I went with Real Salt Lake’s Fabian Espindola’s two goal effort against Colorado on Friday night because not only was it the games two goals but watching Espindola perform on Friday night was fun to watch. He’s back from an injury and looks great. Plus he got some help from some sloppy defending from Colorado.

Again, to be quick, week 23′s Player of the Week goes to RSL’s Fabian Espindola.

Now as for the goal of the week it was a little bit harder but there was a couple worth mentioning. You had Toronto’s Jim Brennan striking early for the Reds against Chivas; Darren Huckerby’s game-winner of Kansas City; and Brian Mullen’s far post strike against Chicago.

But the goal that stood out to me was Landon Donovan’s second of the night and 16th goal of the season. Just a perfect threw ball from Eddie Lewis to Donovan and he made it look so simple against New England.

Just watch and see the magic…

1. Columbus Crew (40 pts., same) – Made the most of things on the road to become the first club to 40 points this season. I like the schedule from here out for Columbus too, eight games left and all equally good for this club who hopes to get their second Supporter’s Shield trophy. Their key though remains in the hands…or feet rather of Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

2. Houston Dynamo (35 pts., up 1) – Gritty home win against Chicago thanks to Dwayne De Rosario. I think the loss to New York was one of lack of energy on their part and they definitely made up for it against the Fire. They are having a season that kind of reminds me of their last year in San Jose. Lots of wins, lots of draws and few losses. Only five losses on the year, making this club look good for a three peat.

3. New England Revolution (38 pts., down 1) – They drop based on a game they should have won in my opinion. The chances were there against LA and really their defense gave up the two Landon Donovan goals like they were nothing. They need to bounce back tonight in the CONCACAF Champions League to make up for it.

4. Chicago Fire (35 pts., same) – The loss didn’t hurt them because beating Houston in Houston is not an easy thing to do. I did like the combinations of Blanco to McBride. That could be a very dangerous and fun thing to watch for the rest of the year.

5. DC United (32 pts., same) – Three shutouts for Louis Crayton since his arrival. Good time to pick up a solid person between the pipes. Plus they can just throw Zach Wells out there for those CONCACAF games and still be fine. Still, I did think about dropping them because they gave up a shutout to New York at home in that 0-0 draw. AND Jamie Moreno MISSED a PK!

6. New York Red Bulls (32 pts., same) – Great confidence boost for New York to get a shutout on the road in DC for the first time EVER. That’s also a good sign that this defense is turning a corner and looks like a true contender here. Two months ago we never would have thought that.

7. Real Salt Lake (30 pts., up 1) – The home result against their rivals gets the a slight boost. That’s one of four games they must win down the stretch. This club could very well go into the books as the best home team ever and the worst road team ever, or at least one of the worst.

8. San Jose Earthquakes (25 pts., up 1) – We all really never thought this would be the case but give Frank Yallop can company credit, they’ve found what works for them and they are sticking to it. I honestly wouldn’t be shocked to see them pass up a couple western clubs in getting in the playoffs right now.

9. FC Dallas (26 pts., down 2) – Can win at home and now are sitting outside of the playoff picture. It may have come at the hands of the best club right now in the league but they should have taken care of things better. They get the lead then to only blow it minutes later. Blame the offense for not scoring or blame the defense for giving up goals. But it really comes down to their midfield, its just not cutting it right now.

10. Chivas USA (27 pts., up 1) – Well, well, look who is finally back in the playoff hunt. The Atiba Harris trade back in the winter is starting to really look like a smart deal for Preki and his club. Can it last though, that is my only question.

11. Toronto FC (26 pts., down 1) – Toronto manager John Carver threw out ever offensive weapon he had and still got only one goal. Plus that late game-winner by Chivas probably killed anything that was actually left in the tank for this club.

12. Kansas City Wizard (26 pts., same) – Yeah, even with the goal on the road (which was nice too) this club still had nothing else in the tank to stay with an expansion club for 90 minutes. They may only be six points back of a playoff bid, but I think they are miles away at this point.

