Week 16 Preview Part Deux – SuperLiga et al

By: travis | July 12th, 2008

It’s the beginning of the tournament that few people give any respect. The SuperLiga. And why is that? Perhaps because it was created to market Beckham in more games. Maybe because this is only the second year. Or the fact that the Mexican teams are in their preseason right now. Whatever the reason, it’s back, and it means that there are less league games to go around this weekend, as Houston, DC, New England all finds themselves without games because of their role in the tournament. The official site has plenty of information plus previews. I don’t know enough about the other teams to even fake it. If I have the time maybe I’ll mention it in this week’s recap. Whatever. As a result of the SuperLiga, which I will be following ~~closely~~ from afar. To pick up from where I left off on Thursday, here is a look at the rest of the MLS action for this weekend. Could be crazy, with a possibility of a four way tie out West when things are said and done.

San Jose v Colorado
The West is a mess with just about anyone still in contention. Minus the Quakes of course. Before I make this game preview another panning of San Jose, they’ve made a move this week, bringing in English striker Darren Huckerby who was last playing for Norwich City. Can he revitalize the stagnant San Jose attack? Or he is just some washed up old geezer with no chance to making a difference? It won’t make a difference this weekend, as the transfer rule prohibits him from playing until July 15. The Rapids are keeping their heads above water, scoring a 4-0 win over the Red Bull last week. That should boost their morale in what is a very winnable game out West. It would also move them into a three way tie for first with Chivas and LA.
Verdict: San Jose 0-2 Colorado

Chicago v Toronto
The one thing separating Toronto from a truly breakout season has been their form on the road. A record of 1-5 is not going to cut it for a team that is a pretty legitimate threat to make it to the playoffs. It’ll be no easy task against the Fire this week, although Chicago has been in a bit of a rut as of late. Bakary Soumare will be missing in defense, having received five yellow cards on the season. He’ll be missed, but it won’t be the end of the world. Chicago lost in extra time to DC in the Open Cup with Blanco getting into a bit of a fracas. That hasn’t resulted in any discipline action for the MLS, and he’ll need to get things going for the Fire offensively. The winner of this match is set to take sole possession of fourth place, giving it bigger implications than you might think. Those points will be valuable if things are close at the end of the season.
Verdict: Chicago 2-1 Toronto

Real Salt Lake v Columbus
The Crew sit comfortably in second as they head to RSL’s fortress out in Salt Lake City. Impressively enough, Real has remained undefeated at Rice Eccles, taking advantage of the turf situation. Makes me wonder if once they move out they’ll start losing on a more consistent basis. The Crew have solidified their position in the East, with a six point gap behind New England, but a five point cushion between them and the rest of the pack. Rookie midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo has been the catalyst to their recent success in the same way Robbie Rogers energized the team in the beginning of the season. They’ll both need to come up big if they can knock of Real, who seem to understand the unusual bounces the stadium astroturf produces. Nick Rimando remains a solid option for them in the back, keeping U-23 keeper Chris Seitz on the bench. Javier Morales has been the midfield spark, and he’ll need to find open space in order to generate enough offense to produce a win, and a move into first place. I think they’ll find it a successful one.
Verdict: Real Salt Lake 3-2 Columbus