Survivor Experts Blog

Survivor Pro: Hard work pays off for Crew

Staff — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:23:00 GMT

This week, all-world striker Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid get set to tackle Toronto FC at BMO Field. On paper, this looks like a mismatch -- and it will be. That's why the Top Choice for the week is Los Galaticos.

Oh, wait -- that's just an exhibition, so it would not be fair to make that a Survivor Pro pick of the week. (For the record, we're also taking Real Madrid to beat D.C. United on Saturday.)

Let's get back to the task at hand and figure out which two teams in MLS-only matches have the best chance at winning so that you can build on your Survivor Pro streak. This task is made only slightly more difficult by the fact that the New York Red Bulls, who have 10 points on the season and stand seven points back of the San Jose Earthquakes as the worst team in the league this season, have a bye week.

(By the way, how is it that Curt Onalfo loses his managerial job before either Juan Carlos Osario or Jeff Agoos gets canned by the Red Bull organization. Granted, a 6-0 thrashing against a middling rival that you need to beat will send any ownership group into the search for new leadership on the sidelines, but the Red Bulls have TWO measly wins all season. Could Goose's recent Hall of Fame induction be the only thing that’s keeping him from searching the classifieds for work? But I digress ...)

Remember at the start of the season when Columbus looked like they were still suffering from the effects of an MLS Cup championship hangover? Yep, those days are gone. This team has not lost since a surprising 2-1 defeat at the hands of FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on June 20. Since that time, Columbus has gone 4-0-2 and re-gained their spot atop the Eastern Conference standings, trailing only Houston Dynamo for the most points in the league, 33 to 35.

On Saturday, the Crew travel to California to take on the San Jose Earthquakes. There is a chance that Columbus could be without veteran leaders Frankie Hejduk and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who both missed last week's 1-0 road win against the Colorado Rapids due to injury. But that does not take away from the fact that this self-proclaimed Hardest Working Team in MLS has a solid lineup from the starters to the bench and head coach Robert Warzycha has this team in prime position to defend their title.

The Quakes, who shocked Seattle Sounders FC with a resounding 4-0 win on Saturday, have yet to build any momentum in a positive direction this season. Over the last two months, San Jose has gone 2-3-3. There are obviously some solid pieces in place with the likes of Darren Huckerby, Bobby Convey and Joe Cannon in the starting XI, but head coach Frank Yallop has yet to find the consistently winning formula. The Earthquakes are currently in last place in the Western Conference with 17 points (4-10-5) and would need to start winning matches now if they have any hope of reaching the postseason.

Keep an eye on the injury report to see if Hejduk and Schelotto will be back, but we think that you're still safe with taking the visitors. Top Choice: Columbus Crew (Season Top Choice record: 4-6)

Let's act like David Beckham is not trying to force his way out of MLS by getting into verbal arguments with local supporters week after week and take a look at the Los Angeles Galaxy's recent resurgence. The Galaxy are unbeaten in their last five league matches to put them within striking distance of table-leading Houston with 28 points (6-3-10).

The surprising part about their run is that while head coach Bruce Arena must love having bickering buddies Landon Donovan and Beckham at his disposal, it really has been the defense that has held its own since May and brought this team back to respectability. Since May 6, L.A. has surrendered two goals only three times in 13 league matches and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is squarely in contention for both 'Keeper of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

(Just as a point of fact, you're going to tell us that Becks is hearing it worse now than he ever did while playing for Manchester United? How about when he came back to England after getting a red card in the '98 World Cup match against Argentina that eliminated the Brits? Don't think so.)

On Saturday, the Galaxy travel east to face the New England Revolution, who will be without head coach Steve Nicol. The Revs manager is serving a suspension after being banished in the team's last match against Toronto. These two teams played on July 4th with the Galaxy taking a 1-0 win in L.A. on Alecko Eskandarian's 8th-minute goal in his first game with the Galaxy. Assuming that the All-Star break and exhibition against FC Barcelona has not derailed the Galaxy, expect a similar result this week. Best Bet: Los Angeles Galaxy (Season Best Bet record: 3-7)

Your pick for both matches is due on Friday.

Survivor Pro: Crew to shape up vs. NY

Staff — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:03:00 GMT

Every once and a while, it is good for a team to take a loss against an underdog. Last week, Columbus experienced this feeling with a 2-1 defeat on the road against a struggling (to put it kindly) FC Dallas squad.

The reason it can be a good thing is that it can serve as a wake-up call -- of couse, the flip side of that argument is that the bad loss is just a harbinger of things to come.

This week, the Crew host the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Columbus, which started wihtout a win in its first eight matches, has recently found its form to the tune of a 3-1-1 mark in its last five league affairs.

Billed as the "Night of Champions" by the Crew, the home fans will be fired up to see their team in an MLS Cup rematch against New York. How could you not get excited for a ceremonial coin toss with Buster Douglas, the Crew's championship ring ceremony and the chance to see Juan Carlos Osario publicly fired after his team loses for what could be the the 11th time in 17 games?

Oh yeah, and no Mike Petke this week for New York -- now the Red Bulls are definitely sunk.

