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samnyangie · 3 years

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Personal reviews on RSL filmography

Rsl, iI thought it’d be a good idea to record my thought on each films rsl was in, it was something I always wanted to do...

Rsl in total, was starred in (excluding tv series etc) 27-ish films, to be honest, considering his years as an actor(approximately more than 30 years) he wasn’t starred in that many. We all know why lol

Just saying I’m not a film expert, therefore the list is very subjective.

The reviews with trigger warning (r*pe, g*re etc): Tape, Killer: Journal of Murder, A glimpse of hell. Tho in the writing I’ve censored them with * since I don’t feel comfortable saying them here

There isn’t particular spoilers except for dps, tape, and ground control

The favourites (literally my life time films)

Dead Poets Society

I assume many would agree, and as many would have, it was my first ever rsl film, like I was on the plane and it was one of the films they offered, and I was like, oh I think i heard of this, so I watched and instantly loved it. The message is very relevant to this day, the cinematography is very beautiful and somehow nostalgic. I was horrified with Neil’s death. Tbh now I’ve seen too many memes and all kind of things from the fandom (which I’m grateful for!) I thought the heartfelt I once had would deluded a bit, however when I watched it again last April with my family at the cinema and it still moved me very deeply.

The age of Innocence

Okay, unpopular opinion here, I love this so much. It’s my all time favourite rsl film. It even outruns dps tiny winy bit haha. Aside from how he had tiny winy screen time, appearing at the end but the fact that he played quite an important role and him being gorgeous in it just<33 I couldn’t help but smiling! It just the whole film was so much of my cup of tea? The melodrama and the hypocrisy hidden by elegance among the upper social classes in 19th century is just what I needed. The more I watch it, the more I understand the characters and their emotions, it’s one of those films you should keep visit to discover the things you weren’t aware of before. I watched it again this morning and i couldn’t stop thinking about it. However, I know some people find it boring and I understand why, my sister is one of them lol(except for a bit where rsl was in) but i think it’s more complex than what it appears to be at a first glance haha. In conclusion, it became one of my comfort film to watch time to time.

The ones I like<33

Swing kids

At first viewing, I didn’t expected much because it had underwhelming reviews but when I actually saw it, I thought it was quite decent and more and more I watched it, I felt like it was underrated. Yes, I think some directing choices were bit old fashioned and cheesy especially the ending, I’m not saying it was a perfect masterpiece but it deserves more recognition than it has now. Also in spite that there’re some parts being too simplified, it touched on something other films about ww2 normally don’t. It was interesting to see the German perspective on it than Jewish or the allies perspective like many of them does, but of course the latter perspectives matter, it could be argued that they more valid than the former, which partly was where sk criticised for, however, the portrayal of the varied reactions of the German people (in this one particular the teenagers) has its value in their on way. Anyway along side with it, the music and the dance scenes were great, without exaggeration, though Swing kids isn’t my fav, peter’s solo dance scene is my favourite scene in any movies I’ve ever watched. I mean that scene had both visuals and meaning as it demonstrated Peter’s determination as well as resentment with a hitch of unsureness. Rsl acting in that scene was just phenomenal, it’s not about showing off the dancing skills but he portrayed every mixed emotions peter has from his expression and the moves, I just can’t talk about this enough especially this scene was the reason I started fallen for him. lol

Much ado about nothing

Much ado is something I never seen anything like so it was a refreshing exprience. I barely watched Shakespeare on screen kind of thing. Though I felt there were some bits too cheesy for me but they are also the charms in the same time, and the cinematography was pretty also Claudio aka rsl, it was like an official announcement of declaring my worship on this man. Especially it was after SWING KIDSSSS so I couldn’t help it now everyone knows how I fallen for him but no one can blame meeeeee Anyway, it’s a really good film to watch when you want be relaxed with cup of tea maybe hehe

In the gloaming

I heard about it before I watched it, that it’s a heart wrenching, tearful piece, though I didn’t managed to cry, it’s just.... painful and in a way heartfelt. I liked that story telling was calm and collected rather than forcing you to join the sob party, just showing the characters to carry on. And thanks to the great acting from the cast, the characters could be emphasised and understood, personally the older sister was the most relatable character for me, well, eldest complex lol. In short I liked it but it’s not something I would watch it often.

