Boy that didn’t last long. As the financial issues continue to mount in St. Louis for Jeff Cooper’s club some players are already leaving the club including longtime MLS veteran Steve Ralston. Reports this morning say Ralston is now headed back to MLS to play with the New England Revolution once again.

“It seems like just a long vacation that I had,” Ralston told Kyle McCarthy.

“Obviously, things didn’t work out in St. Louis how a lot of people had planned (they would work out). I had an opportunity to come back here and felt like it was probably the right thing to do.”

“I think it’s a win-win situation for both sides,” Ralston said. “It clears up some money for them to help keep it afloat. For me, I’m like every player. I want to play at the highest level and I had a great opportunity to come back here.”

Ralston will have a little more time to get back into the swing of things as the league is on a couple week layoff for the World Cup. Good thing too since he is still recovering from an ACL injury from last year.

You hate to see a club have that sort of issues but at the same time I love seeing Ralston back where he belongs, in MLS with New England.

I waited a while today to get to this news that most of you have already seen. AC St. Louis in the USSF’s Division II league announced it’s first big signing today in hometown boy Steve Ralston.

Big news in some ways and in others, eh, not so much.

First of all Ralston was one of the last MLS originals left on the table. He decided last week to not re-sign with New England and MLS. Now we know it was because he wanted a move to his hometown to be a player/assistant coach with the new D-II club.

That’s all well and good but I honestly don’t buy into the thoughts that this is a bigger deal than some are making it out to be. I’m sure some MLS clubs wanted him but the fact that he didn’t want them should tell you all you need to know. He was ready to make this move, it wasn’t forced on him. Had it been more of a forced move then I would see this as a bigger deal.

It is a bigger deal for the USSF’s Division II or the NASL for that matter. Ralston’s name adds some credibility to this new league but he’s not gonna sell out stadiums in that league anytime soon. His impact will be seen more off the field with his new club than on the field.

As for MLS losing one of it’s originals hurts but only in the short term. I still see him coming back into the league down the road as a head coach…probably in New England for that matter.

Let’s face it even though he was an assist machine in MLS the last two years he was hurt more than most would like to admit. Now we know Revs fans are worried that all the offense is gone and dried up with him gone now. I honestly don’t buy that for a second. Maybe I’ve drank the Steve Nicol kool-aid more than some but I am a big believer in his coaching style, it isn’t flashy or sexy but it does get results. Make no mistake the Revs will be in a lot of low scoring games this season. They’ll find a way to come out on top in some of them.

I’m happy for Steve and hope he does well in his hometown.

Yesterday was full of news and one bit of news that came down was surely more surprising than others. A little tweet on Twitter that said something along the lines of “Steve Ralston will not be returning to the Revs this year.” Of course I am paraphrasing that quote from Boston reporter Kyle McCarthy.

Ralston, the veteran midfielder and team captain has decided not to return to the Revs for the 2010 season.

“At the end of the day, they made me a reasonable offer,” Ralston told the Boston Herald. “It was a difficult decision for me and my family to make. It was just one of those things. It was the right time (to go).”

For a New England fan this is terrible news. Not only have you lost Jay Heaps and Jeff Larentowicz this offseason but now you lose your captain and leader in Ralston. How much worse could this winter be for you up there?

Ralston has been in the league since day one really. I remember his playing days in Tampa which really got me interested in the  Mutiny and in the league when I was much younger. He is the league’s all-time leader in assists (135) and games played (378).

But the biggest part of this story is the lack of the “R” word, retirement. He didn’t announce it at this time, all he said was he wasn’t returning to the Revs.

So where does he go next?

You’d have to think a move in Major League Soccer suits him best. I’m sure plenty of clubs are hearing this news and are thinking they’d love to get their hands on him. A couple clubs come to mind like DC and Philadelphia right away. My reasons for those two are that both lack a true leader in the clubhouse right now (though you could make the case for Jamie Moreno in DC). Think is I doubt New England would let him go to a rival that easy. Basically you got to think he is going somewhere that doesn’t play on turf all the time.

Others out there like Ives seem to think either a move to St. Louis in the USSF Division II or even to a lower level division in England (former Revs’ assistant Paul Mariner’s side Plymouth).

When I look at the Revs and how they move forward from this I have to think that this could be a rough season there. Just think about the amount of talent they have either lose to Europe or traded away in recent years. Its adding up in a big time now with Ralston on this list. Not only have they lose Larentowicz and Wells Thompson but they’ve also recently lost Michael Parkhurst, Andy Dorman and Clint Dempsey. Think about that talent for a moment.

