The last time Real Salt Lake lost a home match was May 16th 2009, 23 home matches ago. It is impossible to beat Real Salt Lake at home but guess what - New York probably has the best chance of doing so, out of all the teams in the league. RSL has been chugging along all season with very solid home form and solid away form, just solid all around. They have finally learned to play as a team (and imagine, they still had many things to work on even after winning the championship last year) and have found a balance teams like Columbus, Los Angeles, and Dallas have not found yet - Dallas draws too many matches, Los Angeles have shaky stretches where their defense collapses, Columbus simply shuts off sometimes - and this reflects their place in the league, third overall. They could probably have more points if they felt like it, but they themselves know more than anyone it's about the playoffs and not winning every match in the regular season. Ever since their coach Jason Kreis said they would play more defensively away from home as to not waste energy since they are in the CONCACAF Champions League as well, which brings six additional fixtures, they have drawn their last three matches away from home. This is a finely-tuned team that can be shaped to whatever the occasion deserves, and they will have to be at their best against the surging Red Bulls. RSL play best when the other team's offense is shut down first of all, when they are in full control of the situation, which often consists of an early offensive until they get the lead, so after that they can choose their spots. Or if a team plays defensively, like the best teams in Europe they can gradually turn the pressure on until they break through, usually in the second half.

The Red Bulls are the biggest question mark going into this fixture - they have played very well recently, impressing in every situation. It's been six matches since Henry and Marquez have been brought in and the team has been readjusted, resulting in three wins, two draws, and one loss. Only recently however has the team really gotten used to playing with each other. They destroyed Toronto (who were previously undefeated at home this season, the only other team aside from RSL to hold out this long) and destroyed San Jose 2-0, and it could have been much much more had they really stepped on the accelerator - they are moving the ball with such ease and have become a very enjoyable team to watch. The team has always shown flashes of this but only since the late arrivals arrived have they been pushed over the edge. If one team can control the ball as well as RSL does it's New York finally finding their form. Columbus and Los Angeles have faltered in Utah, but their style isn't offensive and primarily relies on shutting down other teams, something you can't really do with RSL. Thus in my opinion New York have the option to play defensively or fight fire with fire, and I think they will do the latter as when anyone attempts the first... you get a 15 month home unbeaten run in Salt Lake City.

Over 2.5

FC Dallas vs Toronto FC September 4 MLS Preview

This match is extremely important for Toronto FC and will be a great indication of exactly where they stand in the league. They are already off-pace for the playoffs, having been comfortably in there only a few weeks ago - however a horrible run of getting three points out of fifteen in their last five games has left them with some ground to catch up. They are two points behind the last playoff spot (San Jose 29, Toronto 27) and they will have to pick up away points if they want to get in. Their away record stands at a miserable 1-1-7 - and a good home record isn't enough for MLS anymore. This is a far cry from the MLS of the past where almost two-thirds of the league got into the postseason - now the league is not just a blob of mediocrity where a few points separate ten teams, but a real heirarchy of top teams, bottom teams, and those in the middle. A team must pick up results both home and away to get in - or else have an almost perfect home record and a weak competing field to get in (like last year's Real Salt Lake). For all intents and purposes five teams are already in the playoffs (barring any major slipups) and five already eliminated - this leave eight teams to fight for three spots (with three of these teams slipping), and this week we may finally see Toronto FC fall out of the race for good.

Dallas has been a pleasant surprise this season, slipping under the radar with some decent soccer and not much hype - this could be because they've actually drawn more matches than they've won - but nevertheless they are unbeatable. Dallas has only been beaten twice this season, the next best team in this department being RSL with four losses. Dallas plays a very solid style, with a very tight defense and an offense that can get them out of tough spots. They are undefeated in their last twelve matches and have won their last five home matches, all to average opponents. They seem to be the second hottest team in the league behind Seattle, and the most recognizable teams at the top of the West (RSL, LA) will have to be very wary of this team as they are capable of getting results anywhere. Dallas is the biggest favorite on the board for a reason (although MLS favorites don't seem like big favorites at just -140 here, compared to other leagues) as they can still make a run to the top of the West with a strong finish, a win cutting the Galaxy's hold on first place to just three points. This seems like a straightforward looking match - Toronto doesn't have a good offense away from home, they have a horrendous away record, and Dallas has won five straight at home with a very solid 6-3-1 record there. Yet Toronto can definitely pull off a surprise like they did in Los Angeles (a 0-0 where LA were favored at -200) - although unfortunately for Toronto this is simply not enough to stay in the race. They must go for a victory in this situation, at the very least a draw. Unfortunately again for Toronto, Dallas has shown great skill in breaking down defenses while leaving themselves unexposed at the back (2-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-1, 1-0 victories in their last five home matches are perfect examples), playing Toronto's home style to even greater effect. Dallas are the team Toronto wished to be this season.

FC Dallas win

New England Revolution vs Seattle Sounders September 4 MLS Preview

The New England Revolution's playoff hopes took a huge hit last week as they were hosting one of the worst teams in the league this year, the Philadelphia Union. The Revolution were doing their job correctly, leading 1-0 around the half while shutting down their opponents - the master gameplan created by Steve Nicol to squeeze the most out of a limited Revolution side - until a red card changed the match completely, and gave the Union the momentum they needed to turn the match around. They scored twice in the last 10 minutes to win the match 2-1, and severely dent the Revolution's playoff hopes. They must win almost all their remaining matches to even have a shot, being around 10 points out of contention. Things aren't made easier with the Sounders coming to town on Saturday, as the Sounders are the in-form team in the league, picking up 16 of 18 points in their last 6 matches, the only glitch being a draw at Chivas USA. Seattle has struggled throughout the season until the World Cup break, as they got rid of an unhappy Ljungberg and brought in Blaise N'Kufo, a different style but effective forward that holds up the ball well when balls through to Montero won't work. All of a sudeden (even though N'Kufo isn't scoring much) they are a massive offensive threat, which releases the pressure off the defense, who had been struggling and the reason for the Sounders misforunes. Seattle's last three away matches have gone under 1.5, beating DC and San Jose 1-0 while drawing with Chivas, and has a lot in common with the Revolution philosophy - scrape a goal and defend defend defend. The Revolution's last four of five home matches have been under (except for the fiasco against the Union) because they like to keep it close.

The Revolution might have reached a turning point in the season, after losing this match to the Union, basically eliminating them (barring a miraculous run) from the playoffs. They also lost the only thing worth playing for in their season, the Superliga final 2-1 to Monarcas Morelia of Mexico. They must re-evaluate where they are going to be next year, since this season's roster of players just isn't working out. Perhaps the players might also be losing their winning mentality after that great Superliga run, because now they've lost three in a row in the MLS. I think they won't be motivated for the last 1/3rd of the season and they will be experimenting with new players, new tactics, new everything. This is finally the last year they can use the same players, because it's been a steady decline throughout the last 3-4 years - from championship matches, to semifinals, to 1st round exits, down to not even making the playoffs this year. The reasoning is simple - the Revolution have nothing to play for, and the Sounders, the hottest team in the league in the middle of a playoff chase, unbeaten for seven matches, have everything to play for. Expect this to be a tight affair with superior quality coming through in the end. Seattle Sounders win

DC United vs Columbus Crew September 4 MLS Preview

These two teams are at the opposite ends of the league. DC United has had its worst record in years, and is currently sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 15 points, with 4 wins 3 draws and 15 losses, not beating a tough opponent once except their shock in Seattle. Columbus is at the top of the Eastern Conference with 41 points, and have a ercord of 12 wins 5 draws and 5 losses. Colubmus is looking to hold off the late charge by the NY Red Bulls, who have quietly snuck up, previously being 10+ points behind Columbus, to being just 4 points behind them. This may be important in the playoff race, as the home team gets the one-game Eastern Conference final should they make it that far, and Columbus is almost unbeatable at home losing only two games in eleven at home, which is right in line as a home record compared to their last two seasons where they lost only twice at home as well. Columbus has a very varied attack with Guillermo Barros Schelotto carrying the load as a playmaker, which unleashes other players such as Emilio Renteria and Steven Lenhart into dangerous levels - they are both having great seasons with Schelotto providing service. A steady backbone of Hedjuk/O'Rourke as the marauding fullbacks and Marshall/Iro in the middle create one of the stingiest defenses in the league, with Columbus letting in only 20 goals total. DC United are a completely different proposition though - DC is tied with the Union to their worst defensive record, as they lack imagination of front and in the mid-field while their defense cannot get it together. They are frequently pressured into mistakes as the game goes on, and you see them breakdown in the 2nd half most of the time.

DC has lost four of their last five matches, losing to RSL, Revolution, and Chivas away from home - always shut out, as DC has scored only 6 goals away from home (same from KC but that is besides the point, at least KC can score at home) while at home they are actually slightly better, with 1 wins 1 draw and 3 losses in 5 home games, the results coming against Real Salt Lake and the Union. The Crew have had away troubles lately which is quite uncharacteristic for them, they haven't been scoring much on the road. Their only success in their last five away games has been against the Union, the team you can compare United most to, as they have similar numbers (home goals allowed Philly 12 - DC 16) which is never a good thing. At least Philadelphia can score every so often at home, DC often find themselves shutout against decent defenses, if they aren't getting battered and they are being allowed to play a bit more from behind in a match. Columbus is clearly the superior team here and their first goal will be to limit DC's chances while getting a counter or two of their own - something very likely according to how DC's recent games have gone (0-1 Sounders, 1-2 Galaxy, 1-3 Dallas) who all play with a similar philosophy to Columbus away from home. This will likely be a tight match as DC doesn't give up easily, yet they will be overmatched during the late stages of the game, when DC usually allows goals to fly in.

Columbus win

Chicago Fire vs Los Angeles Galaxy September 4 MLS Preview

Both of these teams are in interesting positions heading down the final matches of the season. Los Angeles has been first in the league all season, winning matches comfortably but are starting to slip up, losing three of their last four league matches. All of a sudden three teams are breathing down its neck for first place - Columbus (2 points back), Real Salt Lake (3 points back), and New York (6 points back) - and with their form plus a tough couple of matches coming up they are in real jeopardy of losing the top spot, but perhaps it is exactly what they need for motivation. They had been the perfect team until now - perfect defensive record, always put in their chances, and generally had better players - they crushed the entire league, winning at the toughest places to play, and not even letting in a goal at home. Now they are in a crisis, stuck giving up early goals in all of their matches while they can't figure out how to get back into it. Signs are starting to show that they are nothing but a front-running team, they have not made a convincing comeback yet this season. The Chicago Fire are in the middle of the playoff race, eight points off the final playoff spot with two/three games in hand over their nearest competitors. It's quite a simple task for them the rest of the way, win and they're in. The teams around them keep faltering and showing inconsistent form, and any minor run (let's say three matches won in a row) could see them in a great position heading into their final games of the season. Just take the Red Bulls a month ago, they were in second place, Columbus was way out of sight and it looked like a race between NY and Toronto for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference (and a guaranteed playoff spot). Four matches later, they are a whopping 10 points clear of Toronto, and within striking distance of the top teams in the league. A tiny run can pay off big in this league.

The Galaxy are a slightly better team away from home than they are at home - they love to sit back, absorb pressure, then hit on the counterattack. During this losing streak they've seemed absolutely clueless at home, unable to break teams down when they are expected to attack while the visitors defend. Away from home however, things have gone well. They defeated NY 1-0 in a great performance that gave the Red Bulls no space to operate, they lost 1-0 to San Jose in a game where they allowed an early goal yet slaughtered the Earthquakes the rest of the way but couldn't put one in. They feel more comfortable striking from a distance, allowing the other team to set the pace, and in this match they have the perfect partner in the Chicago Fire. The Fire are 2-2-1 in their last 5 matches at home, their love of keeping it close along with their defect of not exactly having the best defense probably costing them points. Usually when they have the offensive impetus they also allow a few goals, and when they don't they can usually focus on shutting the other team down effectively, something they will probably try to do in this game because they are overmatched defensively. Both teams have been having defensive struggles yet the approaches are perfect in that both teams are shaky but their styles will do the best to prevent any kind of defensive defects. Except a close match without many chances, the team that controls the midfield will control the game.

Under 2.5

Philadelphia Union vs Kansas City Wizards September 4 MLS Preview

Both teams are coming off surprising victories at the weekend, Philadelphia beating the New England Revolution 2-1 with two goals coming in the last ten minutes of the match after the Revs picked up a red card, and the Wizards coming off a surprising but not so surprising 2-0 win in Los Angeles against the Galaxy. Both teams were not favored to even get a point in these matches, yet circumstances brought them good fortune - the Revolution with a red card after pretty much dominating the match until that point, and the Galaxy being stuck in a strange quagmire that makes them give up goals early then struggle on offense and never recover. We've got teams in similar positions, on the outside looking in in the playoffs chase. The Union with that win, keep their fading hopes alive for another week, bringing the Revolution down with them, and the Wizards with the win keep themselves in contention for the playoffs, though they are three points behind of the last place. These results were most likely anomalies due to the circumstances, as these teams are usually not good enough to pull off these type of results normally. The Union lost the reverse fixture in Kansas City 2-0 back in June, something that didn't change either teams fortunes, and they continued struggling with the same defects in their teams. The Union has a weak defense and although they can score they let too many goals in, they can't finish off games when in a drawing position, and the Wizards can't generate offense away from home, and often struggle to break through stubborn defenses. The 2-0 score was a perfect encapsulation of where both teams lay in the league, now will this fixture in Philadelphia also accurately portray this again?

Philadelphia at home are a strange team, they love to dominate possession and have no trouble creating chances, yet they simply don't put the chances away and allow the other team to get back into it, and when the opposing team is content with their result (usually while achieving a draw) they can sit back and soak up the pressure, usually to good effect. Three 1-1 draws in the last four Union home matches show this fact. The Wizards thrive on this defensive pressure away from home, and their current form is pretty good. If they can apply effective pressure the Union will most likely not find a way through, and if they do the Wizards can strike on their own. Among the impressive away results they've created have been a 2-0 win against the Galaxy, a 1-1 draw in Colorado, and a 1-0 win at the toughest place to play in the league, Columbus. If they get beaten its a close score of 0-1 (San Jose, Dallas) - but the Union are certainly not a team to play this style - every single home match of theirs has seen each team get a goal. Judging both teams strengths and weaknesses, the Wizards in this great form can absorb the Union at their best, therefore take the Wizards at a +.5, they have enough of what it takes to get a result here.

Wizards +.5

Mallorca vs Real Madrid August 29 La Liga Preview

It's the start of La Liga, which means plenty of opportunities for the big two to eat up little opponents again. Last years fixture between Mallorca and Real Madrid was highly anticipated, as Mallorca was flying high in fourth place at the time, good enough for a Champions League qualification place. They were one of the best teams at home, with 12 wins and 1 loss before they met Madrid, and as the Madrid/Barcelona race was coming to its end the match was very important to Madrid. Lose and Barcelona has smooth sailing to the title, but then again ever match is a must-win when these two teams are concerned, as they both reached their highest point totals ever during last year's season. Mallorca's home field advantage was/is mistifying for many reasons, one fact being that they didn't even get good home support, the stadium always half-full with about 13000 supporters, yet somehow Mallorca got enough motivation from this to play almost perfectly at home, which was needed as their away form wasn't the best. In any case, Mallorca is a completely different team this season, their financial troubles getting the best of them, having to sell some of their best players to get money to keep functioning. Thus, is it unknown whether they still have the quality to compete for European places. They have sold all their best players and replaced them with thus unknown quantities. These players are as of yet unknown in La Liga and the team's fate rests with them.

Real Madrid however have signed a multitude of new players to go along with a new coach, Jose Mourinho. They finished only a few points off the pace of Barcelona last season and they will have to rely on themselves to keep up form as much as they must rely on Barcelona to lose form. Of course their new signing Ozil will have a lot to do in offense to complement Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain, while the defense has also been shored up with new acquisitions. They are the team to beat this season in my opinion, with Barcelona not really getting any new signings apart from David Villa, who will replace the now recently loaned out Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Mallorca will do well to stay with Real Madrid through the second half, but the superior quality of Madrid will easily beat the rather weak Mallorca offense, as after all the were great at home last season but still fell to all the top contenders Sevilla, Valencia, Madrid, and Barcelona. They are good enough to still intimidate visiting teams that are of inferior quality, as they play a good game that results in the opposition not scoring any goals and the scoreline always being tight. But Madrid just has too much quality for anyone right now, I'd take them over everyone except Barcelona home and away. It's disparity of course, but watching Real/Barca dismantle all who come before them is sure to be entertaining, and we will see how they do in the international competition in the Champions League, which after all is the real prize.

Real Madrid win

Chivas USA vs DC United August 28 MLS Preview

Both of these teams are in last place in their respective conferences. DC United is the worst team in the league with 15 points, two behind Philadelphia and four behind Chivas USA. Both teams have some potential, but enough of the team is sufficiently bad enough to make them a bad squad. They both have players to build around, and most of their best players are either aging (Moreno) or have already left or will leave (Bornstein, Kljestan) - although there is reason to believe both teams ended up better than the actual sum of their parts considering some of the squad were present last year and they did much better then. Chivas USA for example, the past few years was a low-key contender in the league every year. Playing tough defensive-style soccer under Preki (who is now doing wonders with a Toronto FC people thought were going to be horrible this year) they were always a overachieving scrappy team that did its best work during the regular season, where they started extremely fast and were usually out of sight halfway through the season, only to collapse at precisely the wrong times, either at the end of the season or in the playoffs. What was important however, was that they were always a contending team with strong players and strong tactics, and could never be counted out. This year however, things are much different. They brought in a new coach and some new players, and without their backbone of defense and the loss of a certain number of key players, they resemble a team no one in Los Angeles has experienced before. Their offense is spotty at best, and don't score many goals, but then again MLS isn't such an offensive league. What's important is that their defense has been transformed into something barely resembling the styles of years past, leaking 26 goals in total, second worse to Houston, who is above them due to having a bit more offensive power.

DC United has been in a slide ever since the beginning of MLS as we know it. There were incredible teams in the years 1996-2001, with internationals from various 2nd tier countries, and this created a beast that competed even with the best club teams from South America. How do you maintain such a reputation when your major stars (such as the iconic Marco Etcheverry) leave, and you must bring new players in? DC United has always been a contender, and has always had some of the best fans in the league, however the past few years they've been lacking in quality, the inept front office bringing in players who aren't really equipped to handle a tough MLS season. If they fail to bring great players in (not that they haven't tried, one example being Australian striker Danny Allsopp) then they must at least build from the ground up, the best example being the young playmaker Andy Najar who creates special moments for the team every now and then, and is widely seen as both the future of the United States and Honduran national team depending on who he chooses. Why not talk about the match so much? Simply because there is little to talk about. They are both underwhelming sides with not much power on offense and sloppy defenses, creating a matchup not unlike the Wizards/Revolution one of last week, both mediocre teams, even in skill, whose greatest strengths play exactly to the others weaknesses.

Over 2.5

Los Angeles Galaxy vs Kansas City Wizards August 27 MLS Preview

This is a one-sided matchup that should be no problem. However the last one-sided matchups concerning the Galaxy were actually massive upsets, the -200 loss to the Chicago Fire, the -300 loss to the Puerto Rico Islanders, and before that the -200 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes. The Galaxy's recent woes have been stopped with a victory at New York and a generally solid defensive performance in San Jose. The game at San Jose was very interesting and likely will predict the second half of the season for the Galaxy. They had a strange goal go against them early on, like it had happened in the matches against the Islanders, Earthquake, and Fire, during that bad stretch of matches - then they went on the dominate the rest of the 85 minutes, clearly the superior team with more possession and more chances, more imagination and more confidence, but they simply could not put their chances away. For the first half of the season, the Galaxy were a great combination of perfect offense and perfect defense. Their defense shut down teams and never allowed the opponents to get more than a goal a game, while the offense was presented with good opportunites and most of the time put them away. Now the Galaxy are still showing a bit of a symptom of wekaness with the early goals, but the problem has mostly been fixed. It is the offense that cannot find its rhythm, Donovan and Buddle are not hooking up with the ease that they did throughout the season. They simply are off-pace since they came back from the World Cup, Donovan still dominating with his dribbling but not with his passing, and Buddle failing to put away multiple easy opportunites. Every team will have a few solid opportunites in a match, no matter who they are playing, no matter if they are outclassed. A perfect pass and finish can remedy the most downtrodden of situations - but the Galaxy are failing to do so with alarming regularity. 85 minutes of dominance and no goals is not a good sign at all.

