Two hot teams met Sunday at R.F.K. Stadium, as New York headed down I-95 to the Nation’s Capitol to face D.C. United. The home team, buoyed by the blossoming of a fit Chris Pontius, struck early and often as they defeated the Red Bulls, 4-1.

New York was riding a four match unbeaten streak, where the team had scored fifteen goals and earned ten out of a possible twelve points during this stretch. The one thing that has been a hindrance is their propensity to give up goals to their opposition.  On the other side of the pitch, DC United was in the midst of a five match unbeaten streak (2-0-3) and the winner of the night’s game would take second place in the Eastern Conference. Sadly for Red Bulls fans, their team’s open-door policy for terrible defending continued Sunday, as Pontius scored three goals on the day to lead the way for the Black and Red.

The lousy defending appeared almost immediately for New York and continued throughout the first half. Pontius was able to get on the board in the 8th minute, as he eluded two defenders after stripping Thierry Henry and ripped a fantastic ball. The shot bent past Ryan Meara for the first of his hat trick.

The second came on a fortunate bounce for Pontius in the 32nd minute, depositing a loose ball in close. Maicon Santos fought through three defenders down the left, bringing the ball along the end line. He delivered the cross, and a bad bounce off of Connor Lade’s heel gave Pontius the easy chance.

More would come from DC less than five minutes later. The Red Bull defenders were caught ball-watching and gave rookie standout Nick DeLeon plenty of space. His shot caromed off the right leg of Markus Holgersson and deflected away from Meara and into the net for a three goal lead.

Pontius’ hat trick was completed in the 70th minute as he plowed through the defense and never took his eye of the prize. The UC-Santa Barbara product caught Holgersson flat footed, and Victor Palsson’s last-ditch effort couldn’t get a touch on the ball. Pontius buried his chance, which capped a victory that had seemed clinched by the end of the 1st half.

“I think first that New York came here with a little bit of a watered down team, and it showed at times,” said D.C. United manager Ben Olsen.“But I feel like we took advantage of that, and that’s what you have to do.” On Chris Pontius’ first goal, Olsen added, “He set the tone early. I thought the entire team was buzzing early and the ball was moving.”

The only saving grace from the Red Bulls’ perspective was a fantastic finish in the 72nd minute by Thierry Henry. New York earned a set piece just outside the D.C. area, and the wily veteran bent the ball over the wall and into the near corner for his eighth goal of the season, tying Chris Wondolowski for the league lead.

What did Thierry Henry think about D.C.’s domination? “No excuses. They were good. They scored early, they kept putting on pressure. They could have scored more.” D.C. United did look better on the ball, but yet again none of the goals came from 2011 MLS Most Valuable Player Dwayne DeRosario. The attacking midfielder has yet to find goal this season, a drought that contrasts with the form he showed to close the 2011 season, notching 13 goals in 17 games with D.C. United.  After the game Ben Olsen noted DeRosario’s lack of goals but stated that the captain and designated player was more pleased with the team’s results, saying his trophy case for individual awards is pretty full.

The first of three between these two sides went to D.C. United, with the next coming in late June at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

MLS Talk Writer Robert Hay Jr. contributed to this article.

MLS Review Policy to be Tested this Week

Over the past few weeks, MLS players midweek have been issued suspensions or fines by the league for actions that occurred in the past.  The league’s new policy of reviewing harsh fouls and plays have led to the main office retroactively punishing players for deeds that were let go on the field or flat-out missed by the officials.  The goal of this retroactive punishment is to prevent players from getting away with dangerous tackles and make MLS a little less physical, something the league feels is needed after a number of injuries to high-profile players last year.  You can debate the merits of working behind an official’s back and what it says about the league’s officiating staff, or whether it is fair to punish players for crimes not deemed worthy of cards during matches.  However, the reality is the policy is in place and being used by MLS.

This weekend the existence of retroactive punishments should certainly be used and would show the importance of leagues being able to look back and make an after-the-fact judgement.  The Red Bulls v. Earthquakes match is the prime example of why it exists.  Both teams were certainly guilty of careless, even reckless plays in the second half that turned a wide-open game into a slow slug-fest.  Rafa Marquez’s incident stands out as the most flagrantly obvious, when he grabbed Shea Salinas in the box and put him to the ground, then kicked him on his way up.  Salinas, an important part of this San Jose team, allegedly suffered a broken collarbone yet no card or foul was given.

