Columbus Crew at FC Dallas – Dallas has a chance to take over first spot in the West, as well as to hold the best record in MLS, at least for a day until NE plays. Dallas has to be tired, with Superliga games, Open cup matches and MLS regular season games piled on top of each other the last two weeks. I was surprised to see them use their near starting lineup in the open cup this week, I though they would give a few guys a rest. Columbus has been playing well, but still sit in 9th overall, just out of the playoffs. The next three matches will go a long way in telling if they make the playoffs of not, away at Dallas, home to DC United then back to Texas to visit Houston. Three loses, and I think they are just about done. Look for Columbus to pack it in, Dallas struggles against a team that drops everyone behind the ball. A point would be good for Columbus here, the question is if they can get it. Columbus Crew 0, FC Dallas 1

Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids – Houston looked a bit tired in their match at RSL last week, giving up a late game goal to lose on the road. Don’t look for Houston to overlook Colorado this week. Colorado is still winless since May, though they now have three in a row at home, Houston, followed by New England and Los Angeles. The first two will be tough for them, but they may be able to pick up a win in a few weeks against LA. Colorado just doesn’t have any midfield to speak of, and Houston should pick them apart. Houston Dynamo 3, Colorado Rapids 1

Toronto FC at New York Red Bull – NY has looked horrific at times over the last few months, but the right team may be arriving this week to make them look good. Toronto is banged up, and had a hard time competing with crappy Galaxy team at home last week. Look for them to give a decent effort, but in the end, they just don’t have the manpower to keep up with a mediocre NY team. Toronto FC 0, NYRB 2

Los Angeles Galaxy at New England Revolution – The LA Circus continues onto New England. They were poor for most of the game at DC, and should have lost by a much larger margin. They have no depth at all, and Lalas has traded away many of their young guys with a future who could fill in at times like this. Beckham looked good off the bench, it will be interesting t see how he does for a full 90 minutes, which I don’t think we will see for a few more weeks. New England is too good to even tie with LA, look for Galavision to have their own Beckham Cam, with more snarls after the Galaxy are down a few goals at half time. LA Galaxy 1, NE Revolution 3

Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire – The Fire stunned everyone last week with an easy win at Toronto FC, really their first decent match in months. Columbus has been playing well, but has had some time off since their last match, two weeks since they beat Toronto at home. If Chicago can play with the same urgency they displayed last week, they should be able to win. Look for this match to be won in the midfield, and whichever team can control possession, will win, though I see this one pretty close, and I think both teams will be happy with a draw. Columbus Crew 1, Chicago Fire 1

Colorado Rapids at FC Dallas – Colorado seems to be doomed this season, Clavijo should have been fired long ago, and the moves the front office is making seem strange. Colorado is winless in their last 9, with their last win coming on May 26. With new acquisition Medhi Ballouchy suspended by the league for a dirty elbow, their midfield will struggle again to control any part of the match at Dallas. Look for Dallas to score early, and have plenty of chances throughout the match. Colorado Rapids 0, FC Dallas 3

Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake – RSL is a much better team now than they were at the start of the season, despite losing Adu. Houston has had a few tough Superliga matches this week, and may be overlooking RSL. The last match like this for RSL was when DC United came in on a 7 game streak without a loss, and ended up losing to RSL when no one expected it. Houston is on a 10 game streak of it’s own, and we may see the same this week. If RSL can score early, they will win, if not, look for Houston to score late and walk away with their streak at 11. For what it is worth, the last time I predicted RSL to lose was the DC United game. Houston Dynamo 1, Real Salt Lake 0

DC United at New England Revolution – Best match up of the week. NE is on a roll, with a win at RSL last Saturday and a win at KC midweek, they are now atop the table in the East. DC is beat up, and the recent Superliga matches have not helped much. NE should dominate this match, though when these two teams get together, you never know what will happen. DC United 1, NE Revolution 3

