By the way, what was with Rob Stone’s Max Bretos call on the DeRo goal? That was just plain annoying.

Order of video: Kheli Dube, Steve Ralston, Steven Lenhart, Jason Garey, Patrick Nyarko, Blanco, Bryan Namoff, Dwayne De Rosario, Alecko Eskandarian, Landon Donovan, and Eddie Lewis.

Order of video: Eddie Lewis (LA), Josh Wolff (KC), Andre Rocha (Dallas), Maykel Galindo (Chivas), Luciano Emilio (DC), Santino Quaranta (DC),Conor Casey (Colorado), Chris Wondalowski (Houston), John Wolyniec (NY).

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

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

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

DC United – at – Kansas City Wizards:

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

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

WVH Prediction: KC 1, DC 1

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LA Galaxy – at – Real Salt Lake

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, LA 1

Eddie Lewis will be called on a lot this year for the Galaxy. (Getty Images)

Back for another week of 2009 season previews here. Today we head out to Hollywood to preview the LA Galaxy. The Gals missed the playoffs again last year due to a horrible defense that allowed a MLS best 62 goals.

The offseason has been spent with loads of chaos surrounding loan deals with David Beckham. But in the process Bruce Arena has redone the roster with plenty of grit in hopes of getting back to the playoffs.

2008 record and finish: 8-13-9, 33 pts., tied for last in west and league, failed to reach the playoffs.

Offseason Player Movement:

Incoming:
Jovan Kirovski (trade with San Jose)
Donovan Ricketts (via transfer from Village United – Jamaica)
Leonard Griffin (via signing from Portland Timbers – USL1)
Stefani Miglioranz (trade with Columbus)
Dema Kovalenko (trade with RSL)
Mike Magee (trade with Colorado)
Omar Gonzalez (SuperDraft)
Todd Dunivant (trade with Toronto)
Yohance Marshall (undrafted signing)

Outgoing:
Scott Bolkan (retired)
Jeremy Barlow (waived)
Joe Franchino (waived)
Alvaro Pires (waived)
Greg Vanney (retired)
Peter Vagenas (Seattle Sounders FC – Expansion Draft)
Eduardo Dominguez (waived)
Ante Jazic (trade with Chivas)
Steve Cronin (waived)
Mike Randolph (waived)
Brandon MacDonald (waived)
Ely Allen (waived)
Troy Roberts (waived)

Unsigned Draft Picks:
Josh Boateng
A.J. DeLaGarza
Kyle Patterson

Questions going into 2009:

1. How will this club handle the Beckham soap opera in year three?

In a way this is year number three for Beckham and the Galaxy. Year one was in a way a half year and year two was a full year. This time around things are really different. It should be his third and final year as reports suggest Becks will come sometime in the summer and leave after the season to Milan for good.

I think the Galaxy though will handle this mess even better than before though this year with Bruce Arena at the helm. He showed late in the year last season that he could handle the mess and all that came with it. As you see, he is actually building this club to meet his needs and not Beckhams. I think in the past Alexi Lalas and company were trying to meet Beckham’s needs on the field rather than actually improving the roster to make the club good in a salary cap system.

The circus will still be with this club no matter what in 2009.

2. Did Arena make the best moves for the club over the winter?

One thing is certain, Arena went out and got plenty of MLS proven guys and a couple decent parts to go with it this winter. The defense got a massive upgrade over last year’s bunch that saw 62 goals (nearly a little over 2 goals a game!). In the process he got rid of plenty of guys that just didn’t cut it in MLS or were too old to work with.

He took what Alexi Lalas and Ruud Gullit left him with and ripped it up into something that should be very interesting once Landon Donovan is in uniform. With Donovan the offense is what it was a year ago and now with a midfield and a defense that actually makes sense the Galaxy could be tough to stop.

3. Player to lookout for in 2009.

For the Galaxy to be better defensively in 2009, a lot rests on Dema Kovalenko. If he plays up to the same level he was at a year ago with RSL, he will make the impact that I think could place the Galaxy in playoff contention this season. Kovalenko has that kind of impact and I really believed he was a key part in getting RSL to the playoffs a year ago. To me he isn’t a break out player but definitely a x-factor.

Look at the 2009 Schedule:

Its a very doable schedule for this bunch. If they get through the madness that is Beckham this year they could easily play this schedule out with success. May, July and August seem like rough months with loads of road games but other than that this club doesn’t have a lot of extra games to worry about.

The only big thing they will deal with is no Beckham until July (a plus really) and the lack of Donovan through the year with national team callups.

2009 Season Outlook:

I like the work Bruce did on this club over the winter. He got rid of a lot of wasted space and added some actual talent. Sure some is old but I think it will pay off because of the experience the club has all together. Dealing with the Beckham mess will be one thing for the year but if anyone can put it beside them it is Bruce Arena.

I think the club still has a lot to prove to reach the playoffs this year. It won’t come easy in the west but I do see this club being much improved on all sides of the ball this year. They will be competitive in the west but a lot still has to fall in place for a playoff contention club here.

