As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it’s time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself.  The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man.  The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a trophy-winning side.  Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager.  However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship.  A manager is especially important in MLS, with the salary cap and built-in rules designed to promote parity.

These men are masters of the realm, the best managers in MLS today.  The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season.  Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season.  Agree or disagree?  Make your opinions known in the comments section.

5.  Piotr Nowak:  Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself.  The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender.  Building the team around a stout defense and the timely scoring of his offense, Nowak has made the club in his image and, even with the departures, Philadelphia is now a team to watch every year.  His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume.  Although he does not have the large number of trophies some of the others on this list have, he is undoubtedly established himself as one of the best head coaches in the league.

4.  Schellas Hyndman:  Although at times his decisions are questionable (Brek Shea as a full back?), Hyndman is a long-time collegiate coach who finally got the right opportunity to prove his worth with FC Dallas in 2008.  His defining win was a 3-0 defeat of Los Angeles in the 2010 Western Conference finals over a team that looked like the best in the league with a healthy David Beckham.  Although Dallas lost the 2010 MLS Cup in overtime, the former SMU head coach has done a good job balancing his roster and replacing departed players, especially in the midfield.  Under his watch David Ferreira blossomed into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league and with some promising youth coming up through the system this year, Hyndman may soon be able to chase down that elusive MLS Cup.

3.  Sigi Schmid:  For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league.  His uncanny ability to identify talent and his in-game ability to identify mismatches has made the former UCLA Bruin the brain behind the constantly-successful Seattle Sounders.  A team with a rich history and demanding fan base, Schmid gave the league a blueprint for how to compete in MLS from year one, a blueprint that teams as recently as Montreal are looking to emulate.  He is the most successful U.S. Open Cup head coach in the modern era and has guided the careers of many of MLS’s greatest stars.  His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup.  He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.

2.  Dominic Kinnear:  The coach of this year’s Eastern Conference champions narrowly edges Sigi Schmid in my rankings because since 2006, Houston has been one of the league’s most successful teams.  Besides winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, this year may have been his best coaching job, leading an arguably less talented team to the MLS Cup.  All of this is even more impressive considering the fact that the team has worked within a tight budget and a changing ownership situation.

1.  Bruce Arena:  The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time.  Even though he had three famous designated players, it was his work with the Galaxy’s defense that was most impressive about the 2011 Galaxy.  The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees.  Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it.  His history is unparalleled in the U.S., but even going into the new season he is still in a class by himself and recognized by many as the best head coach out there.

Today we wrap up our “Three Questions” series with the defending MLS champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy.  By any definition, they were the best team in MLS last season: they convincingly led the Supporters Shield’s race most of the season, looked like the best team in the playoffs, and won the MLS Cup.  They did it with glitz and glamour (the three designated players) as well as grit and determination (best defense in MLS, good midfield play).  In the end, they were possibly the most complete and dominant team in “modern” MLS history.

But the page on the calendar has turned and the team is facing a new set of challenges in 2012.  Even with the good news of David Beckham’s return, there have been some dark clouds this offseason that will push the team to see if it can repeat the success of 2011.  Let’s take a look at the three questions that will define the rest of this offseason for LA:

(Additionally, use the comments section to give some feedback on the Three Questions series.  Was it something you enjoyed?  Was it something you’d like to see repeated or emulated during the season?)

1. Will the midfield be as strong as it was last season?

Casual soccer fans know about “bend it like Beckham” but the Galaxy midfield in 2011 was a key to their ability to create offense seemingly out of nothing.  Whether it was Beckham’s storied free kicks or Juninho’s timely goals, the midfield came through in the clutch when it was needed.  That midfield will look different beginning next season.  Although there’s still a chance he may be loaned again to LA, Juninho has been recalled by Sao Paulo and will leave a gap in the “clutch goal scorer” category.  Miguel Lopez has also seen his loan end with LA and he has been called back to his home club of Quilmes.

The team has tried to replace Juninho with Marcelo Sarvas, but the 30 year old is arguably a step down offensively.  Having Beckham back does help cover this loss, but the team needs to take some steps to shore up a midfield that helps cover for a weaker forward position.

