Here's how I see the MLS teams entering this season.
1. Columbus. Schmid's loss may hurt but most everyone else is back.
2. Chicago. That sound you hear is the window closing on the Fire. It's now or never, and now is actually a good bet.
3. San Jose. This team was strong last year as an expansion team. With a full offseason and a year's worth of experience under their belt, expect the 'Quakes to contend from the start.
4. New England. You can't really count out a Steve Nicol-led team, can you?
5. Real Salt Lake. Let's see how this team does when people actually expect something from you.
6. Houston. De Ro is gone but there is still quality on this team.
7. New York. Was MLS Cup run a fluke? Maybe, but Osorio is a good coach and will have this team in contention.
8. Kansas City. Can Claudio Lopez recover? If he can be the potent goal scorer he was expected to be last year, KC will be strong.
9. Colorado. For the first time in a long time, there is hope with the Rapids at the start of the season: Clavijo is nowhere to be found.
10. Chivas USA. Call me crazy but...
11. Galaxy. ... I don't like either one of the SoCal teams this year.
12. Toronto FC. De Ro is massive but the East is stacked.
13. FC Dallas. Defense is terrible; how much it improves in early part of season will determine of FC Dallas can contend at all this year.
14. DC United. Good news: Christian Gomez is back; bad news: Gomez hasn't been relevant in more than a year.
15. Seattle. Sorry, but you have to earn my respect on the field. One win, though, and they may zoom up the charts. Or not. They have to earn it though.
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12 comments:
I don't like either one of the SoCal teams this year.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY LIKE YOU?
*in before someone calls you biased*
Now that that's out of the way, I'm surprised you don't have the Galaxy lower. Is Landon really worth being ranked 11; because that's pretty much all we have.
Luis, I like that you have Chivas USA at the bottom. No one expects anything from us this season and that is better for us. The other teams will underestimate us and they will get a big back hand to the face! LOL.
MICHOACANO
Chiva's and the Gal's are ranked too high, expect them to be in the bottom of the table the entire season.
@Michoacano
I don't think it's a question of talent with Chivas. They've been top three in the league the past couple years purely by the roster, but they can't seem to shake the injury curse. They'll only go as far as their trainers take them (which probably isn't far!).
RHY, based on your assesment of the injury curse, we will make the play-offs! :)
Anon @ 3:58 pm, your funny.
MICHOACANO
I agree with anon, the goats and gals will be fighting regulation all season.
I dont rate San Jose that high. They do have a good defense and goal keeper.
Chivas USA want do anything as long as Preki is the coach.
NO ONE LIKES US, NO ONE LIKES US!
NO ONE LIKES US! WE DON'T CARE!
WE ARE CHIVAS, WE ARE CHIVAS!
WE ARE CHIVAS USA!
Joke:
What'd the hand say to the face?
Answer:
SLAP!
Luis,
A few questions regarding your rankings, but first tahnk you for avoiding the death trap that is the '09 outlook for Real Salt Lake. I have no idea why the media at large thinks they'll be the team of the west.
1. What are you referencing other than the age of McBride and Blanco when you say that the Fire's window is closing? They've got a bunch of good players of age 26 or younger including: Rolfe(26), Pappa(21), Mapp(24), Nyarko(23), Robinson(24), Conde(26), Segares(26), and Soumare(23)
2. Was youth (or lack of experience) really San Jose's problem or was it not having Huckerby for the whole year?
3. How on earth could you look at New England & Toronto on paper and claim that NE will be the stronger team? (Or the Galaxy either)
I've got a prediction- Seattle will be in your top five by the end of the year.
To answer your questions, just another...
1) With McBride and Blanco, the Fire are an elite team, a team that could and should be one of the top two in the league. Without them, I think they are average to good, but nothing special. Teams that are average to good and nothing special don't win Cups. Maybe one of the other players you mentioned will take the next step towards MLS superstardom, they'll need that if McBride and Blanco leave or suddenly get old.
2) It takes time to build a team, and I think last year San Jose just had their share of growing pains. Had Huckerby gotten there earlier, things may have gone different but the way it played out was better I think than many expected. Just chalk 08 up to lack of collective experience.
3) New England has Steve Nicol, and he just knows how to manage. Toronto has done this to us before, where they get some players and seem to improve but are still the same crap team. I guess I've been fooled too many times by them and am just waiting for them to prove me wrong.
And you might be right about Seattle. At the end of the year I might have them higher; heck, I might have them higher in a few weeks, but I don't know how anyone can rate them anything but number 15 when they haven't played a single game that matters.
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