Kicking it: Where the MLS stands heading into Week 3

Hello and welcome to 'Kicking it' with Demetrius Bell and Megan Armstrong, two of Yardbarker's most discerning soccer specialists. This MLS season we're going to have them give us all the angles on and off the field for everyone already keeping up with the beautiful game to all of the new converts – Hello, Atlanta United! – as the season takes shape.

So now that the season has kicked off, it's time to play some catchup as well as look ahead to what lies ahead in 2017. Megan, Demetrius, what do we need to know from here? Because we have some questions. Starting with, which teams already look to be at form? 

Demetrius: I like what I’ve seen out of Chicago so far. Granted, it’s very easy to improve upon the incredibly-low standard that they had there for the past two seasons, but they look like they’ll be in the thick of things this season. I’m not expecting them to set the world on fire (for lack of a better term) this season, but if they keep moving in the right direction with the likes of Dax McCarty and Juninho playing for them, then this will definitely be a much better season for the Fire – especially for their fans, who have sat through some rough soccer as of late.

Megan: Houston Dynamo. As an added bonus, the Dynamo provide a place for DaMarcus Beasley in the soccer world and for that, I am thankful. But more seriously, Houston’s attack has reached lethal threat status startlingly quick thanks to three-headed monster Erick Torres, Romell Quioto and Alberth Ellis. All of that is necessary to point out before even mentioning midfielder Alex, who is responsible for three assists and provides a sturdy presence in the heart of the lineup.

Which players already look like they’ve shaken off whatever offseason rust and are making a difference for their side?

Demetrius: Anibal Godoy has been clinical with his finishing in the first two games this season, and he’s scored two absolute wonder goals to start off the campaign. He scored a lovely chip in the opener and then powered one in from outside the box and into the back of the net. It’s very early but he’s shown no signs of rust and is making an immediate impact for his club so far.

Megan: Collectively, the San Jose Earthquakes are off to a hot start after finishing 2016 at 8-12-14. But to directly answer the question, a single player that has a tangible presence so far is David Villa.

What has been the biggest surprise so far in this young season? 

Demetrius: What do Minnesota United and the LA Galaxy currently have in common? They’re both at the bottom of the West after two games. You’d expect Minnesota to be there, but even at this extremely early stage of the season, you don’t expect to see the Galaxy  struggling like this – especially after two home games. StubHub Center is normally a fortress for the Galaxy, but in this new post-Bruce Arena era, things are changing and the transformation from “fortress” to “typical stadium” could be one of those changes for the Galaxy.

Megan: The first thing that comes to my mind is Kaka’s injury. While injuries can happen at any time, they’re always a surprise when they do happen – especially when the injured player is Kaka just eight minutes into the season opener at Orlando City’s brand new stadium. Kaka will miss six weeks, and I anticipate Orlando City will noticeably miss him but stay afloat behind star forward Cyle Larin.

Who looks absolutely lost after two weeks and really is going to need the schedule to work in their favor, either team or player. 

Demetrius: I understand that Minnesota United is an expansion team and that early struggles are a part of life for expansion teams, but giving up 11 goals in two matches is awful no matter how you slice it. It definitely doesn’t help that their first-choice keeper John Alvbage is going to miss a considerable amount of time with a leg injury, but one thing they can do is somehow sort out their back line. They’ve gotten carved up in their first 180 minutes as an MLS club, and they’ll need to find a way to get that under control. Otherwise, a similar fate might await them with Colorado and New England in their immediate future.

Megan: I’m not sure “absolutely lost” is totally accurate in describing the L.A. Galaxy so far, but the club is 0-2 through two weeks. Bruce Arena moving on to coach the U.S. Men’s National Team opens them up for vulnerability in transition. Not for nothing: L.A. has lost to FC Dallas and Portland, both formidable sides, but I guess I just expected more from Giovani Dos Santos and such a star-studded roster.

It’s on everyone’s mind; the embrace of soccer in Atlanta. Will fans be able to keep up their passion for the whole year? 

Demetrius: While they’re not going to sell out Bobby Dodd Stadium for the rest of their interim time there, there’s enough soccer fans in Atlanta to make this thing work. It also helps that they’re going to have another “home opener” in July when Mercedes-Benz Stadium opens up, so that will be another showcase of the excitement surrounding the club.

It’ll be even better if the team continues to be competitive on the field. Atlanta’s hungry for a winning team, and they’ll take it any way that they can get it – even if it comes from the new kids on the sports block. If the team continues to be exciting on the field and inclusive to bringing in new fans off the field, then the good vibes will continue to circulate around the club and the city.

Megan: The knee-jerk response is that maintaining a 55,000-fan crowd is unheard of in MLS. It's fair to think that crowds of people wanted to be present for an inaugural event in Atlanta and might not actually be MLS fans. But 55,000 is hardly a fluky number. Not to mention Atlanta has already sold over 30,000 season tickets, which is second most of any MLS club. By those numbers alone, yes: they will keep this up.

And Atlanta soccer fans should be excited. This squad doesn't look like an expansion team. Atlanta held strong against New York Red Bulls and completely annihilated Minnesota United FC – the other expansion team that does look every part expansion. As an aside, Alec Kann was very reliable in Kansas City and is a great building block for Atlanta in goal.

Portland got a pretty big jump with the goal differential in the first week. How long can they carry that forward do you think? 

Demetrius: Ahead of their first game, Fanendo Adi said that the Timbers were capable of “something special,” and I believe it. They “only” scored one goal in their victory over the Galaxy this past weekend, but they definitely could’ve scored more (and they absolutely should’ve scored more. Credit to the Galaxy for not giving up, but this should have been a goal.) with the talent that they have up top and in the attacking midfield, this team definitely has the potential to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis.

Megan: While I think Portland’s goal differential was definitely inflated by starting 2017 against Minnesota United FC (sorry for the shade, Loons), I do think their attack will remain a major threat throughout this season. The Timbers have potential to do something exciting at any time thanks to Darlington Nagbe, Fanendo Adi and Diego Valeri.

Storyline you’re looking forward to following this year? 

Demetrius: When it comes to soccer, I’m a fan of seeing great teams be great. While MLS doesn’t lend itself to the concept of a dominant team pulling away from the pack, I do want to see if FC Dallas can live up to some huge expectations this year after they had a great season in 2016.

They picked up the Supporter’s Shield and the U.S. Open Cup last season, so there’s a couple of goals for them. The obvious one is winning MLS Cup, but there’s always the dream of a treble of some sorts. Whether it’s doing it domestically or pulling off a miracle and actually taking down Liga MX in the CONCACAF Champions League, this is a club that has its eyes on greatness in 2017. It’ll be intriguing to see if they can do it, or if the random variance monster of year-by-year MLS will vanquish FC Dallas this year.

Megan: I’m interested in several plots, and I can’t wait for things to develop throughout the season that none of us could foresee. But for now, I want to see how Dax McCarty does in Chicago. McCarty was captain of New York Red Bulls before surprisingly being traded to Chicago in January – it was a messy breakup.

And for that matter, I’m just as interested in how the Red Bulls move forward without McCarty. They have been on the cusp in recent years, winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2015, and still have goal-machine Bradley Wright-Phillips up top.

Overall though, I’m always most interested in watching the MLS continue to creatively brand and grow.