Looks like it could be a long year for Peter Nowak. (Getty Images)

I know folks like myself and other writers out there didn’t make this one easy going into the season. We all kept saying the Eastern Conference was the weaker side and how it would struggle against the West.

After two weeks of the new season, that statement rings true. Outside of Kansas City and Houston – who are both off to strong 2-0-0 starts – nearly everyone else in the East has stumbled out of the gate. I’ll ignore Chicago and Montreal for the moment too. The Fire have only played a single game and it was on the road while Montreal is an expansion team, and we can’t expect the world from them yet.

The same can go for Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew. The Trillium Cup rivals have both only played a single game in league play as well but neither were good in the process. Toronto has had two extra CCL games to their name which makes me want to leave them out of this discussion. Should their league play continue to be dreadful in a month or two, I’ll talk about it then. Columbus should bounce back in my mind this weekend as they host Montreal.

So that leaves the likes of the Philadelphia Union, D.C. United, the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution. All are 0-2-0 with negative goal differential.

Only New England has failed to score a goal out of the gate (they join Chivas USA who is the lowly Western Conference side to be 0-2-0 and score no goals) but I’m giving Jay Heaps a bit of a pass at this point.

Two teams have coaching issues going on (Philly and NY) while DC is struggling through some growing pains in Ben Olsen’s second full season as manager.

Only in towns like New York and LA do two losses raise such questions but with the Red Bulls those questions are being raised left and right. Consider what Hans Backe has done so far this season with his starting lineups. While on the road for both goals Backe made it down right tough on his star player Thierry Henry to get any sort of offense going. Yes, no Luke Rodgers or Rafa Marquez didn’t help the situation out but in neither Dallas or Salt Lake did the Red Bulls look really dangerous.

As for the Union. Things are sliding quickly out of control after Peter Nowak’s latest debacle involving Danny Califf. Nowak suddenly leaves Califf out of the line up due to a knee injury that was never really reported. Then the Union go on to lose a rare home game against a 10-man Colorado team. Fans are still feeling the burn of the preseason trade of Sebastien Le Toux as well. **

I haven’t done a coaching hot seat post yet but if I were do to one today Backe and Nowak would certainly be on it*. I do however think that Nowak has a little more leverage with the Union front office. He’s made every move for this club thus far and will continue to do so. I think it will take a massive collapse by his club to get him fired this season. As for Backe, lose two more games (both at home) and that hot seat will be burning.

So is panic mode setting in on these clubs? Maybe, it certainly is very early to tell but I would imagine most of the fans for these clubs aren’t feeling too comfortable about their club’s outlook today.

Where do you stand with your club today after two weeks? Feeling good about things or are you close to hitting the panic button?

Just an incredible scene last night in LA. I won’t go into the sad facts of Seattle down in Mexico but let’s all tip our hats to Toronto FC for being the only MLS side left standing in the CCL after last night. Wow. I never thought I would type that little bit of info.

Now LA, Toronto and Seattle have to move on to another weekend of league play. For LA and Seattle, home games should be a little bit of comfort after losing in the CCL. Though for LA it seems that home is not where the heart is as they’ve lost two in a row at the HDC. Weird times indeed.

We have a massively large weekend ahead of us with nine games on the menu – seven of them set for Saturday. The lone team not included for those keeping score at home is the Columbus Crew.

There certainly are plenty of good talking points going into the second weekend of the season so here is what I’ll be watching out for.

1. The Big O. Montreal is planning and hoping to blow the roof of the Olympic Stadium. Over 50,000 are expected to be on hand and the Impact are hoping to make it closer to 60,000 by kickoff. Yeah you read that correctly, 60,000. The Impact host a hungry Chicago Fire team that had last weekend off. You have to figure the Fire are ready for this one, even though they’ll face a monster crowd at the Big O.

Montreal is looking for their first MLS goal as well. Last weekend they struggled on offense against an up-and-coming Vancouver defense. I’d expect an even tougher task against a Chicago defense that is stronger this season. Second-year defender Jahil Anibaba is a guy that will dictate a lot in the defensive third. 

2. Is San Jose for real this season? One of the bigger questions to come out of week one surrounded the San Jose Earthquakes. They pretty much dominated the New England Revolution in the season opener and got yet another goal from Chris Wondolowski. But is this club legit? I know it is too early to tell but momentum is one thing and so is confidence. A win like last weeks had to give Frank Yallop’s side a good bit of confidence going into a tough week two match with the Houston Dynamo.

One interesting nugget to point out is this one will be at AT&T Park, not at Buck Shaw Stadium. Yay for the Quakes getting a game to boost their season attendance numbers. But I digress, back to the point at hand.

Houston will certainly bring a stiffer challenge to the team from the Bay Area. Defensively the Dynamo are as strong as they come in MLS and if Brad Davis can get things going for the Dynamo on offense, the Quakes will certainly have their hands full. If anything, this game will show us what this San Jose squad is truly made of this season.

3. Dallas depth to be tested. One thing Dallas fans will constantly hear this season is how weak their midfield depth is, and for good season. Brek Shea will be gone with the U-23 national team for Olympic qualifiers and Fabian Castillo could be out with a knee injury. So who is left for Schellas Hyndman on the wings when they host the Portland Timbers on Saturday evening? We’ll likely see newcomer Carlos Rodriguez on one side, and if Castillo can’t go, look for Generation adidas player Andrew Wiedeman to be on the other. Wiedeman had a strong preseason for Dallas but a lot of those goals he scored did come against college sides. Translating that kind of play against higher level competition will be tough.

Portland will bring a squad that has a ton of confidence after their season opening win over Philadelphia. But the best way to get by Portland has always been on the flank, if that part is cut off for Dallas it will turn into a battle in the middle. The advantage could go to the visitors then, who only won two games away from home last year.

4. Trouble brewing for NY? Let’s just say it, without a quality defense, this New York side is going to struggle a lot this season. Thierry Henry can only do so much in the attacking third. Last Sunday in Dallas, Henry got absolutely no help from his midfield. I don’t think it will get any easier this weekend for him in Salt Lake. RSL’s midfield is easily one of the best in MLS and they proved it last weekend on the road in LA.

New York will have to get their act together in the defensive third however. Rookie keeper Ryan Meara did well in his debut last weekend but his defense gave up two real silly goals. RSL is much stronger in the attacking end than Dallas and you have to believe Jason Kreis will be eating up the film he saw from Sunday’s game in Dallas. Look for him to add a ton of pressure on the back four of New York, particularly against Roy Miller and Markus Holgersson. Neither one of those two had a good game in Dallas and were the weak link in the back.