Coach Robet Warzycha took the blame for last week's defeat against Dallas, but he should take some of the credit when the Crew win on Satuday to extend their unbeaten home run to seven matches (3-0-3). Top Choice: Columbus Crew (Season Top Choice record: 3-6)

Houston enters Sunday's match against the Galaxy tied for the league lead with 8 wins on the campaign. Conversely, Los Angeles is tied with New York for a league low two wins thus far this season. (And, yes, we're sorry for even thinking that the Galaxy were headed for winning ways. Let's call it a moment of temporary insanity on our part.) It took the Dynamo five matches to earn thei first victory, but since that time, the club has been unbeaten in 10 consecutive games. L.A. will be without Landon Donovan yet again (Bruce Arena must have loved USA's miraculous un to the Confed Cup semi-finals) and that offense is not going to crack Bobby Boswell, Pat Onstad and the rest of the Dynamo defense. Best Bet: Houston Dynamo (Season Best Bet record: 3-6)

Your pick for CLB v. NY is due Friday. Your pick for HOU v. LAG is due Saturday.

Galaxy gathering steam behind reserves

Staff — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:58:00 GMT

Who says that the Los Angeles Galaxy need Landon Donovan and David Beckham when they've got the likes of Edson Buddle and Alan Gordon?

The MLS season has reached the point where coaches have to figure out what they've got not just with their First XI, but with the remaining guys on their roster. Either due to international duty, injuries or discipline, this is a chance for rest of a team's roster to prove their worth.

In the Galaxy's case, Buddle and Gordon (along with an impressive performance by goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts) did just that last weekend in a 2-1 win against Toronto FC at BMO Field. Both players scored, giving the Galaxy their second win of the season. What's more impressive is that that team has been unbeaten since a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids on April 4, a span of 10 league contests.

While draws are deadly when it comes to playing Survivor Pro, this Saturday's match against Real Salt Lake at The Home Depot Center, gives the Galaxy a good chance of upping their season win total. The two teams have already played once this season, resulting in -- you guessed it -- a draw at Rio Tinto Stadium with the final three goals of the 2-2 tie being scored within stoppage time.

Certainly the Galaxy would be a better team with Donovan and Beckham in the starting lineup, but they are finding ways to pull out points without them and that could prove most valuable later in the season. Coach Bruce Arena has been mixing the young (Omar Gonzalez, 20, and A.J. DeLaGarza, 21) with the old (Tony Sanneh, 38 and Gregg Berhalter, 35) to solidify the backfield infront of Ricketts, who is currently playing like a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year.

This is a risky pick given the amount of draws the Galaxy have claimed this season, but they should be able to build upon last week's road victory. RSL has yet to win a game on the road this season in six attempts (0-5-1). Top Choice: Los Angeles Galaxy (Season Top Choice record: 3-5)

Meanwhile, Steve Nicol's Revolution finally appear to be healthy and look to have turned a corner on their season after very slow start. The Revs, who are coming off of two important Eastern Conference home victories against D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls, head to Kansas City on Saturday to take on the Wizards. In only his second match of the season, Taylor Twellman scored twice against New York, goals 100 and 101 of his MLS career. With Twellman and goalkeeper Matt Reis back healthy and reliable veterans Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston and Jay Heaps still going strong, this Revs team looks ready to make a run. Best Bet: New England Revolution (Season Best Bet record: 3-5)

Your picks for LAG v. RSL and NER v. KCW are due Saturday.

Survivor Pro: Chivas USA say Bye-Bye Blanco

Staff — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:28:00 GMT

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror and a third of the season in the books, MLS teams should have a feel for what type of team they are going to be for the 2009 season.

On Thursday night, two teams leading their respective packs square off at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., as Western Conference leader Chivas USA hosts Eastern Conference leader the Chicago Fire.

Is this a prelude to MLS Cup 2009? Possibly, but don't book your tickets for the November finale just yet. Who would have put New York in last year's championship? Exactly. No one.

Chicago enters the match as the last unbeaten team in MLS (4-0-6), while Chivas has been pretty stellar on their home turf at 5-0-1. The Fire are coming off of two road wins in Toronto and New York. Chivas USA, on the other hand, has stuggled of late in letting a lead slip late in a draw with D.C. United and scraping by with a point in a come-from-behind draw with Kansas City last weekend.

Already being billed by Chivas USA as "the most exciting game of the year" and local fans' last opportunity to say "Bye-Bye Blanco" before he retires at the end of the season, Thursday's match should make for entertaining television (granted, not quite as compelling as Wednesday's Champions League finale between Man U and Barcelona, but let's not digress).

The Goats need to pass this test to prove that all of their wins have come against the league's weaker competitors. The Fire need to remain unbeaten for two more matches to tie the MLS mark for most consecutive games without a loss. Chivas USA will be pushed by the Fire, but expect the league leaders to shake off some recent injuries to come out on top. Top Choice: Chivas USA (Season Top Choice record: 3-4)

The Fire may not be good enough to pick in Thursday's match, but that does not mean you should abandon them entirely this week. The team returns to Bridgeview, Ill., to host FC Dallas on Sunday. The Brimstone rivals will meet for the second time this season after Chicago claimed a dominant 3-1 win to open the season in Dallas. Against a weak and wounded Hoops squad, expect the results to be similar this time around. Best Bet: Chicago Fire (Season Best Bet record: 3-4)

Your pick for CHV v. CHI is due Wednesday. Your pick for CHI v. FCD is due Saturday.

