Our prognosticators had a good week last week - and not just because D.C. United's bye guaranteed that the Black-and-Red wouldn't drop another one into the loss column. But this week is where things can take a big turn: most weeks feature eight or nine matches - the biggest week to-date was ten. This week features 15 matches, thanks to a crammed Wednesday schedule (which features a whopping zero nationally televised games) in addition to the usual weekend festivities. All our picks on the big slate this week presents are below, but first, the standings in our prediction pool:
Week 10 Scores (possible 8): Adam: 5 points | Chest: 4 pts | Benuski: 4 pts | Stephen: 3 pts
Total Scores (possible 85): Adam: 33 pts | Chest: 36 pts | Benuski: 29 pts | Stephen: 33 pts
For the first time this season, all of us - even Ben! - are above what you would expect from random guessing (which would be 28 out of the 85 games so far). Hooray for us! Now, onto week 11!
Wed. May 8, 7 pm: D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo - CSN+, News Channel 8 (MLS Live local blackout) (The match is also MLSSoccer.com's free stream of the week if you happen to live beyond the DMV and don't have MLS Live.)
Adam: Draw. Chest: DCU. Ben: DCU. Stephen: DCU.
Thanks to being a Wednesday night, thunderstorms in the forecast and the team's dismal record, this one could be pretty awful in the attendance department. It won't be any better on teevee, though, since the Caps' playoff series is going to bump this one to the overflow channel, which most people won't be able to find on their channel guides. Here's hoping those folks miss something the rest of us will want to remember. -Adam
Wed. May 8, 7:30 pm: New York Red Bulls vs. Montreal Impact - MLS Live
Adam: Draw. Chest: Draw. Ben: Draw. Stephen: Draw.
Hopefully Henry, Juninho, Di Vaio, Bernier, and the rest of the retirement set involved in this one make the game. I heard they're having a Matlock marathon on TV at the same time. -Chest
Wed. May 8, 8 pm: New England Revolution vs. Real Salt Lake - MLS Live
Adam: NE. Chest: NE. Ben: NE. Stephen: NE.
It's not that the Revs are particularly good, it's just that RSL's 2013 edition seems to conspire to find ways to drop winnable games on the road. If this were at Rio Tinto, I'd bet you we'd be unanimous the other way. -Adam
Wed. May 8, 8:30 pm: Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders - MLS Live
Adam: SKC. Chest: SKC. Ben: SKC. Stephen: SEA.
Which was less likely coming into the season: Seattle being this useless, or Justin Mapp actually being a useful player for Montreal? -Chest
Wed. May 8, 9 pm: FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers - MLS Live
Adam: FCD. Chest: FCD. Ben: FCD. Stephen: FCD.
It's a shame this matchup is on a Wednesday night with no national TV coverage because this game could have fireworks. I'll take the home team in a shootout. -Stephen
Wed. May 8, 10:30 pm: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC - MLS Live
Adam: SJ. Chest: SJ. Ben: SJ. Stephen: SJ.
Now that TFC's inexplicable stranglehold on the Voyageurs Cup is over (meaning no fall CCL matches), does their season just end now? -Chest
Sat. May 11, 1:30 pm: Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union - NBC Sports Network
Adam: PHI. Chest: Draw. Ben: Draw. Stephen: Draw.
How much faith do you have in either of these teams? Zero. Zero faiths. Actually, I have negative faiths in Chicago, so the Union get the nod. -Adam
Sat. May 11, 2 pm: Montreal Impact vs. Real Salt Lake - MLS Live
Adam: Draw. Chest: Draw. Ben: MTL. Stephen: MTL.
Montreal is in the midst of a seemingly endless Wednesday-Saturday stretch, and they rely on a lot of old dudes. RSL can take something from their trip to the northeast. -Chest
Sat. May 11, 4 pm: Seattle Sounders vs. San Jose Earthquakes - MLS Live, Univision Deportes
Adam: SEA. Chest: SEA. Ben: SEA. Stephen: SEA.
The sheen is officially off of the Quakes until they show they can remember that goals in the first 80 minutes count just as much as goals in the last ten. -Adam
Sat. May 11, 7 pm: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LA Galaxy - MLS Live
Adam: LAG. Chest: Draw. Ben: LAG. Stephen: LAG.
Gonna guess that Nigel "Frustrated By Everything" Reo-Coker won't at all enjoy meeting quiet provocateurs Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas. -Chest
Sat. May 11, 7:30 pm: Columbus Crew vs. Colorado Rapids - MLS Live
Adam: CLB. Chest: CLB. Ben: COL. Stephen: CLB.
Filed under: Confusingly similar abbreviations. Luckily nobody will go out of their way to watch this one, so the damage done by the score display is likely to be minimal. -Adam
Sat. May 11, 7:30 pm: New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls - MLS Live
Adam: NY. Chest: NE. Ben: Draw. Stephen: Draw.
If they could score a goal, New England could win this game. I just don't see them scoring, however. -Stephen
Sat. May 11, 8:30 pm: FC Dallas vs. D.C. United - CSN (MLS Live local blackout)
Adam: FCD. Chest: FCD. Ben: Draw. Stephen: FCD.
One of our least-friendly road cities of all time, and the Toros can play a little bit. Maybe if David Ferreira gets a red card on Wednesday, we have a chance? Otherwise, let's just hope that this is a respectable showing rather than a demoralizing, heavy defeat. -Chest
Sun. May 12, 5 pm: Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA - UniMas
Adam: POR. Chest: POR. Ben: Draw. Stephen: POR.
The wheels appear to officially be coming off the Chivas USA bus. Glad I jumped off last week. -Stephen
Sun. May 12, 8 pm: Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City - MLS Live
Adam: Draw. Chest: Draw. Ben: Draw. Stephen: HOU.
Two thoughts on this one: First, how in the name of Arlo White is this one not on national television? Did the top two teams in the Eastern Conference over the last three years just slip through the cracks? In a prime spot on Sunday night? Second: This is Houston's biggest test in a while as they try to push their home unbeaten streak into uncharted waters, especially coming off of 4,500+ miles of travel over the preceding week. That said, I still think they'll get a point. -Adam