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.

All eyes will be in SKC-RSL but SJ-NY could be just as good this weekend. (Getty Images)

Just as we mentioned yesterday, this weekend we have a full slate of games in Major League Soccer. Eight games tomorrow and one on Sunday to be exact. There are actually plenty of good games this weekend for a change, including one massive showdown in Kansas City.

One thing is for sure, after this weekend we should know a lot more about how the Supporters’ Shield race will lineup this season and whether or not teams like the LA Galaxy or Portland are actually going to be the thick of things like we had originally thought going into the season.

Here are my predictions for the weekend, feel free to leave your own at the bottom.

Saturday

Columbus Crew at Philadelphia Union – A national TV match for the league this weekend, no offense to either club but I don’t believe the league front office is too happy about this one being the showcase game for them this weekend with SKC-RSL only being on local TV. But anyways, this one will still be interesting as we’re still finding out what these two sides are really going to be here this season. Columbus looked decent up until their 4-1 loss last weekend against New York, while Philadelphia has been rather pathetic all season long. Something tells me the Crew put up a fight in this one but the Union squeak out a goal late to get three points.

WVH Prediction: Philadelphia 2, Columbus 1

D.C. United at New England Revolution – All the talk this week was about Shalrie Joseph’s retroactive suspension that was handed down to him. Whatever the case may be this one doesn’t have a ton of appeal to the casual viewer. New England has some quality about them that I got to see here in Dallas last week but I don’t think they match up very well against the likes of Dwayne De Rosario and company. Knowing these two clubs though this one will end level.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, DC 1

Colorado Rapids at Seattle Sounders FC – The Brian Mullan return to Seattle here is one of the league’s top story lines of the weekend. The Rapids are an interesting club as it is under Oscar Pareja and I’d expect them to give Seattle a handful. Seattle needs to get their offense going early in this one if they want to get the points. This one feels like it could remain close but I give the edge to the Sounders in this one.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Colorado 1

Chivas USA at Toronto FC – Is the Toronto FC that we all expected to be this season ever going to show up here? Winless, pointless and just dreadful so far but they at least get a west coast team visiting this weekend. The only thing in that they get the one west coast team that can win anywhere in the Goats. This one feels like a draw, nothing more.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, Chivas 1

San Jose Earthquakes at New York Red Bulls – The Red Bulls have not looked well against good defenses this season and the Quakes have one of the better ones in the league so far this season. San Jose has to find a way to shut down Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry in this one, which is always easier said than done. This will either be a game that we see New York continue their offensive scoring ways or they crash back down to reality. I don’t think either come out of this with three points.

WVH Prediction: NY 1, SJ 1

Montreal Impact at FC Dallas – Will there be any more lineup shuffles for Montreal in this one? Same goes for Dallas too. The Impact are coming off their first win in MLS but going on the road to Dallas is never an easy trip for an expansion club. Dallas typically does very well at home against expansion teams and this one should be no different with Fabian Castillo running all over the Montreal defense.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 2, Montreal 0

Real Salt Lake at Sporting KC – The game we’ve all been waiting this entire week for. The top two clubs in the league going head-t0-head here. Just a shame it isn’t on national TV. The collection of talent on the field for this one is ridiculous, which should make for an entertaining contest. While I tend to side with RSL in this one based on talent and coaching you have to think that Peter Vermes and his SKC squad do have what it takes to get three points. They have the momentum and if they can get a late goal again in this one, I see them moving on with three points. However, this one is too damn close to call.

WVH Prediction: SKC 1, RSL 1

Portland Timbers at LA Galaxy – It’s been a rough month or so for both sides. Neither team is where we thought they’d be so far. While I believe Portland will put a good fight into this game I just feel this is one that the Galaxy take control of from the start and get three simple points out of it.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, Portland 0 

Sunday

Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire – Oh yeah, these two clubs. Both have only played three games so far this season. This one has a draw written all over it though based on the time off these two have had and the fact that neither have shown that they have a strong enough offense yet to make any serious headlines.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, Houston 1

Rocky Mountain Cup is on the line this weekend. (Getty Images)

The weekend is finally getting here. For those that know me and know what this past week or so has been like for me on the day job front, you know how excited I am to see the weekend ahead. A three day weekend in fact.

Time to take a look at the weekend ahead and we get started a day early with a game tonight in Dallas.

This is another weekend where there are plenty of quality games to discuss. Only three East v. West matches this weekend but the big focus will be on two rivalry games and a big showdown between KC and LA.

