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May 7, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota United midfielder Miguel Ibarra (10) congratulates forward Abu Danladi (9) after scoring in the first half against the Sporting Kansas City at TCF Bank Stadium. The Loons are off to a good start for an expansion club. Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Kicking It: At the quarter mark of the MLS season nothing is certain

By Megan Armstrong, Demetrius Bell | Last updated 5/11/17

Hello and welcome to 'Kicking it' with Demetrius Bell and Megan Armstrong, two of Yardbarker's most discerning soccer specialists. Lots to cover this week, so let’s get right to it.

Last time we talked we wondered if the Galaxy could turn it around, but maybe it’s the Rapids we should be more worried about as they’ve dropped five in a row just as the grind of the season sets in. What’s going wrong out in Colorado and is there any silver lining in their near-future?

Megan: Well, Colorado decided to trade Sam Cronin and Marc Burch at the end of March. Specifically, Cronin was the Rapids captain and key piece in the midfield during last season’s surprise run for Supporters’ Shield. While Colorado wasn't having an awesome March with Cronin and Burch on the roster, I still don't understand why they did this.

Colorado says they did it to become more offensive-minded, but the offense has scored a total of two goals since the trade. So maybe the silver lining is simply that the shift will take time, and the payoff hasn't hit yet.

Demetrius: It also seems like they did this to give younger players like Mekeil Williams, Dillon Serna and Nana Boateng (once he returns from injury) some time to develop, and the best way to develop is to actually get a decent amount of games in. That wasn’t going to happen with Cronin and Burch still being in the picture, so I understand why they ended up getting traded.

If you’re going to give the youngsters their run, then that means you’re going to take your lumps and that’s what the Rapids are going through right now. I’d imagine that things should improve for Colorado, but it’s clear that we’re not going to see this team making another run at the Shield and the playoffs could be a long shot if this form keeps up.

And after we were rough on Minnesota a few weeks ago, they’ve picked up. What’s been going right for the Loons recently and can they build on it for the season.

Megan: I’ve been rough on Minnesota from the jump, and the club’s first ever shutout win comes against my hometown Sporting Kansas City. I deserved it. But to be fair, the Loons have deserved constructive criticism, too. A two-nil win is a two-nil win, but I do think they benefitted from Sporting’s having to play at home on Wednesday evening and then travel to Minnesota for Sunday. The club is actively building its franchise’s foundation, so any positive result for Minnesota is something to build on moving forward.

And, actually, it’s worth noting that for as much as everybody was clowning Minnesota earlier on in the season, especially in comparison to Atlanta United FC, the Loons and Atlanta have arrived at pretty much the same place at this point in the season. Seventh place in their respective conferences with almost the exact same record.

Demetrius: It’s funny that you mention that the two expansion clubs have arrived at the same place right now, because Sunday saw the tables turn big time for both Minnesota and Atlanta. NYCFC made Atlanta look like a clear expansion team, while Minnesota cooly and calmly dispatched of Sporting Kansas City in an impressive performance. Life comes at you fast in this league.

You’ve gotta give credit to Adrian Heath for making the tactical changes. I thought that tactical tweaks wouldn’t be enough to fix their situation, but apparently it has been. They’ve picked up seven points in their past four matches and have looked competent while doing so. This could just be a “hot streak” for the Loons, but it’s clear that they’re probably not the team that gave up 18 goals in their first four matches.

New York City FC forward David Villa and Atlanta United defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez fight for the ball during the first half at Yankee Stadium on May 7, 2017. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

We’re about a quarter through the season now, who is the MVP so far?

Megan: I’m going with David Villa. Villa was the first ever signing for New York City FC, and this season he’s been playing like the club’s root. No, wait. Cyle Larin. Larin is electrifying every week to watch, and that electricity was pivotal for the Lions when Kaka was injured and would miss extended time.

Both. Co-MVPs.

Demetrius: It’s David Villa, and I’ve just been enjoying what this man has been bringing to the table in every match he’s played this season. He’s also an example of when bringing in an aging player from Europe goes right. He’s taken this league very seriously since the day he’s arrived, and it’s showed with the performances that he’s put in since donning the NYCFC shirt. He could very well be on his way to being the first player to win this thing two years in a row.

And who is the best coach so far this season ?

Megan: These superlatives are typically decided by which club has the best record, or a record drastically better than what was expected. But I think, at this point in the season, I've got to go with Adrian Heath. He's certainly been placed in the most difficult job in MLS, and while (as we've covered) Minnesota isn't even close to the best team in MLS, Heath deserves major kudos for building this team as the season progresses under extreme pressure. He's not in Orlando anymore.

Demetrius: Chicago’s “only” sixth right now, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that throughout all of the roster changes they still stuck with Veljko Paunovic as the coach to lead them. That was one spot that didn’t need a big change, and Paunovic is making Chicago’s front office look good. While it would be easy to attribute the change in fortunes to the roster move, coaching is still very important in this league and Paunovic deserves a lot of credit if the Fire can stay in the playoff spots this season.

With that being said, if Minnesota even gets close to making the playoffs at the end of the season, then this award should go to Adrian Heath, if only because that would be the result of an amazing coaching job if this roster had a shot at getting in the biggest crapshoot in North american sports.

Philadelphia Union forward C.J. Sapong (17) reacts after his third goal of the game against the New York Red Bulls during the second half at Talen Energy Stadium on May 6, 2017. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

What is the most surprising development of the 2017 season?

Megan: I really didn’t expect Philadelphia to be this bad. They have talent with C.J. Sapong, who leads MLS with seven goals, and Alejandro Bedoya. At face value, I expected them to be in the mix of things and at least be in steady playoff contention.

Demetrius: I’m still trying to get used to seeing the LA Galaxy struggle as mightily as they are. I mean, you had to figure there was going to be an adjustment period when they switched from Bruce Arena to Curt Onalfo, but it’s still weird. We’re talking about “THE” LA Galaxy here. They haven’t missed the playoffs since 2008 and while it’s still early, it’s looking like it’ll take a massive effort for that streak to continue. Again, we’re talking about the Galaxy struggling. This is wild to me.

Anything else you think fans should keep their eyes on these next couple of weeks?

Megan: Personally, I'll be continuing to watch the two expansion clubs, Minnesota and Atlanta. How interesting it would be if either of them make it into the playoffs or consistently find themselves in contention. From a Kansas City perspective, I'll be watching to see how Sporting does against Orlando City without Dom Dwyer, who has been suspended and has a history with Orlando.

Other than that, the club dominating MLS narrative changes every week. Maybe David Villa will hit another goal from midfield. Maybe Philadelphia will miraculously go on a winning streak. No telling.

Demetrius: Minnesota is playing Toronto FC this Saturday, but they’ll be catching TFC after a weekday game just like they caught SKC after a weekday game. So, if they pick up a win there, it’ll rightfully be a big deal but also proof that they can take advantage of catching a team on short rest.

Really, the thing to watch for is the fact that nothing’s for sure. MLS themselves said that last week was #PeakMLS, so are we going to see the league continue to be wacky or will things get back to normal – whatever “normal” is when it comes to this league. Either way, I’m prepared for fun!

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