By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Welcome to Footnotes, FOX Sports’ new weekly MLS column that will take you inside the major talking points around the league and provide insight across all of American soccer.

This debut edition starts out West, where the Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City will vie for the top spot in the conference in a marquee matchup Sunday night (7 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app).

The Sounders are coming off a gut-churning 3-2 loss to Mexican club Leon Wednesday in the Leagues Cup final. 

Cristian Roldan opened the scoring for Seattle against Leon. Roldan’s profile is growing; he played key minutes off the bench in all three of the USMNT’s World Cup qualifiers earlier this month.

“He’s got so many talents, it’s not a surprise that people are starting to see all the attributes Cristian has,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. “I used to watch that kid at trainings when he was still in college [at the University of Washington]. I told [Sounders GM] Garth Lagerwey we had to get him, because he had what it takes. It’s not just this year. We knew what we had in Cristian all along.”

After the loss to Leon, the Sounders flew home to Seattle from Las Vegas, landing around about 2 a.m. local time. On Friday, they’ll travel to Kansas for Sunday’s match against SKC.

Meanwhile, Kansas City hasn’t played since beating the Minnesota United 4-0 on Sept. 15. 

“Advantage to them,” Schmetzer told FOX Sports Thursday after grabbing a few hours of sleep. “It was an emotional loss yesterday.”

Not surprisingly, SKC manager/sporting director Peter Vermes isn’t counting the three points just yet. 

“We don’t take anybody for granted,” said Vermes, the longest tenured coach in MLS. “Seattle’s a great team. Their players compete. We have a tremendous amount of respect for them because of the way they go about their business every day.”

There are a lot of similarities between the clubs — they’re two of the best-run, most consistently successful organizations in MLS.

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Vermes has led SKC since 2009. Sounders boss (and Seattle native) Schmetzer coached the club before it entered MLS that year. He was Seattle’s lead assistant from 2009-16, and he’s won two MLS Cups (and two runner-up medals) since returning to the helm. 

Vermes and Schmetzer set the tone for their teams — and not just because they’re among the few coaches who still wear suits on the sidelines.

“Stability is one of the factors,” Schmetzer said. “Over the years, both organizations have been focused on winning and putting out a quality product.”

That stability extends to the locker room. 

“We stay very consistent with the players here,” said SKC veteran Roger Espinoza, Sporting’s most senior player along with Graham Zusi. “Guys have been in the league for a long time, and the young guys just follow their lead. That’s what creates a culture. Continuity in the team has given this club the reputation it has.”

Still, roster turnover is inevitable in professional sports — and not just from year to year. SKC sold rising 19-year-old U.S. men’s national team midfielder Gianluca Busio to Italian club Venezia midway through this season, opening up a lineup spot for 20-year-old Cameron Duke. 

But Vermes’ high-pressing style has remained mostly intact for a decade.

“There have been changes, but at the same time there’s no changes,” Espinoza said of the team’s style. “The way we play, we never get away from that because it’s ingrained in the club.”

FOOTNOTES

1. Espinoza passes on chance to return to national team

It was strange not to see Espinoza on the field for Honduras in the Americans’ 4-1 victory in San Pedro Sula earlier this month. The 34-year-old, who repped Los Catrachos at the 2008 Olympics and in the 2010 and ’14 World Cups, retired from his national team two years ago. That didn’t stop Honduras coach Fabian Coito from trying to lure Espinoza back before this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“I’d love to be there, but you get to an age where it’s very tough,” Espinoza said. “I don’t run the same; I don’t recover the same. So that’s very difficult for me. I have to take care of my body now. It would be disrespectful to go to Honduras and not give all I have.

“I achieved all the dreams that I wanted to with the national team,” he added. “I just want to concentrate on Kansas City now.”

2. Raucous night in New Jersey

Referee Ismail Elfath took a lot of criticism for his late penalty kick call against New York City in the dying minutes of Wednesday’s Hudson River Derby at Red Bull Arena. It looked as though the ball hit Maxime Chanot in the torso before deflecting onto his outstretched arm, but Elfath pointed to the spot after seeing the replay.

But imagine if the exact same play had happened in a grudge match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, Boca and River, Rangers and Celtic. More often than not, the home team is getting the penalty in that situation.

Nobody is saying the crowd influenced Elfath’s call. But the atmosphere (on TV anyway) was really good in New Jersey, a welcome change from recent Red Bulls games. Then again, given how often NYCFC has had to play in Harrison over the last couple years because Yankee Stadium wasn’t available, this felt like a home match for both teams.

To that point, pretty sure that wasn’t a “Forza Red Bulls” chant that rang out during the match, given the number of blue-clad fans in the stands.

What’s better than a rivalry game? Back-to-back rivalry games. Wednesday’s drama in New Jersey guarantees there will be plenty more of it during Saturday’s rematch in the Bronx.

3. MLS at the forefront on concussion protocol 

You can agree or disagree with Elfath’s penalty call. You can definitely disagree with the Charmin-soft red card shown to NYC’s Keaton Parks for a tackle on Dru Yearwood. But Elfath deserves credit for immediately stopping the contest when the Pigeons’ James Sands collided with teammate Alexander Callens. A team doctor checked Sands for signs of concussion before the USMNT up-and-comer was allowed to continue. 