13. LA Galaxy (25 pts., same) – Landon Donovan and David Beckham looked good. Eddie Lewis wasn’t too shabby either. That defense is still terrible and Josh Wicks turned out to be just as bad as Steve Cronin.

14. Colorado Rapids (24 pts., same) – Is it time to start thinking about 2009?

Week 23 was one of those weeks that saw a couple big wins and a couple late goals. From this we got to see a couple clubs that are looking more like true MLS Cup contenders and a couple that look to have little or no hope at reaching the playoffs this season. The eastern conference is beginning to spread out a bit, but the west is still packed full of a mess.

However the west did go 3-1-1 in head-to-head matchups with the east this weekend. Tide turning or just a random thing? Eh, probably just a random thing.

So how did we get where we are at from this past weekend’s set of games? Let’s just find out shall we.

Real Salt Lake 2 – 0 Colorado Rapids:

Fabian Espindola: Easily the player of the game, maybe even player of the week with the two goal effort to lift the home-side to another dominating victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Nice to see him return from injury in that kind of fashion.

Much needed points: Definitely can say that RSL needed the three points after finding the road very tough over the past couple weeks. Also good to see their defense post a shutout yet again. Now they are an impressive 7-0-5 at home this season. I still think those five draws could come back to haunt them down the road if they don’t pick any more points on the road.

Still no Christian Gomez in the starting XI: Here is a reason why Colorado is not in the playoff hunt anymore. Their best player starts on the bench. Why? I’m still not entirely sure but all I know is the more this happens is the more we will see Gomez get traded after this season. I don’t care what issues are going on (unless its injury related) you have to use your best player if you want to win. Simply put Colorado isn’t winning and may not win too many more from here out.

Ugly defense: 4th shutout in five games for the Rapids. Just don’t see any way of this club reaching the playoffs this year. They are now in last place in the league too…ouch. Also they move to 1-8-2 on the road this season.

Javier Morales: You may have to put him on that short list of MVP candidates, if and only if RSL can find some magic on the road thanks to this guy. He’s got a few goals on the year and 10 assists now. As he goes, so does RSL.

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New England Revolution 2 -  2 LA Galaxy:

Landon Donovan: Another two goal effort out of LandyCakes, now his league leading 16th. Good to see him producing again, he’s been rather quiet in my book for a little while now. LA needs him to continue to produce here for them to have any playoff hopes. His combination with David Beckham are still better than anything else in this league.

Taylor Twellman: Really nice to see this guy back and going here. Dangerous though for everyone else in this league.

Still ugly on defense: As good as the offense was looking for LA, the defense hasn’t improved all that much under Bruce Arena. But saying that, having a veteran like Eddie Lewis did help. Still, the Galaxy move to a 10 game winless streak here (0-5-5). Definitely not playoff worthy at the moment.

Draw for New England: With Columbus’s win and Chicago’s loss the draw really didn’t hurt the Revs, though didn’t help them either since they fell out of first. Still, they are in excellent position at the moment to stay with Columbus and Chicago for that Supporter’s Shield trophy.

No football lines: Thank God for a Beckham game in Foxborough. Great crowd of almost 40k and no football lines on the field. Looked good too.

Shalrie for MVP: This guy pretty much made sure the Revs would at least get a draw though he definitely helped them push for a win late in the match. Great strike on his first goal of the year. He may not have the sexy stats but a game like this should show his value for those out there that don’t know what to do with their MVP vote.

LA still in contention: The draw (along with some other results) did move LA within striking distance of that third automatic bid in the east. They still have a lot of work to do on the road though and must find some wins in order to have any hope.

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DC United 0 – 0 New York Red Bulls:

No goals: Wow, I fully expected this rubber match to be a goal fest but it was just the opposite. New York easily got it’s best result EVER in RFK Stadium. I believe it is their first shutout against DC in RFK. Very evenly played.

Big stops: Some great stops by DC keeper Louis Crayton in this one. Probably a few that Zach Wells would have let in earlier in the year. This guy makes them a bit of player in the east right now. A very dangerous club really if all things are working right, especially in RFK Stadium.

