Name: Seattle Sounders

Coach: Sigi Schmid

Last Year: 18-7-9, 2nd Western Conference, 2nd Overall

Hashtag: #Sounders

Are Sounders fans too demanding?  In its current iteration, the club is entering its fourth MLS season and has made three consecutive conference semifinals. They own the U.S. Open Cup.   They have set attendance records that will be hard to surpass, and they have become the de facto face of MLS because of all of this.  Yet the team has a major road block that it just cannot overcome: the Los Angeles Galaxy.  The current MLS champs are blocking their ascent to the top of the league and until the Sounders can beat LA and win the MLS Cup, their seasons will feel unfulfilled.

This offseason, the team went for broke.  Rather than simply building up, the team took some gambles designed to keep up with the Galaxy.  While not gutting their roster, some moves were made with an eye on the next two years and not the next five.  Part of this is their participation in the CONCACAF Champions League but undoubtedly the franchise wants the MLS Cup.  Besides that trophy, however, the franchise is the envy of the league with the type of fan support, facilities, staff, and attitude that any team would want.  Isn’t that enough?

Coaching Staff and Front Office:  Sigi Schmid has reached the point in his career that when he makes a controversial acquisition, he always receives the benefit of the doubt (see Eddie Johnson below).  Schmid is one of the best head coaches in the league, a statement that can be easily backed up since he is the winningest MLS coach ever.  Working with the front office, the team consistently juggles the salary cap while still paying top-flight players and bringing up young talent.

Additions:  Let’s start with the most recent one and possibly the biggest one.  Eddie Johnson comes over via trade from Montreal to boost the Seattle attack.  Johnson returns to MLS after failing to latch on in Europe with rumors of dogging his tryouts following him.  A consistent scorer is what Seattle needs, so EJ needs to return to his previous dominant ways to justify this acquisition.

The most important new acquisition has to be the replacement for the team’s heart and keeper, Michael Gspurning.  The Austrian premier league veteran has no fear of replacing the legend Kasey Keller and is looking forward to playing in Seattle.  If for any reason Gspurning falters or is injured, the team recently signed Andrew Weber who of the four keepers currently on Seattle’s roster is the only one with any MLS experience.  To assist the keepers, the Sounders signed Swedish international Adam Johansson and MLS veteran Marc Burch to play fullback.  Johnsson could be the best signing of the offseason by any team.

Two additions to the midfield will give the team some intriguing options.  Forward/winger Cordell Cato was signed in the offseason as more of a depth/Open Cup player.  The 19 year old is a youth international for Trinidad & Tobago and presents some promise for the future.  A player who will provide a more immediate impact is Danish midfielder Christian Sivebaek who will be asked to support the attack while chipping in the occasional goal.

Subtractions:  In exchange for EJ the club sent F Mike Fucito and M Lamar Neagle to Montreal, two players that are not superstars but were an example of why Seattle competed well in multiple competitions: good solid depth by players on the cusp of taking that next step.  Neither loss is the type the redefines a team but both will be missed for the valuable depth they gave.  Fucito was not the only forward to leave this offseason as Nate Jaqua was picked up in the Re-Entry draft by the Revs and Pat Noonan was taken in that same draft by the Galaxy.  Erik Friberg’s departure also dents the Sounders’ offense.

Starting Lineup:  As mentioned, newcomer Gspurning replaces Kasey Keller in goal and has quite a task ahead of him.  Not helping matters is the number of new faces on the backline.  At right back will likely be newcomer Adam Johnsson, according to his preseason reps, and Leo Gonzalez will man the left side with some competition from Marc Burch.  In the center will be Jeff Parke and all-name teamer Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, who while not the most dominant centerback pairing in the league are two very good defenders.  If anyone falters, rookie Andrew Duran could push his way into the first team.