2. Can the defense do it again?

The loss of Omar Gonzalez hurts, badly, but in the “silver lining” category he will be able to return at some point for the Galaxy this season, it looks like (update: no silver lining, folks, he’s gone for the whole season).  However, the team may need to spend some money on a replacement, or focus their drafting on this position.  Bruce Arena also looked to keep key components of his defense by re-signing Sean Franklin, another defender who should be receiving more love from the USMNT.  The keeper position also lost a little depth with the expensive Donovan Ricketts moving to Montreal, but the back-up duo of Nick Noble and U-23 player Brian Perk look quality.

This defense was incredibly dominant last season, and even with Gonzalez it would have been a challenge to repeat their suffocating style.  With him gone for the first half of the season, seemingly, can the Galaxy approach the greatness they achieved last season a second year in a row?

3. How big of a role will the three designated players play this season?

Beckham is back, and he will be with the Galaxy a little longer.  But that will be contractually, and how much he is physically there is an important question for a team that already suffered a hit in midfield.  He will be playing in the Olympics and will miss time for that, as well as the usual jaunts across the pond.  With a longer schedule that adds two CONCACAF Champions League tournaments, how much will he contribute during the season?

Then there’s Landon Donovan, who is finally getting another chance to play in England.  He likes Everton, the team needs him, and we know his deal is only for a few months.  But can the best known American MLS player force a longer loan or transfer if he wants to stay?  My bet is yes.  Regardless, the Galaxy will be without his services for stretches this summer as he reports to the national team for friendlies and qualifying.

Robbie Keane looks to be enjoying his time in LA, but with a loan to Aston Villa and his Euro 2012 commitments, will his 31-year old legs be able to handle the travel and numerous competitions in which he will be competing?

“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king” said a famous philosopher centuries ago, but he may as well have been writing for MLS Talk about the 2011 Eastern Conference champions.  The Houston Dynamo took advantage of a weak conference and a hot streak to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup last season.  This is not to take anything away from the Dynamo: they are a very talented team centered around 2011 revelations Tally Hall, Geoff Cameron, and Brad Davis.  To dismiss this team as a one-year wonder could be a mistake, as they return most of their conference championship line-up in 2012 as well as their most critical component: Dominic Kinnear.

However, the team does face some critical questions in the new year, questions that require some attention in the few months remaining before First Kick 2012.  As such, here are “Three Questions” about the Houston Dynamo:

1. Who will play up front?

The big offseason story for the Dynamo (more than the stadium naming or the rumor that AEG might sell their stake in the club) is that legend Brian Ching has accepted his role as a member of the Montreal Impact (for background see the article I wrote late last year).  While it allows the club to move forward without sacrificing a good player to Montreal and with a little more cap space, the impact (no pun intended) of Ching being left unprotected will resonate with the fans and their view of management.  Setting that aside, the loss also leaves the team with a bit of a gap at the forward position, especially considering that Carlo Costly has moved on to Atlas.

Currently, the club has three forwards under contract: Calen Carr, Will Bruin, and Cam Weaver.  All three are good players, none of them are currently consistent top-level goal scorers the team needs to take advantage of Brad Davis’s assists.  While the team has limited cap space (more on this below) they need to find that Blas Perez-type consistent, veteran presence who they know will finish the chances the midfield will create.

2. Is the defense the best in MLS, or as good as it looks?

Don’t look know, but Houston may be challenging Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake for the best defense in the league.  It may not be this year, but probably soon.  Start with keeper Tally Hall, who made a huge step forward last season to enter into top-flight MLS keeper status with an excellent year.  In his late twenties, he is approaching the prime years for a keeper and looks to add some polish to his already impressive game.

In front of Hall is a back line that is coming together nicely.  Bobby Boswell and Geoff Cameron form a good center back pairing that lacks the pizazz of some other partnerships, but is effective for the team.  The two starting full backs (Andre Hainault and Corey Ashe) look to have established themselves as ideal for the positions.  Right now Houston does not have the best defense in MLS, but with an offseason of growth we may soon be speaking of them with the likes of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Real Salt Lake.

