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.

The tone was set early and often by LA with Landon Donovan really showing just how good he can be for LA and for MLS. I think the game showed us more about how good LA can be in the second half of the season because of how Bruce Arena has built this club too. Still I won’t get too overly gitty about this win, even if it does move them into third place. It was a win in a place they hadn’t won at in a while but it was a win over a team that showed absolutely no heart. Really can’t get excited just yet about how LA is, a lot of soccer left to play this season.

But enough of last night, time to focus on the weekend ahead. Only five games to discuss this weekend. Four games on Saturday and one lone match on Sunday. All games surprisingly are inter-conference battles.Dallas, Seattle and KC are all off this week.

Saturday:

Houston Dynamo – at – Toronto FC:

Houston will get the bulk of their roster back after last week’s game in Seattle. I don’t expect the turf to be a real factor as Houston looked very good in the loss last week at Qwest. Toronto had a solid week last time out in San Jose. But that was against a Quakes side that is pretty terrible no matter where they are playing. Houston is far better and play with a lot more passion than the Quakes do. I see Brad Davis stepping up to get guys like Kai Kamera involved. But in the end it comes down to defense and Houston gets both Bobby Boswell and Geoff Cameron back for this one. No question their defense is better and more physical than Toronto’s. The Reds will battle behind Dwayne De Rosario’s fire to play his old side but it won’t be enough.

WVH Prediction: Houston 2, Toronto 1

———————————————————-

Real Salt Lake – at – Columbus Crew:

I still have trouble figuring out RSL out on the road here. I think they do have the talent to stay competitive in the west but every time out on the road they come up slow and flat. They absolutely cannot do that in Columbus, where the Crew have been unbeatable for over a year now. They may get a break as Guillermo Barros Schelotto may not be fit enough to go tomorrow. That would be a huge break folks. I think RSL will frustrate the Crew no matter what but their offense still gives me reason to believe they won’t get it done yet again on the road. The Crew still have a quality side that will get the job done even if GBS isn’t there.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 1, RSL 0

—————————————————–

Colorado Rapids – at – DC United:

Two things are constant with these two clubs. DC doesn’t win in Denver and Colorado doesn’t win in DC. Look for that to remain true this weekend. Colorado hasn’t been all that impressive lately while DC is out to prove that they are the best side in the eastern conference this weekend. Let’s not for get the fact that DC is also coming off a bye-week and that they are getting very healthy right now. DC will get the win behind the usual cast of Luciano Emilio and company.I wouldn’t be shocked to see Christian Gomez stick it to his old side in this one as well.

WVH Prediction: DC 3, Colorado 1

—————————————————-

San Jose Earthquakes – at – Chicago Fire:

The Fire really need a pick up kind of game at home and the Quakes may just be their answer. The Fire did however field most of their starters this past week in their SuperLiga semi-final win over New England. I wouldn’t be shocked to see a couple key guys come from the bench in this one to save some legs. Make no doubt about it though, if the Fire struggle to win this one, many will question whether or not if this club will have what it takes to win MLS Cup this season like we all did at the start of the season. A 1-2-4 home record isn’t anything special, and it has to change fast.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, San Jose 0

——————————————————-

Sunday:

Chivas USA – at – New England Revolution:

This one could be ugly folks. Neither side is healthy at all and both have been playing some crappy soccer lately. Chivas hasn’t won since early June and New England isn’t doing much better. I think we are seeing the decline of Preki’s side here this summer as we move closer to the All-Star break. I thought SuperLiga would get them back in gear for league play but after last week’s match I didn’t see what I thought I would out of this side. New England gets Shalrie Joseph back and that may just be enough to get three points at home this week.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, Chivas 0

Order of goals: Omar Cummings, Brian Ching, Eric Avila, Fredy Montero, Chirs Pontius, Osvaldo Alonso, Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero, and Christian Gomez.

A decent amount of goals this week. I’ve once again put together the usual list of my favorites. I may have missed a couple others though but these are the ones I thought were the better goals out there scored this weekend. Lots of goals scored off set pieces this weekend or just sloppy goalkeeping.

Order of goals: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus), Marco Pappa (Chicago), Christian Gomez (DC), Danny Dichio (Toronto), Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle), Richard Mulrooney (Houston), Cam Weaver (Houston), and Stuart Holden (Houston).

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

—————————————————-

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

———————————————————-

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

——————————————————–

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

—————————————————-

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

——————————————————–

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

———————————————-

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

Chris Rolfe and Chicago got back to winning on Saturday. (Getty Images)

For a few clubs we are at that one-thirds mark of the season, others do however still have a few games to catch up here. Still we are flying through this season it seems like as another week goes into the books. Week nine in Major League Soccer was an interesting one to say the least. We had a great comeback in LA, a shocker in Salt Lake, a statement in Toronto, and a load of 1-1 draws.

Five of the seven matches ended in a draw with a couple late game-tying goals to mention later today. Not a lot of change however here as the league progresses this season. We keep having a lot of draws each week, which leads me to believe that that bottom level amount of points to reach the playoffs will be in the high 30s to low 40s this season. Wins are a premium this season that only a few are getting a lot of here. But more on that later on as well.

Chicago Remains Unbeaten

One of the shocker results to some of the weekend was the Fire’s 2-0 win over Toronto at BMO Field. I viewed this as a statement result for the Fire who needed a good swift kick to the gut to get going here again this season. The club remains the lone unbeaten team in the league after nine weeks. Sure six of their results are draws but that is still a fairly impressive mark. This win was greatly needed though as the club was in more of a funk, even though they weren’t losing. They weren’t holding on to leads like they should and defensively they just looked a bit overrated.

A big reason for the win was the play of guys like Chris Rolfe and Brian McBride. Rolfe continues to be the best man off the bench for any club this season. His spark in the second half closed the game out for the visitors just moments after a Wilman Conde handball in the penalty box wasn’t called for a PK. It was a tough call that really could have gone either way. It turned out though to really shift momemtum from Toronto to Chicago.

This was just one of those contests for Toronto that they looked a bit tired as they weren’t connecting on any shots around the penalty area. But even down a goal early I thought they showed some grit in getting back into the match with the Fire. The no-PK call on the handball really changed the game for both sides though.

Also on the night, McBride now has six goals on the season. He is currently tied with Josh Wolff of Kansas City for the lead in MLS.

A Rio Stinker In Salt Lake

Saturday night it was all Kansas City in Rio Tinto Stadium. The Wizards set out and did what they needed to do as Josh Wolff sparked the attack with two goals on the night to lead the boys in blue to victory over Salt Lake. Finally KC manager Curt Onalfo did the right thing and moved Wolff back to the striker position where he is more effective for this club. It paid off not once but twice.

RSL sinks a little deeper however with another loss here. This club hasn’t looked nearly the same since the 6-0 beating they put on New England a few weeks back. Mainly the offense isn’t producing and Jason Kreis’ defense is giving up more than it should. It also hasn’t helped that he has lost his veteran keeper Nick Rimando for some time and now his back up Chris Seitz is going on the shelf. One thing is certain in this league, if you don’t have a good keeper in goal you will lose lots of games.

Something Crazy In LA

The 2-2 draw on Saturday night in Carson was something else. Chivas became yet another victim of the toughest lead in soccer, 2-0. They are certainly the worst and toughest leads to hold in soccer. You have to also look at the fact that Chivas is still looking pretty after 10 games here. To have 23 points at this stage in the season is not bad in the least, espeically when wins are tough to come by for any club this season.

If I were Chivas fans I wouldn’t go all crazy over the draw to DC. United is a quality side that knows how to score late in games. That is a tough thing to defend when you club is banged up, which to be honest Chivas still is here. Some could question the subs from Preki on Saturday but you also have to look at who Tom Soehn was putting on the pitch late for United. Adding two quality vertan players like Fred and Christian Gomez in the second half really made an impact for DC. Chivas just couldn’t keep up late.

Butts-in-Seats

Decent numbers across the board. The usual 20k in Toronto followed by a great 19k in Salt Lake. The two games at the HDC saw similar numbers for the Galaxy and Chivas. New York’s game against Houston drew a respectable 14k. New England followed with just north of 10k and as always Dallas brought up the rear with 8k. What they did with the extra Drew Carey glasses at Pizza Hut Park I will never know. They were cheap plastic glasses anyways. I saw some fans with a couple pairs each.

The Land of Draws

Houston and New York drew 1-1. Seattle and Dallas did as well. Throw in Columbus and LA along side Colorado and New England. Four games with the same result in each, 1-1. Two of them saw late game tying goals. The other two were nodded up before halftime.

What to take away from these results is simple. Of the 68 matches played this season, 27 have ended in draws (almost 40 percent). Last year, over a 210-games, 57 games (27 percent) were ties. And we thought at the time that it was a bit much.

Look a little deeper at just how big wins are this season. Los Angeles is 1-1-7, Chicago 3-0-6, DCU 3-1-6, Columbus 1-2-6. Look at DC and Chicago, they are at the top of the eastern standings with Columbus not far behind. Only Chivas and to a lesser extent Seattle are getting the job done this season. Then you have a club like Kansas City that also is getting results but they are also losing as many as they are winning.

Then you look at clubs like Dallas, New York and San Jose where nothing seems right. They looked to be clubs on paper that would be good this season but are anything but that.

Consistency is key in MLS. Right now the only than that seems constant is the draws.

Dwayne De Rosario leads TFC against FC Dallas on Saturday. (Brian Stephens, WVH Photo Correspondent)

So far the 2009 season has been a lot different than most would expect. Two western teams headline the standings with perfect records, while a couple eastern clubs aren’t far off the pace. Judging by this weekend’s schedule this could be a good for some struggling clubs to get on the board here this season.

This will be the first weekend in a while that I can remember where all the games are on Saturday. Easter Sunday probably has a good bit to do with that reasoning. Seven games total, with only New England missing out on the fun due to the unbalanced schedule this season.

Feel free as always to post your score predictions for your club’s game or for all the games below.

FC Dallas – at – Toronto FC:

1. Can Toronto correct their offense and get on the board against a very weak Dallas defense?

You’d have to think that the best cure for some offensive woes this season have to be facing a club like Dallas. Toronto gets a double dip this week and next week with the North Texas club. I wouldn’t be shocked to hear that John Carver and his club should expect no less than four points out of these next two games with Dallas.

I thought last week against Seattle the Reds created some decent chances for themselves but were just unable to do anything with them. Pablo Vitti looked pretty good on a couple passes from Dwayne De Rosario. And speaking of DeRo, or the FCD-Killer as I like to call him, you have to think he would like nothing more than to get on the board this season against his old Texan rival.

2. What can Dallas do to slow down the attack from Toronto?

For one Dallas hasn’t played all that well in BMO Field in their two visits. They won last year’s meeting but at that point and time they were actually doing alright as a club and Toronto was already starting to fall into their summer funk. I think this visit being a bit earlier in the year will change things, especially since Dallas isn’t doing well so far this season. They need to find a way to get Kenny Cooper involved more and control the ball in the midfield. Toronto actually is doing better this season in the midfield so it will be another tough test for this Dallas midfield.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I’m going to go with Toronto’s Pablo Vitti again here. I think while Chad Barrett will probably getting his fair share of looks, Vitti either as a start or off the bench should make an impact in this one. I just think he pairs up well with Dallas’s backline.

Quick Thoughts:

Dallas has a lot to work on here and a road trip to Toronto is not the best time to fix some the problems going on with the club. They may still be able to get on the board in this one but I think Toronto just has more talent in all the right areas this year in comparison to Dallas. Schellas Hyndman still hasn’t found his touch in the professional game  yet and I really don’t see it starting to show in a place like BMO Field. Toronto will bounce back from their 2-0 loss to Seattle with a nice win over a struggling Dallas team.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 3, Dallas 1

————————————————————————————————————-

Chicago Fire – at – San Jose Earthquakes:

1. Can San Jose find their offensive touch once again against a strong defense like Chicago?

Hey we all thought Houston had a mighty good defense and then the Quakes some how came out and torched them for three goals in 15 minutes a couple weeks ago. Maybe San Jose is the type of club that plays up to their competition when they face a good club and down when they face other clubs (no knock on you KC). So if that is the case we should expect their offense to step it up a notch against a very strong Chicago defense that has played very well so far this season.

