Will Johnson
Johnson made his 21st consecutive start for Portland in their 2-3 win at Montreal on Sunday.
From his position deep in the Timbers midfield, Johnson was spectacular, misplacing just a single pass all match. Being away from home, he still played a rather conservative match, but with Montreal’s strategy of fouling Darlington Nagbe at every turn, Johnson was able to get forward regularly, as well as getting involved in set-pieces.
After leaving the first good look from a free-kick to Diego Valeri, he took the next one, sending his right-footer low through the wall where it took a slight deflection, forcing Evan Bush scrambling to push the trickling ball wide in a panic.
The Toronto-born midfielder was impressive, running the middle of the pitch – he did well to elude the pressure of Maxim Tissot on one occasion, calm and collected on the ball, and
He would score their second, from the penalty spot after Valeri was felled by Hassoun Camara,
Johnson was in the grove, feeling good about the game, which he showed when he attempted to catch Bush unawares directly from a corner kick, his effort at a fabled Olimpico bent well, but was a little too high – though it definitely troubled the scrambling keeper.
Never afraid of mixing it up, Johnson went into a heavy challenge with Camara, suffering a rake down the shin for his troubles; it was a fair enough play, but he made sure the referee was aware of his displeasure. And his willingness to exert the extra energy to see out the result was in effect late, hustling to track deep to provide cover to Danny O’Rourke when the defender was isolated with Marco Di Vaio running at him.
Portland, who currently sit three points shy of the playoffs, will need Johnson to be at his best to make up ground in a tight Western Conference, if Sunday was any indication, he is up for the challenge.
Patrice Bernier
Bernier made his seventh and eighth-straight starts for Montreal in their double game week, falling away to Salt Lake 3-1 on Thursday and at home to Portland 2-3 on Sunday – bringing his season start total to fourteen and appearance tally to nineteen.
On Thursday, he was tasked with the difficult role of keeping a lid on Javier Morales, one of the more impactful attacking midfielders in the league – a task he managed well until Montreal went down a man.
He was dropping so deep on occasion that he looked more like an extra centre-back, doing his best to shore up his frail side as they attempted to get a valuable away point in one of the more foreboding venues.
Despite their troubles, Bernier has been a bastion of strength, exhibiting that iron will on one play where he held off Luke Mulholland to usher a ball into touch – sending the tenacious opponent to the ground with an impressive display of strength and balance.
On Sunday against Portland, the Brossard, Quebec-native was even better – his passing chart a swirling vortex of awesomeness.
After getting stripped on one occasion by Gaston Fernandez, Bernier took revenge, clattering into the attacker from behind on a throw-in, for which he received a yellow card – his second of the season. He would rack up six fouls that match in vain attempt to quell the attacking threat of a dynamic opponent.
He spent much of the match tracking down the running of Darlington Nagbe, but was bypassed on one occasion, leading to Max Urruti’s goal in the 34th minute. Bernier would make amends in the 44th minute, finding space on the left in attack, receiving a pass from Felipe and unselfishly setting up Maxim Tissot with a neat cut-back – collecting his second assist of the season, both having come in their last four matches.
Post-match he reflected on the remainder of the club’s season, “We still have a couple of games left this season. To look ahead too much isn’t good at this point. We’re not getting three points, not even getting one point, but in this league things can change very fast, but we have to find a way to get some points on the board.”
The Impact may currently be languishing at the bottom of the league on fourteen points from twenty matches, but they are only ten points off the playoff positions – stranger things have happened.
Maxim Tissot
An unused substitute on Thursday, Tissot made his fifth-start of the season on Sunday against Portland, bringing his season appearance tally to ten matches.
On the left side of the midfield, Tissot was energetic and involved from the off, getting upended by a heavy tackle from Jack Jewsbury near the touchline on one occasion and chasing down Donovan Ricketts on another to force a hurried clearance with some good hustle.
That willingness to get involved proved fruitful in the 44th minute when
The Gatineau, Quebec-native got involved in the fouling too, hacking down Gaston Fernandez, and may have won his side a penalty kick when he was taken down in a tangle with Jewsbury after Jack McInerney played him in towards goal.
He continued to bring energy all match, making one nice run up the left and regularly tucking in-field to get involved, before making way for Callum Mallace in the 86th minute.
Issey Nakajima-Farran
Nakajima-Farran made his first start for Montreal in nearly a month on Thursday in Salt Lake – it was his fourth start for the club and his sixth in MLS. He has seven appearances for the Impact and twelve overall in the league.
On the left side of the midfield, Issey was lively, looking to get involved early. He made one good run up the left-channel before attempting to thread in Felipe – the pass was cut out, but the two stuck with it and Issey nearly turned in Felipe’s square ball after eluding Nat Borchers attentions with a clever drop off the back-line.
Regularly swapping flanks with Andres Romero, Issey was involved in an ugly collision with Luke Mulholland, as the two bonked heads with each focused on the ball. That fearlessness would come to bite, as in the 65th minute Issey lunged for a fifty-fifty challenge with Chris Schuler, catching the defender on the shin with a raised boot, prompting the referee to flash a red card – his first in MLS.
