Empire Field should be rocking tonight. (Getty Images)

I’ll get to it rather quickly in this one. I’m starting to write more over at SBnation.com/soccer, so you may see fewer preview articles like this on here. I will have more on this week’s slate of games tomorrow in my weekly “What to Watch for” post. Expect that up sometime in the morning tomorrow.

I did want to get a short preview of tonight’s MLS game on here though. The New England Revolution travel to Vancouver to face the Whitecaps at Empire Field. It’s the league’s first midweek game of the season and it is one that should be pretty good.

The Revs hope to remain undefeated here as they’ve scrapped their way to five points on the season. Vancouver is looking to ride the momentum from their three-goal comeback draw against Kansas City from last Saturday. I still believe New England is a pretender here trying to come off as a contender, Vancouver should expose them in the back with their attack that has proven to be better than advertised so far this season with Eric Hassli, Camlio and Atiba Harris. I like the Whitecaps in a close battle tonight.

WVH Prediction: Vancouver 2, New England 1

It is finally here, Major League Soccer’s first kick of 2011. The long wait (or short wait if you think the offseason has been rather quick like I do) is over and the games will pick up in a hurry starting tonight. It seems to be a new tradition for MLS, the first kick of the new season begins at Qwest Field for the third straight season as the Seattle Sounders play host to the LA Galaxy.

The Sounders look for revenge against the Galaxy, who knocked them out of the MLS Playoffs a season ago. On the flip side, the Galaxy are hoping to keep their hot streak alive against the Sounders.

The bar has been set high for both clubs going into this season. LA has title hopes and fans in Seattle expect even bigger things for the two-time US Open Cup champions. The Galaxy have beefed up their lineup a bit with guys veterans like Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Hejduk. Seattle on the other hand made a few moves while keeping most of their 2010 bunch intact.

Tonight will be all about controlling the tempo of the game for these two. LA will want to silence the Qwest Field crowd yet again (last year they dominated Seattle here) by keeping possession and pressuring the Sounder backline that let in their fair share of goals last year. If LA gets off to a quick start it could be a long night for the hosts. The Sounders have to use their speed on the wings (if Steve Zakuani is able to play tonight of course) and find ways in space to get Fredy Montero and Blaise Nkufo involved in the attack.

With JPA, Donovan Ricketts and Omar Gonzalez all likely to miss tonight’s game for LA, it gives Seattle a solid shot of being in this one. Bruce Arena’s club has had Sigi Schmid’s number these last two years but tonight feels like a draw to me. LA will get on the boards in the first half in this one with LA mounting a comeback late.

Player to watch out for: Landon Donovan, the dude just loves the spotlight in games like this.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 1, LA 1

It is finally here, the game we’ve all been waiting for since March. The 2010 MLS Cup is here and honestly I couldn’t be any more excited for this one (yes having my local side being in it helps). Having two clubs in this game that have yet to win a MLS Cup is pretty cool to see as well. They out lasted everyone this season to get to this point. We know who the favorite is (Dallas) and who the underdog (Colorado) but in all honesty these two clubs are very evenly matched.

An early goal will likely help vult whomever to a win here. Colorado is likely the club that needs to score first to win this one though as Dallas has no issue with coming from behind to win a game.

Position Breakdown

Keepers: One side of the field you have Kevin Hartman, the other Matt Pickens. Both are very solid and have made their defense in front of them miles better in 2010. Hartman should have won the Keeper of the Year award from Donovan Ricketts but that doesn’t mean Pickets isn’t worthy of the discussion either. The thing that sets these two apart at least by looking at the playoffs is that Hartman practically stood on his head a few times to get Dallas where they are at while Pickens only real big win was in the PK shootout in Columbus where the only stop he made was one that sailed over the bar to win the series.

Edge: Dallas

Defense: Honestly from the start I see this as a Push. You have a couple former FC Dallas defenders mixed in with guys like Marvell Wynne and Julien Boudet and you get a defense that has really made a nice turnaround in 2010. On the flip side what FC Dallas has done defensively this year is pretty impressive considering their defense has always been their biggest weakness over the last few years.

Dallas began giving up more goals late in the year when George John and Ugo Ihemelu went down with injuries. Both with both in the lineup they’ve been able to slow down high power attacks like Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy.

