Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (Direct Kick)
United has revamped its back line by acquiring ex-Dallas defender Greg Vanney from Colorado and pairing him in the middle with Bobby Boswell. Dallas coach Steve Morrow gave Adrian Serioux his first action of the season Monday against Atlanta in the U.S. Open Cup as a tuneup for this meeting.
Last year at RFK the teams tied, 1-1, with Ben Olsen and Ronnie O'Brien getting the goals. United has been dominant at home in its last three games, winning all of them by combined scores of 11-4.
RED BULL NEW YORK (7-5-3) vs. NEW ENGLAND (6-3-5)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Espanol)
New England dominated the series last year, winning three and tying once in four matches while giving up just two goals. This is the first meeting of 2007 and after the All-Star break, the teams play again July 22 at RFK.
NYRB starts a run of five straight home games fresh off a 1-0 victory in Colorado that garnered first place after it had lost three of the previous four games. Juan Pablo Angel is due for a goal; he hasn't scored in the past three games.
The Revs were unable to beat Chivas USA in their last two games, losing 2-0 at Home Depot and tying, 1-1, at Gillette Stadium last weekend. Their only league win since May 26 (five games) was a 3-0 thumping of Toronto three weeks ago.
KANSAS CITY (6-5-4) vs. REAL SALT LAKE (1-7-6)
Saturday, 8 p.m ET. (Direct Kick)
Six games without a win has Kansas City in a sour mood and just the team to sweeten its demeanor arrives. The Wizards blew a 2-0 lead at Home Depot last weekend and settled for a 2-2 tie, after it dominated play on the Fourth of July but lost to D.C. United, 1-0, at home. Eddie Johnson is back from international duty but will he show his K.C. radiance or his USA gloom?
Outclassed RSL is shorthanded as well: Mehdi Ballouchy and Alecko Eskandarian are suspended, and U.S. under-20s Chris Seitz, Freddy Adu and Nathan Sturgis are otherwise occupied. A late equalizer by head coach Jason Kreis highlighted the team's 3-3 tie at Arrowhead last year.
CHIVAS USA (6-5-3) vs. COLUMBUS (5-4-7)
Saturday, 10:30 p.m. (HDNet)
A great Ante Razov free kick in the second minute staked Chivas USA to a 1-0 lead when the teams played at Crew Stadium May 12, but Ned Grabavoy equalized in the 18th minute with a spectacular shot that bounced off both goalposts into the net. Grabavoy also cleared a ball off the line to preserve the tie.
That game marked the MLS debut of Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Tracking him is the best way to stifle the Crew's attack. Containing Frankie Hedjuk's raids up the right flank will drain Francisco Mendoza, so a combination of Jonathan Bornstein, Jesse Marsch and whoever else is available may determine if Team Preki can snap the Crew's six-game unbeaten streak.
HOUSTON (10-5-2) vs. TORONTO FC (5-7-3)
Sunday, 8:30 p.m. (Direct Kick)
TFC beat the Dynamo, 1-0, at BMO Field May 16, but this is not the same team that was in the midst of a barren spell (five losses in six games).
Eight wins in the last nine games has propelled Houston to the top of the Western Conference. It hammered Chicago, 4-0, Thursday night despite leaving Dwayne DeRosario on the bench until the final minutes and keeping Brian Ching on the bench, period.
An incredible shutout streak of 605 minutes has the Dynamo within one game of setting a new league record. Yet TFC has not been blanked while winning once and tying twice in its last three games, all of them played on the road.
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