Thursday 28 May 2015 16:10, UK
From New York Red Bulls' lack of goals to an MLS Cup final repeat, we preview this weekend's action in MLS.
Seattle Sounders v New York Red Bulls: Can Seattle upset a goal deprived New York Red Bulls?
Seattle are aggressively pushing for their first ever MLS Cup and have been relatively consistent for the first 12 weeks of the season.
The Sounders have won three of their last five league matches and boast the best goal difference in the league – that is four greater than any other team in MLS.
The partnership of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins is a factor in that (13 goals combined) but so is their defensive solidity, conceding just nine goals this season which ranks as the joint best in the league.
Their opponents New York Red Bulls have picked up 11 points over their first five matches, but have won just one in their last six - losing last weekend - and have only been able to score five goals in their last six games.
Three of those goals have come from Bradley Wright-Phillips, so other sources seem to be required.
Attacking midfielder and Designated Player Sacha Kljestan has only scored twice since he joined in March, perhaps he could be the one to revive the Red Bulls’ attack...
Toronto FC v San Jose Earthquakes: Giovinco v Wondolowski – who will come out on top?
Last week it was revealed that Jozy Altidore would be out for over a month with a strained hamstring, raising questions over who would provide the goals at Toronto.
Sebastian Giovinco stepped up last weekend with a fantastic long-range effort against Portland to win the game 1-0.
The diminutive Italian has five for TFC now as the club look to climb above fifth in the Eastern Conference standings in the renovated BMO field. They play four of their next five games at home.
But San Jose has a proven goalscorer of their own. The highlight in MLS last weekend was US international Chris Wondolowski scoring his 100th MLS goal.
Between 2005 and 2010 he scored four goals in total in the league, from 2010 to 2015 he has 96. Perhaps unsurprisingly he sits third in the Golden Boot race and could well be San Jose’s main threat this weekend.
Sporting Kansas City v FC Dallas: Can Sporting KC continue their rise?
FC Dallas remain top of the Western Conference despite their last two games being a draw and a loss while Kansas City are unbeaten in their last five, including a 0-0 draw last weekend in a gritty performance against Seattle Sounders.
Dallas beat Kansas City 3-1 in the second game of the season. Now as the season nears its midway point the form of the two teams looks to be reversing. Kansas City convincingly dismantled New England Revolution just three nights before that to leap up the form table.
The improvement is in part thanks to the strike partnership of Englishman Dom Dwyer and ex-Liverpool striker Krisztian Nemeth - the Hungarian has scored five goals in his first three months in MLS.
FC Dallas suffered a significant loss to Montreal Impact last weekend that ended their five-game undefeated run on their first of five on the road.
So although Dallas have been so strong throughout the season so far, are they now beginning to dip? A win against a strong Sporting Kansas City would silence any critics.
New York City FC v Houston Dynamo: Will David Villa step up for a declining NYCFC?
After Frank Lampard played and scored in his final game for Manchester City, the international media has focused more on the form of NYCFC and just what kind of team Lampard will be entering in July.
And the short answer right now would be a team that is struggling.
New York City has not won in their last 10 matches and what is perhaps most disappointing for head coach Jason Kreis is the last defeat came against his former club Real Salt Lake, where he successfully managed for six seasons, leading them to an MLS Cup win and a CONCACAF Champions League final.
Houston Dynamo has improved in recent weeks and although they lost to LA Galaxy last Friday, their attacking threat has become increasingly potent thanks to Giles Barnes and Will Bruin.
Keeping clean sheets is an issue for Owen Coyle's Dynamo, having not done so in their last seven matches.
So it may be the ideal time for David Villa to discover some goal-scoring form having recorded just two this season. Injury has disrupted his season so far but if he can find consistency, perhaps New York City can as well.
New England Revolution v LA Galaxy: A repeat of the 2014 MLS Cup Final, could New England get their revenge?
New England took LA Galaxy to extra time in the MLS Cup last season in arguably their most successful year in a decade.
But that hasn’t stopped their motivation to re-build this season as they currently take second spot in the East.
The Revs have drawn three of their last four league matches but the goalscoring form of Charlie Davies will please Head Coach Jay Heaps.
Davies’ five goals in his last seven matches already put him equal with Jozy Altidore, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Kaka this season and he could already be in the discussion for the club’s MVP this season should he retain a similar level of form.
No-one would have predicted that the hero of LA Galaxy’s season so far would be league veteran Alan Gordon, who scored his fourth goal of the season – his second in stoppage time, and his third after coming on as a substitute – in the Galaxy’s 1-0 win against the Houston Dynamo.
The 33-year-old is unlikely to start in Boston but history proves he could come on and score a game-winning goal if afforded the space.
