MLS/NWSL Gamethread: Week 6

Sigi said it best when he mentioned that even with a win Saturday, Seattle will still be clinging to last place in MLS. There's no better reason for an orthodox Sounder to check out some of the other games around the league. Though some of the games on the slate may make those irritated with our team's slow start even more frustrated. SEE GUYS! IT ISN'T THAT HARD TO GET THE BALL IN THE BACK OF THE NET!

*ahem*

Onto the games!

Saturday

Philadelphia Union - Toronto FC: 1:00 PM
Poor Philly. There's an alternate universe somewhere where this matchup is between the two shining lights of MLS. Thanks to mismanagement on their ends and some unexpected craziness in the forgotten corner of the continent, this is just a game between two recent expansion teams with some poor playoff records (0-0 counts as poor). This year the two are straddling the playoff finish line. Only one can advance! (Well, actually both of them could. Or neither. It is a long season.)
Prediction: 0-1
Result: 1-1

Vancouver Whitecaps - Real Salt Lake: 1:00 PM (TSN)
Now see, this is irritating. I like watching the other Cascadian teams play each week, for different reasons. Each week I watch them with rooting interests, though not always the same interest. (It feels icky to root for San Jose this week.) So having the Whitecaps play (at home) the same time as the Sounders play (at home), kind of makes me all "c'mon man".
Prediction: 2-0
Result: 2-2

DC United - New York Red Bulls: 4:00 PM
Before the Sno Fro, the winter event stuck in the minds of most US Soccer fans was the blizzard in the Northeast that delayed a playoff match between these two power players. The events that swirled around that snow bowl have helped to intensify a rivalry in need of a kick in the pants. Problem is, New York can't score.
Prediction: 2-0

---Game of the Week---
FC Dallas - LA Galaxy: 4:30 PM (NBCSN)
Numbers one and three in the Western Conference will settle things down in the cold Texas desert. the Galaxy may be LAGGING behind (because LA G), but a win would put them only two back of first place with a pair of games in hand.
Prediction: 2-1

Chivas USA - Colorado Rapids: 7:00 PM
Sure, Chivas de Guadalajara versus Manchester United might be more entertaining, but I still expect some goals in this one. Both teams have played at a level higher than the preseason prognosticators projected.
Prediction: 2-2

Sunday

Montreal Impact - Columbus Crew 9:00 AM (TSN)
This game was meant to be played on Saturday, the first match of the year at Saputo Stadium. But the bright, beautiful Canadian spring had other plans. Montreal has been the hottest team in the league, especially on defense. But they'll be facing perhaps the best forward tandem they've seen this year in Higuain and Oduro.
Prediction: 1-1

Houston Dynamo - Chicago Fire 2:30 PM (Unimas)
Predicting Houston to lose at home is like predicting Mt. Rainier to erupt. It's going to happen, eventually. But to pick a day and say "here it comes" is a fool's errand. It could be today, or it could be 100 years from now. One thing that is almost certain; Chicago won't be the team to break their streak.
Prediction: 1-0

Portland Timbers - San Jose Earthquakes: 7:30 PM (NBCSN)
San Jose still has a number of injuries, but they're healthy enough to get a result at Jeld-Wen. Of course, that's what I said about Houston. It'll be raining goals in at one corner of Cascadia.
Prediction: 2-2

Also, at least for this week, we'll do the first week of NWSL games, with links to the streaming sources included.

Saturday
FC Kansas City - Portland Thorns FC: 4:35 PM
Nearly every preseason power ranking has these two teams at numbers 1 and 2. Portland got the #1 target in the sport in Alex Morgan and the league threw in best Canadian forward ever Christine Sinclair for giggles. But their drafts were head-scratchers and they don't have a lot of depth. FCKC, on the other hand, has no superstars but all the depth. And home field.
Prediction: 3-2

Sky Blue FC vs Western New York Flash: 3:00 PM
Western New York (which is a fancy way of saying Rochester) win the title in whatever league they're in and they have the offense to do it again, with Abby Wambach, Adriana, and Veronica Perez lining up shots. Sky Blue is a fancy way of saying New Jersey.
Prediction: 0-3

Boston Breakers vs Washington Spirit: 3:30 PM
Because of some adidas/Nike blood feud, teams aren't allowed to share a name between NWSL and MLS, which is why the W-League's DC United Women became the Washington Spirit. Good for them. But they're at the bottom of everybody's predicted standings after getting crushed by college teams in the preseason. The Breakers defense has been crushed by injury in the preseason and if they go anywhere this year it'll have to be by outscoring their opponent.
Prediction: 2-0