David Ferreira should be in the running once again for MVP. (Getty Images)

We’ve pushed through the positional rankings on here and have done a few other previews to get things going for next week. It is time once again to dip back into the other previews for the upcoming 2011 Major League Soccer season. Today I will be taking a look at the possible MVP candidates out there to start the season.

With the season being a little longer and the amount of extra games this season, we’ll see various candidates have more chances to sway the votes of the press, players, coaches and whoever else votes at the end of the season for these awards (yup, that includes yours truly).

I have in mind six candidates right now and of course this could easily change over the course of the season. I’ll try to update this from time-to-time like I have over the past few years on here. (Note: the order below is in no particular order)

1. Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake) – I still believe Morales is the heart and soul of RSL. I know they have that whole we are one team kind of moto but Morales is the biggest reason behind their success over the last couple years in my opinion. In a way he was shafted a bit last season in the MVP votes as he helped guide RSL through a tough MLS season and he also helped RSL win their CONCACAF Champions League group. This could be the year he breaks through and gets the votes for the award.

2. David Ferreira (FC Dallas) – Hard to do a MVP watch list and not mention the reigning MVP. Ferreira will be called to do a tad bit more in Dallas this season as the Red Stripes have some extra CCL games to deal with, plus the chance of more USOC matches too. Ferreria makes this club move offensively and without him they’ll be in a world of hurt. As long as he doesn’t take too many knocks this season (expect him to be fouled a boat load this season), I look for him to be in the thick of things for when it comes to the MVP race.

3. Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) – Being that this is David Beckham’s last year you’d think his name would be listed here but really, that won’t happen with Donovan on the field. Donovan is still the heart and soul of this club and even with some weeks in the summer that he’ll be gone due to Gold Cup matches, I still view Donovan as a force to be reckoned with this season. LA wants to get back to the promise land that is MLS Cup and so does Donovan. He wants a title bad, just wait and see how bad he wants it too.

4. Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) – My gut tells me to watch Henry this season, not because he’ll be healthy and with the club all year, but because I have to think he’s hungry to really prove himself for real in this league. If New York is a true contender it will fall a lot on his feet (not his hands, let’s hope!).

5. Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids) – I really hope Colorado is able to hold on to this guy for the long haul but even if it is just for this year, look out, because I believe he’s going to light up the boards in 2011. Cummings showed he can carry this club both in goals and in assists when needed. Don’t be shocked if he has another large outburst in production this season as he proves to clubs all over the world he is worth a look at.

6. Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union) – Philly fans still feel the cold burn of the snub that Le Toux got last season. While I don’t believe he’ll have the exact same numbers as he did in 2010, I do believe 2011 will be a very nice season for him. He’s got a little more help now in Philly offensively, which should free him up for setting things up more.

Others to watch for: Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo); Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC); Kenny Cooper (Portland Timbers); Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC); and Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).

It is finally here, the game we’ve all been waiting for since March. The 2010 MLS Cup is here and honestly I couldn’t be any more excited for this one (yes having my local side being in it helps). Having two clubs in this game that have yet to win a MLS Cup is pretty cool to see as well. They out lasted everyone this season to get to this point. We know who the favorite is (Dallas) and who the underdog (Colorado) but in all honesty these two clubs are very evenly matched.

An early goal will likely help vult whomever to a win here. Colorado is likely the club that needs to score first to win this one though as Dallas has no issue with coming from behind to win a game.

Position Breakdown

Keepers: One side of the field you have Kevin Hartman, the other Matt Pickens. Both are very solid and have made their defense in front of them miles better in 2010. Hartman should have won the Keeper of the Year award from Donovan Ricketts but that doesn’t mean Pickets isn’t worthy of the discussion either. The thing that sets these two apart at least by looking at the playoffs is that Hartman practically stood on his head a few times to get Dallas where they are at while Pickens only real big win was in the PK shootout in Columbus where the only stop he made was one that sailed over the bar to win the series.

Edge: Dallas

Defense: Honestly from the start I see this as a Push. You have a couple former FC Dallas defenders mixed in with guys like Marvell Wynne and Julien Boudet and you get a defense that has really made a nice turnaround in 2010. On the flip side what FC Dallas has done defensively this year is pretty impressive considering their defense has always been their biggest weakness over the last few years.

Dallas began giving up more goals late in the year when George John and Ugo Ihemelu went down with injuries. Both with both in the lineup they’ve been able to slow down high power attacks like Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy.

Colorado is interesting on defense, and a lot deal with the fact that their midfield is so good in front of them. They have to be careful on the wings though with Anthony Wallace and Kosuke Kimura. If one gets out of position Dallas will make them pay similar to what Robbie Rogers did to them in Columbus.

Still this one is to close for me to call here.

Edge: Push

Midfield: I really believe had it not been for the trade to get Jeff Larentowicz, Colorado would not even be in this game. That’s how big of an addition he was this season to the Rapids. He made the midfield and defense collectively better. The mid-season pickup of Brian Mullan did help bring some grit and better passing through the wings.

That said the rest of the midfield for the Rapids isn’t as good as Larentowicz has made them. On the wings they can get beaten if players are out of position and Dallas does a good job of spreading their attack through their wings like we saw against LA. Dallas’s five-man attack is balanced and well thought out. Guys like Dax McCarty and Daniel Hernandez are the cog in the midfield that really keep things going and allow David Ferreira to get in space and create for himself and whomever is playing up top. The wings are speedy with Brek Shea and Martin Chavez and are able to find holes in the defense.

Edge: Dallas

Forwards: This one is fairly simple to go into. Dallas has gone with a number of strikers all season long, mostly a lone striker in the form of Martin Rodriguez or Jeff Cunningham, or in the case of last week in LA in the form of Atiba Harris. Either way you spin it Dallas doesn’t really have the best go-to scorer up top the way that Colorado does in Omar Cummings and Conor Casey.

Dallas flows their offense through and with Ferreira in hopes to spring a free Cunningham or Rodriguez. Colorado on the other hand is fairly simple as they go wide with Cummings and he sends balls into the box for Casey; or they find diagonal balls in space for Cummings to run on to with his speed; or they hope for odd plays to accure.

Still the edge goes to the Rapids on this one based on Cummings and Casey.