At the end of the day I see Ralston staying in MLS. He’s always been a WVH fave so I do wish him the very best in where ever he does end up at.

Shalrie Joseph lead the way for the Revs in 2009. (Getty Images)

Sometimes less is more, and in the case of the 2009 edition of the New England Revolution less nearly became a lot. If you would have told me that the Revs would have lacked both Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman for the majority of the season and still made the playoffs this year I would have called you crazy.

Turns out crazy happened. The Revs were lead by Shalrie Joseph’s MVP feet all year long and while I believe Joseph played nearly every spot on the pitch except the one occupied by Matt Reis, the Revs ended up getting into the playoffs and nearly came away with a first round shocker over the Chicago Fire. But a trip to the Windy City over the weekend finally did in this group that saw more injuries during a season then any team that I can recall over the last few years.

Offensively the Revs were one of the worst in the league, just slightly behind the New York Red Bulls and the Kansas City Wizards for fewest goals scored this year. Defensively they were middle of the pack, which is impressive after losing Michael Parkhurst and having guys like Chris Albright sidelined for the majority of the season.

The Revs for some folks probably over-achieved in 2009 based on what they had and the amount of injuries they suffered this year. Steve Nicol proved why he is still a quality coach in this league when he plugged in third-round draft pick Darrius Barnes to the lineup, along with fellow rookie Kevin Alston to fill the void left when Parkhurst left over last winter. If you’d throw out out a blowout or two early in the year there is a change this club could have had one of the best defenses in the league. If Nicol can retain the young nucleus and a couple veterans like Jay Heaps in the back this defense could be good for years to come.

What Went Right In 2009:
Having Shalrie Joseph be the MVP that he is and carry the club pretty much all year was good to see. Finally Joseph is getting the long-overdue recognition for his efforts in New England this year. Some how battling through the injuries and making the playoffs as the third-seed in the east is remarkable. They remained consistent enough to get in the playoffs which should help them out in the coming years as the younger group of players mature with this club.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
You lose your best scorer for the majority of the season its always going to be a long year. Twellman played in two games this year, just two and he scored in both! Throw in the injury to Ralston that sidelined him for the most important part of the season, the final couple months and it is still remarkable they reached the post season like they did. This club clearly lacked some offensive punch without these two and at times their defense was a victim of it.

What’s Next:
I think keeping Jeff Larentowicz in a Revs kit will be a big thing in the coming months. If I am not mistaken his contract is up after this season and believe me this club would take a huge hit without him on the field. Second of all they have to find some reliable offensive parts. Kheli Dube is good but he isn’t a top scorer yet in this league. Also getting Twellman back to full health will be a big priority this winter. It also wouldn’t hurt to see this club spend some money this winter but we know the Krafts aren’t gonna do that anytime soon.

Eddie Gaven and Emilio Renteria are leading the charge for the Crew. (Getty Images)

And just with one weekend the playoff race really cleared up in my eyes. I may end up being wrong about a team or two but for the most part I have a pretty good feeling about six of the clubs that should be in the playoffs this season. The last two spots I am still going back and forth on but I will get into that shortly.

First of all we do know something new about the playoffs. The Columbus Crew are all but officially in if you do the math (The league finally updated their site to say the Crew clinched a spot). Even if they lost their last four games (which I wouldn’t bet on after this past weekend) they would still be at worst the sixth place team this year. Not bad. As for their Supporter’s Shield chances, well it really comes down to that game in hand I think. They took care of business this weekend against LA but really it is all down to how they handle these last four games. I think we’ll see a repeat Shield winner though, they just need two more to at worst tie for first though I believe they do hold a tiebreaker with Houston should that happen.

But let’s move on to see the current standings after this weekend’s set of games. Again for my purposes I use the give the first tiebreaker to the club with the most games remaining. After that its down to head-to-head and then goal differential.

SUPPORTER’S SHIELD RACE
Columbus (26) 12-4-10, 46 points
Houston (27) 12-8-7, 43 points
Chicago (27) 10-6-11, 41
Los Angeles (27) 10-6-11, 41
WILD-CARD BERTHS
Colorado (27) 10-8-9, 39 points
Chivas USA (25) 11-9-5, 38
Seattle (27) 9-7-11, 38
New England (25) 10-8-7, 37
LAST SEVEN OUT
D.C. United (27) 8-7-12, 36
Toronto (27) 9-10-8, 35
Real Salt Lake (27) 9-11-7, 34
Kansas City (26) 8-11-7, 31
Dallas (26) 8-12-6, 30
San Jose (25) 6-12-7, 25
New York (27) 4-17-6, 18

Out of the ones that are out of the playoff zone right now keep an eye on Toronto. I know they got a draw on the road this week but it was a big road point. Their remaining schedule is against very weak clubs. And with the news that New England’s Steve Ralston is out now for the year with an ACL injury they could be the club that catches up to the Revs or even the expansion Sounders who seems to be struggling.