1. Revs hoping to make it three straight. Never would have guessed this version of the New England Revolution would be going for three straight wins tonight (and two straight road wins), this early in the season. Give credit to Jay Heaps for the hard work he’s put into this club. I think the big thing is seeing  Shalrie Joseph finally have some supporting cast around him is making the difference. Clyde Simms has been huge in the midfield with Joseph and the defense is slowly stepping up and is making things tough for other clubs. Saer Sene is gaining some confidence with two goals as well. New England hasn’t had a quality striker like Sene in some time and if he can keep it up the Revs will definitely contend in the East.

2. Canadian rivalry loses some steam. Both Toronto and Montreal lost last night, on the road just days before their first MLS match. Boy I have to say I wish this one had a little more leading into it than just a couple days after a bad performance. Montreal is slowly coming together but as expected the expansion club growing pains are pretty obvious when you watch this side. Toronto on the other hand comes into this one after an embarrassing loss in Mexico. So much was going right until it all went so very wrong last night. I’ll let others go through what didn’t go right for the Reds in Mexico but it is clear, no Torsten Frings or Danny Koevermans and this is club looks an awful lot like the team that was dreadful to watch early last year.

3. Red Bulls hope to continue statement run. Nine goals in two home matches is something else but getting another big outburst on the road will truly show folks if this New York Red Bulls side is indeed turning a corner or not here this season. I know I don’t show a ton of love to this club but I can’t find myself getting excited over a win against a Colorado side missing two key players in the midfield and a win over an expansion club. Also, we can’t ignore the facts that the defense is still giving up goals. If the offense has an off night someone in the back has to step up and play big. They may have won two straight games with nine goals but they also gave up three. Just sayin’.

4. Sporting goes for five. I keep feeling good with my preseason pick of SKC as the Supporters’ Shield winners. Four games in and they are unbeaten. Saturday night they go for five against probably the toughest team they’ve faced all season in the LA Galaxy. Yes, the LA boys are coming off a bad home loss to the New England Revolution but knowing Bruce Arena, he won’t let his team stay down for long. You have to like Sporting’s chances though in this one – at home in front of a sellout crowd – with that speedy offense. SKC has the type of attack that can and will cause problems for LA. I thin this one gets played a little closer to be book though as LA will press hard for a win to prove people that they still are the giant in the league. Thankfully this one is on national TV for all to see.

5. Two underrated clubs square off by the Bay. Give it up folks, the Vancouver Whitecaps are the ONLY MLS team to not give up a goal this season. Yes, you read that correctly. Sure they haven’t been scoring much lately either but it is still worth noting. You hats also must go off to the San Jose Earthquakes, as they have only given up a single goal this season back in the second week. I haven’t given either a ton of love yet this season but I am warming up to each of them the more I see them play. Defensively each side has improved so much from last season. This one will certainly come down to who makes a mental mistake first. The smaller field at Buck Shaw Stadium certainly helps the Quakes in this one but Vancouver has been solid this season at not letting quality strikers like Dwayne De Rosario score so you have to expect they’ll be all over Chris Wondolowski in this one.

6. Rocky Mountain high. One of my favorite rivalries in MLS is the Rocky Mountain Cup between Colorado and Real Salt Lake. Just like the Toronto-Montreal game I do wish this one had a little more time to hype up this week but the schedule makers put a RSL game in the middle of the week (boy was that one ugly huh?). This is one of those games that will come down to the midfield play of guys like Kyle Beckerman or Jeff Larentowicz. Both sides have shown the means to score goals this season so the defenses will be tested. I like RSL at home though in this one, even after the ugly midweek win over Montreal. Sometimes getting an ugly win out of your system helps you in the long run.

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.

Red Bull Arena should be lively on Sunday. (Getty Images)

Looking at this weekend’s schedule a couple things jump out to you. For one it is a lot of East v. West with the Eastern clubs hosting the majority of the games (4 of 6). Second of all, it is a lot of good team against bad team. Oh boy.

There are a couple really intriguing games on the menu but for the most this weekend could be a “miss” for the league. Hey it happens.

Only the LA Galaxy are off this weekend and I’m sure they are going to enjoy the time off.

