Week Seven Picks

My picks for this weekend's games! I cant say I have the most confidence in them but here you go....

Toronto FC vs Chicago

Can anything go right for Toronto? So far, in league play nothing has gone right. The team was ineffective against Chivas USA at home a week ago, but you figure that something will go in their favor at some point soon, right? Chicago meanwhile got Chris Rolfe back and the one-time Fire standout will have the chance to add punch to the Fire attack once more. He could take the field in this one. Chicago are a better team than Toronto but luck has to smile at some point on Toronto. Look for a draw.

Columbus vs Houston

If Columbus aren't the most boring team in MLS, than they definitely are in the top two. The Crew look lost offensively and while they have the standout that is Chad Marshall anchoring the back, his supporting cast isn't quite as effective. Houston meanwhile could exploit those problems, but the Dynamo have their own issues to solve. Can they be more consistent and dangerous going forward? Do they even want to do that? Houston have three goals in four games yet have seven points to their credit. Set pieces could be key for both teams, though. Look for set-piece goals to cancel each other out as Columbus and Houston draw.

Colorado vs LA Galaxy

The Galaxy did not flip a switch in beating Portland a week ago. They didn't. Sure, they won but it took a late goal to do so; David Beckham's late tally was icing on the cake but the result was most definitely not a convincing one. Still, this team is slowly starting to believe in itself once more and if David Junior Lopes can continue playing in strong form then the Rapids will be in trouble. Still, this match is at home and Colorado were rather unfortunate to leave Seattle with zero points. Colorado have the talent and ability to compete for a top spot but the team will need time for that to happen. This one ends in a draw.

Vancouver vs FC Dallas

Good news - Vancouver scored on Sporting KC! Bad news - that goal matter not as KC routed the 'Caps by 3-1. Still, that result can be dismissed since it was against the high-flying top team in MLS. Vancouver's progress will be measured against teams that they can compete with, such as FC Dallas, who have been up and down this season. FC Dallas enter on an upswing after having scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Montreal on the weekend. But their inconsistency will hurt them as they'll go on a downturn in this one. Vancouver takes full points.

Chivas USA vs Philadelphia

Chivas USA are one of the least-respected clubs in MLS. Granted, they've not shown much of anything over the last two years to warrant respect but this team, this squad assembled by Robin Fraser can and will contend. Oswaldo Minda has been a monster while Juan Pablo Angel could return and would give Chivas USA the consistent scoring threat the team needs in order to truly make a run at the playoffs. Philadelphia meanwhile will come in and hope to keep the game ugly and walk away with at least a point. Chivas USA won't yield much to the Union's punchless attack though. Look for Chivas USA to win.

Portland vs Sporting KC

The bottom hasn't fallen out on Portland but it will here pretty soon. This is a team that has scored the first goal in games against Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA and the Galaxy and have exactly zero points to show for that. Opponents have the confidence that they can and will find the back of the net no matter the situation. Sporting KC likely won't need a late tally in this matchup. One possible danger spot for the visitors though is the wide play of Khalif Alhassan/Eric Alexander/Franck Songo'o. Sporting KC likes to make it difficult in the middle but if Portland can get their wide game going, they could put the high-flyers from Kansas on the defensive. But they won't. Sporting KC win this.

San Jose vs Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake were expected to contend for the conference title but San Jose were not, yet both sides are up there and look poised to remain there throughout the season. San Jose looked very comfortable in breaking down New York's defense and showed considerable poise in coming back (twice) against the Red Bulls. RSL meanwhile have proven to be vulnerable. While RSL have the weapons to take down any team in MLS, San Jose will win this one.

DC United vs New York

DC did not win on Wednesday against Montreal which means they have a good chance of winning this match. DC have not won consecutive matches in some two years but since they enter the match with a draw, a win is possible. New York though do not care about statistics or trends or anything. Thierry Henry is on fine form and so is Kenny Cooper. While the defense could use some fine-tuning, this team is strong and could break it open at anytime. Look for the Red Bulls to take three points in this one.

Week Five Picks

The week has already begun and my picks are already turning on me. I got RSL correctly over Montreal (the gimmie game of the year thus far) and was seconds away from guessing the Dallas-New England match correctly but Ugo Ihemelu had to score a late goal to give Dallas the win. So I got one out of two right.

With a full slate of seven matches set for Saturday, here's hoping the late goals go my way.

Montreal vs Toronto FC

These two Canadian cities have a natural rivalry and now it will spill over into an MLS match. Toronto FC visits MLS's latest entrant in a match that is a budding derby. I suppose it should be a derby given the cities' histories but I'm hesitant to label this as such given the poor state of Toronot FC and the newness of Montreal. Still, it should be a heated affair and Toronto FC should be desperate for a result since they've had nothing to show for their league efforts thus far. Montreal played much better against RSL than they did against New York which gives the club hope coming into this affair. Look for Montreal to gain their first-ever MLS victory.

