It seems like the scrutiny put on soccer coaches grows and grows with every passing season. Just look at the Premier League for instance; betting on which coach gets sacked is just as popular as betting on the Golden Boot winner these days.
Though the carousel of MLS coaches doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of its Premier League counterpart, it can still be fun to watch at key times during the season. With just over a month to go in the regular season, each side only has five or six matches remaining. Though that’s not much time, it is still enough time for a coach to change some opinions among upper management. Any winning run or losing skid at this point will almost certainly be put under the microscope.
So where does the job security of your team’s coach stand entering the home stretch of the MLS regular season? Here’s my take on every Eastern Conference coach. I’ll be back next week to give my thoughts on the Western Conference coaches.
Chicago Fire:
Frank Yallop, coach since start of 2014 season
The Chicago Fire aren’t out of the playoff race just yet. But asking them to make up nine points in the span of six matches is a stretch, even when all their remaining matches are against Eastern opposition.
It’s hard to fire Yallop after just one season at the helm. Though it hasn’t been a great season for the Fire, there have been some bright spots in players like Harry Shipp and Quincy Amarikwa. The injury to reigning league MVP Mike Magee should also be considered when evaluating Yallop’s body of work this year. All this being considered, a league record-tying 16 draws doesn’t look pretty on the résumé. It could get really ugly if that number climbs into the 20s.
But again, Yallop is one season into the job and went up against a slew of teams of the East that spent big in the offseason. If ownership can invest in a quality DP (because Juan Luis Anangono is not quality by any definition of the word) and bring in a few new supporting cast members this offseason, I might become more critical this time next year
Predicted Status: Safe
Columbus Crew:
Gregg Berhalter, coach since start of 2014 season
The Columbus Crew are similar to the Chicago Fire in that they aren’t too keen on spending their money (excluding the worthwhile investment on Federico Higuain, that is). But Berhalter has managed to take his team of everyday men and put them right in the middle of the playoff picture.
Whether they stay there will largely depend on their last five matches. Four of those matches are against Eastern teams currently sitting within two points of them, while the fifth is at home against a sitting duck in Montreal. The playoffs are clearly within reach for the Crew. If they make it, Berhalter stays on. If they don’t, he should still be applauded for exceeding expectations.
But with an upcoming rebrand and a dedicated owner in Anthony Precourt, expectations won’t be getting any lower in the near future.
Predicted Status: Safe
D.C. United:
Ben Olsen, coach since August 2010
D.C. have been on a bit of a yo-yo since Ben Olsen was named interim head coach back in 2010 (he was named permanent head coach ahead of the 2011 season). In 2011, Dwayne De Rosario nearly guided them into the playoffs single-handedly. In 2012, they were one result away from playing for the MLS Cup. In 2013, a U.S. Open Cup championship was just about the only thing half worth celebrating.
This year, following a substantial rebuild over the offseason, D.C. have been dominating the East as if it was the 1990s again. Though they aren’t quite as high on the ladder as Los Angeles or Seattle, they are firmly planted on the rung right below. There isn’t an “MLS Cup or bust” mentality, but a strong finish to the season could easily change that.
The only way that Ben Olsen could lose his job would be to find a way to trade Eddie Johnson this offseason. He does that and he’s moving up, not out.
Predicted Status: Safe
Houston Dynamo:
Dominic Kinnear, coach since start of 2006 season
Kinnear is the only coach that the Houston Dynamo have ever known. But barring an incredible winning run to close out the season, it looks like the Dynamo will miss the postseason for only the second time in their history. On the surface, that doesn’t seem like enough to can Kinnear.
But think again. This is a Dynamo team that hasn’t been the same since back-to-back MLS Cup appearances in 2011 and 2012. At some point, both Brad Davis and Boniek Garcia are going to drop off. Will Bruin has been good but has yet to really cement his place as Brian Ching’s successor.
Could the magic really be gone? Not quite yet, but it might be starting to fade. I give Kinnear one more season. Any injection of new blood to slot in beside the 2011/2012 holdovers (Davis is a 2006/2007 holdover to be even more dramatic) would be appreciated.
