Introduction:
The MLS Cup was lifted by an Eastern Conference side last season, with New York City triumphing over Portland Timbers 4-2 on penalties after a hard-fought 1-1 draw. Western Conference Teams are Vying to Win the MLS Cup The standard of football on offer in the previous season was higher than ever and MLS certainly gained some new fans.
This season there are a number of superb teams vying for the top spot in the Western Conference and automatic qualification to the Conference Playoffs semi-finals. In this article we preview the main runners and riders in the Western Conference, looking at their players, coaches, form, and any other factors that are relevant to their prospects.
If by the end of the article, you don’t feel confident enough to pick a Western Conference winner, we’ve done our job wrong…
- Los Angeles FC
- Manager: Steve Cherundolo
- Key Player: Carlos Vela
- Betway MLS Cup Odds: +550
It appears that popular sportsbook Betway has tipped LAFC as the most likely team to lift the MLS Cup this season and it is clear to see why. Former Hannover captain and US international Steve Cherundolo was named as Bob Bradley’s successor earlier this year and has hit the ground running with LAFC. After 15 games the California-based club finds themselves at the top of the pile, sitting pretty on 30 points.
LAFC isn’t just grinding their way to victories either, they’re scoring plenty of goals in the process as well, sitting atop of the Western Conference goal-scoring charts too. The key to that success so far has been the balance throughout the squad.
Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango have provided the threat in the final third, whereas at the back, in the shape of Mamadou Fall, LAFC has one of the most highly rated defenders in MLS.
The impending arrival of imperious and veteran Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini will only serve to further strengthen LAFC, making them the standout contenders not only for the Western Conference but the MLS Cup too…
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(In Mamadou Fall, LAFC have one of the best defensive talents in North America and it’s that solidity in defence that makes them favourites for the MLS Cup.)
- Real Salt Lake
- Manager: Pablo Mastroeni
- Key Player: Jefferson Savarino
- Betway MLS Cup Odds: +3300
After Freddy Juarez stepped down to join the Seattle Sounders coaching staff, no one could have predicted that Real Salt Lake would make it to the Western Conference under Pablo Mastroeni, but that’s exactly what happened.
RSL confounded the odds with their never say die attitude and dedication to hard work and are in a good position to go one step further this season. The 28 points picked up by Mastroeni’s men after 16 games is their third-best ever start to an MLS season.
Goals haven’t been the order of the day for RSL, rather it has been the team’s indomitable defence that has provided the platform for the team to excel thus far. The recent return of Venezuelan winger Jefferson Savarino has the potential to breathe new life into RSL’s offensive output.
Can they go all the way and win the MLS Cup? It’s not probable, but it’s certainly possible.
- Austin FC
- Manager: Josh Wolff
- Key Player: Sebastián Driussi
- Betway MLS Cup Odds: +1600
The Green and Black fell short of their Playoff goal last season, but this time around things seem to be going much better for Austin FC and Josh Wolff. The Texas based outfit find themselves in third position with 27 points from their first 15 games.
Key to their form thus far this season has been Argentine forward Sebastian Driussi, who is currently scoring at a rate of just over 1 in 2. The 26-year-old who has had successful stints with River Plate and Zenit Saint Petersburg has been flanked well by fellow countryman Maxi Urruti, who has found the back of the net 5 times.
It was Urruti’s goal that was the difference in Austin’s recent hard-fought 1-0 away win over CF Montreal. That performance, coming as it was with 10 men, demonstrated the character of Wolff’s men, an attribute that will be needed in buckets for the Playoffs.
- FC Dallas
- Manager: Nico Estévez
- Key Player: Paul Arriola
- Betway MLS Cup Odds: +2500
The month of May did not go well for FC Dallas, but amidst a torrid run of form there were two bright spots on the horizon. The first is the fact that despite disappointing league losses to Vancouver and Minnesota, the team remain in fourth position in the table, just 5 points behind the league leaders.
The second and perhaps most important bright spot was the form of Paul Arriola. The 27-year-old embarked on a five-game scoring streak in May to bring his tally for the season to 7.
The former Tijuana man who was once turning heads in England has also been in fine creative form too, providing 2 assists and 30 key passes in his 14 games thus far this campaign. Come the Playoffs, that ability to unlock an opposition defense could be the difference between success and failure for Dallas.
- LA Galaxy
- Manager: Greg Vanney
- Key Player: Javier Hernandez
- Betway MLS Cup Odds: +1600
David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s former club are the final teams making up the Top 5 in the Western Conference. Considering recent performances and the feeling of ennui surrounding the club at the moment, those odds of 16/1 seem somewhat generous.
The biggest complaint from supporters this season has been Galaxy’s inconsistency, which was highlighted recently by their superb Round of 16 US Open Cup victory over LAFC; a result which was followed up with a 2-1 loss to USL Championship side the Sacramento Republic in the quarter-finals.
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(Defeat to Sacramento Republic is the latest in a long line of worrying indicators for LA Galaxy fans.)
Key to the side’s struggles this season has been the profligacy of the front three, which has featured a combination of Javier Hernandez, Samuel Grandsir, Kevin Cabral and Douglas Costa.
Former Manchester United man Hernandez has struck 6 times, but his teammates have not been as lethal in front of goal.
A change in the system by Vanney that would see Serbian forward Dejan Joveljic accompanying Hernandez in a two-man maelstrom may be the key to turning around the Galaxy’s ailing fortunes.
Overall, things are looking promising for the Western Conference. In this game, titans rise and fall, but surprises also tend to come frequently and often.