Last days of Disco

As a person who looks at aesthetic in films, I simply enjoyed this for that tbh. I don’t know, I just liked the feeling. But I don’t think it’d be everyone’s cup of tea. I love the day time clothes the girls wore in the film. Tbh I love the music too, I think I love all the films of rsl with music in it. Speaking about rsl, oh rsl, he’s.... His character might be bit unlikable but he was just.... This is why I can’t unlove his characters even the debatable ones<33

They were decent! (I would recommend it)

Married to it

This is the first and last ever attempt of rsl of romcomssss The film itself is cliche to be frank it’s like love actually but it’s about marriage life + it’s not christmas but I like heartfelt cliche stories like this, if anyone also loves this type of story, it’s really worth watching, it’s one of my comfort films, also, rsl is so pretty I mean he always is but to see him being a office man with a baby face made me go awww my baby grew up heheh I wish he did another romcom like this or more preferably, melodramatic romance, I’d have made a shrine of it and worship it every morning lol

The boys next door

I kind of smiled while watching it throughout, if you want something that is heartfelt and touch on some serious topic about social workers and the people with mental disorder, Rsl plays a character who has (I think it was) Schizophrenia and troubled relationship with his father(Deja vu I know) but general atmosphere tend to be quite humourous. I don’t get me wrong, though it’s light hearted, it doesn’t mean they treat the topic in the same way. There’s a scene where the protagonist imagining the one of the characters with the disorder talking eloquently and honourably at the court on the rights and the dignity of the people with mental disorders deserve to/should have and they’re just the same people as the people without mental disorders. It was a powerful scene.

My two loves

Rsl’s first ever screen debut film! Hehe it’s about a woman who is discovering her sexual identity and the conflicts within I personally thought it was fairly sensible depiction but I can’t say for sure whether it was accurate or else, since I don’t think it’s my place to say it:) But if you’re interested, it’s on YouTube, you can just search for it or go to this post I made. Fun fact: since it was his debut film, it credits him as he’s real name, Robert L. Leonard, I just find it amusing haha

Tape

It’s another type of film I don’t encounter that often, I enjoyed it, especially with Neil and Todd’s reunion lol. Rsl mentioned how he enjoyed it because it felt like doing a play, my first impression was that the structure is like a play, though the camera work made me quite dizzy haha. But the dialogues, the acting, I think it was quite spot on. Especially the human contradictions and hypocrisy side of it. The most people assume the baddie in the film is Jon the character rsl played and has a distaste for him. I mean how can anyone love a character who is accused of r*pe but to be honest, Vincent for me seemed just as problematic, both of them are hypocrites for sure in their own different ways but in the end we can’t be sure what’s really the truth or not. It’s about the vagueness, and phychology and the uncertainty from the audience on who to believe(well, myself included, most would trust on Amy’s claims since she’s the victim in the accusation, but by her denying the claims, making everything way unclear,) so I don’t know. I don’t really have an opinion haha tho I don’t believe nothing happened because Amy denied so, even Umma Thurman who played her, said that her interpretation was that Amy lied. I felt it’s endless rabbit hole this film. Sorry I couldn’t worded it better.

My best friend is a Vampire

It’s cringey and weird but there’re odd charm to it. Vampire rsl’s so cute as well.... and I think it’s the only film, he acted kind of flirty ? So for that itself I’d like to appreciate itttt And it’s so 80s/90s, like it has general odd nostalgia like all films from that age has. I saw a Korean blog about rsl films and this was mentioned, that- they said- it’s a bible of rsl’s adorableness and I think that sum up the film perfectly.

Mr&Mrs Bridge

Before this was in ‘I mean it was fine” category, but I watched it again and now I want to retract my statement lol Still isn’t my fav but I noticed how delicately depicted each characters are, Mr and Mrs Bridge in particular. This film is alternatively about the changes in the young generation regarding liberty, feminism, free expression especially on sex. It’s in the perspective of the bridges, the mother and father who is old fashioned and conservative (as it was normal in their previous generation) and the children who are the young generation, and the misunderstanding and conflicts between them. After all it all happened not only because of the difference but also the lack of communication, which rsl emphasised in his interviews. I found it interesting that they made it seems like the Bridges truly existed with the video footage and (with the ending) describing what happened to each family member in text with photos. When I watched it at first I was really confused if it was based on a real life. I think what they wanted to suggest was that the Bridges every typical American family at the time. It was something everyone was going through. I said previously I didn’t get why Rsl’s character (the youngest in the Bridges) treated his mother so coldly. Honestly I do get why, but I guess I felt so bad so the mother haha

I mean it was fine

The safe passage

It was okay but to be honest it didn’t stood out to me. It was okay. The story, the characters weren’t that interesting. I wish they extended it longer to go depth with their family relationship or something.