I would have put DC on that list to watch out for based on their schedule but when they lost to San Jose this weekend at home it kind of made me think they won’t be in the playoffs this year. They still have hope but they have to find some defense before they can move on into the second season.

San Jose, Dallas and KC are still alive in the race for the playoffs thanks to guys like Ryan Johnson and Jeff Cunningham. But really they continue to play the spoiler role.

One club that is dangerously close to being in that spoiler role is now Real Salt Lake. Their loss to Dallas this week really should have showed everyone what I’ve been saying for months, they just aren’t a playoff club this year. With that may also be a pink slip for Jason Kreis once the season is over. They aren’t officially eliminated but winning their last three in a row just seems like a very tall task for this inconsistent bunch.

At this point though the magic number appears to be 42 points. I’ll honestly be surprised to find a club that clinches a playoff birth not have at least that number at the end of the year.

If I had to make a prediction today for the eight playoff clubs I’d say they would be Columbus, Houston, LA, Chicago, Colorado, Seattle, Chivas and Toronto.

I could be wrong on three of those wild card teams but something tells me Colorado will edge their way in on the last day; Seattle will find a way in and Toronto based on their schedule will get in. Just a hunch.

My favorites were Beckham’s and Richards. What did you all like?

Order of goals: Dane Richards, Julien Baudet, David Beckham, Pablo Campos, Bryan Namoff, Steve Ralston, Wells Thompson, Ramon Sanchez, Pablo Campos (Chivas game), Fabian Espindola, and Robbie Findley (1 and 2).

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

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

Anyways, another load of games this weekend all mostly on Saturday with the usual lone Sunday game. San Jose gets the lovely task of having the week off, a good time for them too since they are in need of a break to find their form here this season.

Plenty of good games to talk about here this weekend. Chicago at Toronto is an interesting clash in the east but the game of the week has to be Chivas hosting DC, a meeting of the two conference leaders.

As always feel free to post your game predictions below.

Chicago Fire – at- Toronto FC:

1. What does Chicago need to do to start winning again?

All these draws have to mean something here for Dennis Hamlet’s group. They aren’t losing but they also aren’t winning. Going to Toronto won’t be easy either right now with the way TFC is playing right now. Thing Chicago has to get through their heads is that they are better than what they are playing right now. Closing out games is a big deal in any sport, especially soccer and right now the Fire just aren’t putting a full effort in 90 minutes.

I think if they rely on the fact that Toronto had a game in the midweek against Montreal in the Canadian Cup and hope that they are a little gassed from that. Chicago is deep enough to be able to run a few fresh legs onto the pitch late in the game and really mess with the other club. Defensively this club just needs to lock down the Reds and control the ball in the midfield with Blanco spraying balls all over the pitch for Chris Rolfe and Brian McBride.

2. How can TFC keep rolling here?

The Reds are now unbeaten in their last four league games and last six overall in all competitions. They’ve been playing a lot better due to the fact that they’ve finally figured out how to have both Amado Guevara and Dwayne De Rosario on the pitch working together. It hasn’t hurt that they’ve gotten some big plays out of guys like Danny Dichio and Chad Barrett too. If they are to beat Chicago and put an end to their unbeaten mark here on the season they have to continue to play their style of game. They weren’t satisfied with the win over Montreal the other night which means they are starting to get real hungry here. For TFC fans that is a good thing because this bunch is talented enough to keep rolling here.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I know I’ve mentioned him a couple times before this season but watch out for Chad Barrett. He may miss a bunch of easy goals but if you saw the goal from the other night he really still has a lot of talent to offer. That goal against Montreal may have saved his season with the club in my opinion. He needed a goal like that more than his club did.

Quick Thoughts:

For some reason I like Toronto in this one. While I think Chicago is deep enough to have a little more energy in this one, I just think TFC will be high enough from the win the other night over Montreal to beat Chicago here. The Fire haven’t really played well lately and need some sort of kick to get going again and a loss may just be that. This will however be one of the better matches this weekend you can mark that down. Toronto finds some way to score in the first half and holds on to the lead for the rest of the game.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 1, Chicago 0

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Colorado Rapids – at – New England Revolution:

1. Can New England keep the momentum up from last week’s result and slow down the Rapids’ attack?

Thankfully for you Revs fans your club is slowly breaking out of it’s funk here. Getting guys like Steve Ralston and rookie Kevin Alston back in the line up totally helped last week and as you saw they are still good enough to get quality results without key players. The thing is I still have concerns for your defense doing against someone like Conor Casey, who has been a beast against weak defenses this season. He will be a big task for guys like Darrius Barnes and Jay Heaps. If they slow him down and also neaturalize the midfield attack from the Rapids they could see three points.