However, the ‘Quakes themselves were not innocent.  Martin Chavez’s tackle on Roy Miller was eerily reminiscent of the type of tackle that ended David Ferreira’s season last year and was nothing more than a classless attempt to slow down a player that had beaten him.  He was lucky to only get a yellow.  Ultimately, the success in the league’s replay system will depend on how (or if) they punish these types of flagrant fouls.  If Chavez and Marquez are not given suspensions for their actions, then the league office needs to review itself.

Player of the Week

The player of the week comes from the team of the week.  Aurelien Collin has played some outstanding defense these past few weeks for the red hot Sporting Kansas City and Saturday was no different.  Although the goalless result was a team effort, Collin was excellent as usual in disrupting the Real Salt Lake attack and preventing them for creating many good scoring chances.  What earns him the POTW nod, however, was his goal scored in the 63rd minute off a corner after a previous KC effort was taken off the board.  For all of his contributions, Collin receives the POTW honors.

Honorable Mention Player of the Week

MMS loves to give love to the defenders, and will do so again this week by giving recognition to the man in the box.  Dan Kennedy of Chivas USA faced a determined Toronto side on their own turf and despite this was able to keep a clean sheet for the Goats.  Toronto had five shots on goal but the quality of the saves is what earns Kennedy this honor.  This is especially true of his denial of Danny Koevermans late in the game after some atrocious play by his defenders.  After a very good 2011, it looks like Kennedy may be ready to step up into a more elite level of MLS keepers.

The Downside of the Unbalanced Schedule

In order to accommodate a 19 team league and not increase the number of games played, the league this offseason switched to an unbalanced schedule.  Gone are the days of seeing an opponent twice a year (home and away) but instead teams now see some division foes three times, some twice, and the other conference only once.  The positive is reduced travel and more games against opponents that, to be frank, matter more in a league where conferences matter greatly.

But the past two weeks have shown the downside of the unbalanced schedule.  Four inter-conference games were played this weekend and two of them I would love to see again at the visitor’s home stadium.  I wonder what RSL v. Sporting KC would look like at Rio Tinto; I suspect Real Salt Lake would be more aggressive in that match with their passionate fans behind their goal.  Also, there is a budding rivalry between San Jose and New York, as it seems like every time they play something interesting happens.  However, due to unbalanced scheduling, we will have to wait potentially for the MLS Cup to see these teams face off in MLS play again this year.  Last week we saw possibly for the last time this year Sporting Kansas City face the LA Galaxy while DC and Seattle renewed a fun cross-country “rivalry”.  I understand the need for an unbalanced schedule and logically I support it.  However, I lament MLS’s missed opportunities for rematches and replays of some juicy early season match-ups.

Coaching Move of the Week

It seems like Schellas Hyndman is destined to be mentioned in this column every week, but the FC Dallas head man has a way of tinkering with the game that either blows up spectacularly or clicks just right.  Such as it was in Dallas’ 2-1 win over a surprisingly strong Montreal team in front of 16,000 fans in Texas.  For the first half, Dallas played a more traditional 4-4-2 lineup that failed to connect the midfield and the forwards.  After the penalty that gave the Impact a 1-0 lead, the home side played with a renewed passion that was assisted by some substitutions and a formation change.  Bobby Warshaw and Bruno Guarda came on at halftime which allowed Hyndman to shift his team into a 4-1-4-1/4-5-1 and allow them to begin to dominate midfield play.

Quote of the Week Part 1

“In soccer, it only takes a few seconds to score a goal, one play to break down for the other team to score and it takes total concentration for 90 minutes.  As the game goes on guys get a little leggy, a little tired, but it can’t be an excuse for us. It’s something we have to get better with.”

Clyde Simms, on the team’s second straight loss by allowing a late goal (h/t to The Bent Musket)

Head Scratcher of the Week

We all acknowledge how good of a team Sporting Kansas City is at this point but I didn’t think that Jason Kreis would recognize this in his tactics.  Kreis must have talked away tactics with Roberto Mancini prior to the game as his team played with conservative tactics throughout the first half before switching to a more attacking, yet no more effective 4-3-3 to match KC’s in the second half.  Steve Davis noted that the RSL fullbacks played back to prevent Kei Kamara and Bobby Convey from roaming the flanks, but the midfield was also slow to support the forwards in the attack.  RSL has the talent to take on KC, so I am disappointed we didn’t see more of it displayed.

Quote of the Week Part 2

“It was a terrible first touch, but it took me into a shooting position and I knew as soon as I hit it that it was going in. I enjoyed it.”

David Beckham on his wonder goal (h/t to Stumptown Footy for the postgame transcript)

Videos of the Week

There are two for you to enjoy this week.  The first is the David Beckham goal making its way through the internet:

while the second is another goal scored in a much more amusing way

MMS Non-Scientific Power Poll

10. DC United (10): If they can win back-to-back games for the first time in three years this Wednesday, I’ll move them up in these rankings.  The potential for a top 8 team is there, but consistency is the key.

9. Chivas USA (NR): 0-3-0 at home, 3-0-0 on the road.  Odd splits but a may work to get them into the playoffs once they figure out the Home Depot Center.

8. Houston Dynamo (8): Rain halted a pretty good match between the Dynamo and Fire, but Houston survives bad weather and injuries with a point.

7. Vancouver Whitecaps (7): Off this week but face quite the challenge hosting Kansas City on Wednesday.

6. FC Dallas (9): This team may be righting the ship as it gets healthy and begins to figure out how to play its personnel.  If they can continue to draw over 15k to games, they will gain a home field advantage.

5. San Jose Earthquakes (5): Go into New York, take a point, and hold them to two goals?  I’m convinced this is a very good team, but one whose depth is about to be tested.

4. New York Red Bulls (3): The draw still saw New York score almost at will and give the Henry-Cooper duo more additions to their impressive numbers.  But San Jose may have figured out how to beat this team, and that bodes ill for their next game at DC United, who has similar strengths to San Jose.

3. Seattle Sounders (3): Seattle basically allowed Colorado to play with the ball, then when they got too close to the net yanked it from them and threatened to score.  Very effective game and a well deserved three points.

2. Real Salt Lake (2): Yes they lost this weekend but their two losses have been to an amazing road team (Chivas USA) and on the road to the best team in MLS.  Can’t fault them too much for that.

1. Sporting Kansas City (1): Safe to say they’ve earned this spot for the time being

All of the hype and eyes of the American soccer community will be on MLS Live Saturday night (yes, someone forgot to negotiate this game into NBC or ESPN’s deal) as Sporting Kansas City host Real Salt Lake in the Battle of First Place Teams.  With both teams playing so well, the hype is justified and I think a well played match is in the making.  But while I plan on watching the match either that night or the next morning, I am more excited about any number of matches this weekend.  Why? First, because I love being a contrarian and throwing out controversial topics to rile up you readers.  But after looking at the entire schedule, you can make a case for why every other game this weekend could potentially be more interesting to watch than the “most important” one of the year.

Let’s take each one in chronological order:

Philadelphia Union v. Columbus Crew: This one is the NBC Sports game of the week (insert joke here) but this is an important early season match for both teams.  While neither team can be said to be “out of the race” this early in the season, the result of this game should give the potential winner a major shot of emotion.  For the visitors, they are coming off a beat-down by the Red Bulls and will be looking to right the ship after what they hope was just a speed bump.  Making the task a little harder is that starting keeper Will Hesmer is now out for the next few weeks.  For Philly, it’s simple.  This may be the best chance to get a win for a few more weeks so they need the points.  Look for a desperate, potentially open game.

New England Revolution v. DC United: Both of these teams are mid-table in the East and arguably punching above their weight the past few weeks with some very eye-catching results.  Winner moves ahead in the “Surprise team of the year” race and begins to garner legitimate early-season buzz.  DC actually hasn’t beaten New England since 2008, but the Revs will be without a few key starters for this match.  Classic MLS match.

Seattle Sounders v. Colorado Rapids: From a more unfortunate perspective, this is the first time Brian Mullan will face the Sounders crowd after his famous leg-breaking tackle on Steve Zakuani.  How the ever creative Seattle fans will respond will be of interest.  Seattle needs this win badly to reestablish some momentum after a draw to DC and a home loss to the ‘Quakes.  This has seen them slide a bit in the standings, behind…. Colorado.  For the Rapids, a point or three would be a major statement on how good they are.

Toronto FC v. Chivas USA: Is Toronto this bad and is Chivas USA this good on the road?  This is a good chance to answer both questions, and the answer may have more results in the standings than the more hyped KC/RSL match.