5. The high and low at Qwest. On one end you’ll have a team riding high after a huge CCL win and the other will be hoping to forget what happened down in Mexico. Seattle got spanked around by Santos last night. The first half was close but the second half was just down-right ugly.

I’d expect this one to be a bit close as Seattle will have to get their legs underneath them a bit after making the long trip back to the Pacific Northwest while Toronto will be coming off an incredible high of winning in LA. I’ve been raving how much I like Toronto this winter and this is a game that they can use to prove themselves even more. Yes the LA series was a big stepping stone for Aron Winter’s club but doing the same against a tough Western conference side in league play is just as important.

6. Will LA bounce back? Let’s point out one thing, now that LA is out of the CCL they can at least get back to concentrating on the MLS regular season slate for a while. LA fans should be able to rest easy knowing that fact. They host a D.C. United squad on Sunday in a match that should be a tough one for the Galaxy. Teams are obviously finding ways to win at the HDC this season and you have to think this will be a big opportunity for Ben Olsen to get on board with winning there.

Olsen has to get his offense going though, particularly with Dwayne De Rosario, who was neutralized pretty well in the season opening loss to Sporting Kansas City last week. Juninho and guys in the midfield will have to lock down DeRo, while hoping David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and Robbie Keane can carry the offensive load against a young defense from United. It is as simple as that, those four have to carry the load while this defense of LA’s gets settled here this season.

BC Place will be rocking for the season opener. (Getty Images)

We are finally back to the normal weekly posts here. It is Thursday which means it is time to take a dip into the stories I’ll be focusing in on this weekend as Major League Soccer kicks off their 17th season.

We got things off to a bit of a bang last night in the CONCACAF Champions League, with Seattle downing Santos 2-1 and Toronto and LA playing to a 2-2 draw in front of a rocking crowd at the Rogers Centre.

The First Kick schedule this weekend last three days, spanning Saturday through Monday. The unbalanced schedule however means that there will be a team or two off each week. Both Seattle and Toronto will be off this weekend, thanks to their involvement in the CCL.

Let’s get started shall we?

1. Great White North. The first game being mentioned to start the season off is in fact a game pitting two Canadian teams against one another. Last year it was the Vancouver Whitecaps hosting Toronto FC, but this year the Caps will host the newest club to MLS, the Montreal Impact. Vancouver went out and snagged nearly every available striker that they could get their hands on in the offseason including a trade with Philadelphia for Sebastien Le Toux. The Caps looks strong in the preseason, winning the annual Disney Pro Soccer Class in Orlando. They scored a ton of goals and their defense proved to be up for the challenge. If Vancouver’s defense can be as tough as some think they can be, then I’d expect them to steam roll over the expansion Impact here.

I like what Jesse Marsch has done with his expansion club though. The big thing will be getting the chemistry right early. Once guys get on the same page with one another they could do well but it will take some time.

2. DeRo and Salihi. The two big names lead D.C. United into what could be a big make or break season for Ben Olsen. His team is young but talented. The big thing however is getting Dwayne De Rosario, the 2011 MLS MVP, on the same page as newly acquired Designated Player Hamdi Salihi. The two didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time in the preseason together. But one thing is clear, both know how to put the ball in the back of the net. Salihi showed in Charleston, SC last week that it won’t take much for him to find the back of the net.

3. New boss in Denver. I’ve always been a big backer and fan of Oscar Pareja and I knew it was only a matter of time before some MLS team took him from FC Dallas (truth be told most FCD fans were hoping he’d stick around long enough to take over for Schellas Hyndman when he retired). Pareja now has a team to call his own in Colorado and will be employing a new formation for the Rapids, a 4-3-3 set up. I like the idea of this club in that kind of formation but they do have some issues on the flanks and in the defense that could make this a challenging transition. Anthony Wallace is out for several months now, which means the full back spot is going to be up for grabs. Also, the midfield isn’t getting any young with Pablo Mastroeni and Brian Mullan.

The bigger question will be who scores for this team until Conor Casey returns. To answer that you have to look no further than to Omar Cummings and newcomer Jamie Castrillon. Pareja went south and picked up a few Colombians and Castrillon could be one of the better ones to come to MLS in some time.

4. CCL fatigue for LA? Its certainly possible to expect some sort of let down for LA as they travel back across the country to host a very talent and dangerous Real Salt Lake team this Saturday. LA showed last night that they can be beaten pretty easily in defense without Omar Gonzalez on set pieces. Look for Javier Morales and company to exploit that issue in LA’s defense.

But saying all of that also means that LA does have the ability to come back from any score. We saw last night that a two goals lead against LA means nothing with the likes of David Beckham, Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane in the line up. I really feel that once those four are on the same page that no one, and I mean no one will be able to contend with them. Salt Lake is pretty close to LA’s level so this one should be a fantastic season opener.

5. Quakes and Revs bring intrigue into new season. One thing is certain, not too many people outside of Boston or San Jose really know what to make of the San Jose Earthquakes or the New England Revolution going into this new season. The Revs have a new manager in Jay Heaps and he has some talent on his roster. The big question boils down to who will score for this bunch. That won’t be the question for Quake fans as we know Chris Wondolowski is already looking good going into the new season. As long as someone steps up with him the Quakes could be a dark horse contender out West this season.

While this game doesn’t have the big story lines to it, I wouldn’t be shocked if it is one of the more interesting games this weekend.

6. NBC and MLS. We get our first real look at what NBC will bring to the table for MLS broadcasts. We know of the booth set up with Arlo White and his color commentator on the field (yes on the field, not in the booth) Kyle Martino. I’m pumped for this one merely because it is here in Dallas and I’ll be attending this one. Dallas is expecting a sellout or at least something very close to one for this game against Thierry Henry and New York. FC Dallas CEO Doug Quinn stated yesterday to the press that less than 2000 tickets are left for this season opener and more than likely they’ll get to the sellout.

Having NBC do this game is obviously huge for both teams and the league though. I do believe the league and NBC picked a good opener with New York and Dallas. Plenty of stars to showcase between Brek Shea and Henry. Too bad Rafa Marquez is suspended for this one though.

7. Year of the Timbers? Monday’s lone game should be a fun one. Portland hosting Philadelphia in prime-time on ESPN2 is exactly how the league needed to close out it’s first week of the season. Two up and coming teams, in front of a rocking JELD-WEN Field crowd. That makes for good soccer and good TV in my book. (Note for Dallas folks, I’ll be hanging out at the Big D Soccer Pub Night, come join if you are in town)

Both the Union and the Timbers made plenty of interesting moves in the offseason. Portland added Kris Boyd to their attack and he will certainly be tasked with being the difference maker in this one. But keep an eye out for second year stud Darlington Nagbe. I think we’ll see him infused into the offense a little more this season.

