Curt Onalfo was one of five coaches who were in their third MLS seasons as head coaches. The Kansas City coach was the first to be fired, but two of the other coaches could find themselves on the way out if the downturns of their teams continue.

Tom Soehn at D.C. United is under the "three and out" watch, and a large segment of United's strident fans anticipate this would be his Waterloo. United is third in the Eastern Conference with a 6-4-10 record.

It blew a 2-0 lead and tied 2-2 in San Jose July 25, failed to beat Salvadoran club Luis Angel Firpo at home in the Concacaf Champions League a week ago, and conceded three goals in three minutes en route to a 4-3 loss in Houston Saturday.

D.C.  faces a tough test against Firpo Tuesday in the away leg and with Soehn at the helm has yet to win a CCL match in seven attempts.

Jason Kreis is a third-year man, and though RSL improved last year, in 2009 it seems stuck in that same continuum as Kansas City: unable to progress further.

RSL is 6-8-5 this year as compared to 10-10-10 in 2008, in which it reached the playoffs for the first time.

Denis Hamlett (Chicago) and Preki (Chivas USA) are the other two coaches in season three.

Chicago (8-3-8) is second in the East and fielding a team certainly capable of winning the franchise's first title since it won the championship in its expansion season (1998).

Chivas (8-6-3) has slid off the top of the Western Conference and is tied for fourth, but with only 17 games played has time and opportunity to make up ground.