2. What does Chicago need to do to control this game?

On the road last year the Fire were one of the league’s best so I wouldn’t be shocked to see them play their style of game in this one. All they have to do is control the pace of the game from the start and get their main guys involved early. San Jose is the type of team that can be beaten early in a game if you attack quickly.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Marco Pappa for Chicago has been really good so far this season. He scored a goal last week in the win against New York and I could see him making a similar impact on this one as well with how shaky San Jose’s defense can be at times. His speed on the wings along with guys like Patrick Nyarko and Chris Rolfe could be a lot to over come.

Quick Thoughts:

I honestly don’t know what to make of these Quakes just yet this season. I want to like them I really do but they have been too inconsistent so far and good teams like Chicago handle inconsistent teams with ease. I think it will be tighter than last year’s contest in Oakland since it is being played at San Jose’s normal venue and not in Oakland. It will be interesting to see if Blanco gets the start or if he continues to come off the bench for Dennis Hamlett’s group.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, San Jose 0

————————————————————————————————————-

DC United – at – Real Salt Lake:

1. Can DC get a win in the Rocky Mountains?

DCU as we all know have been largely terrible in Colorado and in Salt Lake City over the years. It could be an altitude thing or just a mental thing but whatever it is hasn’t been good out of the Black-and-Red. DCU needs to get on the board early like they have so far this year with guys like Luciano Emilio and rookie Chris Pontius. Using their wings will also help out but the key battle will be in the midfield between RSL’s Javier Morales and DCU’s Christian Gomez. So far Gomez hasn’t impressed and Morales has been his usual self. DC needs a good game from Gomez and a bad game from Morales to get the three points here.

2. Can Robbie Findley keep up the scoring?

One thing I’ve been waiting for now for a couple seasons is for what Robbie Findley did against Columbus last week, just go crazy and score. His hat trick was hopefully his coming out party for good here this season and if that is the case then look out. Findley has the tools to be really dangerous for this kind of matchup, plus he has been linking up very nicely with Yura Movsisyan so far this season.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

I think wing play will be a big factor in this one at Rio Tinto Stadium. In that case I think a guy to watch out for is RSL’s Will Johnson. He can be very dangerous from the wings and if he start to link up with Movsisyan and Findley up top it could be a long evening for the visitors.

Quick Thoughts:

I know a lot of you haven’t like what I’ve been saying about DC lately. That’s fine and in a way I do hold them to a pretty high standard. I really hope to see a quality game on Saturday betweek these two. I won’t like I think it has game of the week potential written all over it and no one is really talking about it in that manner. I see this being a pretty tightly contested game in the midfield with a defensive error causing the homeside to end the night with three points.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, DC 1

————————————————————————————————————-

Colorado Rapids – at – Columbus Crew:

1. Will we finally see the Crew be the Crew this season?

Yeah, the Crew haven’t looked like the club that dominated things last year but then again they didn’t dominate early in the year last year so there really isn’t a huge reason to go nuts just yet in Columbus. Colorado comes into town Saturday and the Rapids may be just what the Crew need to get things going in 2009. The visitors haven’t won in Columbus since 2004 including last year’s 2-1 result.

2. Can Columbus stop Conor Casey?

I think it is safe to say that the three goals from Conor Casey had a lot to do with the poor defending by LA last week. Still a hat-trick is a hat-trick no matter who you score it on. Columbus will more than likely mark Casey a little more than LA did, which should make it tougher for him to get open in space like he did a week ago. Plus Columbus has plenty of size in the back that matchup well against Casey.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

As much as I expect Columbus to mark up on Casey this weekend I would say that could leave some space up for Colorado’s Omar Cummings. If he can get just the slightest about of space he has the speed to do some serious damage.