3. What’s the money situation?

Ownership has already made a few moves to bolster the team, specifically making a trade to acquire Nathan Sturgis from wheeling-dealing Toronto FC.  However, ownership has stressed that they will be making do with little cap space.  These pronouncements come at an odd time: the new stadium has a naming-rights deal and the team even has a small local TV deal.  However, the biggest financial question mark is the announcement by AEG that they want to sell their 50% stake in the team.  This is a positive development for the league (anyone who says last year’s MLS Cup was not a conflict of interest is crazy) but how the salaries will be managed until the deal is complete may limit the team’s financial flexibility.  Keep an eye on this situation.

If Sporting Kansas City’s season had a title, it would be “Night and Day”.  A tough start to the season, no doubt spurred on by the never-ending road trip, saw the team open Livestrong Park and use its great atmosphere to rocket to the top of the Eastern Conference.  Although they fell in the conference finals, the team has enough young players and talent that going into 2012, it has to be considered one of the favorites for the East.

So how can Sporting KC make this happen?  Here are “Three Questions” that will define how KC enters the new season:

1. Who replaces Omar Bravo?

With Bravo’s departure to Cruz Azul, Kansas City has two voids to fill, one that may be easier than the other.  The first is replacing the Mexican’s production, which in 2011 was nine goals and two assists.  While those are good numbers, Sporting had one of MLS’s most prolific offenses and the continued growth of players like Teal Bunbury and MLS Rookie of the Year CJ Sapong should replace those stats.  What may be missed even more is his leadership.  Bravo and Davy Arnaud split time as captains last season and both have left the team.  Who replaces that leadership on the field is critical to this team moving forward, something that may be harder with so many young players.  When the going gets tough, who will shoulder this team and carry them forward?  Bravo certainly did.

2. Does the team’s offseason turnover make them a better team?

For a team that made a conference finals, the amount of turnover this offseason has been incredible.  You can see the round-up of player moves here, but in essence the team got cheaper and younger.  In addition, the departures of Omar Bravo and Jeferson frees up two designated player slots that could be used to make a big-impact signing (maybe in the midfield?).  What has all of this shuffling brought them?  The team picked up veteran Bobby Convey from San Jose to replace Bravo and made a trade with Chivas USA to nab Pablo Nagamura, who potentially could play the holding midfield spot.  Their gamble leaving left back Seth Sinovic unprotected in the expansion draft led to the Davy Arnaud trade, which again freed up salary but lost them a veteran presence.  With potentially a bunch of new starters and first choice subs, will the new guys adequately replace the old ones?

3. Can the defense hold?

We know the team can score, and even next year with its departures this team will put up goals in bunches.  But can it stop opposing teams?  While KC had the second best goals allowed amount in the East, their 40 for the year would have put them fifth in the Western Conference (although their goal difference would have put them third).  As mentioned above, unless they use some of their money for a holding midfielder, that slot is going to Pablo Nagamura, who is an ok option to start but is injury prone.  Another player who may miss time on the pitch but due to disciplinary reasons is starting center back Aurelien Collins (he of the 9 yellow cards and one red last season).  This teams looks to be potentially a veteran defensive player signing away from having the back locked down and pushing this team to a higher level.

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.

Defending champions in all sports have had down subsequent seasons, but few have imploded quite like Colorado.  Despite qualifying for the playoffs, the Rapids’ season was a roller coaster.  Struggling with injuries and added games the entire season, the team constantly rotated players and tried to field a healthy eleven, ending the season with third-string players trying to stave off elimination.  In the interim, their head coach and management held a power struggle over who controlled the purse strings and player movements, with the ultimate symbol of the weirdness being the head coach staying behind during a CONCACAF Champions League group stage away game.

But it’s a new day in Colorado, as they have a new coach and a few months of rest.  The team, when healthy, has one of the most talented starting XI in the league.  After such a rough season, how will the Rapids respond in 2012.  Let’s ask our “Three Questions” of the 2010 MLS champs.