Edge: Colorado

Bench: Dallas is fairly deep, probably a tad bit deeper than the Rapids when you consider they can bring on a Eric Avila, or even a Cunningham at anytime. Or if they have the lead they can bring in defensive help like Eric Alexander.

Edge: Dallas

Coach: You have the MLS Coach of the Year in Schellas Hyndman and on the other side a guy that is pretty underrated in Gary Smith. I’d lean towards Dallas due to the award but really this one is even considering both did an excellent job of finding guys that fit their systems for this year. Though I doubt Smith has a cool enough jacket to spark a huge Twitter frenzy like Hyndman did.

Edge: Push

X-Factors: Shea (Dallas); Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado) – Shea is a bad match-up on the wings for the Rapids. Sure they were able to contain a smaller Bobby Convey last week but Shea works around the ball is such a frustrating way for opposing teams. Mastroeni’s leadership has to be a factor in this one, how he handles himself will set his club up for this game.

Outlook: This game will come down to who cracks first really. Dallas knows how to hold onto leads in big situations if you consider how they played in Salt Lake and LA these past two weeks. The ability of Ihemelu and John to contain Casey and Cummings is an important element in this one. The better they contain the better chance Dallas has in this one.

Considering how these clubs tied their season series I think its safe to say we can just throw those two games out of the way here for this one like we’ve done all playoff long.

The biggest factor in this game comes down to the wing play and that’s where Dallas should come up big with Shea and Chavez. Also for me the Cunningham factor against one of his old clubs is out there, not to mention playing at BMO Field for him has to be huge. Colorado may have the edge in historical meetings in the playoffs but those were different times. Dallas has yet to lose at BMO Field and I see that trend continuing in their biggest win in club history.

WVH Prediction: FC Dallas 2, Colorado 1

Colorado hopes advance to the 2010 MLS Cup. (Getty Images)

Just the thought of two western conference clubs playing for the eastern conference final still makes me giggle. Geography aside this one could be a fun game to watch. Yes they are technically the lowest two seeds left in the playoffs but that won’t mean they fail at making this one worth watching. Both sides of the pitch of interesting stories and players worth talking about.

I felt before the season started that Colorado would be a tough team to play this year if they found come consistency. They did with the additions of Jeff Larentowicz and later on with Brian Mullan. San Jose I was totally off on going into the year. I didn’t expect them to make the leap that they did this year so you have to tip your cap to Frank Yallop and his team for getting this far.

Like I mentioned above this one should be fun to watch though. They split the season series by each club winning a game 1-0 at home. One could say the altitude in Colorado could play a factor in this one and to a degree it could but the way the playoffs are going right now its hard to take those sorts of things in account for big X-factors in a one-game series.

The match-ups in this one will be interesting to see. Colorado has a stingy defense while San Jose has the Golden Boot winner in Chris Wondolowski, a guy that can literally score from anywhere. The speed of Colorado on the wings and up top will be the big difference maker in this one for the home side. As we saw against Columbus anytime Omar Cummings pulls wide he’s typically able to find Conor Casey in the box. That speed is something San Jose will have to contain.

Players to watch: Wondolowski, Bobby Convey, and Tim Ward (San Jose); Cummings, Casey, and Larentowicz (Colorado).

X-Factor: Larentowicz and Pablo Mastroeni – The defensive collection in the midfield for Colorado is impressive with these two. If they hold their lines and find ways forward like we’ve seen in the playoffs so far the Rapids have a great shot at going back to the MLS Cup for the first time since 1997.

Outlook: It comes down to how San Jose handles the Rapids speed. I felt they should have walked away with a draw earlier this year in Colorad had it not been for a Jon Busch error in goal. I do think that will be a big motivational factor for Frank Yallop’s team in this one. The Quakes are one of the better road teams in the league and won’t be intimidated by playing in Colorado. In the end I like speed and defense over a team on the road.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 2, San Jose 1

David Beckham is back to his old tricks. (Getty Images)

Smell that? Its the smell of October which means playoff soccer is right around the corner. Only three weeks left in the season and already we know of five clubs going to the post season dance. Three spots remain with really four clubs going for them. Sorry Toronto and Chicago you know your chances are longshots at best at this point in the season.

Hard to believe we are down to this, the final couple weeks of the season. Some things still remain the same way they’ve been all season long though, LA is still on top with RSL and Dallas closely behind and New York and Columbus continue to battle it out in the east. Week 27 is in the books for now and boy was it a great weekend of action even with a couple ho-hum draws on the table.

Becks is Back

Add me to the list of folks playing the hype here for the Galaxy now that David Beckham is scoring on free kicks again. Lets just say that LA looked very good in their win last night against Chivas USA. Edson Buddle returned to his scoring form adding to his league-leading tally. But how about that kick from Becks? Classic David Beckham if you will but the important thing here is that Beckham is starting to look good for the Galaxy at the perfect time for his club.

I do think this goal will serve as a bit of notice that Becks is back but then again so should be the Galaxy. With three games remaining the Supporter’s Shield remains theirs to lose here. Sure Dallas could catch them but that’s far off I think even with their amazing unbeaten run they have going on. RSL could catch them as well, which remains the most likely but I’ve said before their schedule isn’t nearly as favorable as LA’s.

Tying Marks

Boy it was a big night in the Big D. I know FC Dallas pulled out their usual 10k crowd at Pizza Hut Park but on a OU-Texas weekend in Dallas that number is actually fairly impressive. But the story in Frisco is the tying of two records, the league’s unbeaten streak number (18) and for Jeff Cunningham the league’s all-time scoring mark.

I always said this season would be special for Cunningham in that regard. After last year it just seemed like Cunningham was destined to at least tie Jamie Moreno for the all-time mark in goals but it looks more and more like this will be the year he breaks the record. With three games remaining and the way he’s been scoring lately you have to figure he’s good for at least one more this season.

Kudos for Jeff too. Earlier this year he wasn’t having the best of times again but after sticking with things he slowly turned his dud of a season into one that he’ll never forget. Kind of hard to believe he’s at 11 goals on the season too at this point. Back in June we wouldn’t have guessed he would even hit seven or eight on the year.

