MLS Western Conference: Pedro de la Vega's role, contenders stumble & more on each team

Welcome back our two-part weekly MLS column here at Backheeled, where we break down all 29 teams in the league.

I’ve got the West. Ben Wright’s got the East. LAFC still haven’t quite figured out what happened against the Crew on Saturday night. Let’s chat about the latest for each Western Conference squad, shall we?

To read up on the East, check out Ben’s rundown.

MLS Eastern Conference: Chaos in the Shield race, big changes in Toronto & more on each team

We’re dissecting every MLS team in the Eastern Conference.

BackheeledBen Wright

Austin FC

Result: 1-0 loss vs. Seattle Sounders

Do I get the timing behind the “Josh Wolff out” banner that was flown above Q2 Stadium on Saturday given Austin FC had picked up results in three of their four games (2W-1D-1L) prior to their meeting with Seattle? No, not really. But do I think Wolff has meaningfully elevated Austin’s squad during his time as the club’s first and only head coach? No, not really. And is it funny that “Wolff out” was misspelled as “Wolf out”? Yes, yes it is.

So, on balance, I’m calling this whole fiasco a win for the neutral:

Despite a few positive results heading into this weekend, one thing has been very clear about Austin FC for all 23 of their regular season games this year: they’re holding on for dear life ahead of the summer transfer window. 

They’ve been operating at a talent deficit relative to most teams, they don’t create chances, and they don’t have central midfielders or central defenders who can reliably defend in space. As a result of those things, Austin are prone to poor, lifeless attacking outings that feature at least one soul-crushing defensive lapse that leave them empty-handed at the end of 90 minutes. That’s exactly what happened against the Sounders.

With just one more game until sporting director Rodolfo Borrell’s reinforcements are eligible to debut, Austin FC can almost taste the relief heading their way. Taste wasn’t enough to earn even a point at home this weekend, though, where they were the second-best team on their home field.

Colorado Rapids

Result: 1-1 draw vs. New York Red Bulls

In one corner of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, we had the fourth-place team in the Western Conference. In another corner of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, we had the fourth-place team in the Eastern Conference. 

Both teams — the Colorado Rapids and the New York Red Bulls — more closely resemble the teams below them in the table rather than the Supporters’ Shield contenders above them.

And both teams — despite their Red Bull influence — more closely resemble mid-block defensive outfits than high pressing ones. To my eye, Chris Armas has prioritized defensive solidity in his 4-4-2 block that can occasionally shift into full-on pressing mode over a steady stream of defensive interventions high up the field. According to Opta, they’re in the middle third of MLS teams based on pressing frequency this year.

Really, the things that Armas has prioritized (or, maybe the things his team has picked up on the quickest) are Colorado’s attacking principles in the final third. It’s not about width and expansive soccer for the Rapids. No, it’s all about overloading the central vertical strips of the field to overwhelm the opposing center backs and force them into making mistakes like this one: