Soccer fixtures / Andy Morris / 14 August 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

It's like someone came along with a bottle of Windex and a cloth and wiped off the grimy window pane you've been peering through. Almost simultaneously the Johnny Nash classic "I Can See Clearly Now" pops into your head, writes Brian Heard.

After two-thirds of the Major League Soccer season, that's where we're at - the picture of which are the teams to beat has finally cleared up.

It was certainly murky for awhile in both the Eastern and Western conferences.

Out West it was Chivas that looked like the class of the entire league for the first third of the season. Then Seattle looked like the real deal. About midway through Houston took over top of the table, but only recently, despite a head-scratching 1-0 loss to Dallas last Thursday, have the Dynamo (38 points in 22 games) pulled away from the pack, now seven points clear of second-place Los Angeles.

In the East, Chicago and D.C. toggled back and forth at the top of the table with neither able to wrest away complete control. Then along came reigning league champion Columbus, which started the season 0-2-2, but has been white-hot ever since, losing just once (2-1 inexplicably to giant-killing Dallas, which has taken big scalps, especially at home, this year, just not enough little ones) in its last 17 games. The Crew now leads the East over Chicago by four points with 36 in 21 games.

Staying in the East and speaking of Chicago, the Fire may not have enough to overtake Columbus, but they are sitting pretty in the second slot, finally putting some distance (four points) between them and stumbling United. Finishing second would automatically qualify them for the playoffs.

In addition to the top two teams in each conference, four other "wild cards" - the four remaining teams with the most points, regardless of conference - get in as well, making it a field of eight.

Out West the race for second isn't so cut and dry with the Galaxy (31 points) currently holding down the No. 2 spot. But Colorado (30 points), Seattle (29 points) and Chivas (27 points, but with two less games played) are all within striking distance.

Striking, hmm, perfect segue into taking a look at the league's leading goal-scorers at the two-thirds marker of the season.

Conor Casey (Colorado) - 11
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus) - 10
Jeff Cunningham (Dallas) - 9
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles) - 9
Fredy Montero (Seattle) - 9
Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto) - 8
Luciano Emilio (D.C.) - 8
Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake) - 8
Brian Ching (Houston) - 7
Ryan Johnson (San Jose) - 7

Now on to this week's slate of matches:

Game of the Week

Saturday, August 15

Seattle Sounders (7-5-8) at Los Angeles Galaxy (7-3-10)
Both need results to stay in the hunt for second place in the West and to keep playoff aspirations healthy. Sounders are in a bad run of form, no goals in three games (two were losses) and it's really been four if you count the 4-0 thrashing they suffered at the hands of Barcelona in an exhibition eight days ago.

Galaxy are at the other end of the spectrum - no MLS losses in six games (five wins), and even drawing with AC Milan in an exhibition three weeks ago and giving Barca a run for their money (before losing 2-1) in another exhibition last week.

Since his return David Beckham hasn't scored a goal in league play - he did bend in a free kick against Barca - but he has an assist and has had a good effect on the team, despite a reported rift with Landon Donovan.

Seattle's only won once on the road this year and will be without the services of top defender, Colombian Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, who will miss the game because of caution accumulation.

The others

Saturday, August 15

D.C. United (6-4-10) at Toronto FC (7-7-6)
It's a big one for each club at a time of the season when playoff hopes are on the line, especially for these two, who would be on the outside looking in if the playoffs began today.

Toronto has been solid at home and D.C. has won just once on the road, though it has six draws (in 11 games) away from the nation's capitol.

Should see plenty of action around the goals, both teams score and neither defends real well. D.C. key cogs, midfielder Bryan Namoff and forward Santino Quaranta, are both expected to play, despite nagging hamstrings. United midfielder Ben Olsen is out for caution accumulation as is Toronto forward Chad Barrett.

Chivas USA (8-7-3) at New York Red Bulls (2-15-4)
Nine games into the season, Chivas had seven wins, 22 points and were clearly playing the best soccer in the league. Three months later, they're only on 27 points, have won only once in nine games and have lost five straight with just one goal scored in that stretch. That's the bad news. The good news is the Goats get the lowly Red Bulls this week. If they lose this one, it might be time to pack up and go back to Mexico.

FC Dallas (6-9-5) at Columbus Crew (9-3-9)
If this fixture was in Dallas, hmm, maybe we'd really have something. Dallas is the last team to hand the Crew a defeat (2-1 on June 20), after all, but that was in Big D. Still, Dallas is the official giant killer of MLS with wins over the Crew, Fire and Dynamo. Be careful Columbus - though Guillermo Barros Schelotto should be back from injury.

Houston Dynamo (11-6-5) at Real Salt Lake (7-8-5)
League's best Dynamo shouldn't look by the Lakers, especially when Real is at home where elevation can and does play a role. Real has lost just once in 10 games by the Lake with six wins.

Sunday, August 16

Chicago Fire (8-4-8) at Kansas City Wizards (5-7-6)
Honestly, there really isn't much of a talent gap between second (Chicago) and fifth (K.C.) places in the East. But when you take midfielder Davy Arnaud and forward Claudio Lopez out of the Wizards' lineup - both suspended on caution accumulation - that gap gets really wide really fast. Look for in-form Chicago, despite a 3-2 loss to Houston a week ago, to take care of business in K.C.

Tags: Chivas, Seattle, Soccer