Week Nineteen Preview

The same bunch from last weekend is in action this holiday week.  Just for the heck of it, I’ve included each team’s Power Ranking (in parenthesis) and also each player’s Castrol Index Rating.  In order of gametimes, here are the previews.

Wednesday, 3 July

Toronto FC  v  MONTREAL IMPACT (#3), 7pm

This will be the first time these two teams have seen each other since their semifinal matchup in the
Amway Canadian Championship back in April/May, which the Impact won 6-2 on aggregate.  Toronto will for sure want to get a win here, especially since it has never lost to Montreal at BMO Field.  The Reds also want to win given their place in the league table at the moment (9th Eastern Conference, 17th overall) in relation to the Impact’s (1st East, 4th overall).  Here is the match preview from impactmontreal.com/en and also the partner piece from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (#419 overall/#23 on team); Evan Bush (no ranking)

Chicago Fire  v  SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (#15), 830pm

Which of these natural disasters is more fearsome?  Earthquakes sometimes end up starting fires, but not vice versa, so I think that’s the answer.  But fires happen much more frequently, so maybe that’s the answer.  Regardless, neither one of these teams has had the type of season that it had hoped for to this point, but if a season is going to get turned around, it has to start with a win.  Here is the sjearthquakes.com’s Fan Guide for the ‘Quakes’ trip to Chi-town, along with the match preview from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Justin Morrow (#245 overall/#15 on team)

Seattle Sounders  v  DC UNITED (#18), 10pm

It’s a matchup between the two franchises that duked it out in the U.S. Open Cup Final of 2009, which the Sounders won on DC’s home turf.  A lot has happened since then, with Seattle winning two more Open Cups and DC struggling to find the form that made it the envy of all other clubs back in the league’s first decade.  Here is dcunited.com’s Tale of the Tape for this one, along with the match preview from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Chris Korb (#173 overall/#8 on team)

Thursday, 4 July

LOS ANGELES GALAXY (# 10)  v  COLUMBUS CREW (#17), 1030pm

The weary Crew head west to take on the defending MLS Cup champs, reeling from two straight disappointing defeats.  The Galaxy will be cranky hosts on Independence Day, having won just one of five games in the month of June.  Here are three match previews [not ready as of press time, but I’ll update this post later] – one from lagalaxy.com, the Match Day Preview from thecrew.com and the final one from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Josh Williams (#45 overall/#2 on team); Ben Speas (#166 overall/#8 on team); Kyle Hyland (no ranking; Kenney Walker (no ranking)

PORTLAND TIMBERS – Do not have a league match midweek, but they do host Monarcas Morelia from the Liga MX in what has become a tradition out there in Stumptown.  Each summer, the Timbers host a Mexican First Division team and call the match La Copa Verde.    CASTROL RANKINGS: Darlington Nagbe (#30 overall/#4 on team); Ben Zemanski (#320 overall/#16 on team); Michael Nanchoff (no ranking)

PHOTO CREDIT: adidas (I guess?)