The midfield looks to be one of the best in MLS and it starts with Mauro Rosales.  The Argentine looks like a yearly MVP candidate and will spearhead the Sounders attack from the midfield.  Another danger from the outside is designated player Alvaro Fernandez who if not for his other talented teammates would star in this midfield.  Pushing for minutes will be returners Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso, two players that would start every minute for almost any other MLS team but will rotate during Seattle’s three competitions.  The two wild cards in the midfield are Steve Zakuani and Christian Sivebaek.  Zakuani looked like an MVP last season before breaking his leg and while reports suggest he is healthy again, it will be interesting to see how healthy he is when he takes the pitch in a competitive match.  As for Sivebaek, the 23 year old is talented and may be the best super-sub in MLS come September.

Up front it is simple: Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson.  Montero has the chance to become an elite MLS player but needs to add a little consistency to his game.  Maybe playing next to Johnson will settle him, but once Montero stops disappearing for games he takes Seattle to a new level.  If these two falter, there is a mix of veteran (hello O’Brian White!) and young players that will contribute but cannot be counted on to be elite in 2012.

Player to Watch:  Gspurning will be the man under the microscope for two reasons: he is replacing a legend and he is the biggest unknown quantity on this team.  Every other part of the field is pretty settled, at least on the first team level, except for the keeper.  How he deals with being not-Kasey Keller and facing the likes of Edson Buddle, Kris Boyd, and Brek Shea will be the key to Seattle’s season.

Best Case Scenario:  The team gels quickly and once the Galaxy stars go abroad for their tournaments, Seattle passes LA in the standings.  May 2nd is a watershed day in Seattle history as the team beats LA at home and pushes the monkey off their back.  EJ reverts to his previous MLS form, Gspurning is a great keeper, the team keeps healthy and Zakuani gives Seattle three MVP candidates in the midfield.  Led by Golden Boot winner Fredy Montero, the Sounders beat LA in a game journalists call the best MLS game ever in the Western Conference finals and with a victory over DC United in the MLS Cup, win a historic treble.

Worst Case Scenario:  Trying to win in three competitions is too much for a team whose depth took a major hit this offseason.  Seattle loses in the U.S. Open Cup and falls into a battle for one of the final two playoff spots in the West.  They get in but bow out quickly, just like they did in the CONCACAF Champions League.  Eddie Johnson fails to support Montero and Montero begins to actively look overseas.  Injuries impact the midfield and Schmid declares the current situation unacceptable, ushering in a major retooling in the offseason.  Major publications – including Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, and National Geographic - rank Portland ahead of Seattle in their rankings of best soccer cities and/or cities to experience a superb game day atmosphere.

Prediction:  Even Portland Timbers fans acknowledge that Seattle’s MLS schedule is one of the “easiest” in MLS, so that is a distinct advantage.  There are serious concerns about depth, especially at forward, but this is too talented of a team to not challenge for an MLS Cup.  I expect the Sounders to again finish second in the West and add at least one trophy to their trophy case.

Last year was a good year for one of MLS’s premier franchises.  The Sounders won yet another U.S. Open Cup and advanced past the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.  While they could not vanquish their nemesis Galaxy in the regular season or playoffs (and were knocked out early by streaking RSL), the team again saw overwhelming fan support, some great moments on the pitch, and a fond farewell (on the pitch at least) to Kasey Keller.

Going into 2012, the team is looking at a three-front battle: in addition to defending their Open Cup title and trying to win that elusive MLS Cup, they face a tough road in the spring in the CCL.  Last season, the team relied on its impressive depth to compete in all three competitions, but that depth has taken a hit this offseason.  How they restock players will determine if they can take challenge for the Quadruple in 2012, or at least take home more than one trophy.  Let’s play “Three Questions” with the Seattle Sounders:

1. Will the defense take a step back in 2012?

Center back is solid on this team, with Jeff Parke becoming an excellent MLS defender and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado being more than an adequate defender.  Where the concern lies on this team is at the two full back spots and at keeper.  Let’s start with the man between the pipes; Michael Gspurning comes over from Austria after he fell out of favor with his current club.  Keller’s retirement meant more than losing one of the best keepers in MLS; it meant losing the heart and soul of the team, as well as a guy who knew how to boss a defense.  Gspurning is good, but how his skills translate to MLS and how well he can work with his defenders will be telling for this team.

