The MLS XI, Week 1: Josef Martinez's Injury Overshadows Opening Weekend
One week into the MLS season, there's already been a seismic event that could alter the course of the year.
MLS Cup contender Atlanta United is down its top scoring threat after losing Josef Martinez to a torn ACL. The injury occurred in the second half of Atlanta's 2-1 win at Nashville SC, and while Martinez tried to play through it, it quickly became apparent that he could no longer go on. That'll now almost surely be the case for the duration of Atlanta United's season, dealing the Five Stripes a major early blow to their trophy hopes.
Martinez's injury overshadowed a weekend that began with a late Colorado Rapids winner in D.C. (one of three second-half stoppage-time goals across the league), ended with Minnesota United making a statement in Portland and in between featured the league's two newest clubs making their debuts and a slew of individual newcomers scoring on theirs.
And now, behold with the excitement and energy one can only otherwise feel after hearing a Hans Zimmer prelude, the first MLS XI of the 2020 season:
I. Josef Martinez's injury changes everything
This time, there was no avoiding the worst-case scenario for Atlanta United. In September of last season, Martinez suffered a leg injury with three games to go in the regular season. It wound up not being that serious after all, he missed two games, returned (with a goal and two assists, mind you) for the regular-season finale and played into the playoffs.
There was no such good diagnosis fortune Sunday, when Atlanta confirmed the worst fears, that its Venezuelan marksman had suffered a ligament tear.
It changes everything for Atlanta, which just advanced to a Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal against Club America and has its annual lofty aspirations domestically as well.
Martinez, the 2018 MLS MVP, means everything to that club, and not just because of the 77 regular season goals and five playoff goals he's scored in the last three seasons. There's little in the way of depth behind him, and the onus now is put on fellow Designated Players Pity Martinez and Ezequiel Barco to carry the load–perhaps playing in even more advanced roles than before.
If there's a silver lining at all for Atlanta after losing its heart and soul, it's that it has essentially a full season to figure out a solution and doesn't need to scramble ahead of a playoff push. It's not possible for the big-spending club to sign another DP with the club at its full allotment, but player acquisition has been a strong suit for the team and now becomes essential again.
II. Vela's left foot gets even more cultured with age
Carlos Vela turned 31 on Sunday, and to celebrate, he displayed the cruelest chip in Los Angeles since countryman Giovani Dos Santos clowned on the U.S. men's national team in the 2011 Gold Cup final.
Vela, who was forced right by Inter Miami's largely resolute defense on numerous occasions, finally got the chance to shift to his left as LAFC's home opener against the expansion side was nearing halftime. With Miami captain and goalkeeper Luis Robles–who was otherwise sensational–cheating off his line, Vela made him pay, delivering a deft, looping ball from the edge of the back into the back of the net as Robles retreated. That all came after splitting three defenders and cutting back on a fourth for an early Goal of the Season contender.
That's all LAFC needed a 1-0 win, an impressive result for the reigning Supporters' Shield winner considering the quick turnaround after an emotional Concacaf Champions League match vs. Leon Thursday night.
III. Miami and Nashville's first impressions
Inter Miami and Nashville both endured brutal draws for their inaugural matches. That's somewhat a right of passage these days. The last two expansion teams, FC Cincinnati and LAFC, both began life in MLS in Seattle. The year prior, Atlanta began against a New York Red Bulls team that was coming off a first-place finish in the East, while Minnesota United opened in Portland, against a team that would go on to win the West. Only Orlando City and NYCFC before them escaped a daunting first-game task, and that's because they got to play each other.
So perhaps it should be seen as impressive that Miami was able to fight its way to a 1-0 loss at LAFC, while Nashville fell 2-1 to an Atlanta side that is vastly superior on paper.
Miami's glaring weakness at forward was apparent, with No. 1 overall MLS SuperDraft pick Robbie Robinson getting the start. To quote Jermaine Jones, with all due respect, that's not the caliber of forward most expected to lead the line for a club with the expectations and ambitions of Miami, and with talented Argentine teen Julian Carranza out for a few months to start the season, there's reason to question who will consistently be able to score.
As for Nashville, that it drew nearly 60,000 to Nissan Stadium is a win in itself, but, like Miami, it faces questions about who will score with regularity. Center back acquisition Walker Zimmerman secured the club's historic first goal off a set piece, but that's obviously not a sustainable formula for success.
