MLS first Kick. Live Thread.

We have to wait another week before the mighty TFC juggernaut rolls it's creaky and injured way through Seattle, but the MLS season start now. Hopefully you're all interested in the other teams in the league and will be tuning in to catch some of the action. If not so much, can I interest you in replacement refs? Yeah.

It all gets under way with the afternoon game at 3pm. Seattle get the headline game treatment two games in a row. Next week it's all about Defoe and Bradley (both currently in doubt of playing, sure NBC will love Hall and Wiedeman in their place.) but this week it's about the reigning champs, 2013 MLS Cup winner Sporting Kansas City. Seattle have won 6 of the 8 all time games against the Sporks, will that continue. How well will Chad Marshall fit in their defence? Can Clint Dempsey get himself going for the first time in ages? Will Stefan Frei be playing? How about Chad Barrett?

Then this evening there's a bunch of games. DC v Columbus at 7 o clock which I'll give a general meh. Then at 7:30 it's Vancouver vs New York (but not Thierry Henry of course) on TSN. Pine over Matias Laba, now doing his hunched over ball hunting for the Whitecaps. Other ex TFC-ers that will not really be worth pining over; Richard Eckersley and Bobby Convey, now both energy drinkers.

8:30 sees Montreal get things going with a game in Dallas. Can they be as inept as some people think they might. Until Marco di Vaio gets back from his suspension, they could well be, which would be enjoyable. Also New England go to Houston and then the night is rounded off with 2 games at 10:30.

Philadelphia go to Portland, can the Timbers be as impressive on the pitch as they appear to be on paper? How much of a role will Max Urruti play? Also Real Salt Lake go to Los Angeles, the two perennial heavyweights renewing hostilities.

Some good games there, then on Sunday there's Chicago at Chivas, so yeah, that's a thing.

Plenty of potential for good games, or storylines to watch, then of course there's the added interest of the scab refs, which I'll fully admit I'm looking forward to, at least until next week when it might affect TFC. Who will get shafted? How soon before we're begging for Baldomero Toledo and co to come back? How exactly will this happen? I'll go with a ref eager to impose his authority flashing an early yellow card and setting a stupidly low standard for himself that will lead to multiple yellows and at least two reds. Really though, there are so many ways it could go wrong, I'm almost giddy.

Join us here throughout the day for all the goals, crazy calls and drama as it happens.