Keepin’ It Real thought we would put together our season projections. Participating are Randy Davis, Darin Hoopes, Craig Jackson and RSL PR-staffer extraordinaire – John Koluder. As I’m posting this while watching the Sounders destroy NYRB in the first half I am tempted to change my pics, but did not do so.
What are your thoughts on the season?
Eastern Conference
| Davis | Koluder | Hoopes | Jackson | Consensus | |
| 1. | Columbus | Columbus | New England | Columbus | Columbus |
| 2. | Chicago | Chicago | Columbus | Chicago | Chicago |
| 3. | Toronto FC | Kansas City | New York | Kansas City | Kansas City |
| 4. | Kansas City | Toronto | Toronto | New England | New England |
| 5. | New York | New York | Kansas City | New York | Toronto |
| 6. | New England | New England | Chicago | Toronto | New York |
| 7. | DC United | DC United | DC United | DC United | DC United |
Comments:
Davis: To me there are 4 contenders in the East: Columbus, Chicago, Toronto, and Kansas City. Columbus will be the most solid of these teams from start to finish. Kansas City is a bit of a wildcard in that group as Lopez and Herzig can perform at a high level. Toronto will play very different attacking style this season, but has question marks in defense. I think Carver is an excellent coach and will get the most out of big personalities like DeRo and Guevara. Chad Barrett will score goals this year and if Pablo Vitti is the real thing they could challenge for top of the league in goals scored. However, Chicago will come on strong at the end of the season.
Koluder: Everyone’s in love with the East (I’m still awaiting some pundit to say it’ll get six playoff teams, though it hasn’t happened just yet), but other than the Fire and Crew there’s some legit question marks for each squad. The Crew stay on top of my list heading into ‘09… seems they can replace what they lost from within (including that Schmid guy). The Wizards pick is a bit speculative, but if Herzig and Lopez can spearhead that offense they could end up on the better half of a lot of shootouts at The CAB. Toronto has improved just enough to become a playoff team, and if New York can gel quickly they might just take the Reds’ spot. This is the year that New England and D.C. finally realize some of their core parts need to be turned in for newer, younger models.
Hoopes: The New England and Chicago picks are really just hunches. New England does not appear to be doing as well with bringing in new talent to replace the old as they did in the past. Chicago appears set to make a solid run. However, with the parity in this league you know there will be unexpected successes and failures. Who would have predicted Columbus to have the kind of year they had last year? This fact makes me want to make a couple of unexpected picks. I'm sure these will be good for a laugh come the end of October. Columbus should make the playoffs, but it's hard not to think there will be atleast some struggles with consistency given a head coaching change. My placement of New York has mostly to do with my belief in Angel. I think there is a good chance that this is the year Toronto makes it to the playoffs for the first time. The fact that the east looks to be very competitive again won't make it easy. I expect Kansas City to perform similar to the last couple of years. I think they will be fighting for a playoff spot once again. I think Christian Gomez will have a decent year, but his move back to DC doesn't strike me as a recipe for a return to the MLS Cup. They could pull it together, but I think it will take them too long to do so.
Jackson: The Crew and Fire will have a great battle for top spot. The Crew will eek out the top spot and the Supporter's Sheild because of Schelotto. The Wizards and Revs will be the next battle for the last couple of playoff spots. The Wizards have a solid team and will jump past the Revs in standings from last year's one-point margin. The last 3 (Red Bulls, Toronto FC and DC United) will be competing for the coveted best team not-in-the-playoffs.
Western Conference
| Davis | Koluder | Hoopes | Jackson | Consensus | |
| 1. | Houston | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake |
| 2. | Real Salt Lake | Houston | Houston | Houston | Houston |
| 3. | San Jose | Chivas | Chivas | Dallas | Chivas |
| 4. | Colorado | Colorado | LA Galaxy | Chivas | San Jose |
| 5. | Chivas | Seattle | San Jose | San Jose | Colorado |
| 6. | Dallas | San Jose | Colorado | Colorado | Dallas |
| 7. | Seattle | Dallas | Seattle | Seattle | Seattle |
| 8. | LA Galaxy | LA Galaxy | Dallas | LA Galaxy | LA Galaxy |
Comments:
Davis: To be honest I think this is a two-way race. San Jose will need time to come together. Colorado has an athletic roster, but not the technical ability or the organization to be a real challenger. Chivas will give up goals this season, and I’m not convinced any of their forwards are at top form. Kljestan is also likely to depart come summer. Dallas is a mess, but Van den Bergh will help some. Seattle could be good offensively, but may have defensive question marks, and will need to gel as a group. Look for Montero to score goals and be the newcomer of the year. The LA Galaxy soap opera will continue. So that leaves RSL and Houston and the only reason I picked Houston over RSL is so that I wouldn’t be a total homer. Houston appears to have lost something, but I said that last year as well.