Survivor Pro: Chivas holding steady in West

Staff — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:47:00 GMT

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.

Survivor Pro: Coach change won't hurt TFC

Staff — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:52:00 GMT

Less than a month into the season and we got our first coaching change in MLS. Surprisingly, the news is not out of New York, Columbus, Dallas or Los Angeles, but rather Toronto with the resignation of TFC skipper John Carver.

The colorful (sorry, colourful) Brit will be missed for blunt assessments, but his reasons for leaving have as much to do with his feelings towards the league than anything that was happening with his Eastern Conference leading team.

Which brings us to this week's question in Survivor Pro: Is it worth risking a pick on a team with a new coach?

Either assistant coaches Chris Cummins or Nick Dasovic will be named interim head coach this week after the two combined to help lead TFC to a 1-0 win at home against Kansas City on Sunday. The victory was their second 1-0 win of the week after giving Western Conference leaders Chivas USA their first defeat of the season on Wednesday night at BMO Field.

Sticking with an assistant who is already with the team is the way to go for the sake of keeping some continuity for the players. It's also good news for Survivor Pro players.

On Saturday, TFC continues its homestand with and afternoon match against the Columbus Crew. Based on the way the self-professed Hardest Working Team in MLS has played this season, we're going to refrain from describing them as the "defending MLS champion."

At 0-2-4, the Crew are desperate to get into the win column. While this is MLS and two or three consecutive strong outings will boost you into the playoff race throughout the course of the season, you also don't want to be embarassed by being out of the mix before July 4 (see: Galaxy, Los Angeles, 2008).

These two teams have met once already this season as the Reds spoiled the Crew's home opener in March with a 1-1 draw on a late own by Gino Padula. Toronto will not be able to rely upon Padula to pad their offensive stats this week as the Crew defender will be sitting out after receiving a straight red against the Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Toronto's defense has pitched two shutouts over the last two matches, but they have surrendered nine goals on the season. So long as they can continue to stay strong in the back, keeper Stefan Frei continues his march towards becoming Rookie of the Year (or at least a top candidate) and the offense starts clicking this team will be riding at the top of the Eastern Conference for the remiainder of the season. Top Choice: Toronto FC (Season Top Choice record: 3-2)

Chivas USA went 1-1 last week with a tough loss against Toronto, but overall they went 3-1-1 for the month to get to the top of the Western Conference. This week, the Goats travel to San Jose to take on the Quakes. Chivas is tied with Seattle for the best defense in the league with only three goals allowed. San Jose is also at a bit of a disadvantage at having to play a U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday while Chivas gets to rest until Saturday. Best Bet: Chivas USA (Season Best Bet record: 2-3)

Picks for both CLB v. TFC and CHV v. SJE are due by Friday.

Survivor Pro: Stick with Chivas USA

Staff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:43:00 GMT

Hopefully, you were lucky enough to survive last week's landmine-filled matches (as far as Survivor Pro is concerned, not the real thing, of course), which featured three draws, two upsets and one predictable win.

If not, then we're all in the same boat, starting from scratch with a new streak. You had to figure that New York and Dallas would each win at some point this season -- but did it really have to happen in the same week?

This week's matches start Wednesday with Western Conference leaders Chivas USA traveling north to face Toronto FC. The Goats have looked strong thus far this season, but avoid picking a team in this match-up. TFC has yet to win at home, but based on the Red Bulls and Hoops winning this week Toronto is due.

(OK, so there's absolutely no correlation to how NY and FCD played this week to how TFC will play on Wednesday. Would it make you feel more comfortable with our reasoning if we told you that we're going with our guts on this one? Yep, didn't think so.)

The two games worth choosing this week are Western affairs that happen at the exact same time (10:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday night. Surprisingly, neither match involves the Red Bulls, who have total of three goals scored this season, two by way of own goals.

Chivas USA, who will be playing in their second match within a three-game span, hosts FC Dallas -- yes, that FC Dallas -- at The Home Depot Center on Saturday. Through five matches, Chivas touts the best defense in the league with a measly two goals against. This is all with the ageless Zach Thornton in net. Meanwhile, their offense is tied for the second-highest output with eight goals.

The numbers for FC Dallas are not as pretty. They have a league-worst 10 goals against with a middling six goals scored, also through five games. At some point, this team has got to become more than just The Kenny Cooper Show. Their star forward is tied for the league lead with four goals, but as winless Columbus and Los Angeles can attest, one man does not a team make. Top Choice: Chivas USA (Season Top Choice record: 2-2)

After two straight losses, most people are ready to jump off the bandwagon bound for Qwest Field in Seattle. Not us. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller is a big reason why this team posted three straight clean sheets with three straight wins to start their first MLS campaign. He was out for a over 135 minutes in a span of two games, at which time the team surrendered three goals against and wound up losing twice.