The Kansas City Wizards, they are the opposite of the Galaxy. They play spotty defense, especially away from home. They don't have good imagination and they don't play the possession game so well. They do have a very competent striker in Kei Kamara, who when he's feeling it can bang them in from all possible angles, and when he's not he misses the easiest of opportunities, and has no one else to create or finish and pick up the slack. They are quite a mediocre MLS team, a team of relative unknowns that are playing decently together, but not really standing out. They go along picking up results here and there without consistency, and usually fade against the stronger teams while beating up on the weaker ones, like the did with the Revolution and last week's 4-1 drubbing. Kansas has not woken up from its slump at all, in fact their goals were very preventable if only the Revolution felt like communicating decently and playing some defense. They are coming up against a whole different animal here, a Galaxy team who is waking from its mid-season slumber.

Galaxy win

Colorado Rapids vs Houston Dynamo August 28 MLS Preview

Both of these teams are in precarious positions for the playoffs, barely off the pace for the final spot in the Western Conference. There is a deadlock between Seattle, San Jose, and Colorado, with only one point separating all three teams - behind them is Houston, five points back. As these two teams face off, both will be control of their destiny... only Colorado will have more control! Their home record is a nice-looking 4-4-1, many times playing some great defense and shutting others down while they steal a goal of their own, but also  many times failing to find any imagination or creativity in the offensive end even though they have the players to do so. Their last seven matches have ended in a variation of 1-0, 0-1, or 1-1, something that is dangerous to play with in a league such as MLS. For example, Birmingham in the EPL played to nine 1-0 home wins in the 2009/10 season, an incredible showing, and the consistency involved in these performances were extremely impressive. Colorado have been somewhat reminiscent of Birmingham, except with more 1-1 draws sprinkled in. Being unbeatable at home is good to a certain extent - after a while the draws start to add up and you feel the pinch as you enter the home stretch of a season having to win the three points, and conversely, win a few of those lackluster draws and the scrambling is not needed. A team like Houston is always dangerous to face even though their horrible 1-2-7 record shows this as a one-sided match, strictly by the numbers. Houston have not been able to find offense away from home, their exciting home style simply not translating like it has in other seasons. A big part of this were the losses of brilliant players such as Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, the solid defensive spine of an always contending team yanked out, any team would struggle in this circumstance.

Looking back at both teams last game, Houston pulled off a 4-3 thriller win against Chicago, and usually score at least two goals at home very routinely - only three times this season have they failed to do so. This being MLS, form is very fleeting and there is a definite possibility of a carry-over, even though it has not happened for them this season to date. Colorado are expected to get the three points here against such a bad away team, and if they fail to do so they will have missed an easy lay-up, at least as easy as it gets in this league. Houston will be very motivated as only around one-third of the season remains, and a winning streak can do wonders to morale and your playoff position. Any of these teams in the pack pull off three straight wins, and they are sitting pretty. Success is only a small winning streak away, or a big shock result away. Houston is certainly capable of beating Colorado away from home, but their inconsistency convinces anyone that they are simply not to be trusted. Go with the safest of bets, the Under 2.5 and the Colorado win if you are feeling good about it - because after all, this will most likely end 1-0 or 1-1. If Houston finds their shooting boots this weekend this could propel them and create a shock result as lopsided as the 4-1 drubbing NY gave to Toronto - but that is only a slight possibility.

Colorado win and Under 2.5