As for the full backs, Seattle lost James Riley and Tyson Wahl both to Montreal so will have to be replacing two important players.  To do so, they signed Swedish international Adam Johansson to compete for one spot and took Marc Burch in the Re-entry draft for another.  They join Leo Gonzalez and Michael Tetteh in the starting competition.  While Johansson has proven ability (he has international caps), Burch is more of a spot/part-time starter at this stage.  How the LB/RB battles shake out will be important going forward.

2. Is the depth still there?

As I mentioned above, with three competitions going this season Seattle again needs its depth to come through if it wants to compete in all three.  That 2011 depth took a hit this offseason as they have lost some key role players.  Besides the full backs mentioned above, the team has lost Erik Friberg (Malmo FF), Pat Noonan (LA Galaxy), and Nate Jaqua (New England Revolution).  In the process, the team got younger and the salary cap shrank, but the team still needs some quality second stringers to fill in during the busy season.  Otherwise, they may have to make a decision like the LA Galaxy to push aside a competition (maybe U.S. Open or Supporters Shield?) to focus their goals.  Rumors are flying that they are looking overseas to fill gaps, trying to sign internationals like Christian Sivebaek.

3. What about Fernandez and Montero?

Two critical players are the subject of the rumor mill this offseason, and how these rumors are resolved will decide how this team will look in 2012.  The first is Alvaro Fernandez, who in light of some interest from Palermo has expressed through his agent a desire to play in a bigger league.  Or maybe, seeing teammate Mauro Rosales’ new contract, he simply wants to see the same kind of love (although he is already a designated player).  Regardless, the team needs to figure out his situation quickly before their midfield is dealt a major blow by his departure.

The Montero rumor is more vague, simply that he has gotten interest from Europe, but the bigger question may be will Montero take the next step forward in his development.  The young designated player has been streaky during his MLS career but when he’s hot, he simply racks up goals for Seattle.  If he takes that next step to being a consistent scorer, Seattle will be hard to stop.

In my 2011 season preview, I predicted that Toronto would struggle for the first few months under its newest leadership structure (new general manager and head coach) but toward the end of the year start to look like a promising team for 2012.  I had no clue that the amount of change they would undergo in a few short months: only two players would start both the first and last game of the season.  The 2012 version of Toronto FC is a new franchise personnel-wise, and I suspect we will see more changes over the next few months.

So is this team now good enough to make a playoff run this upcoming season?  Despite the infusion of  new talent, there are still many gaps that need to be addressed by this franchise.  To continue our series, below are three questions the team needs to address this offseason:

1. Are everyone’s expectations for the team realistic?

Off the pitch questions may overwhelm on the pitch questions this offseason.  In an interview with Alex Labidou, Toronto FC head coach Aron Winter bluntly stated that he would not be disappointed if his 2012 team does not make the playoffs: “We are focused on building something that will have progress not only in the playoffs”.  When you are doing a total rebuild that is the result of some really bad management in the first few years of your franchise’s MLS existence, this kind of attitude makes sense.  To be blunt, Toronto has lived too long off of the good will of its fans in a league where over 50% of teams make the playoffs.

However, the statement does ignore some realities that make this position untenable.  Rogers Communications, the Canadian media conglomerate that part-owns many sports franchises and properties in Toronto, recently bought a stake in the Reds.  Undoubtedly, this makes many fans salivate with the thought of corporate money being able to fund some player acquisitions.