New York v. San Jose: I’d argue this is the best match of the weekend.  We know the New York story – FIFA12-esque scoring ability from the unstoppable Henry-Cooper duo makes this a very scary New York team suddenly.  But consider the number 2.  As in the number of goals allowed by San Jose this year with a schedule that has included offense heavy teams like Seattle and Vancouver.  Frank Yallop has the ‘Quakes playing like world beaters by beating you with speed down the flanks and tightening up the defense in front of goal.  This will be one of the best defenses New York will face in its early season schedule and, if they drop another 3-4 goals on the visitors, they will shatter the impression of an improved San Jose team.  But what if the ‘Quakes escape with a point or three points?  They could arguably be the best team in the West, depending on how other matches fall out.

FC Dallas v. Montreal Impact:  Ok, this one was a bit harder to get excited about, but this is a good test for Dallas.  They had a strong win last week that signals they may be entering into their annual late-spring/summer run.  For Montreal, four points in two games would be great, and let’s be honest, watching Jesse Marsch’s team is still kind of a cool new experience.

Los Angeles Galaxy v. Portland Timbers:  People like to stare at car wrecks so how would this be that much different?  In all seriousness, this is the type of desperation game that could lead to a ton of goals.  Both teams need a spark to begin their climb out of the bottom of the league, and the last time LA was at home in this position they pasted DC United 3-1.  These are two of the league’s most talented teams, so throw out the records and enjoy what should be an entertaining match.

Chicago Fire v. Houston Dynamo:  If you feel like you don’t have a handle on either of these teams it’s because you probably don’t.  Both have played only three times this year and Houston hasn’t played since March!  Both teams, who should be in the upper half of the Eastern Conference come September, will be playing with some “name” starters injured, including the Dynamo and their three second-string midfielders.  This could be a 2012 playoff preview.

You may have noticed when you visited the site today a new tab on the top of your page called “Summer Friendlies Schedule”.  With the recent announcements of a number of high-profile friendlies, the summer exhibition schedule is quickly coming together for many MLS and European teams.  One of my biggest frustrations as a soccer fan was my inability to remember who exactly was playing what where, especially if they were not playing in my area.  To help the MLS Talk community not only track who is coming to the United States and Canada this summer, but when and how to get tickets, we have created the North American 2012 Summer Soccer Friendlies Schedule.

The page is very simple.  When a new summer friendly is announced or a credible rumor about a game is reported, we will be updating this page with as much information as is available.  So if you live in northern New Jersey or were planning a trip to New York, you could plan on attending the New York Red Bulls friendly vs. Spurs or the Chelsea/Celtic match-up at Yankees Stadium.  The goal of this page is to be the best place for any soccer fan in the United States and Canada to find what teams are playing where this summer.

That said, we need your help to keep the content current.  Your writers and editors of the site are diligent and have their fingers on the pulse of U.S. soccer, but even we sleep on occasion and may miss an announcement about a game or tickets going on sale.  If you hear of information and do not see it on the schedule, contact us or put the information in the comments section below (links to announcements or press releases are also appreciated).  By the time May rolls around, we plan on having this page be the authority of summer soccer friendlies.

Enjoy your summer soccer!

Watching the video of the Timbers Army sing the National Anthem again and how much attention that gets in mainstream sports media made me think about what an opportunity MLS has to wedge into the American sports mainstream.  People flinch at the stereotypical soccer hooligans but one of the things that I have heard from colleagues that attracted them to soccer is the supporters’ groups and the desire to be a part of a passionate following that is lacking in other professional sports.  Supporters’ groups are like being in college at a sporting event again, except you don’t have to sneak in beer and can afford full price tickets.

Naturally any discussion of this important part of soccer brings up an obvious and loaded question: who is the best?  Which team has the best supporters’ group?  Obviously there are biases built into any answer but in this case that is a good thing.  Because we here at MLS Talk have a challenge for you, our loyal readers.

You have the chance to do the work for us.

Below in the comments section give us a 100-200 word description of why your team’s supporters’ group is the best in MLS.  The three that we the writers of the site think are the best will be featured in their own post on the site during the next international/MLS break.  Here are a few guidelines:

• Over 200 words will be disqualified, you can check your word count by typing it in Word first
• Links to videos or pictures do not count against the word limit, but the videos/pictures cannot be inappropriate.  Would you show your grandmother/clergy member/ 2nd grade teacher the video or picture?
• This is for supporters’ groups, not the casual fans.  A story about how your aunt has attended every game for the past ten years and named her dog Landon is touching, but will not count.
• Please do not use inappropriate language, disparage other groups or fans, and especially do not use any offensive slurs.
• Creative writing, persuasiveness of argument, and passion are the three criteria for judging who will win.