Los Angeles Galaxy at Toronto FC – Will he or won’t he? Toronto seems to have have lost what they found earlier in the year, a way to stay in matches. That long road trip, where they played nothing but bunker ball really has taken it out of them. They looked horrific at home last week against Chicago. With the loss of Cunningham, they have lost all of their attacking capabilities. The Galaxy haven’t played a league match since July 7, so no one knows exactly what will happen when they take the pitch. While Beckham is a great player, I just don’t see him making much difference at all with this team. LA Galaxy 1, Toronto FC 1

NE Revolution at Real Salt Lake – Real has completely made over their horrific midfield in the last few weeks. With both Beckerman and Sturgis now playing D-Mid, they are both ball winners and ball holders, have done a great job in their two friendlies at controlling the match. Look for Real to make one bonehead defensive mistake and give up a goal that should never have happened, and look for them to score now that they have a decent midfield who can hold the ball. NE Revolution 1, Real Salt Lake 3

Chicago Fire at Toronto FC – Toronto returns home after the 6 most boring matches ever played on the road. Bunker Bob is back. Hopefully, Toronto, now they are back home, they will open up a bit and play some good soccer. Chicago is suffering, but a decent tie at home against Celtic with Blanco now in tow may give them some confidence. I am not sure it will be enough to beat Toronto, but who knows. Chicago Fire 0, Toronto FC 0

Chivas USA at Kansas City – Best game of the week. Chivas and KC love to both run, and this could be a wide open match. Chivas will be on 3 days rest, and may look to counter attack and just hope for a point out of this one. With a tough match in NY, I think it will depend on how that match goes. A win, and they may sit back, a tie or loss, and they may feel they have to attack to pick up points. EJ is on fire, why isn’t anyone else in the world after this guy besides Derby? Could you imagine this guy in Spain or Portugal in a free flowing league? Chivas USA 2, Eddie Johnson 2 In other words, a tie.

DC United at NY Red Bulls – Two teams struggling to keep the ball out of the back of their net. NY did better last week, only giving up one goal at NE, while DC gave up three second half goals against Dallas. NY is in a nose dive, they can’t seem to get any service to Angel at all, and their chances on goal have all but dried up. This match could go any way, one lucky bounce could give either team the win. DC should play well, but they are missing quite a few players with injury. DC United 1, NY Red Bull 1

Toronto FC at Columbus Crew – Toronto has been away from home quite a while, and their last match was not exactly a thing of beauty, the fact that bunker Bob was on the TFC bench was evident. Look for something similar this week, Columbus should control the match, out shoot TFC 4 to 1, while TFC will bunker back and just hope for a point on the road. Toronto 0, Columbus Crew 1

Colorado Rapids at Kansas City Wizards – Colorado is just about done for the season, with what appears to be a lame duck coach, and having this week waived their second leading scorer and trading away their fan favorite. Kansas City is playing well now that EJ is back, and should be able to run through a weakened Rapids midfield. Colorado Rapids 0, KC Wizards 3

For anyone traveling to Munich, the new Allianz Arena has a fantastic tour available. While we weren’t allowed on the pitch, the rest of the stadium is fantastic.

Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire – First game for new Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Teams usually play well in their first game under a new coach, but will it really matter? Houston has won 7 of their last 8 games, and is not giving up goals at all. With their full Gold Cup/Coppa America players back, they should be even better now. Look for Chicago to start playing better next week. Houston Dynamo 2, Chicago Fire 0

FC Dallas at DC United – After a rough start, DC has turned their season around, and now is near the top of the table in the East. Dallas has been playing well as well, with more points than DC United, but having played more games. Look for Dallas to bunker back, and counter attack, and hope for a 1 – 0 win. Will it work, probably not. FC Dallas 1, DC United 1

New England Revolution at NY Red Bull – Probably the game of the week. NY has been horrific in the back the last 2 months, and after cutting just about every defender on their roster, has yet to find a solid back line. NE is playing well, and with Twellman back, he should run wild, though every time I say that, he disappears. I just don’t see NY holding NE to less than 2 goals, and it will come down to whether NY can score enough goals to keep up. I think not. NE Revolution 3, NY Red Bull 2