The team is also the victim of its own success.  By advancing past the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League plus ending the 2011 MLS season on a hot streak, the fans have seen that this team can have success against good opponents.  For the head coach and management to essentially say “let’s not get ahead of ourselves here” especially in light of gaffs like jacking up ticket prices a few years back, there could be a major division between the team itself and its fans.  Setting correct and manageable expectations for the team, players, and fans may define the success of this rebuild more than the on-the-field performance.

2. Is Julian de Guzman still part of the plan?

Dwayne De Rosario was quickly shipped from Toronto to New York to relieve a high-priced problem early in 2011.  Their other high-profile player was forced to shape up while new names were brought in that could compare to de Guzman’s stature.  As a result, de Guzman played better in 2011 and actually became an important part of the Toronto midfield.  However, he was left unprotected in the recent expansion draft, which while it may have been done strategically could send a signal to the player about his future in Toronto.

Undeniably Julian de Guzman is a very good player that can be a critical part of the Toronto attack.  However, with a rebuild overshadowing the team and he being the most visible sign of the old Toronto FC, does he have a role in Winter’s team?  Maybe more importantly, does he want one?

3. How close are they to the three year plan being completed?

This question ties somewhat to the first one, but how close is this team to reaching their goal of being a replenishing playoff contender?  Their 2011 acquisitions paid off big-time in many ways, with Danny Koevermans being their best acquisition by scoring loads of critical goals.  The other designated player acquisition Torsten Frings helped stabilize the midfield and young players like Ashtone Morgan and Joao Plata really shined under Winter.

However gaps do exist and how management chooses to fill these gaps will be a telling sign of how close they believe the three-year plan is to completion (a year early).  Their only big offseason acquisition so far has been Reggie Lambe, a winger who represents Jamaica Bermuda and played in England last season.  However, the team has not locked up Plata for another year (he’s on loan from Ecuador) and has not addressed some of their defensive issues (hello Andy Iro!).  Will they try and sign some established players, or just rely on the growing academy to fill in slots?  The answer may define how quickly this team makes a playoff run, if at all.

Tonight MLS shifts from the regular season to the postseason as two teams that could have entries in the DSM-IV face off on Fox Soccer Channel at 9 PM ET.  The New York Red Bulls will try to advance to face the Los Angeles Galaxy this weekend but standing in their way are the fourth place finishers in the Western Conference, FC Dallas.  Both teams have been incredibly streaky and arguably backed into their playoff spots.  But both also are seen as dark horse MLS Cup contenders, with Bobby McMahon picking Dallas on our MLS Talk podcast and Alexi Lalas picking New York as a contender on ESPN this weekend.  One of these teams will be the first eliminated from an overflowing playoff field; who will it be?  Read my take, then share your own in the comments section.

How New York Will Win the Game

Dallas has been trying to rotate players the past few weeks to juggle the CONCACAF Champions League and playoff race, but still are 1-3 in their final four MLS games and dropped out of the CCL group stage.  So their current form may be enough to help a Red Bulls team that has gone 4-2-1 in their last seven matches advance.  Tactically, Thierry Henry up front will pose a challenge for a shaky Dallas backline that has underperformed down the stretch.  With Luke Rodgers out of the lineup, it will be up to Dane Richards to partner with Henry and put the pressure on Dallas’ central defense.  Or, if Backe chooses to keep Richards in the midfield, maybe Agudelo/Henry.  Regardless, the starting strikers have to make their presence felt constantly.  On defense, it’s simple: if Rafa Marquez can redeem himself by helping Jan Gunnar Soli try to “contain” Brek Shea, then New York can do what they did the last time these two teams faced off and grab a victory.

