One is Dominic Oduro running fast through the grocery store, celebrating an orange going into a bag like a goal and just well, being fast.

The other is keeper Sean Johnson in the same grocery story. He’s showing off his ability to not let anything get by him. After seeing him stop Blas Perez on a PK last night, I don’t see much else getting by him for a while.

San Jose and Vancouver have the potential to be the matchup of the weekend. (Getty Images)

Whew. Last night was quite a night in Major League Soccer. One game had eight goals, while the other two combined for five. Crazy night really when you throw in the two Amway Canadian Championship to the mix.

Now it is time to focus on the weekend ahead, all clubs that were involved in games last night have second games this weekend. So lots of double-dips here in Week 9.

Nine games are on tap this weekend starting tomorrow night in LA with Chivas taking on the Chicago Fire all the way until Sunday evening in Frisco when FC Dallas hosts the Colorado Rapids. Busy, busy weekend ahead.

Here are a few stories I will be following this weekend as MLS gets rolling further into a new month.

1. What do we know about the Fire? Honestly, the Chicago Fire may be the one club that I know the least about at this point. Blame the unbalanced schedule if you want but it is the truth. We’ve seen them the least (same can be said about Houston but that is for other reasons since their stadium is being built), and really there is so much to be asked of this club. Their young players, the speedy attack, their midfield. Each time I see them I like them a little more but I do feel that one big element is missing out of them. Someone that centralizes the attack or that main striker (no offense to Dominic Oduro or anything here).

They head to LA tomorrow to face a struggling Chivas USA club that can’t seem to get anything right at the moment, especially at home. Chicago has to come out early with their attack and dictate the pace from the start. Their open style of attack has to get an early start or the Chivas defense will get comfortable and possibly get a draw out of this one.

2. Any breakthrough for Toronto? Worst start in club history, tied for the worst in league history. The Reds have to have some bit of luck before long. Aron Winter probably doesn’t have a ton of time left either as his club didn’t exactly do well yesterday in Montreal in the opening semifinal leg of the ACC.

The attack is slowly coming together for this side, as we saw last week in Salt Lake but at some point a full 90 minute effort has to happen. So far this season they haven’t been able to put together more than 20 minutes of quality soccer at a time together. That has to change or else we could be staring at some very ugly history.

Toronto hosts D.C. United, a fiery offense lead by former Red Dwayne De Rosario. You know DeRo’s track record against his old clubs, so you have to expect a goal from him in this one. It is just a matter of can Toronto match him? I don’t know if they really can at this point.

3. Defensive battle in British Columbia. Vancouver and San Jose battle once again for the second time this season. Earlier San Jose dominated the Caps 3-1, showing that Vancouver’s defense was not as great as they had previously shown in the first four games (four shutouts in their first four games). Still the Caps have earned two more shutouts since that loss and are looking better and better. Offensively things are slowly working their way into form as Omar Salgado showed well last night in the ACC match with Edmonton. He, Sebastien Le Toux, Camilio, Eric Hassli, and the rest of that crew have to get going against the Quakes and their tough defense.

You have to love what the Quakes are doing at the moment, shredding everyone’s defense with their attack and coming up strong with their midfield and defensive group. Last night was a bit different though as D.C. United got three by this group, a first of this season. Still this one could become more of an offensive showing than a defensive one if things go the way they did last night. I’d love to see it really.

4. Stars lacking in MLS showcase game. No Thierry Henry or Rafa Marquez make the LA-NY game a little less interesting. The Galaxy held David Beckham and Robbie Keane out of last night’s loss in Seattle and given the form of these two clubs, I don’t think this is really a game the league can hang their hat on here this season. But hey, they’re going to try to. LA has to bounce back here after the loss in Seattle. They’ve not shown their offense as much as I would have liked to this season but going against a banged up Red Bulls squad, the time is now. I think an attack right down the heart of this Red Bull team is exactly what LA needs to do. Teams that have run at New York have seen great success this season and LA has just the attack that can do that.

5. The something has to give game in Portland. Between the Portland Timbers and the Columbus Crew, their meeting on Saturday night is in my mind the Something Has To Give Game. Neither team has shown well this season and for the Timbers, this game is an absolute must. While I don’t see John Spencer getting fired any time soon here, one has to believe another home loss would firmly place him on the hot seat.

Columbus on the other hand is still going through some growing pains in my mind. Talent is there but not enough of it to do anything of note this season.

This one really has to give something to one of these clubs in for form of points. Each need them badly as they are both tied with seven and are at the bottom of the league pile (just in front of Toronto of course). Kris Boyd has been good for Portland but at some point he has to show his worth with Kenny Cooper lighting things up over in New York.

6. 2010 MLS Cup rematch in Frisco. Yeah, I hate calling it that but for now on when Colorado and Dallas met, its a talking point. But really this one is about the return of Oscar Pareja to Frisco. Pareja was a major link for Dallas in the reserve game and into South America. So far he’s been able to use his connections in South America for the Rapids and slowly but surely they are paying off for him.

Neither club has done great so far this season but both are in the thick of things so there is something to be said about that. Colorado plays a little more open under Pareja while Dallas will try to play to their strengths on the wings with Brek Shea and Jackson.

This game has the makings of being fast and very open. A nice way to close the week out in my opinion.