1. Can we all play nice now?

The offending parties have left and been replaced.  This week Colorado hired former FC Dallas assistant and player Oscar Peraja as their new head coach.  For the team president slot to replace Jeff Plush, the team hired veteran front office man Tim Hinchey away from Derby County.  So all of the griping about who is in control can cease and the team can begin getting active in the offseason market, right?

There are still some questions about this front office, however.  With Peraja in place it looks like he will be in charge of player-personnel moves while Hinchey will be in charge of managing the organization.  With owner Stan Kroenke dealing with his larger soccer property overseas, essentially the buck stops with Hinchey.  While it is not entirely his fault, Derby County did fall down a few divisions under his watch, a serious drop in the English soccer world.  With their offseason beginning later than most other teams due to their front office hirings, how management works together to build depth will be critical in how quickly Colorado can restock.

2. Who’s next?

It is hard to build depth in MLS with the salary cap and various leagues for players to join.  That said, the Rapids’ lack of top-level depth was seriously exposed last season.  Some of their second string players were revelations, but injuries showed that Colorado was a fragile team.  This offseason, when the team should have been adding solid second and third string players who could compete for a starting job, they actually lost some of their depth when Sanna Nyassi was lost to the Montreal Impact after a promising season.  Colorado will use the draft next week to add some players but as long as their stars like Omar Cummings continue to have injury issues, they need to have contributors ready to step in.  This is especially important in an aging midfield.

3. Will they ever play defense?

Even in their MLS Cup run, Colorado’s defense was suspect but held up well enough to hoist the cup.  They allowed 41 goals in 2011 which was middle of the pack but, in a defense-first league, a better than average defense makes your team a championship contender.  Colorado did pick up Hunter Freeman from Eastern Conference champion Houston whose flexibility and good defense will help the team’s back line (or midfield if he moves up into a holding midfield role).  Anthony Wallace is turning into a very good defender and Drew Moore/Marvell Wynne are a good enough center back pairing.  We could see this unit become more consistent in 2012 and make that next step, although additional signings will help this progression.

Poor New York Red Bulls.

In a season when it was all supposed to come together (young stars! established DPs! weak conference! newish stadium!) it all fell apart.  New York struggled all season and barely made the playoffs, defeating a floundering Dallas side before falling in the conference semi-finals.  The offseason has not been kind to them either, as player moves and front offices non-changes have left this team in a lurch.

As the title of this article insinuates, there are many, many questions floating around Red Bulls this offseason and for this “Three Questions” post we had to limit and condense what we are asking.  In the past, the prospect of a few new designated player signings (Eto’o! Anelka!) could calm everyone’s fears, but I am afraid even a shiny new toy may not mask some serious uncertainties in this club.

1. What is going to happen to the designated players?

As one of the few teams with a maximum number of designated players, the three New York DPs are a major part of this team already.  Considering where they play, however, their roles are magnified.  The team is already working on a new deal with keeper Frank Rost, who failed to dominate in his half season of play but was still an upgrade between the pipes for NY.  His situation needs to be settled so the team can either move on or check that position off.

Then there’s Thierry Henry, who looks to be going on a two month loan to Arsenal despite a few paperwork snags.  The team obviously does not want Henry to leave even for a short loan for two reasons.  First, he still has an intense love for his former club and Arsenal is one Chamakh/Van Persie extended absence away from needing a cheap, experienced forward for the rest of the season.  Second, Henry was instant offense for the club last season and any additional mileage on him could reduce his effectiveness (remember, his first MLS half-season was marred by injuries).  Even if he only stays for two months, will he still be as effective as 2011?

Then there’s Rafa Marquez, and why they haven’t transferred/released/lost their starting holding midfielder is a mystery to many of us.  He should be gone already due to his negative impact on the locker room, but his absence will leave a gap in the defense.

2. What is going to happen to the youths?

Juan Agudelo received less playing time than you’d expect for a national team starter, due to Hans Backe’s preferences and the solid play of the other New York forwards.  This offseason he has trained with Liverpool and Stuttgart, and the experience was positive for all parties.  One wonders if an exit is in his future as New York continued to put money into older DPs who will compete for playing time.

