File this one under the section of things that the Seattle Sounders front office does well.

This clever set of videos are to help get fans in Seattle to renew their season tickets for another season. Seriously. All jokes aside with these videos but this is great. You don’t see one other clubs in the league doing anything remotely close to this. From the video of forward Roger Levesque just crewing repeatedly, to keeper Kasey Keller talking retirement and midfielder Steve Zakuani saying he knew it hurt when he left you, just chalks up to being good fun and very clever.

I couldn’t tell you if they hiked any of their prices up like some clubs did (looking at you New York), but even so I’d probably fall for this cleverness and renew in a heart beat.

Click here to see all the videos in their glory.

It is finally here, Major League Soccer’s first kick of 2011. The long wait (or short wait if you think the offseason has been rather quick like I do) is over and the games will pick up in a hurry starting tonight. It seems to be a new tradition for MLS, the first kick of the new season begins at Qwest Field for the third straight season as the Seattle Sounders play host to the LA Galaxy.

The Sounders look for revenge against the Galaxy, who knocked them out of the MLS Playoffs a season ago. On the flip side, the Galaxy are hoping to keep their hot streak alive against the Sounders.

The bar has been set high for both clubs going into this season. LA has title hopes and fans in Seattle expect even bigger things for the two-time US Open Cup champions. The Galaxy have beefed up their lineup a bit with guys veterans like Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Hejduk. Seattle on the other hand made a few moves while keeping most of their 2010 bunch intact.

Tonight will be all about controlling the tempo of the game for these two. LA will want to silence the Qwest Field crowd yet again (last year they dominated Seattle here) by keeping possession and pressuring the Sounder backline that let in their fair share of goals last year. If LA gets off to a quick start it could be a long night for the hosts. The Sounders have to use their speed on the wings (if Steve Zakuani is able to play tonight of course) and find ways in space to get Fredy Montero and Blaise Nkufo involved in the attack.

With JPA, Donovan Ricketts and Omar Gonzalez all likely to miss tonight’s game for LA, it gives Seattle a solid shot of being in this one. Bruce Arena’s club has had Sigi Schmid’s number these last two years but tonight feels like a draw to me. LA will get on the boards in the first half in this one with LA mounting a comeback late.

Player to watch out for: Landon Donovan, the dude just loves the spotlight in games like this.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 1, LA 1

I’d normally like to get these predictions out much sooner but with all that has gone on this winter the day before First Kick seems about right really. The rosters became compliant at 5pm ET yesterday and thus will put an end to the preseason in a way for all the clubs.

In the past I’ve done these bold season predictions in various ways. I ended up sticking with the tradition of the predictions and picks and also added some other items like I did a year ago. I know some of the bold predictions are silly and meaningless but they’re fun to do nonetheless.

As always feel free to put in your season predictions below.

Players to watch out for in 2010:

• Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus): Can he guide this club to another stellar season? I think he will but it won’t be easy with the league out to get them.
• Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy): No doubt Donovan will return to his MVP form from a year ago, but the question will he be with the club after the World Cup? Part of me thinks he will and part of me sees him going back to England.
• Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls): Once he is 100% again look for him to do very well this year. Not playing on nasty turf at home will do wonders for him and the Red Bulls.
• Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo): Big, big year in Houston for the Dynamo especially for Cameron. If he can help keep their offense in check and facilitate things like I believe he can then look out.
• Freddy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC): He’s a marked man but if he can break open in space like we’ve seen him do time and time again then he’ll get his goals this year.

Coaches Already Feeling The Heat

Each year I’ve done a Coaching Hot Seat, where I look around the league to see who stands the greatest chance of getting the boot. Last couple year’s I’ve been right on with some picks on here while a few others have been a bit off. Again, its just my opinion on each coach listed and it doesn’t mean it will actually happen. In other words don’t get all bent out of shape if you see your coach on here at any point this year, I can’t tell you how many emails I get over this issue.

But in saying so this year could be a fairly light year for coaching hot seats in general since there have been so many coaching changes.