2. Did the week off do more harm than good for Colorado?

I am a bit concerned for Colorado who got a great win two weeks ago against rivals RSL and then had to sit last week out with the buy week. They had huge momemtum from that win but I am worried that they won’t have it to carry over to this game in New England. The thing they have to do is just start their attack from the start in this one. Finding ways to get Casey the ball in space and in the pentalty box will be key. New England has also given up a load of goals on set pieces this season so it will be interesting to see how Colorado attacks their defense around the offensive third of the field. If they can work Terry Cooke into the attack on set pieces they could steal three points here.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

I’m looking at Colorado’s Nick LaBrocca in this one. He was given the keys to the midfield by manager Gary Smith in the win over RSL and the offense from the Rapids saw a big improvement in the process.

Quick Thoughts:

This inter-conference clash should be an interesting one to watch. Both clubs need a momentum starter here (yes even the Rapids need it, I do believe the week off killed whatever momentum they had) and they also need the three points to stay in contention in their respective conferences. I figure this one will be fairly tight for a while but I do see each getting on the board. I kind of thing it will end in a draw though because defensively I do think New England can slow Colorado down enough to not give up a lot of goals at home but offensive they just lack the punch to put up a bunch of goals here.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, Colorado 1

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Houston Dynamo – at – New York Red Bulls:

1. Which Red Bulls club will we see tomorrow?

I was pretty quick to say that after the 4-1 win over San Jose that we should get too crazy here about the Red Bulls being back. They were never that great to begin with. I would imagine the offense does have a new life here after the four goal outburst. The thing is they played a weak defense last week and now face on of the better defenses in the league in Houston. While clubs have scored on this Dynamo club this season I wouldn’t think they’d give up four in the same manner as the Quakes did last week. Houston is however still looking for their first win at Giants Stadium.

The thing is consistentcy is key in this league and so far the Red Bulls have been anything but that. They need another huge game from Albert Cedades in the middle of the park. His expereience should be a big difference maker for the homeside.

2. What does Houston need to do to score in this one?

Houston needs to get their set pieces and attack from the wings. New York is still very suspect in the defense and I would imagine Houston could get a couple goals on counter-attacks or set pieces if the Red Bulls aren’t careful enough with the ball in the midfield. While the Dynamo attack isn’t scary it is still dangerous enough to win games.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

While Jorge Rojas and Cedades will get a lot of attention in the midfield for New York a guy like Seth Stammler becomes very tough to break. Some will agree that as Stammler goes the Red Bulls will too this season. He’s a steady player in the midfield for this bunch and can be a big part of this club’s winning too.

Quick Thoughts:

This may be the most underrated match of the weekend. If New York is on the verge of turning their season around then it will be the game of the weekend. Neither club got off to a good start this season but Houston has been playing extremely well lately and defensively have been the toughest team to score on in the past month. New York will pose a big challenge for that mark and will likely get one by Pat Onstad in this one. I do however like Houston to stay with the Red Bulls in this one. While New York has some quality experience in the midfield with guys like Cedades and Rojas I just feel that Houston is more experienced in actually playing well for 90 minutes. It will be a draw, a very close draw indeed. Houston battles from behind to get a road point.

WVH Prediction: New York 1, Houston 1

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Seattle Sounders FC – at – FC Dallas

1. Things looked better for Dallas late against Houston, will it carry over against Seattle?

Houston is as tough defensively as any club gets in this league. While Seattle isn’t nearly as tough as Houston they are probably just as good defensively as the Dynamo. Sigi Schmid’s bunch play in typical Sigi-fashion, tight and compact in the back which leads to less attempts on goal and few chances. Dallas is a club that has already struggled to get attempts on goal lately so this will be a big challege for the likes of Kenny Cooper and company.

Dallas can’t afford to come out flat from the start or Seattle will gobble up early chances against a defense that is the second worst in the league right now.

2. What do the Sounders need to do against Dallas’ midfield?

One thing is certain, if you beat Dallas in the middle of the field and control the possession you will beat them. Seattle already does a good enough job at controlling the pace of the game and not giving up a bunch of silly turnovers in the midfield. Dallas on the other hand does the exact opposite. Too many times the Red Stripes will get the ball in the midfield and immediately give it right back to the other club. Seattle is too good of a club right now to not take advantage of those mental breakdowns.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

This could be a big game for wing players for FC Dallas with Seattle not having James Riley in the back (suspension from last week’s red card). Dave van den Burgh and Andre Rocha could see a little more free space. If they can spray some balls into the box because of some open pitch it could be a good evening for the homeside.

