The beginning of the 2012 Major League Soccer season is right around the corner and the folks over at MLS Soccer have released their first preseason power rankings. As expected the LA Galaxy are on top, while the New England Revolution get no love, as MLS Soccer ranks them below the expansion side Montreal Impact.

While the transfer window in Europe opens up in less than 48 hours, Major League Soccer teams have been busy since the season ended, rebuilding and retooling for next season. Here is a team-by-team look at what each side has done so far this offseason. Who has had the best offseason?

Chicago Fire

IN: G Jay Nolly (12/5: trade from Vancouver); F Kheli Dube (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/New England)

OUT: F Christian Nazarit (12/7: option declined); F Gabriel Ferrari (12/7: option declined); G Alec Dufty (12/12: option declined); M Baggio Husidic(12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Colorado); G Jon Conway (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/LA Galaxy)

Chivas USA

IN: M Ryan Smith (11/21: trade from Sporting KC); D James Riley (11/23: from Seattle, via trade from Montreal); M Arturo Alvarez (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/RSL); M Oswaldo Minda(12/21: SD Quito)

OUT: F Justin Braun (11/23: trade to Montreal); M Gerson Mayen (11/23: trade to Montreal); D Zarek Valentin (11/23: expansion draft); MPaulo Nagamura (11/29: trade to Sporting KC); D Andrew Boyens (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/LA Galaxy); F Chukwudi Chujindu (12/12: option declined); M Simon Elliott (12/12: out of contract); G Zach Thornton (12/12: option declined); D Mariano Trujillo (12/12: option declined)

Colorado Rapids

IN: M Baggio Husidic (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Chicago); D Hunter Freeman (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Houston)

OUT: M Sanna Nyassi (11/23: expansion draft); D Mike Holody (12/12: option declined); MBaggio Husidic (12/23: free/Hammarby)

Columbus Crew

IN: D Carlos Mendes (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/New York); G Matt Lampson (12/15: Home Grown)

OUT: D Josh Gardner (11/23: expansion draft); M Santiago Prim (11/23: waived); D Dejan Rusmir (11/23: waived); F Andrés Mendoza(12/6: option declined); M Kevin Burns (12/12: option declined); F Jeff Cunningham (12/12: option declined)

DC United

IN: D Robbie Russell (11/29: trade from RSL)

OUT: M Santino Quaranta (12/7: retired); DMarc Burch (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Seattle); MClyde Simms (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/New England); M Brandon Barklage (12/12: option declined); G Steve Cronin (12/12: option declined); F Joseph Ngwenya (12/12: option declined); D Jed Zayner (12/12: option declined); D Devon McTavish (12/22: retired)

FC Dallas

IN:

OUT: D Edson Edward (11/23: waived); DJeremy Hall (11/29: trade to Toronto); F Maykel Galindo (12/12: option declined); F Maicon Santos (12/12: option declined); M Marvin Chávez (12/16: trade to San Jose)

Houston Dynamo

IN: M Nathan Sturgis (12/29: trade from Toronto)

OUT: F Brian Ching (11/23: expansion draft); MFrancisco Navas Cobo (11/23: waived); G Evan Newton (11/23: waived); F Carlo Costly (11/24: option declined); D Hunter Freeman (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Colorado); F Jason Garey (12/12: option declined); D Eddie Robinson (12/12: option declined)

LA Galaxy

IN: D Andrew Boyens (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Chivas USA); D Chris Leitch (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/San Jose); F Pat Noonan (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Seattle); G Jon Conway (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Chicago); M Marcelo Sarvas(12/13: free/Alajuelense); M Jose Villarreal(12/22: Home Grown)

OUT: D Gregg Berhalter (12/9: retired);G Donovan Ricketts (11/28: trade to Montreal Impact)

Montreal Impact

IN: D Nelson Rivas (10/3: free/Inter Milan, Italy); G Evan Bush (10/21: NASL Impact); D Sinisa Ubiparipovic (11/1: NASL Impact); M Hassoun Camara (11/3: NASL Impact); D Jeb Brovsky (11/23: expansion draft); D Bobby Burling (11/23: expansion draft); F Brian Ching (11/23: expansion draft); D Josh Gardner (11/23: expansion draft); M Justin Mapp (11/23: expansion draft); M Sanna Nyassi (11/23: expansion draft); D James Riley(11/23: expansion draft); D Seth Sinovic (11/23: expansion draft); M Collen Warner (11/23: expansion draft); D Zarek Valentin (11/23: expansion draft); F Justin Braun (11/23: trade from Chivas USA); M Gerson Mayen (11/23: trade from Chivas USA); D Tyson Wahl (11/23: trade from Seattle Sounders); M Bryan Arguez(11/25: free/Ft.

The Vancouver Whitecaps' first season in MLS ended as so many other "expansion" teams' season have ended in U.S. leagues throughout the years: basement and struggling to build for the future.* After the near immediate success of recent MLS additions ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.

Portland's debut MLS season may have come to a halt but the misty-eyed memories and goosebump-inducing flashbacks live on in Portland Timbers, We Adore You. A no-narration documentary chronicling JELD-WEN Field's inaugural MLS match, the seven-minute film drips with both tasteful camerawork and nostalgia for the recent past.