Now as for that club record for FC Dallas. The 18-game unbeaten run is pretty darn special. One more win or draw and they’ll at least have the chance to go down as one in league history for fewest losses in a season. I believe San Jose a few years back may have lost only four or five but in a slightly different era in MLS only losing a handfull of games in a season is pretty impressive.

Dallas still has to close the year out at home to Colorado and then on the road to RSL and LA. It won’t be easy getting to 21 games here but if any club can do it I do think it would be this one.

Mile High Shocker

The biggest result of the weekend was also the biggest shock of the weekend in Denver. I don’t think anyone, even die-hard D.C. United fans would have predicted their club winning in Dick Sporting Good’s Park this weekend but some how, some way they did shocking the Rapids 1-0.

Yea, let me say that again D.C. United beat Colorado in Colorado 1-0 this weekend. Writing it once just didn’t do it justice enough considering D.C. hadn’t won there since 2000.

Furthermore Ben Olsen has now tied his predecessor Curt Onalfo in wins for the year with three. Onalfo was 3-12-3 with United before he was let go. Olsen has done a decent enough job since taking over and grabbing three more wins, two in places I’d never dream of them winning at this season in Colorado and Toronto.

MVP Update

I may do this as a separate post later on today or this week but the MVP race for this season continues to remain one of the toughest in recent memories. But for now I believe its down to four guys; David Ferreira (Dallas), Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia), Landon Donovan (LA), and Fredy Montero (Seattle).

You could make an argument for someone like Omar Cummings in Colorado or Guillermo Barros Schelotto in Columbus. But those four continue to remain my top picks here and at this point in the season its hard to really decide who deserves the nod.

If you go on goals and assists in the year it has to go to Le Toux who leads the combo with 13 goals and 10 assists on the year. But then again Ferreira also has seven goals and 13 assists. Montero has 10 goals and nine assists while Donovan leads the league in assists with 14 and has also bagged seven goals.

Its anyone’s guess at this stage really. Le Toux will be pressed hard by the Philly faithful and deservingly so. Some folks unfortunately will have problems with voting in a guy who didn’t at least get his team into the playoffs. I say that’s BS. Without Le Toux Philly would possibly be the worst expansion club of all-time as he’s been apart of 23 of their 32 goals this year.

I hate going homer on you but Ferreira may be my selection if I had to vote today. But again I’ll go more into that later on.

Hanging By A Thread

Kansas City has only themselves to blame at this point. They gave New York all they could handle last weekend and yet nothing was able to go in for them. Peter Vermes’ side continues to still look like the biggest threat to Colorado, Seattle and San Jose for that final playoff spot as their schedule remains the nicest of the four.

But the thing is I wonder if its already too late for the Wizards. At this point they’ll need to at least go 3-0-1 in their final four games. A tall task considering they still have Seattle at home coming up and then a Tuesday-Saturday swing as they travel to Chicago and to New England before closing out the year at home to San Jose.

Again it won’t be easy. Their hope stating out is to catch a tired Seattle squad at home. The Sounders have the USOC final this week. You have to figure they’ll have some tired legs in this game.

Peter Nowak and Philadelphia make their home debut this weekend. (MLSSoccer.com)

Are you ready for tomorrow? Seriously, are you ready? Eight games in one day, a new league record. We knew this day would come eventually with all the expansion in the league and kudos to the league for putting one so early in the season too.

If you’re like me, you’ll find tomorrow to be a tough one because of the amount of games on at once. Thankfully with my Mac I can at least throw up a few different game windows in multiple spaces.

So get your DVRs ready (if you can hold this many games), sign up for the league video package online (if you haven’t done so already), or be like most folks and just go to a game if you can. Its going to be a fun weekend for sure.

Feel free as always to leave your predictions below in the comments section.

New York Red Bulls – at – Chivas USA:

Lets just say that Chivas USA needs to figure out their offensive issues here. In to town is the new look Red Bulls who’ve won two straight shutouts. Hans Backe’s club has been solid defensively so far this season but a second straight west coast game will prove to be a bigger test than some will really think, even though Chivas has yet to score this season. We could see a potential letdown by the Red Bulls after they finally got their first road win a week ago after 27-games of coming up short away from home.

For me its going to come down to who scores in this one. Even with the two wins on the year the Red Bulls haven’t lit up the scoreboard so far (only two goals). I see a slight drop off in this one while Chivas continues to struggle to score.

Player to watch out for: Tim Ream – the rookie is as good as advertised here. Look for him to be all over Chivas’ Maykel Galindo in this one.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 0, New York 0

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D.C. United – at – Philadelphia Union

Home opener for Philadelphia is a big, big deal. They’re expecting about 30k+ tomorrow at the Linc, don’t be shocked if they reach a sellout figure (they’re caping the capacity for this one at 35k). This new rivalry will be heated, especially given how bad both have started off the year. D.C. has look awful all over the field while Philadelphia struggled on the road in their debut two weeks ago. Given the fact that Peter Nowak has had a little more time to prepare for this one I like the Union’s chances in this one a little more.

Curt Onalfo’s side has to figure out where to get their offense from. So far in attack they’ve looked uncreative and in result have been unproductive. You could say it comes down to their midfield not doing enough with the possession too. I’d imagine Nowak will do a better job with his lineup now that he gets Fred back. Look for their shape to be a little better in this one as they ride the massive fan support in the home opener. Its easy to go for a draw here given the poor results by these two so far but I like Philadelphia’s chances here.

Player to watch out for: Danny Mwanga – With Fred back and likely in the midfield, we should see more out of Mwanga in this one for Philadelphia. Hopefully Nowak learned that he belongs up top.

WVH Prediction: Philadelphia 1, D.C. 0

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Toronto FC – at – New England Revolution

Steve Nicol is looking for his 100th career MLS win in this one, and he probably couldn’t ask for a better opponent. Toronto FC is still in a bit of a state of flux after all the moves that have gone on over these last few weeks including the latest with the retirement of Jim Brennan. That loss thins out the Reds defense even more here. New England could possibly see Shalrie Joseph back for the home opener but even without him I like the Revs chances in this one. The Revs could also see Darrius Barnes back for this one as well, which would only make it rougher on Toronto to score in this one.