• LA Galaxy ships striker Carlos Ruiz to Toronto FC for a first and second round pick in the 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft and salary budget considerations.

• The Galaxy also sign veteran midfielder/defender Eddie Lewis.

First off, Ruiz gets dealt for TWO supplemental picks and “budget considerations.” Good lord have the mighty fallen hard. That is just laughable at this point. Toronto gets an absolute steal of a deal really. If anyone comes out on top it has to be Toronto. Even if Ruiz doesn’t produce well while he is there its still a cheaper deal for them considering the lack of talent that comes out of the Supplemental Draft anymore.

LA doesn’t come up short handed though either, I love the addition of Lewis.

So for the last time, who comes out on top here now that we see it all laid out?

Yup, take a look at those Fire and Galaxy rosters because you won’t see most of those players on the field tonight in MLS Primetime action.

David Beckham? No, he’s doing the soccer version of being the Pope in China at the Olympics this week. Blanco? Probably a no as well, at least starting wise since Mexico played last night in Mexico against Honduras. Landon Donovan? He’ll probably come off the bench at best if he gets back from Guetamala in time. Carlos Ruiz? Haha, nope he got traded to Toronto but he is probably still home in Guetamala. Eddie Lewis? No word on if his deal has even come through officially for LA, so no. Gonzalo Segares? Nope, he was in Costa Rica last night. Marco Poppa? No Poppa in this one since he was too in Guetamala for last night’s qualifier.

You get the point right. The only two left are Edson Buddle and Brian McBride. While those two certainly have the chance to make things happen for their clubs, it just doesn’t pack the same luster as it would have if all the parties were good to go here.

I’m not upset over the scheduling error on the league’s part but not seeing the full A-team for each club will definitely hurt tonight on the week’s showcase game. And I have sympathy for the schedule-maker, probably one of the hardest jobs in American soccer.

So speaking of the game. Chicago visiting LA tonight in Bruce Arena’s debut, at least the game has that going for it. We know who is missing and who should be playing. LA as we all know is in a sort of funk that is tough to get over right now. A new coach could help that out but right now I just doubt Arena has had enoguh time to make his mark on the club. Sure shipping Ruiz off to Toronto will help and possibly getting Eddie Lewis is a good thing. I just don’t think a weeks time is enough.

Chicago is playing fairly well right now and they are the best road team in the league this season. Something about going on the road doesn’t bother this club and they actually play up to the challenge better than they do at home for some reason.

The Fire should have little problem even with the possible absense of Blanco in the middle. They have to get the ball wide and beat LA on the wings. I look for McBride to score his first MLS goal in a Fire uniform tonight. It seems like the perfect chance for him to get on the boards with his new club.

LA has to show me they are going to turn a corner here under Arena going into these final 8 or 9 games though. Lately they haven’t shown much at all. Its definitely going to be a work in progress for Arena from here out. I just don’t think that corner will be turned tonight. The Fire’s defense is still the best in the league and that will be more than enough tonight.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, LA 0

Yep, the LA Galaxy have traded Carlos Ruiz to Toronto FC, according to SBI. Details of the deal were not available yet, my assumptions are that LA will be getting a draft pick and allocation money in return.

The Galaxy’s dealing of Ruiz now clears the way for LA to sign U.S. national team midfielder/defender Eddie Lewis.

The more I think about this deal for Ruiz and Toronto, the more I like it. He will be paired with a young attack and a quality attacking midfielder in Amado Guevara, who is apparently good buddies with Ruiz. The Reds now appear to have a forward stable that includes Ruiz, Danny Dichio, Chad Barrett and teen standout Abdus Ibrahim. So there’s some depth to this team that could come in handy down the road.

Eddie Lewis should join the Galaxy by Thursday night’s game with Chicago. As we all know by now, the Galaxy had to move Ruiz’s salary off its salary cap in order to sign Lewis. The Galaxy secured Lewis’ services after using their No. 1 spot in the MLS allocation order. (Speaking of that MLS Allocation order, I will have an update for you all on that shortly.)

I think Toronto is coming out on top of this deal though. I know Ruiz hasn’t had a great year in LA but he was never really given the chance after his injury at the start of the year and with the amazing turn of things with Edson Buddle. LA kind of lucked out on that one and were able to put Ruiz on the trading block because of Buddle (and to a degree Landon Donovan).

Not to say that LA won’t come up empty on this. I love the addtion of Lewis to their roster. He should provide a nice addition to the defensive side of the midfield, something most LA fans would say has been missing all year. Plus to dump a hefty salary like Ruiz never hurts when cheaper parts are doing better on the field for you anyways.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see LA only get some allocation and maybe not even a first round draft pick in return. Remember Dallas didn’t get a whole lot in return when they shipped him off to LA in the winter, so I wouldn’t expect it to be any different this time around. But then again, LA is involved in this discussion so they could get everything and the kitchen sink in this deal.

