With the 2009 Major League Soccer entering its 17th week, it’s remarkable to note how quickly time flies. It wasn’t that long ago that the New York Red Bulls were feeling optimistic about their chances, that San Jose and Dallas were looking to get off to a bright start, and the fans in Seattle were fired up.

Of those four prognostications, just one has stood the test of 16-17 games played thus far. The Sounders, as we all know and seem to hear on a weekly basis, are the league’s new golden child. Meanwhile, New York has dropped off the face of the earth, with just 10 points earned out of a possible 57, and Juan Carlos Osorio’s days surely must be numbered. The other two clubs, San Jose and FC Dallas, have lagged behind the rest of the competition for what seems like awhile now. Of the two, Dallas is closer to turning things around and perhaps making some noise, as they sit at 17 points and if a few more results go their way could be right back in the thick of the race for the playoffs.

A few notable story lines to toss around: the impending return of David Beckham to the pitch is just five days away, as all eyes seem to be on the recent quotes published in an excerpt of Grant Wahl’s The Beckham Experiment. Whether that will boost LA’s playoff chances or send them crashing out remains to be seen — what is evident is that they do have a shot at the playoffs, but need to keep their win streak alive to attain such a thing.

More transfer news came up this week as well, with Real Salt Lake’s Yura Movsisyan agreeing to a contract with Randers in Denmark. While RSL will retain the young striker through the end of the season, it brings up a feeling of lament when such signings occur. Many out there feel that MLS shouldn’t let players like Movsisyan walk, yet they fail to acknowledge that the league has a lot of work to do to keep young talents around. Plus players still associate Europe with a higher quality of play that MLS still lacks.

I’m going to stop myself before I lose the plot. On to this weekend. Gold Cup call ups continue as the tournament reaches its last legs, at least for the group stages. Time to take a look at the full slate of games on store for Saturday.

Saturday, July 11

Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders FC — 4:00 PM (Direct Kick)

I love game days in Seattle. Even though I reside halfway across the country, it’s exciting and encouraging to see that market blow up. Not only do they have a rapid fan base, but they also boast a quality team, one that takes on league-leading Houston at just the right time. Thanks to either injury, suspension, and the Gold Cup, the Dynamo will be lacking Stuart Holden, Brian Ching, Stuart Holden, Andrew Hainault, Cam Weaver, and Bobby Boswell. That’s almost an entire first XI. It’ll be a difficult challenge up at Qwest Field — they’ll have to look up into the rafters at Pat Onstad’s image for inspiration. A Seattle win should be on the cards in this one, as Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg are slowly learning how to share the pitch.

Kansas City at New England — 4:00 PM (Direct Kick)

Could a game at Gillette Stadium be a good thing for the visitors? Kansas City has struggled to score, especially at home. One of the main reasons for this is the small field at Community America Ballpark getting congested by opposing defenses. Hence, a trip elsewhere might be a blessing in disguise, especially when you consider the injury struggles the Revolution have failed to overcome. While Steve Ralson may make a return, Taylor Twellman, Chris Albright, and Shalrie Joseph will continue to miss out due to injury. A strong performance from Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff will be important if the Wizards want to walk away from this one with three points.

Columbus at Chicago — 8:00 PM (ESPN2, Deportes)

An important match up for both sides, as the battle for the East continues out in near Chicago. The Fire will be looking for an improvement on their rather drab 1-2-3 home record at Toyota Park. Their opposition will be coming in undermanned, as their best defender Chad Marshall and brightest young talent Robbie Rogers will both miss out on Gold Cup duty. Chicago’s loss of Logan Pause and Gonzalo Segares aren’t exactly a help, but when you look at the depth and talent at Dennis Hamlett’s disposal you have to like their chances.

FC Dallas at Colorado — 9:30 PM (Direct Kick)

It’s interesting to see how well Jeff Cunningham performs in the absence of Kenny Cooper. If only the two could successfully co-exist — perhaps Dallas would sit a bit higher in the table if that were the case. Despite that drop off, the continuing absence of Cooper leaves the spotlight on Cunningham to help guide Dallas past the Rapids and continue their turnaround. Colorado, meanwhile, must deal with a striking absence of their own with Omar Cummings off with the Jamaican side. Conor Casey’s lethargic performance last week can be attributed to his Confederations Cup duty, but Colorado needs more out of the big man in order to maintain pace with the ever tough Western Conference. Honors will likely end even on this one.

Toronto at San Jose — 10:30 PM (Direct Kick)

Will Toronto sign Julian De Guzman? And more importantly is it a good move? I think a no is an appropriate answer, as TFC isn’t exactly hurting in the midfield. A competent and consistent striker is a much more glaring need, not to mention a central defender. Nick Garcia faces his old team out west, and he’ll have to hope the injury fortunes of the Quakes remain poor. Bobby Convey and Darren Huckerby are both battling fitness issues, though being listed questionable and probable respectively, odds are at least one will make an appearance against Toronto.

Los Angeles at Chivas USA — 11:00 PM (FSC, FSE)

In just his second game with the “other” LA team, Alecko Eskandarian already has a chance to exact revenge on Chivas. Not that Esky harbors anything bitter towards Preki and co., but facing a former team is always a notable story line. Especially when you consider what is looming out in Los Angeles. Glossing over the Beckham saga and focusing on the actual game reveals that the Galaxy are winners of two in a row and sit in fourth place. Landon Donovan, out last weekend with a convenient illness, should be fired up and ready to continue the winning ways. Hopefully, we’ll bear witness to a SuperClasico much more interesting and less card-saturated than the two team’s first meeting this season.

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