Columbus vs New York

A rematch of the 2008 MLS Cup final, the Red Bulls visit the Crew in a match that promises... nothing. Columbus may be one of the league's least interesting teams, yet the Crew still manage to get results. Columbus left BMO Field with maximum points a week ago and fared well against Montreal at home. New York meanwhile boast Player of the Month Thierry Henry and seem to be a handful thus far. Still, be wary of New York on the road until they can actually prove something away from home. I see a listless draw.

Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy

The LA Galaxy are all but dead, right? Possibly. The dynasty may be crumbling at a much faster pace than anyone expected. This match may not feature David Beckham (hamstring) nor Landon Donovan (quad). Even with Robbie Keane there, if the other two DPs are out then the Galaxy suddenly look mortal. They've played that way thus far this season, and to put up another such effort in this situation is asking for trouble. Sporing KC are the league's top team right now bar none, having gotten maximum points from all four of their games. But can KC really start the year off with five consecutive victories? I say yes. Sporting KC beats the Galaxy in a closer match than many will expect.

San Jose vs Vancouver

The Whitecaps are on the verge of making history. With a clean sheet - or even, with just 60 minutes worth of scoreless soccer - Vancouver will set the league record for most minutes to start the season off without conceding a goal. At first glance, that appears impressive. But look at who the 'Caps have faced - Montreal, Chivas USA, DC United and Philadelphia. Those aren't exactly teams with great offense. San Jose meanwhile has done remarkable this season, trashing Toronto FC on the road and then stealing a victory at Seattle. Chris Wondolowski will end Vancouver's streak and hand them their first loss of the season. San Jose wins this.

DC United vs Seattle

It's fairly early in the season but DC United have already shown they can get blown out, they can play a gritty (and dull) scoreless draw and can blow out another team. They're running the whole gamut here and it's barely April. Seattle meanwhile continue being one of the top contenders, despite losing to the 'Quakes. Seattle now face adversity and to have to do so on the road could make for an even greater challenge. They should do enough to get a point. Look for this one to end in a draw.

Real Salt Lake vs Colorado

The first of three installments of the Rocky Mountain Cup comes at us on the weekend, and it comes at a good time. Both teams have done well of late. RSL escaped a Wednesday night home match with three points as they got past Montreal as expected but the club certainly had an emotional letdown after the weekend's thrilling come-from-behind victory at Jeld-Wen Field. Colorado also enter this match with a home win, having beaten Chicago 2-0. RSL have won five consecutive Rocky Mountain Cups and their quest for number six will begin with a win.

Portland Timbers vs Chivas USA

Chivas USA's defense is building up a repuation of being stingy. The club has allowed three goals in four games and it should have been less than that. Also, the clean sheet at RSL speaks well for the team's defense. But the attack is all but pathetic as there is nothing going on up front. Portland will give Chivas space and if Chivas cannot score on the Timbers, something must change. Portland is a difficult team to figure out. The club has talent, no doubt, but the mentality seems fragile. Against the Revs, the club just did not show up. RSL put two late goals past Portland a week ago to steal that match, and suddenly the Timbers find themselves on a two-game losing streak. But facing a team with as weak an attack as Chivas will help. Portland wins this one.

Season Totals: 6-5

Week Five Picks, Part I

Nothing says MLS like midweek matches. We have two games here to pick this week, one each on Wednesday and Thursday night. I fared okay last weekend, not bad I suppose. Anyway, let's see how I fare with the appetizers for what will be another full plate of games on the weekend.

Real Salt Lake vs Montreal

On paper this looks like a lopsided matchup. And in reality, it looks like a lopsided matchup. When this one's over, everyone will say what a lopsided matchup this was. Sure, there are no sure things in soccer but RSL is all but a lock to win this one. Montreal have played three times on the road thus far, and have yielded nine goals in those two games. New York had their way with Montreal on Saturday, scoring four unanswered goals at one point. If there is a positive to Montreal, it's that the club has scored first in two of their games. RSL meanwhile has already lost at home, dropping a 1-0 result to Chivas USA their last time out. Might that bode well for Montreal? Hardly. The last time RSL lost two consecutive home matches was in 2007. RSL wins this one easily.