It seems like Toronto hasn’t scored a goal in league play or in exhibition play in ages here. I don’t see that starting back up right now. The Revs played their game last week in D.C. and I’d imagine Nicol will use some of the same tactics this week to get three more points.

Player to watch out for: Dwayne De Rosario – Really Toronto’s only hope to get on the scoreboard. If he can work his magic that we’ve seen him do in the past against the Revs, Toronto could sneak out with some points.

WVH Prediction: New England 2, Toronto 0

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Colorado Rapids – at – Kansas City Wizards

Here’s one game this weekend I’m looking forward to. Two clubs that everyone is still trying to figure out here. Are both contenders or pretenders this season? We think they could be contenders but its still too early to tell. The Rapids have to get their defense in line here for this one as the Wizards showed early on this year that they can score early and often.

As we saw last week, Kansas City’s best bet to get by the Rapids defense is to go right at them with some speed. Look for Ryan Smith and Kei Kamara to do just that on the wings as things in the center of the park will be a little tight. The Rapids haven’t won in KC since 2002 and something tells me that streak isn’t going to end here this season either. However I do think a draw sounds more likely with these two trading some goals early on in this one.

Player to watch out for: Omar Cummings – For me he is by far the most dangerous player on the field in this one. If he finds open space in the final third for Colorado he can score and create chances for Conor Casey.

WVH Prediction: Kansas City 2, Colorado 2

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LA Galaxy – at – Houston Dynamo

I love the promo the Dynamo are running for this one –  a flash light campaign, in case the lights go out again with these two on the field. Beautiful stuff.

Houston as we know is a bit banged up with Brian Ching on the shelf for a few weeks. Dominic Kinnear will have to look elsewhere for offense. Maybe we’ll finally see their Designated Player Luis Angel Landin finally step into the role. Or Kinnear can go with Cam Weaver. Either one with the speed of Dominic Oduro should be fine.

LA has been very good on defense so far this year, with no goals against. But both of those games came from the friendly confines of the Home Depot Center. Things are a little different for the Galaxy at Robertson Stadium, a place few get points at. I see this one staying close but look for the Dynamo to figure out a way to get one by Donovan Ricketts.

Player to watch out for: Brad Davis – Don’t expect another two goals from the PK spot this weekend for Davis but no matter who scores for Houston in this one it will be due to the play of this guy.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, LA 0

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Columbus Crew – at – FC Dallas

The regular season version of the Pioneer Cup. Both teams had a week off last week to plan for this game. It will be interesting to see if Chad Marshall makes it back for this one for the Crew. If he isn’t out there their defense could be a bit exposed with him gone and Eric Brunner out. Guys like Andy Iro will likely have to step up to contain Jeff Cunningham.

Dallas isn’t too different in the back either as both Kyle Davies and Ugo Ihemelu are banged up. We could even see Brek Shea in the back for the Red Stripes in this one as a bit of a patch work job by manager Schellas Hyndman. Expect this one to come down to who can control things in the midfield. On one side we have Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the other David Ferriera. I’d be lying if I didn’t think that was the best matchup of the weekend right there. The visitors could go away with three points but a draw sounds more likely.

Player to watch out for: Atiba Harris – Dallas needs some big time play on the wings and Harris has to be that guy for them. He scored in the season opener and if he can work his way into the middle in the final third of the field we could see him score again.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 1, Columbus 1

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Chicago Fire

We know the storyline in this one, Jon Busch’s return to Chicago. That should be a it awkward. The Fire looked a little better in week two but they still haven’t found that consistent play out of their midfield. Manager Carlos de los Cobos went with a 4-3-3 last week and it started to work for them as Collins John made an impact with the open space up top. Chicago has to get more out of Marco Pappa though in the midfield.

The Quakes just need to figure themselves out here though. In week one they looked more like an expansion team than a team in it’s third year. Frank Yallop made a couple changes to his roster and got former Quake Scott Sealy back. I’m not entirely sure if that move will get their club going or not here. The road hasn’t been kind to the Quakes lately either. Chicago should find a way to win this one.

Player to watch out for: Ryan Johnson – He’s the main guy for the Quakes, if he doesn’t get going in this one it will be a long night in the Windy City for Yallop’s side.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, San Jose 0

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Real Salt Lake

Probably the game of the week in most folks minds. Rightfully so as both clubs are looking to rebound after dismal efforts in week two. RSL will look to resume their home dominance while Seattle will hope to get on the right track this year away from Qwest Field. Sigi Schmid has to find a way to get his club going offensively though to get any sort of points in this one. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Pat Noonan get the starting nod in this one for them to make an effort to kick start their offense.

RSL also has some decisions to make offensively. Do they start Robbie Findley over Fabian Espindola or Alvaro Saborio, or do they keep him as a second half sub for now? Either way I think we’ll get more Findley this week than what we’ve seen so far this season. I like RSL in this one though with the way their midfield plays at home. I doubt we’ll see the same defensive meltdowns that we saw out of them in Houston a week ago too.

Player to watch out for: Steve Zakuani – The one big chance the Sounders have in this one is for Zakuani to expose RSL on the wings. His pace could be a big difference maker.

WVH Predictions: RSL 2, Seattle 1

Fredy Montero looks to run all over New York again this weekend. (Getty Images)

So week number two in Major League Soccer is a short one. Seriously? After a full slate last week and what I believe will be a full one next week, how come so many clubs are off this weekend? Easter? Passover? NCAA Final Four? My bet is its due to Easter and clubs not wanting games on this weekend due to that.

Last night’s two western conference classes were decent. The Houston-RSL game was pretty much everything we expected it to be, fast paced and some pretty good action from both sides. Weird result in the two PKs in a matter of a couple minutes there but honestly I had no issues on either call. Sure Luis Angel Landin embellished that fall a tad bit but the contact was definitely there from the goat of the night for RSL Jamison Olave. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Olave is a good defender but man does he ever get his team in to trouble more times than not. That’s why I have trouble rating their defense high, discipline reasons like that can really do a number on a team.

At least for RSL they have Javi Morales going well again. His pace and vision on the field is fun to watch. I think he may be this year’s Schelotto in that he is normally an assist man but this year he’s getting the goals.