Friday

Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders FC – Probably one of the better matches if not the best match of the weekend on paper. Houston has started strong with two straight road games, though against weaker clubs. Seattle got off to a nice start to the season last weekend against Toronto. Houston can say they are the only Eastern Conference club to beat anyone from the West at this point and a win in Seattle will certainly quiet folks like myself that are doubting this team. I just think however that Seattle is too much to handle at home. Alvaro Fernandez, Fredy Montero, and now David Estrada are all too much even for a stingy Houston defense. 

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Houston 0

Saturday

San Jose Earthquakes at Toronto FC – I wrote yesterday that San Jose can really prove a point or two with a win in Toronto. I still believe that to be true. Toronto has been a popular pick to do well this season (from people like me) but they lost in their season opener last week in Seattle and more importantly lost Torsten Frings for a few weeks. Ouch. Still, a home opener with a team that isn’t that great yet traveling across the country doesn’t add up well for the Quakes. Go with the Reds here.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 2, San Jose 1

Portland Timbers at New England Revolution – Just how bad is this New England squad? No offense or any signs of real life in the first two weeks, but a home game could change that for Jay Heaps. Could. At best this one is a draw but the Timbers have looked strong in their two games and got a point in Dallas last weekend. Kris Boyd and Darlington Nagbe will be too much to handle for New England.

WVH Prediction: Portland 1, New England 0

Montreal Impact at Columbus Crew – After being off for a week the Crew return home to face the expansion Impact. This game sounds interesting, most due to the fact that we still want to see what this Montreal side is really made of here. The big question for both clubs is who will be scoring the goals. Someone has to step up here and you’d think it will be someone from the home side. I feel like this one could end level though.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 1, Montreal 1

Philadelphia Union at Chicago Fire – Whatever is going on in the locker room in Philly will certainly take effect on this game in Chicago. I like the Union but those kinds of issues are always tough to deal with, especially when you have key players missing (Sheanon Williams and Freddy Adu). Chicago has the talent and the likely momentum from being at home to ride out a win in this one.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, Philadelphia 1

Chivas USA at Real Salt Lake – Remember when these expansion mates had fun games? Seems ages ago when they were more evenly matched. Should be an easy three points for Jason Kreis’ club.

WVH Prediction: RSL 3, Chivas 0

D.C. United at Vancouver Whitecaps – Let’s see, no Bill Hamid, Perry Kitchen or Andy Najar for United right? Right. They still have Dwayne De Rosario but he hasn’t shown up yet this season. I’m taking the Whitecaps and their vastly stronger offense to take the points in this one.

WVH Prediction: Vancouver 2, DC 0

Sunday

Colorado Rapids at New York Red Bulls – This one has intrigue written on it for a couple reasons. The obvious one is surrounding Hans Backe the other is just how good is this Rapids club here this season. Both should be answered in this one as the Red Bulls face a weird must-win home game this early in the season. The Rapids are at least watchable these days under Oscar Pareja. Go with a draw on this one as New York gets Rafa Marquez back, which should help their midfield and defense out in a large way.

WVH Prediction: New York 1, Colorado 1

FC Dallas at Sporting KC – Another one of the top games of the weekend, it’s just too bad Dallas will be lacking Brek Shea, Fabian Castillo, Carlos Rodriguez and likely David Ferreira. Time for those depth questions to really be answered here for Schellas Hyndman. Defensively Dallas has looked strong and I’d expect George John to play more in this one as well. They’ll need him as Sporting can be a hand full up top with CJ Sapong and Kei Kamara. Just too bad Dallas isn’t at full strength for this one because it would have easily been a good one to watch.

WVH Prediction: SKC 2, Dallas 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LA and Salt Lake resume their rivalry to kickoff the season. (Getty Images)

The 2012 season is finally here folks. After a few months of offseason and preseason madness, the new season is ready to kickoff. Many clubs have reason to be optimistic going into the new season while expectations are already being placed on the big boys in the league to do well again once more this season.

Three clubs are without games this weekend while everyone else is in action. The first weekend of the season is spread out on three days with plenty of decent games to discuss. (For more look at my What To Watch For post to see the main talking points on the weekend)

Let’s get down to the game predictions, shall we? Feel free to leave your score predictions below as well.

Saturday

Montreal Impact at Vancouver Whitecaps – The new season gets started with an all-Canadian feature. Vancouver has a new coach and a loaded offense while Montreal is an expansion team playing in their inaugural MLS game. BC Place will be rocking in this one and while I like what Jesse Marsch has done with his squad going into their first season, the growing pains will be tough to overcome in time for this opener on the road. Vancouver has some growing pains to go through as well with a new coach and new system but I love their offensive weapons. If their defense holds up this could be a fun team to watch this season.