FC Dallas vs New England

I didn't see the Revolution as being a contender this season, or being very competitive at all. Now, they enter FC Dallas Stadium on a two-game winning streak. For a team that has had a meager 60 points combined the last two seasons, that's a great deal. But New England may look better entering this game because of their performance last time out, but they demolished a team that had a host of problems and frankly that made them look better than they are. To counter my own counter, though, the Revs are facing a team in FC Dallas that is a shell of its former self. This is not the team that surprised the league to reach MLS Cup 2010, nor is it the side that was on its way towards another MLS Cup until the bottom fell out late last summer. This team is slow and static and lacks that dynamic play that was their hallmark from the most recent successful stretch. Still, to expect the Revs to win three consecutive games after having played as poorly as they have in the last several years is asking too much. This one's a draw.

Week Three Record: 5-4

Week 4 MLS Picks

One of the outlets I did a lot of work for over the last couple of years was a gambling site. It was actually pretty cool. I would write up match previews in a specific format and then I'd make a pick.

I picked every MLS game for that site from 2008 all the way through last season - regular season, playoffs, MLS Cup. Now, unfortunately, that's over. Having to pick all the games meant I had to stay abreast of what was going on around the league.

We're three weeks in now and I haven't picked a game, and this makes me sad. So I will try and pick the weekend's games here.

DC vs FC Dallas

DC United have yet to win this season while FC Dallas are coming off a tough loss at KC. I expect FC Dallas to come out focused and determined to not let another match slip through their fingers, but I don't think that DC will lose this. Therefore, I see a draw.

Toronto FC vs Columbus

Toronto FC will be in the midst of a difficult stretch. The club will have played San Jose at home on March 24, will have hosted Santos Laguna in a CCL semifinal on the 28th, then will have this home game just four days before playing at Santos. Oh yeah, and Torsten Frings is hurt. And, oh yeah, Toronto's form has been miserable in league. The Crew wins this edition of the Trillium Cup.

New York vs Montreal

Poor Impact. Their hopes were high going into the season but now the team is finding out that life in MLS for expansion teams is difficult. Their fragile confidence has been shattered after a come-from-ahead draw to Chicago at home and a bad loss to Columbus on the road. No goals in two road games... make that no goals in three road games. New York takes this one handily.

Philadelphia vs Vancouver

Easily the most-anticipated matchup of the weekend. I mean, it's Sebastien Le Toux's return to Philly for chrissake. Will that make it the best game of the weekend? Maybe, maybe not but I think it makes this the most difficult game of the weekend to pick. On the one hand, Le Toux may come out fired up and might be ready to score two or three goals on Philly. But at the same time, that feeling may make you look away from the facts - Vancouver, for all they've improved, still aren't a proven team (they will need more than just a 1-0 win at Chivas to change that for me) and that makes them unreliable. As a general rule I don't like to take unreliable teams to win road games. So I'm calling this a draw.

Seattle vs San Jose

The 'Quakes put three past Toronto FC but don't be fooled. That had as much to do with Toronto FC adjusting to life without Torsten Frings and their focus on the CCL as it did with San Jose's own attacking prowess. Seattle are strong and at home and perhaps they will run out of magic at some point soon up at Century Link but I don't see it happening this weekend. Seattle wins this one.

Portland vs Real Salt Lake

Dear Portland... what was that? The Timbers put in a miserable performance against what I feel is the worst team in the league in New England, allowing an early goal and putting exactly zero past Matt Reis. Portland's woes on the road continue, but that of course means nothing as they return to Jeld-Wen Field. RSL had their own troubling loss but RSL played well enough to at least get a point away from their match. RSL are more sound and more settled and that will equate to success. RSL takes the full three points on the road.

LA Galaxy vs New England

Don't be fooled. The Galaxy aren't the juggernaut they were in 2011 and they have traditionally struggled against New England, even at home. A year ago, the Revs stole a point from the Galaxy's home opener and New England has won three of their last six matches vs the Galaxy at Home Depot Center. New England will surely try and exploit the Galaxy's woeful central defense, which has been a part of the Galaxy having allowed eight goals in four games across all competitions. New England will play the Galaxy tough and will get a draw from this game.

Colorado vs Chicago

What matters more - Colorado's awful showing from a week ago or Chicago's strong four points? Chicago certainly has more momentum and with Dominic Oduro on a scoring streak the Fire appear poised to challenge. However, consider this: Chicago are 1-3-1 vs. Colorado at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and have won just three games all-time at Colorado. The Rapids will bounce back with a win.

Chivas USA vs Sporting KC

Sporting KC are on a tear. They've bested all competition thus far, whether it's been at home or on the road. Their offense was supposed to produce these kinds of results as CJ Sapong and Kei Kamara from the start of one of the top attacks in the league. Teal Bunbury will return to give Peter Vermes another piece to the puzzle. But Chivas USA came off a potentially defining victory that if nothing else gives the team a load of confidence entering this match. Will that be enough to topple mighty KC? No, but I think it will be enough to earn a point. Look for a draw from this match.