I won’t lie anytime I see the news coming out of Portland I worry over their expansion club a bit. It seems like every bit of news now centers around the money issue with this club. We’ve all seen the number, the $26.8 million gap in the budget for the club.

Also the city isn’t in great shape financially, just like most of the country. Their chunk of the bid looks shaky everyday as well.

The Oregonian is reporting on how Merritt Paulson and his group are still looking for some cash.

Paulson and city leaders remain confident they can finish the deal by their Sept. 1 deadline. “It would appear tenuous to most people, I agree with that,” said city Commissioner Randy Leonard, one of the deal’s chief supporters. “It’s not tenuous to me.”

To fill the gap, Paulson is lobbying the Legislature for state aid and hasn’t ruled out seeking federal stimulus funding. Leonard and Portland Mayor Sam Adams say they’re exploring more city urban renewal money and new taxes on booze and food near the soccer team’s home at PGE Park.

Paulson also pledged his “best efforts” to use his family’s deep Wall Street connections to sell the bonds to wealthy investors or corporations. His father, Henry Paulson, is the former treasury secretary and former head of investment bank Goldman Sachs.

“There’s a lot of work to do on all sides,” Adams said. “At this point with these kinds of deals that is not uncommon. What is uncommon is the financial landscape, the world economic crisis.”

…Paulson and the city are left trying to fill a $26.8 million gap.

Paulson, whose family’s net worth has run into the nine figures, said bluntly: “That will not be from me.”

Paulson’s lobbyist, Greg Peden of the Gallatin Public Affairs, is pushing House Bill 2531 in Salem to carve out state income taxes paid by soccer players and executives to support the PGE Park renovation.

Its a shaky time to be asking for money. I’m kind of in the boat as some other blogs out there wondering when some rich third party will step in and help this bid out. Maybe another Drew Carey or Steve Nash type. Who else from Portland is rich and loves the beautiful game? Anyone?

So who can step up to help this club get off the ground here?

Some changes in this week’s installment of the Power Rankings. I went against what most will have and kept my top two the same from last week. I just don’t see a need to put Seattle on top yet until they win on the road. If they go three-for-three to start the year then we can talk about putting them above Chicago and Columbus.The same almost goes to Chivas though for different reasons.

You may agree or disagree with these rankings, that’s your opinion. Feel free to let me know what your rankings would be if they differ from mine here. Just remember I keep things on performance based from week-to-week and also try to keep things in line for the whole season…early on is usually when we see the most movement here as teams sort themselves out in the early going.

Team	Rank (Last Week)	Record (W-L-T)	Comments
	1 (1)	0-0-2 2pts.	The own-goal was a killer but this club is still the one to beat right now. I know a lot of people won’t have them on top this week but I think the bar it still set at this club, though some clubs are rapidly approaching them.
	2 (2)	1-0-1 4 pts.	Not the best second week for the Fire but they did have a few guys missing against DC. But let’s not forget, four points in their first two road games, mostly without Blanco. I’m sure they will take that any day.
	3 (6)	2-0-0 6pts.	I have to admit, I hate having an expansion club this high but two dominate home wins can convince me. I still want to see how they handle a true road test, and next week they will get that against TFC in BMO Field.
	4 (7)	2-0-0 6 pts.	Two newbies for the AmeriGoats get the goals. Thing is they played a crappy defense on Sunday, I want to see them more against a Columbus or Chicago here before I really peg them as a true western contender. Saying that though my darkhorse is looking good.
	5 (5)	1-0-1 4 pts.	A patchwork lineup yet again looked pretty good against New York. Just like Chicago, four road points to kick off the season is not a bad thing at all when you think they are missing Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston. Also, Kevin Alston is playing well above the pace of most rookies at this point.
	6 (4)	1-0-1 4 pts.	Normally four road points for this club would rise them up but when other clubs around them do a little better they get bumped down a bit. No worries though as the Reds have their home opener.
	7 (11)	1-1-0 3 pts.	I think it is safe to say that the Quakes will score their fair share of goals this year. The 15 minute stretch against the Dynamo was exciting. I do still have some concerns about their midfield though.
	8 (3)	0-1-1 1 pts.	Big drop due to the lack of defense on Saturday in San Jose. I wouldn’t be too worried though, the Quakes typically drop games like this early in the year.
	9 (13)	1-1-0 3 pt.	We knew the club could score here, it was just a matter of when and from who. Hopefully for Rapids fans Terry Cooke is back to his old self here this season. And it could be safe to say that Omar Cummings is on the verge of a solid season here too.
	10 (10)	0-0-1 1 pts.	No game, and no worries this week. Probably a good thing for Bruce Arena who used the time to get people healthy and get some rookies more time in practice.
	11 (12)	0-1-1 1 pts.	I’m still a little puzzled with this club. They are a streaky team to say the least. Inconsistent play will keep them out of the playoff picture though if they keep at this pace.
	12 (14)	0-1-1 1 pt.	They looked better this week but had it not been for an own-goal I really doubt they would have gotten on the board. For their sake they need Albert Celades in the line up sooner rather than later as their midfield continues to get out-done each week.
	13 (8)	0-1-0 0 pts.	They had their chances but in all honesty looked out classed by an expansion club. Sure the rust may have been there but this club just looks a lot like last year’s bunch (minus the playoff run), a very average club.
	14 (9)	0-2-0 0 pts.	Nothing to be impressed with here right now with the Wizards. Offensively they looked lost against a pretty average defense in Colorado and defensively they continue to get beat wide and with speed.
	15 (15)	0-2-0 0 pts.	The statement echoing through the press box on Sunday, “it’s going to be a long season here.”

