DeRo may have the best goal but the best team goal probably was the Crew’s first on Saturday with Ekpo.

Order of goals: Alan Gordan (LA), Paulo Nagamura (Chivas), Kei Kamera (Houston), Shalrie Joesph (New England), Chris Pontius (DC), Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto), Emmanuel Ekpo (Columbus), Gulliermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus), and Josh Wolff (KC).

Here are the notes I jotted down from this weekend’s action. If you have any comments from the games this weekend feel free to post below.

- Chivas continues to roll here. The AmeriGoats get another win at home, improving to 7-1-1 on the year. An eight point advantage in the standings right now. Wow. At this rate they will clinch a playoff spot by mid-July. I’m just wondering when the flame will go out and this club will cool off for real here. They have a tough stretch coming up with hosting DC, at KC and then home again against Chicago. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them either roll through those at their current pace right now. I mentioned their fast start in comparison to other fast starts in league history. Right now they are tied for the second best start behind the 2000 KC club and the 1999 Miami club. Interesting fact that Steve Goff mentions is the common fact is Preki. He played for those two clubs and is coaching this Chivas club.

Just how are they doing this though? The cast of no-names and what nots are just getting the job done no matter what. They clean up on sloopy defending and are very tight in the back. They are showing that they don’t need to be flashy to win or be well anything great to win.

- And speaking of the club Chivas beat on Saturday, Real Salt Lake continues to be unimpressive on the road. Let’s hit reality for a second. This club has always been terrible on the road. The fact that they don’t score on the road this season only makes it worse.

Jason Kreis has a lot of work to do with this club still. Right now they aren’t a contender. Kreis will probably make a change up top soon by placing Fabian Espindola up top instead of Yura Movsisyan who has been rather poor so far this season (one goal and one assist in eight games).

- Columbus FINALLY won a game. Good thing too because they couldn’t afford to stay out of the win column for much longer. Getting Robbie Rogers and Frankie Hejduk back and healthy really made a difference with this club. A big reason that few are talking about here is the play of Emmanuel Ekpo in the midfield for the Crew. His play has been really impressive lately.

I know they let in the late goal to KC on Saturday but they really dominated the better part of that game and finally proved to not only the rest of the league but to themselves that they CAN close out games again. This side still has the talent to do some damage and with as tight as the eastern conference is right now they are by no means out of it here.

- Kansas City looked okay in the loss to the Crew. Let’s face it this club has some heart but lacks the talent to really be dangerous in the eastern conference. They’ll come close to a playoff birth but in the end they just lack the talent to get the job done.

- New York finally looked good. Then again I don’t know if it was San Jose playing so poorly for 45 minutes or what. In all seriousness though we finally saw the offense out of New York that we all really expected to see this season. Albert Cedades was a big factor in this game just like many had hoped for. With three straight home games coming up they could reel off more points if they play like they did on Friday. It won’t be easy with a hot Houston club coming to town this week followed by rivals Chicago and a Colorado club that always plays tough in New York. In three weeks the Red Bulls could either be where they are now or near the top of the eastern standings. In all reality though I see this club only getting five points out of the next three at best. They still have a lot to prove to me here.

- Seattle proves yet again they can play down a man. I thought they should have easily won the game with LA yesterday but sometimes games just don’t go your way. For the most part though Seattle controlled the pace of the game like I thought they would and really took it to LA. The red card to James Riley did become a factor in this one. It was a stupid card for Riley, who will probably get another game tacted on to his suspension by the league.

- Speaking of LA for a moment. Anyone even realize they haven’t lost in six games here? Seriously, six games but the thing is they don’t look great in doing so. And maybe Landon Donovan has finally cooled off here too. He hasn’t been apart of the last two LA goals. What’s up with that?

- How about that Toronto-DC game? Six goals, loads of action, and a wild finish. Dwayne De Rosario may have had one of the best goals of the season so far (more on that later). Lovely to see the TFC fans on Saturday in support of DC’s stadium march.

- Most surprising result of the weekend for me had to be the New England-Chicago game. I really and truly expected the Fire to roll in this one. Maybe the Fire just aren’t that good. Maybe Dennis Hamlett needs to start Chris Rolfe instead of bringing him off the bench. I do know one thing, I like I have found a new favorite defender in Revs’ Emmanuel Osei. That kid is a beast. One other thing it was fun to see Shalrie Joesph run all over the place on Saturday.

