Old men holding down fort in goal

Seattle's Kasey Keller, 39, is the top keeper in MLS with an 0.64 goals-against average. Rick Yeatts/MLS via Getty Images

Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.

The keeper experience

During the 2008 MLS season, the average age of the top 11 goal-scorers was 28.6. This year, the number checks in at a remarkably similar 29.2. The goalkeepers, however, tell a different story. While MLS' top five netminders in '08 were an average 31.4 years old, the average age this season jumps to 35.8. None of the top five (Kasey Keller, Pat Onstad, Zach Thornton, Donovan Ricketts and Kevin Hartman) was born after 1977. When Will Hesmer returns from injury (and, presumably, to his '08 form), he'll help bring down the mean a bit, but MLS' best goalies are a quickly aging population.

Seeing red (and yellow)

The floodgates on the stream of yellow and red cards continue to open wider. Referees handed out 48 cautions last week (an average of 5.3 per game) and ejected four players. The match between Chivas USA and Chicago featured 10 yellows and one red. (In the two previous weeks, a total of six players were sent off and more than 3.5 cautions were issued per game.) The season-long problem is a quick trigger finger from the men in control. Amazingly, in the Fire's second game of the week, the team picked up three yellows and a red despite committing only seven fouls against FC Dallas. Clearly, MLS refs need to let the players play a bit more.

Dynamo attempt to put out Fire

The Fire once again play in the biggest game of the week. Chicago, which went 11 matches without losing before falling to Dallas last Sunday, looks to regroup against a white-hot Houston group that annihilated Toronto FC last weekend. Elsewhere, Chivas USA hosts a Seattle squad that has lost some of its early-season momentum but is still dangerous, and Colorado travels to Utah to play Real Salt Lake in the second leg of the '09 Rocky Mountain Cup. Matches take place Thursday through Sunday, so MLS action will come fast and furious.

Week 12 Power Rankings   New Rank Previous Rank Team 1 1 Chicago Fire (5-1-6) The Fire vindicated our No. 1 ranking by defeating Chivas USA last week. Then, on short rest, they rolled over against FC Dallas. 2 5 Houston Dynamo (5-2-3) Houston, we have no problems. The Dynamo continue to dynamite their way up the standings as all's well in southeastern Texas. 3 2 Chivas USA (7-2-3) Jesse Marsch didn't deserve the first of two yellows vs. Fire, but Goats still shouldn't have conceded twice after the 89th minute. 4 4 D.C. United (3-2-7) United acquitted itself well at New England and only fell to defeat after suffering at the hands of a questionable penalty kick. 5 6 Seattle Sounders FC (4-2-5) Freddy Ljungberg shanked PK vs. Crew as Sounders, who miss Osvaldo Alonso's playmaking, were forced to take a home tie. 6 3 Toronto FC (4-4-4) After being run out of Robertson Stadium, TFC returns home to lick its wounds and face the tie-loving Galaxy. 7 8 Colorado Rapids (4-2-4) Conor Casey's league-leading seventh and eight strikes helped the Rapids slip past New York and finish May unbeaten. 8 11 Columbus Crew (2-2-7) Getting four points in a week and jumping back into contention should take the sting out of allowing another second-half equalizer. 9 13 New England Revolution (3-3-4) Taylor Twellman returned as a sub and helped the Revs to a much-needed win as Shalrie Joseph found the net yet again. 10 7 Kansas City Wizards (4-4-4) Davy Arnaud located his scoring touch but the Wiz couldn't hold on as the Galaxy scrapped out another late-match equalizer. 11 9 New York Red Bulls (2-7-3) After losing two straight at home, New York looks to find better results on a three-match road trip, starting in New England. 12 15 San Jose Earthquakes (2-6-2) Three days after their best 45 of the season, Quakes actually won, getting goals from Arturo Alvarez and Cornell Glen vs. RSL. 13 10 Los Angeles Galaxy (1-1-9) Bruce Arena's side -- spurred by yet another Landon Donovan assist -- hasn't lost in nine, but these ties are growing tiresome. 14 14 FC Dallas (2-6-3) Kenny Cooper's fifth goal closed the scoring in win over Chicago, but team needs to show more consistency before heading north. 15 12 Real Salt Lake (3-6-2) RSL hasn't won away from Rio Tinto Stadium, a trend that will need to be rectified if the squad has playoff aspirations.