Martin Rennie looks to have built an offensive juggernaut. (Photo via Vancouver Whitecaps)

With the news of Sebastien Le Toux joining the Vancouver Whitecaps on a trade today. It has to, no, it must be pointed out exactly how stacked these Whitecaps are on offense.

Just look at these names currently on the roster (and in camp):

• Camilo
• Eric Hassli
• Atiba Harris
• Omar Salgado
• Darren Mattocks
• Davide Chiumiento
• Lee Nguyen
• Long Tan
• Sebastien Le Toux
• Etienne Barbara (not currently signed)

Holy smokes.

Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

If Sebastien Le Toux makes an appearance at PPL Park this summer for his second MLS All-Star Game, he won't be representing the home team. He'll be doing it as a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Philadelphia Union officially announced that they have dealt Le Toux to the Whitecaps, acquiring an undisclosed sum of allocation money in exchange for its leading scorer and 2010 MLS All-Star.

Houston Dynamo (8-7-11, 35 pts.) vs. Real Salt Lake (3-13-9, 18 pts.) Empire Field - Vanouver, British Columbia, Canada - 6:00pm
BROADCAST: KHOU 11.2 (ENG TV) La Ranchera 850 (SPN Radio) SportsTalk 790 (ENG Radio)

REFEREE: Niko Bratsis. MLS Career: 7 games; FC/gm: 24.

Photo by Tom Hauck/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

Hurricane Irene may have deprived MLS fans of three weekend contests, including Sunday's marquee matchup between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, but elsewhere across the league, the games will go on.

Reinforcements could be on their way to Vancouver. The club is set to make a "major" announcement this morning. Yeah I know what you all are thinking with the word major in quotes but this one seems fairly straight forward here. Marc Weber of The Providence is reporting the club is set to sign a forward, possibly a Designated Player to go along with their current DP forward Eric Hassli.

Let's face it, so far into this MLS campaign the Whitecaps haven't managed to shake off the "expansion team" feel. But no matter, it's time to be optimistic and talk about another topic! It's the MLS All-Star team which will be facing Manchester United, and I'm hoping to see some Caps in it. While it's pretty unlikely that any Whitecaps players are going to be voted into the team, as fans we have to try and get some Whitecaps players on the All-star team.

Let's face it, so far into this MLS campaign the Whitecaps haven't managed to shake off the "expansion team" feel. But no matter, it's time to be optimistic and talk about another topic! It's the MLS All-Star team which will be facing Manchester United, and I'm hoping to see some Caps in it. While it's pretty unlikely that any Whitecaps players are going to be voted into the team, as fans we have to try and get some Whitecaps players on the All-star team.

On the same weekend in late April, both the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas lost critical members of their offense to bonebreaking tackles. The Steve Zakuani loss got more attention outside of Dallas due to the cynicism of the tackle and the graphic injury, but Dallas lost the MLS MVP in David Ferreira.

Will be back in the press box for tomorrow's MLS clash between the New England Revolution and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Both teams come into the match badly in need of a win. The Revolution have 10 points from 9 matches while the Whitecaps have 8 points from 10 matches.

Last Match
New England were held to a scoreless draw at home to Colorado last Saturday, while Vancouver came back for a late 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes in midweek.

Photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com

According to the Castrol Index, Major League Soccer's latest metric for measuring individual success, New York Red Bulls Designated Player Thierry Henry is off to a stellar start in his first full season in the league.

The Castrol Index is designed to analyze each player's every movement on the field and how those movements impact a team's penchant for scoring goals and conceding goals.

The Canadian championship final will be an all-MLS affair.

Toronto FC made quick work of FC Edmonton while Vancouver needed extra time to put away the Montreal Impact in the final legs of their semifinal matchups Wednesday night.

Rookie Joao Plata set up Alan Gordon in the 21st minute for the lone goal in TFC's 1-0 victory over Edmonton.

MLS has released the early injury report for the match against Vancouver this weekend. There are some familiar names on the list.

