Ranking this week’s games in MLS:
Games of the week
Sporting KC (2-0-3) at Portland (4-1-1), 10:30 p.m. Saturday, MLS Live: The Timbers have scored the most goals (16) and are tied for the best goal differential (8), but Sporting KC has allowed the league's fewest goals (2). Throw in that Sporting KC is 0-0-2 on the road and you can expect a tough game.
Games to DVR to watch again
Dallas (3-0-1) at San Jose (2-2-1), 11 p.m. Friday, UniMas: The Earthquakes are 2-0-1 at home and Dallas is 1-0-1 on the road. If Dallas gets three points from this one, there is no doubt that they are the best team in MLS this season.
Atlanta United (2-1-2) at Montreal (0-2-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, FSS: If form holds, this could get ugly quickly. Atlanta United is playing well on the road with 2 points earned from consecutive games at Seattle and Toronto, while Montreal isn't doing much of anything well. Both teams are excellent on the counter-attack. Which will break first?
Games to go to the watering hole to watch
Seattle (1-1-3) at Vancouver (1-3-1), 10 p.m. Friday, TSN: This would normally be a game of the week because of the rivalry between the two teams, but it's a 10 p.m. start for us cool kids on the East coast. Seattle really needs three points, while Vancouver needs something positive with three losses in its past four games.
LA Galaxy (2-3-0) at Orlando (3-1-0), 2:30 p.m. Saturday, FOX: The dreaded West-to-East road trip for L.A., with an early afternoon game time to boot. This has all the makings of another 1-0 Orlando win.
Toronto (1-0-4) at Columbus (3-2-1), 8 p.m. Saturday, MLS Live: This could either be the most exciting game of the weekend or the most dull. Everything depends upon if Toronto can get its attacking talent pulling in the same direction, and if Columbus can find its identity. Atlanta United provided a glimpse of how teams may choose to try to slow down Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco in the second half of last week's game.
Games to set up score alerts on your phone so you don’t have to pay close attention
NYCFC (2-2-1) at Philadelphia (0-3-2), 7 p.m. Friday, ESPN: NYCFC should handle this game easily, but that doesn't seem to be the case for this team this season. Considering the expectations going into the season, Philadelphia is arguably the most disappointing team in MLS this season.
New England (2-2-1) at Chicago (2-1-2), 5 p.m. Saturday, MLS Live: The consternation about where Chicago would play Bastian Schweinsteiger seems to have disappeared with the team's four points from its past two games. The Revs have seven points from their past three games. This should probably be moved up to a "watering hole" game.
D.C. United (2-2-1) at New York Red Bulls (2-3-1), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, MLS Live : The Red Bulls are reeling with just one point from their past four games, while D.C. United has gotten its midfield sorted out and has six points from its past two games.
Minnesota United at Houston, 8:30 p.m. Friday, MLS Live: After its hot start, Houston has lost two of three. This one should be fun because Minnesota United claims it has sorted out the league's worst defense (22 goals allowed). It will find out against the Dynamo, which are as good as any in the league at scoring (11 goals).
Games that only those who play fantasy will care about
Real Salt Lake (1-3-2) at Colorado (1-2-1), 9 p.m. Saturday, MLS Live: Real Salt Lake earned its first win last week under new coach Mike Petke, while Colorado more resembles the team everyone thought they would be last season when they instead were one of the best in the West.
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