Real Salt Lake at KC Wizards – two teams going in the wrong direction. KC is winless in the last 6, though EJ is back, which should help. RSL has been embarrassed the last two matches after a win over DC (good thing I was out of the country). RSL should play better than last week at Columbus, though they are without Ballouchy and Esky. A few young guys will get a chance for RSL in this match, and if they can limit mistakes, they should have a decent chance at getting a point if not better. RSL has beaten KC once this year during the open cup, but that was at home. All things lead to another loss for RSL, but I see them turning a corner, and KC extending their losing streak. RSL 2, KC Wizards 1

Columbus Crew at Chivas USA – Columbus is on a roll, going from bottom of the table to in playoff contention. Chivas is nearly unbeatable at home this year, with only one tie. Chivas hasn’t been dominating at home, but they find a way to win. I am just not sure what to think of Columbus, there really isn’t any part of the team that impresses me, but they have figured out how to win. Chivas should control this match, but this is a hard one to figure out. Columbus 1, Chivas USA 2

Toronto FC at Houston Dynamo – Toronto has been playing well, even picking up their first, though undeserved, road win of the year at RSL. However, Houston is in a different league than everyone else right now, will break the league record for the longest streak without being scored upon sometime during this match. While Toronto may sneak in a goal sometime during the match, it doesn’t seem likely, and it seems even less likely that they will be able to keep Houston of the back of the net. Toronto 0, Houston 3

Colorado Rapids at DC United – Colorado, early on, looked to be one of the best teams in the West, but has since fallen on hard times, with four straight losses, and not having scored more than one goal since a late April win at RSL. DC seemed to have everything back on track, until a loss last week at RSL, where they looked disinterested. Playing back at home, and with the loss of a few key players, those on the pitch should be much more interested. Look for Colorado to continue to struggle on the road, and DC to pick up where they left off. Colorado Rapids 0, DC United 2

Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas – The two top teams in the West, they both looked destined to make the playoffs baring any crazy injuries. FC Dallas keeps on finding a way to win, despite not looking impressive for weeks now. Houston on the other hand, just can’t seem to find a way to loose. They finally figured out how to score, and now look nearly unstoppable. With the return of the Gold Cup players, it will be interesting to see if they can continue the great team play that has got them to where they are now. With Dallas at home, this could be a great match. Look for Houston to score early, and try to hold on for the win. Houston Dynamo 2, FC Dallas 2

NY Red Bull at Columbus Crew – Look out, Columbus is on a roll. With two wins in a row, they have lifted themselves out of the Eastern cellar, and are now looking to get into the playoff race with another game at home this week. 6 weeks ago, these two teams played in NY, with NY dominating in a 4 – 0 win. With Columbus playing better, and at home, look for a better match this time around. NY is struggling on defense, giving up 11 goals in their last four matches. Arena gutted the defense this week, releasing four players and trading another. If your defense is struggling, I am not sure the best way to sure it up is to cut all the backups. I guess we will see. NY Red Bull 2, Columbus Crew 3

NE Revolution at Chivas USA – NE has given up 6 goals on the road this season in 6 matches. Chivas has been playing well, despite a nasty 4 – 0 loss on the road to Houston last week. Back home, where they are undefeated this year, Chivas should be able to handle NE’s defense, and get chances on goal. Whether they will finish them or not will determine the outcome of this match. NE Revolution 0, Chivas USA 1

Colorado Rapids at Chicago Fire – Colorado has a tough week, game on Thursday in DC, Sunday in Chicago, Wednesday at home against Columbus and then another game Sunday at home against NYRB. Four matches in 10 days, including a decent amount of travel. The Rapids can’t score on the road, or at all, while Chicago looks to start off right with new interim manager Denis Hamlett. If Chicago were healthy at all, Denis would still be second in command. While I just don’t see Colorado wining this match, I can’t see Chicago doing so either. Look for a defensive match, with both coaches receiving red cards for boring play. Now that I say that, it will end up 5 – 5. Colorado Rapids 1, Chicago Fire 1

