Player of the Week
Omar Cummings, Colorado Rapids
The 26-year-old Jamaican forward’s two goals and one assist in last weekend’s 3-0 win over D.C. United dispelled any notions that his offensive production would suffer due to the absence of Conor Casey — who was called onto the U.S. national team for the Confederations Cup. Cummings, in his third season, has matched his career-best total already this season with six goals — second on the team behind Casey’s eight — and a team-high six assists, good enough for second in Major League Soccer.
Story Lines
1. USA advances » In a complicated scenario, the U.S. national team used a 3-0 win over Egypt and Brazil’s victory over Italy by the same margin to squeak into the Confederations Cup semifinals. Their reward? Facing reigning European champion Spain (Wednesday, 2:25 p.m., ESPN). The U.S. camp, which used criticism from the American media as motivation for the Egyptian triumph, seized upon similarly dismissive reports from the Iberian peninsula, posting quotes from Spanish publication Marco on the official U.S. Soccer blog:. “The defensive level of the North Americans is pretty fragile … Set pieces are not their strength either.” But only goals, including the kind produced by underutilized forward Charlie Davies, and a result against the Spaniards will quiet a growing chorus of U.S. detractors.
2. SuperLiga feels like Superman in its third iteration » Originally conceived as a way to build rivalries and recognition between MLS and the Mexican first division, SuperLiga attracted the top teams in each of the two leagues, such as Chivas Guadalajara and D.C. United, during its first two seasons. But with games like Kansas City vs. Atlas in St. Louis, it’s little wonder that the first four games of the tournament averaged just 8,602 fans. In addition, the tournament has been rendered nearly irrelevant thanks to the CONCACAF Champions League. It needs to be scaled back or scrapped altogether.
3. Speaking of crowded summer soccer schedules » The advancement of the U.S. in the Confederations Cup has complicated the selection of the national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which begins next week and has already begun to deplete MLS rosters. Some teams, such as Toronto and its Canadian-heavy squad, will lose more than a half dozen players over the next month, while others will lose only a player or two, such as Dallas, which will only be without forward Kenny Cooper. The disparity could alter standings before summer’s end.
Key Game
Houston at Los Angeles, Saturday, 10, ESPN2 » After two straight losses, the Galaxy desperately need to make the most of a two-game homestand before playing six of the following seven on the road in the 2009 David Beckham tour. The Dynamo have gotten better and better to watch as Stuart Holden has settled into the central midfield, and former forward Geoff Cameron has been a revelation on the back line.
