Mulrooney not the only big name out

Is there a doctor in the house? How about a trainer? We need somebody to help out with a rash of injuries in Major League Soccer that has a handful of teams scrambling to fill gaping holes in their lineups.

You have to feel bad for the San Jose Earthquakes. They lose half their defense to season-ending injuries and two of their best attacking players to serious injuries, all this for a team that has already had to cope with losing Landon Donovan. They have split two games since losing Troy Dayak, Craig Waibel, Brian Ching and Brian Mullan, but there's a big difference between playing the Colorado Rapids and playing almost any other team in MLS. All that being said, San Jose might get through the rash of injuries just yet.

So which of the recent spate of injuries could have the biggest impact? Here is a rundown of some of the more recent injuries and how they will affect the season.

6. MetroStars defender Tim Ward (left hamstring strain).

Okay, an 18-year-old kid hurts his leg and it's supposed to mean something? It does when the kid has looked like a seasoned veteran playing at left back, one of the league's thinnest positions. He hurt his hamstring against Kansas City on Wednesday and could miss up to a month.

Ward's surprising play had allowed Metros coach Bob Bradley to slide Jeff Agoos into central defense but now his absence could mean that Agoos will have to run up and down the left flank for two games in four days. That's not exactly something you want a 37-year-old with calf issues doing.

Ward was slated to miss the next month for the Under-20 World Championships anyway, but hamstring issues have a way of lingering.

5. San Jose midfielder Brian Mullan (broken ankle)

With Mullan manning the right wing and Brad Davis on the left wing, the Earthquakes had the tools to open up any defense. Now that Mullan is out for a month, San Jose will find it much harder to spread things out.

Making Mullan's absence more painful, at least initially, was the lack of anything close to a suitable replacement. Things changed when Colorado practically gave away Mark Chung to San Jose in a trade. Chung has long been known as a dangerous left midfielder but he is more than capable of playing on the right flank, as evidenced by the assist he recorded in his first game with the Quakes.

4. San Jose defenders Craig Waibel and Troy Dayak (torn ACL)

Losing two starting defenders for the season would be enough to devastate almost any team in MLS, but for the Earthquakes, losing Waibel and Dayak might not automatically spell doom.

The Earthquakes could find suitable replacements for both players on its current roster. Danny Califf, an all-star and national team-level defender when healthy, has come back from off-season knee surgery and slides into Dayak's central defense position, a place Califf would likely have taken over even if Dayak hadn't gotten injured.

Replacing Waibel might be more difficult. San Jose coach Dominick Kinnear has gone with Chris Aliosi and Ricardo Clark on separate occasions. Clark is a special player who has struggled since moving over from the MetroStars. There has been some question about whether Clark, a defensive midfielder by trade, might be better at right back. His athleticism and passing skills could make him one of the league's best at right back but he hasn't quite lost his battle with rookie Danny O'Rourke for the starting defensive midfield nod. If Clark settles in midfield, the Quakes might have to look into signing a new right back unless Aliosi proves himself as more than just a short-term option.

3. San Jose forward Brian Ching (torn hamstring)

How do you replace one of the league's best forwards? You can't, even though San Jose did boast one of the league's best reserve forwards, Alejandro Moreno, who should fill in admirably.

Moreno might score his share of goals but he isn't the type of aerial threat that Ching is and having Ching connecting with the service of wingers Davis and Mullan. Ching is also the type of forward who commands double-teams, something that Moreno and Ronald Cerritos aren't.

San Jose needs Ching back in a hurry but his return will come slowly. A partially torn hamstring can ruin a season if not handled carefully and patiently. We will have to wait a good while before we hear Earthquake fans chanting 'Everybody Ching-Chung tonight.'

2. FC Dallas midfielder Richard Mulrooney (torn ACL)

You can hear some Hoops fan saying it now. "We're 2-0 since we lost Mulrooney. We'll be fine." Sure, Dallas is unbeaten since Mulrooney blew out his knee, but the Hoops have beaten the two worst teams in MLS in Colorado and Chivas.

Don't let those results fool you. Mulrooney is one of the most valuable players in the league, one of the only true two-way midfielders in MLS. His relentless play defensively and offensively was like having two players in one. Now Dallas must cope without him and their alternatives include a player who is too old (Oscar Pareja) and too young (Ramon Nunez).

Does Mulrooney's absence mean Dallas is doomed? Let's face it, in the weak West, having Eddie Johnson, Carlos Ruiz and Ronnie O'Brien in attack is enough to guarantee you second place. Where these cowboys will feel Mulrooney's absence is when they face the tough East teams and West rival Los Angeles, and more importantly, come playoff time.