Quick Thoughts:

Sadly enough I doubt a lot of people here in Dallas will come out for this one. Though you can play Plinko at halftime which has to be a draw in itself if you ask me. But as for this game goes I think Seattle is just too good of a club right now to not win this game or at least get some points here. They need three points in a big way to stay on course with Chivas in the western standings and to hold off up and comers like Houston. Dallas defensively and in the midfield will dictate whether or not they will win this game. Turnovers are going to be key and Dallas just gives the ball up too much right now. Should be a fun game to watch though. Seattle goes up early with goals from Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montero and never looks back.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Dallas 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at� – Real Salt Lake

1. Should we expect another turnaround at home for RSL?

So far as we all know RSL has been great at home and terrible on the road. However in their last home game they had a wild finish with the Galaxy in that crazy 2-2 draw a week ago. This club hasn’t really looked all that great in a couple games but they do have the likes of Javier Morales back in action. The thing they need to do in this one is not let Kansas City play their style of game. They allowed LA to do that briefly last week and they lost points for it in the process. Kansas City is dangerous enough behind Josh Wolff and Claudio Lopez to steal three points here.

2. Will Kansas City be able to come into Rio Tinto and do what only a couple have done? Win?

Both clubs are in a bit of a slide right now but Kansas City is still a very tough club to figure out. The Wizards are one of those few clubs that have gotten points at RSL over the past couple years. For them to do it again this season they need to get Josh Wolff back into the attack more and in the box to test a defense that has been a bit shaky as of late. If they can rattle RSL in the midfield and in defense you could see a couple easy goals for the visitors on Saturday.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

I am curious to see if Jason Kreis stays with Yura Movsisyan up top or if he makes the wise move to Fabian Espindola like some would like him to. Espindola is a tough cookie up top to stop and could pose a big problem to a young Kansas City defense.

Quick Thoughts:

I want to like the Wizards in this one but it is hard to go against a club that plays so well in their home stadium. RSL should bounce back from their three game slide in this one with a win behind the likes of Kyle Beckerman and Espindola. Offensively this club hasn’t looked the same since that 6-0 beating of New England a few weeks back. If they can even get half of that spark back they will be fine against the Wizards.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, KC 1

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DC United – at – Chivas USA:

1. What can DC do to beat Chivas?

Chivas has been one tough club to beat this year. Only Toronto was able to slow them own enough to get three points away from them. Thing is the club hasn’t had to be too flashy or amazing to be where they are right now. DC on the other hand has had to fight their way to the top of the eastern standings and their lead is not nearly as nice as their counterparts on Saturday. For United for come into the Home Depot Center and get even a point they have to be very organized defensively and not allow any little mistakes to happen. Chivas is too good at taking advantage of little mistakes in the midfield and scoring off of them.

While DC is leading the league in goals right now they are also giving up a lot of goals. Something Chivas does not do right now. DC has to get their attack going early and catch Chivas off guard. One thing I do know about Chivas is they aren’t a club that comes from behind often.

2. How does Chivas hold off the DC attack?

Simple enough you frustrate their attack in the midfield. You don’t allow DC to create quality chances for guys like Chris Ponitus and Luciano Emilio. You also keep a tight defense to neutralize runs from players out of the back like Rodney Wallace. Tom Soehn’s bunch will bring a lot at you but Chivas is one of the best at slowing those kinds of runs down. We’ve seen them do it against Seattle and also against clubs like Columbus and Dallas.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

Maykel Galindo is starting to get more minutes by each game for Chivas USA. The more the better as he is starting to get loose in the attack and that is good for Chivas fans. Galindo is a speedy player that could come off the bench in this one. In a late game that is tight he may be a real difference maker for the homeside.

Quick Thoughts:

Obviously the game of the week right here. Two clubs that are playing extremely well face off in an early season clash. DC hasn’t lost in five straight now while Chivas is continuing to show their impressive form week after week with their eight-point gap on the rest of the standings. This one will probably be very physical from the start and I look for Chivas to try and control the tempo of the game as well. Chivas can’t let up for a second, espeically late since DC has scored five of their league-high 15 goals in the last 15 minutes of the game. A draw sounds likely here even though Chivas has an impressive home record right now.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 1, DC 1

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Columbus Crew – at – LA Galaxy:

1. Both clubs are starting to win, but who has the edge right now?

Both finally got off the mark here in the past couple weeks and got the first win of the season. Amazing that despite their records LA hasn’t lost in six games and Columbus hasn’t lost in five. I will however give the slight advantage to Columbus here since it was last week that they got their first win of the year. The monkey is finally off their back and they should start winning more games here.