Who do you think comes out on top in this deal? Will Guevara and Ruiz work well together, or will they cause problems if things don’t go well in Toronto?

Right now according to Ives Galarcep, Toronto FC seems like the most likely destination for Ruiz. They have loads of allocation (which LA is desperate for right now) and have a large need for a quality striker.

Don’t be too shocked to see a deal go down in the coming days. I know I sound like a broken record on that one but LA wants to get Lewis sign as soon as possible here and moving Ruiz is really the only way possible to do so.

Its a good deal overall for the Galaxy too. I do like the addition of Lewis to their roster if they can work it all out because having a stronger midfield would certainly ease the pressure on their sloppy defense. Lewis would help provide that ease of pressure.

Plus getting rid of Ruiz as we all know will probably do wonders for this club. I think John Carver could get a lot out of Ruiz in Toronto. I know it isn’t a sexy destination for him but he has to believe that he could make a large impact on that club. Plus, like I’ve said before, having Ruiz and Amado Guevara on the same roster would give people another reason to hate Toronto. That kind of hatred would fuel some heavy passion around the league and folks that is a good thing to have this time of year.

What do you all make of Ruiz possibly going to Toronto here? Good or bad?

Lewis is set to return to MLS for the first time since leaving for Europe in 1999. Lewis will now join the Galaxy, currently being coached by long-time national team teammate Cobi Jones.

I like this move for the Galaxy even though he doesn’t help their defense out any. He will add another threat to the flank and in all reality he is still playing at a high enough level that should see some solid impact on the field for this club. Also, his veteran leadership should also help a team dealing with plenty of issues following the departures of head coach Ruud Gullit and team president/GM Alexi Lalas.

According to Ives Galarcep, Gibbs will now be either picked up by Colorado (who will move into the top allocation spot once LA signs Lewis) or by New England (who is currently third on the list behind Colorado). Though it seems apparent that Gibbs would rather play for New England (couldn’t blame him) than Colorado right now.

No word on how interested the Revs are in signing Gibbs. They are set to sign Costa Rican Gabriel Badilla this week. I highly doubt New England would go into a trade discussion with the Rapids if Badilla does sign this week like all the reports are suggesting. Though adding Gibbs to that backline of Heaps, Albright, Badilla, and Parkhurst would just be scary in my mind. The depth there would be unreal.

Colorado needs a player like Gibbs to help stablize a defense that has been largely terrible all year.

Should Colorado actually pass on Gibbs and New England not be interested you could see some clubs like Dallas or Chivas (who are down the line in the allocation order) be interested in Gibbs. I’d take Gibbs in either of those line-ups right now.

What do you think of the news? Is Lewis a good fit for the Galaxy? Would the Rapids be dumb enough to pass on some defensive help (even if he is injured often)?

We’ve talked about the Brian McBride return almost to death. Yesterday we touched on Nate Jaqua, Joseph Ngwenya and Josh Wolff. Today we get the likes of Robbie Russel, Cory Gibbs and Eddie Lewis.

Yeah, seriously. I’ve seen Gibbs’ name out there for a couple weeks in talks of coming back. Some even have speculated he would return here to Dallas (where he was originally apart of the pre-FC days with the Burn). He has battled some injuries and will officially be a free agent on Monday as his contract with Charlton will be over. Gibbs never saw the field in two years with the EPL-side thanks to those injuries.

The question remains, if you are a MLS club in need of some defensive help do you go after the oft-injured Gibbs? More than likely since he has seen time with the National team he will be placed in that McBride-like allocation group, meaning clubs like Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy and Colorado will have the first strike at him if he does decide to return to the league. I doubt Dallas still holds his rights, usually those expire after two years.

I just wonder if any of those clubs would take a chance on a guy like Gibbs. I’d love to see him healthy again and playing though so it may be a risk that is worth taking in the end if he does return to full form and helps out on defense. You know LA would love to be able to get a solid defender on their roster.

Then you have Russel.

He isn’t has high profiled or even expected to fall into any allocation group but more than likely will be placed in those popular lottery groups. He has bounced around from a couple Scandinavian leagues over the last couple years. Most recently with Danish side Viborg FF.

Russel hasn’t made it clear if he is indeed coming back to MLS or not. He was originally drafted by the Galaxy after his days in college with Duke, but he decided to not sign with the club and pursue work elsewhere in Europe.

Would the soon to be 29-year old left back work out for any MLS side right now. I would think so. He has solid experience and any team would probably be pretty lucky to get their hands on him if he does come back to the States.

Lastly today we have Eddie Lewis.

We all know he is currently with Derby County, who just got demoted out of the EPL this year after probably one of the most embarrassing seasons of any professional sports team. The 34-year old Lewis is willing to return to the States to finish out his days. The thing is, most teams may not be willing to use their allocation spot to get him. I honestly only really see San Jose being willing to sign Lewis, and that isn’t a bad move for the Quakes at all.

Anyone see Lewis going anywhere else? Right now I surely don’t.