- Houston once again handled their in-state rivals with ease. Dallas is just pathetic, they really are. There is no other way to put it. Houston on the other hand is really starting to turn the heat up here. Four straight clean sheets for Pat Onstad. Dominic Kinnear isn’t going to wow anyone with this club but he will still more than likely find ways to beat everyone with this club.

- Lastly, the butts-in-seats look for the week was okay, everyone except for one club got at least 11,000+ to their game. New York brought in the low number (8,000+) with Seattle having their usual 29,000+. Everyone else was pretty much expected though I would say DC showed a lower number than I would have liked to have seen.

Luciano Emilio hopes to keep a hot hand for DC tonight against New England. (Getty Images)

EDIT: Yeah I goofed and realized the game was on the wrong day…sorry folks…my brain is in another place right now…

I love a good rivalry, and yes I am one that still finds any of the eastern clubs against one another an interesting rivalry. I especially love it when we get one of the league originals pitted against one another in a Primetime clash on ESPN2.

This week we are getting just that with New England traveling south to face DC at RFK Stadium.

1. How will the extra week help New England?

Anytime you get a little bit of a break in a long season it should help with getting players healthy again. Thing is Taylor Twellman is still listed as out for this game, as are rookie Kevin Alston, Gabriel Badilla, and Mauricio Castro. All four players are key parts to this club and without them healthy in the early going it could be a long game against a DC club looking to hit it’s stride in the early going of this year.

Even without those guys I see Steve Nicol using that extra time off wisely to get his troops ready for this rivalry. Last year the Revs and United split the season series but the one New England loss came in RFK Stadium.

2. What can DC do to find some momentum here?

Well getting healthy is one thing but staying consistent offensively and defensively is another. Their depth has been questioned a lot in the early going this year due to three blown leads in games. DC has to show they can keep a lead at home and on the road. Usually finding that magic touch starts at home and even oddly enough it can come against a rival. They need to get the ball to the hot foot of Luciano Emilio early and often in this one.

3. Player to watch out for.

In this Primetime clash I am going to be eager to watch New England’s Jeff Larentowicz in the midfield. As he controls the defensive side of the ball for the Revs, it allows guys like Steve Ralston and Shalrie Joepsh to do their thing and spread the attack out to speed on the wings with Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi. I’ve said for years that Larentowicz may be one of the most under appreciated players in the league.

Quick Thoughts:

For New England to keep their early success going here they need to control things in the midfield like they normally do. Secondly they have to find a hot hand in front of the net and start scoring. Offensively they haven’t really impressed this year but somehow they have gotten the job done enough to be near the top of the table already this season. Saying that though I am going with DC in this one since it is at RFK. It is still one of those places that is a homefield advantage and hopefully the crowd will be loud and crazy for this one. I think Emilio keeps his current pace up and rookie Chris Pontius gets on board as well. New England will keep it tight with a late goal though.

WVH Prediction: DC 2, New England 1

Freddie Ljungberg and Seattle take their show on the road to Toronto. (Getty Images)

I just realized we have a slew of games this weekend. Seven games across two days, eight if you count the Thursday night game. The unbalanced schedule creeps in starting this week as Columbus has the lovely Thursday-Sunday swing going on. All clubs are in action this weekend though unlike the last two weeks.

But as mentioned we have seven games, four tomorrow night and three on Sunday. A lot of action if you are going to be around the house this weekend to watch. A few really good matchups too to look out for as well. Its still very early in the campaign but it will be interesting to see if clubhouse leaders Seattle and Chivas can keep up their good form.

As always feel free to pipe in your game predictions for the weekend below.

Seattle Sounders FC – at – Toronto FC:

1. Which side can win the midfield battle?

Both clubs are amped for this one. Seattle has all the momentum in the world and Toronto will be on their home opener for the year. Most will say this is the matchup of the weekend, I couldn’t disagree with that statement in the least bit.

The winner of this will surely come out of the midfield. Neither will be without any major players in the midfield in this one. For Seattle to win they have to get pressure on the backline and on Carl Robinson or rookie Sam Cronin. I think so far they’ve done an excellent job of pressuring the other club in the midfield and the lovely turf at BMO Field shouldn’t be an issue in this one.

