This article is part of our MLS Barometer series.
Three Up
Justin Meram
After serving a suspension for 2014 yellow card accumulation in Week 1, Meram returned to the Columbus lineup firing on all cylinders. He took advantage of Toronto's unfortunate red card to the tune of seven shots, one goal, and nearly another on a chip that hit the crossbar following a dynamic run down the sideline. Meram spent part of the winter playing for Iraq in the Asian Cup, an experience which seems to have galvanized him for this season with Columbus. Meram will be motivated to continue playing well since the Columbus midfield is crowded. Along with the usual mainstays Federico Higuain, Will Trapp, and Mohammed Saeid put in a good shift in his debut. Kristinn Steindorsson, who started the first game and subbed on in the second match, deserves time as well, not to mention defensive midfielder Tony Tchani. The Crew are emerging as one of the best groups in Major League Soccer and have room to get even better both offensively and defensively. Meram looks like he will be a bigger part of that than expected, whether it's as part of a rotation or not.
Blas Perez
Through two weeks, "Super Raton" has looked as clinical as any striker in the league. Against an always sound Sporting Kansas City defense, Perez netted two goals, one for each horn (ok...pointed finger) in his famous scoring celebration. In the past, the FC Dallas veteran has been known as a streaky scorer, but it's hard to imagine him going quiet for a long stretch with this supporting cast. Fabian Castillo, Mauro Diaz and Tesho Akindele are three very different players who force the defense to be ready for any sort of attack. While they lay back to defend against the speed of Castillo, Perez has wisely found pockets of space and wait for his opportunity. While they keep one eye on the creative Diaz, or the powerful Akindele, Perez is ready. Like Columbus, other complimentary talent abounds too. His finishing won't always look smooth, but Perez gets the job done better than most. With as good a team around him as ever, that might mean a career total in goals for the 34-year old.
Innocent Emeghara
San Jose went into Seattle and took three points that nobody gave them a shot at. A large part of the credit goes to the ever-reliable Chris Wondolowski, who had a stellar match, but the other rising star in this offense looks to be Emeghara. Largely an unknown heading into the year, and on a team expected to be sub-par, most didn't buy into Emeghara's chances. MLS teams have seen too many players boasting speed come into the league, and exit shortly thereafter having not shown much else. Emeghara looks to be more than just speed, after an eye-catching performance that saw him make USMNT veteran Brad Evans look foolish. Matias Perez Garcia is capable of being a great attacking midfielder in this league, and rookie Abdul-Fatai Alashe might just be the ball-winner that they were desperately lacking. While San Jose probably can't execute like this one a regular basis, they played a solid game against FC Dallas in Week 1 too, and are earning more respect around the league. Fans of the Earthquakes may find their team achieving more than they hoped for at the start of the year, especially if their wild-card Emeghara can continue to flash like this regularly.
Three Down
Brad Davis
Davis garners more admiration in Houston than almost any other MLS player among any other fan base, which is why these first two games have been so disappointing for Dynamo fans. Owning a golden left-foot, and a keen mind for building an attack, Davis is expected to patrol the Dynamo wing. He is the proven, reliable engine that makes this offense tick. On Friday, seven Dynamo players touched the ball more often than Davis and only one of his nine crosses were accurate. So what's the deal here? At 33 years old, Davis might be slowing down, but he is a true professional that wouldn't enter a season out of shape. A suffocating new system isn't to blame, as new manager Owen Coyle has placed a focus on allowing his players to be more creative on the ball. While Orlando City is a formidable group, they were playing in just their second game and can't be considered a dominant opponent. Thus, the most probable explanation is simply that Davis is shaking off the rust, and the team is still finding their footing under Coyle. Regardless, the team isn't in good form and until Cubo Torres joins in the summer, they are lacking an effective forward. Will Bruin hasn't been the answer for over a season, and Giles Barnes isn't the main target Houston needs. This past week, they even tried to use Oscar Boniek Garcia out of position at the forward spot. With more questions than answers in Houston's young season, it appears that Davis will have to dig himself out of this rut rather than be lifted by his teammates.
Brad Evans
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but can Sigi Schmid teach Evans to play centerback? The 'en vogue' thing for players on the fringes of the US National Team midfield seems to be moving to the defense. Jermaine Jones hasn't transitioned as well as hoped, and Brek Shea is still a work in progress. Evans appears to be just as far behind the learning curve through two matches. Seattle elected not to get a partner for Chad Marshall in the middle of the defense this offseason, and instead opted for the smart and versatile veteran. While his positioning has looked fairly good, his instincts aren't up to speed. It's apparent that Evans isn't used to being the last defender, and San Jose exposed him with a nifty give and go this past Sunday. The transition would be much easier if Seattle wasn't missing midfield disruptor Ozzie Alonso. Eventually, Evans and the Sounders should settle into their new look and challenge for trophies, but the adjustment period may be longer than originally anticipated.
Diego Fagundez
Lee Nyugen's injury to start the season created a great opportunity for the promising young Uruguayan. After a 2013 season that included a team-leading 13 goals and Revolution MVP as voted by the fans at the early age of 18, Fagundez took a step back in 2014. Things were looking up entering this year, though, after a stint with the Uruguayan U20s and a reunion with striker Juan Agudelo. Now, Nguyen has returned, and Fagundez is once again on the fringe of the New England midfield. It's too early to write him off, but three shots, one cross, and one key pass are all disappointing thus far. He still struggles defensively, and has completed under 70 percent of his attempted passes. The "wow factor" that was there as a high school-aged kid taking MLS by storm has long faded, and rather than showing the world his game has matured, Fagundez has left everybody wondering when it will all come together. If the switch comes on this season, and New England can incorporate Fagundez into a team boasting Nguyen, Jermaine Jones, and Agudelo, we could see another special season. If not, the fact that such high expectations are being heaped onto Fagundez at such a young age is nothing but a good sign of his promising future.
