Seven or eight games into the season and teams begin to take a hard look at their position at the table.  It’s still too early to declare teams out of the race especially with a 34 game schedule, but the table is beginning to shake out and as the next few weeks go by, teams that are underachieving find themselves farther and farther away from the playoffs or their team’s preseason goals.  At this point, management takes a hard look at the head coach and tries to figure out if a new man would make a difference and inspire the team to go on a run.

So today let’s take a look at five head coaches who are starting to feel a little warm on the bench and should either be thinking about updating their resume or shaking up the lineup.  Managers are ranked in order of how close they are to being unemployed by their current club, but feel free to vote in the poll and share your thoughts in the comments section:

5. Robert Warzycha, Columbus Crew: Early in the year, the heat was rising around Sigi Schmid’s former assistant as Warzycha had no place for Robbie Rogers, lost in the CONCACAF Champions League and looked impotent early in the season.  A team record shutout streak and a nice undefeated streak later, the heat has been turned down immensely on Warzycha.  Yet the team is walking a fine line – they are tied for the second fewest goals scored this year and their offense is still not clicking 100%.  Adrés Mendoza is still not playing up to his DP contract and if the team’s defense falters, this team could find themselves sliding down the standings.  For a franchise with such a storied history in a conference with only one dominant team, that would be unacceptable, so Warzycha is walking a fine line.

4.  Steve Nicol, New England Revolution: The Liverpool legend and once-future USMNT head coach is someone I think could make the jump to England and manage a top-flight side in the near future.  But currently his seat in Foxborough is getting a little toasty.  The Revs are a team that have seen tough times in recent years after a great run in the beginning of last decade.  With the addition of Benny Feilhaber, a scoring threat the team was seeking since the beginning of the season, they have the talent to compete for one of the three automatic playoff spots.  But remember this team went through the process of a rebuild at the beginning of the year, and if they begin to falter management may begin to look in a new direction.

3.  Peter Vermes, Sporting Kansas City: There are plenty of excuses for Sporting KC’s struggles, beginning with their extended road trip and obvious rebuilding effort.  But don’t let the excuses cloud the way this team is playing right now – they have given up the third highest number of goals and have vacillated between terrible defense with potent offense and stout defense with lacking offense.  Vermes is one of the new wave of MLS coaches who were the league’s first stars, and he may be one of the first ones to learn that being on the bench may come with more pressure than being on the field.

2. Frank Yallop, San Jose Earthquakes: The former MLS Coach of the Year is hitting hard times this season.  Arguably a goal away from making the finals last year, the ‘Quakes have stumbled badly this year.  Their offense is weak even with Wondo (they’ve scored the second fewest goals) and their last three results are arguably all bad losses (blown out by New York, beaten at home by Chivas, and 1-0 loss to 10-man Philadelphia).  This team looks disorganized and it may take a new direction to right the ship.

1.  Carlos de los Cobos, Chicago Fire: This is only the Mexican head coach’s second season, but the Fire are not showing any signs of hope.  Last season they finished fourth in a weak East and this season, despite a quick start, they have begun a slide down the standings.  The backline is reorganized practically every game, the team scores but leaks goals like a sieve, and there is no direction to the franchise.  If Chicago can’t get results in their next two very winnable games, de los Cobos may be the first manager let go.

In his short but impressive coaching career, Jason Kreis may be approaching heights unseen by an MLS coach.  This weekend he essentially fielded a backup squad that handled an undefeated Revolution squad.  RSL is in the CONCACAF Champions League final and is the prohibitive favorite to win a second MLS Cup in three years.  Also an impressive player, Kreis is compiling the sort of record and experience that, if he were coaching in England, would make bigger clubs take note.  Now may be the time to ask – is Jason Kreis the right MLS manager to make the leap to the European coaching ranks?

MLS head coaches have in the past been rumored to be ready to take the next step to Europe.  Octavio Zambrano was a head coach in Moldova and Hungary but has now returned to the U.S.  Both Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley were rumored candidates for English jobs, with Bradley supposedly being considered by both Aston Villa and Fulham in 2010.  But neither were actually hired despite high-profile victories at the international level and winning MLS Cups.