Toronto needs to return the favor here and get the home crowd into it early. Dwayne De Rosario and company need to spread Seattle wide in this one and get Amado Guevara active right from the start.

If it comes down to it I think I will take the homeside’s group but its mighty close with the way Seattle pressures in the midfield. Osvaldo Alonso has been much better than advertised for this club already here.

2. Can Toronto shutdown Fredy Montero?

Can anybody really shut this Columbian down? This will be a good test for both sides here, Montero on the road for the first time in MLS and Toronto against a really good striker. So far Toronto hasn’t faced a really good striker this season so I am curious to see exactly how John Carver’s club defends him. Thing is as Real Salt Lake found out last week, if you mark him closely it leaves guys like rookie Steve Zakuani and Nate Jaqua wide open.

Toronto cannot allow Montero space in the midfield and near the box because he produces goal of the week material when he is given the space.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

Normally I don’t like to talk about guys we know a lot of about in this one but I really want to see how Sigi Schmid uses his DP midfielder Freddie Ljungberg in this one. I expect he will at least come off the bench tomorrow for this one. If last week is any indication he will be fine as a playmaker for this club. If he goes from the start I would imagine a lot of the offense will flow through him, which isn’t a bad thing.

Quick Thoughts:

This really should be a fun one to watch, DVR, TiVo or whatever you have. We know what BMO Field brings to the table here and really what these two clubs are about right now. Toronto got a little lucky last week in Columbus but I don’t see that kind of thing happening this weekend against a very hungry Seattle club. I think this is a big game for both in a lot of people’s eyes. We want to know if Seattle is legit and if Toronto can beat a quality opponent.

I think the big thing will come down to if Montero plays or not. Reports this morning suggest he may not play this weekend in Toronto. That could be the break that Toronto needs but I still like this one in a draw.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, Seattle 1

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FC Dallas – at – New England Revolution

1. Can Dallas control the midfield against New England?

So far Dallas hasn’t been able to do much and its largely due to their midfield play, not just their poor defense. No one is stepping up enough there to control things or settle things down when things aren’t going well and that is why Dallas is playing the way they are. New England on the other hand is pretty steady in the midfield and that’s why they have four points in two games.

For Dallas they need more from David Ferreira in the attack and more from Pablo Ricchetti in defense. If those two can control their respective ends and distribute wide to David van den Burgh and Dax McCarty.

But as far as controlling the midfield they have to shutdown guys like Shalrie Joesph and Jeff Larentowicz…which is easier said than done for most.

2. Can New England get into some sort of offensive rhythm against Dallas?

What’s the best way to get your attack going during any part of the season? Face a very weak defense. Right now Dallas looks terrible on defense and while New England is missing Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston to their attack they still have some quality scorers in Joesph, Sainey Nyassi, Kenny Mansally and Kheli Dube.

To me this looks like a good game for those guys to step up and get on the boards here this season.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

For me its between rookies Kevin Alston and Darrius Barnes for the Revs. Both are play above and beyond their years here so far this season. They have the task of shutting down Kenny Cooper this weekend. If he shoots the way he was a week ago against Chivas it won’t really matter what they do.

Quick Thoughts:

Honestly there is no way I can even imagine picking Dallas after seeing them these last two weeks. New England hasn’t looked all that great but they’ve at least found results where as Dallas has given them away with ease so far. I think the Revs come into their home opener and handle this game with little problems.

WVH Prediction: New England 2, Dallas 0

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Houston Dynamo – at – DC United

1. Which defense actually shows up for both clubs?

Until last weekend we thought Houston was still a defensive power but 15 minutes in San Jose really made us question that thought. DC sometimes shows the potential to be good at defense but continue to come up short on that end.

Dominic Kinnear’s bunch has to bounce back quickly against Luciano Emilio and company. If they produce the same sort of performance that they did a week ago they could be staring at another big loss on the road to a club that has an even better offense than San Jose. I see Kinnear getting his troops to come back in play better than last week, its a good thing too because they will be pressued early and often by DC’s attack which is improving.

