MLS previews: are Toronto FC too dependent on Sebastian Giovinco?

Will Sebastian Giovinco continue his Atomic Ant act?

Here’s the dilemma for those who write about Major League Soccer – there often comes a point with Sebastian Giovinco when little else can be written about just how great he is. There are only so many times the Atomic Ant’s exploits can be charted without verging into monotony, and yet the failure to acknowledge such excellence would be a disservice to the standard at which he is playing. Solve that one.

Giovinco is surely the greatest player in MLS history by this stage. Others have achieved more, notched more goals, won more games, lifted more trophies, but no player in North America has played at such a level, so consistently. Even for Giovinco, though, the past month has seen him hit new heights, with seven goals in his last four games (two hat-tricks and a strike in a win over Columbus). The ant is carrying Toronto FC.

Of course, it’s not so long since questions were asked of Giovinco. He went eight games over the course of May, June and July without finding the net, with TFC’s goal threat suffering as a result. Greg Vanney strengthened and reinforced his side with a number of signings over the off-season this year, but the unfortunate truth is TFC are still utterly dependent on one player – Giovinco.

This weekend, however, could be a real test of the Canadians’ credentials. TFC have won their last four games in succession, but all have been played at BMO Field. Now they face trips to Texas to face the Houston Dynamo, then PPL Park to play the Philadelphia Union, and finally Florida to come up against Orlando. Giovinco might have to carry his team the whole way.

MLS must hope admission will set transparency precedent

Every league thinks their referees are the worst, but in MLS the frustration and infuriation felt at the men in black (sometimes yellow) seems to be experienced most frequently. Almost on a weekly basis there is a fresh controversy, and this week’s concerns the performance of referee Hilario Grajeda and his team during Sunday’s 2-2 draw between the New York Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy.

However, a new precedent was set in the aftermath of the match as Peter Walton, head of the Professional Referees Organisation (PRO), confessed that Grajeda had made two blunders in failing to award the Red Bulls penalty-kicks, robbing Jesse Marsch’s side the chance to claim all three points.

“We haven’t got a credibility [issue] to fix, there’s nothing broken at the moment,” Walton told ESPN FC. “What we’ve got is, we’ve got a clear expectation level from the public, and from the players and managers, about raising our standards. And our standards are raising, and so with that, the expectation level raises as well. Our credibility is down at the moment.”

Despite Walton’s insistence to the contrary, North American refereeing is suffering something of an image crisis at present after so many high-profile mistakes. But this admission at least suggests that the refereeing authorities are interested in self-regulation. In the long term, more must be done to improve the quality of officiating in MLS, but transparency and acknowledgment of mistakes is surely an important trait in that process.

Home comfort is defining the race for honors in the west

It’s somewhat remarkable that with the summer months starting to fade and the play-offs beginning to loom that four teams in MLS still boast unbeaten home records. The Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy are all yet to lose on their own patch this season, with all four sides playing in the Western Conference. Home comforts are having a major influence on the race for honours this season.

Those four teams sit atop the standings in the west, with seven points between Real Salt Lake in fourth place and FC Dallas in first. The Texans’ unbeaten home run actually stretches all the way back to the 2015 season, with Óscar Pareja making Frisco the most difficult place in the division for opposition teams to visit. Their Supporters’ Shield challenge is based on that characteristic, with the same going for the Colorado Rapids as well.

The Houston Dynamo boast the record for the longest unbeaten home run in league history, going an astonishing 30 matches without losing at Robertson Stadium and subsequently BBVA Compass Stadium between July 2011 and April 2013. Real Salt Lake have also previously gone on a run of 29 games unbeaten at home.

FC Dallas currently find themselves on a 17-match run, illustrating just how far they have to go before the history books are rewritten. But nonetheless, the Western Conference is being defined by the home strengths of its teams. Those who keep their house in order stand the best chance of succeeding.

Should Carl Robinson be concerned over his future at Vancouver?

If play-off soccer is largely about timing, the Vancouver Whitecaps are getting things badly wrong. In the top-six picture for much of the campaign, Carl Robinson’s side have won just one of their last seven league matches, leaving them two points behind the Portland Timbers for the final post-season place in the Western Conference. There is work to be done if the club’s trajectory is to be redirected.

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So should Robinson be concerned over his future at the club after such a dismal run? The Welshman is well liked by fans and players, delivering play-off soccer in his first season at the Caps, but concerns are growing over his stewardship. Many of his signings have floundered and a general sense of malaise is starting to set in around BC Place.

This weekend Vancouver host the San Jose Earthquakes, with the Caps in desperate need of a win ahead of tricky trips to face Sporting KC and the LA Galaxy. There are many questions being asked of Robinson and his players, while very few answers are being offered. That must change.

Of course, his job most likely isn’t under immediate threat, but Robinson’s side have now entered that spiral that is often so difficult to escape. Goalscoring concerns show no sign of abating, with the Vancouver boss generally failing to get the best out of his players. Bridging a two-point gap on the Timbers is certainly not an unsurmountable task, but an upturn in form looks unlikely as things stand.

Diego Valeri sticking around in Portland is good news

In the grand catalogue that ranks the best signings in MLS history, Diego Valeri’s name surely features. The Argentinian has become a defining figure of the league over the course of his three-year stint at the Portland Timbers, and he is set to stay a little longer after signing a new, multi-year contract extension.

That’s good news for Caleb Porter and the Timbers, whose entire frontline revolves Valeri, but it should also be hailed as good news for the rest of the league. Sure, Sounders fans probably didn’t react with much glee upon hearing of the Argentinian’s new deal, but for entertainment’s sake players like Valeri should be cherished.

The playmaker has made the Portland Timbers his own club, with his family settled in the city. There was never any real concern over Valeri’s decision whether to remain where he is, but nonetheless, the news of his contract signing should provide a boost. Porter can continue to build around the 30-year-old comfortable in the knowledge that his exit isn’t on the cards.

But for MLS in general, Valeri sets an example for technical development. El Maestro orchestrates and directs his team with nifty little passes, shrewd position, as well as eye-catching flicks and tricks, clips and chips. Without his kind, soccer would be a much duller place. More than just the Portland Timbers should be grateful that Valeri will be lighting up things for a while longer.