Five-a-side: Breath of fresh air
Sense of newness around MLS at start of '08 campaign
"Fresh" is the word: If there's been a year when MLS was as fresh as 2008, someone needs to show it to me. There's a real "newness" and ample mystery, probably more so even than 2005, when a pair of new clubs climbed aboard in Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake.
The goings-on in Galaxy Land will be fascinating to observe, no matter which way it all goes. As for the other Home Depot Center tenant, things look pretty good, although three of the four best players also happen to be the oldest in Claudio Suarez, Ante Razov and Jesse Marsch. The other player in Preki's fearsome foursome is Brad Guzan, and would anybody be surprised if he gets scooped up in the summer transfer window? So, who truly knows what might happen there?
Just north, Frank Yallop has put together a Bay Area bunch with absolutely zero fat around the roster edges. He's signed up 15 hardy souls, including some fine defenders and a bunch of reliable midfield clock-punchers. (Those forwards are another matter.) Just east of there, Jason Kreis has assembled a spanking new cast, but let's get something straight right away: we're all guessing when it comes to that lot. There are more unproven pieces at Rice-Eccles than at a science fair.
We could go on, sweeping across the plains, talking about Kansas City's reconstructed defense, Christian Gomez's new mission in Denver, Sigi Schmid's experiment at moving players into new spots, TFC's curiously passive improvement initiative, etc.
The questions start being answered Saturday around 4 p.m. ET, and not a moment too soon.
A breakout guy needs room to break: Whereas other potential breakout players in 2008 have the room to, well, break out, one Dynamo midfielder is stuck in Dominic Kinnear's enviable quagmire of talented midfielders. Stuart Holden continues to look like a star player waiting to happen, his recent performance in Olympic qualifying serving as the latest example. But how much will he play for the Dynamo?
As if the starting foursome (Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Dwayne De Rosario and Brad Davis) isn't tough enough to crack, Richard Mulrooney and fleet Corey Ashe join Holden in reserve, contributing to what is surely one of Major League Soccer's all-time biggest embarrassments of midfield riches. I asked Kinnear about this specifically during the preseason, and the two-time champion's manager believes the problem will work itself out.
First, the Dynamo have that packed schedule. The team opens MLS play in New England and then faces action in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in the next few days. Later this year, U.S. Open Cup and SuperLiga action await. Of course, Clark, De Rosario and Davis are likely to miss matches due to international duty. Plus, Holden is sure to be part of the U.S. Olympic team.
Story lines galore: We all know the obvious story lines for 2008. Will "three-peat" and "Dynamo" be used in the same sentence come November? Will Tom Soehn's significant tinkering at D.C. United finally get the RFK outfit over the top? Will the international offers stream in anew for big Brad Guzan this summer?
But surely the most interesting issue to play out over the next few months involves the other Home Depot Center operation, the Galaxy. Simply put, can Ruud Gullit's trio of attacking superstars compensate for a cast that skews young and untested otherwise?
The Galaxy roster is a fascinating study in extremes. There's David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz, backed by veteran defenders Chris Klein, Abel Xavier and Greg Vanney.
And then there's everybody else. And in this case, the "everybody else" is a gathering of fairly anonymous youngsters. It's fair to ask this question: Is that enough for Gullit's reclamation project? The central midfield in particular is a patchwork of youth, inexperience and relocated parts. Alvaro Pires is surely an MLS unknown. Mike Randolph is a converted left back. Josh Tudela has just nine matches of MLS experience. Or, is rookie second-round pick Ely Allen in the mix? And with all that, where does Peter Vagenas fit in?
For that matter, will Gullit even stay with the 4-3-3 he's used in the preseason, with Beckham and Donovan playing wide? Could it all have been a preseason smokescreen?
The battle for hearts and minds: There's reason to be curious about two of Major League Soccer's top talents, about whether their hearts can truly be in it.
In Chicago, Wilman Conde made no secret earlier this year of his affection for and loyalty to Juan Carlos Osorio. That smelled like a huge problem for the Fire since Osorio had changed addresses; he now directs the New York Red Bulls.
And in New England, Taylor Twellman made no secret during the winter of disappointment that his transfer bid to Preston North End had been rejected.
So, what of the pair now, as their sides head into seven months that require dogged dedication?
Twellman was in good spirits earlier this week as he met with media and talked about the situation for the first time. He seems genuinely excited to be starting the season, especially about kicking off at home, a rarity for the Revolution.
Fire officials say the situation with Conde was really more of a misunderstanding about how MLS works. In this country it's just not as easy to pick up and move within the league. Now that everything has been resolved, Fire manager Denis Hamlett says Conde is the same versatile force he was in 2007.
"We went through a rough patch, but he understands now that this is his job," Hamlett said. "We told him that we want him here, that we're not just going to give him away, because he's too good of a player. Now, everything's fine."
Conde looked comfortable at several positions last year. Hamlett wants to use him as a center back, next to veteran C.J. Brown.
Graduating into the limelight in '08: Want to be the smartest kid in class on the subject of MLS up-and-comers? Here are some names, formerly below the radar, to know for 2008:
Start with Tyson Wahl in Kansas City. Manager Curt Onalfo thought enough of the young backup to trade away veteran center back Nick Garcia. The 24-year-old Wahl will probably line up as a marker in the Wizards' new 3-5-2. (He also played center back next to Jimmy Conrad in a 4-4-2 during the preseason.)
It looks like new RSL defender Ian Joy has a lock on the left side in Jason Kreis' side. The success or failure of the St. Pauli (Germany) transfer may say a lot about how things go this year in Utah.
In Columbus, Sigi Schmid has big belief in young winger Robbie Rogers, who appears set to line up along the left in Saturday's opener. Rogers has the skill and audacity to go at defenders. If he gets a little confidence, look out.
At RFK, the versatile Devon McTavish could flourish as an outside midfielder. (He played mostly in central defense last year.) And Marc Burch did more than enough in 2007 to lock down the left-sided spot this year in United's defense. So he may be set for a big campaign on Soehn's side.
For Steve Nicol's three-time league runner-up Revolution, young Gambian Kenny Mansally might profit as a partner alongside prolific Taylor Twellman.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. 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.
