How will the Fire fare going forward in 2010? (Getty Images)

Today is the start of a new series. As teams get into training camp and new players come on board its worth looking into each club to see how they are stacking up and what else they need to do to get ready for the 2010 season. I got this idea from the post I did a few days back on how the Philadelphia Union were looking. I figured it would be good to do something like that to all the clubs.

I’ll go in alphabetical order here with this series. Now I don’t know if it will be a daily thing or what yet, it all depends on my current work schedule but I do plan on getting each club by the end of February.

Keeper:

Who they have: Jon Busch, Sean Johnson (GA), Andrew Dykstra

Notes: Busch is the main guy we know that and with rookie Sean Johnson waiting in the wings with that Generation adidas contract things should be looking pretty bright in this department for years to come. I honestly don’t know much about Dykstra so it wouldn’t be too shocking to hear if the Fire waive him or send him out on loan this year at some point to get him some playing time.

Defense:

Who they have: CJ Brown, Tim Ward, Wilman Conde, Daniel Woolard, Dasan Robinson, Austin Washington, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Krzysztof Król, and Steven Kinney.

Notes: Getting Krol and drafting someone like Watson-Siriboe should make up for the losses of Gonzalo Segares and their lack of depth down the stretch in 2009. Conde will obviously still be the rock in the middle and adding Krol to the outside should work. I’m curious to see if Frank Klopas and Carlos de los Cobos add anything else to this group. Its good but not great right now, maybe one more center back would do the trick to keep Jon Busch from having to come up with big games.

Midfield:

Who they have: Logan Pause, Baggio Husidić, John Thorrington, Marco Pappa, Mike Banner, Justin Mapp, Peter Lowry, Corben Bone, Julio Martínez, and Drew Yates.

Notes: I really like what they’ve done to make up for the losses of Blanco and Chris Rolfe this winter so far. Adding Martinez on loan makes up for Rolfe on the wings and getting lucky in the draft by landing Bone was something else. For some reason I really like this group and hope it turns out to be as good as I think they can be in 2010. I’m very curious to see the development of Husidic in 2010 and I hope Thorringtoncontinues to grow as a player too.

One thing I kind of see happening at some point is a trade involving Justin Mapp. For some reason I get the feeling his time in Chicago is almost up. Just a hunch at this point from me but all I am saying is don’t be shocked if at some point this season we see him in a different uniform.

Forwards:

Who they have: Brian McBride, Patrick Nyarko, Calen Carr, and Stefan Dimitrov.

Notes: I’d say this is the one area Klopas has the most work to do. There are rumors that Collin John could be headed to Chicago. John was a former teammate of McBride at Fulham. I’m not entirely sure if that is the best move for the Fire at this point but they definitely need someone else along with McBride and Nyarko. Someone younger than John would probably be the best fit in my eyes. (ignore that comment on finding someone younger, I thought I read that John was 34, but he is only 24. Wow, it is Friday)

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Overall:

The Fire aren’t looking too bad overall considering the talent they lost this winter and the coaching change. I still have my doubts defensively with this group and I question right now whether or not they have enough offense to remain a top dog in the east. Also with SuperLiga on their schedules again this year I wonder a bit about their depth. On the surface it seems decent enough but a couple more quality moves like Krol and Martinez before the season will put my worries to rest with this group.

Klopas and de los Cobos have done a good job so far this month. Their draft a couple weeks ago was one of the best in the league. Usually a coaching change in the winter will see its ups and downs but seeing how de los Cobos is letting Klopas take control of picking out a good majority of the talent I think this team will be just fine in 2010.

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

As always feel free to leave your game predictions below.

Columbus Crew – at – Toronto FC:

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

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

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, Columbus 1

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FC Dallas – at – DC United:

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: DC 3, Dallas 1

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Chicago Fire

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

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

2. Can Seattle pull one off on the road?

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

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

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, Seattle 1

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Real Salt Lake – at- Colorado Rapids:

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

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

WVH Prediction: Colorado 1, RSL 0

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Chivas USA – at – San Jose Earthquakes

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, San Jose 1

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New York Red Bulls – at – LA Galaxy

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

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

2. What needs to go right for New York?

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: LA 2, NY 1

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Houston Dynamo – at – New England Revolution

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, New England 0

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

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

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

Chicago Fire – at – Columbus Crew:

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: C0lumbus 1, Chicago 1

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New England Revolution – at – Real Salt Lake:

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: RSL 3, NE 1

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LA Galaxy – at – Colorado Rapids:

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: Colorado 3, LA 1

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FC Dallas – at – Chivas USA:

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, Dallas 1

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Seattle Sounders FC:

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, San Jose 0

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DC United – at – New York Red Bulls

1. Will New York continue to see red?

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye on.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: DC 2, NY 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at – Toronto FC:

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

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

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

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

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

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

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

Quick Thoughts:

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

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, KC 1

GBS’s goal and two assists were clearly better than anyone’s lone goal or two goals in the case of Houston’s Kei Kamera (his two against Chivas in the midweek).

Has GBS put himself into the center of the MVP spotlight this year? Absolutely. His five goals and league leading 14 assists had lead the Crew to the top of the MLS table (currently tied with New England for that top spot). It seems as though GBS is turning it on late here as the Crew push for a playoff spot and a Supporter’s Shield trophy.

I think there is a very short list of MVPs out there and GBS is easily topping mine (more on that later). You take GBS out of this Columbus lineup and this isn’t a guarantee playoff club.

Sure there may have been some solid performances this week out of some guys. You had gritty game-tying goal by Jimmy Conrad or some solid performances by Juan Pablo Angel in New York or Taylor Twellman beginning to tear things up. But again it came down to what GBS did on the field against what was suppose to be a solid defense from RSL. He made it look easy as he put in two more assists. Oh yeah and his league leading 14 assists is six better than the other three that are tied for second.

Goal of the week was another fun one. You had a 40-yard bomb by Dallas’s Andre Rocha; a turn-and-shoot goal out of Toronto’s Chad Barrett; or any one of New York’s three goals against Houston. Then you have Joe Vide’s one timer or Santino Quartana’s blast.

Tough decisions but I had to go back to Thursday night’s lone goal out of Galaxy-killer John Thorrington. A beautiful give-and-go as Thorrington bends a nice shot by LA’s Steve Cronin.

Easily the best week went to Chicago’s John Thorrington. His late game-winner at home against Toronto gave voters little doubt about who to pick in this short week. I’ve said before, Thorrington is quickly becoming one of my new favorites in this league. His pace and energy on the field continues to show up. How this guy was nearly cut a while back is amazing too.

So week 16 goes to Thorrington, oh hey, the league agrees!

The goal of the week was a little bit of a different story. We really had little to pick from (12) but a couple were nice. Chris Rolfe’s strike in the fifth minute against Toronto was sweet and cool as they come but the goal that got my attention the most was a Primetime kick by Chivas USA’s Ante Razov. Honestly it was vintage Razov.