Keller is back this week as Seattle FC heads home to host the San Jose Earthquakes. While we all wait around to find out What's a Huckerby? (and, more importantly, when he'll start scoring for our Market Pro team), the Quakes need to figure out who is going to step up and start scoring some goals. Or maybe that question is best left answer next week. Best Bet: Seattle Sounders FC (Season Best Bet record: 1-3)

Picks for both CHV v. FCD and SEA v. SJE are due by Friday.

Survivor Pro: Only the strong survive

Staff — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:18:00 GMT

Saturday will mark the first time that MLS has held a seven-game slate in a single night. The Revolution have the night off, but all other teams are in action and there's some quality matches to keep an eye on for Survivor Pro.

Sure, so far this season we've been picking against the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas. We could tell you to take Houston Dynamo at home against the Red Bulls, who have yet to score a goal of their own through three games, or Toronto FC at home against FC Dallas and those would likely be safe bets for the week.

Instead of bullying the weaklings, let's take a chance and take a look at two of the stronger teams (yes, it's only three games) heading into the season's second month.

One of the pleasant surprises has been the play of Seattle Sounders FC. The expansion club is 3-0-0 with two solid home wins and their first road win of the season last week infront of a hostile Toronto crowd at BMO Field.

This week, the Sounders are back at home vs. the Kansas City Wizards. This one is going to be an eye-opener for the Blue shirts, who have played before an average of about 8,500 fans in two home games. Seattle has played host to an average of 30,000 through two matches at Qwest Field thus far. Big difference.

Seattle's defense has yet to surrender a goal this season. That streak might end this week against the attacking strength of Davy Arnaud, Claudio Lopez and Co., but the Sounders have shown more than enough fire power on offense, even with Fredy Montero out of the lineup last week. Top Choice: Seattle Sounders FC (Season Top Choice record: 2-1)

The other strong team in the Western Conference is Chivas USA. The Goats face a sputtering Los Angeles Galaxy squad at The Home Depot Center. L.A. lost 3-0 to Conor Casey last week and should have fallen in Week 1 to D.C. United had it not been for a questionable late penalty that lead to Landon Donovan's game-tying penalty kick. Chivas at 3-0-0 has showcased solid defense (two goals against) and two-goal-per-game offense against Colorado, Dallas and Columbus. Best Bet: Chivas USA (Season Best Bet record: 1-2)

Make your picks by Friday for both matches.

Survivor Pro: Forming an opinion

Staff — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:47:00 GMT

Week 3 of the MLS season is filled with a full slate of seven games, starting Thursday night when Real Salt Lake hosts the Columbus Crew in their home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium.

There are a number of matches worth recording on your DVR (Seattle at Toronto on Saturday, Columbus at Chivas USA on Sunday) if you can't catch 'em live, but there only a few that are worth consideration for your pick(s) this week in Survivor Pro.

It's too early in the season to know which team will be standing victorious on the stage at the end of MLS Cup. Can Seattle really be as good as they've looked (only team 2-0 after two weeks)? Is Kansas City really as bad as its 0-2 mark with a league-high five goals against?

The answer to both questions is "probably not." So, with that in mind, the most intriguing Survivor Pro match-up of the week has got to be either the New England Revolution hosting FC Dallas in the Revs' home opener Saturday night or the Chicago Fire hosting the New York Red Bulls at the home opener at Bridgeview Sunday afternoon.

These two matches are not necessarily intriguing because of the way the Revolution and Fire have played thus far, but moreso the way the Hoops and Red Bulls have played (or not played, depending on your vantage point).

FC Dallas's 2-0 loss to Chivas USA on Sunday showcased two flaws with this year's team: a weak, inexperienced defense and a lack of a true finisher on offense. The team had plenty of quality chances with six shots on goal, but not one got past goalkeeper Zach Thornton. On the other end, Chivas USA scored by winning two one-v-one battles against FCD. Both flaws seem kind of important if you expect to win any games, right?

New England, while not exactly burning up the scoreboard with two goals in two games, has appeared steady on defense, even with veteran 'keeper Matt Reis missing Saturday's draw against New York with a reported knee injury. Watch the injury report this week to make sure the team does not lose any other starters, otherwise you should stay away from this match-up. Until that happens though, the Revs are your pick. Top Choice: New England Revolution (Season Top Choice record: 1-1)

Make your pick by Friday for this match (NE vs. DAL).

Granted, New York should be 1-1-0 on the season instead of 0-1-1, but this team has not scored a goal of their own in two games against an expansion team and an injury-decimated Revs lineup giving a goalkeeper (Brad Knighton) his first MLS start. Their lone goal this season was an own goal. Paging Juan Pablo Angel, please. The season is underway and you can begin assaulting the league's 'keepers. Until you, as a Survivor Pro player, see him do that, this Red Bulls offense is going in reverse and you should pick against them every time. Best Bet: Chicago Fire (Season Best Bet record: 0-2)

Make your pick by Saturday for this match (CHI vs. NY).

Survivor Pro: Take stock, mentally and physically

Staff — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:36:00 GMT

The first weekend of the regular season has come and gone and the results either left fans wanting more of the same (Chicago, Seattle, Toronto) or flipping the calendar to find the last game of the regular season (New York, Dallas). While it is only one result and everyone is jacked up to get the season started with a W, it is worth keeping those first-week results in mind when looking ahead to Week 2.