Quick Thoughts:

Columbus has to get on the board here if you ask me. Four games in for the defending champions and only two points to show for. They are home for this one and should be able to get the positive result. I don’t see Colorado getting the same sort of space in this one as they did a week ago in LA. Columbus plays a little more compact in the back unlike LA. Look for Columbus to control the midfield in this one and get their first win of the year.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Colorado 1

————————————————————————————————————-

New York Red Bulls – at – Houston Dynamo:

1. Just how badly does Houston want this game?

I think we all recall the last time these two faced off in Houston. New York got some nice calls from the man in the middle of the field and scored three goals when it was all said and done to advance to the next round of the playoffs. That bad taste was left in Houston’s mouth all winter and I think they’ve been waiting around so far this season for this game. You have to expect they will turn it up a notch in this one to get the result.

2. Will we finally see some fresh faces for New York?

We sure are getting there that’s for sure. Alfredo Pacheco may not be one though as the club is still waiting on his ITC card. That isn’t looking good for him to get that just yet from what some are saying. We did finally get to see fullback Carlos Johnson last week and another full week with the club should help his playing time. The big one we are waiting on is Spanish midfielder Albert Cedades. Once he gets use to his new club it could be a big turnaround for New York. Keyword in there is “could”…its just a big if right now.

3. Player to keey an eye on.

Speaking of newcomers, we should see Houston’s newcomer Ade Akinbiyi in this one. If he comes off the bench (which I bet he will) I mainly want to watch and see how fit this guy is and if he will even be enough to help the Dynamo’s attack this year. A lot of pressure will be put on him to help carry the load.

Quick Thoughts:

The more I look into things here with New York the more I think history is quickly going against this side already in 2009. I know its early but only one club in league history has gone winless through three games and reached the MLS Cup (DC in 1996). And things were mighty different in this league back in 1996. (That stat actually affects both clubs here even though I was talking about New York) I really see Houston pressing for this win on Saturday. They hated to end things last season the way they did against New York and I would bet that their fans won’t forget it either. New York hasn’t looked good on the road yet this year and I doubt it will start this weekend. I just don’t think the newbies for New York will make that big of an impact just yet.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, New York 0

————————————————————————————————————-

Kansas City Wizards – at – Seattle Sounders FC:

1. What can Kansas City do to slow down the Sounder attack?

Let’s be honest for a minute, KC on the road this year hasn’t been anything special and quite frankly it hasn’t been anything special over the last couple of seasons. Put them in an environment like Seattle and you have a potential disaster right? Maybe. KC has to attack early in this one and get Seattle on their heels. The Sounders haven’t allowed a goal yet this year and if they allow one now I have a feeling it will rattle them enough, even at home. I don’t think it will rattle them enough to drop a game just yet though.

2. Which Fred will start?

You have a Fredy that didn’t make the trip last week due to the flu (and other reasons). And an aging Freddie that got banged up a little bit in the trip to Toronto. Depending on which goes it may not matter as the offense goes through that position on the field. I’d kind of wonder what Sigi Schmid would have to do without both Freds. Probably rely more on rookie Steve Zakuani.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

A lot for KC depends on how well Santiago Hirsig handles the offensive load for this club. If he can get guys in space and distribute the attack it could be a good day for the visitors. Thing is he will be going against one of the hottest guys in the league in Osvaldo Alonso.

Quick Thoughts:

Can you really go against the Sounders right now? I really don’t think you can with the way they’ve been playing. I want to find a reason to pick KC but I honestly have none right now.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, KC 0

————————————————————————————————————-

Chivas USA – at – LA Galaxy

1. Which LA will show up for this one?

We know LA can turn it up against their HDC rivals. After last week’s performance against Colorado I know they can score and probably will against Chivas. I just don’t know which defense will show up for this club. Now with the addition of veteran Gregg Berhalter you’d have to think a quick team like Chivas could have a field day against a defense that has already played once this week (a loss in PKs in the US Open Cup on Tuesday to Colorado).

2. Just how real is this Chivas bunch?

This Chivas group is a real mystery that has pulled off three straight to open the season. No big name headlines the success of the group and most of the usual names on their roster are hurt. But give credit to Preki for trusting in newcomers like Eduardo Lillingston and youngster Gerson Mayen.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

In this new edition of the SuperClascio it still comes down to one man, Landon Donovan. He has been a Chivas-killer since the AmeriGoats came into this league. I don’t see any reason why he doens’t keep it up in 2009.

