MLS Review Week 11: Home or Away?

By: Daryl | June 17th, 2007

Toronto fans I’ve been watching MLS for a few seasons now, and feel like I know my way around the league. But the one thing that still throws me is how MLS presents the schedule. Like most football fans I’m used to seeing the home team on the left, away team on the right. Home team first, because they have the advantage. So if I’m watching say Real Madrid vs Real Mallorca, I know we’re in Madrid.

But MLS has adopted the model from other American sports where the home team is on the right, so the above mentioned game would be Real Mallorca vs Real Madrid, or more accurately Real Mallorca at Real Madrid. OK so it’s not that complicated, but it always throws me, which is why when I saw FC Dallas 0-4 Toronto FC my initial reaction was “wow, that’s an incredible away win” before realizing my mistake. Just another one of MLS’s quirky idiosyncrasies (expansion drafts, salary caps etc) which is part of what makes the league so fascinating. Does anyone else struggle with the away teams first format, or is it just me?

Anyway on with the weekly recap/awards hybrid we call The Offside MLS Awards…

Best result: FC Dallas 0-4 Toronto FC/Toronto FC 4-0 FC Dallas
Even as a home win, it’s still a great result for TFC to hammer the team with the best record in MLS. Maurice Edu, Danny Dichio, Carl Robinson (!) and Jeff Cunningham got the goals. Dichio is proving himself a force to be reckoned with in MLS.

Most goal-filled game: KC Wizards 3-3 NY Red Bull / Crew 3-3 NE Revs
Six goals in each game, no losers and exciting stuff all around. Juan Pablo Angel opened and closed the scoring in New Jersey, and now has 8 goals in his first 7 games. Meanwhile, the Crew came from 3-1 down to level things at 3-3 with New England, Alejandro Moreno equalizing an exciting game with an 85th diving header.

Latest winner: Dominic Oduro
Oduro scored FC Dallas’ 1-0 winner in the third minute of stoppage time against Real Salt Lake. There were literally second to go. RSL set the record for worst start to a season, going 10 games without a win.

Most improved coach: Preki
Chivas USA beat Colorado Rapids 2-0, making it three games in a row. It’s officially a winning streak. Just as importantly Preki seems to have the defence organized. In those three wins, Chivas have conceded precisely zero goals.

Least improved coach: Dave Sarachan
It’s not looking good at Chicago Fire. The 3-1 loss to DC United leading to Chicago blogger Tom fearing his team “are fodder for other fan’s dreams.” After weeks of patience Tom is now on the Fire Dave bandwagon. Will Sarachan keep his job long enough to coach Cuauhtémoc Blanco?

Worst team in MLS: Still tbd…
…but Galaxy beat RSL 3-2, so looks like Salt Lake could be getting the booby prize. And not the good kind either. Not such a Happy Birthday for Nick Rimando, who conceded three (including one from Cobi Jones, who blew out his candles – all 37 of ‘em – yesterday.)

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Category: MLS, World Football

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Karl

About formatting...

I always struggle with the way a team's win/loss record is reporting. Typically in the U.S., at least with all other sports it's win-loss-draw (e.g. 3-2-3), but I think almost all European soccer records are reported win-draw-loss. On U.S. soccer websites, I think I've seen it both ways and it always takes me longer than it should to figure out which way they're doing it.

Personally, I prefer the w-d-l draw format, as it goes by order of point values for the games: 3-1-0. But all other sports that have draws (are there any others besides hockey?) are already reported w-l-d. So I guess it's a question of whether soccer in the U.S. should conform more to the model other sports here or to the European (world?) mold.
Ian

Yeah, it's home vs. away. If you write it any other way, the terrorists win.
Laurie

"Does anyone else struggle with the away teams first format, or is it just me?"

Since I blog on both a European team and an MLS team, it bugs the heck out of me. I've given up trying to remember and just write everything in European format. Sue me.
Ian

Toronto is really impressing me. I thought they were a mediocre team with unbelievable fans, but they're not ... they could be a real threat in the playoffs. Proved today they can beat anyone on the right day.
Sam

TFC TFC TFC TFC Wooooooooo