MLS has been a leader on head injuries for years. Had Sands been forced to come out, NYCFC had substitutions available, but it wouldn’t have mattered. The league is participating in FIFA’s concussion substitute pilot program, which allows teams up to two concussion subs per game regardless of how many regular ones they’ve already made. It’s something most of Europe’s major circuits aren’t doing. England’s Premier League is the notable exception.

4. A look into the future

A few minutes before the penalty call, it was fun to watch understandably frustrated 18-year-old Red Bulls prospect Caden Clark go at it with Sands. Clark is a gamer. He and Sands will surely be USMNT teammates in the years ahead. 

5. What happens in Vegas? Leagues start franchises

Bet on Las Vegas getting an MLS expansion team in the next five years. I swear I wrote that sentence before MLS commissioner Don Garber basically told ESPN the same thing Wednesday during the Leagues Cup decider. “This is a great sports market,” said Garber, who is well aware of the NFL’s and NHL’s successful ventures in Vegas. “It’s going to be a great soccer market and great MLS market.”

Speaking of Sin City, I heard a deliciously juicy rumor that FIFA’s annual Club World Cup, which was moved out of Japan because of COVID concerns, could be headed to Las Vegas in mid-December. The Raiders happen to be out of town both weekends, so in theory Allegiant Stadium could be available. But after checking in with a bunch of sources who would know, it doesn’t sound like it’s happening. Not this year, anyway. (I’m told Doha is the likely destination.)

6. Revs on a roll

The New England Revolution became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 3-2 win in Chicago Wednesday, with MLS MVP frontrunner Carles Gil scoring a stoppage time winner:

Revs boss Bruce Arena will win the Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year award unless New England somehow blows its 13-point lead in the race for the Supporters Shield as regular season champs. (It won’t.) It would be the former USMNT manager’s fourth Coach of the Year award, with three different clubs.

Arena’s a lock, but Schmetzer, Vermes and Nashville’s Gary Smith would all be deserving finalists. 

7. Hello, my name is … 

Another deserving candidate for Coach of the Year is CF Montreal manager Wilfried Nancy. He’s relatively unknown south of the Canadian border. But after replacing Thierry Henry, who stepped down just seven weeks before the 2021 campaign, Nancy has kept a team nobody outside of Quebec thought would make the playoffs well-positioned for a postseason berth all year.

Montreal remains in the hunt for the Canadian Championship after coming back to beat Halifax 3-1 on Wednesday. Ballou Tabla netted the winner and the stoppage-time insurance strike. Here’s hoping it’s a sign of more to come from Tabla, a homegrown product who was sold to Barcelona in 2018 but returned to Montreal last year. Tabla, whose Barca contract included a $29 million buyout clause, is still just 22.

8. Listen Up

Former MLS midfielder Bobby Warshaw continues to glean some fascinating insight from USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, whom he regularly interviews on U.S. Soccer’s podcast. Props also to Berhalter for his willingness to open up.

9. Not the retiring kind?

It’s weird seeing anyone other than Lionel Messi wearing No. 10 for Barcelona, isn’t it? Did you know that no Galaxy player has worn No. 23 since David Beckham left Los Angeles almost a decade ago?

Beckham’s number was never formally retired, but maybe it should be. It’s fine to borrow traditions from other North American sports leagues. It really is.

Besides, the idea that soccer doesn’t do retired numbers just isn’t true. Napoli retired Diego Maradona’s No. 10 more than 20 years ago. As far as I know, the only numbers in MLS history to be officially retired are Cobi Jones’ No. 13 by the Galaxy and Jason Kreis’ No. 9 by Real Salt Lake. (Mauro Biello’s No. 20 is retired in Montreal and Clive Charles’ No. 3 in Portland, but neither played in MLS.) RSL’s new owners should hang Kyle Beckerman’s No. 5 and Nick Rimando’s No. 18 right alongside it.

10. The Leagues Cup runneth over

The expansion of the Leagues Cup into a month-long, World Cup-style tournament featuring all MLS and Liga MX clubs was perhaps the biggest news around MLS this week. I found Liga MX president Mikel Arriola’s comments Wednesday on the growing collaboration between the circuits particularly interesting. 

“The model of MLS is one of the best models in the world,” Arriola said. “MLS has been growing 20% a year, and MLS has a very specific, efficient and effective model of governance. They have an equilibrium in their finances, and they also have economic control of their teams.”

Garber confirmed Wednesday that the new tourney won’t reduce the number of regular-season MLS games from the current 34 per team. Spare a thought for the schedule maker.

11. United they stand

The hottest team in MLS right now is Atlanta United, which, under new coach Gonzalo Pineda, has started to look more like the all-out attacking side that won a title under current Mexico coach Tata Martino in 2018.

Atlanta has the best record in the league over its past eight games, but Pineda wasn’t the Five Stripes’ first choice. The former Sounders assistant probably wasn’t even their second. But he might be the perfect person for the job, according to Schmetzer.

“They’ve tried it with big-name coaches — Tata obviously was a success but the next two weren’t quite as successful,” he said, referencing Frank de Boer and Gabriel Heinze.

“Gonzo is a great coach and a great person,” Schmetzer continued. “He’s organized, and he has immediate street cred. He’s been an international for Mexico; he’s played at the highest levels. He can relate to the players in Atlanta. I’m so pleased for him. He was always going to get a job. He was going to be someone’s first choice eventually.”

One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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