MLS Preseason Notes

A new CBA has been agreed to and has been analyzed to death and I don't particularly want to add to the discussion; suffice it to say, I think it is an imperfect agreement for a bizarre league in a rare, if not unique, situation and it will suffice. For now. Now let's drop that line and pick up with the MLS season starting in less than a day.

I don't have the time to write a paragraph about each team even if I had done the research, which I haven't. So I'll go with my highlights.

Team to Watch: Seattle Sounders

Unfortunately, there is little reason to think that Seattle will not be a top team this season. The Sounders' inaugural season was impressive, but the quality in the team was not due to some intangible like "beginner's luck." Keller was solid in goal, Ljundberg was creative in the midfield and demonstrated his superior shooting ability when necessary, and Montero was a dynamo up top. Keller and Ljundberg are returning, as is Montero, although he may pick up a transfer to Europe in the summer. Added to these players is Nkufo, a 37 year-old Swiss international striker. Whether or not his age will be a factor and how he handles a transfer to Major League Soccer remains to be seen, but looking forward, he very well may be a considerable addition to the team. The rest of the team looks "acceptable;" the defense and the rest of midfield are unremarkable but are more than capable of handling the level of soccer in the MLS. To make matters worse, Seattle probably has the greatest home advantage in the league - Seattle has sold more season tickets to each game than most other venues will have in overall attendance and Qwest field will be the only turf stadium this year (Yes, Toronto switched to grass). I suggest that we may see a "Fortress Qwest" this year as Seattle will be harder to beat at home than ever and they more than have the quality to pick up plenty of away points.

Biggest Unknown: Philadelphia Union

Really? The expansion team that has never played together is an unknown? I'm a freakin' genius. Nevertheless, the quality, or lack there of, of this team is unclear. Philadelphia has a number of players who have shown promise, but never really matured into the great players that fans and observers thought they could be (Brazilian former-DC United player, Fred, is included, but there are others as well). The fans in Philadelphia have been organized for years and they will rally behind this team. Piotr Nowak is a damn fine coach and has won a trophy nearly every year that he has been a coach. However, this year may be another rarity. Union were not as fortunate as Seattle when it came to the rookie draft, this year was not nearly as deep as the previous. Although Philly got the pick of the litter, it is unlikely that it will have the bevy of young stars with which Seattle emerged. Moreover, I expect Nowak to get performances out of some of his high-potential players, but not all of them. Without significant depth, Union are unlikely to push past the middle of the overall table. That said, with the talent on this team and Nowak's history of cultivating talent, it could be one of the better teams... Both those things said, just looking at the players and their past performances, they could be horrible.

Team Not to Watch: Colorado Rapids

I watch every MLS game I can see and would never advocate, particularly to a potential Rapids fan, actually not watching their home team. I just don't think Colorado will do anything significant, good or bad, this year. Colorado was a mid-table team last year and I see little reason to expect any difference this year. Sure, Conner Casey keeps getting national team call-ups for some reason, but that is only because the U.S. is in the middle of a forward crisis. I should note that Brendan was once beaten by Colorado while playing FIFA 10 because Conner Casey won three straight 50-50 headers, the last one resulting in a goal. So clearly, the programers at EA Sports hold him in higher regard than I do. Nevertheless, he is not enough to drive a team on his own and the rest of the team looks "passable," much like Seattle (in quality only, not in style) without the stars and home environment. Colorado has never successfully connected with local community and, although I have no particular insight into Colorado's locker room, I don't see a natural leader on the team pushing them to be better. Colorado will play the least interesting soccer, with the possible exception of Kansas City, which, after comparing them to the Sounders earlier I should admit, is the complete opposite of Seattle's flowing aggressive style.

Buzz Word for the Year: Parity

Same as last year. I still expect there to be significant parity this year. The league is set up for it, in many ways. If parity is to be broken, I doubt it will be my beloved DC United to do it. More likely, it will be Seattle or the Gals (Galaxy made a couple interesting/Brazilian signings who could put the team above-and-beyond, they still have a tough backline, still have Donovan - at least until the summer, and may have Beckham - if his achilles sews itself back together properly).

Expect a more DC United-centric focus from me after this. The owner of this blog may be able to contain his myriad of opinions about Spurs, but I am less likely to be so constrained concerning the Black-and-Red. Let the games begin! Vamos United.