Colorado is interesting on defense, and a lot deal with the fact that their midfield is so good in front of them. They have to be careful on the wings though with Anthony Wallace and Kosuke Kimura. If one gets out of position Dallas will make them pay similar to what Robbie Rogers did to them in Columbus.

Still this one is to close for me to call here.

Edge: Push

Midfield: I really believe had it not been for the trade to get Jeff Larentowicz, Colorado would not even be in this game. That’s how big of an addition he was this season to the Rapids. He made the midfield and defense collectively better. The mid-season pickup of Brian Mullan did help bring some grit and better passing through the wings.

That said the rest of the midfield for the Rapids isn’t as good as Larentowicz has made them. On the wings they can get beaten if players are out of position and Dallas does a good job of spreading their attack through their wings like we saw against LA. Dallas’s five-man attack is balanced and well thought out. Guys like Dax McCarty and Daniel Hernandez are the cog in the midfield that really keep things going and allow David Ferreira to get in space and create for himself and whomever is playing up top. The wings are speedy with Brek Shea and Martin Chavez and are able to find holes in the defense.

Edge: Dallas

Forwards: This one is fairly simple to go into. Dallas has gone with a number of strikers all season long, mostly a lone striker in the form of Martin Rodriguez or Jeff Cunningham, or in the case of last week in LA in the form of Atiba Harris. Either way you spin it Dallas doesn’t really have the best go-to scorer up top the way that Colorado does in Omar Cummings and Conor Casey.

Dallas flows their offense through and with Ferreira in hopes to spring a free Cunningham or Rodriguez. Colorado on the other hand is fairly simple as they go wide with Cummings and he sends balls into the box for Casey; or they find diagonal balls in space for Cummings to run on to with his speed; or they hope for odd plays to accure.

Still the edge goes to the Rapids on this one based on Cummings and Casey.

Edge: Colorado

Bench: Dallas is fairly deep, probably a tad bit deeper than the Rapids when you consider they can bring on a Eric Avila, or even a Cunningham at anytime. Or if they have the lead they can bring in defensive help like Eric Alexander.

Edge: Dallas

Coach: You have the MLS Coach of the Year in Schellas Hyndman and on the other side a guy that is pretty underrated in Gary Smith. I’d lean towards Dallas due to the award but really this one is even considering both did an excellent job of finding guys that fit their systems for this year. Though I doubt Smith has a cool enough jacket to spark a huge Twitter frenzy like Hyndman did.

Edge: Push

X-Factors: Shea (Dallas); Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado) – Shea is a bad match-up on the wings for the Rapids. Sure they were able to contain a smaller Bobby Convey last week but Shea works around the ball is such a frustrating way for opposing teams. Mastroeni’s leadership has to be a factor in this one, how he handles himself will set his club up for this game.

Outlook: This game will come down to who cracks first really. Dallas knows how to hold onto leads in big situations if you consider how they played in Salt Lake and LA these past two weeks. The ability of Ihemelu and John to contain Casey and Cummings is an important element in this one. The better they contain the better chance Dallas has in this one.

Considering how these clubs tied their season series I think its safe to say we can just throw those two games out of the way here for this one like we’ve done all playoff long.

The biggest factor in this game comes down to the wing play and that’s where Dallas should come up big with Shea and Chavez. Also for me the Cunningham factor against one of his old clubs is out there, not to mention playing at BMO Field for him has to be huge. Colorado may have the edge in historical meetings in the playoffs but those were different times. Dallas has yet to lose at BMO Field and I see that trend continuing in their biggest win in club history.

WVH Prediction: FC Dallas 2, Colorado 1

The Crew and Rapids face off tonight in the playoff opener. (Getty Images)

It all begins tonight. The 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs kick off in Colorado between the Colorado Rapids and the Columbus Crew. Below is my preview of each series and who I think will come out on top after the two games are over.

Colorado Rapids – vs – Columbus Crew

Some people have talked about momentum going into the playoffs and how it effects teams. This is one of those series that we’ll really see if momentum is a big deal or not going into the playoffs. Columbus backed their way in for the most part while Colorado was wildly inconsistent down the stretch. Throw in the fact that the Crew lost their starting keeper right before the start of the playoffs and Colorado gave up two last minute goals to rival RSL in the season finale. This series folks is really too close to call.

