Davis: Makeovers changing outlook

In most U.S. sports, a midseason trade can become the final puzzle piece, the balance-tipping element that pushes a club past a plateau and drives it toward grander goals.

But significant roster makeovers are rare. Teams can tweak, but they pretty much are what they are.

Soccer operates differently, around the world and MLS as well. Access to a teeming global market significantly broadens the makeover options. It greatly increases the pool from which clubs can reinforce weak points or change out the parts that just aren't functioning as needed.

Look at some of the MLS teams that are rising at the moment. Some of them look little like the April version that began Major League Soccer's 13th campaign. Others might resemble the season-opening brand, but significant upgrades at certain positions have created equilibrium that can drive them forcefully through the last eight rounds of competition.

Significant roster maneuvers at Red Bull New York, D.C. United, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and San Jose seem to have those clubs moving in the right direction. Five of those six had good results in round 22 of MLS competition: the Red Bulls and D.C. won at home, Chicago prevailed away from home, while Dallas and San Jose managed draws on the road.

(It's only fair to point out at this point: Clubs such as New England and Columbus are doing fine, too, but weren't as active in the recent international transfer window. Sometimes, the best move is no big move at all.)

No team exploited the midseason transfer window like the New York Red Bulls. Each week seems to bring a new starter to Giants Stadium; this week's debutante was left back Diego Jimenez, 22, recently of Mexico's UAG Tecos.

He follows recent additions Juan Pietravallo, Jorge Rojas and Gabriel Cichero. Manager Juan Carlos Osorio was able to gather up the foursome, in part, because of the bold decision to facilitate Claudio Reyna's retirement.

Hard to argue the results. The Red Bulls are unbeaten in five matches, with three consecutive wins now by a combined score of 9-1. Even if you throw out Sunday's stunning 3-0 conquest against league champion Houston, possibly owing to the formerly hot Dynamo's crowded schedule, the Red Bulls are clearly not the same side we watched earlier this year, one that groped for identity while waiting for graceful striker Juan Pablo Angel to get healthy.

Mike Magee is a big part of RBNY's recent success, and the U.S. attacker might not even be on the field if Reyna had remained on the roster.

Houston had struck for 10 goals in its previous three MLS matches, before the Red Bulls forcefully shut off the spigot Sunday. Midsummer additions Nate Jaqua and Kei Kamara accounted for four of those goals, and the pair seems to have finally added the punch that had been missing this year on Dominic Kinnear's offense.

They'll need it, as they are set to begin CONCACAF Champions League play in a few weeks here, along with D.C. United. (Chivas USA and New England, of course, face preliminary round matches this week and next, to get into the group stage).

Jeff Cunningham and Dutchman Victor Sikora, newcomers in Dallas, did their parts as the north Texans squeezed four points from a three-game road swing. New manager Schellas Hyndman now gets consecutive matches at Pizza Hut Park, where his club has a chance to make up some ground on first-place Houston.

Chicago didn't do a lot of adjusting, but one of the two significant midseason additions was probably the most high-profile. Brian McBride did his part in providing the assist on John Thorrington's goal in a 1-0 win against Los Angeles.

In the nation's capital, manager Tom Soehn and Co. have demonstrated how much impact one change can generate. Louis Crayton has assumed control in the RFK goal with three solid performances. He already has two shutouts; United had just one all year before the Liberian's arrival.

The weekend's clean sheet came without five D.C. starters. Recent acquisitions Joe Vide and Ivan Guerrero were in Saturday's lineup against Colorado, however, and they appear to be helpful additions as well.

If the men of Red Bull are reversal of fortune masters in the East, San Jose certainly can claim that moniker in the West. It's mostly about two players, central midfielder Francisco Lima and dynamic left-sided attacker Darren Huckerby.

Lima's steady play next to Ramiro Corrales has brought stability and balance to the midfield at Buck Shaw Stadium. But the real hubbub is about Huckerby, whose brash dashes down the left side are giving opposition defenses all they can handle.

Parlay that, Ronnie O'Brien's continued energy and presence on the right and the solid defense that's been there all along, and it's no wonder the Earthquakes haven't lost in seven matches. The last setback was a close 1-0 loss to Chivas USA back on July 5.

By the way, Frank Yallop's side has allowed four goals in eight matches since late June. Take that steady stinginess and Huckerby's two goals and three assists in five matches and you can make a case that San Jose is a better team at the moment than at least half the MLS field.

Corrales' left Saturday's draw at Chivas USA with a knee injury, which could dent the Earthquakes' momentum. But what could truly crack the expansion side's playoff bid goes back to April and May and a rough start -- which shouldn't surprise anyone, considering the club was taking its first little baby steps.

The Earthquakes have six of their remaining nine at Buck Shaw, with a trio of especially critical matches beginning Sept. 27. On consecutive weekends, San Jose takes on Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas and Chivas USA, which happen to be three of the five clubs Yallop's men must overcome to reach the postseason dream.

TACTICAL CORNER

For the second consecutive match, new Colorado Rapids manager Gary Smith chose to leave former league MVP Christian Gomez and former starter in goal Bouna Coundoul on the bench.

Whereas last week brought a better result (a win against Kansas City), this week's setup couldn't gain any real traction at RFK in a 3-0 loss. Smith aligned his team in the same 4-5-1 that worked in the previous week, with Conor Casey stationed as a lone striker.

Jason Kreis has also gone with a lone striker lately -- sort of, anyway. Kyle Beckerman and Kenny Cutler were holding midfielders in Real Salt Lake's 4-2-3-1. Kenny Deuchar was positioned as a target man, with Yura Movsisyan and Robbie Findley stationed out wide, behind the big Scottish striker.

If the wide players get forward often enough in such a set-up, you could argue that the alignment is some kind of modified 4-3-3. As it was, neither Findley nor Movsisyan truly combined with Deuchar, and the result was a dominant performance from in-form Columbus.

RSL shifted back to its more familiar 4-4-2 for the second half, but the result was more of the same. The gang from Utah forced just two saves all night from Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer, who posted his sixth shutout this season.

Two teams will be without their reliable holding midfielders over Labor Day weekend. San Jose's Corrales was on the bench with crutches by game's end at The Home Depot Center on Saturday. The extent of his injury remains unknown, but he seems doubtful for this Saturday's contest at Buck Shaw against Kansas City. Kelly Gray or Ronnie O'Brien appear to be Yallop's most likely options for replacing the Earthquakes' steady midfield presence.

Dallas will be without Pablo Ricchetti for a meeting with Columbus at Pizza Hut Park, where the turf was just replaced following recent concerts. Andre Rocha, Marcelo Saragosa or Dax McCarty could fill in for Ricchetti, who picked up two yellow cards over the weekend and will sit for the mandatory one-game suspension.