Then there’s Tim Ream who every week it seems like is being linked to another English side desperate for a cheap fix on defense.  This week it’s Bolton who are very very desperate for some help at, well, any position but especially center back.  Erik Soler has said Ream will not be leaving, but he also said Henry would not be going out on loan, so that is a situation to watch.  Losing one or both of these young players would be a major issue for the team.

3. What’s the plan?

The plan for the Red Bulls every year seems to be to rotate European talent in and out and hope for better results (which some define as insanity).  This year it is bringing in Markus Holgersson and possibly saying goodbye to Joel Lindpere.  Undoubtedly Holgersson will help a shaky backline and whoever the newest big name designated player is will help with the playoff hunt, but can this team continue to churn players and expect results?  Already, New York has used the most players in MLS history, and maybe that is Soler and Backe’s plan: churn through experienced players while using some young ones to find the right combination.

Is it the right one though, and will it work this offseason?  New York has a good youth academy that has contributed to the team, but compare their roster to FC Dallas (who we reviewed yesterday).  Both have young up-and-coming players, but Dallas is looking to theirs to provide key depth.  Time will tell which strategy is correct but it is telling that Dallas is considered a definite MLS Cup contender and New York’s season is up in the air.

FC Dallas was an up-and-down team last season, getting off to a slow start (remember Brek Shea as a fullback) before surging in the summer then falling off a cliff in the fall.  The team ended the season on a whimper with a playoff loss to New York, but it was a particularly traumatic and busy season for a number of reasons:

• The David Ferreira injury that removed him for most of the season
• A dramatic jump in soccer minutes for Brek Shea
• The George John transfer drama

Now as the calendar turns to 2012, Dallas has the look not only of a playoff contender but a possible MLS Cup contender.  Consider Ferriera’s return plus Shea’s maturity as a player, and this is a dangerous team.  However, here are some questions that need to be resolved this offseason before any MLS Cup talk can continue.  Consider these “three questions” for Dallas:

This past season in U.S. soccer was certainly an interesting one.  In MLS, two new teams were promoted and the soccer world fell in love with them and their passionate fans.  Coaches were hired and fired, players finally fulfilled their potential, and others failed to inspire.  One MLS team had a chance to make history and win the CONCACAF Champions League, but fell short in a heart-breaking fashion.  During the season, the team that dominated from First Kick forward hoisted the trophy at the end of the season.  Internationally, the U.S. women took Germany by storm but in the end it was Japan that took everyone’s hearts.  The U.S. senior men were underwhelming in the Gold Cup, and seeing Bob Bradley out the door was new coach (and long hoped-for savior) Jurgen Klinsmann.

It was certainly a year of memories, but as we belt out Auld Lang Syne and drink Champagne/sparkling cidar/assorted alcoholic beverages, let’s take a look ahead to 2012.  The upcoming year will hopefully feature a U.S. team in the London Olympics, a new broadcast network, World Cup qualifiers, and a whole host of new heroes and villains.  One of the things we do best at MLS Talk is make bold and informed predictions that are on occasion proved wrong.  Below are twelve such predictions I think we occur in 2012.  Happy New Year!

1. The U-23 team will not only qualify for the Olympics, but contend for a medal.

This U-23 team has a confluence of a good youth coach and good young depth on the team.  While the team is less talented than probably Mexico and some European teams, I think it will well set up to make a run at the Olympics, especially if they add some quality overage players like Carlos Bocanegra looking to supplement their legacy as medalists.

2. Ratings for MLS matches on the NBC networks will exceed those on the Fox network

NBC has three major advantages for MLS over Fox Soccer.  One, it has more platforms to promote the games (imagine MLS commercials showing up on Sunday Night Football, Brian Williams programming, or The Office).  Two, NBC needs its new sports network to succeed and will put the resources behind it to make MLS programming a success.  Three, the network formally known as Versus is available on more television sets than Fox Soccer, making it easier for casual sports fans to find the matches.  The ratings still won’t approach BPL matches on Fox, but the numbers will tick upwards.

