MLS Week 2, Preview: National Team Call-Ups Could Have Major Effect This Week

MLS has become somewhat notorious for not scheduling around FIFA dates. This is one of those week. Somewhere between 25-30 players will be missing from their clubs' rosters as they participate in international friendlies and the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

No team will be missing as many as the Red Bulls (seven), but six teams will be missing at least two players. The international call-ups will put a particular damper on what should still be a must-see matchup between Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy. Although some of that game's biggest stars will be absent, it should still give us a good indication of who has the early advantage in the race for the Supporters' Shield.

Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo, Friday, 10 p.m. (EDT), FSC

No team in MLS needs a win as badly as the Sounders do this week. Yeah, it's just Week 2, but the Sounders already have two losses. Even if those losses are against two of the league's best teams, and both by respectable 1-0 scorelines, the Sounders and their legions of fans are getting antsy. Judging by their Week 1 performance, the Dynamo may be just the kind of team the Sounders need to face. The Dynamo weren't awful, per se, but they didn't look very good either. They had a couple of chances to score, but capitalized on neither. They are also going to be missing center back Jermaine Taylor, who will be playing for Jamaica this weekend, starting right back Andrew Hainault, who was called up to Canada, and will likely still be without the services of the injured Brian Ching. Pick: Sounders 2-0

Toronto FC vs. Portland Timbers, Saturday, 2 p.m. (EDT), TSN

Two teams coming off disappointing performances in Week 1 will have a chance to get back on the right track this week. TFC was embarrassed by their new Canadian rivals, losing to the Vancouver Whitecaps 4-2, while the Timbers received a bit of a reality check while falling to the Colorado Rapids 3-1. Neither team will be missing any starter due to national team duties, which may actually say something about their respective talent levels. That said, TFC actually looked OK on offense, even if their defense was undressed by a team that a month ago looked more likely to score four goals in a month than in a game. The Timbers had no such positives to hang their collective hats on. Pick: TFC 2-1.

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls, Saturday, 4 p.m. (EDT)

Whether or not the Crew want to admit it, they are in full-blown rebuilding mode right now. After an offseason where they bid farewell to more than half of their regular starters, it now looks like one of their supposed building blocks, Robbie Rogers, may be angling for a way out of town, as well. The Red Bulls, on the other hand, look like a team poised to become the class of the league. Juan Agudelo is the real deal, Dane Richards is as dangerous as ever and Rafael Marquez and Tim Ream may be the best center back pairing in the league. Luckily for the Crew, all four of them, as well as three more Red Bulls are all going to miss the game with international responsibilities. Thierry Henry was also recently ruled out because of an injury, meaning the Red Bulls are likely looking at a forward tandem of Luke Rodgers and Corey Hertzog. Recent imports like Jan Gunnar Solli and Teemu Tainio and holdovers like Joel Lindpere still should give the Red Bulls enough to at least get a result. Pick: Tied 1-1.

Philadelphia Union vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, Saturday, 4 p.m. (EDT)

Coming off a season in which they claimed just five of the available road points, the Union's First Kick win at Houston should not be overlooked. Combined with some significant upgrades in goal and on defense, they have the look of a legitimately improved team. The Whitecaps, too, are coming off a big win in their opener, but it's harder to know how much to make of it. In scoring four goals against a team no one thinks is going to be very good, they showed they are not as punchless as previously perceived. But, they will likely be without First Kick revelation Davide Chiumiento and are still essentially untested. A win would go a long way to answering any questions, but those doubts remain legitimate. Pick: Union 2-1

Chicago Fire vs. Sporting Kansas City, Saturday, 4 p.m. (EDT), Telefutura

Perhaps no team won in more impressive fashion last week than SKC. Behind two goals from new Designated Player Omar Bravo, Sporting dismantled the Chivas USA defense and held on for a 3-2 victory. Of course, last year they started off with a 4-0 win and then didn't again score at least three goals in match until Week 21. SKC will also be without as many as three starters who are on international duty this week, including Kei Kamara, and were already missing Ryan Smith due to injury. That said, a follow up match against the Fire should give SKC a chance to build some momentum. The Fire didn't look awful in Week 1, but they couldn't take advantage of being a man up for 35-plus minutes and were outplayed for a significant portion of the match when they were even strength. Pick: Tied 1-1

New England Revolution vs. DC United, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. (EDT)

The expectations of these two teams heading into the season couldn't have been much different. Both were coming off awful years in which they were among the worst teams in the league. But United earned plaudits for remaking their team, while the Revolution underwent less conspicuous changes and were largely overlooked. This could be a real benchmark game for both sides, as United will get their first road test and the Revs will face a team they are likely to be battling for a playoff spot. This also marks Charlie Davies' return to New England, where he grew up and went to college. Just based on the paper match-up, this really does feel like a United win, as they will come in at essentially full strength, while the Revs are still battling injuries to some of their key players. Pick: United 1-0

FC Dallas vs. San Jose Earthquakes, Saturday, 9 p.m. (EDT)

Hard to know what to make of FC Dallas' First Kick performance. This is a team many expect to compete for the Supporters' Shield this year, but they needed some big saves from Kevin Hartman to survive Brek Shea's red card and settled for a point against the Fire at home. Now, they'll get a do-over of sorts as they'll get another home game against another potentially mediocre opponent. It's tough to know what to make of the Earthquakes after just one game, especially because it was against Real Salt Lake and played in a torrential downpour. They created some chances and probably deserved a point after some very close calls, but are also still missing some key pieces due to national team duties and injuries. This feels like a match the Toros really should win. Pick: FC Dallas 2-0.

Unquestionably the game of the week, neither team has given us any real reason not to consider them the Supporters' Shield favorites. Unfortunately, both teams will be without some of their key contributors. RSL will be missing Will Johnson, Alvaro Saborio and Arturo Alvarez who have all been called into their respective national teams, and could also be without Nick Rimando and Jamison Olave, who are battling injuries. The Galaxy will not have Landon Donovan (national team) and could also lack the services of the still ailing Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts. This game is at Rio Tinto Stadium, the greatest fortress in the history of MLS. The 35-match all-competition unbeaten streak has been achieved through all sorts of similar challenges and seems unlikely to stop now. Pick: RSL 2-1

Perhaps no team disappointed more in their opening performance than the Goats. After an offseason that saw them totally remake their defense, they were taken apart for three goals at home. The Goats did manage to generate a fair amount of offense, which keeps their opener from being a total disaster, but the Rapids are probably the wrong team to rebound against. Conversely, perhaps no team did more to impress in Week 1 than the Rapids. Like RSL the year before, the Rapids seem intent on silencing those who doubted the legitimacy of their MLS Cup championship by performing well the following year. The Rapids will be missing Omar Cummings (Jamaica), but should still have plenty of firepower to continue their quest for belated respect. Pick: Rapids 2-1.