Note: All times are Eastern
Saturday, June 8
Kansas City at Columbus
Location: Ohio Stadium
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.
Television: ESPN
Satellite: Galaxy 5, Tr. 9
Previous Meeting: The Wiz won a classic May 2, downing Columbus 6-4 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Injuries: Kansas City — F Frank Klopas (hip-flexor strain) is questionable; Columbus — D Mark Watson (sprained knee) and MF Shane Battelle (strained foot tendon) are questionable, D Brian Bliss (strained shoulder) is probable.
Preview: The rematch of the highest scoring game in MLS history … Wiz midfielder Mike Sorber will miss the match, as he’ll be away at the U.S. Cup… Columbus will be missing midfielders Doctor Khumalo, who is with Bfana Bfana, the South African national team, as it prepares for the second leg of it’s qualifying series with Malawi, and Todd Yeagley will serve the last game of his suspension for his violent foul against L.A.’s Mauricio Cienfuegos… Forward Brian McBride and defender Paul Caligiuri (who made his MLS debut last week in the shootout loss in San Jose) are both on the U.S. Cup roster, but were released to play for the Crew… Kansas City has scored just three goals in six games on the road.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Kansas City — Lagerwey, Ekeme, Okafor, Bowers, Uderitz, Koetters, Chung, Preki, Gutierrez, Takawira, Johnston.
Columbus — Oshoniyi, Clark, Caligiuri, Watson, Thompson, Bliss, Carrera, Michallik, Marino, McBride, Paz.
Prediction: Home fans aren’t disappointed after the Crew’s 3-1 win.
Colorado at Tampa Bay
Location: Tampa Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Television: none
Satellite: none
Previous Meeting: Tampa edged the Rapids 2-1 at Mile High Stadium May 11.
Injuries: Colorado — GK Chris Woods (strained groin) and F Richard Sharpe (strained hamstring) and MF Chris Henderson (sprained ankle) are probable, D Ian Butterworth (strained knee ligament) and D Troy Edwards (strained groin) are on injured reserve; Tampa Bay — D Steve Pittman (patella tendon irritation) and GK Mark Dougherty (lower back spasms) are probable, M Peter Hattrup (torn ACL and MCL) is on injured reserve.
Preview: Due to U.S. National Team commitments, Tampa Bay will be without forward Roy Lassiter while Marcelo Balboa will be absent from Colorado’s lineup… Colorado will also be missing Shaun Bartlett, away with the South African national team… Colorado midfielders Chris Henderson and Dominic Kinnear have looked impressive in recent games… Tampa Bay’s Carlos Valderrama, who was the MLS Player of the Month for May, returns to MLS action after playing in Colombia’s 1-1 draw at Peru last Sunday in World Cup Qualifying, and teammate Diego Viera is back after a one-game red card suspension.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Colorado — Woods, Kmosko, Hamlett, Cannon, Henderson, Trittschuh, Kinnear, Benedetti, Wegerle, Sharpe, Harbor.
Tampa Bay — Dougherty, Pittman, Kooiman, Yallop, Ralston, Vasquez, Valderrama, Hunjak, Wise, Viera, Galderisi.
Prediction: Mutiny roll on, 3-0.
San Jose at Dallas
Location: Cotton Bowl
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m.
Television: KICU-36 San Jose (Delayed to 11:00 p.m.)
Satellite: Galaxy 4, Tr. 5
Previous Meeting: Dallas won 1-0 in a shootout in its home opener April 14.
Injuries: San Jose — MF Ben Iroha (pulled hamstring) and GK Tom Liner (sprained ankle) are probable, MF Henry Gutierrez (fractured cheekbone) and MF Paul Holocher (torn ACL) are on injured reserve; Dallas — MG Gerell Elliott (broken foot) and D Tom Soehn (torn ACL) are on injured reserve
Preview: Dallas will be looking to break a three-game losing streak (they were shut out in all three matches), while San Jose is a paltry 1-4 away from home after a dismal 3-1 loss at D.C. United on Wednesday … San Jose’s Eric Wynalda will miss Saturday’s game due to the U.S. Cup… Freddy Butler has been hot for the Clash — tallying twice in the last two games… Dallas welcomes Colombian Leonal Alvarez back to the lineup; his presence is crucial for Dallas, as they are winless when he’s not in the lineup… Washington Rodriguez, who picked up a red card in the Burn’s 1-0 loss to the MetroStars on Sunday, will sit out against the Clash.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
San Jose — Liner, Emenalo, Dayak, Doyle, Martin, Iroha, Baicher, Rodas, Butler, Espinoza, Bravo.
Dallas — Dodd, Lozzano, Puskarich, Farrer, Haynes, Sonora, Alvarez, Santel, Kreis, Kerr, Sanchez.
Prediction: Alvarez fuels Dallas’ fire in a 2-1 win.
Sunday, June 9
Los Angeles at MetroStars
Location: Giants Stadium
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m.
Television: Univision
Satellite: Spacenet 3, Tr. 5
Previous Meeting: L.A. won 2-1 before 70,000 fans in the Rose Bowl April 13.
Injuries: Los Angeles — F John Garvey (sprained ankle) is day-to-day, MF Chris Armas (sprained anke) is doubtful, F Jose Vasquez (fractured foot) and MF Arash Noamouz (torn knee cartilage) are on injured reserve; MetroStars — D Andrew Restrepo (sprained ankle) and D Jeff Zaun (strained Achilles) are doubtful, D Matt Knowles (sprained shoulder) is probable.
Preview: Los Angeles will be playing its first weekend game after playing a midweek game, which won’t be easy — MLS teams are 8-12 in the second game of a two-game week … Both teams will be hampered by the absence of top players for the U.S. Cup — MetroStars midfielder Tab Ramos along with Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones and defender Robin Fraser will be in Foxboro, Mass… Giovanni Savarese is back from Venezuela, where he came on as a second half sub in a 1-1 draw with Chile… The MetroStars drew 1-1 with Portuguese power Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, with A.J. Wood scoring their lone goal.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Los Angeles — Campos, Calichman, Salcedo, Motajo, Semioli, Vanney, Wilson, Cienfuegos, Jara, Karapetyan, Hurtado.
MetroStars — Meola, Joseph, Knowles, Caricola, Gillen, Vermes, Kydes, Rodriguez, Hernandez, Savarese, Wood.
Prediction: Metros pull the upset,1-0.