Players to watch: Conor Casey and Omar Cummings (Colorado); Chad Marshall and Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus). Each are a difference maker in their own right. Colorado has the offense that can come from anywhere with Cummings and Casey but their defense has been pretty solid for most of the season as well. Columbus has the experience though and knows what it takes to get to the MLS Cup.

X-Factors: Robbie Rogers and Andy Gruenebaum (Columbus) – For Columbus to win it comes down to these two guys really for me. Rogers hasn’t had a great season by any stretch really and Gruenebaum will be stepping in for the injured Will Hesmer. Some will lean on Gruenebaum as the bigger factor here but his experience in Champions League games will help him out here. Rogers will have to come up bigger in this series for the Crew to advance.

Final Thoughts: One side you have experience and the other side you have very little outside of Brian Mullan and Pablo Mastroeni. This series is simply too tough to call right now. In these situations I tend to lean on experience more than anything else. I know people say Columbus backed their way into the playoffs but ever since that Hesmer goal against Toronto I think the Crew woke up again and are going to make a run of things here. The last minute draw for Colorado against RSL last week will come back and haunt them in this series as they won’t be able to fully put away the Crew.

Prediction: Columbus win (4-2 on aggregate)

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MVP candidate David Ferreira leads FC Dallas against RSL. (Getty Images)

FC Dallas – vs – Real Salt Lake

In most normal situations these two should never have met in the first round but in the conference finals. You have the second and forth best clubs in the league matching up in the first round shows exactly how bad the league needs to revamp their playoff structure. But that mini-rant is over. This series should absolutely be stellar.

FC Dallas carried a 19-game unbeaten run through the season before dropping their final two games of the season. RSL on the other hand are currently riding a 14-game unbeaten run and they also haven’t lost at home since last year.

Key Players: Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman and Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake); David Ferreira, Daniel Hernandez and Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas). Each carry a little different weight than the others. Morales and Ferreira are MVP type players that can change a series on a dime. Olave and Beckerman have to control the defensive pace of the series for RSL while Hernandez has to do the same for Dallas. Then you have Cunningham who just needs to score for Dallas to do well in this series.

X-Factors: Nick Rimando and Kevin Hartman. Yes the two keepers are the biggest factor in this series for me. Rimando had a stellar season but then again so did Hartman before he got hurt. As long as Hartman can show his Goalkeeper of the Year play in this series Dallas will have a shot but if he isn’t fit enough to go and Dario Sala has to step in again it could be a short playoff run for the Red Stripes.

Final Thoughts: People will point to the LA-Seattle series as the best one but this one should take the cake easily. There are simply too many big factors in this series to point out but you have to lean to RSL in this series based on injuries and lack of experience with Dallas. Let’s not forget too that even though Dallas had a remarkable record this season they still had 14 draws to their campaign. But of their wins this season they did score a big one over this RSL bunch, which happened to be the last time RSL dropped a game.

The flaws are there in RSL and if Dallas can find them we could be in for a treat. Colorado showed over the last month how to beat RSL (and how to easily drop points to them in the final minutes as well).

Too many injury concerns for Dallas makes me lean to the defending champs here though. As much as I thought Dallas would be able to make a good run in this playoffs this matchup just doesn’t suite them as well as it would have when they were at their best this season and right now I just don’t think they are there.

Prediction: Real Salt Lake win (3-2 on aggregate)

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Can New York slow down Chris Wondolowski? (Getty Images)

San Jose Earthquakes – vs – New York Red Bulls

This could easily be a tricky series to predict. You have teams on opposite ends of the country squaring off in the first round so the long travel distances could be an issue for each club. Each club has some solid momentum going into the playoffs as well though as the Red Bulls found a way to go from worst to first in the east this year while the Quakes lived in Wondo’s World to get to the playoffs for the first time since rejoining the league.

While New York has the flare and pop with their three DPs, San Jose is getting it done in other ways with only one DP. Should Thierry Henry fail to go in this series it could drastically help out the western conference side in this one too.

Key Players: Dane Richards, Rafa Marquez and Tim Ream (New York); Geovanni, Chris Wondolowski and Bobby Convey (San Jose). With the chance of no Henry in this series the Red Bulls will lean on their vastly talented midfield with Marquez, Richards and Joel Lindpere to slow down the Quakes attack. Since coming over to the Quakes, Geovanni has adapted nicely and helped fuel their offense with Wondolowski. Convey will have the task of probably slowing down guys like Richards on the wings which could create some very interesting match-ups.