RSL and TFC hope to end some winless runs this weekend. (Getty Images)

Midweek games here in Dallas never cease to amazing me at how much it breaks up my week. Normal weeks have me doing the same old thing but a game smack dap in the middle of the week is a nice break.

Last night’s RSL-FC Dallas game was a good one to get the new week started in Major League Soccer too. Even though both clubs were missing key players in big spots and neither truly looked like taking a hold of the game from the other, it got us going this week.

Now we head into the weekend where we see nine games on Saturday. You read that correctly, nine games. Big stinkin’ weekend.

Five of the nine are East v. West matchups while the others are good ol’ conference clashes. Unfortunately we don’t have any big time rivalry games to really get us in the mood this weekend but New England-New York on NBC will be solid enough to hold us over on the rivalry front.

With plenty of games there will be plenty to talk about as well. 

1. The Big O getting some Timber. It may not be the sexiest match on the weekend slate but Montreal hosting the Portland Timbers has plenty to offer. For one, the Timbers are finally off the mark after a four-game losing streak and are hoping to find their way offensively against a defense that has had plenty of issues against quality attacks. Kris Boyd is loving life in Portland according to some, and is finally getting use to MLS defenses.

The Impact on the other hand have had a little time off here to get their act together. This group has the talent. After seeing them in person I can say there is plenty of it across the field but Jesse Marsch hasn’t found the right combination of that talent to get quality results out of the door. Either it is a combination of not having a big-time go to scorer or the fact that their midfield is probably missing a link on the creativity side or something else entirely, Marsch and the Impact still have a long way to go here.

2. Red Bulls down defensively. Just about every quality name that Hans Backe has on defense will be missing this weekend against New England. So what will he have to do instead? Hope to the soccer Gods above that Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper can run up the score to make up for it. Rookie keeper Ryan Meara has been good but given how many goals he’s given up this season, I’d almost be wiling to go ahead and say he isn’t the answer for them yet. But at the same time it is hard to say it when his defense is just standing still so much when quality attackers come down on them.

The Revs have a chance here to get going offensively in a game like this. New York showed last weekend in D.C. that they aren’t good at handling quick attackers with decent ball skills. New England does have a few guys that know how to dribble and a couple that have really good pace. Backe has a lot of work to do if Saer Sene, Kelyn Rowe and Lee Nguyen come down on them with pace.

It isn’t at all out of the question that this could be a 4-3 game.

3. Quakes show on the road. All the talk earlier in the week was about the San Jose Earthquakes. Writers like myself wrote about what a pleasant surprise they are and just how good they’ve been this season. They hit the road this weekend to face a Philadelphia Union squad that may give them trouble. Confidence is slowly building with the Union after two straight wins. Frank Yallop’s group has been so strong defensively this season on the road but an East Coast trip is always tricky for Western clubs.

San Jose just needs to keep it simple and effective. While their style of play isn’t at all sexy, their results are speaking for themselves here. The run and gun attack with Chris Wondolowski is still as effective as ever and with a couple missing links on the Union this weekend (due to suspension), he may have a little more room to be his dangerous self.

4. Sounders back in action. Hey remember the Sounders? Yeah, it feels like it has been weeks since we saw this club play last. Their Week 8 opponent knows exactly how they feel. The Chicago Fire have been on and off a couple times this season but are finally getting into the meat of their spring schedule. Both Seattle and Chicago have only played five games thus far here.

One thing will be clear, whoever can take a hold of this game will get the points. Chicago loves to play an open style where they find Dominic Oduro in space to run at defenders. We saw how effective they were last week in Toronto when Oduro and Patrick Nyarko were open and were running at defenders. Grant it Toronto’s defense is no where close to the same quality that Seattle has in the back but the Sounders will have to stay grounded in the midfield and now allow the open space that the Fire will be searching for. On the flip side the Sounders need to get Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson going here. While Johnson had been hurt to begin the season, he did play in their last game against Colorado. Each player needs goals here to get this team where most believe they can go, a MLS Cup.

5. Winless in three against winless in six. Yeah something will have to give Saturday night in Salt Lake. Either Real Salt Lake will end their three game skid (they did pick up a point in Frisco last night but no wins are no wins here) while Toronto is just hoping for points period here. At some point Toronto’s front office will have to look and decide if Aron Winter is the guy for the job. I thought he was, and so did plenty of other people. But when you don’t win a single game after nearly two months of play, plenty of questions have to be asked.

I don’t like the Reds chances though in this one. RSL looked hungry last night in Frisco and could have gotten three points easily. I don’t believe RSL has gone winless in four games under Kreis, and I wouldn’t expect it to happen this season either.

Chicago Fire front office dudes Brendan Hannan and Jeff Crandall dared Chicago Fire forward Dominic Oduro to a race. Oduro bet his entire pay check on beating Hannan and Crandall, and as expected the self-proclaimed fastest man in the league wins.

This got me thinking yet again. I want to see a MLS skills challenge at the All Star game this year with Oduro, FC Dallas striker Fabian Castillo and Colorado defender Marvell Wynne in a 100 yard dash. Really prove who is the fastest in the league.

I’m looking at you Dallas, Chicago and Colorado front offices…make this happen.

Will DC and Dallas battle to any goals this year? (Getty Images)

Here we are, at the end of the first month of the season already and by the end of the weekend we’ll be in April. Week 4 in Major League Soccer gets started a little early with a game tomorrow night in DC with United hosting FC Dallas.

The theme of the season will still be going on as we have five matches between Eastern and Western conference clubs. Unlike last weekend though the majority (three) will be in Western conference venues.

Below are some talking points going into the new week. 

1. Will United and Dallas provide anything on Friday? Remember the two games between D.C. United and FC Dallas last year? Nope? Yeah, I didn’t think so because each ended in a 0-0 draw. Nothing to show for from each side. So what will this early and only meeting of these two clubs bring this season?

For United it could be a good chance to get more than a point but more importantly get their offense going. So far in three games the Black-and-Red have one goal to show for and it came from a rookie midfielder. The 2011 MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario hasn’t look himself just yet as he is still getting use to some new faces like DP Hamdi Sahili. Neither have really gotten on the same page but I do think it is only a matter of time before it happens.

As for Dallas, this game is about getting points but getting back to normal. Fabian Castillo should return to the lineup and so could Brek Shea. That’s good considering the lack of offense the Hoops had in the second half against Kansas City last weekend. Even if Shea doesn’t go the full 90 for Dallas it will still be something to have him and Castillo back on the wings. If all of them can get on the same page with Blas Perez and Ricardo Villar, they could sneak out of RFK with some points.

2. RSL bouncing back. I claimed Real Salt Lake’s 1-0 loss at home to Chivas USA as a fluke. Most people did. Now RSL has to go on the road to a place they struggled at last season, JELD-WEN Field in Portland. Lucky for RSL, the Timbers are coming off a bad loss as well. This one will be all about the midfield play for me. Who takes control and gets their front men the best chances will undoubtably win this one. The talent edge has to still go to RSL but you can never count the Timbers out at home now can you?

3. Just how good is San Jose? I’ve been saying all season long that I’m not entirely impressed with the San Jose Earthquakes. A Week 1 win over New England wasn’t much and the win last week in Toronto was something to say the least. But just how good is this club? Honestly a win in Seattle against what I think could be the best team in MLS will get me thinking more about this team of Frank Yallop.

Obviously in the lone loss of the year against Houston the Quakes had no answer for a tough defense. Seattle is right up there with the Dynamo in the tough defense department, that we know. San Jose will need to play to their strengths up top with Chris Wondolowski and find a way to keep the wings involved with Shea Salinas and Marvin Chavez. Those two were very active in the two San Jose wins but were quieted in the loss. Seattle is good at controlling the game in their home stadium, so this one will be extra tough for San Jose. I have a feeling we still have a ton to learn about this club.

4. A fresh LA. A week off and now a home game against a club that has to travel across the country. Man life must be nice for the LA Galaxy. Bruce Arena’s club gets a New England side that got their first win last weekend at home against Portland. While that was nice and all a win in LA won’t come easy against a team that will be fresh. Expect LA to use all of their star power in this one.

If New England is going to get in this one they need to catch LA napping early like they did against Portland. That may be their only way out of this one. LA is too talented up front and even without Omar Gonzalez in the back they still have plenty to draw from against a New England offense that is still going through some growing pains.

5. Can Chivas make it two in a row? Some folks out there weren’t calling the Chivas win in Salt Lake a fluke. Good. I like to see optimism with this club. If they really want to impress, make it two in a row against a top club in the league. This weekend they host the only 3-0-0 team in the league, Sporting Kansas City.

Sporting looked good in their win over Dallas last weekend, controlling the match and really having their way with a Dallas squad that was truly defensive all over the field. Sporting has done a good job so far at not quitting in the late stages of the game, winning two games last so far this season.

Chivas will need another gritty performance out of their defense and from keeper Dan Kennedy. If Robin Fraser’s offense can gain some sort of spark in this one that would be nice but so far the Goats offense hasn’t given us any real reason to think that will happen.

6. What about the Fire? I get this question a bunch, why not write more about the Chicago Fire here? Simple, I’m still learning a ton about them here and this game on Sunday in Colorado will be a good chance to see what they are really made of. I liked them in their 1-1 draw in Montreal and last week’s home opener win against Philadelphia was equally nice. But going to the Mile High city is always a challenge and the Fire have to show a little more offense if they want to get out with points.

Dominic Oduro has already picked up two goals this season but he needs help from others around him like Marco Pappa and Patrick Nyarko. The big key in this game will be using the width of the field, something neither the Fire or Rapids are really great at.

Houston and Seattle battle it out tomorrow night. (Getty Images)

We are chugging along here in the first month of the 2012 season. The third week of the season brings another full slate of games and talking points. There are a few decent games this weekend with a couple more that could end up being decent as well when it is all said and done.

Nine games on the menu this weekend across three days – only the LA Galaxy are off this weekend.

Below are some points I’ll be keeping an eye on this weekend.

1. West meets East. Six of the nine games this weekend feature a East v. West battle. Big games between Seattle and Houston and then Sporting KC and FC Dallas headline the weekend. Big thing to keep in mind is of those six games, four of them are in Eastern Conference venues. It will be interesting to see if the Eastern clubs can turn the tide at home after going the first two weekends without much to show for against the West. 

2. How good is Houston? Two road games in a row and two wins in a row have the Dynamo off to a rocking start. But how good is Dominic Kinnear’s club really at this point? The two 1-0 wins have come against one of the worst clubs in the league (Chivas) and a team that is decent (San Jose). Also, the Orange haven’t exactly lit up the boards with their offense as they’ve only chipped in two goals on the season, one being from the penalty spot last week.

Houston heads to Seattle for a big primetime battle with the Sounders tomorrow night. Seattle looked good in their home opener last week against Toronto as David Estrada ran all over the Reds with a hat trick. Toronto is a different defensive club than Houston is here. The Dynamo use the defense to their strength and will need to push around the Sounders early and often to get them off their game.

3. About those Quakes. San Jose takes their 1-1-0 record to the road to battle Toronto FC in their home opener. So far we’ve seen the Quakes play decent in a win over New England but then stumble against Houston last week. We know Chris Wondolowski can score but so far no one is really feeding him the ball. But they may be in luck as Toronto sweeper Torsten Frings is on the mend for a few weeks. Without him in the midfield, expect Toronto to be a little different and likely a bit weaker. If San Jose is indeed better this year, this will be a  game that they can prove it to us. On the road, in a tough environment, against a pretty decent team.

4. The questions in Philly. We’ve heard all week about stuff going on with the Philadelphia Union. Peter Nowak is playing things very oddly and in a way that can be easily made fun of too by folks in the press and online. This Union squad has talent, make no mistake about it, but right now they seem to be lacking some heart across the field. You’d expect a guy like Danny Califf or Carlos Valdes to step up and be the true veteran leaders that they are, but that hasn’t exactly happened yet in their two losses (for a variety of reasons no less). Offensively speaking the Union haven’t got it going so far this year and not having Freddy Adu isn’t making it easier.

The Union head to Chicago for their home opener. The Fire looked decent in Montreal last week but still have some question marks of their own. We don’t know how good this club really is or will be yet but we do know one thing, Dominic Oduro is certainly trying to make us realize that he isn’t going to be a one-hit wonder.

5. Turn the heat up in New York. We’ve talked about it this week, the heat under Hans Backe’s butt has to be getting warmer and warmer here. The Red Bulls opened the season with two straight road losses and losing their home opener is definitely out of the question. The panic button hasn’t been pushed, not yet at least. They get a Colorado Rapids squad that will be missing a key midfielder in Jeff Lawrentowicz, who got red carded late in Philadelphia last weekend. That’s a huge blow for a club on the road seeking a third straight win.

New York has to play their style of game. Direct, with pace on the wings with Dane Richards and Joel Lindpere. So far neither one of them has been involved much in their two losses. Without their services on the wings, Thierry Henry has been forced to sit further back into the midfield to get the ball. That cannot happen for a player like Henry. Having Rafa Marquez back in the lineup should help though, if he can be the defensive force in the midfield, it may allow pressure off the defense and some better service. At least one would hope that will be the case. If not, Backe and this club will be forced to answer a lot of tough questions.

6. Dallas travels with a slew of missing players. We’ve talked about wondering just how good a couple clubs are, well Sporting KC fits that mold. They’ve done well in their two wins to start the season, one on the road in D.C. and the other at home against a 10-man New England. Now they’ll host a FC Dallas squad missing Brek Shea, Fabian Castillo and likely David Ferreira. That’s a ton of offense for Schellas Hyndman to be missing, not to mention newcomer Carlos Rodriguez, who has been filing in on the wings will be out with the Panama U-23 national team. Ouch.

To me this one is simple, if KC plays to their strengths up top with Kei Kamara and CJ Sapong, then this one will be their’s without a doubt. Dallas has a strong defense for sure this season with the return of George John and newcomer Hernan Pertuz looking good but without the wing play in the midfield, Dallas will struggle in this one.

LA appears to be stacked again up front. (Getty Images)

Time for the final positional ranking group today, the forwards.

To recap, here are the keeper rankings from last week, Monday’s defender rankings, and yesterday’s midfield rankings.

For me the forwards were fairly cut and dry. The top eight or so teams were pretty simple to figure out and really you could argue any way between them and probably not be too wrong about it. After that teams 9-16 have a lot of questions to answer but all could make their way up the rankings by the season’s end. And the bottom three were fairly clear to me as well.

1. Los Angeles Galaxy – Hard not to place them at the top. With the likes of Robbie Keane and Edson Buddle, the Galaxy should have the top offense in the league again this season. The question will be, how long will it take them to get on the same page though. Keep an eye out for Jack McBean down the pine on the depth charts. The kid has the chops to be a stud in this league one day.

2. Seattle Sounders FC – Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson. Boy that duo could either be great or a bust. I think the thing with Johnson that not many are bringing up is the fact that he won’t be expected to carry this club on his own like his days in KC or even as far back as Dallas. Montero will still get the bulk of the goals and Johnson will definitely have the best midfield distribution that he’s ever gotten. 

3. New York Red Bulls – So much talent up front it is scary. Thierry Henry will still make the headlines and lead the team in goals while Kenny Cooper will likely see his fair share. The biggest question will be about what happens with Juan Agudelo. He’s got too much talent to just sit on the bench in my book but he could jump over Luke Rodgers in the depth chart if Rodger’s visa issues never get sorted out.

4. Real Salt Lake – As long as Fabian Espindola and Alvaro Saborio continue to work at a high level and maintain the number of goals they’ve scored the last couple of seasons together, this club will be one of the better offensive side yet again. I do worry a tad about their depth behind those two as it is a bit unproven but knowing how Jason Kreis develops players, they will be fine. I’d expect we’ll see a little more of Cody Arnoux this season though, he’s got the tools and skills to be a stud.

5. Toronto FC – I’ve been super high on the Reds this winter and it mostly boils down to how Danny Koevermans is in his first full year in Toronto. I believe he has the ability to be a Golden Boot winner if all the stars align properly for him there. Joao Plata and Ryan Johnson are two underrated players in my book, they’ll definitely contribute their fair share as well. I think Toronto finally has an offense that their fans can be proud of here.

6. D.C. United – Biggest question in my mind is when will Dwayne De Rosario and newcomer Hamdi Salihi be on the same page with one another. I think once that happens this group could lead the league in goals. We know DeRo can score his fair share and Salihi proved in the preseason that he can score a bunch as well. The depth is a little aged and could be iffy though as Josh Wolff and Miacon Santos are good but not great options.

7. Vancouver Whitecaps – Boy did Martin Rennie go out and snag as many strikers as he could this offseason. I like it to be honest. I think with Eric Hassli, Camilo and Sebastien Le Toux, this group will score goals in bunches. I rated them this low simply because I think there will be some growing pains as these big names get used to one another. Still it is hard to argue with the amount of quality talent this group possesses. Big question will be the progression of Omar Salgado and rookie Darren Mattocks. Both could be major players for them this season.

8. Sporting Kansas City – The talent is there and is still young but after seeing what Peter Vermes was able to do with this bunch a year ago, I have little doubts in my mind that they will be strong again this season. Adding Bobby Convey to the mix certainly helps and if rookie Dom Dwyer can be any bit as good as CJ Sapong was a year ago they will be set.

9. Philadelphia Union – I really think this is Danny Mwanga’s breakout season. He’s looked good in this first two seasons but this should be the year he finally breaks out and carries this club offensively. This group is extremely young however, only one player over the age of 30 (Lionard Pajoy), but I like where they are going with that youth. Chandler Hoffman could be exciting to watch in his rookie season.

10. Portland Timbers – Landing Kris Boyd was a huge deal for Portland but it was also a big risk. I think he’ll provide plenty of goals however and we’ve already seen him bag one in the preseason. We know teams will mark him closely which is why Jorge Perlaza will have to step up more this season. Outside of those two are two younger strikers in Eddie Johnson and Bright Dike. I do believe Dike will have a strong season though off the bench for them.

11. San Jose Earthquakes – Chris Wondolowski has been a stud for two seasons in San Jose. That much carried this group to this high of a ranking. Look out for Steven Lenhart though to help carry the load this season. Outside of those two the depth is very thin.

12. FC Dallas – Blas Perez is the main man in Dallas but can he stand up and lead this team? Based on what I’ve seen in the preseason out of him I think it is certainly possible that he could be in the Golden Boot discussion. That being said this depth behind him is young, very young. I keep thinking that each season Ruben Luna will finally break out and be a solid contributor and this could finally be that season that he does so. I gotta think that Schellas Hyndman isn’t done adding depth to this position though.

13. Colorado Rapids – They’re this low simply due to the injury of Conor Casey, once he returns to full strength and gets back on the same page as Omar Cummings this ranking should be higher. The bigger question will be how newcomer Jaime Castrillón adapts to the league. From what some are saying, he’ll be a very strong contributor for them this season. But after those three the depth is very thin.

14. Houston Dynamo – I love Brian Ching and I think Will Bruin is talented but boy does this group lack a lot of bite after them. Can they find a double-digit scorer for this season? It’s been a score as you can mentality since 2008 out of this group and with Ching not getting any younger, it makes it hard to rate them any higher than this.

15. Chicago Fire – Dominic Oduro had a fantastic season last year and Patrick Nyarko provided plenty of assists. But the thing is this club lack a true target forward. Also, there are wonders around the league as to whether or not Oduro can replicate his form from last year. I think he will but someone else has to step up with him to lead this team in goals. Newcomer Federico Puppo could be the key to this group though, if he figures out how to play in MLS quickly enough, this group could be much higher by the season’s end.

16. Chivas USA – They got Juan Pablo Angel…and that is nearly it. I do like Alejandro Moreno still but the talent after the main two is such a big drop off. Rookie Casey Townsend looked good in the preseason and will likely be the wildcard of this bunch going forward this season.

17. Columbus Crew - Olman Vargas and Emilio Renteris could be good together. Keyword is could though. Renteria is a bit injury prone and after those two the depth is very young. Home grown player  Ben Speas could be the X-Factor of the bunch, the management in Columbus are very high on him and where he could help take this team.

18. Montreal Impact – I’ve always been a fan of Justin Bruan and I do believe a new location will help restart his career. Playing along side Mike Fucito will be interesting to watch and those two could easily elevate this group to be higher down the road. The depth is very thin however and they won’t get their top draft pick (Andrew Wenger) until May.

19. New England Revolution – A ton of questions surrounding this group going into the season. Newcomer Sene didn’t look great in preseason and José Moreno hasn’t joined the club yet to help provide a boost. The depth is thin and there really isn’t a proven goalscorer out of the group.

Brian Ching will be called to lead the Dynamo yet again. (Getty Images)

The 2010 season presents a challenge for Dominic Kinnear and the Houston Dynamo. First of all their top two stars from a year ago are now gone to Europe. Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark left a big hole in the midfield and some would even argue that the club is still recovering from the trade of Dwayne de Rosario from last winter.

Today we take a gander at where they are right now going into the new year. So far the Dynamo have shifted some players around drafted a couple guys that may never see time on the field and for the most part done very little in terms of player movement this winter. We’ve actually heard more news surrounding this club’s potential stadium deal than new players joining the roster this winter.

Let’s take a look at who the Dynamo have and where they still need to go before the new season starts next month.

Keepers:

Who they have: Pat Onstad, Tally Hall, and Tyler Deric.

Notes: As long as Onstad remains healthy this isn’t an area of concern for Kinnear. Big thing will the the development of Deric who has to be in some way the future keeper of this club. My bet is they will loan out Deric this season to a USSF Division II club or even a USL-2 club. They have to get him some playing time to get any sort of progression out of their first academy signing.

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Defense:

Who they have: Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Ryan Cochrane, Craig Waibel, Mike Chabala, Wade Barrett, and Andrew Hainault.

Notes: Getting a healthy Robinson back this season should be a big thing for the Dynamo. This group will still be solid with all the talent they still have in the back. One thing though will be getting some depth and some youth here.

I still believe if this group stays healthy they won’t have too many issues this season. I kind of see Kinnear trading for a defender to add depth at some point this season.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Kevin Harmse, Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis, Daniel Cruz, Erik Ustruck, Richard Mulrooney, Brian Mullan, Corey Ashe, Samuel Appiah, and David Walker.

Notes: Big change here will be seeing Cameron slide into the midfield. Honestly from knowing Cameron and seeing him play he’s probably better suited for the midfield than in the defense anyways. Houston will be looking for him to really step it up this season and carry the load in the midfield. Thankfully he does have some quality offensive players like Brad Davis to help out in the assist department.

Big thing here will be if guys like Ashe can step up play on the wings. If Houston’s wing play is weak this season so will their offense. Ashe, Davis, and Cameron have to step it up in order to keep the Dynamo near the top in the west.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Brian Ching, Dominic Oduro, Luis Angel Landin, and Cam Weaver.

Notes: We know this, Ching will have to carry the load once again…that is if Landin doesn’t finally step up and play to his DP status. Those are two guys that will have to score the goals this season we know that but don’t sleep on Oduro or Weaver here. Oduro and his speed along with Weaver’s size are big parts to this groups offensive output. How Kinnear uses them this season will be key.

Landin, Weaver and Oduro will likely have to step up production though if Ching does make it to South Africa with the USMNT this summer. Should any dip in goals happen while Ching is gone this club will be in trouble.

More than likely we’ll see a trade for this group though at some point in the season. It seems like once a year Kinnear makes a trade for a striker within the league. I look for that to happen yet again this season towards the middle part of summer.

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Overall:

The questions always surround this club each year about their offense and where it will come from. Now the question will be can they improve from losing two important players in their midfield. They can replace one with Cameron and they’ll get away with guys like Mulrooney filling in for Clark but will that be enough? I honestly doubt it.

Funny thing is we always doubt something with this club each year and yet they still show up when it matters. Kinnear knows what he is doing more than most coaches in this league do. He works his system well and always knows how to find the right parts for it. They won’t be flashy this year but they’ll get by. I think adding a couple more parts in the midfield on the wings and maybe a defender or two in the back for depth purposes will suit them well.

Dominic Oduro heads back to Texas. (Getty Images)

Every year it seems Dominic Kinnear makes a small move that pays off in a big way down the line.

This could very well be that move as the club announced today that they have traded for forward Dominic Oduro from New York in exchange for a 2010 first-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft and a 2011 second-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft.

Houston may have sent a little much in terms of draft picks to New York but this move makes plenty of sense for Kinnear’s bunch. Oduro was not thriving well in New York and was likely to get traded or waived this summer anyways by Juan Carlos Osorio.

The Dynamo needed more depth up front and Oduro’s speed is exactly the type of player that Kinnear likes to get around this time of the year. I think under Kinnear and with the help of veterans like Brian Ching, Oduro could do very well in Houston.

The move also make sense for New York who are reportedly hoping to sign one of their academy products, either midfielder Dilly Duka or forward Johnny Exantus. Most reports suggest they will go with Exantus, though I have heard talk of Duka getting a Generation adidas contract with the Red Bulls. Time will tell on either one of those two. Honestly I’d love to see both get signed but I doubt that will happen this summer.

Another six game weekend slate for us, with four on Saturday and two for Sunday kicks. Every club is in action this week (including tonight’s game) except for Columbus, and let’s face it they need the week off to figure out things here.

As always feel free to post your game predictions below.

Real Salt Lake – at – New York Red Bulls

1. Will we finally see the reinforcements for New York?

This should be the game we see the new guys play for New York in some capacity either as starting or off the bench. No word yet on how fit Albert Cedades is yet but I would imagine he will at least be involved in some way or another in this one. The club will also finally have Alfredo Pacheco for this one too, who finally got his ITC after a few weeks of waiting.

The biggest though may be getting keeper Jon Conway back in goal. Even though I am not the biggest Conway supporter (never thought he was all that good from the start), he is better than Danny Cepero. How big on an impact he will bring is totally up to him and his defense who has been terrible this season.

2. Can RSL win on the road?

Let’s face it, for me RSL has to start winning consistently on the road. Getting even a cheap road win will help their cause or getting a win over a crappy club like New York will help. Plus there is the revenge factor against New York for outting them in last year’s playoffs. And lastly there is some extra motivation to get their first win ever against New York.

If there was ever a time to get started on looking like a true contender it is now for RSL.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Even with all the new guys for New York I am waiting to see Juan Pablo Angel light things up this season. He usually starts to pick it up after a few games and after hearing for weeks how bad the Red Bull attack is you’d have to think he’d take that a bit personal too. He should get off the mark here…should being the key word there.

Quick Thoughts:

New York has to start scoring eventually here right? Going against a pretty decent defense in RSL it could happen but I’m not so certain they are quite there yet this season. They looked decent in their home opener against New England but other than that they’ve been a train reck this season. RSL on the other hand needs to start making noise if they want to be taken serious. So both clubs do have a lot riding on this early season game. In the end I like a draw for this one. New York will get off the mark here for the season and score a goal (or two) but I see RSL staying with them and nearly pull off the road win. Angel and Dominic Oduro get New York on the board while Will Johnson and Yura Movsisyan keep RSL level.

WVH Prediction: New York 2, RSL 2

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Kansas City Wizards – at – Chicago Fire:

1. Will Kansas City be able to keep it up here?

Two straight wins, with one being over one of the league’s best teams (and story) so far this season. Also throw in the fact that KC has actually done well at Toyota Park makes this a much watch for me. I’ve been down on KC for a while but if they can keep it up they could even turn me into a believer here early on this season.

For that to happen they have to get by a really good Chicago team. I don’t see the Fire caving in like last week and giving up three goals to KC. For one I don’t see KC scoring three goals in many games this season and for seconds Chicago is just too good of a club to not let that happen in back-to-back games.

2. When will the Fire really turn it on here this season?

Even though I’ve rated Chicago as the best club so far this season, I will be the first to admit they haven’t been that impressive. But saying that is also a testament of how good this team really is. They are slowly hitting their stride and are still winning (or tying) games in the process. It hasn’t hurt that guys like Marco Pappa, Chris Rolfe, and Brian McBride are all really playing well so far this season. A few weeks in and it could be time for the Fire to really start to break away from the pack here. You typically see clubs around this time of the year do so and I think Chicago could be that club this year who begins to pull away early.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Josh Wolff for KC is someone I want to see finally break away and turn it on here this season. He is facing his old town’s club and you gotta think he’s eager to get on the board against them. KC needs him to start producing consistently here in order to become a real contender this season.

Quick Thoughts:

I gotta say this game may be one of the best matchups of the weekend that no one is really talking about. While everyone will (and to a degree should) have their eyes on the next two matchs for Saturday, this is the game that I am wanting to see. KC is starting to show some real promise here after the slow start but they need to show that the win last week wasn’t a fluke and that they can beat the big boy clubs of the league on the road. Beating Chicago would certainly do that. Thing is I just see the Fire responding to last week’s 3-3 result in San Jose with a win at home. They know they can do better defensively and will prove it against their eastern rival.Plus I just don’t think KC has an answer for Brian McBride here.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, KC 1

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LA Galaxy – at – San Jose Earthquakes:

1. Two bad defenses, one big rivalry, sounds like loads of goals right?

I think its a damn good possibility to see plenty of goals. San Jose isn’t playing at all like their tough defensive self that we saw a year ago. LA is just still playing like LA in the midfield and in defense. Throw in the rivalry factor and even the game being in Oakland instead of at Buck Shaw Stadium and you could be in for a real treat.

Oh yeah there is a guy name Landon that use to play for San Jose…I’m pretty sure he will be interested in scoring a few for his current mates against his old side.

2. What will San Jose do with their midfield?

The problem isn’t all the defense, its the midfield isn’t working out with Bobby Convey in the middle. It may be time for Frank Yallop to suck it up and place Convey on the wings where he belongs and move someone else into the middle that can actually handle the ball better. Just with LA and their midfield, if this unit does not improve soon enough this club won’t be taken seriously by anyone in the league as a true contender.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Speaking of Landon Donovan. has been sort of a Quake killer since joining the Galaxy a few years ago. He has scored three goals and tallied two assists in five regular season games against San Jose. Looking at how San Jose has played thus far this season I would imagine they don’t have the answer for Donovan. That is unless they figure out what to do with Bobby Convey in the midfield. midfield a little more.