So before we address whether Kreis should be that coaching pioneer, we need to address what impact MLS coaches going to Europe would have on the league. We spend much time and energy debating whether MLS players should make the jump and how that affects the league, and the general consensus is that the best players benefit from European playing time while those who are good MLS players might benefit more from staying in the U.S.  Where that line is drawn is where the debate is.  This season we are beginning to see the benefits of the exporting of MLS players: the league is getting players back in return.  Not only are the Beckhams of the world coming to America, but loanees like Simon Dawkins are coming over.  Dawkins, on loan from Tottenham, has given the ‘Quakes a scoring option besides Chris Wondolowski.

Would exporting coaches be the same?  Not quite, but there would be some similarities.  MLS currently imports Europeans who have played in Europe and in American leagues (Steve Nicol) and now is beginning to bring in new coaches from specific systems (Aron Winter).  If American head coaches began to be viewed as possible managerial candidates in Europe, then I think the best young coaches would begin to be poached by European clubs.  But this experience would be good for these MLS head coaches and allow them to expand their strategy and tactics beyond the North American viewpoint.  Having someone like Jason Kreis go to the Championship, for example, would allow him to immerse himself in different football philosophies and learn the latest trends overseas.  When he returns to MLS or is named USMNT head coach, he has a more diverse viewpoint to construct a winning team and improve the quality of MLS or the national team.

So if we agree this is a good thing, than who would be the best coach to make the jump?  The obvious answer is Bob Bradley, since he is the best known American coach/former MLS manager around.  Ideally, though, he is unavailable until after the 2014 World Cup.  Kreis right now is the hot name in MLS, possibly adding numerous trophies to the Real Salt Lake trophy case.  But he has few roots to any league outside of MLS, having played his entire career in the states and having not coached elsewhere.  I can imagine many teams would hesitate to hire someone with just MLS experience.  So is there a successful MLS coach with international experience that would catch the eye of a European club looking for something different?

There are a few actually.  The obvious answer is Bruce Arena, but at age 59 he may be too old for clubs to want to take a chance on.  A younger choice is Dominic Kinnear at age 43.  Kinnear played a bit in Scotland when he was younger as well as a year in Mexico, so he does have some international experience.  He has been a success in MLS, winning two MLS Cups with the Dynamo.  If I were a club in the Scottish or Irish Premier League, or lower levels of the English game, Kinnear is the type of head coach I would consider hiring if I wanted to garner a little attention and try something different.

If you expand the list to consider internationals who are currently coaching in MLS, then there are several viable candidates to leave MLS in the future.  I can’t believe Steve Nicol won’t get an offer back in England at some point, especially if he is successful in rebuilding the Revolution this year.  Aron Winter is being groomed for bigger things and he could return to the continent if he is able to successfully construct a Total Football Toronto.  Colorado’s Gary Smith could be in line for another job as well, especially considering his Arsenal connections and the fact that his owner now is a major player in the EPL with his majority ownership in Arsenal.

So what does the future hold for MLS coaches?  I think it will be a while before American/Canadian born head coaches are viewed as viable coaching candidates in Europe.  Over the next few years we will see foreign-born MLS coaches return to Europe (or Central and South America), showing bigger leagues that MLS is a good league for coaches.  And as bigger-named American stars retire from playing and enter coaching, it will be easier for European clubs to justify their hiring to fans as more than a publicity stunt.  Within the next 10-15 years we will begin to see the export of American head coaches which will lead to an improvement in MLS and the national team.  And it will give the best MLS coaches a chance to show that they are good managers anywhere, not just in North America.

Former DC United Coach Tom Soehn

Earlier this morning came the news that DC United coach Tom Soehn would not seek to extend his current contract with the team. Set to expire at the end of this year, Soehn will instead leave the club he has been a part of for the past six seasons – three years as an assistant and three as the head coach. In all competitions in his three years in charge, Soehn compiled a W-L-T record of 55-48-31. Major accomplishments include the Supporters Shield in 2007 and the US Open Cup in 2008.