Predicted Status: Safe
Montreal Impact:
Frank Klopas, coach since start of 2014 season
The Montreal Impact are a pretty bad soccer club. If it weren’t for a Canadian Championship victory this season, fans may have had nothing to celebrate.
Owner Joey Saputo seems to care. Well, at least enough that he brought in Ignacio Piatti during the summer to make the Impact a bit more fun to watch. After a flameout last season, there is no question that the Impact need to hit the reset button for the first time in their history. Key players like Patrice Bernier and Marco Di Vaio are getting old and creaky. Troy Perkins should have a slap fight with Joe Nasco and David Ousted for the title of MLS’ worst goalkeeper. Jack McInerney needs to show up consistently.
It’s a mess in Quebec right now. Saputo has said that he wants change. That impatience alone could cost Klopas.
Predicted Status: Sacked
New England Revolution:
Jay Heaps, coach since start of 2012 season
The New England Revolution have been an exciting team to watch over the last two years. Their collection of young offensive talent continues to improve with every match. There is a feeling around the league that one of these days New England will be the team that nobody wants to face. They’re too inconsistent to be there right now, but they will be there in time.
Heaps came under fire during New England’s seven-match losing slide earlier this year, but he resurrected himself by leading his team to five wins in a row just a few weeks later. They will likely face either D.C. or Sporting K.C. in the playoffs, which isn’t a good omen.
But the direction in which the club is going is the right one. If they draw Sporting in the playoffs next season I’m picking the boys from Boston to go through.
Predicted Status: Safe
New York Red Bulls:
Mike Petke, coach since start of 2013 season
Winning the Supporter’s Shield last season was probably enough to keep Petke safe this season, especially in the eyes of Red Bulls fans. His encore has been far from excellent, but as long as they make the playoffs all will be forgotten.
In Bradley Wright-Phillips, Petke has solved the perennial problem of who to play up top with Thierry Henry. But with retirement seeming to be Henry’s likely route after this year, and Tim Cahill not getting any younger either, a whole new set of problems could arise.
Petke is safe. But if his transition to the post-Henry, two-teams-in-New-York era goes poorly, he could be done after next year.
Predicted Status: Safe
Philadelphia Union:
Jim Curtin, interim coach since June 2014
For the most part this season, the Philadelphia Union have been able to take points in matches against the bad teams. Throw them into games against the good teams and they are often hopeless. When they get picked on by somebody their own size, they normally come out worse for wear. That’s not a good sign heading into the final leg of the regular season.
Have the Union been better under Jim Curtin than they were under John Hackworth? Yes. But considering that four of their six wins under Curtin have come against Toronto (two), Montreal and San Jose (one each), that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Let’s keep it simple. If Curtin gets the Union to the playoffs, he’s safe. If he doesn’t, he’s sacked.
Predicted Status: Sacked
Sporting Kansas City:
Peter Vermes, coach since August 2009
Sporting Kansas City have been excellent since their 2011 rebrand. Vermes has had in part in that, but credit also has to be given to the incredibly deep roster that he has worked with.
This offseason could be a very telling one for Sporting though. As one of the deepest rosters in the league, I can almost guarantee they will lose somebody from the Expansion Draft. They should also hope that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will let them spend enough to properly compensate all of their stars. If it doesn’t, they may be forced to part ways with at least one of them.
They’ve lost Roger Espinoza, Kei Kamara, and Oriol Rosell over the years and bounced back. They can’t keep that up forever, can they?
Predicted Status: Safe
Toronto FC:
Greg Vanney, coach since August 2014
A Toronto FC coach has never had the odds in their favour.
But here’s where it gets complicated. Vanney was hand-picked by a guy who was hand-picked by a guy who is leaving town no later than Spring. As soon as that happens, all three men could be on their way out. If they manage to stay the course and once again miss the playoffs, the process will only be accelerated.
I wonder if Jermain Defoe would stay as a coach…
Predicted Status: Sacked
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