It’s a staple move in playground games the world over. As the ringing of the bell approaches, regardless of the score, one kid will inevitably call out, “Next goal wins!” And strangely, all parties will almost always agree. After all, who doesn’t love a classic, last-minute buzzer-beater, even at the cost of erasing the scoreline?  This is a little like the state of Major League Soccer as we approach week 32. After DC United and the Vancouver Whitecaps seemed to take a steady, if at times wobbly lead atop their respective conferences throughout the summer months, we now seem to be back at square one. In the East, four different teams – the New England Revolution, the Columbus Crew, the New York Red Bulls and DCU – have enjoyed sometimes very brief stints at the top in recent weeks as the erstwhile leaders have gone five games without a win.  Meanwhile in the West, the Seattle Sounders have roared back from the dead, beating Cascadia rivals Vancouver twice, once in MLS and and once in the Concacaf Champions League. Now five of the six teams above the red line are within touching distance of top spot and the Supporters Shield. Only FC Dallas, with two additional games in hand, appear to have any kind of edge.  Perhaps this is simply what MLS’s single-entity driven competitive parity looks like in practice, but it’s not clear this is what most fans mean when they use the term. For many, ‘parity’ means their team will get a shot at glory one day, not all at the same time in the same season, after seven months of play no less. Which model is more exciting is in the eye of the beholder, but to paraphrase David Mitchell, there’s still everything to play for in MLS and seemingly forever to play it in.  Most MLS defenses knew that Montreal Impact’s Didier Drogba, even at 37, would be no pushover in the penalty box. Few, however, likely expected he would be allowed to get away with yanking opposition centre-halves to the ground.  That’s what appeared to have happened this past Wednesday when Drogba scored his fifth goal in five appearances for L’Impact, a “free header” that followed the Chicago Fire’s Jeff Larentowicz getting hauled on the floor. As Arsenal fans are all too well aware, referees are not omniscient (what fun would that be?) so the goal was allowed to stand; Montreal went on to win 2-1, and have now gone five games straight without a loss, their longest streak of the season.  It’s been that kind of September for the Impact, who now join the ranks of several MLS clubs with Designated Players whom several conspiracy-minded fans believe enjoy an unfair advantage. This weekend they’ll face DC United, a team that on July 3 were 17 points ahead of them in the Eastern Conference. After a reversal of fortune for both sides – DC United are now winless in its last five, with four losses – that lead has been cut to six, aand that could be erased by Montreal’s two games in hand.  The last time the two teams met at Stade Saputo, in early August, Montreal peppered Bill Hamid’s goal only for DC to score with their only shot on target. A repeat of that feat with Drogba up front is unlikely to produce the same result.  Sporting Kansas City are the poster team for the 2015 MLS season: astonishingly good one week, dreadful the next. Their latest match, a shock 1-0 loss to a 10-man Houston Dynamo, was described by SKC head coach Peter Vermes as “horrific.”  “We had very, very poor movement on the ball,” Vermes went on to add, sounding more like a disgruntled fan than a coach. “Very few guys wanted the ball. Our solution was just to whack it forward.”  Even odder is how it followed a thoroughly dominant home win the previous Friday against FC Dallas, which featured a brace for star player Benny Feilhaber, putting him on 10 goals this season to match his 10 assists. By contrast, Feilhaber’s only notable contribution against Houston involved picking up his fifth yellow card, which means he’ll be suspended (along with Matt Besler) when the team hosts the resurgent Seattle Sounders this weekend.  Vermes knows better than anyone that punting it long against a healthy Seattle side with Deuce and Oba back in form isn’t going to work; what is less certain is how the team will find its way without one of its most influential players. With the US Open Cup final against the Philadelphia Union less than a week away, Vermes and Sporting will need to find an answer to keep the team confident.  Of course, Sporting are not the only inconsistent team in MLS. The LA Galaxy have been scoreless in their last three league outings, despite a frontline that, prior to their portentous 1-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on August 28, managed to lead the league in scoring with 49 goals, a total that a few other teams have equalled but not surpassed.  Even so, head coach Bruce Arena – who was recently honoured by the advocacy group Courage Campaign for convincing Robbie Rogers to join the Galaxy after announcing his retirement – doesn’t sound panicked. After LA’s 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend, Arena pointed to some positives. “I thought we did a good job of winning balls and having some opportunities to counter [in the first half], and our passing was poor,” he said.  Arena is a veteran coach and knows that that despite the heavy traffic at the top of the West, championship teams will always suffer a few bumps along the way. A loss against FC Dallas in October last season, for example, cost the team the Supporters’ Shield. That’s the team they’ll face this Sunday, with whom they are tied on points with two more games played. LA will bank on their home form to end their 270 minute MLS scoring drought, and any questions of an autumn slump.  In truth, it started a long time ago, but as the gap near the red playoff line widens – particularly in the Eastern Conference – this weekend presents several teams with their the first of their remaining chance to slip through the closing gates.  Orlando City SC face an uphill task in getting a result against the New York Red Bulls, but an unlikely win would keep them on the heels of Toronto FC, whose own post-season future is far from assured. New York City FC could add to the pressure if they, too, find a miracle away against the uneven Vancouver Whitecaps. Even the Union aren’t fully out of the hunt, though they’ll be understandably more concerned with the upcoming US Open Cup final than beating the New England Revolution.  In the West, meanwhile, the San Jose Earthquakes can vault back into the playoff picture against Real Salt Lake, while the Portland Timbers can get ward off competitors with a win against the Columbus Crew.  Tall orders all, of course, but this is MLS.
Week 32, and it feels like we’re back to square one; Montreal take on DC United; Sporting KC and their topsy-turvy season; LA Galaxy look for goals