2. Can DC put it together for a full 90 minutes?

Put the injuries aside for a minute, this club hasn’t been consistent enough so far this season. You’d be kidding yourself if you thought otherwise. It was a problem a season ago and it continues now. They’ll look good for 20 minutes and terrible for the following 20. Against a well-coached club like Houston, DC cannot afford to fall into their typical trap of playing bad for long stretches of the game. Some of that comes down to coaching but the rest comes down to the talent on the field.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

We joked last week when Chris Wondolowski scored against San Jose down here in Dallas. We figured a Wondolowski scoring a goal singals the end of the world or something. Jokes aside I think he is slowly turning into a decent player up top for Houston. With a new striker on the way down there he need to continue to impress or he will be back on the bench.

Quick Thoughts:

DC hasn’t won a game in a long, long time here folks. Many believe they were jobbed out of three points in week one and could have even seen three points last week. Fact of the matter is the funk that ended last season is still there. Houston put themselves into a bit of a funk last week when they were missing a couple key guys and their defense stunk up the place. I see this turning into a tight contest with neither one really giving up a lot in the midfield. On paper DC should control the game but their inconsistent play could doom that at times and Houston is still a good enough team to take advantage of it. I like this one in a draw, I just don’t feel comfortable enough to pick United just yet here until I see them put it together for a full 90.

WVH Prediction: DC 1, Houston 1

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Colorado Rapids – at – LA Galaxy

1. Did Bruce Arena use the week off to his advantage for his young players?

For any Galaxy fan you hope the week off meant players got healthy and the young players got more practice time to get use to the MLS style of play. Knowing Arena he definitely used the time off to get the younger guys use to the play here. A good thing too for his young backline because Colorado is playing pretty well offensively with Omar Cummings and Conor Casey. Last year’s rookie of the year Sean Franklin and potential ROY candidate for this year Omar Gonzalez will have their hands full this weekend. Lucky for them and the Galaxy, the Rapids have largely been terrible away from home, especially in LA (4 wins all-time in 19 league matches).

2. Can the Rapids continue their momentum from last week or return to their inconsistent ways?

Colorado is another team that bounces around too much from game to game. If they can put it together for a few games and keep the momentum up from a good win like last week they could actually be a true contender out west. Thing is they typically follow a good performance up with a dud. If that is the case, expect this one to be that dud.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I think for Colorado a lot is being put on Mehdi Ballouchy’s shoulders this season in the midfield to create. I honestly don’t like the idea but sometimes you never know when a player can change his fortune. Against a slightly suspect defense this could be a good chance for Ballouchy to shine.

Quick Thoughts:

To be fair I honestly don’t like this matchup for Colorado. I just don’t see anyone shutting down Landon Donovan here just yet this season and the Rapids definitely don’t have the defense that can handle him for a full 90. If the US game this past week is any idication as to how well Donovan is playing right now I would expect him to continue scoring in this one and be back up top the Golden Boot standings by the end of the game.

WVH Prediction: LA 3, Colorado 1

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New York Red Bulls – at – Chicago Fire

1. Will the new additions for New York finally make their debut?

It sure looks like midfielder Albert Celades is available to play, as is Carlos Johnson. But are they ready enough to play could be a bigger question? I doubt they’ve had enough time to get adjusted to their new team just yet. Not to mention the MLS style of play. Celades is the big question, if he proves to be the player that most think he is he will make Juan Carlos Osorio into a genuis. However if he turns out to be another Juan Pietravallo, he will just be another waste of money by Osorio.

2. Is Blanco going to go the full 90 here for the Fire?

I kind of have a feeling he will at least start in this one for the boys in red. No reason not to at least since he has been getting more minutes off the bench and last week he looked pretty healthy against DC in his second half appearance. Thing is do the Fire need him to go the full 90 just yet or is he better off getting healthy now and now burning out later on. If that is the case I think Dennis Hamlett is doing a good job of managing this situation with him so he is fit enough to last the entire season.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Chris Rolfe is been a thorn in the side to the Red Bulls over the last couple of years. Last year alone he scored four goals in their three meetings. Even should he be a sub like he was against DC I think he will put some big time pressue on a still shaky defense.

Quick Thoughts:

I honestly don’t know what to make of New York. Until I see their new guys making a difference they still seem to be the same overrated club that they were a year ago. Good up top but terribly overrated in the back. We saw better out of them last week but it wasn’t that much better when you really look at things. Chicago seems like they were almost resting their key guys up for this one last week and I think it could pay off. They get some key guys back in defense which should actually help fuel their attack. I don’t think they will blow the Red Bulls out like they did twice last year but I think they will get the three points.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, New York 0

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San Jose Earthquakes – at – Kansas City Wizards

1. Can San Jose keep up their offense from a week ago?

No one expected that kind of offensive outburst from the Quakes, especially against a good defense like Houston. Now the Quakes take their show to the road against a defense that I think has not played well at all so far this season. Two games in and the Wizards have already given up five goals. Not the best way to start a new season.

