MLS teams we're buying, selling! Plus: how did St. Louis get so good? | MLS Update
The Total Soccer Show hosts discuss St. Louis City's impressive 16-game unbeaten streak and their tactical innovations using a 3-diamond-3 formation, while also evaluating MLS Cup contenders like Philadelphia Union, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Nashville SC, and identifying teams to buy or sell based on recent performances.
Summary
The episode opens with a detailed analysis of St. Louis City's remarkable success this season, highlighting their 16-game unbeaten streak in league play and qualification for the U.S. Open Cup final. The hosts explain St. Louis's unique tactical approach: a 3-4-3 formation featuring a diamond midfield with a single pivot (Chris Durkin), two number eights, and a number 10, which creates numerical advantages in the attacking third. This flexibility allows players like Conrad Volum to shift between wingback and midfield roles, continuously disorganizing opposing defenses. Joe emphasizes that St. Louis isn't compromising defensive stability for attacking prowess, posting the 8th best expected goals for while maintaining 5th in expected goals against. The team benefits from selfless, collective play rather than star-dependent tactics, with recent additions like Hafta Navarro complementing existing talent like Alex Matan.
The discussion then pivots to MLS Cup contenders. Jeff Reuter argues for Philadelphia Union as a serious contender, noting their dominant field tilt (60% since World Cup break), direct attacking approach, and improved shot accuracy and positioning. He credits Kevin Sullivan and Frankie Westfield's progressive passing abilities as key differentiators. Joe counters with Colorado Rapids as an underrated buy, praising Morgan Whitaker's immediate impact after his $10.7 million transfer from Middlesbrough, claiming he could become an MLS best-11 player. Taylor rounds out the buying segment with Orlando City, highlighting Antoine Griezmann's unpredictability and elite status as the league's second-best player behind Messi.
For teams being sold, Joe expresses skepticism about Houston Dynamo despite their second-place standing, arguing their attacking depth doesn't match their defensive quality and questioning whether they can survive in modern MLS with only strong defense. He also mentions San Jose as an honorable mention. Jeff sells Inter Miami, emphasizing their defensive vulnerabilities in transition, inconsistent midfield play since losing Jordi Alba, and reliance on Messi without proper supporting structure. He notes their four consecutive draws at home suggest they're unable to convert draws into wins come playoff time. Jeff also mentions Nashville as Miami's potential 'final boss' in postseason. Taylor sells Montreal and expresses skepticism about FC Dallas and Austin despite strong recent form, attributing his doubts partly to regional bias.
The episode analyzes recent standout performances, particularly Nashville SC's 3-0 demolition of Chicago, praising their tactical fluidity and coordination on the right side between Andy Nahar, Espinosa, and Yazbek. Joe positions BJ Callahan and Yohan Demay as primary coach-of-the-year contenders, with Demay having created something tactically unprecedented in MLS. Vancouver Whitecaps receive praise for their depth and attacking options, with new signings like Yadili Diaby fitting seamlessly. Finally, Kansas City Sporting's acquisition of Andre Luiz is highlighted as transformative—despite the team's overall weakness, Luiz's physical gifts, technical ability, and already-impressive goal contributions against top teams (Dallas, LAFC, Philadelphia) suggest he could become an exceptional MLS player and potentially save Kansas City from the wooden spoon.
About this episode
<p>Taylor is joined by Jeff and Joe to dive into all things MLS! We discuss St. Louis City's jaw-dropping rise, examine teams you should believe in, question teams worth doubting, and look back at the weekend that was!</p><br /><p><strong>JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/totalsoccershow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Check out our Patreon</a>, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, videos, The TSS Scouting Network, and much more.</p><br /><p><strong>WATCH TSS EPISODES ON YOUTUBE!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Total-Soccer-Show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We're posting all our episodes here</a>! Smash like and subscribe etc.!</p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Key Insights
- St. Louis City uses a 3-diamond-3 formation that creates numerical advantages in possession by using a single pivot with two number eights and a number 10, continuously disorganizing opposing defenses through positional flexibility.
- St. Louis maintains defensive solidity while overloading attack, posting 8th best expected goals for and 5th in expected goals against, contradicting the typical trade-off between attacking and defensive performance.
- Philadelphia Union have improved their ability to tilt the field in their favor since the World Cup break, achieving 60% field tilt and becoming the most direct attacking team in MLS during this period.
- Philadelphia Union's success stems partly from improved shot accuracy and positioning, turning buildup play into good attacking looks more consistently than under previous coaching regimes.
- Nashville SC's right-side coordination between Nahar, Espinosa, and Yazbek represents a level of tactical understanding comparable to St. Louis City, the league's most tactically innovative team.
- Nashville SC struggled with shot accuracy after the World Cup break, with on-target rates declining from 38-57% in early season to 24-38% in July-September, suggesting potential vulnerability despite dominant play.
- Inter Miami have shifted to a 50-50 possession proposition since the World Cup break rather than controlling games, failing to maximize Messi's threat by not keeping the ball in attacking areas frequently enough.
- Inter Miami's decision to trade Noah Allen and injury issues to Sergio Reguilon and Mikael Silvetti have forced Casemiro into center back play, removing optimal attacking thrust from outside backs compared to last season.
- Vancouver Whitecaps adapted their attacking approach after losing Sebastian Berhalter by having fullbacks become primary possession-touch earners (Ocampo and Tate Johnson), allowing central areas to open for White and Müller.
- Andre Luiz's physical gifts combined with technical attacking ability and 1v1 skill represent an unprecedented player profile for MLS, as demonstrated by his immediate impact against Dallas, LAFC, and Philadelphia.
- Kansas City's acquisition of Andre Luiz provides genuine optimism for a historically weak team, as his performances against quality opponents suggest he could be transformative despite the team's overall struggles.
- Multiple MLS teams feel a homogenous tactical approach is emerging post-World Cup break, with fewer disparate ways of playing compared to earlier in the season, creating a 'mushy middle' in the playoff field.
Topics
Transcript
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