1. Columbus goalkeeper Jon Busch (torn ACL)

Word out of Columbus is that Busch's season is over after blowing out his knee in Wednesday's match against Los Angeles. If this is true, Columbus' disappointing season could become nightmarish. Last season, Busch established himself as one of the league's best goalkeepers and one of its most underrated players. Bruce Arena took notice, making Busch the backup to Kasey Keller against Mexico in Azteca.

Now the Crew must turn to rookie Bill Gaudette. The St. John's product made two saves in Columbus' scoreless tie against Los Angeles, but he can't be the team's long-term solution. Where will the team turn? Dealing Ante Razov for a goalkeeper might work but not many teams in MLS have two solid netminders. The MetroStars fit that bill with Zach Wells looking better every week and Jonny Walker fully recovered from shoulder surgery.

If the Crew doesn't make a trade, they could consider Tony Meola. The American legend is without a team and recently told the Kansas City Star that he wanted to get back in MLS. Considering the way he was unceremoniously dispatched by Lamar Hunt-owned Kansas City, you wonder if Lamar Hunt-owned Columbus would be somewhere Meola wants to wind up.

Whether it is Walker, Meola or Brad Friedel stepping in during a summer visit (just kidding), Columbus will need someone to fill Busch's big gloves.

Game Previews

There were no upsets last week, unless you foolishly believed the MetroStars had no chance against New England, so the burden of pulling off the unlikely victory falls to two teams this weekend. Colorado has to fly East to face a New England team eager to rebound to what must have felt like a disappointing tie against the Metros. Chivas meets Los Angeles in a match-up that has about as little buzz as any derby in recent memory. Here is a look at this weekend's tilts:

Colorado at New England

The Rapids have lost four straight against opponents not named Chivas and now they have to meet the best team in MLS. Can you say blowout? Colorado might feel better about its defense after acquiring the steady Mike Petke from D.C. United, but they might not feel as good if they watched the video of Revs' striker Pat Noonan turning Petke into a pretzel just two weeks ago. The only way to hang with New England is to have midfielders who can maintain possession and push the tempo. Without the injured Pablo Mastroeni, the Rapids could be in for a brutal beating. Even without Clint Dempsey the Revs roll. Revolution 4, Rapids 0

FC Dallas at D.C. United

Just when you thought the Freddy Adu buzz had faded, now there is an apparent soap opera going on with Adu and D.C. coach Peter Nowak. Whether or not Adu plays, D.C. could be in some serious trouble against a Dallas attack that is working well even without Eddie Johnson. D.C.'s decision to trade Mike Petke to make room for a defender who is months away from arriving is a bit of a head-scratcher, and it could cost the champs a win this weekend. FC Dallas 2, D.C. United 1

MetroStars at Columbus Crew

The Metros looked absolutely flat against Kansas City on Wednesday while the Crew appears to be back in its 'play for a tie' mode. Will Columbus go after the MetroStars, or will they keep numbers back in order to protect rookie goalkeeper Bill Gaudette? Can the Metros find the energy they showed against New England? If so, the Metros will roll to a comfortable victory. If not, Columbus will run its unbeaten streak to three games. Bet on the Metros taking advantage of the inexperience in the Crew goal. MetroStars 2, Crew 1.

San Jose at Kansas City

After spending a month trying to figure out why I picked Diego Gutierrez for league MVP in the preseason, Gutierrez reminded me on Wednesday. His ability to break up attacks as well as contributing to the attack makes Gutierrez invaluable. Throw in an extremely dangerous Chris Klein and the Wizards offense is still formidable despite the absence of Josh Wolff. San Jose's patchwork lineup will struggle to create chances against a Wizards defense that appears to have found its mojo, and we don't mean Mo Johnston. Wizards 1, Earthquakes 0.

Chicago at Real Salt Lake

RSL puts its unbeaten home record on the line against a Fire unit that is feeling a little better thanks to a visit from the Rapids. The Clint Mathis-Chris Armas battle in midfield will be worth the price of admission. Salt Lake coach John Ellinger surely tore into his squad after its lackluster performance against Columbus last week, but that won't be enough to keep Chicago from beating an RSL defense missing Eddie Pope. Real Salt Lake 1, Fire 1.

Los Angeles at Chivas USA

In keeping with this rivalry's tradition of friendly wagers between front offices, the team president of this match's loser will be forced to wash the cars of the opposing team's front office and coaching staff. The question isn't whether Chivas has a chance, it is weather Chivas president Antonio Cue will use wax or just soap. This game would be a blowout if the Galaxy hadn't shown a complete inability to create chances without Landon Donovan. Even without Donovan, the Galaxy cruises. Galaxy 2, Chivas 0.

Last week's record: 4-2 Overall record: 18-15

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPN.com and is also a writer and columnist for the Herald News (NJ). He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com