• Frank Yallop (San Jose Earthquakes): Its year three for the Quakes 2.0 which means Yallop should really feel some heat if he doesn’t get this club winning early on this year. I wasn’t shocked to see him get another season with the club after last year but I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see him be the first gone this year.
• Gary Smith (Colorado Rapids): Another western coach that should feel some heat this year if his club isn’t winning. If they continue to be inconsistent look for lots of calls for his head later this year. Thing is the Rapids owners typically drag these things out. I think he’ll be fine but for now this is more of a caution of possible things to come.
• Hans Backe (New York Red Bulls): I do believe he’ll last longer than most expected him to but I think its more of a formality at this point to always include the New York boss in these lists given the fact that they have a new coach about every year or year and a half.
• Schellas Hyndman (FC Dallas): While I believe he will have this job as long as he wants it I also think that if he has another clunker of a season the pressure for him to go will have to mount. His overall record (15-18-14) isn’t anything to brag about.

Early Award Predictions:

Below are some predictions for each end-of-season award. I left a few off that I really don’t care about, why we vote on things like the Ref of the year is beyond me. I’ll give you my top three for each since that is how we have to vote on it anyways.

Goalkeeper:

1. Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy): He’s a beast…nothing more to say than that.
2. Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders): If Ricketts isn’t 100% all year then this award easily goes to Keller.
3. Will Hesmer (Columbus): I find him to be highly underrated.

Defender:

1. Chad Marshall (Columbus): Hard not to go against the league’s best defender.
2. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle): He’s the rock in the back for the Sounders.
3. Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy): I see this kid growing into a perennial All-Star.

Comeback Player:

1. Taylor Twellman (New England): Its gotta be Twellman right? Anyone else to put here?

(Yes I’m sure there are others but right now Twellman is all I have for this one.)

Newcomer:

1. Joel Lindpere (New York Red Bulls): If NY is going to be half as good as people think/say they are this year it will be because of this guy.
2. Eduardo (San Jose Earthquakes): The Quakes need a goal scorer and he will help do just that.
3. Blaise N’Kufo (Seattle Sounders FC): Yes he is only playing a half season but I agree with a lot of folks out there that think he is the final piece to the puzzle that puts this club over the top.

(Note: this will easily change as newcomers join the league in the summer and after the World Cup)

Coach:

1. Sigi Schmid (Seattle Sounders): He’ll continue to work his magic in the Pacific Northwest.
2. Peter Nowak (Philadelphia Union): I do believe he’ll make them better than most expansion clubs and thus will get high praise for it. A playoff birth would easily help him win this though.
3. Bruce Arena (LA Galaxy): If they end up losing Landon Donovan this summer and they still do well in the west then he may very well beat out Schmid for this honor.

Rookie:

1. Tony Tchani (New York Red Bulls): He’s a beast, believe me.
2. Zach Loyd (FC Dallas): The man that can play just about anywhere for Schellas Hyndman. Once he settles into a role he’ll be golden.
3. Teal Bunbury (Kansas City Wizards): He’s a natural goal scorer, and KC needs goals.

MVP:

1. Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy): Not settling the world on fire with this pick but as long as he is in the league he’s the best player no matter what.
2. Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew): As long as he has a full healthy season he could end up winning this on his production alone.
3. Kyle Beckerman (RSL): If this club is going to repeat it will be because of this man.

Playoff Predictions:

Top two from Eastern Conference: Columbus Crew* and Chicago Fire
Top two from Western Conference: Seattle Sounders FC and LA Galaxy

Wild card winners: Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas, D.C. United

I feel as though the first six (auto-bids, RSL, and Houston) are simple picks for me but with parity in this league we really could see any number of teams in those final two spots. I think it will come down between Dallas, D.C., Colorado, Chivas, Toronto, New York and New England for those final two spots. I felt weird taking four western conference wild cards so D.C. gets the nod for me though I’ll be honest I’m not totally set on that pick. Dallas needs to find a partner for Jeff Cunningham or they’ll be in trouble. Still Dallas is a dark-horse for me just as I’ve said all winter long. Had to stay with that pick here.

First round playoff winners: Columbus (over Dallas); Chicago (over D.C.); Seattle (over Houston); and RSL (over LA).

Conference final winners: Columbus and Seattle.