Koluder: A bit of a homer pick? Sure, and I’ll readily admit that! But with RSL’s defense unit familiar and solidified, not a lot of goals are going to have to be scored in order for RSL to blow past last season’s .500 record. Houston will move for the striker it needs at midseason and settle in for its usual strong finish, while Chivas might be heading the other way at season’s end, depending on the transfer status of Sacha Kljestan and whether injuries rear their ugly heads once again. Colorado will improve just enough to pick up that elusive playoff spot after near misses the last two seasons, but Seattle will challenge them briskly for it IF their defense can stand firm. San Jose’s got a lot of wild cards but will take time to get it together, not sold on what Dallas is trying to do (although I did love the van den Bergh acquisition), and the Galaxy will continue to improve while still bleeding goals.
Hoopes: Obviously a tendency to have an overly optimistic outlook for RSL still has a strong hold on me.The parity of MLS makes us far from a definite pick. However, a team with good chemistry and a belief in their potential is the best antidote for the inherent up and downs that parity always brings. Houston would seem to be a team that has reached it's peak and is on the decline, but I believe they still have that all important ability to find ways to win. While I think there is the potential for Chivas to have a very bad season, I think Preki's coaching ability makes them more likely to succeed than others. My biggest desire, beyond seeing us win every game against them, is to not see Eskandarian get another chance to celebrate a goal that was handed to him as though he had performed a feat of phenomal skill. I put LA at #4? Hopefully this doesn't discredit my placement of RSL at #1 too badly. It probably should. I blame everything on parity. This team is still a mess. I have lost most of the respect I once had for Bruce Arena, but he should still have the ability to put together an MLS team that can win with some consistency. The fact that there are so many people predicting failure here could help give the players some motivation and plant the seeds for some team chemistry. The fact that Alexi Lalas is no longer around could only help matters. I would be surprised if San Jose are not improved from last year and they weren't bad for an expansion team. I expect them to be fighting for a playoff spot at the end of the season. I think Colorado has a decent chance to be fighting for a playoff spot as well with a new coach bringing in a new mentality. The one thing you could always count on with the Rapids of the past was inconsistency. You almost start to think you should feel some relief for the poor Crapids fans for finally getting rid of Clavijo. Then I remember that sweet feeling of sitting in their stands when we knocked them out of the playoffs. Here's to hoping they don't find a way to play with more consistency! Seattle appear to have the makings to be one of the better expansion teams we've seen for awhile. They might be fighting for a playoff spot, but I don't expect more from them than that. I am putting Dallas as last in the west, but honestly, I just had to pick somebody. I wouldn't be all that surprised if they get things together and make the playoffs. However, they have had a number plans turn out very poorly the last couple of years and they are still struggling with those setbacks. It looks to me like it will be awhile before they turn things around. Most of all, I expect there to be a lot left to be decided the last couple of weeks of the season in both the east and the west.
Jackson: RSL, Dynamo and FCD will be battling for top spot of the West. I had to give to my boys in Utah because they played the best football in the league at the end of last season. Looking for them to continue their run. Houston has been downgraded big on many boards, but I believe they will still give RSL a run for the stop spot. FC Dallas will have a deadly team, however lack in consistency. Chivas and the Quakes will be going back-and-forth til Chivas just squeeks their way in late in the season. The Quakes will be one of the scariest teams to play against, but they still need to build the winning mentality to make the playoffs. Rapids, Sounders and Galaxy are interchangeable at the bottom. I think Sounders are just over-hyped. Most of these boys just met each other a few months ago. How can you expect them to be a playoff-caliber team in a very competitive top half of the league?
MLS Cup Playoffs
| Davis | Koluder | Hoopes | Jackson | |
| East. Conf. Champs | Chicago | Columbus | Columbus | Chicago |
| West. Conf Champs | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake |
| MLS Cup Champs | Chicago | Columbus | Real Salt Lake | Chicago |
Comments:
Davis: I wish I could pick RSL here, but the veteran play of McBride and Blanco will prove to be too much.
Koluder: There’s something to be said for The Crew’s stability, and if they can avoid the injury bug I think they are the team to beat come November. An entertaining 3-2 Cup win over RSL that is in doubt until the final whistle.
Jackson: Afterwards, Blanco and McBride retire. Coincidentally, both end up playing for Club America less than 2 months later.