X-Factors: Bouna Condoul (New York). Most who have read my stuff over the last couple of years know I’m not the biggest Bouna fan. He does get the job done at times but more times than not he comes up short. Going against a guy like Wondolowski who can find a goal anywhere in the 18-yard box, Bouna better be on his A-game or this could be a very tough series for the Red Bulls keeper.

Final Thoughts: The Red Bulls are the easy pick in this one and for many good reasons but you cannot sleep on the Quakes here. San Jose is a favorable match-up for them but let’s not forget the Wondo factor in this series. He’s been lights out for the last two months and New York has to find ways to shut him down.

San Jose will have to play their style to perfection to come out on top and getting a good lead in the series this weekend at home is really what they need to do. New York has been unbeatable at Red Bull Arena as of late I’m not so sure they can pick up too much there. Scoring first will also go a long way as they’ve been 1-10-1 when scored on first this year.

In the end the Red Bulls are the ones to come out on top here. I’d love to take San Jose in an upset and I’m nearly leaning that way but I see Hans Backe coming up with a solid enough game plan to slow down Wondo and the rest of the Quakes.

Prediction: New York wins (2-1 on aggregate)

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Bruce Arena will guide the Galaxy against Seattle. (Getty Images)

Seattle Sounders FC – vs – LA Galaxy

This will likely be everyone’s favorite series of the first round and for good reason. Sigi Schmid going up against his old club. The Qwest Field faithful against the Home Depot Center folks. The Supporter’s Shield winners against the league’s hottest club. Just a quality opening series really.

LA may have gotten the best of Seattle in the regular season by winning the season series on 7 goals to one but don’t lean too heavy on that as Seattle is a much better side than the one from earlier in the year when these two met. Aside from a season finale loss at Houston, the Sounders have been one of the best teams in the league.

Key Players: Landon Donvoan, Donovan Ricketts, and Gregg Berhalter (LA); Steve Zakuani, Blaise Nkufo and Jeff Parke (Seattle). We know LA will lean offensively on Donovan along with David Beckham and Edson Buddle but the real focus will be on Ricketts in goal and the defense with guys like Berhalter, Sean Franklin and Omar Gonzalez. The speed of Seattle with Zakuani will be fun to see while defensively in the back with Parke and Patrick Ianni will have to deal with Buddle.

X-Factors: Fredy Montero (Seattle). While Montero had a couple months of MVP caliber play to get Seattle out of their early season slump, lately he’s been quiet and cold offensively. If he can find openings against the lack of speed in the back for the Galaxy and get back to putting shots on frame he could be the reason why Seattle moves on in this series.

Final Thoughts: While Colorado-Columbus is a tough series to gage due to both clubs lack of play down the stretch, this series has plenty of toughness to gage as well. Seattle was lights out in the final months of the season while LA managed to hold on to win the Supporter’s Shield trophy. Some will lean on those two LA wins from earlier in the year but believe me at this point they mean very little.

It comes down to which defense will crack first and for how long it will stay cracked. Seattle has issues in the back with experience and using guys that are really third and forth choices to replace injured players. LA’s defense is solid but the lack of ability to fight speed will really do them in.

I’m leaning with Seattle in this one based on their recent form and their speed. The blueprint to beat LA is out there and Seattle should be able to figure it out this time around but don’t sleep on the Landon Donovan factor either. If he gets going LA will move on, I just think Seattle will find a way to shut him down enough in the opening leg of the series.

Prediction: Seattle wins. (4-3 on aggregate)

Kyle Beckerman and RSL are hoping to repeat as Rocky Mountain Cup winners and earn their first Supporter's Shield this weekend.

Unlike previous years the final week of the regular season isn’t going to decide who gets into the playoffs and who doesn’t, but it will decide who will play who in the first round starting next week. New York punched their ticket as the eastern conference regular season winner and will get one of the four western conference wild card in return.

Speaking of the Red Bulls the turn around there from 2009 to this year has to be mentioned for a moment. The fact that Hans Backe and company went from worst to first in the east is pretty remarkable considering how bad that club was a year ago. Sure adding a couple high profile guys like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez doesn’t hurt but for once this organization got smart with their coaching and front office hires and it looks like for a change this club will be stable going forward.