3. The USMNT will beat a major European power and drop an embarrassing World Cup qualifier

Rumors are swirling of a U.S.-Italy friendly in the upcoming months, and even if that falls through the U.S. will surely line up one or two more big money friendlies.  Because of its talent and Euro 2012 fatigue, the U.S. will knock off a European power and gain some instant cred in world soccer (see Spain 2009).  However, it will lose to one of the teams in the group stage of World Cup qualifying in embarrassing fashion, adding unneeded drama into qualifying.  Because, after all, this is the Red-White-and-Blue.

4. An MLS team will again play in the CONCACAF Champions League final

Real Salt Lake almost made history this year, and another MLS team stands a good chance of repeating the feat.  In the current round, three of the eight teams are MLS teams and two are facing each other (Galaxy v. Toronto).  All of them have the talent and depth to make a run at the finals, and the Galaxy and Sounders may be among the two or three most talented teams this spring.  Expect to see either Los Angeles or Seattle trying to hoist the CCL trophy this spring.

5. Los Angeles will not repeat as MLS champions

The 2011 LA Galaxy were a truly dominant team.  They had the right mix of superstars, support players, and good coaching plus a friendly playoff schedule to allow them to dominate from start to finish.  The 2012 season will not be as kind.  In addition to two sets of CONCACAF Champions League matches (’11-’12 and ’12-’13) the team will play an unbalanced schedule, which means more matches against the tougher Western Conference teams.  In addition, even if Beckham returns, he and Robbie Keane will be playing in Euro 2012.  Landon Donovan will be coming off a short-term loan and spending time with the USMNT in World Cup qualifying, as could possibly one or two of his teammates.  The schedule glut for the players and team, plus the improvement of the teams around them, mean we will have a new champion in 2012.

6. At least two more fringe USMNT players will come to play in MLS

Last year, Benny Feilhaber, Charlie Davies, and Freddy Adu all returned to MLS to try and get themselves back on the USMNT radar.  I can see this trend continuing as players who are on the cusp on making the team will take pay cuts to play in MLS where Jurgen Klinsmann’s staff can more easily watch them.  In addition to the older players (maybe Carlos Bocanegra?) who will want to wrap up their career on national soil, players like Edson Buddle or Michael Parkhurst will bite the bullet and come play for an MLS team.

7. Arsenal will conduct a summer tour of the United States

While this is not a specific prediction for U.S. soccer, this is a prediction that will have a major impact on the American soccer scene.  Due to Arsene Wenger’s training philosophies, the club has hesitated to play the summer friendlies outside of Europe which has brought the major European clubs to America’s shores.  That will change this summer on the heels of a successful Asian tour in 2011.  Arsenal will announce a multi-city tour in the spring featuring a mix of MLS teams, one or two Euro club matches at major venues, and a match-up against the MLS All Stars.  Arsenal will reap a financial windfall, American Arsenal fans will finally get to see their favorite team without flying across the ocean, and more U.S. fans will become familiar with the Arsenal style of play.

8. A player from one of the BPL big six (not Thierry Henry) will come to MLS midseason

The rumors have been swirling around a number of big name players like Evra and Anelka.  One of them this summer will bite the bullet and sign with New York or LA as the latest designated player.  My prediction is that it will be a Chelsea player, a victim of AVB’s house cleaning who is too old to play in the new style.

9. A Canadian team will not have the first/second pick in the 2013 Superdraft

Obviously there are three Canadian teams in MLS and none of them will have the first pick in the Superdraft (or second if the 20th franchise is ready for 2013).  Even though they are the new team, Montreal has too much talent and too good of a coach to be the worst team in MLS this upcoming season.  Vancouver, while still not necessarily playoff bound, will be improved enough to avoid having the worst record in MLS.  Toronto will make a huge leap forward this year and contend for the playoffs.

10. The New York Cosmos will be announced as the 20th MLS franchise

It’s the worst kept secret in U.S. soccer, and over the All Star break MLS will announce that the New York Cosmos will be the 20th franchise in the league.  Whether they begin play in 2013 or 2014 I will leave to others to predict, but they will be announced to no one’s surprise.