A painted house

I find it likeable, it has a chill, old folk story vibe, but same as previous one. it didn’t really stand out except for shirtless rsl, do close ups you cowards

Bluffing it

I was really fond of the premise of this film and I think it has great intention. It was specifically made to promote the awareness of illiteracy and how to get support. However, I don’t get the reason of Jack the protagonist’s illiteracy. Unless, it was common occurrence in America at the time, I feel like it’d have been more convincing if he was in poor family hood, so there was no time to learn at school due to working at young age...? I mean, just finding it hard to believe he passed the high school just like that, I mean the teachers or anyone should have noticed it, maybe I’m missing something here but it seemed unlikely to me.

Ground control

Again, I liked the message, as it depicted how frightening and difficult job the ground controller is, by one mistake could take away the lives of hundreds, especially as someone who goes on planes a lot... But it was quite cliche throughout, I just couldn’t get engaged to it. But I do admit at the end when the protagonist runs off to the landing zone see the pilot who he had just saved, they acknowledged each other and have eye contacts was truly wholesome. Rsl as cocky, bad boy was such a icing on the cake, I loved it so much. Chewing gum in every scene lol I hope he plays these sort of characters more often. I saw someone criticising him saying he has narrow spectrum of just playing nice boy roles like Neil but I really wanted to debunk the narrative and this could be one of the examples!

Chelsea walls

I knew that this has split reviews but nonetheless I think worth to watch it, 1. Ethan and rsl re union, 2. Ethan is the directer of the film and rsl sing in it. But I have to say, it’s one of those hard to follow art indie film so I couldn’t finish it on one go. I feel like I have to devour it over and over again. Maybe later on I grow fond of it more lol But his character, I loved him so much. He’s just has everyone don’t touch me, I’m a cocky artist vibe, there’s a scene where his annoying friend annoying him and he looks up and says: ‘Fck off’. Absolute golddddd not to mention he sings and plays guitar so beautifully<333

Well... it’s not my cup of tea

The Manhattan project

I don’t think the film it self was that bad, it’s about high school boy who find out the existence of some nuclear energy research lab and stole the energy to make his own nuclear bomb. I just don’t get the thinking process of the protagonist. It really frustrated me. He seemed apathetic and unlikable I disliked him throughout and that’s why I didn’t really enjoyed it. I mean it has humour and ridiculous storyline might be humorous to some. But more importantly there was such little screen time for rsl!! LIKE WHY? WHY PEOPLE?? HE LOOKS LIKE A FRESH HUMAN MOCHI!!! It makes me soooo mad to think about it

Killer: Journal of Murder

Well, first of all, it had a lot of graphic things than I imagined, brutally murd*red bodies, execution, and r*pe scene, gosh I was strucken by it when I saw that, I had to skipped that scene. It’s based on a real event and a real criminal called Carl Panzram, so if you’re aware of it, it might be more intriguiging to see. But personally for me... meh, I don’t think directing was good as it failed to portray it enough for me to comprehend fully.

A Glimpse of Hell

This is also based on a true event of a tragic accident in the us battleship in Iowa in 1989. They shows tragedy lin a blunt, brutal way by showing horribly damaged bodies of the soldiers torn into pieces, all the horrid things directly so be warned about that. I was quite alarmed because i didn’t expect to see it haha there’s no much to say. The film quality was so so for me. I feel their approach wasn’t appropriate, they were clearly trying to make it dramatic which is fine but in a melodramatic emotional way. It didn’t work because first, there aren’t enough portrayal of the characters for me to get attached, secondly it added the unnecessary exaggeration it prevented me from being emotionally involved or even to think about it. In my opinion, I think it’d have been better if they made it more restrained, dry, focus on the accuracy. For example like 1987 or Zodiac, I mean both of them has dramatic elements since they’re not a documentary but they were not overdone, in a contrary added emphasis to their message/conclusion. I know it’s easier said than done but it was something I consistently felt during it.

Sir.... I’m sorry but-

Standoff

Haha... it’s very peculiar... the directing is off and it just weird. I knew it was bad already but I watched it because rsl as a cop with gunssssssss just... so rare and just.... something else. There’s no way of me missing that seriously. Tbh him doing an action stunt isn’t what I imagine when it comes to him and there’s really any actions scenes anyway but it really was something. Like the character he played here really became my soft spot Hehehehe he was pretty and plus, tbh it’s kind of film I’d make fun of while watching so everything was (alomst) forgivable. There is a recent thing I think about, since this is about a cult, I kind of hope he’d at some day play a role like Eli Sunday from There will be blood: a manipulative, deceitful and maddened priest with twisted faith. Though Paul Dano did a grand job, the idea was in my head the whole time. Well, it’s a shame he wasn’t any of those here lol