2. What does the Crew need to do to pick up some points here?

One thing is certain, another win and the Crew are very much in the thick of things in the eastern conference. This is certainly a good time to start a winning streak as the Crew have been a very tough club for the Galaxy to beat in recent years (partly due to Sigi Schmid when he was there). I think the Crew just have to play their tough style of play and rattle the very yough Galaxy defense early and often in this one. As long as Gulliermo Barros Schelotto controls the pace of the game in the middle for the Crew they should be fine in this one.

3. Player to keep an eye out for.

One guy I am going to watch for is LA’s Edson Buddle. He is finally getting healthy here this season and that should mean more offense for this Galaxy club that desperately needs someone else to go to soon when Landon Donovan leaves this summer for national team duty.

Quick Thoughts:

At first glance I was thinking this would be yet another draw for these two sides but I think the Crew have to be hungry now that they have their first win of the season. It didn’t come easy but you know veterans like Frankie Hedjuk will rally this club together to get another win. I like the Crew to keep their momentum up from last week’s win over the Galaxy.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, LA 1

It didn't take long for Freddie Ljungberg to get on the scoresheet. (Getty Image)

Lots of good action this past week in Major League Soccer from Real Salt Lake’s Thursday big win over the Columbus Crew to Seattle’s big road victory in Toronto. With seven games over the weekend we are now starting to see a bunch of different things this season. Some are more clear than others but one thing remains certain, Seattle could be the best expansion team we’ve ever seen…maybe in any sport.

Feel free to pipe in your comments from this past weekend’s action.

Seattle Sounders FC 2 – 0 Toronto FC:

What more can you say about this Seattle club. A goal by their DP early on in the game really set the tone for the win. The late first half goal by their number one draft pick took the Toronto crowd out of the game almost for good. For the most part I feel like Seattle looks very similar to Sigi Schmid’s Columbus clubs from the last couple years. Tight in the back but its like he has a better offense in Seattle than he ever did with the Crew (even last year).

I’m starting to think that my boy Freddie Ljungberg may turn out to be one of the better DP signings that the league has seen. His impact was seen all over the field on Saturday. Just a classy give-and-go on his first goal too. Also, rookie Steve Zakuani is really showing us why he was the number one pick this year. Not only does he have the skills but his positioning on the field has been spot on for Seattle. He seems to find himself in the right spot time and time again.

Toronto had their chances, let’s not say they didn’t here because I really felt they held the possession well in this one. It was just sloppy finishing on their part that caused the third straight clean sheet for Kasey Keller and Seattle. Speaking of Keller, again he came up huge in this one to keep the lead for the Sounders. It didn’t hurt that Toronto hit the crossbar and the side post a couple times too.

Toronto’s Pablo Vitti looks like he could be their big scorer this season. Its just finding that first goal that is taking a while. He was linking up well with Dwayne De Rosario.

Seattle proved to the league they can win on the road and in a tough environment. Toronto proved that they are still a step away from being a contender here. Toronto is improved here this season, make no doubt about that but they have to learn to respond in a game when they go down a goal or two. No one will take them serious if they don’t prove they can get back in games.

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New England Revolution 2 – 1 FC Dallas:

Dallas can score inside the box but they still give up crappy goals in defense. Thing is this should have ended in a draw. The PK called late in the game was a total crap call. I hate to sound like a homer on that call but that call changed the game in the wrong way for both sides.

Aside from that New England looked like their normal self. Good to see Steve Ralston back on the pitch too. Having Ralston back in the midfield really changed the New England attack than what we’ve seen in the first couple games. Just shows how important he is to their attack.

The run of play was very much in hand to New England. Dallas still looks a bit lost in the midfield which really shouldn’t be like that with the talent they have in place there. It still comes down to their defense though for the Hoops, if they don’t get things turned in the right direction we may be talking about a long losing streak here.

Give a lot of credit though in this one to Nicol, his halftime changes proved to be just enough for the Rev’s second win of the year. I don’t think many believed they’d still be undefeated at this point.

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DC United 1 – 0 Houston Dynamo:

Things still remain the same, DC’s defense isn’t that great and Houston’s attack isn’t any better. I will say this about DC though, they did do a better job of putting together a more complete performance for 90 minutes than what we’ve seen out so far this year.

