Which players can raise their stock in MLS is Back Tournament? Extratime debates

With the MLS is Back Tournament rapidly approaching, the Extratime crew examined which players are ready to raise their stock.

There are different schools of thought with this topic: First, there's the veteran goal scorer coming off injury. In that group, Bradley Wright-Phillips comes to mind, having scored 20-plus goals on the regular with the New York Red Bulls -- but he joins LAFC as a 35-year-old free agent who had just two goals in an injury-plagued 2019.

And then there’s Dom Dwyer. Remember him? He scored 20-plus goals once -- for Sporting KC back in 2014, the first of three consecutive seasons he struck for double-digit tallies.

But Dwyer’s scored just 24 goals since arriving in Orlando via a blockbuster trade midway through the 2017 season. The English striker, who will turn 30 during the tournament, started 2020 with yet another injury following a season in which he had seven goals and adding four assists in 27 appearances.

Then there’s the young player on the verge of breaking out. Highlighting that group, David Gass argued, is SKC’s Gianluca Busio, who could be poised for major minutes due to the season-ending injury to Felipe Gutierrez. Matt Doyle highlighted a plethora of young players who could be in this camp, mentioning LAFC’s Diego Rossi, Atlanta United’s Ezequiel Barco and the FC Dallas duo of Paxton Pomykal and Reggie Cannon.

And then there’s the promising expansion team signing yet to make their league debut. That’s where Andrew Wiebe, who is all aboard the Dwyer train, said Inter Miami CF’s 20-year-old Argentine forward Julian Carranza resides.

Do you agree? Disagree? Who is your pick? Let us know below.

Top 5 MLS is Back Tournament MVP contenders | Andrew Wiebe

Sorry, defenders. Maybe next time, goalkeepers. Tough luck, midfielders who do yeoman’s work but don’t fill up the score sheet. I appreciate everything you do, but you might as well swallow this bitter pill before you even step over the white lines: You are not going to be the MLS is Back MVP.

Of course, you already knew that.

The glory, as always, goes to the goalscorers, the talismans, the guys who make magic in the 18-yard box and the SportsCenter Top 10. Everybody else can fight for the other seven or eight places in the Best XI. There better be outside backs and a defensive midfielder in that group. I’m making that demand now.

Below are the MVP favorites as I currently see them. As always, it’s the best attacking players on the best teams. The team has to go far for the player to get the personal plaudits. Here’s another Top 5 list – Have I done anything else during Covid times? Don’t answer that! – with some wildcards tacked on.

I have nothing to do all day but reply to your tweets, so hit me with your thoughts/additions/terrible smack talk at @andrew_wiebe. I might check the comment section/thought sewer too, but no promises.

Carlos Vela (LAFC)

If Vela plays, which is not a guarantee, he’s the clear and obvious favorite. Might as well just give the defending Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player the trophy for safekeeping. He’s a cheat code, and the record book reflects that.

This tournament will be about mistakes: minimizing them, causing them and taking advantage when they inevitably happen. Bob Bradley and LAFC proved last season that they’re the best in the league at causing them and punishing the other side. Nothing’s changed, really. Bradley is as obsessive as ever about wringing out advantages, big and small. The squad is basically the same, and now Vela has Andy Najar to overlap around him and open up even more space to cut inside and get on that left foot.

He’s the best player in the league. He’s the favorite for every award he’s eligible for at this point. I watched every single Vela goal from 2019 while I wrote this blurb. I’m still in awe.

Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto FC)

My choice to win the whole thing: Toronto FC. It then follows that my choice to win the player of the tournament is the Spaniard.

Toronto are a tournament team. They’ve proven that, over and over. They did it last year without Jozy Altidore. They did that collectively and because they have Pozuelo, who can impact the game from just about any attacking position.

Whether it’s from a free kick, in transition, finding the right gap and timing to break down a packed in shape or scoring the goal himself, with either foot, the Reds’ No. 10 is a complete attacking player in a complete and tactically flexible team. If Altidore is better than 70 percent – he’s still in individual training after returning from Florida – watch out.

Raul Ruidiaz (Seattle Sounders)

There are so many candidates on the Sounders. Nico Lodeiro. Jordan Morris. Joao Paolo. Maybe even Cristian Roldan.

But for me, Raul Ruidiaz will be the guy who produces at the level you have to in order to win the big individual awards. MLS Cup is a perfect example. It’s not just the goal he scored to ice the game, a 1v1 win against Chris Mavinga on a long ball and clean finish. It’s the hold-up play and chance creation for his teammates that made the first two goals, too.

The Peruvian can do it all, he’s on an elite team and he’s capable of going on a month-long blinder.

Pity Martinez (Atlanta United)

Nationally, the hype around Atlanta United is uncommonly quiet. I get it. They lost the most ruthless goalscorer in the league in Josef Martinez.