Further out west last night was the SuperClasico and it was everything but Super. It wasn’t the nasty rivalry that we’re used to except for a few chippy moments early on. Edson Buddle linked up well with Sean Franklin (hell of a ball on that one) and Landon Donovan for his second and third goals of the season. Chivas had chances but they have no finishers on that team.

Now it is on to the weekend with the three games mentioned above. Two are big inter-conference clashes. We’ll definitely find out more about a couple clubs that we’ve had some questions on after this weekend.

As always feel free to leave your score predictions below.

Chicago Fire – at – Colorado Rapids:

Home opener for the Rapids this weekend and they bring in one of the better road sides in the league with the Chicago Fire. Carlos de los Cobos’ squad looked decent on the road last week in New York but was unable to hammer home a shot. Their midfield definitely is lacking some creative power and against a deep midfield that Colorado has it could be another rough night offensively for them.

We know the Fire will be fine defensively with Wilham Conde in the back. Question is can he handle both Omar Cummings and Conor Casey this week? Last week he didn’t have to deal with as much against the Red Bulls. I think this task may spread him too thin. Another guys in the back will have to step up but look for Colorado to have an edge here.

I’d like to see more out of Collins John in this one for Chicago. If he can get going offensively it will open up things more on the wings, meaning Brian McBride will be even more dangerous if the service from the wings is there.

Part of me wants to go draw just because I know the inconsistent nature of the Rapids is still probably there but I think their side is a bit stronger in this one, especially through the midfield.

Player to watch for: Omar Cummings – Expect him to drift a little wider in this one and try to explose the Fire defense from the wings.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 2, Chicago 1

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New England Revolution – at – D.C. United

Two teams with a definite need for points. New England didn’t look half bad in LA last weekend while D.C. was a whole other story in Kansas City. I’d imagine Curt Onalfo will have done enough work this week to correct the defensive issues that gave up four goals last week to his old club the Wizards.

New England will still be without Shalrie Joseph in the midfield, which leads me to lean toward the home-side in this one. I can imagine this one won’t be too pretty to watch either with this one having its fair share of fouls and cards.

I think this one will be rather close with New England compacting things through the midfield and in defense to make it tough on D.C. to get anything going. But look for D.C.’s offense to show some life in this one and find a way to get one in the back of the net. Plus I still wonder where the offense will come from for the Revs here, until someone steps up I am left to wonder.

Player to watch for: Juan Manuel Pena – United’s newcomer may be a welcome sight in defense this week. If things work out and he gets the start look for the defense to be much better in week 2.

WVH Prediction: D.C. 1, New England 0

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New York Red Bulls – at  - Seattle Sounders FC

May be the biggest game on the weekend slate, the up and coming Red Bulls face their biggest test as they head west to Seattle. Is Seattle as good as we think and are the Red Bulls actually good here this season? Those are questions we’ll figure out in this one I believe.

New York looked much better defensively last week against the Fire and offensively they have a master-mind in the midfield now in Joel Lindpere. Look for Seattle to find a way to keep Lindpere off balance in this one though, Chicago didn’t do a good enough job pressuring him on and off the ball last week. Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans will handle Lindpere in the midfield, which could open some space on the wings for the Red Bulls.

Seattle should still have the edge on offense here. They probably won’t have Freddie Ljungberg in this one but look for Fredy Montero and company to still handle the attack in this one. Plus the play of Steve Zakuani has really stepped up this year, look for him to be a nightmare on the wings for the Red Bulls.

I still have my doubts about this Red Bull squad but I do see vast improvement over last year. Hans Backe has done a solid job turning the ship around here. Still a big road test is always a true indication of how far along things really are and I just like the Sounders a bit more here. Montero is still a handfull and I think he’ll find a way past Bouna Coundoul.

Player to watch for: Pat Noonan – His signing with the club is a big thing, he adds depth for the Sounders on the wings or up top. Bigger thing for this one though is he has been an absolute nightmare in the past for the Red Bulls. According to Big Apple Soccer, Noonan has scored 12 goals in 19 career appearances against the Red Bulls. Difference maker right there folks.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, NY 1

Every team has that one guy that will either help lead them to the MLS promise-land or be partly the reason why they are stuck at home in November instead of seeing the playoffs. These are you X-Factor players.

I have one (maybe two) guys for each MLS team that are those X-Factors for this new season. Some guys are really no brainers while others may surprise you a bit. Its safe to say that each club needs a big year out of their X-Factors.

If you think I’m way off base on someone or think I missed a sure-fire X-Factor please list it below.

1. Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire): I thought long and hard about the Fire’s biggest X-Factor for the 2010 season. Part of me leaned towards Brian McBride but the rest of me stayed with Pappa. Mainly because the midfield will be more dependent of Pappa in 2010 now that Blanco is gone to Mexico.

Pappa will help control the midfield, which will help create goals for McBride, Patrick Nyarko and newly acquired Collins John.

2. Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA): This one wasn’t really hard to figure out though I did come close to writing down Jesus Padilla down. Kljestan has to control the midfield and generate offense for this club to reach the post season again in 2010. We saw glimpses in 2009 of what he really can be once he broke out of his early season slump that he was in.

The thing about Kljestan is he needs to have a fast start to the year and build up his confidence. If he does that then expect another strong year out of the Red-and-White.

3. Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids): We saw just how good he and Conor Casey can be together in 2009. The thing was the party ended and so did their season. I know a lot had to due to the midfield being all banged up but with the recent additions to that area they have no excuse anymore. I see Cummings as a big facilitator in that offense as he had double-digit assists last year before the wheels came off the wagon.

If Cummings doesn’t produce then don’t expect Casey to have high numbers again this year. The two went hand-in-hand last year in scoring goals.

4. Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew): I nearly went with Guillermo Barros Schelotto here but thinking about it more, the more I came to Rogers as this club’s X-Factor. As important as GBS is to the Crew, Rogers is pretty far up there. If he isn’t on the wings and producing quality passes in the midfield the team will suffer for it.

I think this is the perfect year for Rogers too. He will and should show that he’s a quality leader for the team too. If he can help bring in some goals this season the Crew will be all the better for it and will have another shot at a MLS Cup in the process.