Houston we have an offensive problem. The chances were there but the finishing was absolutely not. Maybe this is just the typical slow start for Houston that we’ve seen over the last three seasons out of this bunch or maybe it is just a sign of the times for Dominic Kinnear’s bunch.

Luciano Emilio looked great once again for DC. Is it me or does he look like he will have another 15-20 goal season here this year?

The worst part of the game and probably most surprising was the red card to Jamie Moreno. A very un-Moreno like challenge against Brad Davis.

Again, DC looked better in this one but it didn’t hurt that Houston couldn’t put a thing home. The Dynamo had their fair share of chances in this one but couldn’t knock anything past Louis Crayton. Also give a big credit to a game-tying save by Brad Namoff. Big time goal mouth clearance by him really saved the three points for the homeside. One could say that was the save of the week.

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Conor Casey scored goals with ease against LA. (Getty Images)

Colorado Rapids 3 – 2 LA Galaxy

Another bad call or at least questionable call changed the face of this game. The red card to Dema Kovalenko was very questionable red card in my mind. The Moreno red card in the DC game was a good one but this one was a very tough call. Yes a tough challenge by Kovalenko but a straight red may have been given due to his history. Anyways it changed the game in a bad way for LA.

I really felt LA had worked their way back into this one after the early Conor Casey goal. Thing was it wasn’t just the red card that was bad, the LA defense just looked lost against Conor Casey on Saturday night. They couldn’t figure the big guy out at all. After getting the league they quickly gave it back up to Casey on another easy goal.

Just when you think this one ends in a draw, Casey comes through again with yet another easy goal. His hat trick may have been the easiest of goals by any MLS player that I’ve ever seen. He didn’t have to do anything special to beat the LA defense because they pretty much gave him the goals. LA keeper Josh Saunders was found completely out of place for all three goals. He was beat badly on the last one too.

LA was looking good though for a while in this one. Landon Donovan put in two very nice assists to get LA the lead. Its just the old issues for LA in the back. The rookies looked a bit fatigued despite having the extra week off to prepare and the veterans in the back looked, well, old.

I give a lot of credit to Colorado here. While their defense didn’t look any better they found ways to get in transition with Casey and create better chances on the offensive end. That is something I’ve really been waiting to see out of this bunch. Can they keep it up is the biggest question.

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Chicago Fire 1 – 0 New York Red Bulls

Another red card in this one but unlike the other games it didn’t really affect the outcome. John Thorrington’s probable goal-saving tackle on New York’s Mac Kandji was a very good call by the center official. Thorrington was the last man to beat and he did what most defenders have to do, save the keeper and take one for the team with the tackle.

Aside from that Chicago really looked to have controlled this one. New York’s midfield tandem of Jorge Rojas and Luke Sassano really did little to get the attack going for the Red Bulls. I did think that the addition of Dominic Oduro to the attack when Kandji went out after the red card to Thorrington really sparked the Red Bull attack for the rest of the game. He had a few runs that really looked dangerous. But it was the same old Dom that I use to see in Dallas where he had loads of space but a poor touch would bring the attack to a halt.

Chicago got a good break on some sloppy (and typical) play in the back by New York. Marco Pappa made the visitors pay with his late first half goal. After that it was really all the Fire needed to get the three points.

Is it me or does Juan Pablo Angel just look off so far this season. Its like he has lost a little bit of his magic touch that we are so use to seeing out there for the Red Bulls. Plus it doesn’t help that guys like Dane Richards haven’t really played well so far this season either.

Again I gotta say Danny Cepero does not look like the option in goal for New York. Thing is Jon Conway is likely replacement isn’t anything special either. A bad keeper can make a club look really bad even with a decent defense.

I know a lot of people will say Seattle is the league’s best right now but Chicago definitely deserves a lot of consideration for that honor in the early going this season. With no Blanco yesterday and very little out of Red Bull killer Chris Rolfe, and being a man-down to get the win a lot of people need to look at the Fire and what they’ve done thus far too. They may not have the points that Seattle has already but they definitely have the talent in place to make the run this season.

New York on the other hand still looks a tad bit overrated than what some are still making them to be. I know once they get their new guys in it should be different but until then I still think this is just an average club that will struggle to reach the playoffs this season. I haven’t been impressed so far this season with this club.

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Aaron Hohlbein's first goal of the year was more than enough for KC. (Brian Stevens, WVH Photo Correspondent)

Kansas City Wizards 2 – 0 San Jose Earthquakes

Hey looked who decided to join the fun here in 2009. The Wizards and Quakes didn’t really battle one another yesterday but battled the nasty weather. Kudos to the few fans that actually showed up for this one because it looked cold, wet and way to windy to enjoy.

