The USMNT Home Guard took to the field for their MLS teams last week as the playoff race and the CONCACAF Champions League group stage come down to the final rounds. 

Or some of them did anyway.

The premier matchup between Landon Donovan's LA Galaxy and Clint Dempsey's Seattle Sounders was contested without the two USMNT stars. 

Donovan is nursing a rolled ankle and Dempsey a bum hamstring.

Neither injury appears serious and their clubs seem to be taking a cautious approach. USMNT fans will only have to work their worry beads until each appears again. Donovan's Galaxy have an away game at Cartagines on Wednesday. Dempsey's Sounders host the NY Red Bulls this Sunday.

USMNT hopeful Juan Agudelo of the New England Revolution also sat out last week with a tricky hamstring that limited his minutes last week. The Revolution are also taking a cautious approach with their young star.

In this week's edition of the Home Guard we'll look at the performances of the remaining MLS players on USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's short list and look down the road toward the upcoming October World Cup qualifiers.

Player data courtesy of MLSsoccer.com with all metrics computed by the author.

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