Separation Weekend
By Brian Stern
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
MLS beginning of the season draws to a close this weekend. With almost all the teams having completed nearly a quarter of 2014 there is still much to be decided this year. There is a four way tie for 1st place in the Eastern Conference, Seattle and Real Salt Lake continue to garner top billing in the Western Conference.
This weekend some teams have a chance to either separate themselves from the pack and command the attention they deserve or be relegated to mid-season mediocrity.
Must Watch Games this weekend:
San Jose Earthquakes vs FC Dallas 10:30 PM EST: TV CSN Bay Area, MLS Live
San Jose is coming off of a 0-0 draw against the Colorado rapids and were hit with news this week that Andreas Gorlitz will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL. With a win, the Quakes could leapfrog from 8th place to 6th, and be just 3 points away from the 5th and final playoff spot.
FC Dallas come off a crushing defeat against the Seattle Sounders 2-1 which saw them whittle under the endless barrage of Seattle’s offense. After a blazing hot start to the season, FC Dallas now sit at 5-4-1, and have dropped from a commanding first place hold to being 3 points away from being out of the playoff picture.
This is an important weekend for both teams, and should provide the fistiest match-up to date in the league.
Portland Timbers vs Los Angeles Galaxy 2:30 PM EST: TV NBCSN, MLS Live, TSN2
This game gets big billing with the English Premiere League Lead in game on NBC Sports Network. It features two teams struggling to get the wheels turning in 2014. Portland comes off their first victory of the season this past weekend, and will look to prove it was not a fluke. The Galaxy will look to start their yearly mid-season tuneup, as they have consistently started flow for several years.
They Galaxy and Timbers sit at 6th and 7th place respectively in the Western Conference, and will be looking to move across the magic red line and into playoff contention. This will also be Landon Donovan’s final game before heading off to USMNT Camp.
Game Of The Week
Houston Dynamo vs Real Salt Lake 7:00 PM EST: TV MLS Live, CSN-HOU +, CW30
Real Salt Lake and the Houston Dynamo come into this game both sitting at 2nd place in both the Western and Eastern Conferences. They are the highest seeded teams playing each other this week. Both are perennial playoff teams and MLS Cup Contenders. Real come in with a possession based offense which will look to score against Houston’s brick wall of a goal keeper Tally “Mr. Reliable” Hall.