Who says you can’t go home?

Manassas, VA native C.J. Sapong headed a corner kick into the net in the 93rd minute to help Sporting Kansas City notch a 1-0 road victory over DC United.  While KC had a majority of the possession and at times looked ready to take the lead throughout, this game seemed headed to a scoreless draw before the late goal.  Despite the one goal, this was a game that had some excellent chances and if not for DC keeper Bill Hamid and some careless DC passing, this could have been a much higher scoring game.

The strategy going into the game by Sporting Kansas City was to attack the right wing.  Playing the usual 4-3-3, Kei Kamara was constantly attacking DC left back Daniel Woolard and, for the most part, failed to create many quality chances.  With the DC left consisting of a recovering from injury Chris Pontius and less experienced Woolard, this may have looked like the smart strategy.  However, Kansas City’s best chance to score was late in the first half when Roger Espinoza fed a pass from the left wing to Kamara who skied over Woolard in front of the net to head a ball towards goal.  Somehow DC keeper Bill Hamid was able to deflect it with his shoe top to keep the game scoreless.

The KC pressure got to the DC defense in the second half and multiple times the back four had top scramble to clear the visitor’s chances.  However, starting forward Teal Bunbury himself failed to convert two good chances in the early second half and KC failed to crack Hamid.  In the 75th minute head coach Peter Vermes swapped Bunbury for Sapong, who instantly made an impact and had a better presence than Bunbury.  While Kansas City didn’t look like world beaters on the night, they didn’t need to in order to secure all three points.  Their pressure offense created chances and their goal was the result of an opportunity created by their aggressive play – specifically Sapong forcing Brandon McDonald to drag him down just outside the box in the 91st minute.  This free kick was deflected out which led to the corner.  Sporting KC now travels home to face the Revolution and have a chance to grab some wins early while building their points total.

As for DC United, these statistics tell the tale: one shot on target, 65% passing accuracy, and 43.4% of the possession.  The DC midfield struggled mightily against the KC defense to string together passes, and the result was a punchless DC attack that left reigning MVP Dwayne De Rosario silent for most of the night.  Second half substitutions seemed to spark DC especially in the 88th minute when sub Maicon Santos skied an open shot after a great pass from De Rosario.  However, these chances were few and far between and Jimmy Nielsen wasn’t forced to make a save until late in the second half.  The best weapon for DC on the night was Andy Najar on the wing, who could use his speed and ball handling to create a little space for himself.  However, his crosses once he found that space in the visitor’s end were poor and too often he tried to take on the defenders by himself.

On the night DC certainly looked like a squad integrating some new players.  Coach Ben Olsen after the games noted that his team was rusty, both physically and mentally but fought through the fatigue.  The DC schedule doesn’t get any easier with the team’s next game at Los Angeles, and the Black and Red could be facing an early hole.  Certainly their midfield needs to protect possession more and create scoring opportunities for the forwards.  The defense, while almost getting the clean sheet, cannot rely on Bill Hamid too much to keep providing cover for their mental errors.  After fighting for a draw for most of the game, old ghosts haunted DC and cost them a point.

The greatest time of the year has finally come.  After weeks of previewing the teams, we are a day away from the beginning of the MLS season.  Looking ahead to 2012, some things have stayed the same (star-powered LA Galaxy, new playoff format again, ESPN games of the week) and some things have changes (new playoff format, NBC Sports Network games, Montreal Impact).  Just like last year, your writers are going out on a limb and makes some predictions prior to the season.  If you remember, our picks from last year were not so great (especially in the individual categories) but we will strive to do better this year and, again, repost these predictions at the end of the season.

On to our picks!  First up are our predicted standings for the season, with the Supporters’ Shield winners in italics:

Daniel Feuerstein

Robert Hay

Earl Reed

As you can see there is some definite difference of opinion.  Starting with the Eastern Conference we all agree that Sporting Kansas City will win the East and all of us have Toronto and Houston making the playoffs.  In the West, Daniel breaks with consensus and has Real Salt Lake passing Los Angeles to take the West.  Besides order of finish, we all have Dallas, Los Angeles, Real Salt Lake, and Seattle making the playoffs with each of us having a different fifth team (or in my case, fourth place team).  As for the newest MLS franchise, despite making so much noise in the offseason, none of us have Montreal above ninth.  We’ll see if the rumored summer designated player signing proves us wrong.

