Week 15: Examiner.com's MLS Preview: Part I

June 24, 2:24 PMMLS ExaminerCharlie Corr

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A pair of midweek Major League Soccer matches are on the docket for Week 15. The Colorado Rapids are riding high following their 3-0 blanking of D.C. United and welcome FC Dallas on Wednesday. The other match is Toronto FC playing host to the road-challenged (or simply challenged) New York Red Bulls.

(The Week 15 Examiner.com preview and predictions are written solely by MLS Examiner Charlie Corr and are not a collective opinion among the individual Examiners who cover their respective teams.)

WEDNESDAY'S MATCHES

• New York Red Bulls (2-10-4) at Toronto FC (5-5-4): Playing the same opponent within an 11-day stretch has to play at least a small factor toward a player's psyche. Toronto hopes to attain a similar result to the 2-1 victory over N.Y. on June 13. The Reds have not played a league match since then, while the Red Bulls managed a 1-all draw against Seattle last week. Toronto is in the middle of the Eastern Conference pack, and with a couple conference teams involved in SuperLiga, the Reds have a huge opportunity to move up the standings. The Red Bulls are 0-7-1 on the road, while being outscored 14-1. Until N.Y. shows any signs of turning the page, especially away from home, the team deserves a large underdog status. Winner: Toronto FC (For more, check out New York Soccer Examiner Jeff Kassouf's coverage.)

• FC Dallas (3-7-4) at Colorado Rapids (5-2-5): Omar Cummings has been stepping up for the Rapids, to the tune of recent MLS Player of the Week honors. So much for missing Conor Casey, who currently is with the U.S. Men's National Team in the Confederations Cup. Colorado has yet to lose at home, and the Rapids' only two losses of the season were one-goal setbacks against the Houston Dynamo and Chivas USA. Dallas' Kenny Cooper is capable of taking plenty of shots and putting them on goal. So it should be interesting to see if Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens and his defense can match their shutout performance over D.C. last week. Winner: Colorado Rapids (For more, check out Colorado Rapids Examiner Deron White's coverage.)

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(Prediction record last week: 1-2, with three draws. My cumulative record: 16-13, with 16 draws.)

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Send a message: E-mail your comments or thoughts to charliecorr@gmail.com.

Charlie Corr is a freelance sports writer based in Chicago. In addition to his Major League Soccer duties, he is the Chicago Sports Examiner and the creator of a Chicago-based soccer Web site, SlideTackles.net.

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