Contrary to what some are writing, Tom Soehn was not fired by the club. Instead, he will not seek to stay beyond his current contact. After the final game of the season, DC United President and CEO Kevin Payne indicated that any offer to Soehn to return in 2010 as coach would be evaluated over the following month. Without the assurances from management that he would get a contract extension, Soehn appears to have taken the first step toward other opportunities. With the announcement of his leaving, Payne wished Soehn all the best in his future endeavors.

Tom Soehn took a great deal of criticism from the media and supporters of DC United over the past year. The Red and Black’s failure to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs was the latest example of the club underachieving in 2009. Soccer expectations are always high in our nation’s capital, where reaching the finals of the US Open Cup and coming a goal away from qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League knockout round were not considered enough. Soehn was roundly condemned for his line-up and substitution decisions over the course of 2009, despite dealing with an aging roster, numerous injuries, and a brutal schedule (by MLS standards) of 42 games. His tactics were rightfully criticized, but his dedication to the club cannot be ignored.

As announced by DC United, General Manager Dave Kasper begins the search for a new head coach today – maybe Richie Williams should keep his phone handy – in preparation for the 2010 season. As for Kasper’s thoughts on Tom Soehn, “He is a bright young coach who has a big career ahead of him. I wish him continued success with his next coaching position and his family the best of luck always.” Good luck, indeed.

Former Toronto FC coach, Chris Cummins

With the not too surprising news this morning that Chris Cummins is out as coach of Toronto FC, let’s look at the rest of the coaching candidates for dismissal in MLS. Starting from the team with the worst record in the league, the New York Red Bulls, and working our way up the table, these men should be feeling the pressure from team owners for failing to qualify for the postseason.

Richie Williams – Red Bull New York: When Juan Carlos Osario announced he was resigning as manager of New York on August 21^st, his assistant coach Richie Williams stepped in as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. Williams also held this post for six weeks in 2006, when he took over for the fired Mo Johnston, before Bruce Arena was hired later that summer. Bottom line: Williams has served admirably guiding a club that had little chance of affecting the playoff picture just one year after reaching the MLS Cup finals. With NYRB moving into a new stadium next year, and looking to make a splash in the media by hiring a “big-name” coach, everyone expects Williams to resume his career as an assistant in 2010. Also, don’t be surprised if Jeff Agoos is jettisoned from his post as Sporting Director – news has already leaked that the team was talking with ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant about taking over both duties, before he accepted a similar offer from Portsmouth FC in the EPL.

Frank Yallop – San Jose Earthquakes: This one is tricky. While the first year expansion club Seattle Sounders FC enjoys their trip to the playoffs, the Earthquakes 2.0 version finished bottom of the Western Conference for the second straight year. On the surface, it would seem that Yallop, and General Manager John Doyle, should be facing all sorts of pressure from ownership and supporters. However, in late August, owner Lew Wolff publicly supported his management duo in comments to the media. The dreaded “vote of confidence” usually means it is time to pack your bags – but Yallop is not under any pressure at all, and continues to be revered by large numbers of the local community for his past accomplishments. Excuses about player injuries contributing to the team’s poor results might be valid, but not getting the most out of the roster through curious position assignments? Clearly those are coaching decisions that should have him held accountable. Instead, a strange optimism permeates the club as they go into the off season expecting virtually the same roster back for 2010. Yallop might be safe for now, but expect him to be fired if San Jose gets off to a third successive poor start in league play.

Peter Vermes – Kansas City Wizards: The Wizards are the second team on our list that ended the 2009 regular season with a different coach then the beginning. When Curt Onalfo was dismissed in early August, Peter Vermes stepped in to try to rescue what was quickly becoming a lost season. After making the playoffs in 2008, ownership expected much of the same (see: NYRB) in 2009. With expectations for Vermes minimal, KC finished the year with only 12 points over their last 12 games. The fact that he is still carrying the label of interim head coach suggests that management will look to fill the coaching vacancy with a more proven commodity. Knowing how well he was received by his players, perhaps the Wizards should remove the interim from his title and let Vermes guide this team from the start of 2010.