MLS Cup match-up and winner: Each of us took a crack at predicting MLS Cup 2012 and the winner.  Earl sees Seattle hosting Kansas City with Sporting KC pulling out the upset win.  Daniel also has Kansas City winning but they will be hosting second place Los Angeles.  As for me, after pondering all of the possible match-ups with a scrunched brow, I predict Chicago will bring back the glory days and advance to MLS Cup, but they will lose to the host Galaxy.

CONCACAF Champions League: With three MLS teams playing in the 2011-2012 CONCACAF Champions League, our group took a shot at predicting if any of the three would win the CCL this spring.  Earl and I both predict that none of the three teams will win the competition this year while Daniel anticipates a Galaxy victory to give them early season momentum.

Golden Boot:  MLS has some great goal scorers but it seems like the Golden Boot recently has gone to a player that comes out of nowhere.  Despite this we took a crack at predicting this category.  I selected MLS prodigal son Edson Buddle to lead the league in goals while Earl picked FC Dallas newcomer Blas Perez and Daniel chose soccer icon Thierry Henry.

Most Valuable Player: Dwayne De Rosario rode a dominant second half of the season to this award in 2011.  Did any of us picked him to repeat? No.  Earl and Daniel tabbed annual MVP candidate Landon Donovan to take home the award and I picked his Western Conference rival Mauro Rosales.

Newcomer of the Year:  Which of the hyped offseason signings will help their team the most and win recognition for their play?  Again all three of us stuck with the Western Conference.  Daniel and I picked Austrian important and Kasey Keller replacement Michael Gspurning to take home the prize while Earl selected Blas Perez to add another trophy to his trophy case.

Rookie of the Year:  Since this award has one of the smallest pool of potential winners, it is usually a hard one to pick.  Last year’s winner fell into the right situation in a weak year for rookies.  This year, the draft has a consensus top two followed by a pool of good players.  Earl picked the #2 overall pick Darren Mattocks to break through for some playing time in Vancouver.  I selected the #3 pick Kelyn Rowe for New England to make an impact in the midfield.  Daniel went with #4 overall pick Luis Silva with Toronto FC.

Comeback Player of the Year:  Which player in 2012 will return to previous glory?  Daniel went with hometown newcomer Kenny Cooper while Earl picked past MVP David Ferreira.  I am sticking with my 2011 choice for a second year: Branko Boskovic to finally come back from his nagging injuries and finally live up to his promised potential for DCU.

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.

Photo by nickel.media

Ah the never ending fun of MLS expansion talk.  Because no league can have an odd number of teams, speculation over who will be the 20th MLS team is always a source of debate and discussion for U.S. soccer fans.  Everyone assumes that the New York Cosmos will be the newest MLS franchise and, if I was a betting man, I’d put some cash down on that idea.  However, there are still some issues to be worked out between MLS and the Cosmos ownership, including stadium location and entrance fee.

So, to keep the fans interested, MLS is visiting other cities to raise their hopes that, even if they are not #20, they could be #21 or #22 (or, dare we say #23 or #24?).  The next stop on their tour is the city of Orlando, which has a USL team already but would offer a number of major advantages.  Orlando is a huge meetings and convention city, thus ensuring visitors could help fill the stadium.  They would be the only MLS franchise in Florida and essentially the only one in the South except for the two Texas franchises.  The negative, of course, is the failure of the two previous MLS teams in Florida but that has not stopped the league from trying to take a second look at the state.

“While New York City remains the league’s focus for our 20th club, it’s important to continue evaluating future options as we continue to grow the league,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “This growth has been built on a foundation of strategic expansion strategies, construction of new urban-based stadiums and a growing passionate soccer fan base across North America.”

For those interested in convincing the league of the value of an MLS franchise in the city, Garber will first meet with Orlando’s elected leadership as well as the owners of Orlando City.  They will undoubtedly discuss expansion of the team’s grounds, support for a top-flight soccer franchise, and potential revenue from a promotion or rebranding of the current team.  Garber will also be meeting with the public and fans at Mojo Cajun Bar beginning at 12:30 (doors open at 11:30) to gauge local support.

What do you think?  Would Orlando make a good 20th or 21st MLS franchise?