Toronto FC at Kansas City Wizards – Well, Toronto on the road, instant loss, correct? Toronto has a tough stretch here, with six straight road matches while the U-20s are in Toronto. You figure they have to pull it together sometime, and with 6 straight on the road, this could crashing down on them, or they could figure out how to play on the road. Their first match was a 3 – 0 defeat at NE, and look for that trend to continue, as KC has to be a bit upset with their performance at Columbus last week and that home loss to Houston. Look for them to take it out on Toronto. Toronto FC 0, Kansas City Wizards 5

By the way, if any of you find yourself in Munich with a bit of free time, head out to Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich. They do an English tour every day at 1 PM. Well worth the time and money. Fantastic stadium, now I need to find a way to come back during the Bundesliga season.

Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo – Chivas played well at home at Colorado, but then again, they could beat Colorado on the moon. Houston has been playing better, but will still be missing their Gold Cup players. This is a big match up for second place in the West, and should be the match of the week. Usually when I say that, it ends up being a 0 – 0 draw with no shots on goal. Look for Chivas to control the midfield with their speed, but not be able to get good chances on goal. Chivas 2, Houston Dynamo 2

Toronto FC at NE Revolution – Toronto blew Dallas out of the water last weekend at home, but they have yet to win on the road this year. Toronto will be playing 6 straight on the road, starting with NE, it could be a long time before they see another win. Even though NE is missing a few players at the Gold Cup, they are good enough to handle Toronto at home. Look for Cunningham to have a few break aways and not be able to score. Toronto FC 0, NE Revolution 3

FC Dallas at Colorado Rapids – Dallas was fortunate to get a win at RSL, and looked horrible at Toronto. Another game on the road, this week at Colorado. Neither team is playing all that well, but with Colorado at home, look for their defense first style to work this week, and both teams will walk away with a point. FC Dallas 1, Colorado Rapids 1

DC United at RSL – RSL moved Chris Klein this week for Nathan Sturgis and Robbie Findlay, so they now have one more hole to fill in their roster. RSL’s defense looked solid for a few weeks, then they looked horrible in two games last week. If they can play well this week, and limit the number of shots Rimando has to face, they should do fine. I just don’t see RSL winning this week, a tie would be a good result. With the altitude, hot weather and big home crowd, they may get lucky. DC United 2, RSL 2

Columbus Crew at LA Galaxy – Just when you think you have the crew figured out, they man handle KC at home midweek. The Galaxy are coming off a win at home against RSL. Columbus has been horrible on the road this year, with three loses and two ties. The Galaxy seem to be retooling for the arrival of Beckham in a few weeks, and once he as well as Pavon arrive, they could suddenly be very good. If Jacqua could figure out how to put the ball in the back of the net, they could be even better. Look for Columbus to bunker back, and be out shout by LA 3 to 1. Columbus Crew 1, LA Galaxy 3

Houston Dynamo at KC Wizards – Should be the game of the week, Houston is playing well, probably better than any team in the league right now, and KC is leading the East (well, 1 point back of NY with a game in hand). Both are coming off of games midweek, KC looked bad in Columbus while Houston dominated Chivas at home. It appears Houston has figured out their scoring problems, and has the best defense in the league, while KC looked average midweek without EJ. Look for Houston to continue their scoring ways. Houston Dynamo 3, KC Wizards 1

Columbus Crew at NE Revolution – Columbus has not been playing well at all, going 0-4-2 the last 6 matches. NE was playing well prior to the loss of their Gold Cup players, but playing at home against a Columbus side looking for a tie, they should roll pretty easily. Columbus 0, NE Revolution 2

Chicago at DC United – With the win at home last week against NYRB, DC appears to be back. Well, back enough to be considered in the top half of the league. They aren’t the dominant team of the first of last year, but are playing better than earlier this year. Chicago has been ok, but not great. Playing on the road, they have been horrible, losing their last three. In theory, DC shouldn’t have a problem, but this is one of those matches where anything could happen. Chicago should play counter attacks, and could easily score a 1 – 0 win. I am going with DCU, but don’t be surprised if Chicago pulls it out in the last 10 minutes. Chicago 0, DC United 1

