Colorado improved to 2-1-1 at home with a tight victory over Seattle.

Notes from around the league start with the player of the week and end with some defensive numbers.

Major League Soccer is throwing fuel on the Rapids- Real Salt Lake rivalry by scheduling thems to meet, again, in the 2010 finale.

Former Rapids striker and current Houston Dynamo assistant coach John Spencer reportedly is a candidate for the Portland Timbers’ head coaching position. Portland will start play in Major League Soccer in 2011.
(photo by Tom Auclair/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

University of Denver defender Kris Banghart, from Fort Collins, was chosen by Real Salt Lake with the 64th pick of Thursday’s Major League Soccer draft.

Former University of Denver and Colorado Rapids defender and Colorado Soccer Now favorite Nat Borchers will be playing in MLS Cup 2009 today in Seattle as his Real Salt Lake squad takes on the Los Angeles Galaxy. Borchers was the only member of Real Salt Lake to start all 30 games this season, playing 2,679 of the team’s 2,700 minutes. He scored one goal and was named the team’s MVP. (photo courtesy of Major League Soccer)

Major League Soccer released the finalists for the league’s 2009 awards today, and Galaxy striker Landon Donovan certainly was among them. Inside, I list all the finalists and whom I voted for in the process. Donovan, left, was among the finalists for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, and I think he’s the likely winner. All of the award finalists earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media, including yours truly. Check out all of the finalists inside.
(photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Real Salt Lake retained possession of the Rocky Mountain Cup with a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Robbie Findley scored two first-half goals, Yura Movsisyan again stuck the dagger in Colorado’s side late in the match, and the Rapids had no punch. Inside, we break down the game using a few keen comments from the Fox Soccer Channel crew. …

Spenny joins the Gallery of Honor, Soccer America picks CU’s Nikki Marshall as an All-American, free posters and soccer balls and sunglasses at the next match at Dick’s, Peter Vermes on the sidelines, and more!

To commemorate Conor Casey being named Major League Soccer’s player of the week, The Tuesday List looks at everyone who has received the honor so far in 2009. …