Driven

From what I seen, the majority of people seem to unanimously hate this film, and after watching it I became one of those ppl. At least Standoff could be make fun of and rsl held gunssss but this...... I want to say so many things... I feel like they should have chose either fancy, fast paced, thrilling racing film or detailed depiction of emotions/relationships with the racers and people involved in it, I know both can be done, but I think that was outside of their ability, but since they tried to do that at once, it became a mess that doesn’t go either way. And the characters, any of them, including rsl’s are narrow or impossible to understand. I mean rsl did great himself, it was not about acting, the problem lies on the script and editing in my opinion. Also there were so many unnecessary characters made me question of their existence. Luckily rsl’s character isn’t one of them, however because of them, he had to squeeze in and unable to elaborate, which is a shame as he was an interesting character and someone rsl rarely plays; a arrogant and opportunist agent/brother of the protagonist, who would do anything for success... ha.... whyyyyy

This is it. If I watch other stuff I might add to it in the future. Overall, I know I’m biased but I do like His filmography, I do have appreciations in every one of them in different way to the good ones to bad. He may have disagree, but I love his acting on screen, well, I barely seen him on stage (crying)

Edit: as some of you could see, I’ve edited this over and over again haha elaborating on thing or the contrary. I can say with a glimpse of hell I practically managed to watch every rsl films out there lol except for the i inside and the short film he did called a dog race in Alaska. But with the former I’m not interested and already know the storyline, and the latter is just impossible to find, trust me I did my best;;

So to sum up: I HAVE MASTERED THE RSL FILMOGRAPHY!

#robert sean leonard #rsl #films #filmography #personal #thoughts

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Armchair Analyst: Zlatan's taekwongolazo can't save LA & more from Week 29

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September 16, 20187:35PM EDT

Let’s just get it out of the way at the top: This is absurd:

That goal, the fourth of eight total that were scored on Saturday night in Toronto in TFC’s 5-3 win over the Galaxy, is maybe the greatest goal in MLS history. It’s probably the goal of the year, and the only other contender is Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first goal, that spectacular 45-yard volley against LAFC in the first ever El Trafico.

It was not enough. Zlatan has 17g/8a in a shade under 1700 minutes, and that hasn’t been enough, either. The Galaxy have spent tens of millions on their roster, and it’s both too much and not enough. Dom Kinnear took charge this week after Sigi Schmid found the door, and that wasn’t enough.

LA are a team in crisis, and a team certain to face another overhaul this offseason, and a team likely to have their fifth new head coach in two years once camp opens in January. I hope Zlatan will be there as well, because he’s been worth the price of admission week after week. Nobody else on the Galaxy can say the same.

The above isn’t precisely true for TFC, who are nonetheless having one of the most disappointing seasons in MLS history. They took a 3-0 lead in this one and looked like they were cruising, then took the foot off the gas and let the Galaxy bring it back to 3-3. Then they found the pedal again with two late goals, and their season is nominally still alive.

But only nominally, because no matter what formation they put out there (they were in a 4-4-2 diamond on Saturday), and no matter how much of the ball they get when all their wonderful attackers are healthy, they still can’t defend.

TFC have shipped 55 goals this year, the same number as Minnesota United. Only San Jose, the Galaxy and Orlando City have been worse.

There is a path to the playoffs for the Reds, who are nine points behind the Impact and with a game in hand. But it’s a path that involves winning at the Red Bulls, at D.C., at Montreal and at home against Atlanta, and it’s a path that involves jumping three teams in the standings. Even if they get Chris Mavinga and Drew Moor back – and we’ve been talking about that particular “if” for four months now so let’s not hold our collective breath – it’s too narrow to traverse unless they score five goals a game.

But they have to score five goals a game, and I think they know it. So what we’re headed for right now: A TFC team with a healthy and motivated Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore, Victor Vazquez and Jonathan Osorio out there every week trying to drop five. It’s not gonna work, but god I am so here for that.

Runnin’ Down a Dream

As I said, TFC’s charge (if they really do conjure one) isn’t going to work and the biggest reason is because of what Montreal did on Saturday night. It’s conceivable that both New England and D.C. United could flatline and leave the door open for the Reds, but all three teams directly ahead of them in the standings? Nah.