There are also two other important factors to consider, one physical and one mental. The physical factor is key players not being available for certain teams due to World Cup Qualifying matches on Saturday and April 1. With top players possibly out of the mix, you've got to consider who will be the line-up replacement and will the team be able to overcome the absence vs. their weekend opponent.

The other factor is mental, which we would like to call "The Let-Down Game" and it is only a factor for teams coming off a First Kick win. That rush of adrenaline that first week can come a the cost of either not having enough in the tank for the next week's opponent or just plain overlooking the other team based on how well the team played in the first week.

The one team who might be prone to a loss in Week 2 due to "The Let Down Game" is Seattle. Sounders FC came out blazing in a 3-0 win against New York in Seattle on Thursday. It was a great game to watch and great for the league. The new kids (this includes the players as well as their sold-out crowd) really showed spirit and an exuberance that was unmatched last weekend.

This week, the Sounders host Real Salt Lake, a scrappy team from a year ago that reached the Western Conference Finals, in their first match of the 2009 season. While the fan base could carry Seattle once again, there is a chance the RSL stuns the home crowd by opening their campaign with a road victory.

So, now you're thinking, who should I pick for Survivor Pro? Well, that's what we're here for and based on the preceding philosophies, this one looks pretty easy.

The Chicago Fire would have had a shut-out in Week 1 had it not been for Kenny Cooper's beyond-half-field strike that caught goalkeeper Jon Busch out of position. Even so, this veteran team looked strong behind a 3-1 win against FC Dallas. Both World Cup vets Brian McBride and Cuauhtémoc Blanco scored and neither one will be called in this weekend as they are both retired from international play.

This week, the Fire travel to D.C. to face the Black-and-Red at RFK Stadium. Now D.C. managed to secure a 2-2 draw against the L.A. Donovans on Sunday, but this United team was out-hustled and out-worked for a better part of the game. The defense is a mess, a problem only made worse by Greg Janicki and Devon McTavish cracking skulls (literally, there was blood everywhere) late in the game, which help the Galaxy escape with a tie.

Not even the ghosts of Ryan Nelsen and Tony Sanneh (or even the real, 37-year-old Tony Sanneh, who looked decent for L.A.) could help this struggling defensive core. It's a bit of a rivalry game, but there's not much to a rivalry when one team gets rolled. Top Choice: Chicago Fire (Season Top Choice record: 1-0)

This other match is a tough one to take given the way both teams played in Week 1. The defending champion Columbus Crew earned a hard-fought draw with Houston Dynamo in Texas, while Toronto used two Amado Guevara goals to surge past Kansas City, 3-2. TFC may be the real deal this year with the talent that they've got stocked on their roster, but they won't be able to count on Guevara this week as he's going to be playing with Honduras. The Crew, on the other hand, will have a full roster (barring any mid-week injuries) and they are playing in front of their home crowd for the first time as reigning MLS Cup champs. Best Bet: Columbus Crew (Season Best Bet record: 0-1 ... thanks alot D.C.)

Make your picks by Friday for both of these matches (CHI at DC, TOR at CLB).

Survivor Pro: Making the most of First Kick

Staff — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:36:00 GMT

The 2009 Survivor Pro season opens Thursday night as the New York Red Bulls travel to Qwest Field to take on Seattle Sounders FC in the inaugural game of the MLS season.

Just like last year, the name of the game is WIN. Put together enough wins to build a streak and you'll get a chance to take home some great prizes. A loss or draw knocks you back down to zero, so make sure that you're confident with your pick before locking it in for a given week.

But don't think too far ahead. You've got to get that first win before you looks towards the second, third and fourth. (Check this out if you need a refresher on the rules of the game.)

For this first game of the season, you're looking at the MLS Cup 2008 Finalists vs. the new kids on the block (no, not these guys): should be an easy selection for a win, right? Not so fast, hombre.

Sounders FC, despite playing in their inaugural MLS season, will have a couple of advantages:

Head Coach Sigi Schmid: This guy won MLS Cup last year with Columbus. Based on preseason results he's already got his new team ready to bolt out of the regular-season starting gates.
A sold-out home crowd: These folks are not new to the game, but they are new to the league and with 32,400 tickets already sold it appears that they are ready to challenge Toronto fans in terms of first-season passion. You don't think that this will be a little intimidating for the Red Bulls?
You can't name three guys on defense for the Red Bulls: OK, maybe you can name Seth Stammler, Mike Petke and Kevin Goldthwaite - but do you actually think they are good? With the rate that Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua have been scoring this preseason for SFC, goalkeeper Danny Cepero had better hope some St. Paddy's Day luck is still lingering in the Seattle air for him.
Kasey Keller in his first MLS match: For a guy who has meant so much to US Soccer, don't you think he is going to want to go out there and pitch a shut-out in his first league match?

This Seattle team has cobbled together a decent roster based on other teams' spare parts (aka Expansion Draft) and have signed international players who could help this team jell quickly in the form of Keller and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg.

It's going to sound crazy to go with Seattle in the first game of the season, but New York took too long to bring in veteran talent for this season and you don't get a pass from any team in this league based on what you did in the postseason six months ago. Top Choice: Seattle Sounders FC

Make your pick before Wednesday night ET for this match (NY v. SEA).

