The nationally televised clash between Seattle and Toronto kicks the weekend off at 1:30 p.m. today on NBCSN with fans perhaps about to see the MLS debuts of big money signings Jermaine Defoe and Michael Bradley for the Canadian outfit, although both have battled injury problems recently. And who would have thought former goal-shy Galaxy striker Chad Barrett would immediately benefit from the presence of Clint Dempsey for the Sounders last weekend, picking up his scraps with a dramatic winner from a rebound in second half stoppage time to beat Sporting Kansas City?

The Galaxy’s week 2 encounter with D.C. United was postponed because it was sandwiched between midweek CONCACAF Champions League games against the Xolos, but Chivas USA meets Vancouver at 4 p.m. Sunday in Carson in the only game of the weekend between MLS clubs that both won their first outing of the season. Check out those standings, Chivas USA fans.

I’ll have more on that later, but here are the predictions of Southern California soccer scribes for this round of games.