Schellas Hyndman – FC Dallas: After riding the second half scoring explosion of MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, as well as his much improved defensive back four, Schellas Hyndman appears to have done enough to earn the privilege of returning for the 2010 season. The sting of missing out on the postseason after the 2-1 come-from-ahead loss to Seattle last Saturday was the first negative result for the club in over a month. After their recent visit to San Jose, a 2-1 victory, Hyndman was visibly pleased with the late season success that put his team in contention for the playoffs. The players said all the right things about their coach as well. Don’t expect ownership to disrupt the team now. Instead, FC Dallas will look for coaching consistency through the winter, and a momentum carrying winning start to 2010.

Chris Cummins – Toronto FC: The first casualty in MLS coaching ranks occurred this morning with the dismissal of interim head coach Chris Cummins. This came as know surprise given how ingloriously Toronto exited the playoff chase with their 5-0 drubbing at the hands of New York. Already having fired John Carver earlier in the season, TFC management has made it clear that qualifying for the postseason was expected this season. Enjoying a passionate fan base that clearly desires success, the third year MLS club anticipated being among the league’s best teams. Even with marquee signings like Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman, Toronto could not play up to their expectations, and the club was forced to make Cummins the scapegoat heading into another disappointing off-season.

Tom Soehn – DC United: Probably the coach with the next best chance of being fired, Tom Soehn endured a difficult season at the flagship club of MLS. Often criticized in the media for his questionable player formations and tactics, Soehn oversaw an ambitious 2009 schedule that saw DCU contest the US Open Cup final (a loss to Seattle), the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League (elimination before the quarterfinals), and a near miss of the MLS Cup playoffs (a late KC Wizards penalty kick away from qualifying in the last game of the season.) As he completes the last year on a three year contract, management has stated that they will take their time evaluating their head coach over the next month. Reading between the lines, it looks like DC United will quietly approach possible replacements for Soehn, and then make a coaching change later this year. Missing out on the playoffs for two seasons running, after consecutive seasons of winning the Supporters Shield, does not endear Tom Soehn to the supporters of this fine organization.

Gary Smith – Colorado Rapids: The interim coach in 2008, Gary Smith assumed full responsibility for the Rapids this season. For most of the summer, Colorado seemed poised to make the postseason, but a string of draws against lesser opponents (twice against the San Jose Earthquakes in the space of a week), and a crushing 3-0 loss to Rocky Mountain rivals Real Salt Lake, leaves Smith’s squad as the last team out of qualification. Featuring a potent scoring duo of Conor Casey and Omar Cummings, the prognosis for this club going into 2009 was a low playoff seed. Smith had remarked in early September that the club targeted 40 points for a playoff position. Well, mission accomplished on that front – too bad RSL also reached 40 points, and then held the head-to-head tiebreaker courtesy of their last game victory. Colorado will rue their late season fade, but don’t expect Smith to be fired this off-season. However, like Frank Yallop in San Jose, look ahead to Gary Smith needing to start the 2010 season strong in order to keep his job.

What about the coaches currently involved in the MLS Cup chase? Barring an embarrassing performance in the quarterfinals, none of the eight playoff bound coaches need worry about their job security at this time. They have earned their place by measuring up to the standard of success in MLS.

The English Premier League is one of the most popular football leagues in the world for many reasons, especially its coaching soap opera. No other league has managed to turn coaching vendettas and spats into a complex, highly entertaining mix of both low and high art in the manner that the EPL has achieved. Granted the league has been aided by the fact that the English press has more access to the Gaffers then to the players and that the tabloids thrive on cult of personalities, not tactics. The biggest sign of how ingrained the coaching soap opera is in the EPL was the fact that Jose Mourinho was unable to recreate his EPL drama in Serie A.

