Red Bulls haven't reached their peak

When the 2007 MLS season began, D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo were the only teams most experts could see lifting the MLS Cup in November. The Dynamo were bringing back all the key pieces of the team that won last year's title while D.C., the consensus title favorite, was fresh off an offseason that saw the four-time champions bolster an already strong team with some quality foreign signings.

With less than a month gone in the season, those two favorites have been shoved off the stage by Bruce Arena's Red Bulls, a team that has already beaten the Dynamo despite being a man down for two-thirds of a match, and a team that, after Thursday's convincing 1-0 win at FC Dallas, now stands 10 points clear of D.C. in the Eastern Conference standings.

That's right, 10 points.

The Red Bulls' latest victory was a masterful display of defensive discipline and organization that made it hard for you to believe that this could be the same team that stammered through last season in a constant state of confusion. FC Dallas had just thrashed a respectable Colorado defense in a 3-1 victory a week earlier, but had no answers for a midfield and defense that swarmed to the ball every time Dallas crossed midfield with possession.

The scariest part of how well the Red Bulls played on Thursday is the fact that they did so without suspended forward Clint Mathis and without newly acquired Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel. Arena will be left with the task of incorporating those two attacking players into a lineup playing nearly flawless defense.

Are the Red Bulls unstoppable? You can't go that far just yet. Let them face teams with equally strong midfields, such as Chicago and D.C. United, teams capable of getting into a strong possession battle and capable of testing the Red Bulls on the wings, and then we will know just how strong they truly are.

FC Dallas probably wasn't the best team to test the Red Bulls because the Hoops rely on attacking through the central midfield, which plays right into the strength of Arena's team. Ramon Nunez, Juan Toja and Dax McCarty are skillful and capable of creating some quality attacks, but the group's youth (Nunez and Toja are 21, McCarty is 19) shows in its impatience and inability to change the tempo of a match with stretches of controlled possession.

Chris McGrath/GettyImages

Claudio Reyna's experience and calming presence are reasons for the Red Bulls' success.

The Hoops are counting on newly acquired Argentine midfielder Pablo Richetti to provide that calming influence to an FC Dallas attack that isn't going to be able to just overrun the better teams in MLS.

While patience is lacking in Dallas, it is serving as the key to the Red Bulls' early success. Claudio Reyna hasn't offered much to the team's attack, but his calming presence, work rate and ability to read and neutralize opposing attacks has been contagious to a Red Bulls midfield that is the key to the team's 3-0-1 start.

Strong starts are nothing new in MLS though. It was just a year ago when D.C. United enjoyed the best first half-season in league history, only to collapse in the season's second half before losing in the Eastern Conference final to New England.

The biggest difference between last year's D.C. team that dominated the league early on, and this year's Red Bulls is that these Red Bulls aren't at their peak yet. Angel is still on his way, Austrian midfielder Markus Schopp has yet to play after sports hernia surgery and Altidore is growing as a player with every match he plays. In short, as good as the Red Bulls have looked, they could be much, much better by season's end.

Scary, isn't it?

Game previews

Call it a week to remember. No, I'm not talking about the Red Bulls posting a pair of shutout victories against two of the West's best teams. I'm talking about me delivering a perfect week of predictions, an accomplishment that is at least as surprising as the Red Bulls impressive start to the season.

What will it take to keep up with Arena's early-season success? It will take correctly picking winners in some of the league's fiercest rivalries, including the Home Depot derby, the battle of the Rocky Mountains and the latest installment of the league's best rivalry: New England vs. D.C. United.

This weekend's games are also highlighted by Toronto FC's first match at the newly built BMO Field in Toronto, where a sellout crowd will look to inspire an expansion team in search its first goal and first victory.

Kansas City Wizards at Toronto FC

Teams opening new stadiums have a track record of success in MLS, but even that won't be enough for a Toronto squad that is still adjusting to all the new additions to the roster. The Wizards thoroughly dominated Toronto on Wednesday and will look to control the midfield play yet again. Toronto scores its first goal but the Wizards' attack will have just enough to leave Canada with three points. Wizards 2, Toronto FC 1.

DC United at Columbus Crew

It may seem a little early for a team to already be playing a must-win match, it is still April after all, but D.C. United will travel to Ohio knowing it needs three points to keep from falling even further behind the leaders in the East. Will a week off be enough to help correct the defensive deficiency that has led to a pair of early-season losses? DC's back line will be helped by the fact that it is facing a Columbus attack still searching for its first goal. Look for Luciano Emilio to find the net as D.C. scores its first win and the Crew suffers its first loss. DC United 1, Crew 0.

Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy

The latest installment of the Super Clasico pits a rested Galaxy team against a Chivas squad playing some quality attacking soccer. Through two games, the Galaxy is still trying to find its rhythm offensively, unlike the Goats, who have scored six goals in three matches. This has the feel of one of those matches in which Landon Donovan takes over and wills his team to victory, but Chivas USA's attack is too potent and midfield too strong, even without suspended Sacha Kljestan. Amado Guevara enjoys his best game as the Goats roll. Chivas USA 2, Galaxy 1.

Sunday

New England Revolution at FC Dallas

The Hoops play host to a Revs team that is playing well offensively but still making costly mistakes defensively. Not a good formula to have against an FC Dallas attack that is one of the league's most dangerous. Carlos Ruiz is clearly nursing a hamstring injury but FC Dallas still boasts enough weapons to beat Matt Reis and rebound from Thursday's home loss to the Red Bulls. Kenny Cooper steps up as the Revs must once again pay for some suspect defense. FC Dallas 2, Revolution 1.

Chicago Fire at Houston Dynamo

The Fire are off to a strong start but will face their toughest test to date against a Dynamo team eager to rebound from last week's loss to the Red Bulls. Dwayne DeRosario has gotten off to a poor start and won't have any easy time against Chicago's smothering central midfield combo of Chris Armas and Diego Gutierrez. Houston will rely on its strong wing play to help Brian Ching find the net as Houston squeezes out a tough home victory. Dynamo 1, Fire 0.

Monday

Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake

Which RSL team will show up on Monday, the squad that outplayed FC Dallas in the season opener, or the team that has bumbled through the past two matches without scoring a goal? John Ellinger's team needs a win here to avoid settling for a maximum of three points from its first three home matches. The Rapids are coming off a 3-1 thrashing at the hands of FC Dallas and should post a better defensive performance here. Look for Niko Hernandez and Roberto Brown to exploit Real Salt Lake's suspect back line as the Rapids leave Utah with a victory. Rapids 2, Real Salt Lake 0.

Thursday

New England Revolution at D.C. United

Two potent offenses and two shaky defenses. It's the perfect formula for an entertaining shootout, right? For some reason it never works out that way and this match could wind up being a testy encounter between two teams desperate for three points to avoid falling behind the East pack. Both teams score goals but neither team controls this game enough to take the three points. D.C. United 2, Revolution 2.

Last week's record: 6-0

Overall: 9-4-4

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet. He is a writer and columnist for the Herald News (N.J.) and writes a blog, Soccer By Ives. He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com.