Galaxy Will Be Tested Without Beckham and Donovan

A Landon Donovan missed penalty kick in the shootout prevented the Los Angeles Galaxy from winning the MLS Cup in 2009. For the regular season and playoff Western Conference champions, it may have been just the beginning of more disappointment for the club. David Beckham, the team’s designated player and the man media go in a frenzy over, will miss six months—two more additional months than he would have missed after his loan to AC Milan and a trip to the World Cup with England were up—with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in a Serie A match against Chievo Verona. Missing Beckham is a two-fold problem. He obviously is a talented player that really helps the team play at its best. Known for his pinpoint bending crosses and shots, Beckham has been very good in transition from defense to offense and providing great service to the forwards. Although the Galaxy have played well without him in the past, when Beckham returned from loan last season he really pushed the Galaxy over the edge and made them MLS Cup contenders. The second issue is what kind of fan support will they receive now? Beckham was a huge draw for the team, both home and away, and generated a ...

Philadelphia Union To Begin Inaugural Season in MLS

The City of Brotherly Love finally has an MLS franchise to embrace. The Philadelphia Union will embark on its inaugural season with full support from the fan group, the Sons of Ben, and they certainly have a lot to be excited about. Putting together an entirely new team has its advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side is that the coach, former U.S. Men’s National Team assistant Peter Nowak, can shape the team any way he likes. The negative is that there are holes at every single position, on the field and for reserves, that need to be filled. What Nowak and the rest of the Philadelphia front office seem to have done is follow the blueprint last season by the then-expansion Seattle Sounders: start by creating a stingy defense. The defense starts between the pipes with heralded prospect Chris Seitz. Seitz was selected fourth overall in the 2007 MLS Super Draft and is considered to be in line to be one of the next best American goalkeepers. In his three years at Real Salt Lake, however, he had trouble finding playing time. Nick Rimando shined as the starter, and Seitz has only appeared in seven league games. Now, he finally gets the chance to live up to ...

New York Red Bulls Look to Bounce Back After 2009 Debacle

In 2009, the New York Red Bull franchise hit rock bottom. The hope for this year is that moving away from the House of Horrors will exorcise the demons that plague the franchise. After over a decade of promises, the Red Bulls will finally move out of the barren Giants Stadium and into the pinnacle of soccer-specific stadiums in America that will be known as Red Bull Arena. The hope is that the new stadium will invigorate the fans, and that the increased closeness of the stadium, where the stands are only a mere 21 feet away from the sidelines and 27 feet away from the end-line, will create an entirely different atmosphere compared to the rather empty Giants Stadium. Still, a shiny new place to call home will not really change the performance of the team on the pitch. Last season, the Red Bulls finished with the worst record in all of MLS and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Another offseason completed and another roster overhaul has taken place. The makeover begins with a new coach. Hans Backe has become the 12th coach since the franchise’s inception in 1996. He has zero experience in MLS, and the past shows that ...

Seattle Sounders FC Looks To Build on MLS Success in Year Two

The Seattle Sounders set the blueprint for all of the incoming MLS expansion franchises to follow. A well-run organization that put together a fine product on the pitch—and was heavily supported by legions of fans—made the Sounders one of the top stories in all of Major League Soccer last season. This year, the Sounders will be out to prove that they are neither a novelty nor a fluke. They will look to build upon their first-round playoff finish last season. On paper they look to continue on that path, as the Sounders return the core of their team from last season. Captain and goalkeeper Kasey Keller returns to lead a defense that tied for the least amount of goals surrendered. Also returning are designated player and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, 2009 Newcomer of the Year Freddy Montero, and Defender of the Year finalist Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. These four were the biggest reasons for Seattle’s success last season. Keller and Ljungberg have countless years of experience at the international level and at some of the world’s biggest clubs, as well as World Cup experience. They, along with Hurtado, helped anchor arguably the league’s best defense. Two returning players to look out for breakout seasons from are last year’s ...