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Kicking It: East is East, and West is West
Sporting KC still leads the pack in the Western Conference. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/AP

Kicking It: East is East, and West is West

Hello and welcome to 'Kicking it' with Demetrius Bell and Megan Armstrong, two of Yardbarker's most discerning soccer specialists. Lots to cover this week, so let’s get right to it. Last time we talked we tried to suss out the frontrunners for each regular season award. As we rounded the quarter-mark of the season, how does the competition in both conferences stack up?

Toronto clearly has pretty good lead on the Eastern conference, while the Western conference has a real turned into a real bottleneck at the top. Who looks like they could break through and close in on Sporting KC over the next month? How does Houston’s terrible road record play into the standings?

Megan: Sounded like we were talking about the NBA for a second, with the Eastern Conference set in stone and competition in the West. The major difference being that the two teams that are going to make it to the MLS Cup could still be anyone. FC Dallas is still the team to beat for as long as they still possess Supporters’ Shield.

Demetrius: As much as I’m looking forward to Cavs/Warriors III: This Time, It’s Personal, it’s very reassuring to know that I can always turn to my domestic soccer league to give me something wacky to look forward to. With that being said, I’m still a real believer in FC Dallas and I think that if anybody’s going to close in and possibly surpass SKC, it’s them.

The Sounders finally stopped the bleeding. Can the current Cup holders get back to form before the halfway point of the season?


May 20, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Harry Shipp (19) celebrates his goal against the Real Salt Lake during the first half at CenturyLink Field.  Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Megan: Considering the Sounders struggled mightily to start the 2016 season, fired long-time head coach Sigi Schmid in July, then went on to win the club’s first ever MLS Cup? Yes, Seattle is capable of getting back to form.

Demetrius: Exactly. I’m sure that Seattle doesn’t want to find themselves in the same predicament that they were in before going on their Cup run, but they’re definitely capable of turning it around. Having Brad Evans back around is a huge help, and also having a healthy Clint Dempsey in the fold only boosts this team as well. They’ll be fine.

The Galaxy, who we’ve given some grief to in the past for struggling, have put together consecutive wins and are unbeaten over the past four matches. Any caveats in those wins or should we expect the old Galaxy to show up for the meat of the season?


May 21, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; L.A. Galaxy midfielder Giovani Dos Santos (10) and defender David Romney (4) celebrates Minnesota United forward Christian Ramirez (21) own goal in the second half at TCF Bank Stadium.  Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Megan: I’m not expecting any consistency from the Galaxy this season, but it’s exciting to see Gio look like Gio. It’s great to have your team’s destiny hinge on a superstar when it’s going well, but, as we’ve seen from L.A. early on this season, when that lever is hurt, things go downhill. Quickly.

Demetrius: Yeah, this team is going to go as far as Gio takes them. If he’s hot then the Galaxy are actually dangerous and he’ll be in the MVP conversation if he can keep it up for a full season. If he’s not hot or if he’s struggling, then what we’ve seen from L.A. to start this season will probably be the norm for them.

Unlike the rest of Philly sports, the Union are on a bit of a tear. Why should Philadelphians be all in on the club this summer?


May 17, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Union midfielder Haris Medunjanin (6) makes a point to an official during against the Houston Dynamo the second half at Talen Energy Stadium. The Union defeated the Dynamo, 2-0. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Megan: The Union have had the roster to compete at a high level this season, which is why it was so confusing to see them start the first eight matches without a win. As long as CJ Sapong stays healthy and continues producing, Philadelphia should be in the thick of things. Key word: should.

Demetrius: I mean, the alternative for Philly fans this summer is watching a rebuilding Phillies team plod along or following along with the offseason exploits of either the Eagles, Sixers, or Flyers. None of those sound like particularly nice options, but you can hop on the Union’s bandwagon and actually have some fun with sports this summer!

Even with their horrible start, they’re still in a league where one extended hot streak (like the one they’re currently on) can put you into playoff contention. They’re starting to come together and really play some nice soccer, and if it continues then you may as well make the trip to Chester to check out what Sapong and the boys are up to.

The Rapids had a wacky 2nd half against the Union, but the wackiest part was Caleb Calvert getting hurt, then getting a yellow for "time wasting," then getting a red for re-entering the field of play from the goal line instead of the touch line. This all happened in like a 2-5 minute span and was one of the most MLS-y things we’ve seen so far. What makes this so unique to MLS versus other top-tier leagues?


May 20, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Colorado Rapids forward Caleb Calvert (29) walks off the field after being ejected against the Philadelphia Union during the second half at Talen Energy Stadium. The Union defeated the Rapids 2-1. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Demetrius: For starters, it seems like this is becoming an annual trend where a player picks up a yellow then picks up a red immediately, so shout out to Ashley Cole for starting that trend. What made this so bizarre to me was the fact that it was actually by the book. As weird as it was to see someone get sent off for two non-violent offenses, it actually made sense. At the same time, if this type of stuff is happening in the big European leagues then either I have yet to see it or I don’t watch enough soccer. Either way, this was wild.

Megan: Bizarre things happen in every league every once in awhile. It just so happens that MLS seems more prone than other top-tier leagues to have instances like Caleb Calvert’s make regular appearances. More broadly, incompetent MLS officiating has been a hot topic around the league for a long time.

GIF PARTY! What’s the best goal over the past two weeks.

Megan:

Everything about this @WhitecapsFC goal is beautiful. #VANvSKC https://t.co/33zdtr4RK5

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 20, 2017

Demetrius: Call me a homer, but Miguel Almiron’s second goal against Houston on this past weekend looked like an optical illusion.


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