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The Week in Soccer

THE WEEK IN SOCCER Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake 10 p.m. Friday (NBC-SN) This game, in one of Major League Soccer's most underrated rivalries, is a must-win for Dillon Powers and the fading Rapids. But Javier Morales and Salt Lake are nearly unbeatable at home. Real has lost just four of 31 games in in Sandy, Utah, in the last two seasons.

THE WEEK IN SOCCER

Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake

10 p.m. Friday (NBC-SN)

This game, in one of Major League Soccer's most underrated rivalries, is a must-win for Dillon Powers and the fading Rapids. But Javier Morales and Salt Lake are nearly unbeatable at home. Real has lost just four of 31 games in in Sandy, Utah, in the last two seasons.

Vancouver Whitecaps at Portland Timbers

5 p.m. Saturday (NBC-SN)

Vancouver, featuring former Union fan favorite Jordan Harvey, has a one-point lead on Portland for the West's last playoff spot. Portland playmaker Diego Valeri is a top MVP candidate.

Seattle Sounders at New York Red Bulls

7:30 p.m. Saturday (NBC-SN)

After beating the Union, 3-1 in overtime, in the U.S. Open Cup final on Tuesday, the Sounders take aim at a second trophy: the Supporters' Shield, given to the MLS team with the best regular-season record. Seattle strikers Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins are an unstoppable force, but the Red Bulls have their own dynamic duo in Thierry Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Chelsea at Manchester City

11 a.m. Sunday (NBC-SN, Telemundo)

Chelsea has been rampant so far this season, with Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa fueling a ferocious attack. Manchester City will look to defender and captain Vincent Kompany to keep them at bay.

Chivas USA at Toronto FC

3 p.m. Sunday (UniMás)

When Toronto fired manager Ryan Nelsen last month, they were in third place in MLS's Eastern Conference. Now they're in seventh. U.S. national team star Michael Bradley can't do it alone for Toronto. Whatever hope the Reds have left rests with two stars coming back from injury: striker Jermain Defoe and defender Steven Caldwell. Chivas is out of the playoff race, but has one of MLS' cult heroes in Mexican striker Erick "Cubo" Torres.

Real Estelí at Sporting Kansas City

8 p.m. Tuesday (Fox Sports 1)

For the CONCACAF Champions League, North America's top club tournament, to become as big a deal in the United States as the UEFA competition, it will need MLS teams to do well. Sporting Kansas City has shown that they take the games seriously, playing strong teams and drawing big crowds. Their opponents, Nicaragua's Real Estelí, are powered by aging forwards Rudel Calero and Samuel Wilson, both 31.

Alpha United at Portland Timbers

10 p.m. Tuesday (Fox Sports 1)

Portland has also been taking a serious approach to the CONCACAF Champions League, so don't expect the Timbers to go easy with a weak opponent. Alpha United, an amateur team from Guyana nicknamed "The Hammer," has been pounded (three straight group losses by a combined score of 11-1) and are already eliminated. (Still, you have to like a team that boasts a roster with a player called Kester "King Shoes" Jacobs.) Look for the Timbers to score early and often to build up goal difference in the standings. - Jonathan Tannenwald