Here in the United States, the likes of Bora, Steve Sampson, and Bruce Arena have provided the game with some interesting personalities at the national level, but, on the whole, Major League Soccer with its close knit community of coaches has not developed the kind of feuds, vendettas, and sniping that occur amongst the EPL’s coaches. As Ruud Gullit learned in 2008, because of the various salary and player rules in MLS, this is not an easy league to coach in, and success in Europe does not translate to success in MLS. For the most part MLS coaches have enough to focus on without creating unnecessary distractions in the press. In the world of football coaching, the EPL Gaffers are the White Collar guys while the MLS coaches are the Blue Collar guys.

The Blue Collar style of MLS coaching might be best exemplified by one of the best coaches in the league, Dominic Kinnear of the Houston Dynamo. Kinnear, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, grew up in Fremont, California where he began playing soccer at the age of 5. After spending a year at Hartwick College, Kinnear returned to Scotland where he played for St. Johnstone between 1986 and 1989. Upon his return to the United States in 1989, Kinnear, like many U.S. players, found playing time at clubs in the various professional and semi-professional leagues in the States, like the San Francisco Bay Hawks cum San Jose Hawks (WSL, ASL, APSL, and USISL) and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (APSL). In 1995, Kinnear played with both Nexaca in Mexico and the Seattle Sounders of the A-League. The formation of the MLS in 1996 allowed Kinnear to play for the Colorado Rapids, San Jose Clash, and Tampa Bay Mutiny until he retired in 2000. In addition to his club career, Kinnear played for the United States National Team from 1990 to 1993, earning 54 caps, but was dropped by Bora prior to the 1994 World Cup – a decision for which Kinnear has apparently not forgiven Bora.

Kinnear has indicated that after retiring from the game he had no interest in becoming a coach, instead he was interested in becoming a teacher. But in 2001, the San Jose Earthquakes hired Frank Yallop as their coach and Yallop talked his old friend, Kinnear, into becoming his assistant coach. Working together, Yallop and Kinnear helped the Earthquakes win the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003. Kinnear took over as San Jose’s head coach in 2004 after Yallop accepted the coaching position with the Canadian National Team. After winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2005, the team relocated to Houston, Texas as the Houston Dynamo and went on to win the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007, becoming only the second MLS team to ever win back to back MLS Cups. Currently, the Dynamo have nine wins on the season, and sit atop of the Western Division with 32 points.

In MLS’s short history and the even shorter history of the Houston Dynamo, Coach Kinnear has quietly gone about building a club that is on the verge of MLS Dynasty status. This achievement has not been obtained through splashy signings, flashy news conferences, or making the press focus on himself, rather, Kinnear has achieved his success by putting together a team that combines a hard working team ethic that encourages personal flair and technique.

I have lost count of the number of Dominic Kinnear press conferences that I have attended, but one thing is clear, he expects all of his players to work hard at practice and during games, no matter whether said player is Brian Ching or Erik Ustruck. This attitude was best exemplified following the Dynamo’s home loss to New England on June 12, 2008. Following the match, a match which saw several younger players get extended playing time, Kinnear stated that “No matter who you are in that locker room, if you’re given the opportunity to play, the expectation is to win.” It was that New England match that marked the beginning of the end of the Dynamo career of one fan favorite, Franco Carracio.

Despite Kinnear’s statement that the expectation is to win, he is also the kind of coach that will not blast his players for playing hard and losing. Granted, Kinnear is happy with those kind of losses, but he is willing to recognize that sometimes, even when his players give 100%, a win is not in the cards. This attitude could be seen in Kinnear’s comments after the Dynamo’s home loss to New England this past Saturday. While Kinnear did not completely absolve his players for the loss, he recognized that factors such as fatigue and the heat played a significant role in that match. Furthermore, Kinnear has developed the reputation as a coach who can take a struggling player and revive his career, while also pulling aside his younger players and making it clear what they need to do if they want to stay with the team. Few football fans outside of Houston know Kinnear’s role in the back story to Tyler Deric who rebounded from attitude and substance abuse problems to become the Dynamo’s first homegrown youth academy signing.

