Photo by William Holtkamp

One would be tempted to overlook the two matches going on tonight in MLS and focus on an incredible slate of games this weekend, with LA/NY as the headliner.  To do so would be to miss some important storylines as the four teams taking the pitch tonight are all in a critical stretch of games that could define their place in the playoff race.

Each match is analyzed separately below, and feel free to offer your own pre- and post-game thoughts in the comments section.

DC United v. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 PM ET

Fun Fact: Seattle has never lost at RFK

Momentum: Momentum is all on Seattle’s side, as the team is winning despite high-profile injuries to their starters.  The Sounders have not lost since March and are coming off a 3-0 stomping of woeful Toronto this weekend.  Fredy Montero looks to finally be getting on track and the club is actually undefeated on the road this year, winning once and drawing twice.  They are also third in the Western Conference and can create some daylight between themselves and Colorado/Dallas with a good road trip.

The Black-and-Red, meanwhile, are struggling of late.  They were thumped by New York and Houston in MLS play and dumped from the Open Cup by New England last week.  The defense is in shambles and, as Steven Goff points out, the same buzz words used last year during DCU’s dreadful campaign are beginning to surface again.  They still sit sixth in the standings, two points behind New England and five behind Columbus, so if they can get it together they can make their own playoff run.

Key match-up – Brad Evans/Osvaldo Alonso v. Clyde Simms: There are rumors that Simms could sit this match as a result of his poor play the past few weeks, so we could see Kurt Morsink here or Dax McCarty drop back.  But the key match-up regardless of who starts is the midfield of DC stopping the midfield of Seattle.  For all the flack the DC backline has received, the midfield has done a poor job of controlling possession and playing a holding role, something they absolutely have to do against Seattle.  If Seattle is able to get on the run and create quick scoring chances, like they did against Colorado, this game could be over quickly.

Prediction: This is not the same DC team as last year and it has more talent, so I do not expect an implosion here.  Seattle also may be peeking ahead to Columbus on Saturday and may not start their entire best XI.  Regardless, I think Seattle controls possession and creates plenty of scoring chances, but the DC defense does just enough to hold on for a 2-2 draw.

Houston Dynamo v. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 PM ET

Fun Fact: Houston has never lost to Colorado in Robertson Stadium

Momentum: Colorado finally stopped their losing streak with their 1-1 draw with Chicago this weekend.  The fact is this team is banged up and their absences have hurt them.  Getting Pablo Mastroeni back helps the midfield but they are still thin up top without Conor Casey or Quncy Amarikwa.  Added to that is the fact that starters like Matt Pickens and Caleb Forlan are banged up, and Brian Mullan is out for a while, and you’ve got a team struggling to keep up in the West.  Colorado has fallen out of the top three and is being caught from behind by Dallas.  They need to right the ship and get a result against Houston.

Houston is playing the exact opposite right now.  The Dynamo are coming off a dominating performance at home against DC where Will Bruin and Brad Davis had their coming out parties.  They sit on 12 points which is third best in the East and if they can keep their momentum going can go a long way towards securing a playoff spot in the inconsistent East.

Key Match-up – Brad Davis/Pablo Mastroeni:  Davis recently took over the league lead in assists and played very well in the DC match.  He looks to be the kind of difference maker in the midfield that can help a team with inconsistent forwards find good chances to score.  If Mastroeni or the Rapids midfield can shield him from getting the ball to Bruin and Weaver, they have a chance to win.

Prediction: Houston’s tough at home and on a roll, but Colorado is too good to just roll over.  The Dynamo edge the Rapids 2-1.

Reliant Stadium

Tomorrow, Major League Soccer, the Houston Dynamo, and Lone Star Sports and Entertainment will officially announce that the 2010 MLS All-Star Game will be held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, not Robertson Stadium.

While Reliant Stadium, which was officially opened in 2002, is a multiple-use stadium, it is primarily known as the home of National League Football League’s Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. This 71,500 stadium with a retractable roof is no stranger to soccer though, having hosted CONCACAF Gold Cup Matches, friendlies between the United States and Mexico, a friendly between F.C. Barcelona and Club America and the 2008 Free Kick Masters that included several top name international footballers including Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho.

Although the MLS All-Star match has been held in other large NFL Stadiums, such as the Meadowlands in New Jersey, Reliant Stadium, which hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004, will be the first of the newest generation of NFL Stadiums to host the MLS All-Star Game.

While the stadium will be announced tomorrow, it will be some time before we learn who the MLS All-Star Team will be playing next season. Considering the venue and location of the match, the opponent will likely be a big club from Mexico, South America, or Spain.

Finally, earlier this week the Houston Dynamo announced the creation of the Charities Cup, an annual friendly match for the Dynamo designed to raise money for its charitable arm, Dynamo Charities. The inaugural Charities Cup will be held on October 11, 2009 at 6:00 pm local time when the Dynamo host Mexican side Monterrey at Robertson Stadium.

Once again, MLS executives prove they are not in tune with their product.  The Gold Cup provided the perfect opportunity for MLS to expand their fan base.  Collaboration with CONCACAF representatives could have brought doubleheaders featuring one MLS game and one Gold Cup game from the first game through to the final (This year’s format does provide doubleheaders, two Gold Cup games/one stadium, except for the final).  

A collaboration among organizations would have allowed for more stadiums to get an opportunity to host the Gold Cup, which in turn, allows more people overall to see live soccer action.  By spreading the wealth, Soccer gets more promotion and more exposure.

What this would have accomplished is good for both CONCACAF and for MLS.  By having an MLS game take place for fans who might not be familiar with the MLS product, there is a possibility of enhancing the significance of the CONCACAF Champions League.  Fans of different heritage would get the chance to see teams which may play in the Champions League.   

MLS would  have benefited by getting their product to their easiest fans to win over, soccer fans.  A game between Guadeloupe and Nicaragua in Reliant Stadium on the 9th of July with an MLS game as part of the attraction is a marketing wet dream for the Houston Dynamo.  

The biggest dilemma for the organizers of these events would have been which game becomes the headliner.  This is a problem you want to have.  Some may argue the MLS game may have more broad appeal than the Gold Cup game or visa versa.  Regardless, there are still two games to be played and to be enjoyed for fans. 

There’s also the possibility of marketing to the sports fan and getting them more heavily involved.  With 2 games to see, there’s a stronger likelihood they’ll see a great game and be pulled in more to soccer as an entertainment option.  (International doubleheaders tend to attract a specific audience already familiar with Soccer). 

Scheduling MLS games could have been made easier by getting all the teams involved during this 3 week period of 25 matches.  They could have scheduled just 25 MLS matches during this time. 

Among the 25 matches to be slotted to accompany Gold Cup matches, another brand could also fill the void.  With sufficient planning and anticipation from U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF, some U.S. Open Cup matches could have been included. 

It’s dissappointing this is not transpiring because it would have made for great theater and discussion for soccer fans.  It also seems that this idea would have garnered more national attention from ESPN.