Kansas City definitely braved the weather and more importantly the wind and got the much needed boost of a result. From start to finish they really owned the possession in the midfield and really didn’t give San Jose a chance to form a good attack to come back. I’m sure Quake fans will blame a lot on the weather but give more credit to the Kansas City midfield and defense in this one for keeping San Jose honest and not allowing them to spread them wide like they normally would.

Just how well did the Wizard’s midfield and defense play yesterday? Well enough to hold San Jose to only three shots with only one of those on frame. KC also owned a lot of the attack with 13 shots and eight corner kicks. That is the kind of play one would expect out of this bunch. It was like they needed this game to finally put it all together.

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Chivas USA 2 – 1 Columbus Crew

A slow start indeed for the MLS Cup champions. Two losses in one week on the road, both games saw the Crew tie things at half then to only lose it in the second half. Chivas started off strong last night with an early goal from Atiba Harris. Great assist by AmeriGoat newcomer Gerson Mayen who has two assists on the season now.

The game-winner came once again from Mexican striker Eduardo Lillingston. Minutes later the weekend saw it’s forth red card with Andy Iro from the Crew. Iro also notched the only Crew goal of the game.

Columbus looked off, just as they did on Thursday night. The two games in four days is never easy for any club and for some reason the Crew just couldn’t handle it. I knew this would be a rough week on the defending champs but never did I expect it would go this badly.

Give credit to Chivas here. They are slowly proving to a lot of people that they could very well be for real here this season. I think Preki continues to pluck away at his roster and find the right combination of guys that seem to work.

2008 record and finish: 12-11-7, 43 pts., third in east, lost in first round of playoffs.

Offseason Player Movement:

Michael Videira (2008 draft pick, played in Scotland instead of MLS)
Kevin Alston (SuperDraft)
Zach Simmons (undrafted free agent)
Ryan Maxwell (SuperDraft)

Outgoing:
Jose Angulo (waived)
Adam Cristman (trade w/KC)
Khano Smith (Seattle Sounders FC – Expansion Draft)
Doug Warren (waived)
Michael Parkhurst (via free transfer to FC Nordsjaelland – Denmark)
Joe Germanese (contract not renewed)
Gary Flood (contract not renewed)
Brandon Manzonelli (contract not renewed)
Brandon Tyler (contract not renewed)
Sam Brill (waived)

Questions going into 2009:

1. With the loss of Michael Parkhurst, who will step up for this club?

That man has to be Gabriel Badilla. He was brought in for that very reason too a year ago. I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see more help come from Africia or South America once the season kicks off. You know that since Steve Nicol found guys like Kheli Dube and the two young Gambians last year that he will go the extra mile to improve his defense with the loss of Parkhurst this year.

2. Can Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman remain healthy long enough to push this club back into the MLS Cup picture?

If the defense wasn’t a big enough question surrounding this club than this is right up there with it. If the Revs even want to dream of post season glory they need these two at their best for the majority of the year. When things were really good last year it was due to Ralston making things happen in the midfield and Twellman putting things home in the attack. When both when out with various injuries a year ago the club never looked the same offensively.

3. Player to watch out for this season.

I think the key for New England does rest in Kheli Dube this year. I really felt Dube should have been the rookie of the year a season ago but injuries late in the year hampered his chances at that award. When Dube was paired with Twellman in a couple games you could see some magic on the field. I think a full season with them both healthy will go a long way in getting the Revs back into the MLS Cup contention.

Look at the 2009 Schedule:

The Revs once again have to deal with some SuperLiga action late in the summer. Thankfully for them their schedule isn’t nearly as heavy as it was a year ago. Early on in the year they spend a good part of their time on the road. Six of their first nine games are on the road with a couple games being back-to-back.

Once summner hits the club should be enjoying more time at home. I think June and July will be a time for them to really pick up some points if the injury bug hasn’t hit this club already by then.

Late in the year will be rough if the club is struggling to reach the playoffs. They end the year with Columbus twice and Chicago once.

2009 Season Outlook:

Obviously the club wants to look past what happened in the fall of 2008 and move on to 2009. They’ve seemed to have reloaded based on their draft and getting 2008 pick Michael Videira back on their roster. This group still remains mostly the same as the last few years with additions here and there to counter the exports out.

Overall I still have to consider New England one of the top dogs in the east. The younger players on this roster will really determine where this club goes this season. Still I fully expect more players to be brought in before the summer months. Playoffs shouldn’t be an issue again btu getting back to MLS Cup rests on the shoulders of Ralston, Twellman and Badilla.