Not much.

Two one-goal winners. Two one-goal losers. And two games ending in draws. At this point it’s still looking wide open.

This weekend’s results:
Seattle 0-0 Houston
RSL 1-0 Columbus
NE 2-1 Chicago
Chivas 2-2 Galaxy

Who Will Win the 2009 MLS Cup?(polls)

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• New York v Los Angeles




• Chicago v San Jose
• D.C. United v Colorado
• Columbus v Real Salt Lake
• Toronto v Houston
• New England v Chivas USA (not up yet)

We’ve come a long way from that, haven’t we?

Gold Cup absences continue to be the story, as a number of clubs will be missing top players through this weekend and probably more. The success of U.S. and Canada will no doubt be a bane on a number of clubs, with a lengthy list looking to move on to the quarterfinal round in Philadelphia.

It’s a true test of both the new roster size and a coach/front office and their ability to build the right team or call in the right reinforcement. With the player window opening up soon, look for big moves to start.

Full rankings are after the jump. Don’t forget to follow MLS Offside on Twitter and to email ideas and tips to mlsoffside[at]gmail[dot]com.

1. Houston Dynamo
Record: 9-3-4
Previous: 1
Comment: No reason for them to budge.

2. Chivas USA
Record: 8-4-3
Previous: 2
Comment: Same with Chivas.

3. Seattle Sounders FC
Record: 6-3-7
Previous: 5
Comment: Big game for Seattle this weekend, with Houton coming to town. A win against the Dynamo would send a signal to the rest of the league that this team is a legitimate MLS Cup contender.

4. D.C. United
Record: 5-3-9
Previous: 5
Comment: Doing ok in handling their Gold Cup losses, but the health of Moreno and Emilio remain a concern. Fortunately, another weekend off.

5. Chicago Fire
Record: 6-3-6
Previous: 6
Comment: Rebounded nicely with a win in Colorado—their first since 1999.

6. Columbus Crew
Record: 5-3-8
Previous: 7
Comment: Held United to a draw, but can’t be ecstatic about their performance at home.

7. Colorado Rapids
Record: 5-4-6
Previous: 4
Comment: A disappointing loss for the Rapids who would have liked a better showing at DSG. Need Conor Casey to recover ASAP.

8. Toronto FC
Record: 6-6-4
Previous: 10
Comment: Quietly bounding back up the ladder—though with the East as tight as it is, everyone but the Red Bulls are in it.

9. Kansas City Wizards
Record: 5-6-4
Previous: 8
Comment: Struggling to score at home, and while their defense is doing just fine without Conrad, it’s the offense that is letting them down.

10. Real Salt Lake
Record: 5-6-4
Previous: 9
Comment: Inconsistency thy name is Real. Javier Morales and Clint Mathis are two very important players right now with Will Johnson and Kyle Beckerman away on Gold Cup duty.

11. Los Angeles Galaxy
Record: 4-3-9
Previous: 12
Comment: Will the return of Beckham cause their season to unravel, or will they put it all together and finish with aplomb?

12. New England Revolution
Record: 4-5-4
Previous: 11
Comment: Struggles continue for the Revolution who deserved more against Los Angeles. Steve Nicol has a lot of work to do if he wants to save this season.

13. FC Dallas
Record: 4-7-5
Previous: 13
Comment: What’s this you say? A Dallas victory? Sure, it was over the Red Bulls, but suddenly signs of life are creeping out of Frisco.

14. San Jose Earthquakes
Record: 3-8-4
Previous: 14
Comment: Blew a chance at a rare road victory with a Keystone Cops-like own goal.

15. New York Red Bulls
Record: 2-13-4
Previous: 15
Comment: Entrenched in this spot for a long, long time, even if they actually win a game for once.

What do you think? Am I completely mad with these rankings or do you agree?

Another weekly wrap up from ESPN.