That’s tough, but most teams don’t have $30M in attacking talent to fill the production gap. In the season’s first two games, as well as Concacaf Champions League, Ezequiel Barco started to show some of the things that made him one of Argentina’s rising young talents, but what Atlanta really need is for Pity Martinez to be the guy they set an MLS transfer record to sign.

They need Martinez to be the alpha. They need an element of dominance. They need an Almiron-esque terror on the counter. They need someone who makes Adam Jahn (or whoever plays center forward) look like a double-digit goalscorer he can be with Martinez and Barco buzzing around him.

I think Atlanta will win their group. Once you’re out of the group, anything can happen.

Alan Pulido (Sporting KC)

No Felipe Gutierrez, no problem. Sporting KC has the depth to survive the loss of their Designated Player No. 10.

Pulido is a PotT favorite, but not because he’s going to take over games. He’s a favorite, in my mind, because the group around him will create a flood of opportunities for him to do what he does best: put the ball in the back of the net, by any means necessary. We saw that in the season’s first two matches.

Like LAFC, I expect Sporting KC to be extremely prepared for the unique conditions, physical challenges and the tactical nuances of this tournament. Pulido will be the beneficiary. Not just because he is a top-tier finisher, but because he’ll work off the ball, too. If he does both – and Sporting’s backline rebounds from the 2019 debacle – there will be wins and goals.

Wildcards

They’re wild because there’s no guarantee that their team will make a deep run. But if they do, we know the guys who’ll be fueling the success.

Gustavo Bou (New England Revolution)

The Argentine is a pure goalscorer. He floats to find the game. He finds pockets of space to receive the ball. He’s got power and guile when it comes time to do what he does best: put the ball in the back of the net. The Revs could surprise, and Bou (nine goals in 14 games in 2019) leading the scoring charts wouldn’t be that surprising.

Luis Amarilla (Minnesota United)

There are a lot of similarities here with Pulido. Amarilla will work hard, he’ll get chances and he has a knack for finishing. That lofty 25-goal target got spoiled by COVID, but there’s still six months left on this loan to prove what he’s capable of.

Kei Kamara (Colorado Rapids)

The Rapids are one of my dark horses, and Kamara is clearly feeling it.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (NYCFC)

Maybe I’m biased by Sean Johnson’s words on Extratime – “My guy is raw. He’s nice.” – but Tajouri-Shradi feels like someone who’s liable to get on a tournament heater. He could just explode, and NYCFC are desperate for a tournament run.

Sergio Busquets: "Vamos a luchar hasta el final"

El reto de conquistar la Liga cada vez se complica más para el Barça, que dejaba escapar dos puntos ante el Atlético de Madrid en el Camp Nou. El de Badía, sin embargo afirmaba que “mientras matemáticamente haya opciones” van a “luchar hasta el final”. 

El mediocentro catalán regresaba de nuevo al mecanismo azulgrana tras cumplir partido de sanción ante el Celta de Vigo. Sin embargo, la vuelta del ‘pulpo de Badía’ no resultaba suficiente frente a un Atlético de Madrid que conseguía arañar un punto en su visita al Camp Nou. Capitán y voz experimentada dentro del vestuario, el de Badía reconocía que “dejarse dos puntos en la pelea por el título en estos momentos es dar mucha ventaja al rival”. Y es que el Real Madrid podría acabar la jornada con cuatro de ventaja sobre los azulgranas si consiguen ganar su partido frente al Getafe en Valdebebas. “Parece difícil que el Madrid se vaya a dejar puntos porque está muy bien", reconocía Busquets. Pese a ello, el centrocampista admitía que  “hasta que matemáticamente tengamos opciones vamos a luchar hasta el final, lo vamos a intentar”.

Acerca del encuentro y las polémicas suscitadas por los penaltis en contra del Barça, Sergio argumentaba haber “competido muy bien, pero nos han penalizado mucho los dos penaltis. Y cuando ante un rival como el Atlético encajas dos goles, tienes mucho que hacer para ganar”. Sin embargo, no se limitó a valorar las decisiones ejecutadas por el colegiado Hernández Hernández en el terreno de juego y Mateu Lahoz en el VAR: “En directo es complicado, cada equipo espera a su favor la actuación del VAR. No tengo ni idea de cómo ha sido. No puedo juzgar esas acciones".

Un mal reinicio

El Barça, líder antes del obligado parón por el COVID-19, desperdiciaba su condición tras un titubeante reinicio de la competición, donde sólo ha logrado seis puntos de doce posibles en los últimos cuatro encuentros. "Hemos perdido los puntos después del parón. Ha habido partidos que hemos estado peor pero hoy hemos dado la cara. Nos alejamos un poco más del liderato si gana el Madrid pero tenemos que seguir a lo nuestro, intentar ganar que es lo primordial", sentenciaba Busquets.