MLS Cup winner: Seattle Sounders FC

(*= Supporter’s Shield winners)

The Rest of the WVH Bold Predictions:

1. A MLS club will win SuperLiga: I still hate this tournament but I’m a homer and root for anyone MLS in it. My guess is Houston will take it hom this year.
2. A MLS club will win the US Open Cup: The league usually does every year and with the whole Division II mess that went on these past few months I like a MLS club’s chance even more. I’m going to go with the Chicago Fire to win this year.
3. MLS will get four clubs in CCL Group stage: We already get two in Columbus and Real Salt Lake. I’ll say LA and Toronto some how manages their way into the group stage this year. Seattle falls short.
4. MLS will win the All-Star game: Yawn.
5. Three clubs will add DPs by the end of summer: New York will add their second while Chicago and D.C. get new ones.
6. More Yanks will return home: Maybe a Benny Feihaber? Who knows? I still see a couple coming back this summer.
7. A couple Yanks transfer out of MLS: This deserves it’s own post (again) but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Donovan go as well as someone like Brek Shea.
8. Dominic Kinnear will once again trade like crazy: He does it each year and it only makes his team better. Why people trade with him I’ll never know. You can bet one at least one trade really working out in the Dynamo’s favor though.
9. Mo Johnston and Preki will butt heads: All seems good now as they continue to dump salaries but at some point they’ll clash over player pickups.
10. Houston and San Jose will see their stadiums go up: They’ll join Kansas City in the movin’ dirt department.
11. D.C. will still be stuck at RFK: Its election year for D.C.’s mayoral race, so I don’t see anything happening to United’s stadium issues anytime soon. Which sucks.
12. Montreal will get their expansion bid: They’ll be in the league in 2012…its all but announced at this point.
13. No other expansion bid will be announced this year: I think the league will carefully plan who their 20th club will be. My money is on them trying to find an owner in New York to bring a second club to that area.
14. A late season run will help…D.C.: We see it every year, last year it was RSL getting lucky at the right time, this year it will be D.C.
15. Juan Pablo Angel will lead the league in goals: No turf at Red Bull Arena will go a long way in getting him back to producing lots of goals.
16. Brad Davis will lead the league in assists: He always quietly gets lots of assists and no one notices.
17. Kasey Keller will lead the league in saves: I still see the Sounders give up a fair amount of shots but Keller will be there to save most of them.
18. The US Men’s National Team will make it to the quarterfinals: Not MLS related but definitely worth predicting at this point. I love the boy’s chances in South Africa, as much as I want to put them in the semi-finals, a quarterfinal exit seems more likely.

Freddy Ljungberg and Sigi Schmid lead the way again in 2010 for Seattle. (Getty Images)

We only have two more clubs to look at here in our preseason look-ins of each Major League Soccer club. Today we head to the Pacific Northwest to see how Sigi Schmid and his Seattle Sounders FC are doing this winter.

For the most part things have been fairly quiet for last year’s expansion darlings. Schmid has kept the majority of his club intact from last season which came very close to a western conference final birth, not to mention they were the winners of the US Open Cup.

So far this winter the Sounders have been fairly quiet, only signing a couple players. Though they will get one big boost this summer with Swiss striker Blaise Nkufo joins them. Until then the Sounders will have to rely on young star Freddy Montero to carry the offensive load, which shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Anyways, let’s dive in to see who Seattle has going into the new season and where else they need to fill in the holes.

Keepers:

Who they have: Kasey Keller, Chris Eylander, Terry Boss.

Notes: When you have one of the best American keepers in US soccer history you’re pretty set, even if Keller is up there in age. Also they have a pretty solid backup in Eylander too so this is an area I think Sounder founds aren’t at all worried about. I’d be even willing to bet that should Keller be out for an injury at some point in this season that Eylander will be a fine replacement. But for their sake I hope Keller stays healthy for the year.

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Defense:

Who they have: Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyson Wahl, James Riley, Nathan Sturgis, Leonardo Gonzalez, Zach Scott, Taylor Graham.

Notes: This is a group I like but am not totally in love with…yet. Between Hurtado, Marshall, Riley and Gonzalez I think they’re pretty good but after that they’re pretty young and raw. I’d like to think that Sturgis will finally be fit enough to show his true potential this season. If he can be the player LA draft him to be a couple years back then they’ll be doing very well in the back this year.