KC Wizards at NY Red Bull – Well, the leagues best team (KCW) without their best player, playing on the road at NYRB, should be the best match of the week. KC beat NYRB two weeks ago at home with EJ in tow, but this could be different. NY is still beat up, but Angel has been playing like crazy, and should do well again this week. Look for NYRB to eek out a win at home in a defensive match. KC Wizards 1, NYRB 2

Colorado Rapids at Chivas USA – Chivas pulls off a big win on the road in Chicago last week, while Colorado lost on the road in Houston. Chivas plays well at home, while Colorado has lost their road touch of late. Chivas shouldn’t have a problem with the Rapids at home, and should be able to score at will. Colorado 0, Chivas 3

FC Dallas at Toronto FC – Two games on the road for Dallas in 4 days, and Toronto still is a tough place to play. Toronto will be without newly acquired Tyrone Marshall due to red card suspension. All things are pointing to a Dallas loss in this one, but I think, coming off the loss to RSL, they will be looking for at least a point. FC Dallas 2, Toronto FC 2

Real Salt Lake at LA Galaxy – This is RSL’s chance to get back into the playoff race. The Galaxy are easily the league’s worst team right now, and they just traded away their best remaining player in Marshall. Until they get Donovan back, and get Xavier and Beckham in the line up, they may never win again. RSL 2, LA Galaxy 0

NY Red Bull at Toronto – NYRB had been playing well, slumped a bit, and has been back beating up teams, at home. Toronto doesn’t look like an expansion team at all, at home. Toronto now faces NYRB and FC Dallas at home, followed by six straight road games. It could be a long time before they see another point. JPA has been a beast of late, just showing what an experienced world class player can do in this league. Look for him to dominate a once again week back Toronto line. NYRB 2, Toronto FC 0

Colorado at Houston Dynamo – Well, a stumper here if I have ever seen one. Dynamo start playing a bit better (they actually scored), and then they loose a bunch of guys to the Gold Cup. Colorado plays pretty well on the road, but they never show up in Toronto and get dominated. Colorado will be playing for a tie, and I have a feeling Houston may be as well. Could be the most boring game of the year. Colorado Rapids 1, Houston Dynamo 1

LA Galaxy at FC Dallas – Well, how many players will LA gave on the bench this week? My guess, 2 plus a goalie. Hope no one gets hurt. I just don’t see LA competing at all in this match, or any matches until Donovan returns from Gold Cup play in a few weeks (then leaves again for CA). FC Dallas is at home, and should be able to dominate the midfield with their speed. Look for chances a plenty for the FC Dallas forwards. FC Dallas 3, LA Galaxy 0

Chivas USA at Chicago Fire – Who knows which Chicago team will show up this week. In the end, it really won’t matter, as they should be good enough to beat a depleted Chivas team at home. They did a good job beating Columbus last week at home down a man, but really, it is Columbus after all. The team knows they need to win and win big at home to keep Dave S on the bench for much longer, and this should add a few more weeks to his job. Chicago Fire 1, Chivas USA 0

New York Red Bull at DC United – Of all the games this week, this is the one I would like to be at. Great rivalry, no love loss here. NYRB is playing well, but with a match on Wednesday, and traveling to play again on Sunday, it might take a toll on this team. DC is playing better, but not great, and under normal circumstances, I would see a NYRB win on the road, but with the injuries to the Red Bull back line, and the travel, look for a better game. NYRB 2, DC United 2

Houston Dynamo at Columbus Crew – Houston has to play on Thursday at home, then travel to Columbus for a Sunday match up, already short some key players. Still, even then, Houston should win this match. Columbus is just not good, they can’t win on the road, and it seems they just hope to tie at home. Look for Houston to bust it at home against Colorado, and then travel to Columbus and bunker back and hope to catch Columbus off guard. Another boring match possible here. Houston Dynamo 1, Columbus Crew 1