5. Santino Quaranta (D.C. United): A lot, and I do mean a lot of pressure is going on Quaranta this winter. The word is he is coming into an attacking midfielder role of some sorts this year for Curt Onalfo. Honestly I love the idea of him facilitating things offensively for the Black-and-Red. The club is moving away from that tradition No.10 role in the midfield and guys like Quaranta and Clyde Simms will be asked of more this year.

But the question will be is he up for it? As long as he brings in some assists and helps get newcomer Christian Castillo involved in the midfield the club will be fine. If he throws in a few goals in the process I’m sure the Screaming Eagles will love him all the more for it. But if the pressure is too much he’ll get back out on the wings fairly quickly.

6. David Ferreira (FC Dallas): This one was simple for me, if Ferreira sets up the goals like he did towards the end of the season in 2009 for Dallas the club will make the playoffs easily in 2010. If he struggles however look for another playoff-less year in the Big D. He means that much to the offense and to a lesser extent the defense of this club. If he isn’t controlling things in the midfield then it puts pressure on the defense, it is as simple as that.

7. Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo): Another fairly simple one for me to pick out. Cameron moves into the midfield to replace Stuart Holden. If he succeeds it will continue to make Dominic Kinnear a genius. He along with Brad Davis have to drive the offense through the midfield for this club. There may be some growing pains at first but Cameron should slide comfortably into this role.

8. Jimmy Neilsen (Kansas City Wizards): The Wizards are going to be very interesting to watch early on this year. For one we’ll all need name tags on the players for a few weeks until we know who all these new guys are. Neilsen is one of those new guys, one that definitely got plenty of talk when he signed a while back. Neilsen takes over for the departed Kevin Hartman, who’s now in Dallas.

Neilsen is being brought in to smooth out a defense that was not so smooth in 2009. He’s known as a guy that controls his box very tightly and can organize any defense. If he gets this bunch organized and collected right in 2010 the Wizard’s could have a nice turn around.

9. Clint Mathis (LA Galaxy): Bruce Arena got most of the old band back together with this addition of Mathis at the SuperDraft in January. While some may think Landon Donovan is a X-Factor for this club I see Mathis as an even bigger one for a midfield that will definitely need his abilities to control things. If Mathis steps in and plays like he has in the past couple of seasons for Real Salt Lake then it will make Arena look more like a genius here. If Donovan ends up leaving town in the summer after the World Cup like most speculate, the Galaxy will have to lean more on Mathis at that time to keep the ball moving.

10. Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution): This one is pretty simple like it was a year ago, the ball for New England will run through Joseph once again in 2010. If he continues his MVP form the Revs will likely find themselves back in the playoffs again this year. Taylor Twellman could also be listed here once he is fully healthy again, but until then Joseph is it for the Revs.

11. Joel Lindpere (New York Red Bulls): From all the reports and people I’ve spoken to this winter about the Red Bulls (that didn’t center around Red Bull Arena), all mostly said the same thing – Lindpere is the guy in the midfield that can make them into winners again. That’s good news for a club that has seen nothing but failures over the years.

Most of the reports I saw on him this winter he did a great job of controlling the midfield and created good chances for the guys up top. It will be up to him to get the ball out to the wings and create chances. But this 30-year old Estonian international shouldn’t have too much issue with that pressure.

12. Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union): I asked around in Philly who some folks thought would be their biggest X-Factor and surprisingly the couple folks I spoke to said Le Toux. Simple reason really, if will likely have the pressure of creating their attack and controlling possession. If he can do that it will be easier on other MLS veterans like Fred and Alejandro Moreno to do what they do best on the wings and up top respectively.

13. Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake):  Yes Robbie Findley has to score and the defense has to hold up but the bigger thing that has to happen for a possibility of a repeat champion is the play of Morales has to return to MVP form. When he was on top of his game this club was a handful to deal with offensively and defensively there was less pressure.

Consistency will be key for Morales and RSL in 2010, along with finding balance to win on the road like they do at Rio Tinto Stadium.

14. Jason Hernandez (San Jose Earthquakes): A lot of the defensive pressure will likely fall on the Quakes vice-captain. If he is fully fit this season the Quakes defense will be much better because of it. Last year we saw their defense go into the gutters due largely to this man missing a lot of action.

15. Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders FC): I don’t like picking DPs for this but in this case it almost has to be. Ljungberg has to be the man to generate offense on a consistent basis in Seattle this year. When he was on his game last year the Sounders were easily one of the best teams in the league because of it. He has to help make Freddy Montero look good along the way too.

16. Chad Barrett (Toronto FC): I nearly went with Dwayne De Rosario but upon further look and with the recent news of Ali Gerba being sent home from a preseason camp makes me realize exactly how important Barrett is to this club’s offense in 2010. If Gerba gets the boot (which part of me thinks will happen), a lot of the offense weight goes straight to Barrett. We know the Reds will likely sign a striker in the summer transfer window but Barrett has to keep them afloat until then.

Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni will be called to lead again in 2010. (Getty Images)

We’re moving on in our look at each Major League Soccer roster to see where all the clubs are at in their pre-season. So far we’ve looked at Philadelphia, Chicago and Chivas USA. Today we stay out west and look at Gary Smith’s Colorado Rapids.

Last season had some ups and downs for the Rapids. Offensively at times they looked like they could not be stopped with Conor Casey and Omar Cummings leading the charge but injuries got in the way of post season glory for this bunch.

The winter months have given Smith and his club some time to make some moves and so far they’ve been pretty active. I still see this club making more moves before the season kicks off next month. But lets see how they are doing at each position right now.

Keepers:

Who they have: Matt Pickens and Steward Ceus

Notes: After Pickens things get pretty thin for the Rapids. No doubt they probably have a couple keepers in camp to fill that third keeper spot behind Ceus. I would imagine this isn’t a huge area of concern or we’d hear about them making deals for a backup or even a starter at this point in the winter.  If I were them I’d be looking for a quality back up to pressure Pickens. I like Pickens but part of me thinks they could do better here.

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Defense:

Who they have: Drew Moor, Ty Harden, Julien Baudet, Michael Holody, Scott Paguta, and Chad Borak.