Jamie Moreno misses a PK?: What?! I didn’t believe it when I saw it. Usually he is absolute money on these but this time he pushed it wide and did not look like the MVP we expect him to be at the PK spot.

Angel continues to shine: Nearly produced a game-winner here. This man is easily giving Red Bull fans hope going into these final few games. Still they must find a way to get three points on the road. That hasn’t come often enough. Thankfully their schedule is incredibly easy to finish the year.

Return of the DP: Nice to see Designated Player Marcello Gallardo return to action for DC. If they get this guy healthy here before the final few games it makes this club all the better going into the playoffs.

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Columbus Crew 2 – 1 FC Dallas:

Schelotto with two assists: For the third time in three games, Guillermo Barros Schelotto helps set up two Columbus goals for the win. His service was totally on the mark and really he could have had two more assists in this game.

Jeff Cunningham: He must like being in Dallas. Two goals in three games, both against Columbus. Still he looks very comfortable in a Dallas uniform, something he probably hasn’t been able to see in years. That’s good too because Dallas needs all the offense they can get out of him to help free up Kenny Cooper.

Mix and match line up: As much as I hate seeing too many changes to a lineup during a season, I do think what Schellas Hyndman is doing will work over time. He is trying to get the most out of each and every player. By changing the line up from week he is getting players who work harder in practice. Bruno Guarda is a prime example of that as he gets his first start and first assist of his young career.

No on in the stands: Yeah the stands were pathetically empty in Dallas this weekend. Its a shame too because even though its a holiday weekend there should have been at least 15k or so there. But just right at 10k is sad for a club in the playoff hunt going against one of the league’s best.

First to 40: I need to go back and look at stats but I believe the first club to 40 usually wins the Supporter’s Shield trophy or at least comes very close to it. Columbus does just that this season. Damn who would have thunk it.

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San Jose Earthquakes 2 – 1 Kansas City Wizards:

Darren Huckerby: What else can you say about this guy. Probably the best pick up of any club in the midseason. Think Toronto hates themselves for not pushing harder to sign this guy? He has honestly helped turn this club into a playoff club.

Ronnie O: How good has Ronnie O’Brien been for this club this season? Five assists on the year right now. The simple cross to Arturo Alvarez set up the first Quakes goal.

Unbeaten run: That Quakes unbeaten run now extends to seven (3-0-4). Now the Quakes are two points away from a playoff spot. Impressive for this expansion club. Will they be the next Chicago or another non-playoff club like all the rest of the expansion clubs from year’s past?

Wizard’s playoff hopes: As tight as everything is in the eastern conference, I feel just like I felt months ago when I said they should be looking at next year rather than at this year. Its a young team, that I know but their offense still hasn’t clicked and their defense is still getting torn to shreds by sides that don’t even have quality offense.

Kevin Hartman: He’s still a beast though. He still makes up for a lot here, and I can say the Wizards would be completely hopeless without him this season.

Will they or won’t they: Its only a matter of how San Jose can negociate their own schedule here for making the playoffs. Defensively they can do it but I am still a little worried about their offense hanging with some clubs in this league. The chance is there though.

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Chivas USA 2 – 1 Toronto FC:

Desperation breads goals: For Chivas it did at least. A last second gasp by Atiba Harris gave Chivas the three points in this one. I think Harris willed the ball into the goal because Greg Sutton should have had it but he just lost sight of it or something.

No love for TFC: This was probably as good of a chance as ever to get a vidal three points on the road but even with all the new additions this offense still isn’t clicking. Too bad most of that offense will be gone next week due to international calls up.

5 shots: Yeah that’s the number Toronto posted in shots on Saturday night. Just five. No wonder the Reds are just 2-8 this year on the road.

Playoff hopes: For Toronto those playoff hopes are fading away ever so quickly these days. Right now I just don’t see them as a playoff club. Mainly because they aren’t clicking as a team, sometimes too many moves in the midseason can harm a team. Then again they were already fading away by mid-June to begin with.

