We wanted to take this week to expand upon Landon Donovan's incredible first month of the season (one of the best in recent memory by MLS standards) and how he has lifted our fantasy team to the top of its league, but that's the other guy's column. Our job in helping you find your way through Survivor Pro is much more difficult.
The first-month roller coaster MLS season has passed and what have we learned? Well ... not much other than the fact that once again, the Eastern Conference teams appear to be stronger than their Western Conference counterparts.
The last place team in the East, D.C. United, is 2-3-0 with a total of 6 points and is coming off of a convincing 4-1 win against Real Salt Lake at RFK Stadium. The third place team in the West, Colorado, is also 2-3-0 with a total of six points and is coming off a 2-1 loss in Chicago.
Two strong playoff contenders from last season have struggled from the start in the West (Chivas USA and two-time MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo), while the Kansas City Wizards and Toronto FC already have three wins each -- one more than any team in the Western Conference. Oh yeah, and the Columbus Crew are the best team in the league with a 4-1-0 mark.
You might have a better chance of knowing if Posh Spice is pregnant (which she is, according to the British tabloids, because she did not drink at her own birthday party last week. We suggest that they name him/her Hollywood Beckham.) than you would of knowing who has a good chance of winning from week to week in MLS at this point in the season.
Seeing the way the league has trended thus far, it might be wise to look for interconference match-ups and pick the Eastern Conference team, especially if the East team is at home. Of course, this week there is only one interconference match-up (which we'll get to in a second), while the other six matches are all in-conference affairs. What to do if that's the case? Well, we're going to flip a coin, but you're free to do what you like. Either way, you should try to stick with the team that's been hot and a team that's playing at home. For this week, two teams (Toronto and Columbus) would fit that description -- but we're not ready to get out on that limb yet and make either team our Best Bet or Top Choice for the week.
That said, here's who we like for this week's picks:
Chicago Fire at New England Revolution (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) -- Both teams are coming off solid road wins against Western Conference opponents (Chicago beat Colorado and New England beat FC Dallas), but the tide should turn in favor to the Revolution for this match. These two teams did meet earlier this season and the Fire spanked the Revs 4-0 at Bridgeview. But there's a couple of reasons why we discount that result: 1. The game was played in a tsunami and we all know how unpredictable soccer can be when played in wet conditions. 2. It was the Fire's home opener. New England is finally starting to get healthy after an early-season bout with injuries. Starting defender Chris Albright and veteran midfielder Steve Ralston should be available for Steve Nicol's charges. Jeff Larentowicz and Sainey Nyassi may also be ack for the Revs. Even if only two of those four players are back, look for the Revs to exact some revenge on Chicago. Best Bet: New England
D.C. United at Colorado Rapids (3 p.m. ET, Sunday) -- Maybe we're putting too much stock in a single result, but D.C.'s win last week against RSL was pretty convincing. Jaime Moreno found his scoring touch and the rest of the team finally seemed to jel. Colorado has lost two consecutive matches and the offense has sputtered since scoring four goals in their season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy. We're all over the Eastern Conference right now, so let's ride that one out. Top Choice: D.C. United
Best of luck and don't forget what it is that you're playing for. Also, if you want to humor yourself, type "Posh Spice" into Google News search. You'll not only learn that she's pregnant, but that she also has seen her fashion line tank; Tom Cruise is concerned with her influence over Katie Holmes; motherhood has helped heal the rift between Posh and Ginger Spice; and she avoids Botox injections for her own wrinkle-reducing treatment. Will wonders never cease?