With less than a week remaining, everyone is starting to have First Kick jitters. Hope springs eternal for players, coaches, management and especially fans.
Real Salt Lake has the same exact record as two-time defending champions Houston Dynamo right now. D.C. United is in a seven-way tie for first place in the Eastern Conference. But once that first match is in the books, reality either sets in for some or expectations remain intact for what could be a legitimate run to MLS Cup.
That said, trying to pick a winner in the first week of the season for Survivor Pro is not going to be a walk in the park. You want to get off to a good start, but one should never underestimate the added adreneline produced when a supposed underdog plays its home opener before a big crowd.
Oh, by the way, Survivor Pro is not like Black Jack. A push (or tie, in this case) is definitely not a win. There's a little something extra to think about when making your selection.
Let's take a look at Week 1 of the MLS season to see if there are any match-ups that jump out as "best bets" and then we'll give you our Survivor Pro Top Choice.
Toronto at Columbus (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET) -- You might look at this match and think there's no way that you're touching it. We've got to figure that the first game at Crew Stadium will give the Crew a lift against a TFC team that did not appear to do much in the offseason outside of bumping Mo Johnston into the front office. Best Bet: Columbus
Chicago at Real Salt Lake (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET) -- Cuauhtemoc Blanco is starting his first full season with the Fire and if his 2007 half-season campaign is any indication, Blanco is a legitimate preseason pick for MVP. Yes, we tend to rail on RSL here ... but if the team has not done anything to change, why should we think results should change. The Fire are the only road team worth picking this week. Best Bet: Chicago
The three other Saturday contests (Houston at New England; D.C. at K.C.; L.A. at Colorado) are not worth taking a chance on. Chivas USA at FC Dallas on Sunday -- no chance we're touching that one. New England at Chicago (remember what happened the last time they faced each other?) on Thursday, April 3, is another game that is a tough pick, which leaves us with ...
San Jose at Los Angeles (April 3, 10:30 p.m. ET) -- Year Two of the Beckham Experiment continues with the return of the San Jose Earthquakes to MLS. This game is at The Home Depot Center and the Galaxy will have their full compliment of superstars against the expansion Quakes. While there are plenty of good players on San Jose, this is going to be the team's first regular-season game together. Having it happen against the Quakes' former arch-rivals makes this choice even easier. Top Choice: Los Angeles
There you go. You can either play along with our "expert" picks or feel free to venture out on your own. This early in the season, it's not a bad option to take a risk since you're starting in the same spot as everyone else.
Join today, have fun and check back each week as we break down upcoming games.
Good luck!