First XI: The all-decade team
11. Tony Meola. No-brainer pick here. From his early days with the MetroStars when he saw more leather flying in his direction than a car approaching a Harley-Davidson convention, to his best years in Kansas City (especially his trophy case-filling season of 2000), Meola was the best 'keeper to ever slip on the gloves in MLS. While he was unhappy with his exit a year ago, I choose to remember Meola for what may have been his greatest game ever, the season finale for the MetroStars in 2005, when he made 12 saves, many of them ridiculous, to shut out Chivas USA when the Metros needed three points to take the final playoff spot.
10. Jeff Agoos. Five rings says it all about Agoos, the consummate professional and on-field leader. I can recall meeting Goose back in '96 and I was overwhelmed by his commitment to the professional game, from his diet to his workout regimen, he was ahead of his time compared to other U.S. professionals. One time I asked him why he never tried to go to Europe, after the early years in MLS, and he explained how much it meant to him to help build the league here. Well, Agoos did it as a player and now works as a technical director, trying to make the Red Bulls a better team. Knowing Goose's work ethic, I see no way he won't be a success in his new position.
9. Eddie Pope. Seems he was destined for stardom from the second his header hit the net in the pouring rain in Foxboro in the inaugural MLS Cup. A kid from High Point, N.C., who never seemed in awe of anyone, Pope became a fixture on the U.S. national team, and is - with little argument - the best pure defender ever developed in the U.S.
8. Robin Fraser. Mr. Steady. Fraser was one of the fastest central defenders to ever play in the league, yet he never seemed like he was struggling to run fast. Even in his final years, Robin was chasing down the speediest forwards the league could throw at him. Fraser was also a calm distributor of the ball out of the back, and a great influence on the young players who joined the league over the last 11 years. The saddest thing, when I think of Fraser's career, is that he did not win a championship, missing out on the Galaxy's 2002 run after he was traded to the Rapids in 2001. Fraser is another member of the All-Decade team that will continue to help MLS, I suspect as a head coach some day.
7. Chris Armas. If you've read this column through the years, you know that Armas is probably my favorite all-time MLS player. For a guy who has earned a living in the league as a destroyer, he's the cleanest tackler I've ever seen in MLS. I love his facial expressions during games, always intense, focused and positive to his teammates. My touchstone moment for Armas is his golden goal against New England in the Eastern Conference finals in 2003, when he never stopped imploring his teammates to fight.
6. Cobi Jones. The inspiration for this column, Jones scored the first goal in Galaxy history, in front of 69,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in 1996, and continued to supply incredible moments for L.A. fans from that moment on. Known for his blazing speed and unstoppable cutback move along the end line, Jones could very well be the most consistent U.S.-born attacking player in MLS history, when you look at his combination of goals, assists and minutes played with good teams. Here's hoping the Galaxy do right by Cobi this season and make his final campaign a celebration of his amazing career.
5. Steve Ralston. The Quiet Leader. To me, Ralston still looks like the young kid who stepped right onto the field with Carlos Valderrama in 1996 and showed he belonged from Day One. A subtle player who is not the fastest, the most powerful, or even the trickiest player on the field, Ralston has an uncanny ability to get his crosses off, even when it seems like he's being smothered by a defender. A perennial Fair Play Award contender (he's won the award twice), Ralston has joked that he needs to get more cards to change his image. Nah, Steve has shown through the years that you can compete at a high level, with high intensity, and not be prone to cautions. Another class act.
4. Chris Henderson. Really tough call here between Henderson and Mark Chung, who played on the same team for a number of years in Colorado. Henderson gets the nod over Chung because of his record of 317 games played. It's hard to imagine an MLS season without the bleach-blond Henderson running like a madman up and down the wing. He was a classic, two-way winger who also had a knack for scoring big goals. You also have to love that, although he's truly right-footed, he relishes playing on the left side. Defenders had to respect his left foot on crosses to such a degree that his cutback to his right often enabled him to hit nasty in-swinging crosses with his right foot. Henderson has also been one of the league's most generous players with his free time, which is something the next generation of MLS players should use as an example.
3. Preki. How many times was Preki's career supposedly over? Too many to count. And just when you thought this ball magician had said goodbye to the league, he'd respond with another great season. A great ball striker and dribbler, Preki put up 79 goals (seventh-best in league history) and 112 assists (second to Valderrama's 114) in his regular season career. You had to love the man's confidence (cockiness?) and the way he wanted the ball on his foot in the attacking third of the field. You could do a video clinic with Preki to illustrate to young attackers how you put a defender on his wrong foot. Problem is, what Preki was able to do is probably not something you could teach. One of the league's best ever, period.
2. Jaime Moreno. There are many in U.S. soccer -- one named Bruce Arena -- who would tell you that Moreno is the greatest attacking player in league history. You can certainly make a strong argument on his behalf. As great as Moreno's overall statistics are (105 goals and 83 assists), I think the reason so many coaches would vote for Moreno as best overall is because of the fear he puts into defenders when he's got the ball. Back in 2003, it certainly looked like Moreno was finished. He was coming off his third straight injury-riddled and unproductive campaign, but since back surgery prior to the 2004 season, he's put himself back on the map, and elevated himself to clear-cut All-Decade status.
1. Jason Kreis. The all-time leading goal scorer with 108. The best free kick taker in league history. An underrated header of the ball. A guy who can poach with the best of them and keep you honest from outside the box. As we said about Meola up top, Kreis is a no-brainer selection for this team. All that's missing on his resume is a ring.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