Like New York or not they are a club that will be annual contenders from now on I believe.

Now as far as week 30 goes, a lot will be decided. Below are the following playoff scenarios going into this week:

SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD RACE

LA will finish WEST #1, RSL will finish WEST #2
• If LA defeats DAL
• If RSL loses to COL
• If LA ties DAL AND RSL ties or loses to COL

RSL will finish WEST #1, LA will finish WEST #2
• If RSL defeats COL AND LA ties or loses to DAL
• If RSL ties COL AND LA loses to DAL

MLS CUP PLAYOFF SEEDINGS

DAL will finish WEST #3
• If DAL defeats LA
• If DAL ties LA AND SEA ties or loses to HOU

SEA will finish WEST #3, DAL will finish WEST #4
• If SEA defeats HOU AND DAL loses to LA
• If SEA defeats HOU by 11 goals or more AND DAL ties LA

SJ will finish WEST #4, SEA will finish WEST #5 (EAST #3)
•If SJ defeats KC by 2 goals or more AND SEA ties HOU

SJ will finish WEST #4, COL will finish WEST #5 (EAST #3), SEA will finish WEST #6 (EAST #4)
• If SJ defeats KC AND SEA loses to HOU

COL will finish WEST #4
• If COL defeats RSL AND SEA loses to HOU AND SJ ties or loses to KC:
If SEA loses by 2 goals or more AND SJ ties: SJ WEST #5 (EAST #3), SEA WEST #6 (EAST #4)
If SEA loses by 1 goal AND SJ ties: WEST #5 (EAST #3) on total goals
If SEA loses AND SJ loses: SEA WEST #5 (EAST #3), SJ WEST #6 (EAST #4)

SEA will finish WEST #4, COL will finish WEST #5 (EAST #3), SJ will finish WEST #6 (EAST #4)
• If SEA ties or defeats HOU AND COL defeats RSL AND SJ ties or loses to KC
• If COL ties RSL AND SJ loses to KC

Get all of that? Good, lets get on to the predictions for the weekend.

Saturday

Seattle Sounders FC – at – Houston Dynamo

Before the season I believe I pegged this game as a big one on the final weekend of the season. That was when I thought Houston would be a contender behind Geoff Cameron and Brian Ching. The Dynamo are hoping to close the year on a high note though against a team that could turn into one of their rivals.

Look for this one to be played on the wings with Seattle controlling the pace in this one. The Sounders have been red-hot in league play over the last couple of months and even on the road I don’t see them cooling off here when they know they can move ahead of FC Dallas with a win (and a loss by Dallas in LA). Houston will play with pride but the offense won’t be there to stay with Steve Zakuani and the Sounders.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Houston 1

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Toronto FC – at – D.C. United

Jamie Moreno’s last game with United, possible MLS too. I see him going on out top in this one with a goal to extend his all-time mark. Toronto could spoil the fun but I’m not betting money on it.

WVH Prediction: D.C. 1, Toronto 0

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Kansas City Wizards

This one could be very interesting to watch. For the Quakes its all about playoff positioning. I feel they’re suited better to make a run if they’re in the eastern conference bracket instead of the western conference. Depending on how the Seattle game goes earlier in the day tomorrow the Quakes could just be playing for a draw. Now I doubt they’d ever admit that but really its all about match-ups going forward and they don’t want RSL or LA.

KC will put up an interesting game even though they’re out of contention. I think it ends in a draw with Chris Wondolowski taking over the Golden Boot standings on the final weekend.

WVH Prediction: Kansas City 1, San Jose 1

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Real Salt Lake – at – Colorado Rapids

Another game that has a lot riding on it. I’ve said all year this would be a game that would have a lot of playoff meaning. Not only does it have playoff positioning but it could also mean a Supporter’s Shield for RSL with a road win against their Rocky Mountain Cup rivals.

