TITLE CONTEST

MLS Western Conference title is proving to be an intense battle this season due to the sheer number of teams that are capable of winning the title even at this stage of the campaign. Vancouver Whitecaps are one of those teams, who are still capable of winning the title. They will be going into the weekend’s match against San Jose earthquakes with 33 points on the board. This has been a poor season from San Jose earthquakes, but they are only a remarkable three points behind Vancouver in the fifth place. Vancouver manager Martin Rennie has acknowledged that the Western Conference is one of the tightest divisions right now.

The intensity is expected to go up significantly after the arrival of United States star Clint Dempsey. Seattle Sounders have managed to sign the player from Tottenham for around £ 6 million. He will be one of the designated players in the squad. According to several reports, he will be earning more than what David Beckham did during his LA Galaxy days. Rennie has said that he would welcome the arrival of Dempsey because it helps improve the image of the league substantially. This would also bring in a lot of coverage to the league that was started in 1994.

“It’s a tight division. There’s a lot of teams doing well. Seattle have got a lot of talented players and obviously have had a lot of success in previous years. The signing of Dempsey will certainly not make the challenge any easier, I’m sure, but I think it’ll be a good incentive for everybody. I think when high-profile players come to the league, I think it boosts the league, it increases attendance and it increases interest in the league. That’s a positive for everybody,” said the 38-year-old manager, who is one of the youngest in the league.