And there’s no mystery here, as what Montreal did is what Montreal does: They sat deep, they got out in space on the counterattack, and they used their dynamism to kill the Union in the open field. I sort of casually dismissed Montreal’s 3-0 win over the Red Bulls two weeks ago, as it was against a RBNY team playing their fifth game in 15 days. I will not make the same mistake of dismissing Saturday night’s 4-1 win over Philly. It was:

A come-from-behind win, and

A multi-goal win

On the road

Against a playoff team

That had been playing well

You could see Philly ease off a little bit when they took a 1-0 lead via Auston Trusty’s header. And you could see them get a little bit sloppy on the ball. And at that point, if you’re on the field, the only thing you can see is Ignacio Piatti running away from you and either creating or scoring a goal (he had a foot in all four Impact tallies and is now the King of Chester).

There is an X-factor these days for Montreal, though – one that didn’t exist in Quebec a month back:

I’m not talking about Saphir Taider, who did a nice job of sniffing out the chance to poach a rebound goal. No, I’m talking about journeyman veteran center forward Quincy Amarikwa, whose rugged work in the attacking third – selfless runs, contesting every header, hold-up play, making opposing CBs feel him for basically the full 90 minutes – has given Montreal a focal point and a bit extra ball security in the attacking third. You can play to his feet, and he can create something.

He can also get out and run on the break with the likes of Piatti and Alejandro Silva, and he draws a ton of fouls, and all of that makes a difference.

“Maybe it doesn’t show directly on the stat sheet but I feel like the guys are learning about me, and through that seeing they’re going to get a lot of opportunities off second chances and second balls,” Amarikwa said to our Dave Zeitlin. “I think Saphir does a great job to follow up my shot. That’s him anticipating it’s going to be on frame … and he’s there to put it away. It’s great to see us come together and figure it out, especially with this run into the playoffs here.”

He’s 30 years old and he’s never been a great finisher, and he’s never going to be a great finisher. But he’s a snug fit for the role Remi Garde is asking him to fill, and through two starts it’s absolutely impossible to quibble with the results.

And the defense is mostly holding up, too (another new arrival, d-mid Micheal Azira, has a lot to do with that). They’ve allowed just a single goal in five of their past six games, and while nobody’s going to confuse them for a versatile, dynamic defensive bunch, they certainly seem to have clarity as to what they’re trying to do, and as of late they’re doing it very well.

Learning to Fly

Real Salt Lake got let off the hook in a big way on Saturday against Minnesota United, 1) whose 2nd goal was correctly ruled offside, but 2) probably deserved the full three points anyway. They pretty thoroughly dominated RSL in the second half, and only their own lack of finishing (boy they could’ve used a Christian Ramirez-type!) kept it level:

#RSLvMIN xG. The Loons were dominant in the 2nd half and were one offside call from winning. pic.twitter.com/AzWxsFVU0e

— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) September 16, 2018

Via my colleague Bobby Warshaw: “Damn, RSL. All your fans wanted us to show more respect. This is why were remained hesitant. There’s still a level of naivety to their game, that creates a level of unpredictability. Yeah, they are the team that can be the most fun to watch. But they are also the team most likely to have this weekend happen to them.”

RSL head coach Mike Petke was similarly blunt:

“I’m at a little bit of a loss. In reality I didn’t see this coming and we allowed them to walk out of here with a point. All the good that these players have done in these last three games, with really going for the jugular, we just didn’t seem to have that tonight. We controlled the game still; did well against Quintero which was a main focal point considering how good he is. We didn’t finish them off when we had opportunities and even before that I think our transition was sloppy. We’ll take the point and now we have to find two points on the road, two more points than we were planning on getting.”

That naivety expressed itself via defensive recognition and an overall lack of compactness – i.e., Minnesota actually got more dangerous after subbing out an attacker (Abu Danladi) for a central midfielder (Rasmus Schuller) and starting their attacks deeper. RSL’s backline came out to meet them, the fullbacks in particular played high and a little detached from the rest of the team, and that created the types of gaps or opportunities for overloads that Darwin Quintero et al have feasted upon.

This is a hugely damaging result for the hosts, who desperately need homefield advantage in the Knockout Round. Does anybody think they could go to Seattle or Portland or LA and win a playoff game?

A few more things to ponder…

8. I’m not even sure what to say about D.C. United after the week they had. Somehow they went 1-0 down against Minnesota United on Wednesday, then rallied back for a 2-1 win. Somehow they went one-goal up three times against the Red Bulls on Sunday, but each time squandered the lead – Bradley Wright-Phillips is a legend – en route to a 3-3 draw.

Do they end the week happy? Well, I’d guess the answer is “kind of,” because they just plowed through the toughest, busiest part of their schedule (six games since August 26), one in which they were missing players via injury and international duty almost constantly, with a 2-2-2 record, which probably falls under “good enough.” They are four points back of the Impact with a game in hand, and are staring at five straight at home, then a trip to Chicago to end the season.