Empty stands are a theme this year in Dallas. (Photo by 3rdDegree.net's Matt Visinsky)

I’ve had to think about this for a while. Not just the start of this season here in Dallas but probably all the way back to the start of last season. Its like the club is missing way too much, not just on the field but definitely off. The numbers don’t lie in either instance.

The club is just bad.

We know on the field the club is more in transition here than anything else. Head coach Schellas Hyndman is still trying to figure out the professional game and the longer it takes the more you have to wonder when he will finally get it. Most of us here in Dallas feel he won’t go anywhere anytime soon or get canned anytime soon by the Hunts, so it’s up to him or someone around him to figure this all out.

In a nutshell the offense is actually close from looking at least decent, the midfield has potential and the defense is just terrible. The additions of Steve Purdy and Daniel Torres almost seem like more of a downgrade to the bunch that started a season ago.

But when you get off the field the problems seem to go a little deeper. The crowds aren’t showing up and the club just looks even worse for it. Continue Reading…

Its getting about that time, time to put a crapper on this past week. I’ll have Power Rankings in the morning but I wanted to get the discussion for goal of the week up before hand. Not as many goals in week two but still a couple fantastic strikes. My vote is split between Seattle’s Fredy Montero and Colorado’s Terry Cooke. Both were absolutely great. Luciano Emilio’s goal wasn’t too shabby either.

You decide:

Fredy Montero:

Nate Jaqua:

Terry Cooke:

Chris Wondolowski:

Brad Davis:

Luciano Emilio:

So yesterday at Pizza Hut Park I was greeted with a big box of goodies as one reporter called it. Yes, a big box of MLS media guides. I thought it would be something worth showing here. I have 13 out of the 15 clubs, as KC and New York had not sent theirs in to Dallas yet.

Sorry if some of the photos are a little blurry, my iPhone doesn’t always take the best photo.

Not too many stand out like last year. I love DC’s the best with all their trophies. After that I may have to go with Salt Lake or Columbus. You can decide for yourself which is the best. Continue Reading…

Editor’s note: Geoff Reid is a WVH contributor, he appears here every week with his thoughts and opinions on different subjects surrounding the game. Feel free to leave Geoff a note below with your thoughts.

While the rest of the world (apart from MLS) took a break for World Cup qualifying I thought it would be appropriate to discuss the latest US match in Central America. There was a particular time where getting a draw away in El Salvador would be heralded as a fantastic result and a massive achievement, especially coming from 2-0 down with 15 minutes left. How times have changed.

Give credit to El Salvador, they started with more intensity than the US. Looking at it from their perspective, playing at home with that crowd against the best team in the region, with a place in South Africa on the line, it doesn’t get much bigger then that. Bob Bradley did not for one second underestimate them, nor did the players, but it seems a good chunk of the public did. It was as if three points were in the bag even before a ball was kicked. In all honesty, it sounded like the English press. Continue Reading…

Guillermo Barros Schelotto PK wasn't enough to beat TFC. (Getty Images)

Week number two is finally in the books here. We saw six games come and go with only a few goals this week to even mention. Loads of draws across the land early on Saturday, but the night came with the goals as the Seattle-RSL game and Houston-San Jose game saw more action than the first couple in the day.

So just what did week two bring us? A new saves leader in Kevin Hartman, an expansion club at the top of the standings, and a young Columbian leading all in goals scored (talk about a goal too!).

I try to be quick in my recaps here this year, since I don’t see every game it should be a bit easier to do so.

Columbus Crew 1 – 1 Toronto FC:

Say what you will about the result, you have to give it up to Toronto for getting four points out of their first two road games. I don’t believe last year’s squad would have come close to that. Their home opener next week will really give us a strong indication of how good they really are I think. Continue Reading…