How FC Dallas Will Win the Game

It’s simple: Dallas’ injuries are easier to overcome than New York’s.  Dallas has ruled out David Ferreira’s return for this game, and will likely be without Ricardo Villar.  But Rodgers is a major blow for New York, a team lacking depth.  The key for Dallas is how Fabian Castillo and/or Marvin Chavez play.  Both are speedy enough to trouble a slower New York defense, and their ability to play at their own pace could give New York fits all night.  On defense, Kevin Hartman is the type of keeper you want playing for your team in the playoffs and won’t lose the game for Dallas.  The home team will win if they can use their speed to abuse the slower New York defenders while not making any major mistakes on defense.

Prediction

I think this will be an interesting game, but I can’t decide if it will be the best game of the playoffs or a snoozer.  I can see it going either way.  I think New York will struggle with a Dallas team that has a bit more health and didn’t have to travel to play this game.  I expect a Brek Shea goal plus another stoppage time winner from another Dallas player, the name of which I can’t decide upon at this moment.

FC Dallas 2, New York Red Bulls 1 in stoppage time.

A report out of Toronto indicates that MLS fans had better get their overcoats ready for First Kick 2012.

Duane Rollins reports that Toronto FC executives told a fan gathering that they expect the MLS season to begin Saturday, March 10, with the First Game logically falling on March 8.  The start, which would be the earliest in MLS history, would be earlier than usual because the league would incorporate the three World Cup qualifying periods into the schedule.  The executives also confirmed that the league would be keeping the 34 game schedule which, with the addition of Montreal, would necessitate unbalanced scheduling.

The Toronto FC executives confirm what many season ticket holders knew and subsequent league sources have confirmed, that the league would keep its 34 game schedule for now.  How the unbalanced schedule will shake out is unknown, although the league executives did meet two weekends ago to discuss next year’s schedule.

While the new schedule will allow players to participate in World Cup qualifiers, the earlier schedule will conflict with the CONCACAF Champions League.  The quarterfinals are scheduled to take place March 6-8 and 13-15, meaning some MLS teams could miss the beginning of the season and First Kick would be hosted somewhere besides Seattle for the first time in four years.  Some teams may also start the season on the road as the weather may prevent hospitable home openers; Rollins notes that Toronto would likely play at Rogers Center to begin the season.

So assuming the five teams currently in the CCL are not eligible to host First Kick due to continuing in the competition, where is the logical place to hold First Kick 2012?  It would have to be somewhere that could guarantee a huge crowd, TV viewers, and not be too cold.  My guesses for hosting would be Portland (crowd guarantee) and New York Red Bulls (big names, good crowd) with the MLS Cup winner (assuming it isn’t one of those teams) paying a visit.

What do you think of the early start to the season?  What is your prediction for the First Kick match-up?

Photo by Structures:NY

It’s catch-up time.  In both games in hand and playoff positioning.

In the shadow of the CONCACAF Champions League matches six MLS clubs will take the pitch tonight in critical games for playoff positioning.  One of the matches is a match-up of heavyweights, while the other two look to be mismatches that could be surprises.  What do all three have in common?  All three results could go a long way to helping or even ending the playoff hopes of three teams, while boosting the playoff positioning of a fourth.  Below is a breakdown of each match; all three can only be seen on Match Day Live or Direct Kick.

DC United v. Chivas USA – 7:30 PM ET – RFK Stadium

Coming off their resounding loss at Seattle, DC faces a struggling Chivas side they dominated less than two weeks ago in Los Angeles.  However, there are two differences this time around – no Chris Pontius for the home side and DC’s miserable home record.  Bill Hamid should be back for tonight’s match which will help DCU in net; Joe Willis was solid but not great in net this weekend.  The key will be to secure the home field – DC is 1-1-2 in home matches since July, a record that will keep them out of the playoffs if they keep it up.  Chivas, meanwhile, is seeking its first win since August 6.  Chivas will have Marcos Mondaini back for this match, which could prove useful against a DC midfield that looked suspect against Seattle.

Bottom line: DC needs 3 points to remain in the playoff race.  A loss effectively puts their hopes on life support, a draw could do the same depending on other results.  I see DC squeaking out a close 2-1 win here.

