Checking in with this week’s rookie life. Power Rankings are delayed until tomorrow. Sorry about that.

• Real Salt Lake 4-1 Columbus
• Toronto 0-2 Seattle
• D.C. 1-0 Houston
• New England 2-1 Dallas
• Los Angeles 2-3 Colorado
• Kansas City 2-0 San Jose
• Chicago 1-0 New York
• Chivas 2-1 Columbus

Going to play catch up with the second episode. First one I posted a few hours back, so check it out.

The rankings are after the jump, plus see the new edition to this week’s rankings.

1. Chicago Fire
Record: 1-0-1
Previous: 1
Comment: The Fire head home after grabbing four points on the road.

2. Seattle Sounders FC
Record: 2-0-0
Previous: 4
Comment: One of only two undefeated teams, we’ll see how the new kids on the block fare out on the road, heading to BMO Field this weekend.

3. Chivas USA
Record: 2-0-0
Previous: 6
Comment: Off to a strong start for Chivas, but hasn’t been against the strong opponents. That being said, being undefeated is still a good thing.

4. Toronto FC
Record: 1-0-1
Previous: 5
Comment: Two results on the road opening the season is strong for TFC. Let’s see how they handle Seattle coming to town.

5. New England Revolution
Record: 1-0-1
Previous: 7
Comment: The magic touch of Steve Nicol continues. Points on the road with the injuries they have

6. Columbus Crew
Record: 0-0-2
Previous: 2
Comment: Another draw for the defending champs isn’t the strongest start, although their defense still looks very good.

7. Colorado Rapids
Record: 1-1-0
Previous: 12
Comment: A strong jump for the Rapids who look to continue their solid home form from last season. Can they win on the road?

8. San Jose Earthquakes
Record: 1-1-0
Previous: 14
Comment: A win against Houston will do good things for a club, though they benefited from a poor non-call.

9. D.C. United
Record: 0-0-2
Previous: 10
Comment: With two draws at this stage, it’s hard to say how D.C. will fare this season. Might they kick themselves for missing two chances to win?

10. Houston Dynamo
Record: 0-1-1
Previous: 3
Comment: A loss against San Jose knocks Houston down a peg or two. Geoff Cameron is still adjusting to that centerback role.

11. Real Salt Lake
Record: 0-1-0
Previous: 8
Comment: RSL with a chance to bounce back at the home opener Thursday night against the defending champs.

12. Los Angeles Galaxy
Record: 0-0-1
Previous: 9
Comment: A bye week for the Galaxy which spared them playing without Landon Donovan.

13. New York Red Bulls
Record: 0-1-1
Previous: 15
Comment: Almost had a win against their nemesis New England. A late goal from Kenny Mansally keeps them out of the win column.

14. Kansas City Wizards
Record: 0-2-0
Previous: 11
Comment: The free fall continues for the ‘Zards, despite the record-setting antics of goalie Kevin Hartman.

15. FC Dallas
Record: 0-2-0
Previous: 13
Comment: Have things bottomed out in Dallas? Are they ready to start climbing out of the massive hole they are in?

The Major League Soccer Offside Power Rankings are compiled by a vote of each team blogger.

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Kansas City blogger needed! Our Kansas City blog is currently unmanned and looking for love. This is an unpaid position, but a lot of fun and a way to share the love of your team. If you worship Kansas City and like to write about soccer, please email Daryl, daryl[at]theoffside[dot]com.

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There’s a lot to be excited about in KC heading into 2009. Even off the pitch, as the work begins on the Wizards on SSS should start soon. But along with that, they’ve brought back the majority of a playoff team, adding one or two very exciting players along the way. I think there should be a set of raised expectations for the Wizards, and provided that they stay healthy, an even deeper playoff run in 2009 should be on the cards.

2008: 11-10-9, 42 pts, fourth in the Eastern Conference. Lost to Columbus Crew in first round.

Services acquired: Santiago Hirsig, Adam Cristman, Matt Besler

Left the building: Tyson Wahl, Carlos Marinelli, Kerry Zavagnin

Coach: Did you know that Curt Onalfo was born in Brazil? Me neither. He’s entering his third season in charge of the Wizards.

All Eyes on Me: I can’t help but put anyone here aside but Jimmy Conrad. Aside from being one of the most entertaining players off the pitch, with hilarious interviews, blog posts, or whatever, he’s a key to the Wizards defense, even more so this season. With a number of younger players in support, Conrad will need to continue to provide steady leadership of the backline in front of solid keeper Kevin Hartman. The defense isn’t really

Player(s) to Watch: Up front, goals have always been a premium for KC, and in order to progress far this year, they’ll need forwards Herculez Gomez, Abe Thompson, and Adam Cristman to find the net early and often. Without a consistent threat up front this team will definitely struggle to do anything but draw or lose games. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of creative, playmaking spark Santiago Hirsig brings to MLS. It’s exciting to me that a player like Hirsig would join up after getting what must have been a resounding endorsement of the league from compatriot Claudio Lopez. I wonder if the two can play together well on the field — it’ll certainly be a huge boost to the Wizards.