Philly will certainly be interesting to watch this season as they move on from having Le Toux and will rely more on Danny Mwanga and Freddy Adu. Both are young but I have a good feeling about Mwanga being a dark horse Golden Boot contender this season.

At the end of the day it was their only move, and it turns out it should be the right move anyways.

D.C. United has stepped up and named Ben Olsen as their new manager today. Olsen takes over the reigns of the Black-and-Red on a permanent basis after serving as interim boss since August 4 following the dismissal of Curt Onalfo. He is the seventh head coach in club history.

This feels a lot like last winter with D.C. United. They went into the break looking for a new manager and came away with what I called at the time a move that wouldn’t work in Curt Onalfo. I said at the time they settled on Onalfo because everyone else turned them down and he was really the only choice out there. Turns out this looks to be the case this winter with Olsen but the only difference is I don’t believe they are settling for Olsen this time around. Sure they said he wasn’t ready earlier this fall but I see this as a move in the right direction for them as the team and the players believe in Olsen. I don’t believe they ever really gave Onalfo a shot.

Olsen knows the club in and out as he was a huge part of the team for his playing career. He’ll make the club better as long as Kevin Payne and Dave Kasper stop signing dubs from overseas. The biggest reason D.C. has been in the decline is because of them. They go after these overseas guys each winter and come away looking worse then they were before. Letting Olsen be a bigger part in the player decisions could go a long way as he’ll be able to get “his guys” in there instead of Kasper or Payne getting some South American that may work out.

Like I said I see this as a good move for D.C United. The rebuilding however is going to take a while but they’ve already started off well by getting someone like Dax McCarty in for their midfield. If they can get Ethan White to sign a Home Grown Talent contract then they’ll be on track. I really believe they are a couple defenders and a quality striker away from being a player again in the eastern conference. Its just a matter of time if Payne and Kasper can actually let Olsen and his staff do more of the scouting.

Some will say this is a questionable or fall-back decision on D.C.’s part but this is the right move for a club that has been in a downward spiral for the better part of three or four years now.

Ben Olsen looks thrilled to take over as manager, but guys like Devon McTavish should be happy about the coaching change.

The hot seat in D.C. just got too hot for Curt Onalfo as he has been released from his manager duties with United. The club announced today that Ben Olsen will take over as the interim manager with D.C. United’s Technical Director, Chad Ashton, taking over as interim Assistant Coach.

“This was a difficult and painful decision,” said United President and CEO Kevin Payne. “Curt is an outstanding person and a fine coach. This has certainly been a trying season, made more so by a number of factors outside of anyone’s control. This decision is not about placing blame, but about looking forward. Recent performances have convinced us that we need to make a change at the top for the team to improve the remainder of this season, for 2011 and beyond. We wish Curt nothing but the best.”

D.C. did nothing but regress under Onalfo. The club currently stands at 3-12-3 with 12 points after 18 games. Injuries played a decent part in the lack of success for Onalfo in D.C. but overall his poor judgement on talent doubled with the bad decisions in player movement have doomed the club this season.

Seeing Olsen step in is a nice step forward to salvage a season that is definitely over for the club. Any other year the team would be staring at the number one overall pick in the SuperDraft but with two expansion clubs coming into the league next year it will be a bit harder for D.C. to land some quality young talent.

Olsen was the right pick for interim manager too as he knows the club in and out. The young talent look up to him there and the veterans respect him. It shouldn’t be that difficult of a change for the club to go to Olsen. It will be interesting to see how long he holds on to the interim tag and if he can get the full-time gig down the road too.

I said a couple months ago that I would be shocked to see Onalfo finish the year out with the club. After getting hammered 3-0 in Salt Lake City last weekend the move made sense for the club to break away from Onalfo.

2009 was a rough season for Ben Olsen and DC United. (Getty Images)

We knew going into 2009 that the calendar for DC United could be a fairly packed one. Possibly Champions League matches, US Open Cup title to defend, summer friendlies, and of course the regular season slate. It turned out to be just the case as DC United played a schedule so packed this year it definitely raised some eyebrows about how little depth MLS clubs really do have.

Manager Tom Soehn rarely had time to get his club fully fit for a game as it seemed he would go from Open Cup game to regular season game to a Champions League game all within a week time and time again. He did have veterans like Ben Olsen, Jamie Moreno and Christian Gomez for the better part of the season but even they didn’t have enough in the tank to keep the Black-and-Red above water.

There were some bright spots though for United fans to hang their hats on. The club didn’t finish with a losing record, though having that many draws on the year does tell you a thing or two about how rough their defense was this year. We did see some promising things out of rookies Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace. To think when Pontius was picked last January United fans called the team crazy for picking him, looks like he made them eat their words as he is a finalist for rookie of the year.

The club looked like a playoff team for the first few months of the season but yet again just like in previous season a dip in play during August and September did this club in for good. Blame the loaded schedule, blame injuries, blame poor defense, or blame whatever the club dipped badly in those final months of the year.

Now Soehn has moved on and United fans are left wondering where to turn next.

What Went Right In 2009:
When things were clicking the offense was easily one of the best. And when their defense did them no favors early in games this club was certainly the best in the league at coming from behind to at least get a draw. Early on in the year DC came back in games with loads of late goals from Pontius, Luciano Emilio and Jamie Moreno. Building a solid mix in the midfield should help out for years to come.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
Defensively things weren’t the best with this bunch. I recall earlier in the year I said this bunch was inconsistent and got blasted for the comment. Turns out it was pretty darn true as they gave up 44 goals this season, one more than their offense scored. Depth was also an issue in the back as Soehn had to basically redo his lineup for a lot of the games. I think the real kicker was losing the US Open Cup to Seattle though at home. I think that game kind of signaled to a lot of folks, including myself, that this bunch just didn’t have the makings of a playoff team after all.

What’s Next:
First up is finding a coach (paging Richie Williams). After that it will come down to cutting some fat on the roster that just doesn’t produce. Important items to get this winter have to include a solid starting keeper (I think a trade for Kevin Hartman may be a wise move) and getting their defense back in order. I’ve always been a firm believer that defense wins in any league. This club really isn’t far away from being a big time contender again in the league but they just need to get better on defense.

Luciano Emilio and DC travel to New England to face Shalrie Joseph and the Revs. (Getty Images)

I won’t lie, last night’s game between Chicago and Chivas put a sour taste in my mouth for this weekend. The game itself was entertaining but the officiating was lacking in quality as we’ve all seen by now. Hopefully this weekend won’t be filled with yellow and red cards or lots of questionable PK calls.

Sorry for the rant but that’s just how I feel going into this weekend.

