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Garza’s Gabs: Week of July 18th

By Daniel Garza
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Welcome to Garza’s Gabs, a weekly look at what is going on in the world of the MLS. This series will cover the controversial, the interesting, and the spectacular. 

All-Star Roster Finalized

The 2016 MLS All-Star Game roster was finalized on Sunday, and the 26-man roster will face Arsenal on July 28th. There were 24 players selected by San Jose Earthquakes manager Dominic Kinnear and two commissioner picks coming from Don Garber. All of the Fan XI players that were voted in by fans were included.

Nineteen of the 20 teams will be represented this year, with the Montreal Impact having the most representatives with three players in the squad.

Their will be two rookie fullbacks in this years all-star team, which is exciting to see as the league continues to develop. The two players are Keegan Rosenberry of the Philadelphia Union and Brandon Vincent of the Chicago Fire. Rosenberry is a native of Pennsylvania and Vincent hails from California, and both are two players who we may see in the USA kit in the future.

In competitive terms, this looks like a solid squad on paper. Most of the players on this roster have played in a World Cup or a major international competition, and gives us a look at how much the league has progressed over the years. Not many people ten years ago would have thought that David Villa and Andrea Pirlo would be playing in the MLS, after all.

At the moment Arsenal have not released their squad that will be travelling to play. It is unlikely we will see the big names such as Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, and Laurent Koscielny on the field at the same time. Some may not even travel, as they have been given extra time off to recuperate from their international duties this summer.

 

Clint Dempsey Returns

On Wednesday Clint Dempsey made his second straight start since returning from international duty. The Seattle Sounders star made quite an impact on the match in more ways than one.

In just over a half-hour of play, he managed to get a goal, assist, and a red card. The goal was his first since returning and his third of the season. Later on, he received a red card after making contact with the face of FC Dallas defender Juan Esteban Ortiz, Dempsey’s first straight red card of his entire career.

As a result he was unable to play in Sunday’s rivalry match against the Portland Timbers, where the Sounders were comfortably beaten 3-1. He will be available for Wednesday nights U.S. Open quarterfinal against the L.A. Galaxy. Dempsey’s play can still have a big impact on the squad, as their next two MLS matches will be against Western Conference opponents. They are currently well out of the playoff picture in ninth place.

 

Ola Kamara Continues To Score

The Columbus Crew have seemed to find a replacement for goal scoring machine Kei Kamara in Ola Kamara. The Norwegian forward has become one of the MLS’s top scorers in the span of eight weeks.

Unfortunately, his efforts have not led to an improvement in the club’s position in the table. The last time Kamara was involved in a Crew victory was May 28th. The defensive play of the club has been dismal, as they blew two leads late in both matches this past week. The forward has truly been a bright spot in what has been an otherwise disappointing season.

If he can continue his goal scoring form the rest of the way, he could very well be the regular season goal scoring leader at the end of the season. It took awhile for him to find the goal scoring touch, which is due in part to some chemistry he has seemed to form with the Crew midfielders recently. We should expect many more goals from him this season.

 

Jack Harrison: The Next Big Thing?

Jack Harrison has joined the list of MLS rookies that have impressed this season. The 19-year-old scored his third goal of the season in Sunday nights win over the Impact, and his play has been electric with his quick pace and dazzling moves.

His play has earned him a starting role in the squad, as he now has played 85 minutes or more in the last five matches. This has earned praise from his teammates including fellow countryman Frank Lampard.

The former number one draft pick was a former Manchester United Academy player and eventually ended up playing for Wake Forest. At the moment he is on course to becoming a star.

 

What To Watch For 

This weekend the third meeting of the season will take place between the New York Red Bulls and New York City F.C. The two clubs met just three weeks ago, as NYCFC beat their opponents for the first time in club history.

Both sides are well placed in the Eastern Conference table at the moment, as the Red Bulls sit in third place with 28 points, while NYCFC are at the top with 33 points.

If NYCFC can win for a second straight time against the Red Bulls, then it will only solidify their place at the top. It’s a golden opportunity for them to continue distancing themselves from the rest of the top five. They have also been the best club on the road in the MLS this season, having won their sixth road match of the season this weekend.

The Red Bulls can potentially move into second place if they take all three points. They have beaten their rivals in four out of the last five meetings.

Kick-off is set for 1:00 P.M. (EST) on Sunday. The match will be on FOX.

 

Tweet Of The Week 

Kei Kamara was decked out at this years ESPY awards.

Bonus Tweet

When Pokemon invades Mapfre Stadium.

Goals Of The Week 

#1 Cristian Techera (Vancouver Whitecaps) 

#2 Maximiliano Urruti (FC Dallas) 

#3 Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas) 

#4 Jack Harrison (New York City FC) 

#5 Arturo Alvarez (Chicago Fire) 

#6 Marlon Hairston (Colorado Rapids) 

#7 Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers) 

#8 Felipe Martins (New York Red Bulls) 

#9 Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers) 

#10 Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls) 

 

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