All those games are winnable. The biggest one is the next one, which is almost certain to be the tipping-point game in the Eastern Conference playoff race this season: Montreal’s trip to Audi Field on September 29.

7. If Colorado’s going to play the diamond, they have to get the basics right. They did not get the basics right in their 3-0 loss to Atlanta United on Saturday:

That basically ended the game, and officially ended Colorado’s season.

6. Columbus went to Frisco and played FC Dallas to a very credible scoreless draw, keeping themselves solidly in fourth place in the East.

Both of these teams have, in theory, another gear they can hit. Dallas haven’t shown it in months, though – they’re just 4-4-3 since July 4 – and Crew SC’s really does only exist “in theory.” Justin Meram’s had his moments since arrival but hasn’t entirely clicked, and on the other wing Pedro Santos continues to get into great spots then fail at turning them into end product.

Columbus have scored 35 goals in 28 games, which is the worst of any team in the playoff hunt.

Two notes from FCD:

Matt Hedges was subbed at halftime with an injury. That’s potentially huge.

Maxi Urruti was good as a No. 10 against San Jose and Houston two weeks ago, but he struggled to find the ball against Columbus, and the few times he did get on it he couldn’t do anything with it.

5. We used to talk about Sporting KC’s goalscoring woes at this time of year, but 2018 is a very, very different time. They went to San Jose and just drilled the Quakes, winning 5-1 via combination play and set pieces and 1v1s and yeah of course this throughball from Felipe Gutierrez is our Pass of the Week:

They have 54 goals through 28 games. That’s their most goals since 1997, when they scored 57 over the course of the entire season.

Sporting are now atop the West, the first time anybody’s jumped ahead of Dallas since mid-June. I feel pretty confident in saying that, for the first time since 2013, they won’t have to go on the road in the Knockout Round.

San Jose’s miserable season beats on, and the fans are calling for changes from the front office on down. It’s understandable.

4. Portland, on the other hand, might end up being out on the road during the Knockout Round as their stop-start form continued on Saturday with a 4-1 loss at Houston. The Timbers got an early lead, then kind of lost their shape, their intensity and their minds – why are you bringing your backline up at Houston? – as the Dynamo put together four unanswered by absorbing pressure, then getting out on the break.

It was a really strange game from Portland, who are now 2-5-1 since their 15-game unbeaten streak came to an end in early August.

Houston, meanwhile, ended their 10-game winless skid. It’s too late to save their season, but this rediscovery of their identity is useful in the week before they host the U.S. Open Cup final against the Union on Sept. 26.

3. Let’s stay on the “home field in the West” theme: LAFC had what should’ve been three points beaten out of them by an, um, physical Revs team in a 1-1 draw in downtown LA on Saturday night:

Effectively disrupted #LAFC, but as a neutral I really didn’t like #NERevs approach to #LAFCvNE. 27 fouls committed, nearly twice many as their #MLS leading 14.4 fouls/gm. Every time one of LAFC’s skill players had the ball in midfield, they were cynically fouled. Tough to watch. pic.twitter.com/Al7YTRQHdI

— #ThankYouDeuce (@JogaBonito_USA) September 16, 2018

It’s easier to destroy than to create, and New England have fully embraced that ethos this year even as they’ve had constant personnel turnover in goal, in defense, in midfield and up top. Truth is they had their chances to win this one, and forced LAFC to scramble like hell over the final 15 minutes of the match.

That the Revs have won just once in their last 11 games, and just five times in the past five months and are still in the hunt for the sixth spot in the East should tell you all you need to know about that race.

LAFC have five straight games in which they should be heavy favorites before finishing the season at Sporting. These were two points dropped, but don’t count them out of that top spot in the West just yet.

2. Don’t count out the Sounders, either! They weren’t great at Vancouver on Saturday night, but they picked up their post-shootout single-season record-extending ninth straight win, taking a 2-1 out of BC Place. They were able to mostly keep the ‘Caps counterattack under wraps – Seattle’s biggest strength is that they tend not to commit bad turnovers – and got some help from a very friendly post.

Seattle are seven points off of SKC’s pace atop the West, but have a game in hand (Wednesday vs. Philly) and the league’s best defense. You could make a case for them finishing atop the conference, and you could make a case for them finishing sixth. The West is a glorious mess and I love it.

1. Chicago came back from Munich and ended their nine-game winless skid with Sunday evening’s 4-0 stroll past Orlando City, who’ve now taken 5 of the last 57 points available to them.