As for the weekend ahead here, we have a full slate of games with everyone in action except for Chivas (who played last night). I do hope we get seven quality games like last night’s contest though. Aside from the horrible officiating in the middle it was a good game. I’m gonna start switching things up here for the weekend previews. While I like doing longer previews for each game, time just doesn’t allow me to do so anymore for the weekend games. Instead I will stick with a quick preview and a player to look out for along with the score prediction.

DC United – at – New England Revolution:

DC has been playing well as of late but how much will DC be missing guys like Ben Olsen and Christian Gomez in the midfield? Throw in the fact that New England should be getting Taylor Twellman back for at least some part of this game and it could be an interesting meeting between these conference rivals. I think this one will be tighter than some expect it to be. The Revs may send Shalrie Joseph up top again to get some physical play against a young United back four. That could throw off the visitors if he switches between his midfield role and his temporary striker position that Steve Nicol has been putting him at lately. Honestly this one could go either way so I am taking the draw.

Player to keep an eye out for: DC’s Rodney Wallace has been very tough to cover lately from his defensive position. His runs from the back could be a big x-factor for DC.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, DC 1

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Colorado Rapids – at – New York Red Bulls:

We keep saying that New York needs this game each week and they continue to give up chances and points. Colorado should be a team that could allow New York to be successful against at home (Rapids are 1-2-2 away from home this season) but I actually like the Rapid’s chances here. New York will also be without Jorge Rojas who is suspended for this contest. I think the loss of Rojas will put more pressure on Albert Cedades to create chances and keep possession in the middle for the Red Bulls. While I think he can do it he won’t be able to do it alone. Colorado has been far more consistent in their scoring this season behind Conor Casey and company and I think they continue to make the standings a little tighter with a road win tomorrow.

Player to keep an eye out for: Colin Clark for Colorado has really started to get more involved here in the offense lately.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 2, New York 1

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Toronto FC – at – Houston Dynamo:

The big story here is Dwayne De Rosario returning to Houston where he won a pair of titles with the Dynamo. He’s looked good lately along with Amado Guevara in helping TFC stay near the top of the standings. They’ll need a big performance out of those two and guys like Pablo Vitti or Chad Barrett up top. Houston has played great lately (unbeaten in six) and have been tough to score on in that time. While I think Toronto will keep it close I just don’t see them beating Houston at home here yet. The Dynamo are too clever in the midfield and are so dangerous on set pieces with Brad Davis, Brad Mullan and Brian Ching.

Player to keep an eye out for: Brad Davis has been creating a lot of chances lately for Houston. Last week he tallied two assists in the Dynamo win over San Jose.

WVH Prediction: Houston 2, Toronto 0

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Real Salt Lake – at – San Jose Earthquakes:

This could be a real stinker of a game. San Jose is winless in eight games and we all know RSL’s track record on the road. First and foremost for Jason Kreis and company, they have to get on the board here in this one. No goals in five road matches this season. One would think against San Jose they would get on the board in this one right? I think so since the Quakes lack the creative punch in the middle ot slow down RSL. However I just think San Jose is due a result here after the way they played on Wednesday in Columbus. I’m calling a draw here but not by much.

Player to keep an eye out for: San Jose’s Ryan Johnson has scored five of the club’s ten goals this season, I would expect him to keep that up this weekend.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 1, RSL 1

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Columbus Crew – at – Seattle Sounders FC:

I’d really love to see these two sides go at it with everyone healthy. But the thing is Seattle is a bit banged up and Columbus just lost another key player (Brian Carroll) for some more time. Seattle will have some key members of their midfield back in this one with Freddie Ljungberg and Brad Evans ready to go this week. I see the Sounders controlling the midfield and the pace of this game from the start thanks to those two and the loss of Carroll for Columbus. I just don’t think people will realize how big of a loss Carroll is for the Crew.

Player to keep an eye out for: Look for Seattle’s Fredy Montero to have another solid game here. His pace will be tough for Columbus to handle.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 3, Columbus 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at – LA Galaxy:

I’m a little worried for the Wizards on the road tomorrow. They will be missing two key offensive players in Josh Wolff and Santiago Hirsig. With this being one of the last games for Landon Donovan for a while with the Galaxy (national team duties this summer) I would imagine the Galaxy will push the tempo a bit more and actually look for the three points. The loss of Sean Franklin in the back worries me for them but not seeing Wolff on the field makes me think it will be balanced out a bit here. Even though the Galaxy are the draw queens of the league I am going with them for a change here.

Player to keep an eye out for: Either off the bench or starting, I think Edson Buddle could be a big factor for the Galaxy in this one. He needs to start scoring for the club here and this could be a good time to start.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, KC 1

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FC Dallas – at – Chicago Fire:

The Fire have a chance to move into a tie with Chivas for first overall. I just don’t see FC Dallas making this much of a game here with the way the Fire have been as of late. Chicago may not be as rested as Dallas but they will control the pace of the game from the start.

Player to keep an eye out for: If Dallas has any hope of scoring it could be from youngster Brek Shea who has really shown a lot of growth in recent weeks for the Red Stripes.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 3, Dallas 1

The Cauldron will be loud tonight with DC in town. (Brian Stevens, WVH Photo Correspondent)

Two midweek games for week eight. A big night in general if you count Toronto FC’s game in the Canadian Champion tonight against future MLS side Vancouver. But I’ll just stick with the MLS games for the evening to preview.

RSL returns home to host the Galaxy who just scored their first win of the year. And in Kansas City, DC comes to the CAB for a big time clash of two up and coming eastern clubs.

DC United – at – Kansas City Wizards:

1. First place on the line, who steps up for DC on the road?

No Ben Olsen, Marc Burch, or Fred tonight for the boys in black. Guess the need to lead will come on Jamie Moreno who easily stepped into that role last week against Dallas. As long as the offense is rolling fine for DC they could be fine on the road here. Just remember DC only has a single loss on the season here so far and it was at Salt Lake (a place DC and no one else wins at). Also KC is a play DC typically sees success in as well. As long as guys like Moreno step up on the road they should be fine.

2. What does Kansas City need to do to pull this one off?

Remember KC had last week off so they should be nice and rested up for this one. With only a couple guys on the injury list we should see the same roster that Curt Onalfo has been using for the last few weeks on the field tonight. KC needs to get more from guys like Josh Wolff and Davy Arnuad in this one. Defensively they should have their hands full tonight with the likes of Emilio and rookie Chris Ponitus.