CHICAGO FIRE -- OUT: MF Mike Banner (L Achilles tendinitis); DF Steven Kinney (R Achilles repair); MF Michael Videira (concussion symptoms); FW Gabriel Ferrari (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Cory Gibbs (L hamstring strain); MF Marko Maric (L ankle sprain/contusion); DF Josip Mikulic (L clavicle contusion); MF Logan Pause (R hamstring strain)

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC -- OUT: FW Atiba Harris (R knee surgery); MF Michael Nanchoff (groin strain); MF John Thorrington (R calf strain); DOUBTFUL: DF Jay DeMerit (groin strain)

Mike Videira suffered a concussion on Friday but it is not considered severe.

I will be trying to drop a new piece every week doing a quick recap of all the past week's MLS action. With 18 teams, that's a lot of action to try to follow, so I thought it would be a good idea to condense everything into one place for all of our readers. Although the week could have been much better had we beaten the hated Sounders, there was still plenty of thrilling MLS action to go around (except for the Chivas/Columbus game, which I will touch on later).

By JOSE M. ROMERO

This time, it was the Whitecaps with the frustrating draw and the Revolution happy to get a point.

The roles were reversed only four days ago, when Vancouver rallied for a stunning 3-3 draw with Sporting KC and New England was unable to defeat the Portland Timbers at home in a 1-1 draw.

Despite spending most of the second half with more players on the pitch, the Revolution were unable to take home three points from their first encounter with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night. Referee Baldomero Toledo stole the show by issuing three red cards and a controversial penalty in a match characterized by erratic passing and poor officiating.

With ESPN's Fantasy League having the odd rules of "roster set by Tuesday" there were several last-minute injuries that hurt people in MLS Fantasy Soccer this week. Locally the best example was Fredy Montero. Nationally the example was Charlie Davies going from likely starter (and goal scorer) to on the bench over the weekend.

I thought given 12-14 hours after the game I would have calmed down about the result of the game, but I'm still frustrated with the result. Sporting KC pissed away two points yesterday, surrendering a 3 goal lead in the final 20 minutes, 2 in second half stoppage time to go from a 3-0 lead to a 3-3 draw.

Before the match against Sporting Kansas City, I wrote with great joy five reasons why the Whitecaps would defeat Kansas City. Yet, when the match started things weren't looking as positive as I had tried to make them out to be. And when the Whitecaps found themselves 1-0 down right before halftime, things were not looking good.

Before the match against Sporting Kansas City, I wrote with great joy five reasons why the Whitecaps would defeat Kansas City. Yet, when the match started things weren't looking as positive as I had tried to make them out to be. And when the Whitecaps found themselves 1-0 down right before halftime, things were not looking good.

Before the match against Sporting Kansas City, I wrote with great joy five reasons why the Whitecaps would defeat Kansas City. Yet, when the match started things weren't looking as positive as I had tried to make them out to be. And when the Whitecaps found themselves 1-0 down right before halftime, things were not looking good.

Before the match against Sporting Kansas City, I wrote with great joy five reasons why the Whitecaps would defeat Kansas City. Yet, when the match started things weren't looking as positive as I had tried to make them out to be. And when the Whitecaps found themselves 1-0 down right before halftime, things were not looking good.

When Kei Kamara put Sporting Kansas City ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-0, midway through the second half, things looked pretty bleak for the expansion side, playing in front of its home fans for the second time this season.

Two impactful substitutions and three clutch goals later, the Whitecaps earned the wildest point of the MLS season to date.

By THOMAS FLOYD

Two weeks into the MLS season, the Philadelphia Union stands alone atop the Eastern Conference as one of only three teams in the league with an unblemished record. Philadelphia will face its sternest test yet this weekend when it travels to the West Coast for a Saturday night clash with last year's Supporters' Shield winner, the Los Angeles Galaxy.

[Editor's Note: Another great tactics post by Earl. Front page'd]

Just because you play an offensive tactic doesn't mean that offense ensues.

That was the theme Saturday, as Philadelphia struggled through the first half against a physical bunch from Vancouver. Fortunately for the Union, the Whitecaps couldn't maintain their composure, and their loss of manpower on the pitch contributed to a 1-0 Union victory and an early Eastern Conference lead.

It was the first time two Canadian teams have faced off in Major League Soccer. As a spectacle, it was an exciting game to watch for the neutral, and a great advert for soccer in this country. On top of that, we saw many Canadian players on display. The Whitecaps featured two Canadian players and Toronto FC had 5 Canadians take the field.

Eric Hassli scored two on his debut for the WhitecapsIt was a fantastic victory. It was a victory for the fans, the players, and all of Vancouver which has now earned respect on the MLS stage. While Toronto aren't one of the best teams in the MLS, they're still tough opposition. A 4-2 win will raise the confidence but also alert the team to improve the defensive side which could've been better.

Eric Hassli scored two on his debut for the WhitecapsIt was a fantastic victory. It was a victory for the fans, the players, and all of Vancouver which has now earned respect on the MLS stage. While Toronto aren't one of the best teams in the MLS, they're still tough opposition. A 4-2 win will raise the confidence but also alert the team to improve the defensive side which could've been better.

In a league that is short on rivalries, FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire try hard to maintain whatever semblance of a rivalry once existed between the two teams. Names have changed, conferences have realigned, but the Fire and the club formerly known as the Burn still play for the Brimstone Cup each year.

There wasn't much expected from FC Dallas when the 2010 season began, but by the end of that surprising season, Dallas had finished one of the best and most entertaining seasons in team history.

FC Dallas eliminated the top two teams in the 2010 MLS Playoffs and came within overtime of a championship, doing so with a young and deep team that seemed capable of challenging for titles for years to come.

Editor's Note: This piece continues our extensive preview of the 2011 MLS campaign. Our first three MLS preview pieces are linked below: Number 7: Omar Bravo: Next Designated Player to Fail, or is Sporting KC the place for a revival? MLS Eastern Conference Preview: Five Most Intriguing Sides Number Six: Charlie Davies: The Player, The [.

Every loss will be a stepping stone, especially in this first MLS season. The final preseason friendly against the Colorado Rapids was a strange one: while the Whitecaps wanted to show the fans a strong team, the players and coaches also wanted to make sure nobody got injured before the big debut against TFC.

Every loss will be a stepping stone, especially in this first MLS season. The final preseason friendly against the Colorado Rapids was a strange one: while the Whitecaps wanted to show the fans a strong team, the players and coaches also wanted to make sure nobody got injured before the big debut against TFC.

Galaxy players in training at ASU earlier this month (from The Bleacher Report)

The 2011 MLS season, the 16th edition since play began in 1996, starts in one month.

No matter how you look at the off-season moves that Arena and crew made, there can be only one conclusion: Bruce Arena sees this year as the year he brings the Cup back to Los Angeles.

*I thought I should get that headline out of the way before the season began. The Galaxy won 2-0 today in a weather-delayed game in Arizona on first half goals by Chris Birchall and Juan Pablo Angel.

It's the first shutout for the Galaxy in preseason, although it helps that the Whitecaps major attacking threat is former Chivas USA striker Atiba Harris (ahem).

(Photo by Jose M. Romero)

By JOSE M. ROMERO

Early impressions of the No. 1 overall MLS SuperDraft pick, Omar Salgado: The kid can play.

His height stands out immediately. At 6-foot-4, any defender is going to have a hard time with him in the box, even the most physical centerback, because he has to not only push Salgado out of the goal area but keep him as far away from the 18-yard box as possible.

By ADAM SERRANO

One win away.

That is how close FC Dallas came winning the franchise's first MLS Cup in 2010. Fresh off its crushing defeat to the Colorado Rapids in the final, FCD is ready to make a return run to the championship in 2011.

Major League Soccer clubs have either opened up their training camp or about too. So it is a perfect time them for the first MLS rankings of 2011, courtesy of the MLS Soccer.

There is little surprise that the team who made the single biggest splash this offseason is ranked number one.

By JOSE M. ROMERO

PHOENIX -- The Vancouver Whitecaps' first MLS preseason camp away from home figures to draw some interest from plenty of those following the expansion club.

Vancouver is no stranger to training in Arizona. The USSF Division 2 Whitecaps played three preseason games in Casa Grande and Tempe (Arizona State University) last February and are back for a total of three weeks in the winter sunshine of the desert this year.