Quick Thoughts:

I do love a good rivalry. This one is still that even though the Quakes are a newer version here still. I do see plenty of goals in this one as neither defense has shown they are quite good enough to stop an attack on a consistent basis. Yes, Galaxy fans I know you guys got a shutout last week against Chivas, but that was in a card-infested game that really could have gone Chivas’s way in the end. Back to the game at hand though, I do like the homeside in this one. Even as messy as San Jose has played I do believe at home they are better than LA on the road here. Donovan will get his goal or two but San Jose is better offensively than LA is defensively.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 3, LA 1

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Chivas USA:

1. Can Seattle bounce back from their first loss?

While they were down last week to KC the expansion Sounders showed some real grit. They showed to me that even while down they will still be in games and find ways to come back in them. In the end they didn’t due to the loss of Keller (which the more I looked at that the crappier the call became). This game will be a big test for their defense though as they will be without the aforementioned Keller and stuck with a no-named guy in a big early regular season game.

But to Seattle’s credit they have enough veteran leadership on their roster to bounce back and the one of the best coaches in the league that knows what to do when faced with these types of situations.

2. How much longer will Chivas be able to keep up the streak?

All the talk about Seattle early on ended last week with the loss but Chivas is still last undefeated club of the west. Three wins and a draw the AmeriGoats are still top dog in the west over the Sounders. Chivas keeps plugging away with a rag-tag group of guys that no one figured would get the job done. Then again they’ve also played some pretty crappy teams thus far this season. Still 10 points early on is 10 points and we have to give Preki credit for that.

Last week was a big test against their chief rivals, but this one will be even bigger as Seattle has only given up one goal all season. I’m pretty sure Seattle will be looking to control the pace of this game early on which Chivas cannot allow. A team that pressures like Seattle could be the end of a great start unless guys like Sacha Kljestan step up and control the pace of the game from the first kick.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I’m wanting to see Fredy Montero on the road here. We didn’t get to see him in Toronto a couple weeks ago for various reason and now that he has back and cleared of everything out there he should be able to focus again on soccer. That’s a good thing too as Seattle needs his goals on the road.

Quick Thoughts:

I don’t think anyone even thought this would be as big of a game when the schedules came out a couple months ago. Probably what will be the most watched matchup of the weekend will be this one. I think it will be fairly close early on as Seattle figures out how to respond on the road after their first loss of the year. If they get rattled early by Chivas it will be interesting to see how well the handle it. In the end I see this one shaping up to be a draw, Chivas scores in the first half and Seattle responds early in the second half with Montero.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 1, Seattle 1

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Colorado Rapids – at – Houston Dynamo:

1. Will Houston be able to put a stop to Conor Casey?

Casey has been one of the biggest reason why Colorado is doing well so far this season. The past three games Casey has stepped up and become a big leader for this club on the field and it is producing not only goals but results. Colorado looks nothing like the club that stumbled out of the gate against Chivas on opening weekend. Houston will probably look to counter some size with size as they finally can use Canadian defender Andrew Hainault. That will definitely be a matchup worth watching if Hainault is in the starting XI for Houston.

2. Will Houston finally get off the slide and score consistently?

I think this matchup is a good one for Houston to get some goals in. Colorado isn’t always the best away club and for the most part no one does well in Houston. If it is the weather or the smaller field or whatever Robertson Stadium has been a nightmare for most MLS clubs since Houston started playing there a coupl years ago.

Ade Akinbiyi should be called into action for Houston as well in this one. It will be interesting to see not only how good this well-traveled striker really is but how well he links up with Brian Ching. If those two pair up well early on this could just be the signing that Dominic Kinnear was waiting for.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

I really want to keep a tab on Omar Cummings again for Colorado. Even though I think Houston has the defense to control Casey and Cummings, I just see his speed being too much to handle after dealing with the physicality of Casey all day.

Quick Thoughts:

Even though the Rapids have been playing well lately I just see this as a game that gets Houston going here this season. We know they typically start slow each season but I just don’t see a Dominic Kinnear lead team go winless in their first five games. Houston is always a handful at home and should still be on Sunday.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, Colorado 0

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Toronto FC – at – FC Dallas:

1. Is Dallas really going to turn things around or was that just a tease?

Some of the guys here in Dallas are saying that the club just needed one good result to get them going here this season. Honestly I don’t buy that at all but that is just player speak from them. While they got a good result on the road a week ago they still looked pretty bad in the process. It was more poor finishing on TFC’s part than Dallas actually putting two and two together here this season.

2. How important is this game for Toronto?

Honestly the Reds need to get this win and get the ball rolling on their season here. They are about to enter a huge stretch of games over the next three and a half weeks and if they can come out that stretch well they will need to begin it with a big road win in Dallas. We know Toronto is capable of pulling off a road win and scoring some goals, its just a matter of time before it all clicks. We said before this home-and-away series with Dallas that Toronto needed four points to feel good about themselves, they need those three points on Sunday. Guys like Amado Guevara and Rohan Ricketts need to step up and take some pressure off FCD-killer Dwayne De Rosario.

3. Player to keep an eye out for on Sunday.

I think for Toronto to get a good start they either need to get Chad Barrett going or bench him. More than likely he will be a starter so keep an eye out for him. This is honestly a make or break kind of game for him.

Quick Thoughts:

Most of the time I would like Dallas at home against an unproven road team like Toronto. Thing is the Red Stripes have given me no reason to believe in them yet this season. Toronto out played them a week ago and probably will do the same this weekend. Like I said its an important game for Toronto, they need to get going here this season. While Dallas need to do the same they just need to figure themselves out more before it can happen.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 2, Dallas 1