Quick Thoughts:

While I don’t think Chivas is dropping this game I have a feeling it will end in a draw as LA will use the heat of the rivalry to fuel their attack. Chivas didn’t play all that well against their HDC mates a season ago and I have to wonder if they have the defense to hold off a guy like Donovan (two goals and two assists in two games this season). I don’t see LA pulling away with this one but I’ve seen stranger things out of this bunch before.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, Chivas 2

Time now for the final preview if you will, the season predictions. I will go through who I think we need to keep an eye out for, some rookies that could make a splash, and some coaches that could be on the hot seat this year. Later on today (or maybe tomorrow morning) I will have the year’s first power rankings.

Keeping in the tradition of past season predictions there will be some random stat guesses. Like them or hate them, I do them every year and sometimes actually end up correct on them.

As always feel free to add your own predictions below.

Players to watch in 2009:

• Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew – The MVP, probably the best player even for his age in the league. Even if GBS is half as productive as he was a year ago the Crew will be alright. The man can make anyone look good on the field. Sure he is a DP but he is well worth the pay in my book. Still for the Crew to repeat GBS needs another 15-20 assist year, with probably 6-9 goals too.
• Christian Gomez, DC United – The main reason why I have him here is because he is back in Black…the Black-and-Red that is. Getting Gomez back in DC is a big thing, plus this time he seems like he really wants to be there. Good thing too because this could either be a good DC team or a terrible DC team.
• Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas – For Dallas a lot still rests on Cooper. How much longer will he be with the Red Stripes? And can he produce like he did a year ago? A 15-20 goal season shouldn’t be far off with the addition of David Ferreira, but will he stay on board for the full year? I just doubt it.
• Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy – Just like Cooper, how long will the Galaxy be able to hold on to LandyCakes in 2009? For me this should be his last year in MLS. Maybe even last couple months. I really was shocked to see Bayern Munich not pick him up and I wouldn’t be shocked to see another club in Europe come get him before the year is out. As for the MLS side with Donovan, I fully expect him to pick up where he left off in 2008.
• Dwayne de Rosario, Toronto FC – The big guy is finally home in Toronto. Just how good will the Reds be with him in 2009? I think the potential is certainly there but as we all know it comes down to his pairing with Amado Guevara. Its a pairing I have to say I like though and one I think will work. If it doesn’t it could be another long year at BMO Field.

A couple coaches already feeling the heat in 2009 (no particular order here):

• John Carver, Toronto FC – Should TFC get off to a slow start or start to stumble in the summer again we could see Carver and even GM Mo Johnston get the boot from upper management. I think if one goes the other will have to do the same. They both built the team but its more up to Carver to get the results on the field now. If it doesn’t happen fast enough he could be the first to go this year.
• Curt Onalfo, Kansas City Wizards – I know some Wizard fans will get on me for this one but I’ve had the same feeling about Onalfo since he took over this club. I always feel they are a below-average club because of him and I really believe that if the club isn’t looking good before going into a new stadium he could be one to blame. Management seems pretty true to their guys but if the club isn’t producing points and playing inconsistent like they have in years past, Onalfo could be looking at a pink slip.
• Bruce Arena, LA Galaxy – Bruce has total control over this club, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good in the sense that he can control the roster and get who he wants in. Bad in the sense that if he fails to deliver quality play by the All-Star break he may get fired for it. Oh yeah, and he still has the Beckham Soap Opera to deal with.
• Juan Carlos Osorio, NY Red Bulls – I know Osorio made it to the MLS Cup last year with the Red Bulls…I know that. I put him on here for the same reason I put any NY coach on here. No coach has ever stayed with that club long enough to give anyone a reason to not expect them to get canned if the club doesn’t do well. Osorio is in danger if the guys he brings in this year fail to work out and the club fails to reach it’s full potential.