Team: Chicago Fire
Coach: Frank Klopas
Last Season: 9-9-16, 6th East, 11th Overall
Twitter Hashtag: #CF97

In our 2011 preview of the Chicago Fire, I predicted the Fire would either make a surprise long run in the playoffs or miss the playoffs, be stuck in neutral, and just be lost in the near future.  Neither of those predictions came true: the Fire did miss the playoffs and looked at a time to be muddling through the season, but hit a hot streak towards the end of the season and barely missed the playoffs.

The Fire now looks like a favorite not only to make the playoffs but to challenge for the Eastern Conference itself.  Much of this relies on how well they translate that hot streak to a full season, but also if some of the holes that developed this offseason are gaping or minuscule.

Coaching Staff and Front Office:  The Frank Klopas experiment is going strong after the team’s technical director came out of the director’s box and led the team to seven wins in their last ten MLS matches.  Klopas is not a cool tactician, but an emotional guy who could be called a “players’ coach”.  What remains to be seen is how he does with a full season coaching this team.  While the results so far are promising, any time a team replaces a coach with a guy already inside the organization, usually a team is making a hire not to rock the boat and stick with an organizational plan.  This is fine if the team is winning, but not when it’s missed the playoffs (right Revolution fans?).  The future looks promising, but the jury is still out.

Key Roster Additions:  Rafael Roboyo was an interesting signing for this team.  He comes from the Colombian first division champions and has been labeled a box-to-box type player who can play a few different positions in the middle.  He is expected to challenge for a starting job and make a good midfield even better.  The other big signing is Uruguayan striker Federico Puppo.  The 25-year old striker is 5’8″ so he adds another speedy diminutive presence to this team.   In via the draft are defenders Austin Berry (Louisville) and all-name first teamer Hunter Jumper (Virginia), two players would could see plenty of playing time this season.

Key Roster Subtractions:  Diego Chaves departed the team to sign with Palestino after the team did not re-sign him this offseason.  His departure certainly hurts the team’s proven depth at forward.  Other than Chaves, the team’s departures mainly cleared up cap/allocation space and room on the bench.  The team did sell William Dube’s Wilman Conde’s rights to New York for allocation, which is curious considering their need for a veteran defender.

Projected Starters:  Sean Johnson is quickly becoming an elite talent in MLS, finally getting his invitation to the national team and training overseas this winter.  Johnson may be the most solid starter on defense.  In front of him, veterans Corey Gibbs and Gonsalvo Segares are the two veterans that will anchor the backline.  The other two spots will be between the two draft picks, international players, or maybe a few trialists.

The midfield again should be the strength of the team.  And the strength of the strength are the two holding midfielders Pavel Pardo and Logan Pause.  Pardo is 35 years old but played much younger than that.  His re-signing may have been the best signing of the winter.  Logan Pause developed into a good MLS players and complements Pardo well.  In front of them is the triumvirate of Marco Pappa, Patrick Nyarko, and Sebastian Grazzini with Rafael Robayo pushing for playing time in one of these slots.  The combination of speed, passing, and finish are all present with these midfielders but the depth behind them is suspect.

Up front of course is Dominic Oduro, who had such a great year after so many seasons of not living up to his potential.  If he can keep finishing the goals he creates, then Chicago will have no problem scoring goals this season.

Player to Watch:  With so little experience in the back, the player to watch is Austin Berry.  The highly rated defender will have to earn his paycheck immediately and his ability to translate his success at the college level to the pro level will determine whether Chicago will have to outscore teams to win.

Best Case Scenario:  The momentum carries over from last season and Chicago starts out strong.  The defense is decent to good enough with Sean Johnson taking the next step, and the offense rivals Kansas City for the East’s best.  In fact, this team looks alot like Sporting Kansas City last season: exciting and dangerous.  In the summer, Chicago swoops in for a big DP signing and the Fire contend for the Eastern Conference title.

Worst Case Scenario:  That designated player constantly rumored never surfaces.  Dominic Oduru fails to replicate last year’s success and injuries hit the midfield.  The defense can’t hold up and Sean Johnson gets serious looks from overseas teams.  Chicago misses the playoff for the third straight year.

Prediction: This team will walk a fine line this year.  They obviously have the talent to make a run in the playoffs but lack the depth to overcome sustained injuries or poor play.  My prediction is that the team stays relatively healthy and continues their strong play from last year, finishing second in the Eastern Conference.