The Purple Lions have now conceded 66 goals on the season. The league record for defensive futility is 70, set by last year’s Minnesota United expansion side.

And let’s bring it back to the top for a bonus Face of the Week, courtesy of the one and only Zlatan…

Usually other players quickly back down from confrontations with Zlatan, and he became quite angry when Michael Bradley refused to be intimidated.

Fascinating interchange between two extremely intense characters. I’d love for that to be mic’d up!#TORvLA #TFCLive #LAGalaxy #MLS pic.twitter.com/tJ8LE1ftyx

— #ThankYouDeuce (@JogaBonito_USA) September 16, 2018

They were, in fact, mic’d up after the game. Bradley said “I’m not worried about perfect. I’m not worried about Zlatan. I’m worried about three points tonight.”

Zlatan, however, gave us a hell of a quote: “He thinks he’s a philosopher of football. I have more goals than he has [played] games, so he should follow my rules.”

For the record: Bradley has 566 pro games, and Zlatan has 500 goals.

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Armchair Analyst: Zlatan's taekwongolazo can't save LA & more from Week 29 was originally published on 365 Football

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Wiebe: Eyes on the prizes - Who are the early 2018 MLS award favorites?

May 18, 20181:48PM EDT

We’re 30 percent of the way through the 2018 season – 114 of 391 games in the books – and there’s no easier way to take an easily digestible snapshot of the year so far than to handicap Major League Soccer’s award season far, far in advance.

Below are my top three candidates, a dark horse choice, my current pick for the award and a prediction for who will actually take the hardware home in November when we vote for real.

Agree? Disagree? Have your own ballot? Drop it all in the comment section below and enjoy your weekend! If you only watch one game, make it Atlanta United vs. the Red Bulls on Sunday (7 pm ET | FS1, TSN – Full TV & streaming info). Or watch them all. Your choice.

Rookie of the Year

Orlando City SC’s Chris Mueller is off to a stellar start to his MLS career | Isaiah J. Downing -USA TODAY Sports

Top 3: Chris Mueller (ORL), Alex Roldan (SEA), Corey Baird (RSL) Dark horse: Handwalla Bwana (SEA) My pick? Chris Mueller (ORL)

You only get to “borrow” celebrations if you score goals, and Mueller’s got three already while proving he can be productive at the next level after a jaw-dropping senior season at Wisconsin (9 goals, 20 assists). He’s still raw, but he’s direct and fearless. For the time being, Jason Kreis appears to prefer Mueller to Josue Colman.

Who will win: Grant Lillard (CHI)

Surprise! If Lillard isn’t on your radar, then you just haven’t been watching the Fire. He’d be in my top three, but I don’t hear much chatter about the Homegrown central defender out of Indiana, thus the switcheroo above.

Since coming back from a left knee injury, Lillard has five starts under his belt as he eases into what Chicago hope is the beginning of a long career anchoring their backline. He’ll win, because few first-year attacking players are able to sustain their production over a full season and Lillard will fill a huge hole all year long in Chicago. Consistency and impact wins out.

Newcomer of the Year

Kaku leads Major League Soccer with seven assists | Brad Penner -USA TODAY Sports

Top 3: Carlos Vela (LAFC), Ezequiel Barco (ATL), Kaku (RBNY) Dark horse: Felipe Gutierrez/Johnny Russell (SKC) My pick? Carlos Vela (LAFC)

Six goals, five assists in 10 games while leading LAFC to the best start in expansion history … and I expect him to get even better as the season goes on. More on that in a bit.

Who will win: Kaku (RBNY)

Barco is going to make a run at this one if he stays healthy, but it’ll be his countryman (errrrr, of a fashion) in New York who ends up with the honor. The Red Bulls dropped serious coin on Kaku, and their new No. 10 already has three goals and seven assists in his first eight MLS games.

Says here he’ll end the season with a double-double and somewhere around 25 goals scored and created plus a U.S. Open Cup triumph. You better believe that’s a straight-up guess. I’m sorry for cursing you, Red Bulls fans.

Defender of the Year

Jonathan Mensah has anchored the Crew SC defense | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Top 3: Michael Parkhurst (ATL), Tim Parker (RBNY), Harrison Afful (CLB) Dark horse: Jonathan Mensah (CLB)

C’mon – you knew I would get him in here after that 2017 prediction tire fire. Seriously, though, he’s been a beast. Adapting to MLS took the Ghanaian about six months. Granted, those were a tough six months …

My pick? Michael Parkhurst (ATL)

Is Parkhurst the most under-appreciated player in MLS? His career is something else – go look at the year-by-year breakdown for a lesson in consistency – and being 34-years-old doesn’t seem to have slowed him down at all. If anything, he’s even more calm and composed. Atlanta’s current dominance is a two-way street, and Parkhust’s side of the block is spick-and-span.