Most of what KC needs to do is control the midfield play from the start. On their homefield they’ve done a good job of taking care of the ball so far this season. Doing that and maybe catching a break on offense from time to time could help the Wizards move back into the lead in the eastern conference.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

With no Olsen or Fred in the midfield tonight for DC, I’m going to be watching Santino Quaranta in the midfield. If he can have a nice controlled game like what I’ve see out of him recently DC could be looking at another three points when the night is over. He’s a guy that can really sneak up on people and put home a game winner.

Quick Thoughts:

This game should really be competitive. Both clubs are really starting to come into their own this season and right now I see both contending in the eastern conference. So this game is big for the three points and for some bragging rights as well. Not having Olsen and Fred worry me a bit in the midfield for DC but the loss of Burch is also big to consider. KC has shown they can come back from a couple goals ot grab some points this season so even if they go down early in this one you cannot count KC out of it.

I think in the end these two are pretty evenly matched at this point so I am going with a draw for the night. It should be a tightly contested game in the midfield with a couple breaks for each club that lead to a goal for each. Pontius for DC grabs one and KC gets a goal from Jimmy Conrad off a corner kick to tie it up.

WVH Prediction: KC 1, DC 1

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LA Galaxy – at – Real Salt Lake

1. What can LA do to keep the wins coming here?

First of all they have to figure out a way to get points at Rio Tinto Stadium. A tast that has not been done so far this season. Secondly they still have a lot to prove to the rest of the league here that last week’s win wasn’t a fluke or a lucky win.

It could be a good time for LA to get points at Rio Tinto. RSL will be without midfield leader Javier Morales (suspension) and defensive beast Jamison Olave (suspended) and veteran keeper Nick Rimando (broken finger). Losing those three could be a break for LA to get points as long as Landon Donovan controls the offense and guys like Chris Klien and Eddie Lewis step up.

2. Without Morales in the middle, who leads RSL in this one?

Jason Kries needs a big game out of guys like Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson and maybe an even bigger game out of veteran Clint Mathis. RSL has plenty of talent in the midfield that should match up well against the Galaxy who are a bit shaky to say the least in the middle of the park. Also it wouldn’t hurt to see a guy like Robbie Findley put it to his old club either for RSL.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Even though you hate to see Rimando out it does come at a good time for Chris Seitz. We’ve been wondering for a couple years now when he would get his chance in goal and the time is now for the youth national team keeper. A big game from him could go a very long way for this club if Rimando is going to miss any more time this season.

Quick Thoughts:

If RSL had been fully set to go with no injuries or suspension I would have easily thought they’d win this one with little trouble at home. They’ve been so good at home this season so it is hard to even think of picking against them here. However losing Olave and Rimando in the back is pretty big when you have a guy like Donovan coming into town. I think LA will get their chances in this one but RSL will have to battle a little more than they normally would at home for the three points. Donovan gets a goal for the visitors but Mathis and Yura Movsisyan put the game away for RSL.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, LA 1

A lot of clubs are still in need of some wins here, especially LA and Columbus who are both winless so far this season. A couple other clubs are hoping to change their luck with a win this weekend as well while others are hoping to stay on course with their current run of play so far this season.

As always feel free to leave your game predictions below.

Columbus Crew – at – Toronto FC:

1. Can the Crew finally get over the hump against their main rivals?

One thing remains the same so far this year, Columbus is not the same club it was a season ago. Main reason is the depth has come in question along with the lack of toughness that exsisted last year with a club that didn’t see a whole lot of injuries to key guys. If there is ever a time to get things going in the right direction it is on the road against your rival. Thing is with key guys possibly still sitting this one out it could be another week before Columbus gets over the hump here. That may be a week too late in the end.

2. What does Toronto need to do to get over the coaching change?

So far they’ve done things right. They had the switch late last week, got the win over Kansas City on Sunday and now they’ve had a full week under the interim boss Chris Cummins. The main thing in a coaching change is try not to change much at all in training and in the lockerroom. I really see Toronto being okay for the time being since Cummins has been there with the club all along.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

For me a guy to watch on Saturday is Columbus’s Alejandro Moreno. He’s finally healthy and as we saw last week he is finally dangerous once again for this club. Moreno is the type of guy that can be such a pest and that had been something the Crew were missing most of the start of the season. If he can get them on the board early in this one it could be a good afternoon for the Black-and-Gold.

Quick Thoughts:

The good old Trillium Cup heads north to Toronto. While Toronto is pretty hot from last week’s two home victories they still have to figure out a way to get over their main rivals in Columbus. In seven league matches the Crew have owned the Reds in each match, including the 1-1 draw earlier this year. Had it not been for the own-goal late by Gino Padula, the Crew would have walked away with their first win of the year. Crazy how own-goals have a way of hurting a club more in the following games than in the game that it happened.

Columbus needs this win in a bad way but I just don’t see it yet. Unless they get Moreno being the pest that he is and Frankie Hejduk pacing up and down the wings and in defense I just don’t know if Columbus can get the three points on the road here. I do think they are still good enough to get another draw out of this one and that’s what I am predicting. Toronto has the talent in place to win this one but offensively they still haven’t put away a club yet. Columbus is good enough offensively to stay with Toronto and I see the Crew grabbing a late goal this time around to get the road point.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, Columbus 1

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FC Dallas – at – DC United:

1. What does DC need to do at home to control this game?

Basically in the middle of the pitch they need to make sure guys like Pablo Ricchetti or Dax McCarty don’t handle the possession for Dallas that much. Those are two key guys for Dallas in the midfield and when Dallas plays well like they did in the first half of last week’s game at Chivas (before the Sala red card) it was due to the possessional play out of Ricchetti, McCarty, Andre Rocha and Dave van den Burgh. Dallas has some talent in the midfield that if given the time they can create some dangerous plays for guys like Kenny Cooper.

2. What does Dallas need to do to win this game?

First of all they have to mentally get over the hump in RFK. Dallas has not won at RFK since 2005. Second of all they need to go to their goal scorer in Kenny Cooper. Getting him active early and often will go a long way against a defense that DCU has that has been shaky at times this season. Dallas has shown improvement over these last couple of games and could catch a break against a DC club that does go soft for a stretch or two during the game. If they can find the right times to defend when needed and then attack when the chances present themselves they could leave RFK a winner for once.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

DC has to be riding high off their win over New York last week. If anyone is going to carry the banner in this one for the boys in black it will be Ben Olsen. His toughness and leadership are more than enough to get the three points at home against a Dallas side that isn’t all that great on the road.

Quick Thoughts:

Both clubs could easily use the points here but I like DC in this one. They do show signs that they will go cold for stretches of the game but Dallas’s defense hasn’t improved enough with the rest of their club yet to make me want to pick them just yet here. Once the defense catches up to the rest they could be a very solid club. DC should have enough momemtum leftover from last week to carry them in this one. I see Luciano Emilio and rookie Chris Pontius having a good evening in this one.