I think this will definitely be the game of the weekend and a physical one at that. I just see another draw between these two right now though. RSL can win on the road but Colorado certainly has a way of finding goals with Omar Cummings.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 1, RSL 1

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Chicago Fire – at – Chivas USA

I’ve grown used to seeing both of these clubs in the post season over the last couple years. Just weird that neither one will be joining the post season fun this year. We get to see Brian McBride and C.J. Brown’s last game with the Fire as well as Jonathan Bornstein’s final game with Chivas USA. I’m hoping McBride rides off into the sunset with a win but I think Chivas will spoil that.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, Chicago 1

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Sunday

Philadelphia Union – at – Columbus Crew

I really believe the Will Hesmer goal will do wonders for this club going into the playoffs. Just look at their midweek CCL result against Joe Public, 4-1. Seeing how Philadelphia hasn’t done all that well on the road this season I’d imagine we’ll see Columbus get back into gear before the playoffs begin.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Philadelphia 0

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FC Dallas – at – LA Galaxy

Dallas finally dropped a game last week in RSL and LA was one of the only clubs to beat them this season. I have a feeling Schellas Hyndman will get this club up for this game no matter what but beating LA at the Home Depot Center isn’t something this Dallas club is used to doing over the years. LA knows they can’t drop this game and I don’t see them doing so here but I think Dallas does get a point out of it with the return of Kevin Hartman in goal.

WVH Prediction: LA 1, Dallas 1

Rafa Marquez will look to slow down the New England Revolution tonight. (Getty Images)

Tonight we could crown one conference champion as the New York Red Bulls host the New England Revolution. In the season finale for each club the Red Bulls are looking to claim their first Eastern Conference crown since 2000.

The Revolution hope to play spoiler yet again this week as they helped knock out the Kansas City Wizards from playoff contention. Oddly enough New England has a bit of an edge against the Red Bulls in recent meetings too. The Red Bulls have failed to get three points against the Revs dating back to 2005.

The midfield battle in this one will be fun to watch as you’ll have Shalrie Joseph going against Rafa Marquez. No doubt to of the best central midfielders in the league going head-to-head will be fun to watch.

I think the Red Bulls get by in this one even without Thierry Henry. With this being Juan Pablo Angel’s last regular season game in front of the Red Bull crowd you have to expect something special out of him tonight. Though I do think the Revs will put up a good fight I just don’t see enough offense in this one from them to see them get three points.

WVH Prediction: New York 2, New England 1

Chris Wondolowski leads San Jose tonight against Chivas USA. (Getty Images)

Its the final week of the season and even though the playoffs are set one team can still shift the match-ups in the first round. That team would be the San Jose Earthquakes. With a game in-hand right now over everyone else around them the Quakes have a shot to move from eighth to fifth in the overall standings, and more importantly they could end up playing LA or RSL over New York or Columbus.

Tonight the Quakes host Chivas USA in hopes to move up the standings and regain focus after dropping a game at home to Houston last week. These two look a lot different than the last time they met back in April when Chivas won 3-2 at the Home Depot Center in LA.

Chivas will have to find offense given the fact that Alan Gordon is suspended for this game. The Quakes on the other hand will have to come out firing early and hopes of catching the visitors off guard. San Jose has been good at scoring first this year but they’ll also need to be careful of giving up possession in their own end.

Look for the offense to go through Chris Wondolowski once again in this one. He’s done very well this season at scoring against weaker defenses like Chivas USA’s. I like San Jose in this one to bounce back from the Houston loss and to put pressure on Colorado and Seattle going into this weekend.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 2, Chivas 0

RSL and FCD battle at Rio Tinto this weekend. (Getty Images)

Its another big weekend in Major League Soccer, quite possibly the biggest this season. Sure the league dubbed up the LA-NY game a couple weeks ago but this weekend there are some real big ones on the slate that could very well shape how the playoffs will be done in a couple weeks.

The biggest match has to be the RSL-Dallas match. The battle of the two amazing unbeaten runs, Dallas and their league-record unbeaten run (and their unbeaten streak on the road that no one is mentioning) going against RSL and their ridiculous home unbeaten run. One has to end right? We’ll see as these two will preview what will likely be a first round series in the western conference.

Let’s not beat around the push here, time for some previews.

Friday

Chivas USA – at – Seattle Sounders FC

No team is playing better than Seattle these days, I’d even put them as hotter than Dallas or RSL at this point. The bad thing is winning pretty much ensures they will face the Galaxy in the first round, not someone they’ve had success with this season. Going against Chivas however should continue to get them ready for the playoffs or even give them a chance to rest a couple starters if they’d like.