Notes: Another thin area for this club on paper but with guys like Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz on your roster you’re able to keep less defenders in a way. Some rumblings this winter have suggested that Mastroeni will be moved to the backline now that Larentowicz is in town. I think this is a good move for both parties as Mastroeni has started to show his age a bit in recent years and a move out of the midfield may be a wise thing.

Still if that doesn’t happen this group is incredibly thin. I like Baudet and sorta like Moor and Holody but that’s about it for me with this bunch. I think Smith and the front office need to get some more depth in this area or else they will have another up and down season. We saw last year that this group was decent but not nearly good enough to take on the top offenses in the league.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Wells Thompson, Greg Dalby, Jeff Larentowicz, Mehdi Ballouchy, Pablo Mastroeni, Ciaran O’Brien, Jamie Smith, Nick LaBrocca, Colin Clark, Kosuke Kimura, and Ross LaBaux.

Notes: Parts I like include Thompson, Clark, Mastroeni, Larentowicz, LaBrocca, and Smith. After that I’m not entirely sure about this group. Look when everyone was healthy last year this group was as good as any but injuries showed their lack of depth in a big way.

I like the addition of Thompson and Larentowicz this offseason, they both should add the right parts that were missed last year at key moments.

Hopefully for the fans there and for the league we get to see Clark healthy here, I really believe he is one of those guys that has the potential to be a big deal in this league. We’ve seen moments out of him where he is special but injuries just killed it for us all last year with him.

I’d still like to see the Rapids go elsewhere in terms of their playmaker in the midfield. I’ve never been a Ballouchy guy and I probably never will be. He did improve last year but I think its time for them to move away and find someone that can create offense on a consistent basis.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Andre Akpan, Facundo Diz, Pat Noonan, and Ross Schunk.

Notes: When they are on their game Casey and Cummings are the best pairing in the league, hands down. But as we saw at times last year they can get off track in a heart beat if the midfield isn’t in line or if the defense is giving up too much.

I still have to wonder if Casey’s head is on straight here and if he and Smith got everything sorted out after his little outburst after the season ended. At times this winter it sounded like he was going out of town but the rest of the time things were quiet.

The more I looked at their draft the more I did start to like the Akpan pick. It wasn’t great at the time but he was the best player available when they first picked in the second round. He isn’t ready to go just yet but towards the end of this year we’ll see how valuable this pick really can be.

As long as Casey and Cummings return to their stellar midseason form from 2009 the Rapids should be fine in this department.

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Overall:

I think this season still has a lot of ups and downs written all over this bunch. They’ve improved in certain areas but not addressing their defense as much as I’d like this offseason worries me a bit. I know adding Larentowicz is a defensive move but the backline still needs work in my eye. This club is either going to frustrate people with their midfield or they will struggle against top clubs yet again because of their midfield.

Lets face it this is a big year for the Rapids, no playoffs in three years is a dry spell for any club and with more clubs in the league it will only get harder. I believe the Rapids aren’t done this offseason though so it should be interesting how they fill their holes in the final month before the new year.

With stars like Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni, the Rapids should have done better in 2009. (Getty Images)

Consistent play was always an issue in 2008 for the Colorado Rapids, and it turned out 2009 wasn’t much different. The Rapids looked like a team that could contend in early on in 2009 but the ladder part of the season tore this group apart as injuries were racked up and the offensive production that was one of the best in the league at times turned into a pumpkin.

Gary Smith took over late last season and did actually get his club started in the right path in 2009. Conor Casey and Omar Cummings turned into one of the league’s best duos as they each racked up the goals while Cummings also provided the assists. The play out of the midfield was actually more impressive as Mehdi Ballouchy actually looked like he had a decent touch for once and Colin Clark started to actually produce like we all expect him to.

But injuries took over this club and when that happen any sort of consistent play this club would produce would go out the window as expected. Their depth showed it was a big weakness and in return the guys that were producing well turned out to not be able to produce when it mattered most. The ladder part of the season Casey could only find the back of the net from the PK spot and Cummings went dry from the start of September till the end of the year.

Rapids fans are left with a lot of what ifs on the season after a promising summer that saw so much productivity out of Casey and Cummings. In the final six weeks of the season the Rapids completely came apart. Some people like Ives even called out everything about the team’s current state of affairs like it was going down as fast as a sinking ship.

What Went Right In 2009:
When Casey and Cummings were on it was pretty cool to watch. The two would light up pretty much any club that stood in their way. The midfield play then was also fun to watch as it had such a good nucleus of talent.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
It seems as the more shares of Arsenal that owner Stan Kroenke buys the worse things get for this bunch in Colorado. As mentioned above the last few weeks of the year really did them in for good on the season. Injuries took a big toll on the club mostly because they are build to use the wings and when guys like Colin Clark went down for the year so did the production of this group.

What’s Next:
For this bunch it is all about getting healthy and correcting what went wrong late in the year. Sad part is I don’t see this bunch getting any better over the offseason with the way things currently are in Denver. Finding a Designated player in the offseason may help but building some depth will probably go a longer way in repairing this club on the field. Off the field this bunch needs a make over. A couple years ago things seemed so promising as they moved into a new stadium but now it seems like this group has gone down the deep dark path that teams like FC Dallas are in. They need to repair things within their fanbase in a big way.

It's do or die for Toronto FC. (Getty Images)

Big time weekend ahead for Major League Soccer. Four clubs have punched their tickets to the post season dance with four remaining spots left open to possibly all get snatched up this weekend.

You can pretty much put a playoff implication on every game this weekend. Either a team will come closer to clinching a spot, will clinch a spot or will be eliminated from contention. Its pretty much as simple as that as we head into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Going into the weekend it is important to see where everyone stands. There will be plenty of scoreboard watching from players, coaches and fans this weekend.