Rookies to keep an eye out for in 2009:

• Sam Cronin, Toronto FC – For me out of the gate he should be the leading candidate for ROY. I fully expect him to be a big time contributer for this club in 2009.
• Steve Zakuani, Seattle Sounders FC - With the number one pick comes a lot of hype and pressure. Zakuani has the skills and the talent to live up to the hype and the pressure. He will have plenty of time to develop his skills to behind guys like Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montreo
• Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy – There was a reason why people loved this kid coming out of college. He has the size and tools that Bruce Arena needs as a center back.

The rest of the bold season predictions:

1. A MLS club will win SuperLiga. – New England did it a year ago, I sort of see them repeat it this year.
2. A MLS club will win the US Open Cup – Some think the margin between the USL and MLS is closer than ever, I sort of disagree. Its all about getting up for these games, which the MLS clubs don’t do as well as the USL clubs do. I think a club like Chicago will win the Open Cup in 2009.
3. MLS will expand to Portland and Vancouver. – Not much of a prediction but we will hear them announced by the end of the month.
4. MLS will also announce plans for the 2013 round of expansion. – Cities like Miami, St. Louis, Montreal, New York, Las Vegas, Ottawa, Atlanta and Phoenix will all enter their name in the hat with a surprise city or two (Milwaukee and Edmonton).
5. One trade in the mid-season will shake up everything. It happens nearly every year, a trade that helps get one club to a MLS Cup while helping a less fortunate club get some salary cap room that they need for the following year.
6. Another club will add a DP by the end of the summer. I see Toronto finally doing it.
7. A couple Yanks abroad will return home. Maybe a Preston Zimmerman or someone like that. Gregg Berhalter maybe?
8. MLS will field four clubs in the CCL. I think Toronto comes out of Canada to join Columbus, DC and New York in the group phase this fall. None do all that well though as usual.
9. Houston and KC will see stadiums slowly go up. I may have mentioned this before but I see big things for these two clubs once their stadiums are done. Both will play another year or two in temp venues but will have very nice stadiums afterwards, everything breaks this year for them.
10. DC will finally get their stadium deal in place. Sad to say but I have been adding this to the predictions for the past couple years. I really believe this is the year though.
11. MLS will win the All-Star game. Yawn.
12. Juan Pablo Angel will lead the league in scoring. I think Angel will net at least 17 this year, if not 19 or 20.
13. GBS will lead the league in assists. Shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. But RSL’s Javier Morales will make it interesting in that race.
14. Kasey Keller will lead the league in saves. Weak defense, new club. It smells like a good bet.
15. Blanco will lead the league in fouls suffered. It was a easy pick a year ago, so why change it.
16. Blanco will also be a finalist for the MVP even though there is a better candidate. It’s happened before so why not again?
17. A late season run will help…San Jose. I see thinks falling in line for the Quakes this year. But it won’t come easy at first.
18. Frank Yallop will win coach of the year. The late run will help.
19. Sam Cronin will win rookie of the year. The kid is golden.
20. GBS will repeat as MVP. Who else can step up and knock him off right now? No one, that’s who.
21. Chicago will win the Supporter’s Shield. Something about the Fire I like.
22. Houston will once again win the western conference. Until someone knocks them off, why not?
23. The east will go as follows: Chicago, Columbus, Toronto, New England, New York, DC , KC.
24. The west will go as follows: Houston, Salt Lake, San Jose, Chivas, Seattle, Dallas , LA, Colorado
25. The playoffs will include: Chicago, Columbus, Houston, RSL, Toronto, San Jose, New England, Chivas.
26. Columbus will repeat as MLS Champions. Even with the heavier schedule I just can’t see anyone knocking them off just yet.

Bryan Namoff was one of the few key players re-signed this winter. (Getty Images)

Time to dive back into the season previews once more today with DC United. The Black-and-Red failed to live up to expectations last season. They got rid of nearly every player they brought in last year and even added an old face or two to the mix. Time now to see if they can get back in the playoff mix in the tough eastern conference.