WVH Prediction: DC 3, Dallas 1

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Chicago Fire

1. What can the Fire do to get back on the winning track here?

Let’s not forget here that Chicago has been playing so-so soccer here lately. Two wins and four draws on the year isn’t bad but they are still the only undefeated side left in the league. With that said they host one of the best sides in the league this weekend in the Sounders FC. Chicago has to control the pace of this game from the start and not allow Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani and Freddie Ljungberg to control the game for the visitors. This game has potential to be very wide open in the midfield with how each club plays. Blanco has to set the tone of this game early and get MLS Player of the Month for April, Brian McBride involved as early as possible. Seattle still has some questions in the back and McBride is as good as they come for testing any defense in the box.

2. Can Seattle pull one off on the road?

The Sounders have to hope that the Fire are a little more tired than they are since the Fire hosted Club America in the mid-week (Seattle had a USOC play-in game on Tuesday). Seattle has played well on the road so far this year with a win and a loss. Their loss to Chivas was a very close game for the most part so you have to think that Sigi Schmid is doing something right here. If Seattle can control Blanco, Marco Pappa and John Thorrington in the midfield they should be able to do well in this one. If not they will have more pressure on their backline.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I want to see when Chris Rolfe is on the pitch what happens with the Fire. If he starts he has the skills to be dangerous and if he comes off the bench he will have the late game speed and energy to close things out for the Fire.

Quick Thoughts:

Easily the game of the week. Two of the league’s best square off. Chicago really needs a win though to be honest. They are the league’s only undefeated club left but draws only get you so far in this league. Seattle as we all know have looked very impressive but I want to see how they handle facing another of the league’s best. It didn’t go well for them last time around in LA against Chivas.

To me this one smells like a draw. Chicago is good at home but they tend to drop games that they shouldn’t at Toyota Park for some reason. Seattle is dangerous enough to stay in games and even put home some attacks when the Chicago defense could go to sleep (think the KC game). Seattle goes up first in this one I think with Chicgo coming from behind again for the draw. Blanco won’t be tossing any more jerseies in to ref’s lockerroom this week.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, Seattle 1

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Real Salt Lake – at- Colorado Rapids:

1. Can Colorado put it together for a full 90 at home for once?

One thing is certain about this Colorado club, they have the talent to be really good here. Thing is they just haven’t figured it out how to do it at home yet. They dropped points at home last week to LA in a game that totally controlled. Against a rival that is playing well like Salt Lake they cannot afford to go cold for stretches of the game or RSL will get hot in a hurry as we saw last week.

2. Does RSL have any more goals left in them?

Six goal games are usually followed by one goal games. At least from what I’ve seen in the past they have. RSL has the offense to do some serious damage and the league has taken note of that for sure by now. Thing is they haven’t done it on the road yet. However with the way Colorado closed out last weekend’s game against LA, there could be potential for another outburst from this club.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Colorado’s big leader Pablo Mastroeni has to step up in this one since it is a rivalry game. If he can set the tone early for the Rapids that could be a key thing that leads the homeside to a vital victory over their rivals.

Quick Thoughts:

This one also has the makings of game of the week material. The Rocky Mountain Cup has been a very hot contest these last two seasons and I see this year being no different. I’ve said before I want to see RSL get consistent road play and with the way Colorado plays at home there is no better time to start than now. They need a big game out of Yura Movsisyan and guys like that. On the flip side Colorado needs Conor Casey to step up and lead the way in this one, just like he has time and time again so far this season.

In the end I see a Colorado going through by the slightest of margins. RSL will keep it close and physical but thanks to a goal by Omar Cummings, Colorado will see three points while RSL will be left wondering how to win on the road yet again.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 1, RSL 0

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Chivas USA – at – San Jose Earthquakes

1. Can San Jose actually turn things around here against the league’s best?

On a tight field San Jose could turn their luck around easily but it will not come easy against a Chivas club that has been proving themselves to the league over and over again this season. I thought Chivas did well to overcome last week’s loss to Toronto with the home win over Dallas. It was a good turn around after the season’s first loss. San Jose hasn’t been able to bounce back yet from defeat like Chivas has here.

San Jose has to get a better turn around out of guys in their defense. Either it’s age or injuries that are causing this bunch to be so sloppy this season. I think the key has been the loss of Jason Hernandez. Without their most stable defender the Quakes have give up a lot of goals already this season (tied for second-worst in the league).

2. Will Sasha Kljestan ever come out of his current funk?

Amazing fact that Chivas is playing so well this season without some key guys on offense and without quality play from Sasha Kljestan (no goals and no assists so far). This would appear on paper to be a good game for him to break his spell and actually do something of note for this club. I guess failing to land a deal in Europe really set him back a bit. You’d think he would kick it up even a notch more to get that big deal for this summer.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

I’m watching the AmeriGoats’ Justin Braun who is back and healthy. So far Chivas has spread out their attack enough that a lot of people are scoring, I think this is Braun’s game to get on the board.

Quick Thoughts:

Normally I wouldn’t go with Chivas on the road in a place like San Jose but the way the Quakes have played so far this season doesn’t give me enough reason to pick them every week like I would like to. Chivas is too talented of a club to not get three points in this one I think and if Kljestan can join the party all the better in Chivas-land. I think San Jose can stay in this game but in the end good defense will trump bad defense and that’s why I am going with the visitors.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, San Jose 1

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New York Red Bulls – at – LA Galaxy

1. Will Bruce Arena’s club finally get on a winning path here?

Honestly with the way New York dropped last week’s game to DC at home I think this is an excellent time for LA to get their first win of the season. With Landon Donovan playing as well as he is this seems like a perfect game for it to happen. Plus New York’s offense hasn’t given anyone a reason to believe they will play all that well on the road anyways here. So far they haven’t scored a single goal on the road this season.

2. What needs to go right for New York?

To go right they need better play out of the midfield. It is as simple as that. Going against a fairly weak midfield in the Galaxy, New York should have plenty of chances to spread the field out and find guys like Juan Pablo Angel in the box. This club is going to want to prove that last week’s result was a fluke. And to be honest they have to prove that it was a fluke or Juan Carlos Osorio could find himself out of a job very soon.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

No other person to watch in this one than Donovan. He has carried this club on his back so much this season and I wouldn’t expect anything less in this one. With a shaky defense in New York I think Donovan could find himself in some big spots on Saturday evening.