Young Guns: The team has two young and exciting defenders in Michael Harrington and Jonathan Leathers. Look for those two in the starting lineup early and often. Aaron Hohlbein will benefit from the departure of Tyson Wahl via the expansion draft. He competed with Wahl for a starting position last season, and one of the reasons they probably let Wahl go is they felt good having Hohlbein transition into a starting role. Not sure what kind of a role rookie Matt Besler will play — I would expect that he’s there to learn and to be nothing more than a backup. Second year player Roger Espinoza saw some time with the Honduran national team over the offseason, competing in the UNCAF Nations Cup.

Bottom Line: The Wizards are an interesting team. They’ve got a lot of the right players on paper, but questions remain. Can Onalfo find the right combination to secure the shutouts but also get a goal or two on the offensive end? Look out for a solid season from (hopefully) former USMNTer Josh Wolff who returned to KC last season after a European stint. They’ll be optimistic that Hartman hasn’t gotten any slower or older between the posts, as he’s been one of the best keepers in MLS history. I think between Gomez, Wolff, Davy Arnaud, and Cristman, they’ll find the back of the net to at least make their third consecutive trip to the playoffs. Whether they can make it any further than that and put up a legitimate title challenge remains to be seen.

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Chivas blogger needed! Our Chivas blog is currently unmanned and looking for love. This is an unpaid position, but a lot of fun and a way to share the love of your team. If you worship Chivas and like to write about soccer, please email Daryl, daryl[at]theoffside[dot]com.

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Today’s entry is a team that few people know about and few others seem to care about. Despite this, they’ve managed a couple of successful years — well, at least in the regular season. Here’s hoping that with the loss of Beckham the Goats can conjure up some of that fanbase out in LA and put together another respectable season. Let’s take a look.

2008: 12-11-7, 43 pts, second in the West, lost in conference semifinals.

Services acquired: Ante Jazic, Michael Lahoud

Left the building: Raphaël Wicky, Francisco Mendoza

Coach: Predrag Radosavljević, Предраг Радосављевић, or just Preki to us. Entering his third season with the club.

All Eyes on Me: The big question that will follow around Chivas — at least for the first half of the season — is whether or not midfielder Sacha Kljestan will stay for the whole season, or leave in the summer during the European transfer window. He looked to be on his way out over the offseason but a move to Celtic stalled because of the transfer fee. Needless to say, with another successful year under his belt, it’ll be surprising if he’s here the whole season, but if he is, Goats fans will be very happy.

Player(s) to Watch: Can Maykel Galindo stay healthy? Is Ante Razov still reliable enough to start on a weekly basis? The players to watch will be those going forward — last year it was no secret that this team had trouble scoring goals. Their leading scoring was Kljestan, managing a modest five in 22 games. They don’t have to turn into a goal-scoring club overnight, and with the way Preki keeps the defense organized, Chivas tends to be stingy. However, Galindo needs to stay on the pitch and find the back of the net to help ease things on. The last position to keep an eye on is the starting goalie. After Brad Guzan took off to Villa last season, Dan Kennedy and Zach Thornton each got a long look with neither a standout. Kennedy has the gloves heading into the season but Thornton isn’t a bad choice coming off the bench.

Young Guns: The Sueno MLS winner, Jorge Flores, will look to play a bigger role this season. His latest achievement was a call up to the U20 national team — not a bad gig for someone discovered via a reality TV show. Justin Braun, in his second year in the league, will challenge for a starting role right from the get go — he started 12 games last year and chipped in four goals.

Bottom Line: They didn’t really do all that much aside from drafting Lahoud and bringing in Jazic from LA. Whose to say that acquiring a defender from the Galaxy is a good thing after the season they had. Depth could be a concern, as a series of injuries really hurt the Goats last season. They still managed to hold things together and finish with the second-best record out West. Preki continues to do magical things with limited resources, although you might wonder how things could go if they stayed healthy an entire season. If Kljestan stays for the entire year and the key cogs stay fit then you could be talking playoffs for these guys. Even if Kljestan leaves and injuries hit them once again I wouldn’t be surprised to see Preki hold everything together once again. We’ll see what unfolds.

• Word is the “other” Galaxy player abroad is going to be coming home. It’s a bummer to see him come back, but hold the phone. Landycakes may still bit adieu to L.A. come the summer transfer window. I found this article to do justice on the Beckham/Donovan difference.
• JPA is a Red Bull until 2011. A consummate professional, Angel is one of my favorite players.
• I know that this is kind of old news, but D.C. United will most likely be heading out into Maryland. Their press conference Monday had all the bells and whistles in place to try and make this thing finally happen.
• Preseason friendlies have started cropping up, although mostly in the Florida area where teams flock for the early preseason. Kenny Cooper scored in a Dallas win over the Rapids today, just in case you were wondering.
• The good people over at Real Salt Lake have ramped up their efforts with their charity arm, called Soccer Unites Utah, to help raise money for Andy Williams’ wife, Marcia, who is battling leukemia. Check the RSL blog for details, and your change to bid on an autographed Freddy Adu jersey.