New York Red Bulls v. Real Salt Lake – 8:00 PM ET – RB Arena

Their win versus Dallas this weekend has reinvigorated a New York team that had hit a major slump.  That win basically set up this week perfectly for New York: wins versus RSL and Portland mean they have an inside track to the playoffs.  Their defense shone this weekend after some shaky recent performances but maybe the benching of Rafa Marquez has given them a spark.  The key question is will the team’s depth allow them to play at the highest possible level in back-to-back-to-back must win games, to say nothing of the rest of the season.

Real Salt Lake will be looking to repeat its 3-0 beat down of the Red Bulls in early August.  The visitors are riding a four-match winning streak and could conceivably clinch a playoff spot by Sunday if the various playoff scenarios play out.  The visitors will critically be missing Kyle Beckerman due to yellow card accumulation, and Tony Beltran will also miss this match due to an abductor strain.

Bottom line: RSL will miss Beckerman against a possibly resurrected New York side, which needs a result more than the visitors.  Still, I’m not 100% sold that NY is back on track and I think the backline will struggle against the RSL attack.  I predict a 2-2 draw on this one.

Portland Timbers v. San Jose Earthquakes – 10:30 PM ET – JELD-WEN

The quotes are flying in this one, which Lovel Palmer saying, “(this) game makes or breaks our season,” a sentiment John Spencer only somewhat disagrees with.  The Timbers are riding a four game unbeaten streak and have won three of those matches, but have only two matches left at home while playing four of their final six on the road, where their record is not quite so good.  Much like DCU needs to begin racking up wins at home, Portland needs some road wins.  Darlington Nagbe will start again after a good performance against New England, and if Kenny Cooper is hitting a hot streak, this team can score with the best of them.

San Jose is likely battling for respectability in this one, as even their home town paper is saying their playoff chances are “slimmer than a pair of skinny jeans“.  The ‘Quakes actually had the lead against Houston at the half this weekend, but gave it away to continue their slide.

Bottom line: This is an absolutely must win for Portland, and at home they will get it. 2-0 victory for the Timbers.

Going into the MLS regular season and CONCACAF Champions League games last night, American soccer fans knew it was going to be an interesting night.  The CCL matches would determine who would advance to the group stage while the three MLS games had major playoff implications.  However, even I was unprepared for the intense level of play and implications that came out of the games last night.  For those otherwise occupied or who may have missed some of the action, here is a quick recap of the games from yesterday:

FC Dallas 1, Alianza 0: Congratulations to FC Dallas for their first trip ever to the CCL group stage, although Mother Nature was the twelfth (wo)man on the pitch for them last night.  The game-time temperature stood at 107 degrees and the Salvadoran side did not handle the temperatures well.  Their task was made even harder by the fact that they needed to overcome a 1-0 deficit and the Dallas away goal lead.  Ugo Ihemelu scored the game’s only goal on a 36th minute header off a corner kick.  The outstanding statistic is that Dallas had almost 75% possession in the match.

Sporting Kansas City 2, Real Salt Lake 0: With their glut of home games remaining, it is time to talk about SKC as a playoff contender.  The home team took it to RSL early and were rewarded with two first half goals from Roger Espinoza (29th) and Teal Bunbury (34th).  Even more amazing than the early lead was the fact that Sporting KC held it with ten men for almost forty minutes in the second half.  Espinoza was sent off in the 57th minute for a tackle on Beckerman, but RSL couldn’t mount much of a challenge.  The unbeaten streak now stands at 14 games.

Chicago Fire 1, Philadelphia Union 1: The Chicago Fire started both of their new midfielders tonight and the move paid off as the team got a point off playoff contender Philadelphia.  Sebastian Grazzini was a threat in the first half and almost scored in the 10th minute.  However it would be the Union’s Veljko Paunovic who struck first in the 35th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.  The Fire’s other newcomer, Pavel Pardo, equalized in the 54th minute by intercepting a Union clearance in the box.

