Week five of the MLS slate concludes with a half dozen weekend match-ups, including the battle of Los Angeles.

TORONTO v KANSAS CITY
SAT 3:30 pm ET (Direct Kick)

Toronto FC will look to extend its two-game winning streak when the MLS leaders, Kansas City, travel to BMO Field.

A 1-0 victory against Real Salt Lake last weekend opened up the second year of BMO Field on a good note. Toronto currently has six points from four games and they now sit in fifth place in the East, four points back of Kansas City.

The Wizards are in the midst of a six-game road trip. Last Sunday they opened up the tough stretch with a 1-0 victory over Chicago. Thanks to that win, Kansas City is now atop the Eastern Conference and the MLS pedestal with ten points through five games, one more than second-place Columbus.

Toronto will have its full squad available come match time, but the Wizards don’t have that luxury. Kansas City will be without Ryan Pore, Davy Arnaud, and Lance Watson. Rookie defender Rauwshan McKenzie is questionable, while Carlos Marinelli is probable with a groin strain.

Key Match-up
I’m not sure it’s much of a coincidence that Kansas City’s improvement has come with the arrival of Claudio Lopez. He has been employed as a lone striker and the formation has worked so far. The Argentinean has been able to score goals or create chances for his teammates. Tyrone Marshall and Marco Velez will need to be on their games to keep Lopez and Kansas City off the scoreboard.

COLUMBUS v HOUSTON
SAT 7:30 pm ET (Direct Kick)
The Dynamo will be looking to become the last team in the league to win a game when they go to Columbus to take on the Crew.

The defending champs tied for the third week in a row when they tied, -2, with Los Angeles last weekend. They have still yet to win a game on the season as they have only four points through four games. This total puts them in sixth place in the West.

Columbus, on the other hand, won their third game of the season when they took down DC United at RFK last Thursday.
Through four games, they have nine points, which is good enough for second in the East and second in the entire league.

Houston has no definite absences due to injury, but Mike Chabala and Pat Onstad are both listed as questionable. Eddie Robinson will miss the game as he serves the second game of a three-game suspension.

Columbus will be without the services of their longest tenured player, Duncan Oughton, due to bone spur in his leg.

Key Match-up
It’s the established veterans versus the rising stars as some of the best wingers in the league take the field on Saturday. The consistent duo of Brian Mullan and Brad Davis has been a key to Houston’s recent success. However, Columbus has their own answer to the Davis/Mullan combo in Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven.

Rogers was a mainstay in the US U-20 squad, while Gaven, although he’s only 21, experienced a sort of resurgence with the U-23 team in Olympic qualifying. Things look bright for not only the future, but also the present for Columbus, with these two raiding the flanks.

DC UNITED v REAL SALT LAKE
SAT 7:30 pm ET (Direct Kick)
Coming off back-to-back losses, DC will be looking for some revenge when Real Salt Lake brings its act to RFK Stadium.

When these two clubs met in Utah two weeks ago, Salt Lake stunned the league by thumping DC by a 4-0 score line. United could not rebound from the loss as they fell to Columbus, 2-1, at home last Thursday. They have a paltry three points in four games and sit in the cellar of the Eastern Conference.

Real could not ride the momentum from the win over DC as they lost, 1-0, in Toronto last Saturday. They currently have four points through four games, which pits them in third place, three points back of first-place Dallas.

The hosts will be without Ben Olsen and Jeff Carroll due to injuries, while Gonzalo Peralta and Devon McTavish are listed as questionable.

For Salt Lake, Nathan Sturgis is out with a hamstring strain, while the same injury has Fabian Espíndola listed as questionable.

Key Match-up
DC was especially vulnerable on the counter-attack against Columbus. With a speed merchant like Robbie Findley playing up top, Salt Lake could have success if they try to turn defense into offense. Possible center backs Gonzalo Peralta and Devon McTavish are carrying injuries, so Findley could have a field day looking to get behind the United defense when his team wins possession.

CHICAGO v COLORADO
SAT 8:30 pm ET (HD Net)
Although both teams got off to good starts, Chicago and Colorado will both be looking to recover from losses when they meet at Toyota Park on Saturday night.

The Fire lost their first game of the season last weekend in a 1-0 defeat to the Wizards. They now have seven points from four games, which puts them in third place in the East, three points back of Kansas City.

Colorado went into last weekend’s game against San Jose as the Western Conference leaders, but, thanks to a 2-0 loss Earthquakes, they fell out of the top spot. The Rapids have six points in four games and trail first-place Dallas by two points.

Chicago is still without CJ Brown, who is out with hip tendonitis, while Chris Rolfe and Brian Plotkin are both listed as questionable.

The Rapids will not have the services of Mike Petke and Conor Casey as the pair is out due to injury. John DiRaimondo is doubtful after picking up an ankle injury, while Nick LaBrocca is questionable.

Key Match-up
Although they won’t be directly against each other, Christian Gomez and Cuauhtémoc Blanco hold the keys to Saturday’s match-up. In a way, Gomez has been kind of forgotten with the arrival of the likes of Angel, Blanco, Lopez, Gallardo, and Schelotto. However, he is still a force in the league and shouldn’t need any motivation other than seeing Blanco on the opposite end of the field on Saturday.

LOS ANGELES v CHIVAS USA
SAT 10:30 pm ET (FSC)
Los Angeles and Chivas will take part in the first SuperClasico of the 2008 season with both teams searching for a much needed three points.

The Galaxy worked back from two deficits to earn a 2-2 draw against Houston at the Home Depot Center last weekend. On the year, Los Angeles has four points through four games. They are tied for fourth in the Western Conference with Chivas and Salt Lake.

Chivas failed to pick up any points for the second week in a row after losing 2-0 to FC Dallas at the Home Depot Center last Sunday. The Goats have an identical record to the Galaxy with one win, one tie, and two losses for four points and a share of third in the West.

Ante Jazic and Carlos Ruiz are out for the Galaxy with ankle and knee injuries, respectively. Alvaro Pires is doubtful, while Ely Allen is listed as questionable.

Chivas will be without Alecko Eskandarian and Alex Zotinca, who are both out due to injury. Raphaël Wicky is questionable with back spasms, while Ante Razov and Lawson Vaughn are listed as probable.

Key Match-up
I would highlight Beckham and Bornstein, but it’s pointless to put Beckham in this section because his service will always be there, regardless of what player is on him. So, instead the key will be in the central midfield. Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura and Sacha Kljestan should have a field day against whoever the center midfielders are for the Galaxy. The possession battle will go to Chivas, but the key for them will be the quality of play in the final third and the ability to finish their chances.