I hope that’s enough to take your mind off of Becks. For now.

AC Milan is basically saying that any deadline imposed by the Galaxy is simply a negotiation tactic. Their first offer, as reported in multiple publications, was a skimp $3 million. And the Galaxy are the ones working tactics, right?

And what about Becks? Well, SBI has the kind of quote that makes Beckham haters wet their collective pants:

As for Beckham, he isn’t exactly saying things that would make a return to MLS a smooth transition.

“I hope that things will go the way I want them to and I have already said it is my desire to stay at Milan,” Beckham said. “Having clarified that I want to stay here, it might be difficult to go back to playing in the States.”

“It will be difficult to go back to playing in the States.” Which part? The adoration from Hollywood or the millions of dollars that have been forcefully shoved down your pants? The thousands of fans that come to see only you in city after city, or all the positive press that you have to shoulder in the process (do you remember the nightmare that was England?!)?

And if it is the competition that you seek, MLS has grown by leaps and bounds just before and since his arrival. It is no Serie A (for sure), but each season, there are stronger, deeper squads to contend with. Beckham hasn’t even conquered one season in MLS; he can’t climb the MLS hill, but he sure as hell can scale the Serie A mountain! There is something wrong with that.

Sour grapes? Not at all. I am the type of person that holds onto old school values. Honor your contract; work hard and play hard; give your all no matter what. That kind of stuff. Even if Beckham is sick of being five-tuple teamed, even if he is sick of being surrounded by college kids and wandering Willies on his squad the past two seasons, even if he regrets the fact that he wanted to be the poster boy for AMERICAN soccer, he has made a commitment. And respect your current employer, who by all means has bent over backwards for you from day one. If the Galaxy want you back, be a man about it. If they don’t, then you got your way. Again.

Now, with all that said, I believe a transfer is the best thing for Beckham and the Galaxy at this point. Bruce Arena has a hard enough job cleaning up after Alexi Lalas (again). A distraction of this magnitude will not win him over this young and developing squad. And lets face it; with these quotes, do you think the Galaxy team will welcome him home with open arms? Somehow, I don’t see the likes of a Dema Kovalenko turning the other cheek.

Looks like The Los Angeles Galaxy are in for another Hollywood, rollercoaster season.

Share your thoughts with us.

+Over in LA, their favorite athlete with a receding hairline made his debut for Bayern in what could be a huge break in the career of Landycakes. Not a shabby entrance to the Bundesliga side, albeit in a friendly. Anyone else think it’s weird seeing him in a Bayern kit? Seems out of this world.

+Jon over at DC comes up with some random thoughts, including a potential double swoop of two Indian cricketers soccer players. I would be more than shocked if that happened.

+To keep Magee or not keep Magee – that is the question. That Dave has posted on the RB blog. Make sure to vote in case you haven’t already.

+Gianfranco Panizo, one of the SBI writers gives a recap of day one at the MLS combine.

+Out in KC, Claudio Lopez has re-signed with the Wiz. Although he has dropped the DP tag, which could be a potential coup for the team if they play their cards right.

+Not that I want to mention this, but Beckham debuted with Milan over the weekend. Yawn. How will he ever come back to play alongside the likes of Alan Gordan?

That’s a wrap for now. Hope everyone has a lovely day – I’ll try and synthesize the draft coverage over the next few days.

Moving along, despite being in the lull of the offseason, it’s strange to think that MLS First Kick is a little over two months away. It seems only like yesterday that I was parked on my couch, liveblogging the MLS Cup. Nevertheless, news has been trickling in both here at the Offside and around other parts of the interwebs. Feel like I missed something? Then please fill us in below.

+Dave talks all Red Bull news, including the contract status of two of their most important players, Dave van den Bergh and JPA.

+Over at DC United Offside, jon gives us a sneak peek into the United locker room after a certain prank retaliation by Santino Quaranta.

+Some of the biggest news comes from Dallas, where reports have Kenny Cooper returning to FC Dallas for at least one more season.

+Landon Donovan chats about his loan to Bayern Munich. It’s do or die time for Landycakes, who has a huge opportunity to make it big in Europe, or come back to LA with his tail between his legs. Best of luck to him.

+With the draft just over a week away, Buzz Carrick over at ESPN Soccernet provides the best coverage I’ve found so far, with a column for each position in the draft.

+Ives brings us a comprehensive list of the ‘09 class of Generation Adidas. Translation – the guys taken high in the draft who will make more money than the other players.

That’s all for now folks. It feels good to be back.