The Sounders could be a bit gassed though do to the midweek friendly (why a friendly this late?!) but I see them coming out on top. Their offense is just too much for a Chivas defense that lets in its fair share of goals.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Chivas 0

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Saturday

D.C. United – at – Chicago Fire

Both are playing for 2011 now, or in D.C.’s case playing for the third overall pick in January’s SuperDraft. Can’t say there is a lot of reason to be all that jazzed for this one outside of D.C. or Chicago. It feels like a draw but I’ll go bold and say D.C. sneaks away with a win thanks to Rookie of the Year Andy Najar.

WVH Prediction: D.C. 1, Chicago 0

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Columbus Crew – at – Toronto FC

I think the Crew have to find a way to turn things around in this one agains their rivals from the North. I believe the Toronto fans are doing some protesting at this one so they’ll likely not be a factor in this one which should play to the Crew’s advantage. No Dwayne De Rosario due to yellow card accumulation means Columbus should walk with three points.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Toronto 1

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New York Red Bulls – at – Philadelphia Union

The Union have looked good at times this year against lesser competition but New York is no easy foe these days. Philly is very good at PPL Park but as we saw against LA they have times where they give up a lot of space and a good team like New York will gobble it up with their speed. I think the Red Bulls know they can lock up the eastern conference crown with a win here tomorrow night and will come away with it. I just wonder now that the cat is out of the bag with regards to Juan Pablo Angel leaving after this season if it will create some un-welcomed distractions in the locker room.

WVH Prediction: New York 2, Philadelphia 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at – New England Revolution

The do-or-die theme lives on for the Wizards who are clearly one bad slip up from not making the playoffs. Going against a spoiler like the Revs it won’t be easy this weekend to get all three points. However the mental toughness that the Wizards showed against Chicago in the midweek lets me believe they will live to fight another day by putting even more pressure on the Colorado Rapids to get a point this weekend in LA. KC moves on but not by much as New England will give them fits.

WVH Prediction: Kansas City 1, New England 0

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FC Dallas – at – Real Salt Lake

I had a feeling a couple months ago that both teams would be headed for this very game with streaks still going. Both teams want to win this one that is for sure. The midfield battle in this one will be outstanding as you have Javier Morales and Kyle Beckerman going against David Ferreira and Jason Hernandez. Dallas cannot afford to give RSL any set pieces in this one as they’ve struggled with handling them in recent weeks. For me this one seems like it should be a draw but I have trouble going against RSL when they are at Rio Tinto, though this one should be a very solid game. Plus Dallas was the last team to beat RSL this season so the revenge factor weighs in a bit more for me too.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, Dallas 1

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Houston Dynamo – at – San Jose Earthquakes

Houston going to the Bay area without Geoff Cameron which isn’t a good thing seeing how Chris Wondolowski is hotter than anyone in the league right now. The Dynamo defense has given up plenty of goals this year too which makes believe Wondo will add to his season tally in this one.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 3, Houston 1

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Colorado Rapids – at – LA Galaxy

A whole lot rides on this match for the Rapids if Kansas City wins in New England. If they don’t then the Rapids are in the playoffs and this just becomes a matter of playoff positioning for them. The Galaxy on the other hand hope to wrap up the Supporter’s Shield trophy with a win in this one. Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan and David Beckham looked nicely in sync in the last couple weeks, I figure that trend will continue here.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, Colorado 1

The Wizards need a win tonight and then some help over the weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive. (Getty Images)

To say the playoffs haven’t started yet could be an understatement for the Kansas City Wizards. Tonight is truly a win or go home kind of scenario. A win tonight in Chicago against the Fire keep their playoff dreams alive for a few more days. Anything less and the Wizards are done for the year.

The Fire tonight can play spoiler for the Wizards as they are out of playoff contention. For tonight the Windy City club is playing for 2011. I’d imagine we’ll see some fresh faces out on the field tonight for the Fire as they look towards next season. A bigger question will be whether or not these guys will be playing once again for head coach Carlos de los Cobos or someone else.

Another thing for the Fire to deal with again tonight is injuries as they’re a big banged up all across the pitch. Andrew Dykstra will be back in net as Sean Johnson is out. The Fire midfield is also on the mend as Marco Pappa, Patrick Nyarko, Mike Banner and John Thorrington are all doubtful for tonight.