I’d still like them to get a little deeper in the back though by getting another center back. Times they got beat least year were right down the middle on some sloppy plays. Possibly improving on their outside backs wouldn’t hurt either. I know they’ve had Jeff Parke in camp some this winter, that wouldn’t be a bad pick up for them.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Freddie Ljungberg, Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Steve Zakuani, Stephen King, Sanna Nyassi, Peter Vagenas, David Estrada, Kevin Souter.

Notes: When 100% the group of Ljungberg, Evans, Alonso and Zakuani are as close to being the top midfield group in the league as possible. I’d argue they are one of the best on any given day. Thing is you can’t count on them to be 100% all the time, especially not when they play 15 games on turf.

We could also see them lump in guys like Nate Jaqua to this group since they typically play more out wide than up top. But something tells me Jaqua could be on his way out with that recent signing. I would like to see them add a little more depth on the wings though and maybe another guy to facilitate the offense when Ljungberg isn’t out there.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Freddy Montero, Nate Jaqua, Roger Levesque, Miguel Montano

Notes: They’ve address this light area with the signing of Nkufo but he won’t be there until the summer. So a lot of pressure will be on Montero to live up to his hype yet again this season. If Montero struggles early it could be a bumping couple months until Nkufo arrives to this club.

I think adding another striker here for the short term could be beneficial. They do have young Montano but not many know exactly how productive the 18-year old will be. Adding someone with experience is the way to go here but it looks like they’re just waiting on Nkufo for the time being.

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Overall:

This should be an interesting year in Seattle. The club has a little more on their menu with the CONCACAF Champions League later in the year. Should they have any issues before then in terms of depth it could be a rocky road in the second half of the season. I think however Schmid’s club is set up nicely to brace any kind of storm that their schedule could present them this year.

The big wonder on most folks mind is whether or not they’ll be able to keep Montero for the entire season. My bet is they will so they’ll have to make the most of things this season.

Seattle should be in prime position to remain near the top of the west and the league this season should all the right parties be healthy this year. Lets not forget they were only a couple points out of being a Supporter’s Shield winner in their first season. I think they’ll be contending again in 2010.

The statement outlined some of the biggest differences between the league’s stance and what the Players Union is asking for. The issues listed were:

• Player contracts are routinely terminated by the league during their term, as almost 80% of players in MLS do not have guaranteed contracts;
• MLS operates as a cartel in that every player’s contract must be entered into with the league instead of his club;
• The contract of virtually every player in the league contains multiple unilateral one-year options that may only be exercised by the league;
• Virtually any player in the league can be transferred to another club within the league without his consent even if such transfer is international, such as a transfer from an MLS club in the United States to or from an MLS club in Canada;
• There is no freedom of movement for any MLS player to any other MLS clubs when his contract expires – in fact, even if a player’s contract is unilaterally terminated by a club during its term, that club continues to hold such player’s rights and he is prohibited from signing with another club in the league.

Now I am going to keep my opinion on this matter to myself for the time being. I’m honestly still on the fence about a lot of things here. I do see the need for a few of these things that the players outline but I also understand a bit where the owners are coming from here too.

A lockout and/or strike will only do damage to the league and the sport. Keller and Donovan both present a case that should be heard loud and clear to the owners.

I did see a very interesting piece this morning on the Fake Sigi blog about this matter. He argues that the league is in no violation of the FIFA regulations that the players are arguing. Interesting to say the very least.

Freddie Ljungberg and Osvaldo Alonso were huge additions to Seattle and to MLS this year. (Getty Images)

Everyone knew going into the 2009 season that the new kids on the block would make a splash. Just the kind of splash the league needed in some folks eyes. The Seattle Sounders FC came into the year not as a typical expansion club. No this group broke the mold for expansion clubs by being able to sign players from their old USL club and by going out of their way to sign quality veteran players to play even before the expansion draft last November.

Yes, these Sounders made a splash on and off the field as well. Minority owner Drew Carey hyped up his club in every way possible on TV or the radio or in newspapers. For once it looked like a club just got “it” for getting people’s attention in a city.

And it worked too as Seattle became one of the most successful expansion teams in Major League Soccer history. No they didn’t end up winning it all like the 1998 expansion Chicago Fire but they did definitely bring in a new era of how to do things both on and off the field.

Seattle started off strong in 2009 with big wins at home in front of massively packed crowds that the league had never seen on a consistent basis before. Guys like Newcomer of the Year Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua proved to be solid up top while former USL guys like Osvaldo Alonso and Sebastian Le Toux proved they had what it takes to be big time MLS players.