Weiler extends stay with Ahly for one more season

Weiler joined Ahly in August 2019 coming from the Swiss side FC Luzern, leading Ahly in 30 matches, won in 24, tied in 4 matches and lost in only 2 matches in all competitions

Ahly announced on Monday that their Swiss coach Rene Weiler has signed a new contract that will keep him with the Cairo giants until the summer of 2021.

Ahly's Marketing and Football Contracts Director Amir Tawfik announced the new deal with the Swiss tactician, revealing that he is expected to return to Cairo next Monday to resume his mission with the African Club of the Century.

“This was Weiler’s desire from the beginning, and he emphasised this more than once, but he postponed his final decision until he could see the world’s response to the coronavirus,” Tawfik told Ahly’s official website.

Tawfik added that Weiler agreed to the deal after meeting with his family in Switzerland, a meeting that was delayed thanks to the travel ban imposed by Egypt over the past few weeks due to the pandemic.

“Weiler’s return was delayed due to the reasonable concerns of his family with regards to the pandemic; however, the recent decisions taken by the state, including resuming football competitions, confirms that the situation in Egypt is better and moving in the right direction,” Tawfik concluded.

The 46-year-old tactician joined Ahly in August 2019 from the Swiss side FC Luzern, leading the team in 30 matches, winning 24 games, tying in four matches and losing only two matches in all competitions.

Following his performance with the Reds, Weiler was linked with several clubs in the Guld as well as in Belgium and Switzerland, but he finally opted to continue his journey with Ahly. However, the length of the new extension is quite short, as Ahly had reportedly wanted to keep him for at least two seasons.

Before the current league suspension, Ahly were in the driver’s seat of the Egyptian Premier league, with a full mark of 49 points after playing 17 games.

Toronto FC's Gonzalez draws response from MLS over viral Florida food tweet

Photo of uninspiring lunch option quickly made rounds Tuesday on social media

"An army marches on its stomach," Napoleon once said. And so do pro sports teams, it appears.

Toronto FC defender Omar Gonzalez, who has yet to arrive in Florida for the MLS is Back Tournament, drew a quick response from the league Tuesday after a tweet showing an apparent sample of the in-room dining that apparently awaits them at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel.

Gonzalez posted a photo of a spartan boxed lunch — a sandwich, banana and what may have been a salad in small container — along with a one-page MLS is Back in-room dining menu.

"Yummm ... #MLSisBack," wrote the U.S. international.

TFC defender Eriq Zavaleta posted another photo of a basic sandwich, with a grimacing face emoji as his review.

Zavaleta should know. His wife Casey just became a nutritional therapy practitioner.

"Enjoy your meal," responded Toronto defender Chris Mavinga, with an upside-down face emoji.

Sandwiches on the menu provided by the league read better: Bourbon-glazed Virginia ham, alpine Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard on a caraway kaiser and house-brined, cracked pepper turkey breast, smoked gouda, honey mustard on medianoche bread.

WATCH | Details of MLS' resumption plan:

MLS resumes in July with all teams headed to Florida

• 20 days ago
 
• 1:37
 

All 26 teams will take part in a tournament to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando area beginning July 8. 1:37

Teams have already started arriving in Florida for the tournament that runs July 8 to Aug. 11 at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in the Orlando area. They will all be staying at the one hotel.

Referencing Gonzalez's tweet, the league said the in-room dining meal menu in question is only for the 12 hours that players, staff and other officials are in quarantine after their arrival. They don't pay for such meals.

Once the clubs get their COVID test results and complete quarantine, they will eat together in their team meal rooms.

The league said players also have access to four other restaurants and two other eateries including Shula's Steak House: American Seafood and Steakhouse and the rustic Italian cuisine of Il Mulino.

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Toronto FC players may be spoiled when it comes to food. They rave about Elaine Flamenco, the head chef at their training centre. Flamenco and her staff provided meals for the players at home during the pandemic lockdown.

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who is in Fort Myers, Fla., preparing for the resumption of the NBA season in the Orlando area, also mentioned food as one of his concerns given teams could spend a long time in the NBA bubble if they go deep into the playoffs.

He said being fed by the same chefs every day, the food options will become "bland" pretty quickly.

On the plus side, the Raptors had a team barbecue recently.

The NBA season resumes July 30 with playoffs to begin in mid-August and the NBA Finals going into October.

FC Edmonton’s Prince Amanda looking to build upon stunning CPL debut

Prince Amanda’s professional debut was an unforgettable episode in the Canadian Premier League’s first season.

An 18-year-old, playing for his hometown club FC Edmonton, finally sees the pitch in the team’s last home game of the year, and steals the show — his goal and assist securing a 3-1 victory over Pacific FC to break a 12-game winless skid.