There are some tough match-ups for this first weekend of the season. All Saturday games look like ones you should avoid if you're hoping to start off the season with at least one win. The Sunday match between D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy should have an over/under line attached to it with total goals in the range of 13 the way these two defenses played in '08. Even though it's home cooking for Landon Donovan and the Galaxy, look for Christian Gomez to regain his '07 MVP campaign magic and get the Black-and Red season off to a strong start. Best Bet: D.C. United

Make your pick by Saturday night ET for this match (DC v. LA).

Survivor Pro: National duty hampers league play

Staff — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:58:00 GMT

Major League Soccer has tried to do a lot of things right, but one of the challenges that league faces is what to do about teams who become desperately short-handed when a league match is played on the same day as a World Cup qualifying matches.

There's always less of a draw if Donovan (USA), Beckham (England) and Blanco (Mexico) are going to be away to play for their respective countries. But just imagine what it's like to be the coach of a team who is fighting for a postseason spot with few regular-season games remaining and you've got to fill valuable slots on your starting lineup with inexperienced players.

In fact, put yourself in John Carver's shoes. The Toronto FC manager has a measly 13-man squad for Saturday's tilt at BMO Field against Chivas USA. Not to mention the fact that the Reds are coming off a bitter last-minute loss to Chivas at The Home Depot Center last weekend.

Carver touts in a TFC press release (and doesn't this seem like the team is whining about their lack of players since their media relations department had to produce it or is it just me?) that the team defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy earlier in the season when they were short-handed by six or seven players, but when you're touting this guy's professional debut you might as well hand three points over to Chivas USA and spare them the trip across the border.

Here's who is going to be missing from TFC's regular starting lineup: goalkeeper Greg Sutton (Canada), defender Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica), defender Jim Brennan (Canada), defender Julius James (Trinidad & Tobago), midfielder Amado Guevara (Honduras), midfielder Carl Robinson (Wales), forward Jarrod Smith (New Zealand), forward Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala) and defender/midfielder Marvell Wynne (USA).

To top it off, Carver does not sound that enthusiastic about the guys he does have training with TFC this week.

"Chad Barrett has not lasted a full game yet. Danny Dichio hasn't played a full game since suffering from concussion and Kevin Harmse has a problem with his knees," Carver said in the team release. "We have called up David Monsalve from the MLS emergency pool to be our substitute goalkeeper, but we are only left with one outfield substitute."

As if things weren't already tough for the guy who once helped coach English stars Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, one of his player's up and quits on him. Although, Carver's reaction to Tyler Hemming's request for his release is admirable given this week's circumstances.

“I said to Tyler Hemming if you don't want to be here then there's no way I'm going to get on my hands and knees and beg you to stay," Carver told the Globe and Mail. "But you're not helping your teammates out. It's his request, he wants to go.”

Ahhh ... spoken like a fiesty Brit. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Tyler.

All that said, it should be pretty obvious by now who we're picking this week in the match at BMO Field. Chivas USA is going to be without midfielder Sacha Klejstan (USA) and defender Shavar Thomas (Jamaica), but the rest of their lineup is intact. TFC is dominant at home (7-1-3) and, sitting in ninth on the overall table tied with Kansas City and FC Dallas at 26 points, desperately needs a win to keep pace. This isn't going to be their week. Top Choice: Chivas USA

If you can help it, avoid taking a second game this weekend. Houston Dynamo look good on paper at home against K.C., until you see that starters Pat Onstad (Canada), Brian Ching (USA), Dwayne De Rosario (Canada) and Ricardo Clark (USA) have been called to their respective national team camps. Columbus is tough at home, but their opponent is an equally tough New England team. Best Bet: Skip it.

Survivor Pro: Many choices, few instant winners

Staff — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:12:00 GMT

There's plenty of movement on and off the field this week in Major League Soccer, and there's plenty of competitions to choose from in terms of Survivor Pro with an eye-popping nine games this week.

Oh yeah ... and don't forget about World Cup qualifiers and the Olympic gold medal match. (Don't worry, Emmanuel Ekpo, you haven't been forgotten.)

The Bruce has returned to save the Galaxy. Maurice Edu returned to Toronto from playing for USA in Beijing only to deliver the news that he's headed overseas to play Rangers. Carlos Ruiz appears to have finally found his way out of a crowded Galaxy attack group and into the open arms of Canadians. And Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin confirmed that he's leaving all together at the end of the season.

That's a lot of information to swallow in itself without trying to analyze each one of this week's matches to find the no-doubt winner that will start/extend your Survivor Pro streak. We'll do our best (yes, we've already put a hex on Alan Gordon for his stoppage-time goal last week against Chivas USA, which stopped our personal streak) to give you our top two winners for the week.

