This article is part of our MLS Barometer series.
Three Up
Stefan Ishizaki
There were big questions about how the Galaxy would function without Landon Donovan's playmaking abilities in 2015. Particularly, who would step in and create chances for Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes. With Marcelo Sarvas traded and Steven Gerrard not arriving for a few months, Ishizaki and Juninho looked to be the two midfielders in the spotlight.
But Ishizaki stepped up in a big way. Admittedly, he will wish he had a few opportunities for goals/assists back, but he was extremely involved all game long. Although the Chicago Fire shape and performance were partially to blame, Ishizaki showed a knack for finding space along the wings. He was equally adept at darting inside to take on defenders or find a Galaxy forward with a clever pass. A bright performance by young winger Jose Villareal, combined with Keane's stature and Zardes' wheels, really allowed Ishizaki to find pockets of space in the midfield. In total, he launched 13 crosses into the box and attempted three shots on the way to Los Angeles' 2-0 victory that should have been even larger. While he didn't get on the score sheet, the numbers will follow if Ishizaki continues to have performances like this.
Jozy Altidore
A confident Altidore sure is fun to watch! Having escaped Siberia..errr Sunderland...Jozy marked his return to MLS with a two-goal effort. First, he timed his run in the box well to receive a great pass from Sebastian Giovinco and deftly made a move around Whitecaps keeper David Ousted before slotting the ball home.
Later he earned a penalty which he finished himself with a touch of flair.
Jozy attempting a panenka at Sunderland is virtually impossible to picture, but in Toronto it felt natural. Overall, TFC didn't dominate possession, or even look the more creative side. Their defense was predictably suspect. Fortunately, their attack won't need a multitude of opportunities to put a few goals in the back of the net. Giovinco showed his ability to elevate those around him, and Robbie Findley got off to a good start north of the border. Altidore even led the squad with three key passes! It's refreshing to see him in a position that doesn't appear to misuse him, or pigeon-hole him into some half-hearted hold up role. The big concern with Altidore this season wasn't whether he would score any goals, but rather if his output would be strictly a function of playing with Giovinco, Michael Bradley, etc. or if he would bring something extra to the table to make this offense more than just a sum of all its parts. Obviously, it would be foolish to overreact this early in the year, but after one game the odds of the latter are looking better!
Tyler Deric
Houston's keeper stole the show, and a valuable three points from a formidable Columbus Crew side. Houston possessed the ball an MLS-worst 39.6 percent of the match, but Deric made six saves to keep the clean sheet. At best, Kei Kamara will feel robbed to leave Houston without at least a goal. At worst, Kamara will see Tyler Deric in his nightmares. Houston knew they had a quality No. 1 goalkeeper after Deric filled in admirably at the end of last season for an injured Tally Hall, and showed Deric a big vote of confidence when they dealt Hall to Orlando City in the offseason. Deric did not let them down. A notably great save was on Kei Kamara's powerful point-blank header from about six yards out, but the Dynamo keeper showed equally quick reactions on a drilled shot from Kristinn Steindorsson. His crossbar gets a nod as well, as it saved a rocket from Pipa Higuain. Elsewhere, Nick Rimando, Clint Irwin, Bill Hamid, and some other keepers had great performances, but Deric is the clear player of the week. Last season he earned three clean sheets in his nine starts. Houston look like they will need more of the same from him this season, and so far he has proven up to the task
Three Down
Shaun Maloney
The first match of the season for the Fire was always going to be a tough one. It doesn't get much more daunting than opening the season against the reigning champions in Los Angeles. But fans of the Fire expected their team to put up more of a fight. Maloney, tabbed to tie all of the offensive pieces together in an attacking midfield role, never got things going. His team is just not built to extensively possess the ball and let him pull the strings, nor is he looking like a player who can bounce around the midfield actively winning the ball for himself. Forwards Quincy Amarikwa and Kennedy Igboananike ran hard to pressure the Galaxy defense, and more offensive talent in Mike Magee may join the fray in the upcoming matches, but it might not matter without some true ball-winners behind them. Having invested all of their designated player spots in the attack, Chicago can't afford for Maloney to be invisible for such large portions of the match. He will either need to adapt to MLS and be more proactive, or the rest of the Fire will need to change their tactics quickly if they are to find success this season.
Dillon Powers
Powers, the 2013 MLS Rookie of the Year and Serie A target, did not start for one of the worst teams in Major League Soccer this weekend. Manager Pablo Mastroeni has given a lot of lip service to an offseason of intense planning for his second year at the helm of the Rapids, and perhaps this was just some sort of motivational ploy. Whatever the case, it does not seem to be a good sign for Powers. When he did sub on in the second half, he was misplaced on the wing. A truly powerful central midfielder, Powers was already going to have a tough season playing on another lackluster group in Denver. Shaky defending, timid midfield play, and a rookie forward starting over proven MLS scorer Deshorn Brown highlighted the first match for Mastroeni and his impressive mustache. What comes next is anybody's guess. Much like Shaun Maloney, Powers will struggle to thrive on a team without an identity. If he is given a full complement of minutes in his position of comfort, his individual performances could very well still impress. Unfortunately, after the first week, more parts of the equation are missing than present.
David Villa
In the battle of the offseason's marquee signings and expansion teams, David Villa stood in the shadow of Kaka. While not entirely his fault (sensing a pattern?), it was discouraging to see Villa consistently allow himself to be occupied by multiple defenders. NYCFC struggled to move up the field as a cohesive unit, and Villa lacked any sort of competent service in the attacking third. But he could have done more. He surely will do more moving forward. The franchise's first goal was a result of Villa drifting out wide and seeing his deflected pass reach Mix Diskerud at the top of the box.
Expectations may have been too high to begin the season, but Villa's renowned resume deserved them. The Spaniard's strike partner, Khiry Shelton, Patrick Mullins, and Thomas McNamara, Nemec will need to turn things around sooner rather than later if he wants to keep his spot in the starting XI. As for Villa, his spot is safe, but he will be anxious for the rest of the team to adapt to acclimate to Major League Soccer quickly. Until they do, he will have to carry the offensive burden largely on his own.