It’d be hard to script it better than that.

“I told myself this may be the only chance that I have to prove myself,” Amanda told CanPL.ca.

“After scoring the goal everything just felt so surreal. I was there, but I really wasn’t. After that goal, it’s hard to explain, but it just took me to a different place. I just felt like everything went right.”

Having moved to Alberta from Tanzania at age 11, Amanda is happy to call himself an Edmontonian now, which made it all the sweeter for him to debut for the Eddies last October.

“Edmonton does have a special place in my heart,” Amanda said in describing how it felt to play for the city he’s called home for almost nine years. “It really meant a lot to play for my hometown, especially playing around my friends, family — the people I grew up with, went to school with.”

Amanda followed his 20th-minute goal with an assist just five minutes later, introducing himself to the Clarke Field faithful with considerable gusto. His stunning debut was enough to draw serious praise from across the CPL, as well as from his coach Jeff Paulus — who memorably quipped that “It’s only taken me 27 games to figure out I’ve got a winger.”

That first appearance was a while in the making, though; Amanda languished on the bench all year, biding his time. Having played in the Eddies academy for three years before that, Amanda was willing to wait, trusting Paulus enough to give him his chance eventually. Still, his patience was tested.

“I think as an athlete, yeah it would be frustrating, because all you want to do is just get on the field,” Amanda said. “But in my mind, I had two games left to prove myself, so whatever happens, happens. I’m just gonna show what I’ve got for this game.”

Now that he’s proven he can perform at the pro level (once, at least), Amanda is hoping he’ll factor into Paulus’ plans more in the 2020 season. Although the Eddies have added some new faces in the wide attacking positions (Hanson Boakai chief among them), the fact that Paulus is so intent on playing a certain style should give Amanda some more opportunities.

“I’ve worked with Jeff for a long time, I know he does like his wingers,” Amanda said. “He always lets me know what my role is as a winger and what I need to perfect, I feel like it does favour me. I’ve known him for a long time, his tactics come easier to me than sometimes a new player coming in.”

He added: “I feel like I’ll be getting more chances now, I do feel like I’m going to show myself more as a soccer player playing in that position. More goals, more assists, just anything to help the team win.”

Amanda is also encouraged by Paulus’ vocal commitment to developing young (especially Edmonton-based) players, which should further tip the scales in his favour.

“It is reassuring, Jeff does like young talent,” Amanda said. “Every time we’re training, sometimes he brings a few guys from the academy and he tells us this could be the next young talent. So he does like the youth, and developing them into a professional atmosphere.”

The 2019 season wasn’t necessarily filled with perfect results and exciting moments in Edmonton, but Amanda was definitely able to provide at least one. As the club prepares to get back on the pitch for 2020, he’s hoping he can produce a few more.

Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps say no one at club has tested positive for COVID-19

Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps say no one at their club has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Montreal Impact, who announced in mid-April that a club employee had tested positive, did not want to discuss the issue.

"We are not commenting on our results," a club spokesman said Monday.

Major League Soccer said Sunday that 18 MLS players and six club staff had received positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests prior to travelling to Orlando for the MLS is Back Tournament.

WATCH | Details of MLS' resumption plan:

MLS resumes in July with all teams headed to Florida

• 20 days ago
 
• 1:37
 

All 26 teams will take part in a tournament to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando area beginning July 8. 1:37

As of Sunday, a total of 668 players had been tested since early June.

COVID-19 testing for MLS players and staff ramped up with the resumption of full team training earlier this month, with more tests mandated on the eve of departing for Orlando. Upon arrival in Florida, everyone is required to immediately take another PCR test and remain quarantined until they receive the results.

The league said 25 of its 26 clubs were able to commence full team training prior to travelling to Orlando for the World Cup-style tournament, which runs July 8 to Aug. 11 at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

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The San Jose Earthquakes, the lone team unable to resume full training in their home market due to local health authority restrictions, were the first side to arrive in Florida — touching down last Wednesday.

"Some of the things have taken a little bit to get used to but I already feel like I'm at home here," San Jose defender Tommy Thompson told a media Zoom call Friday.

"It was a little bit intimidating at first but now guys are already starting to feel more and more comfortable," he added.

Rising case rate in Florida

The league said Sunday that of the 329 people given PCR tests on-site in Florida, two were positive — both players who had just arrived. Anyone who tests positive while in Orlando is moved to the isolation area of the hotel until they get medical clearance.

Florida reported 9,557 new cases of COVID-19 among state residents on Friday although that number had dropped to 5,409 on Sunday, according to the Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection.

Orange County, which includes Orlando, reported 345 new cases among Florida residents on Sunday.

MLS suspended play on March 12, two weeks into the season, due to the global pandemic.