Real Salt Lake at Columbus Crew (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET): The Crew are the best team (10-6-4, 34 pts.) in the league. Let that sink in for a second. That alone is not reason enough to pick them to win against RSL on Saturday -- but it should be. Do you want more proof? The Crew are a very respectable 6-2-2 at home this season and 2-1-0 overall since coming out of the All-Star break. They needed those wins to prove they are the same team which impressed everyone to start the season after sputtering through most of June and July. While Real is no slouch (7-7-6, 27 pts.), they look more like "The Mistake From Salt Lake" when they've hit the road (1-7-1). RSL beat Columbus 2-0 earlier this season. Look for the Crew to return the favor while rejoicing in Ekpo's newly minted silver medal. (Do you really think Nigeria is going to top Argentina?) Top Choice: Columbus Crew

Colorado Rapids at D.C. United (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET): This pick is similar to the Crew pick in that it is based primarily on strength vs. weakness. In this case, "strength" would be defined by D.C. United's record at RFK Stadium this season (7-3-0). On the other hand, "weakness" is defined by the Rapids' 1-6-2 mark away from the Centennial State (which ranks right up there with The Show Me State -- Missouri -- and The Land of Enchantment -- New Mexico -- as worst state nicknames). D.C. also has a new 'keeper in Louis Crayton who kept a clean sheet in his first MLS match last weekend. Best Bet: D.C. United

One contest that's lining up to be a real fun one to watch is New England at Toronto FC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX Soccer Channel). The Revs got waxed (4-0) last weekend against the expansion San Jose Earthquakes, but the defending Eastern Conference champs are a league-best 6-3-1 on the road this season. Conversely, TFC is an impressive 5-1-4 at BMO Field this year and coming off an equally difficult 2-0 loss to the Red Bulls in New Jersey. If Matt Reis is still injured (and a main reason why we've decided not to subject this game to one of our top two picks), this match may not be quite as competitive as anticipated.

At the very least, it's always fun watching an MLS match where you know you're going to see a packed house with rowdy supporters chanting, cheering and jeering all of the way through the final whistle.

Whatever you decide, choose wisely. Three great prizes are within your reach with some well-thought decisions, patience and a little bit of luck.

Survivor Pro: Avoid the imploding Galaxy

Staff — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:31:00 GMT

There has been plenty of fast-paced action in MLS over the last month -- most of it coming along the transaction wire. Familiar faces are returning (Pat Noonan to Columbus and Brian McBride to Chicago), while league All-Stars have departed (Brad Guzan and Juan Toja).

On Monday, though, the Los Angeles Galaxy proved that it's not just the current players who are on the move. In a surprising announcement, the Galaxy, who are mired in a seven-game winless streak, "parted ways" with team president/GM Alexi Lalas and head coach Ruud Gullit. First-year assistant coach Cobi Jones, who retired from playing less than a year ago, is now tasked with righting this ship before it sinks from playoff contention.

Let's face some facts. While the timing of all of this is a bit of a shock with the Galaxy in the thick of playoff contention as the league heads towards the latter third of the regular-season schedule, the actual news of Lalas being sacked and Gullitt departing for "personal reasons" shouldn't really surprise anyone. The Kiss of Death for these two actually came shortly after the All-Star break when AEG CEO Tim Leiweke reportedly blasted the team in the locker room and gave them two weeks to shape up.

Translation: When the man with all of the money comes into your house spewing irrational threats, it's time to pack up your things and prepare to leave.

Now, as a Survivor Pro player, you've got to look at this in one of three ways:

The Galaxy will respond to this change, rally around Jones and go on a winning streak, starting Thursday against hated rivals Chivas USA.
The Galaxy will respond to this change by turtling into their shell and go on a losing streak, starting Thursday against hated rivals Chivas USA.
The Galaxy continue their up-and-down performance with rays of brilliance and fits of incompetence, resulting in them either barely making or missing the postseason.

Nothing against Jones, but the last time we saw a player move this quickly from the playing field to management was last season with Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis. Granted, that move was more stunning in that Kreis had been the starting striker one week and installed as head coach the next, but Jones is not too far removed from his playing days.

Last year, Kreis retired from playing four games into the season and took an 0-2-2 team to an underwhelming 6-15-9 mark. This year, though, Kreis has RSL atop the Western Conference (7-6-6, 27 pts.) and undefeated at home (6-0-5). While the Galaxy have changed management, they have not changed the fact that the team defense would still find a way to allow goals even if they had the Great Wall of China protecting their end. Not even Jones can change that problem without seeing a change in personnel.

On Thursday, the Super Clasico is hosted by Chivas USA (not that being the "home" team means much of anything when both teams play at The Home Depot Center). The Goats are struggling a bit in league play and now no longer have one of their premier players since goalkeeper Brad Guzan was sold to Aston Villa. Acquiring veteran Zach Thornton from New York should help -- at least they are not in the Galaxy's position. Top Choice: Chivas USA

For our other game of the week, we've got to take a look at Real Salt Lake at Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Dynamo need to get their act together over the next couple of weeks if they hope to have a shot at becoming three-time MLS Cup champions. They are coming off a solid 2-0 win against Columbus and host an RSL team that is miserable on the road this season (1-6-1). Dynamo players are licking their chops at the chance to take over first place in the West with a win on Saturday. Best Bet: Houston Dynamo

As a reminder, it's the second season of Survivor Pro, so all picks were reset at the All-Star break in order to start the new campaign. The good news is that an XBox 360 is that much closer to your grasp. Put together a 15-game win streak and the console is yours!

