Chivas USA will encounter another good test this weekend when they host D.C. United at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night. The Goats have sprinted out of the gates to a league-best 7-1-1 mark, while United is atop the Eastern Conference with a 3-1-5 record.
Home field has been especially kind to Chivas USA as they have gone 5-0-0 with nine goals scored and two goals against. While D.C. United currently sports the best attack in the league with 15 goals in nine games, Zach Thornton and the rest of the Chivas defense have been downright stingy, limiting foes to three goals overall.
Will the Chivas USA D be able to stand up to Luciano Emilio (4 goals), Jaime Moreno (3 goals) and surprising rookies Chris Pontius (3 goals) and Rodney Wallace (2 goals)? Let's see ... does Carlos Ruiz dive? Is Beckham overpaid? Does Slumdog Millionaire tug at the heart strings?
The answer to all of the above is a resounding YES. While Louis Crayton has been decent, there are still plenty of cracks in the United wall. Expect Chivas USA attackers to break through multiple times as Chivas builds on their Western Conference lead. At this rate, they'll have a playoff berth locked up by July 4. Top Choice: Chivas USA (Season Top Choice record: 3-3)
It may not be fair of us to kick a team while they're down ... but this is a business people. There's no feelings when it comes to making Survivor Pro predictions. Starting goalkeeper Dario Sala is out with an injury for the league-worst FC Dallas (1-6-1) this week against the expansion Seattle Sounders. Granted, Seattle has not looked as strong in their most recent matches as they did in their first three wins to start the season -- the Ljungberg-Montero conncetion has yet to fully click -- but the Sounders are still good, especially when facing ... who the heck is actually on FCD? You might be afraid that this is a trap game. It's not. Best Bet: Seattle Sounders (Season Best Bet record: 3-3)
Picks for both DCU v. CHV and SEA v. FCD are due by Thursday.