs or win the US Open Cup. Thanks to recent results, Columbus are now just 4 points away from the playoffs. Just a month ago, they were sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference, so to make the playoffs would be an achievement in its own right. Additionally, they have the US Open Cup final against St. Louis City SC on Wednesday at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Winning a trophy this season would be massive for the Crew, who are rebuilding after several key departures. Even if they don't make the playoffs, winning silverware would definitely still be considered a success for this season. Rodríguez and Méndez are going to be essential in Columbus' quest to achieve both these goals. That being said, what should be most exciting for Columbus fans is the prospect of this duo playing with striker Wessam Abou Ali next season. He has looked fantastic when healthy, so combining his talent with the playmaking abilities of Rodríguez and Méndez could make them bona fide contenders in the Eastern Conference next season. However, they still have plenty to fight for this season, starting with a mouth-watering Hell is Real derby on Sunday afternoon. This clash will be pivotal in their hunt for the playoffs, as a win here would not only give them bragging rights over their Ohio rivals, but it would put them just one point shy of a playoff position.

Answer:

In this match, the Crew shifted approaches to a more defensive mindset. Instead of trying to play on the front foot, they played out of a low block and relied on playing solid defense to get a result. It was ultimately effective, as the Crew got a massive 2-0 victory that moved them within one point of their Ohio rival, who sit in ninth place. The first goal was a back post header off of a Méndez corner kick, allowing Columbus to sit back and try and play on the counter. When they did try to play from the back, Rodríguez was dropping deep to link up play and get the Crew out of their own third. While this tactic doesn't necessarily suit Columbus' stars' attacking impetus, they were still able to impact this match in a positive way for Columbus. They are a far more expansive team when they play at home, and this style is perfect Rodríguez and Méndez. However, being able to win in different ways is critical to having success at the highest level. Heading into the playoffs, where they are going to be forced to play some tough matches in enemy territory, Courtois will be pleased to see that his team can bunker down and defend resoultely. This is where Méndez and Rodríguez are going to be so critical, as the Crew will have to be lethal in counterattacks, like they were on Sunday against Cincinnati. The attacking duo are instrumental in getting their team out of pressure and creating high-leverage chances when Columbus are able to go forward. So far, the early returns are outstanding for Rodríguez and Méndez: no matter what style of play they institute, this pair will be influential. Now, with the US Open Cup final on Wednesday, Rodríguez and Méndez have a serious chance to bring some hardware to this club just months after their arrival. Expect Columbus to try to play beautiful soccer. Santiago Rodríguez and Brais Méndez are going to be key in getting on the ball and pushing this team forward in their biggest game of the year to this point.

3. Can Nashville set the single-season points record?

With Nashville 14 points ahead of the next best team in the MLS, it is inevitable that they are going to win the Shield. The question is when they will, and how many points will they end up with at the end of the season. This weekend, Nashville can clinch the Supporter's Shield for the first time in club history. If Nashville wins their game, they clinch the Shield. If Nashville draw against the 'Quakes, they need Vancouver to drop points in order to clinch the Shield. To answer those questions, let's look at what Nashville has left to do this season in their 5 remaining games. They have 66 points and the most points in a single season is 74, set by Inter Miami in 2024. That means that Nashville just has to get 9 points in their next 5 games to break the record. They will play San Jose and Montreal on the road, then Philadelphia followed by the New York Red Bulls at home, and finally they will finish the season at TQL Stadium against FC Cincinnati. This road game against the Earthquakes this weekend is going to be one of their biggest tests remaining, and their performance in this game could go a long way to determining whether or not they will set the record.

This season, Nashville has been far and away the best team in the MLS. They made a deep run in the Concacaf Champions Cup and became the first MLS team to ever beat Club América in the famed Estadio Azteca. They have clearly separated themselves from the pack in MLS play, and have done so in convincing fashion. They have a +41 goal difference, and have 14 wins and 1 draw at GEODIS Park. They have match winners across their lineup, including their MVP deserving captain Hany Mukhtar. They have a balanced roster that is sprinkled in with star players, as well as solid depth pieces, which is why they have been able to dominate across multiple fronts. They have already achieved so much, and now all eyes are turned to whether or not they will be able to set a new MLS record for points across a regular season. And with the way that they have been playing, it's looking like Nashville SC will write some histroy this season. This weekend, they will play the San Jose Earthquakes, who are unbeaten across their last 8 matches. Nashville will have to be at their best to defeat the resurgent 'Quakes at PayPal Park.

Answer:

In a vacuum, a 1-1 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes, who have been mostly great this season, isn't the worst result for Nashville. However, with Vancouver's win earlier that night, they were unable to clinch the Shield. It also doesn't move the needle much in terms of setting the all-time points record, as they now need 8 points in their next 4 games. This game was one of their toughest two games remaining, so as long as they still get 3 wins, or 2 wins and 2 draws, from their next 4 games they will be able to set the record. But with the playoffs looming, BJ Callaghan has a decision to make. Given the fixture congestion that Nashville has faced this season due to their Concacaf Champions Cup run, plus a schedule that has featured more midweek matches with the World Cup break, how ambitious are Nashville going to be to try to set the record? They have already locked up the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, so Callaghan's approach will be interesting. Does he try to rest his players to keep them fresh for the playoffs? This would give some of Nashville's depth players some more minutes. Players like Jack Maher, Matthew Corcoran, and Shak Mohammed won't get the all the acclaim for Nashville's success this season, but they have been very important for a team that has battled on multiple fronts. These depth pieces have been able to slot into the starting eleven without the quality of the team dropping too much, which is a testament to the quality of the players as well as the solidity of the system and core of this team. Or, does Callaghan go pedal to the metal on trying to set the records for the most points earned in a regular season? Given Nashville's incredible home form, this record is still well within reach for the Coyotes. Either way, it will be important for Nashville to enter the playoffs with momentum and not be complacent for the remainder of the season.

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