The Calgary-born midfielder could count himself unlucky, and Frank Klopas would agree – it appeared as though, after the initial lunge from distance, Issey basically pulled out of the challenge, but had nowhere to put his boot – if he lowered his studs he would have driven into Schuler and earned the red, instead a slight tap, which the defender made the most of, and he was off.
He would serve his suspension in Montreal’s match against Portland on Sunday and will be fired up to face his former club, Toronto FC on the weekend.
Jeremie Gagnon-Lapare
Gagnon-Lapare made his first MLS appearance for Montreal in their loss on Thursday in Salt Lake, entering in the 62nd minute replacing Callum Mallace.
Taking up a position alongside Patrice Bernier at the base of the midfield, Gagnon-Lapare settled in nicely after getting mesmerized momentarily by some interplay between Joao Plata and Olmes Garcia after a Kyle Beckerman through-ball eluded him.
Minutes after his introduction Issey Nakajima-Farran was dismissed, reducing Montreal to ten men and altering the game plan. He was full of running in his half hour and as far as introductions to MLS go, there is little more daunting than trying to shut down the passing of Salt Lake.
The Sherbrooke, Quebec-native picked up his first booking for hacking down Garcia in transition in the 82nd minute – his physicality will fit nicely in MLS – and he showed a brief flash of forward movement with a strong run before attempting to slot a pass to a teammate, but Tony Beltran slid to cut it out.
He was caught out a little on Salt Lake’s second goal, slow to get over and provide cover with Javier Morales bearing towards goal,
Gagnon-Lapare, who is the sixth Homegrown Player signed by the club, was an unused substitute on Sunday.
Doneil Henry
Henry made his fourth-straight start for Toronto in their 1-2 loss to Kansas City on Saturday night – it was his eleventh start and twelfth appearance of the season.
As the left-sided centre-back, paired with Bradley Orr, Henry was his usual combative self, picking up a booking two minute into first half stoppage-time for a lunging challenge on Igor Juliao – it was his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he will miss Toronto’s next match.
He was again a force at the back, racking up ten clearances and six recoveries, as well as two fouls.
Though harsh, it could be said that he was at least partially culpable on both Kansas City goals – he did
Henry nearly helped TFC get back into the match in the 76th minute, when he rose at the back-post to get on the end of a Michael Bradley free-kick, but his downward header was at too sharp of an angle and bounced off the ground over the bar from yards out.
Tesho Akindele
Akindele made his ninth-straight start for Dallas in their 2-2 draw at Vancouver on Sunday afternoon – it was his tenth start and thirteenth appearance of the season.
Paired up top with Blas Perez, Akindele was much quieter than usual, his best chance coming inside the first minute, but his header from a left-sided cross rose harmlessly over the bar. He would make a good down an open channel in the 21st minute, but Perez opted for the low-percentage shot rather than find his teammate in the clear.
With Dallas playing a 5-3-2 formation and Vancouver’s two-man shield of Matias Laba and Gershon Koffie able to cover a lot of ground, perhaps Akindele was not able to find the space he likes to exploit in the wide areas, or perhaps he cannot stand turf – his passing was very off, misplacing a full third of his attempts.
Of note, it was the first MLS game played in Canada for the Calgary, Alberta-native.
He would make way for Ryan Hollingshead in the final minute of regulation time.
Akindele was the subject of an article at MLSsoccer.com, where teammate Matt Hedges and coach Oscar Pareja herald his virtues before Tesho discusses his national team prospects.
Frustratingly, there has been little-to-no contact with the striker, “I think at the beginning of the season they might have talked to some of the guys in the front office, but it isn’t something I’ve heard anything about lately. When I was 17, I played a couple of games but that was it, so there has been a big gap since then. I feel like any time you have a chance to play international soccer you have to jump at that.”
Give the kid a call.
Dwayne De Rosario
De Rosario entered Toronto’s loss to Kansas City in the 82nd minute, replacing Bradley Orr, as Ryan Nelsen piled on the attacking talent in search of a goal – it was his second consecutive late appearance from the bench and seventh of the season, alongside three starts.
It is amazing how bringing on the Scarborough, Ontario-native sparks life in the crowd, despite his lack of production or minutes this season.
In his brief cameo, De Rosario had one good look, Dominic Oduro finding him atop the area, but his left-footed shot was well-read and saved by KC keeper, Andy Gruenebaum.
Jonathan Osorio
Osorio was on the bench for most of TFC’s loss to Kansas City, entering the match in the 80th minute, replacing Collen Warner with Toronto looking to press forward for an equalizer; up a man, but down a goal – it was only his second appearance from the bench all season.
Despite injecting fresh legs and an attacking mindset to the centre of the pitch, the Toronto, Ontario-native was not able to help his side get back in the match.
The Rest
Karl Ouimette was on the bench for both Montreal matches, while Wandrille Lefevre was only there on Sunday against Portland; Kyle Bekker and Russell Teibert were unused substitutes as well.
Kyle Porter featured in DC’s friendly against Fulham, picking up an ankle knock, while unfortunately, Nana Attakora is back on the injury report with concussion symptoms.
Kofi Opare was traded from Los Angeles to DC this week, the two sides swapping allocation ranking spots and a 2015 draft pick headed out West. DC continues to be fourth Canadian team in MLS, if only in spirit.
Each week James takes a look at the contributions of Canadians in the league and the league as a whole.
You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View