Both can take solace in their first meaningful efforts on MLS fields, but both also have a bit to go to become more than just respectable and competitive teams.
IV. Newcomers deliver...
Much has been made of the class of stars brought to MLS from Liga MX this winter, and one week in, it's clear to see why.
Lucas Zelarayan, the Columbus Crew's record acquisition from Tigres, scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over NYCFC (it certainly helped that NYCFC went down to 10 men three minutes in on Maxime Chanot's red card, which was drawn by Zelarayan, too).
Alan Pulido, who Sporting Kansas City hopes is the elixir to its forward woes, scored on a classy header in his debut, as part of a 3-1 win in Vancouver.
And then there's Oswaldo Alanis, signed by San Jose not for his goalscoring exploits but to keep goals out. That said, the Earthquakes clearly aren't complaining about this stunning, tight-angled free kick to salvage a draw vs. Toronto FC at the death.
V. ...but not Chicharito
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez's debut with the LA Galaxy was full of frustration, with the Mexican icon mustering just a single shot on target and openly demonstrating his feelings as part of the Galaxy's 1-1 draw in Houston.
The result itself wasn't awful, Chicharito's aura resulted in a sellout crowd in Houston and Cristian Pavon's scorching opener was an indication that the Argentine winger could have a big year ahead. Considering that Chicharito is effectively filling Zlatan Ibrahimovic's void–and considering what Zlatan was able to do in his debut–there's some first-week disappointment surely to linger, though. Chicharito's goals will come–just perhaps not immediately as the Galaxy, who were so Ibrahimovic-reliant the last two seasons, figure out how to play without him.
VI. Whatchu doing, Willis?
Unless IFAB significantly altered the laws of the game without telling anyone, there's no way on earth this isn't a red card. That's Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis, some 50 yards from his goal, deliberately handling the ball to prevent Atlanta from icing the victory deep into stoppage time. Inexplicably, he wasn't sent off.
VII. Jordan Morris, super sub
The reigning MLS Cup champions fell behind at home in what was supposed to be a coronation ceremony against a completely revamped Chicago Fire. And then an angry Jordan Morris happened.
Reduced to a substitute after a midweek CCL match, Morris was "actually pissed at" Brian Schmetzer, the Sounders coach said after the 2-1 win. That win was only possible due to the exploits of Morris, who came off the bench at halftime, scored a 62nd-minute equalizer and stoppage-time winner and very likely earned himself an automatic berth in Schmetzer's next starting XI.
MLS's Comeback Player of the Year in 2019 after suffering a torn ACL early in 2018, Morris could be positioned for a career-best season in 2020. The two goals are a good start.
VIII. The Lions of Wall Street
Orlando City fans understand their team has been subpar and hasn't made the playoffs in its MLS existence, but, in the cleaned-up words of Jordan Belfort, they plan to stick around longer.
IX. A good start for Thierry Henry
So far in Thierry Henry's brief time as Montreal Impact coach, he's guided the club to a Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal and won the opening match of the season against a New England Revolution team tabbed by plenty as a dark-horse contender in the Eastern Conference. That was thanks to Maxi Urruti's top-class lob off the Olympic Stadium turf.
After his Monaco fiasco, that's as good as it gets for the first couple of weeks on the job.
X. Minnesota's new-look attack fares just fine
Minnesota United has revamped its attack, offloading the likes of Christian Ramirez, Miguel Ibarra, Angelo Rodriguez, Darwin Quintero and Abu Danladi in the last seven months. That's put plenty of pressure on the front office to get it right–and plenty of pressure on the likes of Ethan Finlay, Kevin Molino and winter signing Luis Amarilla to perform. And perform they did.
They combined to supply all three of Minnesota's goals on the counterattack in an impressive 3-1 win at Portland, and while the sample size is clearly not big enough, that's an encouraging bit of news for the Loons, who broke out as a challenger in the West last year despite having an attacked that ranked in the middle of the pack.
XI. Tip of the cap to you, sir
Goalkeepers wearing baseball caps will never get old, and a tip of the cap goes to New York Red Bulls keeper David Jensen, who rocked the head gear in a 3-2 win over FC Cincinnati.