Come from behind: Just the second time ever for Chivas to come from behind and win. Good to see them finally figuring out that sort of thing. Probably a good time to do it too.

Sneaking in the backdoor: Did you all notice that Chivas is now in third place out west, meaning they are currently in the playoff picture? Seriously how quietly did they do such a thing. Just comes to show how poor the west is this season. Good at the top but after that its a bunch of junk.

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Houston Dynamo 2 – 1 Chicago Fire:

DeRo the hero: Another guy that is starting to get some MVP love is Dwayne De Rosario. His game-winner was put in just seconds after Chicago leveled things at 1-1. That’s MVP form right there folks. As for Houston they certainly are back on their championship form with a stellar home result like this one.

Blanco to McBride: Get use to it folks. I liked it, so should you.

Packed house: Another thing we should get use to here for the rest of the year down in Houston. They sure know how to pack it in there at Robertson Stadium. It may have been a bit of the Blanco-effect but it sure came across good on TV. With that kind of home field advantage the Dynamo move to 7-1-3 at home this year. That lone loss was to New England…not bad…not bad.

Breaking away out west: The Dynamo clearly look like the favor to win the west this season. Maybe they are just five points ahead of RSL but I see them as miles apart in regards to how they’ve each been playing recently. Oh yeah and that Supporter’s Shield isn’t too far away for Houston to get either.

Holding down the east: You win some and lose some in the east. Chicago is finding out that. Even with the league’s best road record (6-3-3) and the best defense, Chicago still came up short in this one. Though getting McBride on the score sheet looks great for this club. I think they still have one of the best shots at the Supporter’s Shield right now but they have to fend off DC and New York for that third automatic bid into the big dance later on.

Its great that all these games have some sort of playoff implications to them at this point in the year. Nearly every club is still in the hunt to some degree. Some clubs are probably starting to slip into desperation mode here as we only have nine games (or eight after this weekend) left on the year.

As always feel free to pipe in your predictions below.

Colorado Rapids – at – Real Salt Lake:

Rocky Mountain Cup: Second clash between these two this year, Colorado got the best of their rivals earlier in the year.

Real at home: To say they need points now is an understatement after dropping two straight games. Probably a blessing in having to face an inconsistent club like Colorado at home this weekend after coming off two straight road losses.

Which Rapids will we get?: The 2008 version of the Rapids are up and down and all around. They win one, lose one. Win one, lose two. They can be sneaky but to me it sounds like we are going to be looking at that second straight loss after winning a couple weeks ago here.

Who to look out for: Kyle Beckerman. Javier Morales. Watch these two tonight. They need a big lift in their game and RSL needs them to step up their game in a big way down the stretch. As much as we loved Beckerman early on he hasn’t been the same player in recent weeks. A visit from Colorado should turn things back around for him.

What the result will mean: A win for Colorado would be huge but largely won’t do much in the grand scheme of things in terms of playoff implications down the road. RSL needs the win and in the process should get it at home where they’ve been undefeated. A draw for RSL would absolutely kill them at this point. They cannot drop easy points at home.

WVH Prediction: Real Salt Lake 2, Colorado 0

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New York Red Bulls – at – DC United:

Atlantic Cup: Third and final meeting between these two rivals this season. Both matches have been blowouts by each club. The home side has one each match so far by the same 4-1 scoreline.

Who can stay hotter: While DC seems to be realitvely playing well these days (more so at home), New York is red hot. Their winning streak cannot be ignored at this point and its easily put them into the playoff scene in the east (currently as a wild-card). Both are currently in the wild-card hunt but are within striking distance of that third and final automatic bid in the east.

Emilio or Angel: Luciano Emilio torched the Red Bulls in June but Juan Pablo Angel returned the favor a few short weeks ago. Who’s got the hotter hand now easily goes to Angel, who has made the Red Bulls a serious threat again.