Eastern Conference
1. Columbus (13-5-10, 49 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
2. Chicago (10-7-11, 41 pts., 2 games remaining)
Western Conference
T1. Chivas USA (13-9-5, 44 pts., 3 games remaining) – X
T1. Houston (12-8-8, 44 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
T1. Los Angeles (11-6-11, 44 pts., 2 games remaining) – X
Wild Cards
2. Seattle (10-7-11, 41 pts., 2 games remaining)
3. Colorado (10-8-10, 40 pts., 2 games remaining)
4. New England (10-10-8, 38 pts., 2 games remaining)
BOTTOM SEVEN OUT
Real Salt Lake (10-11-7, 37 pts., 2 games remaining)
FC Dallas (10-12-6, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
D.C. United (8-8-12, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
Toronto FC (9-10-9, 36 pts., 2 games remaining)
Kansas City (8-12-8, 32 pts., 2 games remaining)
San Jose (7-13-8, 29 pts., 2 games remaining) – Eliminated from contention
New York (4-19-6, 18 pts., 1 games remaining) – Eliminated from contention

For Colorado, Seattle and Chicago it is simple this weekend. You win and you are in. New England can do the same with a win along with a couple other items (DC, Dallas, TFC, and RSL all draw or losing their games this weekend).On the flip side for Kansas City they are all but mathematically eliminated here, they would need about 40 different things to happen to even have hope of reaching the playoffs. In other words this weekend will should put their eliminated status in for good.

Everyone is in action this weekend except for New York who played and lost again in the midweek. As always feel free to leave your score predictions and thoughts below.

Saturday:

Real Salt Lake – at – Toronto FC:

Both clubs need wins it is as simple as that. Toronto did themselves no favor last week with the draw at home against San Jose. I see nothing different happening this weekend out of this bunch as Toronto just hasn’t found a way lately to close out games at home. Even with RSL’s pathetic road record this season I just smell a draw for this game, which pretty much eliminates both sides from playoff contention this season. RSL will still have a little hope going into next week’s finale against rivals Colorado but they will need plenty of things to happen before they can rest their hopes on that game. I like Toronto getting on the board early again this week with either Ali Gerba or Dwayne De Rosario leading the way for the home-side. But look for Robbie Findley or Kyle Beckerman to lead the charge late for a draw.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, RSL 1

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Chicago Fire – at – New England Revolution:

The Revs need points in a bad way this weekend to fend off the likes of Dallas, DC, RSL and Toronto. They can do themselves a lot of good with a win here which would nearly kill off the chances of those below them. Thing is they are so banged up that I just don’t know how good they will be at home against one of the best road teams in the league. Chicago needs points to clinch as well as played very well against New England over the last couple years (won six out of their last eight meetings). Even without a few key guys in the midfield I still like the Fire’s attack better than the Revs. Shalrie Joseph will continue his MVP ways but I just don’t see him having enough gas in the tank to carry this club in a physical battle with the Fire.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, New England 0

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Will Robbie Rogers lead Columbus to a second straight Supporter's Shield? (Getty Images)

Columbus Crew – at – DC United:

The Crew have clinched home field through the eastern conference playoffs but now look to snatch up their second straight Supporter’s Shield title. The club standing in the way is the last team and the only team to win back-to-back Supporter’s Shield trophies. DC needs points in a bad way but haven’t looked like the same team at RFK Stadium that we saw go unbeaten for the first few months of the season. DC will be without too many key offensive players in this one and with the way their defense has looked at home recently I just worry about them going against a team like Columbus who rested most of their key guys last week in New England. Throw in the fact that the Crew get both Frankie Hedjuk and Robbie Rogers back this week from international duty and I think you could bank on the Crew eliminating DC from the playoffs while clinching their second straight Supporter’s Shield.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, DC 1

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – Kansas City Wizards:

Seattle can clinch with a win and a draw would pretty much get them there as well. You gotta believe Sigi Schmid just wants to make sure they get that ticket punched though with a win in KC. The Wizards as stated above aren’t officially eliminated from playoff contention yet but the question will be for Peter Vermes’ club, will they show up to spoil another club’s hopes? On the slimmer field you have to like the Wizards’ chances a little more. Seattle relies on using space and there won’t be enough in this game to get their attack going like they would like. I still like the Sounders to get the job done tomorrow night though on the road. They’ve gained some big time confidence on the road lately and that can be more than enough to get the job done.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 1, KC 0

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Colorado Rapids – at – FC Dallas:

Colorado would probably like to get out of this one with a draw if they could to eliminate Dallas from playoff contention. A win would certainly help their cause and should punch their ticket. Dallas on the other hand just needs to keep winning here. Which is what they’ve been doing these last couple weeks. Colorado comes into Frisco a bit banged up on defense and will be without both Medhi Ballouchy and Julien Baudet to suspension. That will be key for Dallas as Jeff Cunningham has been a man possessed lately. He along with David Ferreira have really taken things over in a big way for the Red Stripes. The Rapids need a big time game out of Conor Casey and Omar Cummings. If anyone is going to score on this Dallas defense it would be those two. The thing is Dallas has given Colorado fits these last couple years and I think it does enough to keep Dallas going for another week. This one could be a shootout but I think it will remain fairly close.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 2, Colorado 1

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Chivas USA:

This may be the only game that doesn’t have implications on who will be going to the playoffs or who will be eliminated from contention. Both saw their fate last week as the Quakes were eliminated and Chivas punched their ticket. Look for the Quakes to frustrate Chivas a bit early in this one but I like Chivas to hold off the Quakes for a win tomorrow night. Preki’s side is starting to peak at the right time here and that is dangerous for the rest of the western conference. San Jose will also be lacking some key defensive players which spells trouble for Joe Cannon. Again, the Goats should walk with three points.

WVH Prediction: Chivas USA 3, San Jose 0

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Can Brian Ching and the Dynamo hold off LA? (Getty Images)

Sunday:

LA Galaxy – at – Houston Dynamo:

Best game of the week right here. Expect a very large crowd in Houston for this one as well. Brian Ching will be a man to keep an eye out for this one. I think his impact along with Mexican striker Luis Angel Landin should be a big one. LA will provide a lot of problems for the Dynamo in the midfield but on set pieces I think Houston has an edge in this one. This one should be a low scoring game with the way LA plays defense on the road. Look for them to go for a goal early with Landon Donovan and if that happens you can expect them to camp on the lead. Houston is no different. The thing is I think these are two very evenly matched teams. As much as I like Houston at home in this one something tells me it will end in a draw.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, LA 1