MLS Super Tuesday: Sounders Win Third Straight U.S. Open Cup, NY Tops LA

Via Dave Martinez at New York-centric soccer site Empire Of Soccer, here are some of the highlights from Marquez’s rant from inside of the locker room. Yes, a place where he was surrounded by his teammates.

On his own performance and the talent of his teammates in the back line:

For more on the two teams, be sure to check out LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential and Red Bulls blog Once A Metro. For live coverage of Red Bulls-Galaxy and the U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire later tonight, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

For more on the two teams, check out Seattle Sounders blog Sounder At Heart and Chicago Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town. For live coverage throughout the U.S. Open Cup Final, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

For more on the two teams, be sure to check out LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential and Red Bulls blog Once A Metro. For live coverage of Red Bulls-Galaxy and the U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire later tonight, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

For more on the two teams, be sure to check out LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential and Red Bulls blog Once A Metro. For live coverage of Red Bulls-Galaxy and the U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire later tonight, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

Having said that, LA are still trailing and they might not have the quality on their bench to find a goal from the run of play. It’s probably going to take a set piece or a defensive error for Los Angeles to score, even though they’re the better team in the center of the pitch. Barrett just isn’t on his game, while Miguel Lopez and Paolo Cardozo aren’t meant to be finishers.

For more on the two teams, be sure to check out LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential and Red Bulls blog Once A Metro. For live coverage of Red Bulls-Galaxy and the U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire later tonight, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

For more on the two teams, be sure to check out LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential and Red Bulls blog Once A Metro. For live coverage of Red Bulls-Galaxy and the U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire later tonight, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

For more on the two teams, be sure to check out LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential and Red Bulls blog Once A Metro. For live coverage of Red Bulls-Galaxy and the U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire later tonight, keep it on our MLS Super Tuesday StoryStream.

The complete lineups for New York Red Bulls vs. Los Angeles Galaxy can be found here.

The teams have matching formations and similar talent, but there are plenty of unknowns that make this matchup compelling. Will RBNY’s talent show up? Will Marquez adapt to his new position? Does Rodgers have the quality and Henry the work rate to cause trouble for the solid LA defense? The Red Bulls need a win to solidify their playoff position and put themselves back into a position where they control their own destiny. Hopefully for their fans, that’s enough motivation for the moody Henry and Marquez to give their best.

Chicago Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town is cautiously optimistic that their team can finally get the monkey off their back and beat the Sounders on Tuesday, thanks to their recent form and some great mid-season acquisitions.

The Fire will be slight underdogs against the two-time defending champion Sounders on the road in front of a huge crowd at CenturyLink Field, but it would have been hard to imagine the team would be in this situation just a couple of months ago.

For the most part MLS should be happy either way with the winner. It is yet another club winning the oldest soccer trophy in America from MLS. But diving a little deeper into it for each side, there are some serious pros and cons for each side winning tonight.

Seattle Winning The Cup: The Good

There is no doubt that the Sounders are still favorites. Especially at home, they should get past the Fire, but the visitors will give Seattle a tough match. This isn’t the same Fire team from earlier in the year and they have the individual quality, especially in Pappa, to flip the match and send the trophy on its way to Chicago.

Rost’s 1.60 goals allowed average is worse than all but three goalkeepers with at least as many as his eight starts and he’s only saving 57 percent of the shots he faces, which is the worst mark in the league for qualified goalkeepers. Even if that’s not entirely all his fault, which it probably isn’t, he clearly has not lived up to his DP status. What’s more, he doesn’t even provide the kind of drawing power of Marquez or Henry.

While lacking the kind of star power to draw the casual audience, this game should still be interesting to the average MLS observer. The Galaxy can clinch the Supporters’ Shield with a win, but perhaps more compellingly would deal the Red Bulls’ playoff hopes a serious blow.

X-Factors

Fredy Montero (Seattle) - 5 goals and 3 assists in last 6 MLS games is reason alone to key on on Montero. The Fire have to know that he is key to getting the offense going if Rosales is unable to play in this game.