MLS flavors of the week: 2012 Edition [MLS R's]

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by EXALIFTIN, Mar 4, 2012.

  1. EXALIFTIN

    EXALIFTIN Member+

    Nov 23, 2010
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Last years Thread https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1685226&highlight=MLS+flavors+week We are one week away from the start of the MLS season, Vancover Vs Montreal will be the first match of the season next Saturday although some clubs have CCCL games starting on Wednesday. Any predictions for players that will step it up or flop this season? Here are mine :D

    1.Kelyn Rowe will countine his good pre-season form into the regular season and subsequently win MLS rookie of the year

    2. Chicago Fire's CB Jaili Anibaba will have a breakout season

    3. Andrew Wenger will find the Transition from College Forward to MLS forward to difficult and will not live up to his expectations as the Overall #1 draft pick (Note I've never seen Wenger play so I base this prediction on absolutely nothing :p)
     
  2. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I missed this thread a lot! Hopefully Agudelo has a huge year. Same goes for Adu.
     
  3. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    experienced guys who will shine:

    Zizzo, Evans, Clarke, Leinart.

    Oh, and the two returning Ed's: Buddle & Johnson.

    What's the status of Brad Davis & Chris Pontius?
     
  4. EXALIFTIN

    EXALIFTIN Member+

    Nov 23, 2010
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Both have been playing for their team in Pre-season matches and should be good to go for First Kick. :)
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nothing about predictions but a couple things I'm looking at.......


    1. I'm hoping for Landon Donovan to lead the Galaxy on a deep Champion's league run.

    2. I'm hoping Opara can stay healthy and have a solid season for San Jose

    3. I'm hoping to see Luis Gil, Amobi Okugo and Juan Agudelo play as much as possible.

    4. Really interested to see Brek Shea's season, hoping for some answers to the questions left by his late season fade. Hoping for good answers.

    5. Generally going to keeping my eye on all our U-23 hopefuls, Hamid, Johnson, Villafana, Kitchen, Valentin, Sarkodie, Williams, Okugo, Duka, Adu, Agudelo, Bunbury. I'll also be keeping my eye on if any of the upcoming U-20s can get some playing time.
     
  6. USAMEX10

    USAMEX10 Member+

    Sep 24, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    A guy thats gone under the radar by many is Luis Silva. He's had a good preseason and has impressed at TFC. It'll be interesting to see how much of an impact this talented attacking mid will have his rookie year along with Rowe. You'll have a chance to see him when the Galaxy play tfc next wed. for CCL. I think this year draft was talented enough to see a couple more rookies have an impact imo.
     
  7. keller4president

    Jan 5, 2006
    Keep an eye out on Kenny Cooper. I think he's going to return in force this year. And Feilhaber as well.
     
  8. USAMEX10

    USAMEX10 Member+

    Sep 24, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    I'm also interested to see how young CB's Schuler and Anibaba progress. I think they have the potential to get looks for usmnt one day. Im not so sure about Cooper. He didn't have that great of a year last season. I'd hope for Backe to give Agudelo more chances/minutes also
     
  9. Skevin

    Skevin Member+

    Aug 9, 2009
    Colorado
    Club:
    Aston Villa FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Czechia
    AJ Delagarza will be the main man on defense this year for LA since Omar Gonzalez is out nearly all season. This could be year when AJ really comes into his own as a defender.
     
  10. babieca

    babieca Member

    Jul 12, 2009
    Charlotte, NC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm excited to see what Zac MacMath can do as an everyday starter.

    Other than him, there's nobody who I feel is poised to have a breakout year, although I'm sure couple guys will.
     
  11. Gamecock14

    Gamecock14 Member+

    May 27, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Philly has a team with a some young American talent, it should be nice to see.
     
  12. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Galaxy---Buddle, Donovan. It's all about maintaining with these two. Can LD continue his standard? Buddle has put together a couple of excellent years in a row. Can he keep his mind right and continue to get even better?

    Houston - Cameron, Sarkodie. Hopefully Cam stays at centerback thus in the National Team picture. Not much room for error being centerback in MLS. He needs to be one the most dominant and the defense playing well to continue getting callups. Sarkodie wasn't strong in the U23 Mexico match. Time for Sheanon Williams?