Defense wins: Honestly I still hate both club’s defense but at home I have to side with DC. Mainly I think it is due to the play of new keeper Louis Crayton. Finally having some stability in net for the Black-and-Red is good to have this time of the year. I haven’t been the biggest fan of Jon Conway all year and I think that his play does hurt the Red Bulls at time. This one just smells like a wild game.

Who to watch: Mike Magee. Something abuot Magee is fun to watch anymore. He is like a little kid in a candy store out there these days and that has to make Red Bull fans happy. His mark on the game won’t be huge but he has scored some big goals in recent weeks.

What the result will mean: A win for either one puts them within clear striking distance of Chicago for that final automatic bid in the east. A draw doesn’t help but doesn’t hurt too much since they each have a nice cushion over KC and Toronto at the present time. A loss kills momentum for each but I don’t think it would be the end of the world.

WVH Prediction: DC 3, NY 2

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LA Galaxy – at – New England Revolution:

Circus v. Empty Tank: Which would you rather be, a traveling circus or a club that is running low on gas? Honestly since New England is at home for this you should say low on gas.

The Bruce on the road: Something Bruce Arena will have to overcome quickly is the fact that the Revs have beat up on the Galaxy in recent years in league play. No Galaxy wins against the Revs since 2004, a span of eight matches.

CONCACAF Hangover: Will we see that result on Tuesday have any effect to Steve Nicol’s group? Its possible, but I think they traveled the way they did for a reason. They packed light for a two game roadie to Toronto and Trinidad. It nearly paid off too with a draw in Toronto and a 2-1 loss in T&T. Sure losing wasn’t great or expected but they did get an important goal on the road.

What about Beckham and Donovan?: The Bruce finally gets his main squeezes in this one on the road, where the Galaxy are 2-5-3 on the year. They have to turn it on early on the offensive side of the ball if they want to catch New England. Donovan is good for that with his league leading goals tally. But don’t sleep on Edson Buddle to make his mark in this one as well.

And that Galaxy defense?: Well another week with Arena couldn’t have set them back any further right? They have 43 goals against, which is nearly double what most clubs have right now. Going against a club like New England won’t help either, especially with a surging Taylor Twellman playing again.

Who to watch for: Shalrie Joseph. How he handles the Galaxy midfield with newcomer Eddie Lewis, along with Beckham will be fun to watch. If he helps New England control the midfield like I expect him to the Revs should come away with three points.

What will the result mean?: A win for New England is simple and a must in my mind. They have to keep pace with the Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire in the east and hold off clubs like DC and New York. Plus they aren’t just in a playoff race but a Supporter’s Shield race. For LA three points on the road against one of the league’s best would be huge, especially for their new coach. A loss wouldn’t shock me and a draw would be a bit of a shock on the New England side but it wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Revs at this point.

WVH Prediction: New England 2, LA 1

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Columbus Crew – at – FC Dallas:

Battle for Lamar Hunt: Its sort of a rivalry…more like a sibbling rivalry since they are owned by the Hunts. These two typically play one another very well and always put on an entertaining contest.

Can Dallas stop Schelotto?: Probably the biggest question for me, they didn’t get it done a couple weeks ago in their 2-1 loss to the Crew and I just doubt Dallas has the midfield to do it at home tomorrow night. Plus no Pablo Ricchetti in the line up (red card suspension from last week) doesn’t bode well for Dallas. They do get Marcelo Saragosa back but he probably isn’t nearly 100% yet.

Can Cooper and Cunningham work together?: Listen, SuperCooper has cooled off a bit. No goal in the last couple games. Mostly because the Dallas offense has looked fairly mediocre in recent weeks (if you watched last week’s game against KC you will know what I am talking about). I think they can work well together but the timing isn’t down yet. We know each can score but so far as a pair they only have one goal to show for and a boat load of nothing else.

Who to watch: Robbie Rogers. Aljeandro Moreno. These two guys have to come up big for the Crew on the road. They’ve done it before but it hasn’t been for a while. I think the Crew begin their Supporter’s Shield push with this game tomorrow night. They need that push to come from these two guys, not just from GBS.