The final numbers are in and Major League Soccer saw a 7% increase in attendance this year, from 16,675 fans per game to 17,870 fans according to MLSAttendance.blogspot.com .

Out of the 18 teams in MLS only four saw a decrease in average attendance. They were Chicago, Columbus, Philadelphia, and Toronto.

D.C. United and the Portland Timbers can feel each other's pain, but that won't make for a cordial atmosphere when the two do battle in a crucial match Wednesday night at RFK Stadium (8 p.m., MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live/SBI Live Commentary).

Both teams are coming off of deflating home losses and remain on the outside of the playoff picture looking in with just days remaining in the MLS regular season.

Strike a pose. Or pose at Troy Perkins.

Diego Chara, Kenny Cooper and Darlington Nagbe all scored as the Portland Timbers beat the New England Revolution 3-0 on Friday night at JELD-WEN Field.

The loss snapped the Revolution's (5-12-12, 27 pts.) modest four-game unbeaten run, while the Timbers (10-12-6, 36 pts.) claimed their 10th win to climb past D.

A couple of things here:
1. Congrats to the Spencers on the new addition.
2. We don't get to see the tattoo. I'd like to see the tattoo just so I can have closure.
3. This is not tattoo music. My wife has like 8 tattoos, we have several close friends who are noted tattoo artists (namedrop: Patrick Dean, Dave Shoemaker, Kevin LeBlanc) and every single one of my high school friends were straight edge, hardcore-types who dragged me to Born Against shows.

I know the Portland v. LA match happened at least a month ago but this video just now popped up on Vimeo --home of the most elegant and art-damaged footy clips around--so I'm going to bring up old sh*t for a minute. Please pardon me for the rewind but this video from Cody Liesinger is worth the 1.

Attendance for the Dallas - Seattle match in Frisco on Saturday: 11,635. Attendance for the Portland - Vancouver RESERVE match on Sunday: 10,077. I don't care what club you follow, you can't hate on numbers like that coming out of JELD-WEN for a bench-league match. Unless you're from Seattle I guess; y'all will hate on anything from south of the Columbia River just because.

I'm sure Mike Chabala is down with Timber Joey but Mike Chabala does not need Timber Joey. Mike Chabala can split his own wood cotdamnit. The hell you think he is? A woodchuck or some sh*t?

Think about this for a second: the last time LA lost an MLS game Amy Winehouse, Osama Bin Laden and the Whitecaps' playoff hopes were all still alive*. They've been crushing it that long and may very well continue to bully people all the way 'til November. Watch out Portland, the behemoth rolls in to your town --and America's living rooms-- tonight.

Three takeaways from this clip of Timbers bankroller Merritt Paulson signing stickers for Portland fans.

1. Portland may be about to sign someone big. That or they are F-ing us.
2. Merritt Paulson has a little thug in him. Or at enough to listen to "Forever" at the office.
3. Somebody in the Rose City understands the importance of "Helvetica.

I would expect this to happen to the Windows phone actually.

Helluva weekend to be an MLS fan. Not only do we get the O.G. MLS beef, NY v. D.C., on Saturday night but we get the latest installment of Gerald Ford-era footie fight Portland v. Seattle on Sunday afternoon. The only way this could have been scheduled any better would have been a Friday night fight between LA and Chivas USA.

Attacking Midfielder Yosniel "Capi" Mesa defected from the Cuban national soccer team on June 9 and was seen practicing with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League (NASL). This reported by Dave Brousseau of the Sun Sentinel.

Mesa, who left behind his mother and 5-year-old daughter in Cuba, defected following Cuba's 5-0 loss to Mexico in a Gold Cup game in Charlotte, N.

This week on the show, Zach reads some listeners e-mails and discusses the John Spencer fine and suspension. Robert Jonas from San Jose joins us to discuss the Earthquakes six-match unbeaten streak, the stadium situation and how the team fits in to the San Jose community. CSRN MEDIA PLAYER

I will never complain about my airline's customer service again.

This is last night's match in Portland plus surrounding ambiance that form the "Portland experience." Quality video, especially considering that it was shot, edited and released in 18 hours.
Also impressive is Portland's home undefeated streak. They have a hell of a long way to go before they hit Rio Tinto territory but it's a pretty damn good start to their first MLS campaign.

The ECS put on a tremendous display of support before the Sounders FC played the Portland Timbers last weekend.

As mentioned the other day, Seattle-based energy drink slingers Golazo have commissioned a short, short film centered on MLS fans & supporters entitled Walk Among Us. It's attractive stuff full of color, noise and (appropriately) energy. If you have 5 minutes to spare before tonight's big match give it a click; hopefully the nation sees this kind of passion tonight on ESPN2.

First shot of the new war. 2010.Looking to all the great games this weekend, one stands above the rest. The Cascadia Rivalry. The Seattle Sounders are hosting their 30+ year rivals the Portland Timbers. Expect this one to be three things: loud, physical and damned exciting.
Just as the New York/LA game was billed as a battle of the league's most expensive and start studded teams, this game is billed as the rivalry that never sleeps.

I won't give away the whole jawn here but Dropping Timber have a 30 minute + documentary from Portland's home opener. You should watch it. Unless you are sick to death of Portland, which I hear some people are, or you're Sounders 'til you die (or at least until you switch allegiances because the company moved you to Toledo and the Crew are the closest team).

Remember when FC Dallas flew that plane with the Dallas 'Til I Die banner over the Dynamo match last week? Portland just saw them their plane and raised them a wrap job worthy of any hip-hop label's promo van. Whether it's by accident or design I don't know but the rumor is that this plane is scheduled to make it's first passenger flight out of Seattle of all places.

When Major League Soccer launched, its marketing seemed to have advertisement ADD. Football stadiums, family marketing, no-tie shootouts unlike anyone else in FIFA and ultimately an unreliable target audience. In its inaugural 1996 year, several of the MLS teams shared stadiums with their city's NFL counterparts.

Real Salt Lake's bad week continued as they lost to the expansion Timbers while the NYRB and Philadelphia Union continued their run with good wins.

Portland Timbers 1 Real Salt Lake 0
Kenny Cooper goal in the 22nd minute from a Kalif Alhassan cross was enough as the Portland Timbers hand Real Salt Lake its first Major League Soccer loss of the season.

A look at this weekend's Major League Soccer action

LA Galaxy 3 Portland Timbers 0
Landon Donovan scored his first two goals of the season and added an assist to help the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the Portland Timbers 3-0.

Donovan had missed the last three games due to a of a knee injury and it did not take him long to show everyone that he was fully fit as the Galaxy scored twice in the first 8 minutes.

The folks over at MLSSoccer.com have update their weekly power rankings. No surprise that Real Salt Lake is in first place. The Portland Timbers are one of the big winners moving up to four places after a week that consisted of two home games, seven goals and six points.

Major League Soccer Week 5 Rankings

1.

The New York Red Bulls got their first win since the opening week of the season while Charlie Davies continued his remarkable goalscoring recovery for D.C. United.

New York 3 San Jose 0
Luke Rodgers scored the first two goals of his MLS career and added an assist to lead the Red Bulls to a victory over the Earthquakes.

Why bring someone in to sing the national army when you have the Timbers Army?

Zizou roulette, evolved.

• World Cup programmes. (Football Fairground)
• Don't mess with the chainsaw. (Dirty Tackle)
• CL semifinal tactical breakdown. (Football Further)
• Djaminha. (Left Back In The Changing Room)
• Quiz time. (Avoiding The Drop)
• What's in a name?

It was a memorable night for soccer fans in Portland as the Timbers hosted their first home game of the season and beat the Chicago Fire 4-2 for their first ever MLS victory.

There is something special about the atmosphere that the fans in the Pacific Northwest create. The wall of noise coming from the the Timbers Army in the north end of JELD-WEN Field made this seem like a top European night instead of a MLS game.

A review of the action in Major League Soccer this weekend.

D.C. United 1 LA Galaxy 1
Charlie Davies converted a disputed 90th-minute penalty kick as D.C. United tied the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-1.

The goal, Davies' fourth of the year and third on a penalty, came 78 minutes after Mike Magee put the Galaxy ahead on a header off David Beckham's corner kick.

There's no doubt about who's ranked number one this week. Real Salt Lake thrashed the LA Galaxy to show that they are the class of MLS at the moment.

MLS Rankings: Week 2
1. REAL SALT LAKE (2-0-0)
Last week: Beat Los Angeles, 4-1, on Saturday.

Even with players away on international action this weekend there was still a full slate of MLS games. The headline game was the match between RSL and the LA Galaxy, which RSL easily one. At the other end of the table, the Columbus Crew are still winless to begin the season.

Real Salt Lake 4 LA Galaxy 1
Javier Morales scored twice and added an assist as Real Salt Lake strolled bast the LA Galaxy.

We have had one week of action in Major League Soccer which means it is time to update our MLS Power Rankings.

After a season-opening victory, Real Salt Lake maintained its spot atop the MLS Power Rankings, and RSL faces a huge game this weekend against the number 3 ranked LA Galaxy, who will be without Landon Donovan, Alvaro Saborio because of international duty.

The Portland Timbers have announced their first international friendly as they will play play renowned Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax in a friendly Wednesday, May 25, at JELD-WEN Field; kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ajax is one of the most storied clubs in European soccer.

Should the United States make it to the Gold Cup quarterfinals, it won't be Tim Howard's only visit to RFK Stadium this summer.

D.C. United announced that it will be hosting Howard's club team, Everton, in a friendly on July 23 at 7:30 p.m.

United already scheduled a friendly with Ajax Amsterdam for May 22.

With a month to go before the Portland Timbers' first home game in Major League Soccer, the Timbers Army has already reached one significant milestone.

On Monday, the Timbers reported that Timbers Army Season Tickets had sold out for the 2011 season. That means there'll be no place to sit in eight full sections of the North End at PGE Park – not that the Army ever sits during a Timbers match anyway.