As the MLS All-Star Break is fastly approaching, and it is time to reflect, albeit briefly, on the first half of the season. There have been many surprises and disappointments, but their are two teams that have made headlines so far in 2013.
The biggest surprise has to be the Montreal Impact. In just their second season in MLS, the Impact are fighting for top spot in the East with powerhouses like the New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City. Their surprise play can be attributed to the scoring prowess of Marco Di Vaio, who has eleven goals in nineteen games. Also pivotal has been the superb play of goaltender Troy Perkins with a 1.45 GGA, as well as the various tactics used by first year coach Marco Schallibaum. Certainly the team’s effort has resulted in better performances on the road as they sport a 3-4-2 record (not fantastic, but better). The Impact need to continue their strong play if they hope to become the second Canadian team to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
The biggest disappointment has been D.C United. After finishing second place in 2012 and appearing in the Conference Finals with the likes of Dwayne De Rosario and Chris Pontius, they are dead last in the league with only two wins in twenty-one games. United’s poor record can be attributed to their abysmal record away from RFK Stadium as they are 0-7-3 as well as lack of scoring and poor play on defense. They have only scored ten goals and have given up a whopping 35 for a -25 in goal differential. If D.C United hope to make improvements for next season, they need more scoring and see great improvements on the defensive side if they have any hope of making any sort of improvement for the future.
Both these two teams have made headlines so far in the first half. One team has to keep up the good work if they hope to have success while the other team has to make big changes to coaching, player personnel or both if they want to have success in their near future.
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