What the result will mean: For Dallas it is a bit of a security thing. I don’t see anyone below in them in the west catching them right at the moment but a win would easily put some daylight between them and everyone below them. Another draw wouldn’t hurt but also wouldn’t help as much. A home loss this late in the year wouldn’t be good. On the flip side for Columbus they want a win to say in the SS race as well as the eastern playoff hunt. A loss would set them back a bit on their momentum right now.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Dallas 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at – San Jose Earthquakes:

The unkind road: KC is six points back of a wild-card spot right now in the east, so three points on the road is more than huge. Thing is they’ve only one once on the road all year and that was way back at the start of the year.

Home cookin’: On the flip side for San Jose they are sitting a few points out of a playoff spot out west themselves. They are starting a three-game homestand. A result at Buck Shaw stadium tomorrow night keeps that unbeaten mark rolling and the playoffs within reasonable reach.

Who to watch: Darren Huckerby. This guy has been like a Godsend to Frank Yallop and the Quakes. His work ethic on and off the field has been huge and players are feeding off him left and right. I see him making his mark on this one at home, as he typically plays well in front of the home fans.

Where’s the offense?: Still two of the worst offenses in the league right now facing off. KC’s leading scorer is a defender and San Jose has a guy that use to play in the indoor leagues leading their way. Sounds bad right? Still, I think San Jose at home is going to be too much for KC on the road. I just don’t see the Wizards having enough punch to keep up with the Quakes at this point.

What the result will mean: A win for either is big. A loss hurts and starts to put serious talk of no playoffs in 2008 in full gear. A draw just keeps us guessing for another week.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 2, KC 0

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Toronto FC – at – Chivas USA:

Smell that? Desperation kicking in: I would argue that these are the two most desperate clubs in the league right now. Each really need results and each are finding themselves quickly escaping the playoff picture with each passing week.

Something is Fishy: We all know the Fish is in Toronto, or well…with Toronto. A turn to LA for his first game with the Reds is kind of funny to me. How much he will play is up to John Carver. It would be ironic for him to get a goal in the HDC in his first game with Toronto too.

CONCACAF hangover: If any club in MLS will have a hangover from extra games it has to be Chivas. More injuries than anything are the Goats. They traveled to Panama this week and lost. Not a good thing to return to league play and play a club that is probably more desperate than they are.

Who to watch: Sacha Kljestan. Amado Guevara. Who wins the battle in the midfield for these two will determine the game. Guevara actually has targets to pick from these days…while Kljestan just has to create on his own.

What the result will mean: A win for each is good. A loss is killer because each could actually end up at the bottom of their respective conference at the end of the weekend if they lose. A draw would be nearly worthless at this point.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 1, Toronto 1

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Chicago Fire – at – Houston Dynamo:

Best road side against a strong home side: Great matchup, probably the best of the weekend. Thankfully the best for last and not on Telefutra! Anyways, the Fire play so well on the road and Houston always is tough to beat at home. I really see no edge to either club in that respect.

Supporter’s Shield race: Chicago is closer than Houston but don’t sleep on the Dynamo if they get a result on Sunday. With that trophy in reach to each club you have to get a sense that this game may be the biggest of all this weekend.

Midfield battle: Blanco v. DeRo. Clark v. Mapp. I love the battles that will take play between these two this weekend. Defensively the edge is in Chicago’s favor but I would argue that the offense edge at home is in Houston’s corner. The real battle is in the midfield. Who comes out here comes out on top, last time around it was Houston.

Who to watch: Nate Jaqua. Playing his old club you have to think he would love nothing more than to put one or two home against them. Plus his matchup with either Wilman Conde or Bakary Soumare is going to be fun to watch.

What the result will mean: A win for each put them both in striking distance or possibly in the lead in Chicago’s case in regards to the overall table. A loss would be a stumble, more so for Houston at home. A draw would just clog things up even more.

WVH Prediction: Houston 1, Chicago 0