• Real Salt Lake v San Jose




• Columbus v D.C. United
• Colorado v Chicago
• FC Dallas v New York
• Kansas City v Houston
• Los Angeles v New England

The fun for numerous coaches continues as the schedule starts to clog up. Between SuperLiga, U.S. Open Cup action, league play, and the Gold Cup, a number of managers have their work cut out for them in the month of July.

Full rankings are after the jump. Don’t forget to follow MLS Offside on Twitter and to email ideas and tips to mlsoffside[at]gmail[dot]com.

1. Houston Dynamo
Record: 8-3-4
Previous: 1
Comment: Even with the loss at Los Angeles, can’t move them off the top spot. The loss of Holden and Ching will prove to be quite the challenge.

2. Chivas USA
Record: 8-4-3
Previous: 2
Comment: Benefit from another weekend off after a loss in the U.S. Open Cup last night. Sacha Klejstan and Jonathan Bornstein are both slated to return after their Confederations Cup duty.

3. Seattle Sounders FC
Record: 5-3-7
Previous: 5
Comment: A rousing 3-0 victory at home against Colorado has the Sounders right back amidst the top of the charts. The health of Osvaldo Alonso is worth keeping an eye on, as the Cuban struggles to stay fit.

4. Colorado Rapids
Record: 5-3-6
Previous: 3
Comment: Omar Cummings can’t handle the scoring alone, as proved in their last two games. Conor Casey’s return comes at a time with Cummings heading out the door for Gold Cup duty.

5. D.C. United
Record: 5-3-8
Previous: 4
Comment: The loss of Dejan Jakovic and Santino Quaranta to Gold Cup call ups will provide a new challenge for Tom Soehn. Jakovic has quietly been one of the most impressive defenders I’ve seen all year, as he has only gotten better as the season goes on.

6. Chicago Fire
Record: 5-3-6
Previous: 6
Comment: Still on that three-game losing streak in the league. Probably itching to get back out there and put an end to it.

7. Columbus Crew
Record: 5-3-7
Previous: 9
Comment: The defending champs are beginning to look just like that recently.

8. Kansas City Wizards
Record: 5-5-4
Previous: 7
Comment: A huge challenge for the Wizards defense with the call up of Jimmy Conrad. You can’t easily replace a veteran leader like Conrad, and for at least two weeks.

9. Real Salt Lake
Record: 5-6-4
Previous: 10
Comment: The RSL we saw against Toronto on Saturday was the one many expected to see throughout the course of 2009. With Kyle Beckerman and Will Johnson on their way out, it’s going to be harder over these next few weeks. Well see if Jason Kreis and his players have it in them.

10. Toronto FC
Record: 6-6-4
Previous: 11
Comment: Followed up a win against a toothless Red Bull side with a horrific showing out in Sandy, Utah. At least De Rosario and Guevara aren’t going to the Gold Cup. They could be higher, and are just in second in the East, but don’t have me convinced yet.

11. New England Revolution
Record: 4-4-4
Previous: 8
Comment: Seem to be in a world of trouble with the injuries they’ve had. Throw in a Gold Cup call up or two and the playoffs are looking like a tall task for Steve Nicol.

12. Los Angeles Galaxy
Record: 3-3-9
Previous: 13
Comment: Was the win over Houston a both fortuitous and ugly? Yes. But it was three points, and without Donovan. Interesting to see what’s going to happen with the return of LD and Beckham in just a little over two weeks.

13. FC Dallas
Record: 3-7-5
Previous: 14
Comment: A respectable point on the road last Wednesday. Is this team really climbing out of the cellar? With the loss of Cooper their road out just got a little steeper.

14. San Jose Earthquakes
Record: 3-8-3
Previous: 12
Comment: The injury bug is crushing any remaining hope that the Quakes must have right now.

15. New York Red Bulls
Record: 2-12-4
Previous: 15
Comment: <– left blank on purpose, as there is little to say about how bad the Red Bulls have been.