MLS Notebook: It's time to say goodbye to Taty (maybe) (eventually)

It was another double-match week in MLS, and there were still rivalry matches to make the midweek slate and then even the weekend more engaging. Somewhere along the way, Austin FC won a trophy that only Texas teams can win, while Taty Castellanos got the only goal in a Hudson River Derby win that was almost his last hurrah in MLS. 

If the playoffs started today

The race between Austin and LAFC for the top spot in the West continues. Austin held the lead for most of the week, only drawing against FC Dallas on Saturday — which, of course, gave Verde the Copa Tejas title for 2022 but also left the door open for the Black & Gold to retake the conference lead with its win over Nashville SC on Sunday. But at 2.1 ppg for LAFC and 1.95 ppg for Verde, those teams are lapping the competition – RSL remains in third with 1.57 ppg. 

In the East, the Union and NYCFC are beginning to distance themselves from the rest of the pack. Thanks to Cucho, the Crew are finally in the playoff mix, which means that we can start visiting the possibility of a Hell is Real playoff matchup. 

West

1. LAFC 
2. Austin FC
3. Real Salt Lake
4. Minnesota United FC
5. Nashville SC
6. FC Dallas
7. LA Galaxy

East

1. Philadelphia Union
2. NYCFC
3. New York Red Bulls
4. CF Montreal
5. Orlando City SC
6. Columbus Crew
7. FC Cincinnati

Estamos jodidos

We’re just going to talk about one team today: D.C. United has won just once since May 7’s 2-0 win over Houston, and that was the objectively hilarious 5-3 win over Orlando on Independence Day. Since then, the MLS original lost to Philly 7-0, drew with the Crew (in a match in which the otherwise awesome-so-far Taxi Fountas hit a PK wide, and lost 2-0 to Minnesota. 

Surprise of the week

The Sounders are in 9th in the West! That comes after the CCL champs lost to the Fire at Soldier Field, which means we’re going to hold off on the Chicago Wooden Spoon talk for now, especially since the Fire are now rolling with a two-match win streak after beating Toronto 2-0 with a Jhon Duran double, which means of course I was going to do this on Twitter: 

Seattle, meanwhile, is on a three-match losing streak and has dropped four out of five. Never say never until Decision Day, of course, but the playoffs are looking more and more remote for the team that everyone expects to claw its way into it, zombie-out-of-the-graveyard style. 

Goal of the week

We’ve got to give it to Taty, for what should have been a perfect curtain call getting the only goal in a Hudson River Derby that NYCFC finally won at Red Bull Arena. 

Rumors have him going to Girona FC and staying in the City Football Group family, but also have him playing one more MLS match before he leaves, which would be Saturday night’s match against Inter Miami at Yankee Stadium — perhaps so he can experience the novelty of a baseball stadium’s narrow soccer field and a pitcher’s mound you could potentially take a throw-in from just one more time. 

Quote of the week

Prompting both an “oh, sweetie” quote tweet from our own Chris Bils, an “oh, buddy” tweet from someone independent of Chris, and a “welcome to MLS, Squidward” from a jaded Galaxy fan, famed international defender Giorgio Chiellini, upon getting his first-ever LAFC start in Nashville’s GEODIS Park, remarked, “It’s too hot in Nashville.” 

Circle Friday, August 26 on your calendars now, when Austin FC hosts (and possibly roasts) LAFC. 

Fantasy stud of the week

Rafael Czichos got the lone goal in the Fire-Sounders match and got 24 fantasy points as a result; he’s actually tied with Lucas Zelarayan, who is enjoying life with Cucho in Columbus. 

Number of the week: 24

Tom Bogert dropped this tweet about “points dropped from winning positions in MLS this season” just to make Revs fans feel bad (though FCC and FCD fans can feel lousy as well).

Meanwhile, LAFC doesn’t ever give up leads is what this is saying. 

What we’re looking forward to this week

No midweek matches this week (though if you missed Monday night’s U.S. vs. Canada CONCACAFW final, you missed an incredible showcase of American attackers trying to score a stellar Kailen Sheridan, with only Alex Morgan succeeding on a late PK). Recommended matches include Orlando hosting the Union in a match that could move things in the East, RSL hosting Dallas in a sneakily-pivotal West matchup (and we have Jon Arnold back for this one!), and on Sunday, Austin FC hosting the Red Bulls in one of those “this couldn’t possibly be an MLS Cup preview” that, the way things are shaking out, totally could be.