Seattle Sounders 2, San Francisco 0: The man of this match statistically was los Monjes keeper Miguel Torres who made 12 saves and saw 35 total shots from Seattle.  But the true man of the match was Nate Jaqua who scored in the 98th minute to give the Sounders a 2-1 win.  Alvaro Fernandez scored the critical first goal in the 41st minute and the Panamanian visitors seemed content to play defense and try to hit on the counter in the second half.  Five MLS teams have now advanced to the CCL group stage.

Portland Timbers 3, Los Angeles Galaxy 0: While the Sporting KC streak continued, the Galaxy’s ended with a thump.  Even without Jack Jewsbury, the Timbers looked in control early.  Mike Chabala got the scoring started in the 26th minute on a little back-and-forth with Darlington Nagbe.  Jorge Plaza added a second goal on a sliding shot 33rd minute while Eric Brunner slammed the door shut in the 68th minute.  The Timbers successfully negated the Galaxy midfield and limited the Galaxy’s attack for most of the match.

Photo by Jeff Keacher

No road wins this season.  A minus 22 goal differential.  Six games lost where they gave up three goals or more, including a 4-0 loss and a 6-2 loss.  Nineteen points, the third lowest in the league.  More trades than a Wall Street stock broker.  To be blunt, there has been little for Toronto FC fans to be cheery about this season.

However, with their 2-1 victory over Real Estalí in the second leg of their CCL preliminary round match-up, Toronto advances in this prestigious continental tournament fairly easily.  Last week, the Reds broke a scoreless first half with two goals from sub Joao Plata to win the BMO Field leg, while constantly challenging the Estalí defense with 19 shots.  The diminutive forward had missed Toronto’s prior match with a visa issue but made his presence felt in last week’s game.

Last night, needing a draw or win to advance, Toronto traveled to Nicaragua and came out with an impressive 2-1 win.  The Estalí away goal was negated in the 37th minute when Ryan Johnson launched an impressive strike top-shelf past Estalí keeper Carlos Mendieta to put Toronto up 3-1 on aggregate.  Estalí would draw closer when a penalty was called on newcomer Andy Iro in first-half stoppage time for a handball (his second penalty in as many games).  Manuel Rosas converted the PK to make it 1-1, 3-2 on aggregate.

But just as in their last CCL game, it was a brace that sealed the deal for Toronto.  Johnson, who came to Toronto in a trade with San Jose, collected a poor clearance from Mendieta and on the break beat the keeper to seal the deal for Toronto early in the second half.  For the rest of the game the Reds’ defense did a good job holding down the home team despite playing in a hostile environment.

Toronto now advances to Group C in the CCL where they will face Pumas UNAM (Mexico), Tauro (Panama), and the winner of FC Dallas/Alianza FC (El Salvador).  But more importantly advancing in this tournament gives the Reds so much needed momentum in the second half of the MLS season.  They have already won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship (their spot in the CCL) and continuing to play international clubs helps give the team as a team needed experience.

To recount all of the trades Toronto have made would be a separate post in itself, but there is no doubt the team needed an injection of new talent.  In year one of the Aron Winters experiment (which would make a great reality show), the players from last year’s roster were not cutting it in the new 4-3-3 Total Football system.  Rather than take previous years’ approach of making a few offseason moves to placate the fans, the Reds’ decided to torpedo this year’s roster now to move up their rebuild.

Despite the new players, the results haven’t been there quite yet.  They struggled in July but ended on a positive note with their 2-2 comeback draw with Portland.  Their upcoming schedule gives them a chance to continue building some momentum.  Their next match is Saturday at RFK Stadium, where DC United has struggled all year.  After hosting Real Salt Lake, they travel to Chicago (below them in the conference) and host the suddenly struggling Earthquakes.  If they can string together some positive results, they can finish the season with a modicum of decency and continue to try and advance in the CONCACAF Champions League.  The 2011 MLS season will not end in the playoffs for Toronto, but there is a chance they can finish strong with an eye towards a deeper run using their new system next season.