WVH Prediction: Vancouver 2, Montreal 1

Columbus Crew at Colorado Rapids – A playoff rematch, and one that has some interesting points to look at. Colorado has a new coach and a new formation while the Crew are once again going into the season with lots of questions. Fitness will be a key element of this game and the Crew have some injuries in the back to worry about with guys like Rich Balchan sitting this one out. Colorado always seem to have Columbus’ number at Dicks Sporting Goods Park, I see that trend continuing.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 2, Columbus 1

Sporting Kansas City at D.C. United – Both teams with plenty of offensive fire power to make this one enjoyable to watch. Dwayne De Rosario and company look to get on the board early in this one and make a statement to the rest of the Eastern Conference that they can contend with the big guns like KC. Sporting will have to keep watch in the middle of the park on DeRo and newcomer Hamdi Salihi. Both are great in space and know their way to goal. I think this one will be fairly tight and could come down to a late goal (KC fans know that all to well from last year). This one feels like a draw for that reason.

WVH Prediction: DC 2, KC 2

Real Salt Lake at LA Galaxy – Health and fitness will be a key for both squads in this one. LA will be getting back into things after their CCL clash in Toronto on Wednesday, while RSL has a number of key guys that are questionable for this game (Borchers, Morales, Wingert, Saborio all iffy for this one). LA hasn’t had a ton of time together this offseason with Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane both in England. They showed flashes late in Toronto on Wednesday of how dangerous they can all be when they are on the same page. RSL will put up a fight but I think LA gets three points in this one, just too much talent up top from LA.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, RSL 1

New England Revolution at San Jose Earthquakes – Still a big question about who will score for the Revs this season. Their midfield looks good and I’m sure they can handle anything the Quakes bring to this game in the middle of the pitch. The thing is I like where San Jose is going here, and they’ll want to get off to a good start with all of those additions that were made this winter. Chris Wondolowski always does well against New England too, so expect more of the same from him in this one.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 2, New England 0

Sunday

New York Red Bulls at FC Dallas – Plenty of interesting questions going into this one. No Rafa Marquez or Luke Rodgers for New York. While FC Dallas could go with a 4-4-2 with Brek Shea up top with newcomer Blas Perez to make up for having no David Ferreira. These two should trade blows a couple times in this game as I think it will end on level terms.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 1, New York 1

Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA – While I do have concerns about who will score for the Dynamo this year, I do really like their defense and midfield. Chivas has a ton of issues and questions going into this season and they did not look good at all last week in the Portland tournament. The big thing to look out for Houston is the return of Brad Davis, if he can get off to a good start and put his injury from last season behind him then I’d expect a fairly easy go of things for the men in orange.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, Chivas 0

Monday

Philadelphia Union at Portland Timbers – I love this matchup to start out the season on ESPN2. Newcomer Kris Boyd going up against two of the toughest defenders in the league in Danny Califf and Carlos Valdes. Expect some double teams on Boyd leaving guys like Darlington Nagbe and Jorge Perlaza open. Philly looks healthy going into this season and I like Danny Mwanga to have a big season. This one really could go either way but that Portland crowd makes me lean towards to boys from the Rose City.

WVH Prediction: Portland 2, Philadelphia 1

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

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

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

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

Let’s get started shall we?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Dwayne De Rosario finally gets his money. (Getty Images)

It was a long time in the making for Dwayne De Rosario but he finally got someone to show him the money. The 2011 MLS MVP signed a new contract today with D.C. United.

While DeRo isn’t a Designated Player, one has to imagine he’ll be making pretty close to that level. Allocation was used to bring down his contract number to not make him a DP.

“It’s nice to be with an organization that has the same goals and ambitions as I,” said De Rosario. “D.C. United has a very rich history and one that we want to relive in the near future – hopefully we can start this year. It’s a great feeling to be associated with the United family. Ever since I came here, the organization and the fans have accepted me as part of the family, and I want to keep this family growing all across the DC area and relive those special moments.”

The 33-year old midfielder had one hell of a year in 2011, notching 16 goals and 11 assists en route the league’s MVP award. United had stated several times over the last six months or so that they wanted DeRo to be a big part of their club going forward. Signing him to a new deal certainly shows their level of commitment to him, something previous clubs Toronto and New York didn’t do for him.