Survivor Pro: Picking a winner by default

Staff — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:04:00 GMT

After a month-long hiatus, we're back ... and shocked to discover that Spaniards are now ruling the world.

First the Spanish national team dominates Germany in the Euro 2008 championship to win the country's first European title in 44 years.

Then Rafael Nadal survives an incredible 5-set match against Roger Federer to capture his first Wimbledon title and end Darth Federer's reign on English turf.

Pau Gasol even made it to the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers (only to lose to the Boston Celtics in six games).

What's next? The Tour de France? (Possible.) Beijing 2008? (Probably not, but don't count 'em out, especially in soccer or hoops where they have recently won titles.) Spain hasn't seen this kind of world domination since Christopher Columbus set sail with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria in 1492.

If there was a Spanish-born player in MLS, you bet that's whose team we'd pick to win this week for Survivor Pro. But there is not and we had to take a deeper look into this week's slate of matches.

Of the 10 teams who are playing this week, we found more reasons not to choose a team than we did in picking a sure-fire winner. Damn you, SuperLiga and U.S. Open Cup for taking D.C. United -- the league's hottest team (5-0-1) -- out of action for nearly a month.

That said, we're only going to give you one Top Choice this week along with our reasons for eliminating all of the other competitors.

Teams NOT to pick this week:

New York Red Bulls (at Kansas City, Thursday): This is an easy team not to pick. The Red Bulls have one win on the road this season (May 10 at L.A.) and they are on the road this week to face the Kansas City Wizards. While the Wizards can't score, has been just as bad of late (last win came June 5 vs. Chivas USA), especially in last week's 4-0 thumping at the hands of the Colorado Rapids. Not even Ronaldinho could help this team.
Kansas City Wizards (vs. New York, Thursday): Yeah, this match is a dog. Don't touch either team. The Wizards are OK at home (3-2-1) but their offense is pathetic. Twelve goals in 14 league matches?! Are you kidding me??! San Jose is worse, but they get a pass because they are an expansion team. Maybe Josh Wolff will cure what ails K.C.'s lack of attack, but he won't be available for another week at least. The Wizards have scored more than one goal only twice this season -- in the first two games. The Red Bulls' defense is not great, but that doesn't mean the flood gates will open for K.C.
San Jose Earthquakes (vs. Colorado, Saturday): At 3-9-3, the expansion Quakes are the worst team in the league. Enough said.
Toronto FC (at Chicago, Saturday): The Red Menace have dominated on their home turf (5-0-3), but have only one win on the road this season (April 13 at L.A.) in six trips. This will be TFC's first match against the Fire, with whom they are tied in the standings (6-5-3), this season. That’s even more of a reason not to pick the road team.
Real Salt Lake (vs. Columbus, Saturday): Here's where things get a bit tougher. We're still stunned to find RSL in the hunt, much less unbeaten at home (4-0-5). As you already know, though, those five draws would translate to five losses in Survivor Pro. That fact coupled with Real's anemic offense (three goals in the last six league games) give us reason enough to stay away.
Colorado Rapids (at San Jose, Saturday): Always pick against the expansion team, right? Not if you've measured Colorado's play over the last month. You can look at the Rapids in two ways after last week's 4-0 beating of the Red Bulls: Colorado's offense has found its stride or this game is an anomaly. We're leaning on the latter seeing as the Rapids went 1-3-1 prior to last week's win.
Chicago Fire (vs. Toronto, Saturday): If you picked this team, we can't entirely blame you, except for the fact that the Fire only have two wins at home (2-3-1) and their last win came on May 25 at New York (0-3-2 in league games since). The Fire have stumbled a bit of late and they are playing red-hot D.C. United on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup. That's not a good combination.
Columbus Crew (at Real Salt Lake, Saturday): The Crew are the second-best team in the league (8-4-3, 27 pts.). They met RSL in the U.S. Open Cup and beat them 2-0. And they are facing a team that lacks any punch on offense. This a definite win for Columbus, right? Not necessarily. The Crew only have two wins in their last eight league matches and they are facing a team that is (shockingly) unbeaten at home.
Chivas USA (at Los Angeles, Thursday): The Super Clasico resumes Thursday night on ESPN2 at The Home Depot Center. Chivas is coming off a 1-0 win vs. San Jose and the team is 2-2-1 in the last month. But over that time, the Goats have only scored four goals. We've warned in the past about picking teams in rivalry matches (which this certainly qualifies), but we're going to buck the trend this week for ...

This week's Top Choice -- Los Angeles Galaxy (vs. Chivas USA, Thursday): The Gals waxed Chivas 5-2 in the first meeting between the two teams this season on April 26. L.A. is coming off two consecutive losses to D.C United and the New England Revolution, respectively, but they should have a healthy Landon Donovan back in the lineup against Chivas USA. That should free up Edson Buddle, who has recently come on strong, and, more importantly, David Beckham, who was nearly suffocated by double-teaming defenders last week against the Revs. The Galaxy defense is porous to say the least (30 goals allowed), but the offense is tops in the league. Top Choice: Los Angeles Galaxy

The first half of the Survivor Pro season is coming to a close in a couple weeks, so there is still time to put in a few good picks. Stay tuned for updates on the game for the second half of the season which will start after the MLS All-Star Game on July 24.