Who will win: Harrison Afful (CLB)

I have no idea who the defender with the most shine on them will be in the fall. That mostly depends on goals allowed and where the narratives take us. Yes, this is a bit of a cop out.

Admittedly, this is a tactic to soften up voters. Center backs get all the love, and it’s time an outside back won the award. Afful has been the best in MLS this season, and Crew SC’s story this year will revolve around Gyasi Zardes and team ethos. Afful ought to feed the former and embody the latter.

Goalkeeper of the Year

Matt Turner entered preseason as the Revs No. 3 goalkeeper and has started every game | Troy Taormina -USA TODAY Sports

Top 3: Tim Melia (SKC), Zack Steffen (CLB), Jimmy Maurer (DAL) Dark horse: Matt Turner (NE) My pick:? Tim Melia (SKC)

Turner’s been quietly excellent. Who would have thought Brad Friedel would have a feel for goalkeepers? Same for Steffen and Maurer. On a more random note, pour one out for the Impact’s Evan Bush. Poor guy has already faced 85 shots on goal, 29 more than any other ‘keeper in MLS.

My pick is still Melia. He makes the routine look routine and has a knack for the spectacular when the game demands it.

Who will win: Tim Melia (SKC)

You thought that Sporting KC backline had lost a step, huh? Yeah, nahhhhh. Melia and the boys appreciated your concern, but they’re back to piling up shutouts and wins. Same as it ever was. That means a back-to-back for Melia. He’ll have earned it.

Coach of the Year

Bob Bradley has LAFC firing on all cylinders | Kirby Lee -USA TODAY Sports

Top 3: Tata Martino (ATL), Peter Vermes (SKC), Bob Bradley (LAFC) Dark horse: Brad Friedel (NE) My pick? Bob Bradley (LAFC)

Best start in expansion history, a smidgen better than the 1998 Chicago Fire, who were coached by … you guessed it. All those questions we had about LAFC? Answered, and now they’re reloading with even more talent. It’s nice to see a Bradley team play week-to-week again.

Who will win: Tata Martino (ATL)

LAFC are going to be finish third in the Western Conference, an expansion season that gets mentioned in the record books, but Atlanta United run away with the Supporters’ Shield, challenging the all-time points per game mark (2.13; LA Galaxy, 1998). For that sort of dominance, the Argentine gets his just reward.

Most Valuable Player

A healthy Mauro Diaz is back to his influential self with FC Dallas | Kevin Jairaj -USA TODAY Sports

Top 3: Bradley Wright-Phillips (RBNY), Carlos Vela (LAFC), Miguel Almiron (ATL) Dark horse: Mauro Diaz (DAL) My pick? Miguel Almiron (ATL)

I remain baffled by the fact that Almiron often finds himself in enough space to turn and run at opposing backlines. Mark that man! Or don’t, because when the Paraguayan turns and runs, there’s no better viewing in MLS. He’s the best player for the best team in the league. Depending on your taste, he’s the best player in the league. That = MVP. Just ask Martino.

Asked if Almiron is #mls mvp one-third of way through season, Martino said absolutely.

— Doug Roberson (@DougRobersonAJC) May 18, 2018

For the record, I love BWP. He’s having a magnificent season that I expect will be indicative of his entire campaign. Please hold your outrage.

Who will win: Carlos Vela (LAFC)

Almiron hasn’t been shy about his European ambitions, and clubs are going to be beating the door down this summer, testing the resolve of Atlanta United – and perhaps more importantly – the player and his representation. The Five Stripes aren’t afraid to cash in (see Carlos Carmona), but moving Almiron midseason with the Shield, USOC, MLS Cup and a Concacaf Champions League berth at stake would be surprising (and require a whole lot of coin).

For the sake of this column, they sell. Too much money, time to reinforce in the transfer window and a stacked squad that picks up the slack to win the club’s first silverware.

That means Vela is your Landon Donovan MLS MVP, the most dominant singular attacking force in the league. The Mexico international comes back from the World Cup, gets a quick breather to jell with the team’s new faces and then eviscerates all comers through October as LAFC grab a home playoff date in Year 1.

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Wiebe: Eyes on the prizes – Who are the early 2018 MLS award favorites? was originally published on 365 Football

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