The Week in Review:

Friday

Carolina @ Rochester - A whistle filled affair as a foul was blown every other minute in this game.  The game certainly wasn't without excitement even if it lacked any sort of flow.  Hamed Diallo got things going in the third minute.  Anthony Maher leveled things up for Carolina in the eleventh.  The teams actually looked relatively even throughout the game with the Rhinos exerting a bit of dominance towards the end of the game.  It paid off, just barely, as Diallo scored again near the end of second half stoppage for the game winner.

Final: 1-2 Rochester
My prediction: 0-0

Saturday

Puerto Rico @ Charleston - Haven't seen this one, but Dusty Hudock was the busier of the two keepers making six saves on the 17 shots the Islanders fired in his general direction.  Charleston only mustered up six shots, getting just one on goal.  PR also had a vast edge in corners, getting 10 to Charleston's one.  It certainly seems the Islanders were unlucky to not walk out with a win.

Final: 0-0
My prediction: 2-1 Puerto Rico

Vancouver @ Atlanta - Warren Ukah followed up last weeks strong performance in Atlanta's last game with a brace of goals in this one.  Ukah scored in the 20th and the 83rd minute for the games only tallies.  Ryan McIntosh was called upon to make seven saves in his shutout performance for the Silverbacks.  It seems likely that McIntosh has permanently taken the #1 from Quintero.  This was the 'Caps fifth consecutive roadie in three weeks due to the U-20 World Cup.

Final: 0-2 Atlanta
My prediction: 1-2 Atlanta

Portland @ California - Funny man and backup keeper Dominik Jakubek was tested early by the Timbers and wasn't able to make the stops.  Portland scored three in the first 20 minutes, getting goals from Andrew Gregor, Bryan Jordan and Cameron Knowles.  They contented themselves to sit back and watch the Victory fire high and wide for the most part of the rest of the match.

Final: 3-0 Portland
My prediction: 2-0 Portland

Sunday

Carolina @ Montreal - Montreal is again part of the weirdest game of the week.  In the fifth minute of their first meeting, two players get ejected and a bench clearing kerfluffle breaks out.  It started with Impact right back Andres Arango fouling Carolina forward Anthony Maher on a throw-in.  Maher gets up and pushes Arango in the face.  Arango unleashes a right hook and then was a bunch of pushing and shoving and screaming.  In the end Maher and Arango were sent off and four other players carded.  Back to the actual game, Joey Worthen put two home after glaring defensive errors on the part of the Impact.  Not to be out done, Charles Gbeke put two in in two minutes in the second half.  Both were high balls played into the box.  The first went directly to Gbeke who took two touches and bounced it off the keeper into the roof of the net.  The second came off of Gabriel Gervais' noggin and Gbeke nodded it back across the face of goal into the net.

Final: 2-2
My prediction: 0-0

For the week that makes me 3-2, a winning week, with zero correct margins of victory and zero perfect scores.  For the season I'm now at 38-53 with 14 correct margins of victory and eight exact scores.  The random number generator is 30-61.

Rankings:
Rnk(+/-) Team (W-D-L) Notes
1(+1) Portland (7-3-2) - Continued dominance over Cali
2(-1) Vancouver (7-6-3) - Road loss to resurgent Backs
3(0) Seattle (7-4-5) - Idle
4(+2) Rochester (7-6-5) - Eeked out a win over Carolina rivals
5(+3) Atlanta (6-4-5) - Silverbacks appear to be back on track
6(-2) Carolina (4-7-4) - Managed a point from trip through Rochester and Montreal
7(0) Puerto Rico (3-7-4) - 'Nother draw
8(-3) Montreal (6-6-3) - More dropped points at home, gave up TWO goals to Carolina
9(0) Charleston (5-5-6) - Home draw to Islanders
10(0) Minnesota (2-5-6) - Second of two idle weeks
11(+1) Miami (5-2-10) - Idle
12(-1) California (2-5-8) - Another home loss

Predictions:

Thursday

Vancouver @ Seattle - Vancouver has one last road game on their long, U20 induced trip before returning home.  They're starting to peter out a bit, but this is a rivalry game.  The Sounders come into the game on a high note after having won in Rochester on July 3rd.

My Prediction: 2-2, Seattle's hot, but they just don't quite have the quality to knock off the 'Caps.

Friday

Montreal @ Carolina - Don't know if there's really that much bad blood to boil over from the last game.  The violence was more of a flash in the pan rather than any sort of ignition point as far as I could tell.  Plus the instigators will be gone, so it should be just your average Carolina induced whistle fest.

My Prediction: 1-0 Montreal, the Montreal defense should stiffen up after a couple of bad matches and not gift the RailHawks any goals.

Charleston @ Puerto Rico - The second of three meetings over two weeks between these two.  Puerto Rico had the better of the first match in Charleston, but not on the scoreboard.  

My Prediction: 1-2 Puerto Rico, play and the scoreboard will favor the Islander at home.

California @ Portland - These two have already met three times this season and Portland has won all three by an average of 2-0.  

My Prediction: 0-2 Portland, I see no reason for that trend to change.

Saturday

Rochester @ Atlanta - The Rhinos will be looking to return the favor and send Silverbacks fans unhappy after Atlanta went to Rochester for a 2-0 victory on June 29th.  Atlanta, however, has ridden that road result to three straight victories, looking like the team a lot of people thought they would be at the beginning of the season.

My Prediction: 1-2 Atlanta, you never know what you're going to get out of the Rhinos and Atlanta is on a tear.

Miami @ Vancouver - Miami has had a week off to relish in their 3-1 victory in California.  Vancouver will be eating the home cooking for the first time in a long time however.  Oh yeah, they're a lot better than Miami too.

My Prediction: 0-3 Vancouver, 'Caps happy to be home and looking to erase memories of Canadian U20's performance.

Sunday

Charleston @ Puerto Rico - I don't see Charleston getting any stronger between Friday and Sunday on the Island.

My Prediction: 0-2 Puerto Rico, umbrella drinks get the better of the Battery.

Montreal @ Minnesota - Montreal should be nicely tenderized after two consecutive games against the RailHawks.  The Thunder are rested having had two plus weeks off since their last competitive match against California in the Open Cup.

My Prediction: 1-2, Minnesota catch an uncharacteristically inconsistent Montreal squad a bit off guard.  Yeah, I'm a Thunder fan, why do you ask?

California @ Portland - Well, it couldn't go on forever, the trend has to change.

My Prediction: 0-4 Portland, Cali gets five chances at Portland and come away on the bad side of an 12-0 goals for/against.  Hey, here's a question, why do Portland get to play the worst team in the league (again, I'm a Thunder fan, but the standings are with me at the moment) five times?  Stupid Virginia Beach.