There are only three MLS games this week, and two of them are in the books. New York topped Montreal 2-1 on Wednesday, while FC Dallas went to Vancouver later that evening and snuck away with a point.
That combination of results had RBNY fans screaming "Yahtzee!!!" as the previously cursed club closes in on its second Supporters' Shield in three years. There are still a few teams that can catch them - including Dallas and Vancouver - but that seems unlikely given the way the schedule looks and the fact that Dallas may have lost Kellyn Acosta to a hamstring injury for a few weeks.
Mostly, though, it looks unlikely because the Red Bulls are really balanced, really deep, and really good. This has been a season to enjoy for folks in Harrison.
That does not mean, however, that it's been all smooth sailing. Even in Wednesday's win, which was at home and mostly up a man after Ambroise Oyongo was sent off, the Impact pushed forward and made a real game of it. And that will lead us into the final game of the week, which is Montreal's trip to Colorado on Saturday (3 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
The starting point with everything Impact-related these days is Didier Drogba, who's been brilliant in every facet of the game since his arrival. He scores goals at a higher rate than anybody in the league; he sets up his teammates; he functions as a release valve in possession, and he appears to have some sort of low level mind-control:
Mind games. http://t.co/9TlXVwLcfY
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 8, 2015
Even with Drogba, though, tactical considerations take a back seat to personnel discussions in this one for Montreal. They'll be without Oyongo, who's paying the piper for his red. They'll also be without
Laurent Ciman
and Marco Donadel, the veteran CB and d-mid, respectively, who are both out on yellow card accumulation.
EDIT: Ciman is available. The yellow card that I thought went his way was actually given to Patrice Bernier. Thanks to superstar reporter Oli Tremblay for the pro bono editing & fact checking.
That probably means an ad hoc back four of (left-to-right) Donny Toia, Hassoun Camara, Victor Cabrera and Eric Miller, while either Calum Mallace or Patrice Bernier will most likely get the nod in Donadel's stead.
It all looks solid enough. Then you see 5300 feet of altitude, a 37-year-old DP with a history of muscle pulls, and a situation in the standings that's borderline worrying, and you start to think.
There's also this: In MLS, it's never a good idea to pick a road team on short rest. That's like starting a land war in Asia, or going in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. It's usually not going to work out.
I'll also be watching: Vicente Sanchez. He's been under-the-radar good for the Rapids, one of the few over-30 bets they've made that's unambiguously paid off:
