Tomorrow's their big day

Tomorrow, MLS will feature more games in one day than ever before; with sixteen teams, there will be eight matches in one day. While a wonderful milestone for a competition that has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years, this situation represents a problem for those of us that attempt to take in at least a bit of every game each week; which to watch?


Rather than a preview of Saturday's matches, I've decided to spend a Friday morning avoiding work and ranking tomorrow's games on the must-watch scale. If you don't have a favorite team to put above everyone else, choosing how to prioritize could be a little difficult. Start time aren't nearly staggered enough to allow for taking in multiple games over the course of the day, and that 8:30-10:30 PM window is a mess.


So from eight to one, here my rankings:


8. FC Dallas v. Columbus Crew
8:30 PM ET Direct Kick/Match Day Live

A big fat "eh" for this one. The crowd will be sparse (it is Dallas) and the atmosphere poor. Columbus is good and FC Dallas isn't exactly bad, but if I'm going to watch a game on television or on an Internet stream, I want a little passion in the stands.


7. New England Revolution v. Toronto FC
7:30 PM ET Direct Kick/Match Day Live

Same problem as eight, though I'm sure Gillette will have bigger pure numbers than Pizza Hut Park. Combined with the artificial turf and two teams without much punch, this could be an ugly game in several ways.


6. Chicago Fire v. San Jose Earthquakes
8:30 PM ET Direct Kick/Match Day Live

This is the Fire home opener, so I would expect a good crowd. San Jose isn't very good, so that takes away from the game a little, but the Fire could be on to something with the McBride/John pairing. Should be watchable, but doesn't beat out most of the games on the day.


5. Chivas USA v. New York Red Bulls
4 PM ET Telefutura

I'll be able to watch all of this one simply because it's the only game that doesn't overlap with any others. Chivas doesn't appeal to me for some reason, but I would like to see if New York can turn their win in Seattle into a road winning streak. I would expect a decent atmosphere at the Home Depot Center, and Chivas will be fairly desperate to get their first points of the season.


4. Kansas City Wizards v. Colorado Rapids
8:30 PM ET Direct Kick/Match Day Live

The tiny field is a problem when watching a Wizards game, and the stadium isn't ideal (obviously), but I always enjoy them; there's something about Community America Ballpark that translates well on TV for me. Perhaps the most interesting thing in this match will be Kansas City's offense. Can they repeat their Week 1 performance?


3. Houston Dynamo v. Los Angeles Galaxy
8:30 PM ET Direct Kick/Match Day Live

I'm not really finding a lot to be excited about with this Dynamo team, especially after they lucked their way into a win last week, but the Western Conference rematch angle makes it an interesting game. Houston always has a vibrant crowd, but they might even more jacked up for this one considering the way that semi-final went down last year. The club is even giving out miniature flashlights as a way to make light of the blackouts at the HDC during their last meeting.


2. Real Salt Lake v. Seattle Sounders
9 PM ET Direct Kick/Match Day Live

Two good teams going at each other in a beautiful stadium and in the home opener for the defending champs. I'm hopeful for a good match here, and would expect both teams to push for goals after their disappointing losses last week. Any other week, and this might be the most intriguing game on the schedule. This match would be a clear number if RSL is able to sell out Rio Tinto (and I haven't heard anything, so I don't know what the expected attendance is) and there didn't happen to be an expansion home debut this week.


1. Philadelphia Union v. DC United
6 PM ET Fox Soccer Channel

Number one on the list almost entirely because of the newness factor. Philly should have 30,000 at Lincoln Financial Field for the game, Union fans will have their first chance to prove their supporter chops, and a natural geographic rivalry will see it's first meeting. DC United is taking 1,000 of its own fans to the game, a strong away contingent that should give the match even more bite. I'm ready for this one; just wish I had FSCHD.


At 9 o'clock ET tomorrow, there will be six MLS matches in progress. That's going to be terrible for my productivity.


Give me your rankings, specifically for the matches that will be in direct conflict with each other.