While fans and journalists focus on the Supporters' Shield race as the final month of regular-season play begins, most of the coaches have a different SS on their minds: Simple Survival.

Voting for the major MLS postseason awards appears to be wide-open, and Coach of the Year is no exception.

Well, it's about time. Nearly 18 years after it kicked off its first season, MLS will stage its first testimonial match Dec. 13 when the Dynamo honors stalwart forward Brian Ching. He confirmed his plan to retire at the end of the 2013 season and disclosed his intent to commemorate it with an actual soccer game.

New York and Sporting Kansas City moved up the Power Rankings two spots by extending their winning streaks.

Claudio Suarez, Mexico's most capped played with 178 appearances, finished his career in 2009 with Chivas USA. He now resides in Southern California, where he runs the Delfines LA youth academy. Last May he became vice president of Mexican first division club Queretaro. We caught up with the man nicknamed "El Emperador" at the StubHub Center where Queretaro was among 16 Mexican clubs scouting young U.S. talent at the National Finals of the Alianza de Futbol identification program.

If a move to MLS was meant to kick-start the national team career of defender and former captain Carlos Bocanegra, time is running out.

The Sounders climbed atop the Power Rankings as well as the Supporters' Shield listings by toppling previous leader Real Salt Lake, 2-0, Friday night at CenturyLink Field.

Two games remain in the Hexagonal, with only the Americans' final placing to be determined. How should they be handled?

The intensifying playoff races in both conferences are reflected in this week's Power Rankings.

The USA is headed to the World Cup final for the seventh straight time after solid performances from front to back down the middle from Eddie Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Omar Gonzalez and Tim Howard, plus a goal and assist from Landon Donovan playing in his third Dos a Cero game.

So what are the odds of Dos a Cero in Columbus four times in a row? A lot better when Clint Dempsey misses a penalty kick.

So what's he gonna do? Times like this try the souls of soccer managers, and without the team captain and three other regulars, it's time for Jurgen Klinsmann to show his stuff. Michael Bradley is hobbling on a sprained left ankle, and suspensions have sidelined Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler and Jozy Altidore heading into the eighth-round Hexagonal qualifier Tuesday against Mexico in Columbus.

The value of Michael Bradley to the U.S. national team was proven yet again by his absence.

In the big picture, the USA still looks in great shape to qualify for the World Cup. It began Friday night six points ahead of the fourth-place team in the Hexagonal and it ended Friday night five points ahead of the fourth-place team.

Eddie Johnson must have known there would be backlash when he rubbed his fingers together and mouthed "Pay me" after scoring only goal of Seattle's 1-0 defeat of Columbus last weekend, right?