11. DC United will finally find a home, and it will be in DC

Eventually everyone will come to their senses and work this deal out, but one major factor will help with DCU’s push to stay in DC: population growth.  The city’s population is growing, with most of the growth coming from young professionals and Hispanics, two demographics that are likely to support a soccer team in the city.  In addition, the population growth will help stabilize DC’s shaky finances, making a partial funding of a stadium on the Southwest Waterfront seem even more likely.  There will be a major announcement in 2012 and the DC area soccer community will breathe a major sigh of relief.

12. The 4-2-3-1 formation will make the U.S. women’s team unbeatable in international competition

The U.S. women’s team is switching to a more attacking 4-2-3-1 formation for the next World Cup cycle to have more of their dynamic attacking young players on the pitch at the same time.  It’s a change that is overdue and will lead to the U.S. women being the de facto best women’s national team in the world by the end of the year.

This time last year, the San Jose Earthquakes were riding high.  They had upset the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference playoffs and had seen the emergence of Chris Wondolowski as a bona fide goal scorer.  Although the team had definite weaknesses and was not at the level of, say, Real Salt Lake, this was certainly a team that could be a playoff contender.

The outlook could not be more different this year as opposed to last.  Wondo is still a goal scorer, tying Dwayne De Rosario for most goals scored this season, but his goals came in bunches and he was not a consistent threat.  There are question marks throughout the roster including whether the head coach will last through the upcoming season.  This is a team in flux, and if they fail to seriously contend for the playoffs this season we could see a massive roster overhaul this time next year (which arguably is a good thing).

Let’s limit ourselves to the key three questions that will tip the balance on San Jose’s 2012 season:

1. What is the status of Steven Lenhart?

We know he is signed.  He was a critical scoring option for the team last season, partnering well with Wondo to provide a second up-front scoring option for a team that at times desperately needed goals.  But the death of his father took him away from the game for an extended period of time, which coincided with their funk.

I personally will never judge someone for how they deal with the death of a parent, so I will simply say how he is mentally and physically fit for 2012 will be important for this team.  To be blunt, absent signing a big money striker, this team will fail without him.  As many goals as Wondo scores, he is inconsistent and cannot be relied upon to lead a team’s offense if that team is competing for a high-seed in the playoffs.  Lenhart is the perfect partner for him, and San Jose knows this.

2. Can the ‘Quakes run their way into the playoffs?

To address some of their issues from this past season, Frank Yallop is rebuilding his midfield around speed.  And not since Keanu Reeves tried to drive a bus has such a desire for going fast been so confusing.  San Jose made a great trade to bring Marvin Chavez over from Dallas but also this offseason they acquired Jean Alexandre from Real Salt Lake.  Alexandre has been a backup at RSL but has shown some flashes of being a productive midfielder if he gets regular playing time.  Undoubtedly Chavez is a great pickup but time will tell if Alexandre and their additional acquisitions this offseason can make them a faster team that can quickly get the ball up front to Wondo and Lenhart.

Looking at their depth as a whole, however, you wonder if these moves make sense.  In addition to the two players mentioned, the ‘Quakes have also picked up Shea Salinas while re-signing Khari Stephenson.  Looking at the current roster, it is composed of players who would be good depth players on a MLS Cup contender, not ones that can be counted on to drive a team to the Cup.  Maybe the new speed will change this.

3. Can the ‘Quakes count on Ike Opara?

The injured Opara was symbolic of the San Jose defense last season: underachieving and made worse by the loss of Brandon McDonald via trade to DC.  The once rising U.S. star was not even invited to Caleb Porter’s U-23 camp this offseason as he continues to recover from injury.  He was named an “honorable mention” for the MLS “24 under 24″ list but this could be a make or break season for him.  If he stays healthy and helps solidify a bad SJ defense, he will be back on track to be the next U.S. up-and-coming defender.  More injuries or sporadic play and we could be lamenting “what if”.