Boss’ Breakdown – Round 19

After the midseason wildcard frenzy, MLS Round 19 didn’t disappoint with many goals and of course, red cards! If you missed anything, here are the take-aways from each match!

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Los Angeles Galaxy (1) – (0) Houston Dynamo

MOTM – Steven Gerrard ($10.5) 9pts
Stevie-G delivered on the midseason wildcard hype tallying 9pts. He’s been getting starts and producing over 8pts a match in his last 4. If he can stay healthy, he’s worth a look.

WATCHLIST – Brian Rowe ($5.1) 9pts
Rowe has been producing at a steady rate and at 0.4 cheaper than Steres, he’s the cheapest route into LA’s stout defense.

Columbus Crew (1) – (1) D.C. United

MOTM – Ola Kamara ($8.7) 7pts
Ola can’t stop scoring, its that simple. Even better, his current price tag allows you to run 4 top-tier mids along with 3 up front!

WATCHLIST – Harrison Afful ($7.4) 3pts
An awful red card call ruined the chances of another stellar output by Harrison. I expect the red card to be overturned, but for the latest be sure to follow @MLSInjuryNews!

Colorado Rapids (1) – (0) Sporting Kansas City

MOTM – Tim Howard ($6.2) 8pts
Howard slotted into the leagues best defense to no adverse effect. He’s averaging 7pts a match so if you’re in the market for a “set and forget” type GK, he’s your man.

WATCHLIST – Axel Sjoberg ($6.2) 8pts
Axel continues to provide the points and while he’s not so cheap anymore, he’s definitely worth a shout with his form at 7.4 pts per match.

FC Dallas (3) – (1) Chicago Fire

MOTM – Fabian Castillo ($11.2) 11pts
Castillo was on a whole different level Saturday night, torching Chicago for both a goal and an assist. If you didn’t see his rabona, do yourself a favor and look that one up!

WATCHLIST – Walker Zimmerman ($6.6) 0pts
Word from the team is that Zimmerman was given a game to rest. Be sure to check with @MLSInjuryNews for the latest.

Real Salt Lake (0) – (0) New England Revolution

MOTM – Is this possible in a 0-0 draw? I think not!

WATCHLIST – Justen Glad ($4.9) 9pts
Glad is dirt cheap and if RSL can get back to their defensive mindset, he’s a must have for rotational plays alone!

Vancouver Whitecaps (2) – (2) Orlando City SC

MOTM – Julio Baptista ($7.6) 9pts
The Beast earned a rare start and if not for a missed penalty, could have had a game approaching 20pts. Look for those numbers to continue when his old friend Kaka returns from injury.

WATCHLIST – Luke Boden ($5.5) 7pts
Boden has continued his involvement in the offense so if you’re on the look for a cheap defender who has a chance at assists/bonus, look no further!

San Jose Earthquakes (2) – (1) Toronto FC

MOTM – Justin Morrow  ($7.9) 8pts
Morrow once again reached the back of the net scoring his 3rd goal in hist last 5 matches. He’s been doing this from the left back position, its time the FMLS fantasy community took notice.

WATCHLIST – Alex Bono ($4.5) 2pts
A nice pickup on the wildcard as a starting/backup GK, Bono didn’t exactly cover himself in glory so his starting spot might be in jeopardy.

Portland Timbers (3) – (1) Seattle Sounders

MOTM – Diego Valeri ($11.2) 15pts
Valeri missed three matches and it looks as though he’s dead-set on getting those points he missed out on straight away. LA up next, expect more goals/etc!

WATCHLIST – Lucas Melano ($8.9) 9pts
Melano looked dangerous while Valeri was out injured and finally delivered when his country-mate returned. 2 assists in this match and many more attacking returns are in the near future.

Montreal Impact (1) – (3) New York City FC

MOTM – Frank Lampard ($10.5) 7pts
Lampard once again (kinda) scored, making that 3 in 3. His form is at 7.7pts per match and with another NY Derby coming up in Round 20, expect more to come.

WATCHLIST – Jack Harrison ($5.8) 7pts
Harrison’s tricky feet are at it again! If you’re looking for a 5th mid that can cover the random rotation, which is all to common in MLS, Harrison isn’t too much of a jump from the assumed 4.0 scrub on your bench.

Philadelphia Union (x) – (x) New York Red Bulls

MOTM – Sacha Kljestan ($12.2) 14pts
Sacha has been pretty hit and miss this year but he didn’t miss today. Slotting home a pass from BWP and sneaking in a set piece to the tune of 14 points.

WATCHLIST – Chris Pontius ($7.4) 10pts
Party-boy Pontius was having a field day along the left flank running around everyone in front of him. He was always involved and looked dangerous throughout leading up to his goal. The $7.4 price tag enables movement of funds elsewhere, which might be of concern in the upcoming rounds.