Quick Thoughts:

This one will either be really fun to watch or just really ugly to watch. I can’t put my finger on which it will be. New York hasn’t been anything special on the road this season and LA has shown they aren’t terrible or great all at the same time this season. I think Bruce Arena’s club gets their first win on Saturday but not by much as New York makes it interesting late in the game.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, NY 1

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Houston Dynamo – at – New England Revolution

1. Will the Revs respond to their 6-0 defeat?

Losing that bad in one half is never an easy thing to swallow. It’s also never easy when you have to face a club like Houston in the following week. Just as we saw last week when you have such a young club on the field and so many key defensive injuries some goals are eventually going to pile up. I didn’t expect six that quickly though. I see the club responding pretty well for a while in this one but it has to come offensively, an area that hasn’t been that impressive by this club so far this season.

2. Can Houston finally beat New England in regular season play?

If there was ever a time to get their first win over the Revs it would be this weekend. All-time in regular season games the Dynamo have not beat the Revs, even at home. But as we all know Houston has beat New England when it mattered most in the MLS Cup twice.

To get their first win they need their big guys stepping up and making the impact early on the road while New England is still figuring out how to get over the 6-0 loss to RSL.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I think this could be a big game for Houston’s Brian Ching. One thing we all know the Dynamo do well is get free kick situations and if Brad Davis or whomever is taking the kicks can find Ching in the box it could go very well for the visitors on Sunday.

Quick Thoughts:

I can’t see a Steve Nicol club getting downed two weeks in a row in that kind of manner that they lost last week in Salt Lake. Thing is it is tough to bet on their young defense stepping back up without a veteran like Jay Heaps or Chris Albright leading the way like normal. Missing a veteran in the back and having mostly young players can be like playing with dynamite. I think Houston should be able to go in and get some road points here. I just have trouble betting on a club that is missing so many key players in the back.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, New England 0

Seven games to discuss here for the upcoming weekend, five on Saturady afternoon/evening and two more the next day on Sunday. All but one game are conference clashes this weekend, the lone inter-conference meeting is out in Sandy, Utah between RSL and New England.

All clubs are in action this weekend except for Houston, who has been off this entire week. All four clubs that had week-night games are in the mix again this weekend. Tough doubles for Chivas, Toronto, New York and Kansas City. Depth will come into question for each of those clubs this week for sure.

As always feel free to pipe in your score predictions below.

Chicago Fire – at – Columbus Crew:

1. Will the rest give Columbus enough to get back into gear here?

Let’s face it Columbus needs a win and if Chicago plays any bit like they did a week ago in the second half it could end up being their first. Hard to believe six weeks in and the defendind champs haven’t record a single victory yet. The rest should have done some good for the Crew who need to find their offensive ways.

2. Will Chicago bounced back after their second half funk from a week ago?

Let’s face it that last 20 minutes for the Fire was terrible. It mostly was due to sloppy defense and a lack of midfield presence since Black was subbed out and even later on Marco Pappa came off the pitch. With both of them gone, well mainly without Blanco to be real honest, the Fire lacked the punch in the midfield that they were giving the Wizards in the first half and even the first part of the second half. As long as the midfield trio of Pappa-Blanco-John Thorrington is in tack things should be good for the Fire offensively and even defensively.

I’d say the funk they put themselves in will also cool off a bit unless their back four get into some card trouble. Against a club that is tough like the Crew it could be a rough evening for Chciago at Crew Stadium.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

Chad Marshall for the Crew will certainly have his hands full tomorrow night with Brian McBride in the box. Should Blanco or Pappa connect with McBride the Fire could be looking at extending their eastern conference lead. Marshall has to come up big on the defensive side of the ball for the Crew and it also wouldn’t hurt if he was able to put away one of his big headers on the offensive side as well.

Quick Thoughts:

The Crew have to win something eventually here and the Fire have to lose one eventually here as well. Both clubs really haven’t put it all together for a full 90 just yet but the Fire have been able to look better so far this season. Columbus needs a strong showing at home here to get the ball rolling but I just don’t know if it will come against the Fire. Chicago is too dangerous and right now I just don’t know if anyone other than Gulliermo Barros Schelotto can score for the Crew. Its not bad that GBS is scoring for the Crew but he certainly needs help carrying that load here. I like this one to actually end in another draw for each club. Chicago plays well on the road but they tend to drop out of games for stretches of the game and I see Columbus capitalizing on that.

WVH Prediction: C0lumbus 1, Chicago 1

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New England Revolution – at – Real Salt Lake:

1. RSL returns home, so should we expect more of the same out of them?

What I mean by that is more of the same home play out of RSL. Let’s face it this club is great at home and terrible on the road. They just are. I don’t see any other reason to why RSL won’t bounce back in this one after looking so-so on the road last week in New York. They host a very underrated New England squad that is still undefeated here in the young season. With this being the one interconference clash on the weekend, bragging rights are on the line.

2. What does New England need to do to pick up points in Rio Tinto?

One thing RSL does well at home is spreading the field and really making people work to get the ball in possession in midfield. New England has to control things from the start with guys like Shalrie Joesph and Jeff Larentowicz. This will be key since the New England backline is ravished with injuries right now. If they don’t control things from the start it could get ugly, like it was a couple weeks ago when RSL hosted the Crew.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

I’m watching out for Yura Movsisyan in this one and so should you. With the amount of injuries for New England’s back four I see Movsisyan give those that are out there a giant headache tomorrow night. He’s big and physical and could easily work his way into a couple of goals if he finds himself in the right spot to do so.

Quick Thoughts:

Honestly I don’t like New England’s chances to sneak in to Rio Tinto and get even a single point from this one. Their backline is too banged up and starting some rookies in the back (though who have been good) could be troublesome for Steve Nicol. RSL is just too good at home and should get the three points in this one to move up in the western standings. I’m not saying New England doesn’t have a chance but I just think a injury-depleted defense on the road equals disaster. Plus let’s be honest too, their offense hasn’t done much so far this season anyways.

WVH Prediction: RSL 3, NE 1

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LA Galaxy – at – Colorado Rapids:

1. Can we really expect LA to do anything special on the road here?

The Galaxy have not won in their last 11 league visits to Colorado, since a 3-1 win July 13, 2002 at Mile High Stadium. The Rapids have won their last seven league home games against the Galaxy, winning nine and drawing two over the undefeated span. Yikes. The Galaxy are one of two clubs without a win right now and if they are going to pick up the first win of the year it will be in a venue that has been very unfriendly to them.

2. Can we expect Conor Casey to continue his Galaxy beat-down?

A couple weeks ago Casey went off for a hat trick against a Galaxy squad that probably produced one of the worst defensive efforts I’ve ever seen. From start to finish in that game Casey owned the Galaxy. Put Casey and the Rapids at home for the second time this year (yeah six weeks in and this is their second home game) and it could be another long night for Bruce Arena’s bunch.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

While I fully expect LA to key in on Casey look for Omar Cummings, Colin Clark and even Mehdi Ballouchy to have bigger games. Really keep an eye on Ballouchy, I think people are starting to grow tired of seeing him in the middle of the field for the Rapids, if he doesn’t start producing soon he could see his way to the bench.