Then there was the DP, the designated player from Sweden Freddie Ljungberg. The Swede proved to a load of folks around the league that he still had some gas left in the tank and that the wouldn’t be a Denilson-type of DP.

The club was tough to figure out for others as they went on to win their first US Open Cup in DC back in September, securing a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions League. Let’s just hope this year’s bunch will be one that they can build on for years to come.

What Went Right In 2009:
As mentioned above on and off the field there was plenty to smile about in Seattle this year. Montero was a beast to handle. Veterans like Ljungberg and Kasey Keller were great when needed. New faces like Jhon Kennedy Hurtado made big impacts and Sigi Schmid continues to be the Sigi Schmid we all know. Winning the Open Cup was also a big step for this club as well. They proved late in the year when it mattered most that they could get the job done away from home. Oh and lastly, the fans in Seattle were amazing this year…no getting around it they were just amazing.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
The play on the field wasn’t always so rosy. May was a dry spell that saw the club not win a single game (though they didn’t lose a game either). They struggled at home against clubs they should have beaten and the defense was clearly the weakest link on the field at times. Until late in the year they struggled on the road and looked like they may even fall out of playoff contention. But getting in the playoffs they struggled offensively to beat Houston.

What’s Next:
I think next is just the start of what could be a good run for this club. The foundation is there and we know the veterans that are coming back. I believe the transfer talks surrounding Montero will continue to be there but he will return in 2010. I think they need to get some depth right away on defense and find some extra quality in the midfield. Lastly getting Montero some support up top wouldn’t hurt at all. There is work to be done but to be honest it won’t be as hard as other clubs out there.

Fredy Montero leads the charge for the expansion Sounders. (Getty Images)

The playoffs are finally here and tonight they kickoff with a bang up in the Pacific Northwest as the Houston Dynamo travel to Qwest Field to face the Seattle Sounders FC in a big first leg western conference semi-final series.

Seattle comes into the playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams and with the opening game at Qwest you have to believe Sigi Schmid and company will pull out all the stops to make sure the expected large crowd stays happy. Schmid will have to rely heavily on Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Leo Gonzalez in the back to slow down the attack from Brian Ching and Stuart Holden.

The Dynamo need to find a way to get a goal early and then rely on their strong defense to carry them in this game and in the series. Catching Seattle off guard on corner kicks or free kicks could go a long way for the Dynamo. However the most important thing for Dominic Kinnear’s bunch is staying out of card trouble. These last couple months have been nothing but yellow and red cards for Kinnear’s team. Make no mistake if they get into card trouble it will be another early exit for the Dynamo this year in the playoffs. You can’t beat a club like Seattle with ten men, you just can’t do it.

I think tonight’s game will be physical as Houston will want to use guys like Geoff Cameron and Bobby Boswell to keep Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg off the boards. Look for Seattle to play the wings a lot in this game and also look for Ljungberg to try to live up to his DP status with the Sounders.

I like the homeside by a slim margin in this one. These two played two exciting games in the regular season and I don’t see anything different here tonight. Goals by Ching for the Dynamo and goals by Montero and Nate Jaqua for the Sounders.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Houston 1

With a couple weeks left in the season the Newcomer of the Year award is starting to actually get a little tighter. For months it’s nearly been all Seattle Sounders leading the charge but now a couple other names are starting to emerge on the list and if some lead their clubs into the playoffs you can bet they will snatch up some of those votes from folks like myself.

Here is my top five for the Newcomer of the Year. Feel free to list yours below.

1. Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders): The one getting all the press is still Montero though he finally has some true company for this award. The more he produces in the final weeks the better his chances are at this award.

2. David Ferreira (FC Dallas): To be honest I wasn’t a huge fan of this guy early on in the season but since Jeff Cunningham got hot so did he. Ferreira finally found his way in the league and now he is starting to look like the playmaker that Dallas was hoping he’d be. You have to believe that if Dallas somehow makes it into the playoffs Ferreira will be a big reason behind it. He does have a lot of ground to make up to win this award though.

3. Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders): Keller’s stock continues to be in a holding pattern for this award. Not that its a bad thing and he has certainly done his part to get the Sounders where they are at right now.

4. Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy): LA returns to the playoffs for the first time in a couple years and believe it or not it has a lot to do with Ricketts. Now if he leads his club to a Supporter’s Shield title in the final weeks of the season you can bet he will move up these charts.

5. Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders): The last of the Sounders in my top five. He’s been a rock in the midfield for this club all year. Just a shame that no one signed this player before this season because he has potential to be a big time player in the league for years to come.

Others in consideration: Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle), Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle), Eduardo Lillingston (Chivas USA), Gregg Berhalter (LA Galaxy).

Fredy Montero. (Photo via Rick Morrison, www.digitaldadphotography.com)

Good evening folks. It’s been a rather slow day around the soccer world but there has been plenty of talk on one subject that has been pretty hot since late August, the possibility of a MLS-2. But more on that in a bit. And I have a link about SuperLiga below that is definitely worth a read.

I wanted to kickoff tonight’s thoughts/links with another look at the season awards. With a few weeks left in the 2009 season each award race is really hot right now. Tonight I want to look at the Newcomer of the Year award.

The newcomer award race pretty good this year, especially with one club the Seattle Sounders FC. That club has a chance to have three or four guys nominated for the award alone. Pretty crazy but that’s just how it worked with them this season.

Who’s on the watch list for this award? Below are the few that I think are gonna get consideration from me and other voters. And sadly most of my list below do revolve around Sounders players.

Fredy Montero (Seattle) – Pretty easy to say he may end up with this award based on his play. He’s one of the top goal scorers on the league and since the start of the season he has shown flashes of brilliance.

Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle) – Probably Montero’s biggest competition in this award is this former USL-1 star. Alonso is a beast in the midfield and has quickly become one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.

Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle) – No this has nothing to do with my biased towards Swedish players but Ljungberg has been a solid addition to the league and to Seattle since day one. When healthy he has proven to be one of the better DP signings in the league.

Kasey Keller (Seattle) – Weird to see this American keeper legend on this kind of list but it has been his first MLS season after all. No doubt he should have some consideration here because I really don’t see him winning the keeper of the year award (that should go elsewhere to Chivas’ Zach Thornton).

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle) – The last of the Sounders for me on this list. He’s been one of the better defenders in the entire league this season.

Emmanuel Osei (New England) – Not a house hold name but believe me this guy has been a great addition to Steve Nicol’s side. As a defender his stats won’t amaze you but he’s been a rather solid rock in the defense for the Revs this season.

Eduardo Lillingston (Chivas USA) – His numbers aren’t bad (7 goals and 1 assist) but he doesn’t have the hype to get a lot of votes out west. Still he is worth a look for this award.

David Ferriera (Dallas) – It really took him a while to get use to the MLS style of play but honestly he hasn’t been a terrible signing after all for Schellas Hyndman and FC Dallas. Six goals and four assists this season really isn’t bad.

From the looks of things you gotta just pick a Sounder for this award because after that group the pickings are rather slim. And again, this award goes to non-rookies that are playing their first year in MLS.

Now for more fun talk. As mentioned there has been a lot of chatter today (and for the past month or so) about USL-1 owners forming their own league and possibly be known as MLS-2. Crazy talk I know, some call it a wet dream but others like me just call it crazy.

First of all even if there is a chance that the TOA (Team Owners Association) form their own league, which I still have a feeling won’t go down when it is all said and done, the chances of it being associated with MLS is very slim. Which means the chances for those wet dreams of promotion/relegation are very slim. Its a pipe dream really for those who hope for it.

Yes I do hear that the TOA is in talks with MLS.

MLS-2 is an option for this bunch but a very small one. Its just one of those things we just need to put to rest and move on from here.

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SUM Explains SuperLiga

Link

Very interesting interview by Boston Examiner reporter LE Eisenmenger about SUM’s marketing of the always interesting SuperLiga tournament. Its bold to say that they are trying their best to promote this tournament to the general fans out there. Okay, I know they are trying because I saw them try in Dallas a couple years ago. The thing about this tournament is the exposure for non-Spanish speaking fans in this country is weak. Believe me I’d watch these games on TV if I didn’t have to listen to it in Spanish.

This tournament has a chance to grow into something nice in the long run I do know that but it’s still a long way off from being anything that soccer fans here can really get excited over year-after-year.

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