2008 Record and Finish: 11-15-4, 37 pts., sixth place in eastern conference, failed to reach playoffs.

Offseason Player Movement:

Incoming:
Chris Pontius (SuperDraft)
Rodney Wallace (SuperDraft)
Andrew Jacobson (via signing from FC Lorient – France)
Christian Gomez (trade with Colorado)
Mike Graczyk (trade with Colorado)
Mamadou Danso (via waiver order?! previously with Carolina – USL1)
Mawete Ange N’Silu (via signing, most recent with FC Lausanne – Switzerland)

Outgoing:
Jeff Carroll (waived)
Gonzalo Peralta (not re-signed, returned to Union de Santa Fe)
Ryan Cordeiro (contract not renewed)
Quavas Kirk (contract not renewed)
Ibrahim Koroma (loan expired)
Craig Thompson (contract not renewed)
Marcello Gallardo (released from contract)
Ivan Guerrero (trade with Colorado)
Zach Wells (retirement)
Joe Vide (waived)

Unsigned Draft Picks:
Brandon Barklage
Milos Kocic

Additional Items:
International player slot (trade with Colorado)

Questions going into 2009:

1. Can Christian Gomez and DC regain the magic from two years ago?

The way I look at things with this squad, DC shifted focus from a year ago in terms of player movement. Last year it was all about brining in as much South American talent as the league would allow them to. This year it was sign up the core of the roster and add parts as needed. More importantly it was add Christian Gomez back to the roster.

I think with Gome back in gear with DC he will be happy once again and not only return to MVP form, he will help this club go back into playoff contention. They still have plenty of work to do but with Gomez controlling the middle of the park you can bet this offense will be tough to stop in 2009.

2. Is the defense going to be any better in 2009?

Let’s face it…the defense for DC last year was pathetic most of the year. They weren’t the worst (LA took that nod) but they were not far away from being the worst. Blame it on injuries, poor goalkeeping, lack of whatever; the defense was just not good in 2008.

Fast forward to this year and DC tossed out a few interntionals that may have slowed down the defense a bit a year ago. They signed up a few key players in the back and added one guy that I think could make a big impact as a rookie in Rodney Wallace.

Better than 2008? Possibly but for me I still feel as though they are missing an element in the back that will really put them in the playoff mix for real this year. Defense starts from up top and if Gomez can control the middle of the park like he use to in RFK Stadium then this defense shouldn’t have as much to worry about.

3. Player to watch out for…or someone to break out this season.

Clyde Simms. For me this steddy rock in the defensive side of the midfield has to be the steddy rock that we’ve seen him be this year. For DC to be better defensively this season they have to have Simms be the rock in the middle to keep the pressure off the backline. I think highly of Simms and also view him as one of the most underrated players in the league. But saying that I want to see more out of him this year. I truly believe this is his year to break out and possibly even become an All-Star candidate.

Look at the  2009 Schedule:

I gotta say I like DC’s schedule this year. Its heavy here and there but towards the end they have a real solid chance at a good playoff push with plenty of home games in the final months of the year.

Four of the last six games of the year are at home with the two road games in very win-able stadiums for DC. They’ve seen success over the years in both Dallas and KC.

May and August are the big months. Six games in May (three home and three away) and five games in August (three away and two home) will really show where this club is at both before the All-Star break and after. If they stuggle through both months I won’t expect them to reach the playoffs.

2009 Season Outlook:

DC was one of a few clubs in the entire league to really make a lot of movement. Good thing too because the east will be tougher than it was last year when they failed to reach the playoffs. Like I said, I think their schedule sets up nicely for them in key areas of the year but that is only if they stay healthy. I think having the core of the roster back with the addition of Gomez really helps their chances this year. But getting by the Columbuses, New Englands, Chicagos and even now the Torontos in the east won’t come easy.

The playoffs seem likely for this bunch but if they don’t start off well I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see a coaching change mid-way through. If that is the case then I expect another playoff-less season in our nation’s capital.

United acquired Gomez, goalkeeper Mike Graczyk, an international roster spot and salary cap considerations (Rapids will pick up some of Gomez’s salary this year) and traded the Rapids a package that included its own Designated Player slot, Ivan Guerrero and second-round pick in the 2010 MLS Draft.

DC gets their playmaker back while the Rapids unhaul a headache. Honestly even though the Rapids will have to continue to pick up the tab on Gomez this year I think they got the better end of the stick here. I like the move to land Guerrero here as well as getting the DP slot back.

Who do you think got the better end of the deal?