While it could be easy to say that Kinnear’s coaching attitude comes from some kind of dour Scottish work ethic, the reality is that Kinnear has a great sense of humor, and, along with Assistant Coach John Spencer, wants the Dynamo clubhouse to be a fun and happy environment. While Kinnear is willing to hold his players accountable for not playing hard during the match, the sense that I get from Dynamo players is that come next practice Kinnear comes in with a good attitude and a smile on his face and willingness to let the players start from scratch as they prepare for the next match. According to the Dynamo players I have talked to, despite the heat and the hard work demanded at practice, the positive attitudes of Kinnear and Spencer make the practices more fun and less tedious. This fun loving attitude that exists within the Dynamo organization is obvious to anyone who follows Stuart Holden, Brian Ching, Bobby Boswell, etc. on Twitter.

In addition to creating a good clubhouse atmosphere and making his expectations clear to his players, Kinnear has exhibited strong squad building and tactical skills. Despite MLS’s salary cap, Kinnear has shown, year in and year out, that he can still build a team with the necessary depth to survive involvement in multiple competitions and the loss of players to extended national team duty. On the tactical end, Kinnear goes into matches with his game plan, but he’s shown a willingness to make tactical changes in response to the course of the match. For example, after going down a goal against New England in the 2007 MLS Cup, Kinnear converted the Dynamo to a 3-5-2 formation and managed to pull out a 2-1 victory.

This summer, the biggest sign of Kinnear’s success as a football coach has best been displayed in matches that have involved the U.S. National Team, not the Houston Dynamo or Dominic Kinnear. Earlier this summer in South Africa, Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark, despite a red card against Italy, clearly earned a spot on the 2010 World Cup team after his presence in midfield proved crucial to the U.S. National Team’s success in the Confederations Cup. This past Sunday, it was Dynamo players Brian Ching and Stuart Holden who never gave up during the U.S. National Team’s Gold Cup Final 5 goal loss to Mexico. Brian Ching’s efforts to rally the rest of the MLS based squad fell upon broken spirits. The never give up attitude displayed by Ching and Holden during Sunday’s debacle against Mexico has to be partially, if not completely, attributed to the attitude Kinnear has fostered in the Dynamo clubhouse.

This Wednesday, Dominic Kinnear faces a new test in his coaching career as he takes the reigns of the 2009 MLS All-Star Team which will be playing Everton at Rio Tinto Stadium in Big Sandy, Utah. Although Kinnear will only have a couple days to work with his All-Star squad, American football fans can only hope that his attitude and style rub off a little on the non-Dynamo Houston players.

Kinnear’s on the field success and off the field personality has endeared him to Houston Dynamo fans, fans who, for the most part, have seemingly come to the belief that Dominic Kinnear will be the next coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Kinnear’s ability to succeed despite the severe MLS restrictions and his ability to get the best out of his players makes him uniquely suited for succeeding at the U.S. National level, and considering the never give up attitude displayed by Ching and Holden on Sunday, imagine what would have happened if the entire team displayed that same ethos.

If he becomes the U.S. National Team Coach, don’t expect Kinnear to exhibit the quirks of some past National Team coaches, instead, expect a demanding coach who’s not afraid to speak his mind. But also, expect a coach who will smile, who will show emotion, and who is willing to make the necessary tactical changes to win a match.

I do not, and cannot, expect other MLS coaches to wholesale adopt the coaching style of Dominic Kinnear, after all each coach’s style is dictated by his personality and each coach has a different personality, but other coaches in MLS would do well to study and learn from the methods of Dominic Kinnear. We do know that European coaches who do not take the team to adjust to the ways of MLS are doomed to failure, so MLS needs to depend on homegrown coaches, and these coaches need to push MLS players, and demand much from them, without forgetting the importance of team atmosphere. This is how the quality of play in the MLS, and even the U.S. National Team, will improve. For now, we can leave the soap opera to the EPL and hope that MLS coaches will focus on improving the league’s overall quality.