San Jose needs another big showing from their midfield, especially from guys on the wings like Darren Huckerby and Arturo Alvarez. I’ve said for a while that a way to beat the Wizards is to get wide and spread out this defense. San Jose is a good team on the wings and I think it should help their attack once again.

2. What can KC do to get going here this season?

Obviously Davy Arnaud’s two stellar strikes weren’t enough in week one to get this club off on the right foot in 2009. A lot of us are waiting to see when Santiago Hirsig will actually start and contribute to their attack. So far this season the Wizards have had to rely on rookie Graham Zusi to lead their attack in the midifeld. While Zusi hasn’t played bad he also hasn’t really help create the chances that most believe Hirsig will.

Plus they need better production out of their striking core. Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff don’t seem to be on the right page with one another just yet this season. That has to change.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

For the Quakes to get some road points on Sunday they need a big game in the defensive side of the midfield from Ramiro Corrales. I think if this veteran goes against a rookie like Zusi he should have little problems helping control the midfield for the visitors. This game will come down to who controls the midfield and I think Corrales should get the Quakes going in the right direction with his play Sunday.

Quick Thoughts:

I want to pick the Wizards since they are at home but so far this season they haven’t given me a reason to buy into them. Sure some guys haven’t played a full 90 and they have some injury issues already but this should be a game they can win I think. Howver I am going with the Quakes here, not based on their performance last week against Houston but based on how well I think they will control the midfield. I think the Quakes will spread out the attack with Huckerby and Alvarez which will lead to some easy goals for Cam Weaver and company.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 2, KC 1

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Columbus Crew – at – Chivas USA

1. Did the Crew just put all their eggs in this game’s basket and not Thursdays?

No one really expected the Crew to go down that badly in Salt Lake City last night. To me it looked like they were hoping for a road point when they tied things up in the first half. It was like they packed things in a bit and hoped not to get anyone hurt before Sunday’s game with Chivas. That came back to bite them in the ass as RSL poured three goals on them in the second 45. Columbus can’t allow Chivas to do a similar thing because the AmeriGoats are starting to play with confidence here this season.

2. Can Preki’s group keep it up against a good club?

For the most part Columbus is still a good club, every club has a bad day every once and a while. Plus Chivas really hasn’t played a good club yet, they’ve beaten Colorado at home and Dallas on the road. Six points is six points but most of us believe they need to get three points against a team like Columbus to prove how legit they are here.

A lot will come down to shutting down the Crew’s midfield, mainly Guillermo Barros Schelotto. If they can replicate what RSL did last night and hope the Crew is still a bit winded from playing Thursday night they could catch the break they need to prove their worthiness here this season.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Even if he comes off the bench again you have to watch Chivas’s Bojan Stepanovic. His first touch of the ball lead to his first goal in MLS. Not a bad way to build confidence with a new club either. If Columbus gives him an inch he could make them pay for it.

Quick Thoughts:

Columbus needs to bounce back in this one. They should have Aljeandro Moreno and Frankie Hejduk for the full time in this one, unlike last night. I think that will be a big difference on both sides of the ball. Especially not having Hejduk in the back last night proved the Crew really need him this year. Chivas is playing well and will keep this one close. I think end the end it will be a draw as these clubs typically play one another very close. I also think we will see some nice goals in it too from guys like Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, Columbus 2

GK: William Hesmer – Columbus
DEF: Gonzalo Segares – Chicago
DEF: Bobby Boswell – Houston
DEF: Chad Marshall – Columbus
MID: Guillermo Barros Schelotto – Columbus
MID: Dave Van Den Bergh – New York
MID: Sasha Kljestan – Chivas USA
MID: Shalrie Joesph – New England
MID: Javier Morales – Real Salt Lake
FWD: Kenny Cooper – FC Dallas
FWD: Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy

You may disagree with some picks and not with others. That’s how I voted anyways. It would have been different if there was a different formation given but the 3-5-2 set up wasn’t too bad to deal with in voting.

Who’s in your best XI for the year? Post your’s below.