Quick Thoughts:

If I were to do a bet of the week it would probably be this one. LA looked terrible the last time they faced Colorado and the fact that the Rapids are playing some pretty good soccer these days lets me believe that they will have no problem handling their business at home against LA. I fully expect Casey to have another big night against LA.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 3, LA 1

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FC Dallas – at – Chivas USA:

1. Who is more gassed from the mid-week game?

Both had to make cross country trips back west for this game after playing on Wedneday night. Each club lost in similar fashion, Dallas lost in a US Open Cup game at DC while Chivas was in league play up in Toronto.

Chivas will need to bounce back quicker if they want to retain their hold on the rest of the league in the standings. I really felt they went too defensive against Toronto and really didn’t throw a lot of numbers forward. While Dallas played with some reserves in DC and lost for it. If anyone is tired it could end up being Chivas.

2. Does Dallas have any momentum going into this one?

They may actually after picking up the win against Toronto last week. Offensively things are starting to click a little better but defensively things are still where they’ve always been. One bad mistake against a club like Chivas and it could be a long trip back to the Big D.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Watch out for Dallas’s David Ferreira. He’s slowly starting to find his own way in MLS and once he continually gets on the same page as Kenny Cooper we could see a really deadly combination between those two.

Quick Thoughts:

Chivas needs a bounce back from their mid-week game while Dallas is slowly playing with some confidence here. A few weeks ago Chivas absolutely took it to Dallas in Frisco thanks to some of their newcomers. Getting the return leg at home here this weekend I think Chivas will wake up offensively after how they played on Wednesday and get on the board against a Dallas defense that still hasn’t proven a thing (other than they give up weak goals). This Dallas side just doesn’t strike me as one that will pick up a lot of road points this year though too. I could be wrong about that but Chivas will bounce back, from what I’ve seen out of them they are a quality side and quality sides tend to bounce back quickly from losses.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, Dallas 1

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Seattle Sounders FC:

1. Will getting Kasey Keller really make a big difference for Seattle?

He should. Let’s be honest about that Keller should make the impact that most of us have seen out of him. In the two games (or one and a half) since his red card the Sounders have given up a couple cheap goals and have looked out of sync since their leader was gone. Thing is they need to find their offensive ways again too, since Keller was carded they’ve also gone dry offensively (though I doubt Keller really has anything to do with that).

2. Can the Quakes put it together for a full 90 on the road?

Put a young club on the road in a place like Qwest Field and it could be a long night for the Quakes. I’ve said I want to like this club but they have some serious defensive issues right now that I just can’t get behind. Down the middle where Seattle has been successful is a key area that San Jose has not played well so far this season. If they are going to stop Fredy Montero or Freddie Ljungberg they have to get quality play out of Ramiro Corrales, Ryan Cochrane, and Nick Garcia.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

One guy that should have a good night for Seattle is their big striker Nate Jaqua. Going against a defense that lacks a serious punch, I see Jaqua sneaking in for a goal or two tomorrow night.

Quick Thoughts:

Again, I want to like the Quakes but they are so unproven on the road here this season and with defensive issues against a side that can be so dangerous behind Montero, Jaqua, Steve Zakuani, and Ljungberg it could be a long night in Seattle for the visiting side. Sigi Schmid lead clubs don’t typically lose three straight and I think this is the right game for them to get back on the scoresheet and back in the win column.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, San Jose 0

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DC United – at – New York Red Bulls

1. Will New York continue to see red?

Its funny, these last couple games for the Red Bulls have been card infested. Newly aquired Carlos Johnson has seen two reds in three games. His stand-in Jeremy Hall has also seen red in that time. Something has to change because it isn’t like the guys are being more phyiscal on the ball, no, its careless fouls that are costing this club. Against a rising club like DC one mistake and it could be another long night for the MetroBulls.

2. Who will lead the way for DC this week?

It seems like one week it is Luciano Emilio, the next it is Jamie Moreno, and the following is Ben Olsen. Which is good. This club needs their big leaders to do just that, lead. They need a solid performance out of each of those guys on Sunday.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Watch out for rookie Chris Pontius. So far this year he’s been playing really well for a rookie and if New York tries to double up on Emilio like I think they may you could see extra space for Pontius and other guys like Fred or Moreno. I think Pontius could be a difference maker in this game.

Quick Thoughts:

DC had the mid-week game in the Open Cup and looked good. NY went on the road last night and sort of stunk up the place in KC. I thought they had a chance or two to come back in that one but they never seemed to get on the right side of things offensively. I would have to think DC is the fresher of the two clubs but in a rivalry game all bets are off. I know NY will need this game to bounce back but I’m not fully counting on it as DC is starting to play some decent soccer here. NY still hasn’t put it together for a full 90 like most thought they would by now.

WVH Prediction: DC 2, NY 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at – Toronto FC:

1. Can Toronto keep up what they started on Wednesday?

I’ll be honest, on Wednesday night that was some of the best soccer I’ve seen out of John Carver’s bunch in a long time. They controled the pace from the start and never let Chivas USA in the match. Oddly enough most believe they played better despite the loss of Dwayne De Rosario. It was part that and part Amado Guevara stepping up and carrying this club on his back in the first half.

They host a KC club that is really playing some good soccer right now. No losses in their last four games which is really good after losing their first two games to start the season, including one to this Toronto side at home.

2. What does KC need to do to pick up some more road points?

First of all the need to keep momemtum at their side as much as possible in this one. Toronto did an excellent job on making sure they controled the midfield play against Chivas and right now that could be a weakness of KC. Their midfield has played well at times lately but I think their success has been to their defense stepping up and their offense finally producing. If they don’t possess the ball better than what we saw last night out of them it could be a really long game for the Wizards.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

I think in this one you gotta keep a look out for Pablo Vitti for Toronto. I keep thinking this guy is going to really turn it on here sometime and start scoring. It could be that he needs to not be on the field at the same time as Chad Barrett, maybe Barrett’s ways are rubbing off on Vitti. Whatever the case may be I think Vitti could do well in this one.

Quick Thoughts:

This one honestly is now shaping up to be the game of the week. Two up and coming clubs who are playing some good soccer clash to end the week. I think Toronto has to get on the board early here if they want to win this one. KC has shown they can keep a lead when they get one and Toronto has never been known to come from behind here. I think in the end this one ends up level after 90 minutes. Toronto finds the back of the net in the first half but KC battles back with Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, KC 1