This plays in the Wizards’ hands a bit as they need to press hard for a win tonight. Ryan Smith, Kei Kamara and Teal Bunbury have to be involved early and often for Peter Vermes’ side. They have to find ways to create offense and end their current three-game losing streak.

I look for this one to be a bit open at times with possession falling towards the Wizards a bit. They’re a desparte team at the moment and I think they will find three points tonight at Toyota Park but the Fire won’t be an easy out.

WVH Prediction: Kansas City 2, Chicago 1

The Fire and Crew battle tonight in Chicago. (Getty Images)

If certain events happen this week we could see the final three playoff spots all snatched up. Again there are some Ifs involved there but we very well could be down to teams clinched playing for positions rather than playing to get in before its all said and done.

Only Kansas City can control what happens this weekend. They lose to Seattle and its pretty much good bye for them, Toronto FC and Chicago. Well actually Toronto and Chicago are nearly dead going into the weekend but just need another result to be officially eliminated by the eyes of the MLS front office.

There are plenty of good games this weekend including one tonight.

Friday

Columbus Crew – at – Chicago Fire

It seems as though neither team wants a result these days. Just when you think the Fire are about to beginning making a run into the post season they fall hard and fast. The Crew on the other hand haven’t looked the same for nearly a month in league play. Fatigue or schedule congestion could be to blame, same with some injuries to key guys but really the Crew haven’t done enough recently to suggest they’ll be a strong playoff team this year.

Tonight will be interesting in Chicago. The Fire are playing for their lives but then again they have been for weeks now and it doesn’t seem to do them a bit of good with their backs to the wall. I’d imagine the Crew will want to erase the disappointment from their midweek loss in the US Open Cup. They could start out slow and the Fire will catch them napping if that is the case but I see the Crew keeping this one level.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, Columbus 1

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Saturday

Real Salt Lake – at – New York Red Bulls

Big game of the week in some eyes but New York will be without some key components in this one. No Bouna Coundol in net or Dane Richards on the wings will be tough to overcome even for the star-studded attack from New York. That should play into the hands of RSL on the road here. Normally I’d give New York the upper hand but this one looks even.

I think a draw sounds more likely here with these two as RSL will be fine defensively in this one but I think Rafa Marquez holds them in check offensively. A lot will come down to backup keeper Greg Sutton in this one for New York.

WVH Prediction: New York 1, RSL 1

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Colorado Rapids – at – FC Dallas

The home finale for the regular season for FC Dallas this weekend as they host the Rapids. This one should be fun to watch as Jeff Cunningham will be going for the MLS all-time goalscoring record. I have a good feeling that he will get it too. Look for Colorado to press a bit more in this one after dropping a disappointing game to D.C. United last week at home. FCD can handle the pressure though and should find a way to push their streak to 19 games.

WVH Prediction: FC Dallas 2, Colorado 1

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – D.C. United

Can the Black-and-Red spoilers do it two weeks in a row? Eh I doubt it. San Jose has had their number before and I doubt that trend will go away anytime soon. The Quakes tend to do well against lesser quality sides in this league so look for them to secure their place in the post season for the first time since 2005 when the first version of the Quakes were still alive.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 2, D.C. United 0

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Kansas City Wizards

This has to be the game of the weekend here as so much rides on it for a few clubs. Seattle could be a bit tired after their big Open Cup win this week but look for Sigi Schmid’s team to remain focused in this one. They’ll want to wrap up a playoff spot too this weekend. Kansas City has to find ways to challenge the Sounders in the back and finish their chances, something they failed to do last week in New York. I think this one stays level though as Seattle’s defense has really come together nicely in recent weeks.

WVH Prediction: Kansas City 1, Seattle 1

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Toronto FC – at – Chivas USA

Toronto isn’t completely out of it yet but it really doesn’t matter at this point for them. This one is more about pride and moving forward than anything else. Look for each club to give a decent effort while trying out some new looks as they begin work on their roster shake ups for this fall.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, Toronto 1

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Sunday

New England Revolution – at – Houston Dynamo

Fun fact, New England has never lost at Robertson Stadium. Can you believe that? Sounds like a draw to me though this time around as each are playing for pride and draft pick positioning.

WVH Prediction: Houston 2, New England 2