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.

Photo by Greg Hickman

On March 19, the Columbus Crew dejectedly walked out of RFK Stadium in Washington on the wrong side of a 3-1 game.  The team allowed two Charlie Davies goals (one a penalty kick) and looked outclassed, out played, and in for a long season.  The result came after they were shown the door from the CONCACAF Champions League by losing 4-1 to Real Salt Lake.  After an offseason where the team jettisoned many of its bigger named players to make room in the salary cap and committed to a rebuilding effort, the team looked destined for a long, long season.

A month later, Columbus sits in a playoff spot.  The team has not allowed a goal since the second Davies’ goal and this weekend held the highest-scoring team in MLS to no goals.  While not an offensive juggernaut, the team is scoring enough to get results.  So are the Crew back to their normal spot near the top of the Eastern Conference for good, or is this an illusion that will wilt away in the summer months?  The answer is, of course, not that simple.

At first glance the schedule up to this point for the Crew has been daunting, but upon closer examination looks to have been quite easy.  After the trip to DC, the Crew hosted the Red Bulls and Dallas, two 2010 playoff teams and teams expected to compete for an MLS Cup this season.  But the Crew played New York during an international break and essentially forced a draw with a “B” team, while Dallas has struggled mightily this season and is still sorting out personnel issues.  The trip to Chivas led to a scoreless draw, not surprising how bad Chivas is, and while Sporting Kansas City is promising, they have a horrendous defense to go with a great offense.  So the schedule has not been a good guidepost to the season so far, except to say the Crew don’t lose to bad teams.

One constant this season has been the defense, which should not be a surprise considering that was one area the team didn’t unload their star power.  MLS star Chad Marshall was retained and paired with a number of new players who have excelled to this point.  Julius James was picked up off the smoldering heap that was DC United’s 2010 backline and has seen a career resurgence.  Rookie Rich Balchan has started all five games and played extremely well.  In net, Will Hesmer has played very well after some uncertainty this offseason as to who would be the starter due to injuries.  The team has not allowed a goal in four matches, a team record and an incredibly accomplishment.  In their last match, Dilly Duka had as many shots on goal (2) as all of the Kansas City players combined.

Another reason for their positive play has been Robbie Rogers, their one consistent offensive threat.  The rift that existed between Rogers and head coach Robert Warzycha has seemingly been resolved; the Crew team on the pitch in DC looked lost and without a real offensive threat until Rogers stepped on the pitch.  So far this year Rogers has scored as many goals (2) as he has the past two seasons.

The upcoming schedule also should be a reason for optimism among Columbus fans.  This weekend, they visit a Toronto team in flux then host the expansion Whitecaps and struggling Sounders (although the Sounders may be finally turning their season around).  Things get tough with back-to-back trips to San Jose and Portland, but they end May by hosting Chivas.  Conceivably, the Crew should pick up at least 12 points through the end of May.

But the reason why Rogers has been so good for the Columbus offense is that the play of the Crew forwards and midfield have been terrible.  Consider that Portland scored as many goals in its home opener as the Crew have scored this season, and that two of those goals came from penalties.  Eddie Gaven has been ok but not really good up front, and while it is still early Andres Mendoza has been a disappointment.  Jeff Cunningham looks his age and fails to convert quality chances.

So can the Crew continue this run and qualify for the playoffs?  In an Eastern Conference with few clear favorites, it is not out of the realm of possibility for them to grab a top three spot if their defense continues to play well.  But for this team to challenge New York for first or even challenge a resurgent Philadelphia or DC, they need to find more consistent offense.  Without a goal scorer either emerging or being acquired this summer, Columbus could be on the outside looking in this September.