    Philly - Farfans, Williams, Adu, Okugo, Mwanga--It's Freddy's team with Frenchy now gone. He's had a full preseason of work with his club for the first time in 4 years. Could be a great year if he can put it all together at U23 and club level with consistent performances. Can Mwanga be that goal eating center forward for Philly. How is the citizenship process coming along?
     
  13. elvinjones

    elvinjones Member

    Jul 4, 2011
    San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I havent analyzed other mls teams to properly compare, but San Jose has a dam good team this year, I could see them beating anyone when they play properly.

    Like preseason v chivas yest 5-0. Still...5-0?
     
  14. EXALIFTIN

    EXALIFTIN Member+

    Nov 23, 2010
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Chivas have had a pretty bad Pre-season though they lost to club TJ's reserves 5-2 a couple weeks ago. Although this is still a good sign for the quakes
     
  15. elvinjones

    elvinjones Member

    Jul 4, 2011
    San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Tijuana? Premera Division teams usually play their reserves against mls teams, and as the results go, rightly so. But I know most MLS teams have improved, so our whole league has gotten better.
     
  16. Skevin

    Skevin Member+

    Aug 9, 2009
    Colorado
    Club:
    Aston Villa FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Czechia
    Yeah and Swansea can win the EPL.
     
  17. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, Chivas is The worst team in the league. We'll see where SJ is at when they play the Revs week one. If they can dominate that game, they might be the team some SJ fans think they are.
     
  18. clashcityrocker

    Mar 12, 1999
    In the shadow of RFK
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Let's be honest - even if both teams have improved, San Jose v. New England is closer to a bum fight than it is to Arsenal - Tottenham. Both teams were awful last year.

    And to keep it on topic I'd love to see Wondolowski keep banging goals in and finally put a few away for the Nats.
     
  19. Agudelo_for_MVP

    Agudelo_for_MVP BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jan 4, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I think Gil will have a breakout year, and become a senior USMNT player by the end of the season. I think that Agudelo will either end up having a disappointing season with NY warming the bench for less talented players, or he transfers to Europe before the season is over.

    I think Brek has a great season, and gets a transfer to a Champions League team at the end of the summer transfer window. I think Donovan wins MVP having his best season yet, and I think Wenger wins ROY.

    The guy that I think people should look out for is Ryan Meara of NY. He is going to be the starting goalie this year, and he is a very good player.
     
  20. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I think a less exaggerated version of one of these events may happen .
     
  21. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gil as a senior international seems the least likely of those.

    Sadly I could see Agudelo having a tough season.

    Shea to a Champion's league team seems easily plausible, probably the most probable of them. Maybe Molde, Anderlecht will be interested. :)
     
  22. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    Agree 100 percent.

    I really liked Silva at UCSB and felt he should have been a GA player last season. He was ready then. He had a great senior year for the Gauchos and has had a great preseason and I'll be surprised if he isn't knocking on the door for Camp Cupcake next year, if not sooner.

    Another player I'm really intrigued to watch is the Velasquez kid at Salt Lake. I've never actually seen him play but everything I've read about him has been very positive.
     
  23. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    If Shea has a good year in MLS plus the Olympics...........clubs with deeper pockets than Molde will be enquiring about his services.

    This'll be Shea's last year in the league. I fully believe that.

    It'll also be interesting to see what the ending of the George John on-and-off-and-on-and-off-again transfer saga to Europe is. Nothing has changed with regards to his contract. It's still ending after the 2012 season, and he doesn't seem interested in re-signing. I actually don't expect him to finish the year with FCD, but go to Europe in the summer transfer window.
     
  24. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Who are the rookies primed to perform/AKA get serious minutes from the get-go?

    from what i've read so far Austin Berry-CB (Chicago), Ryan Meara-G (NYRB), Tommy Meyer-CB (Los Angeles Galaxy), Colin Rolfe-F (Houston), Andrew Wenger-should be CB but instead playing FW (Montreal), Tyler Polak-LB (Revs), Kelyn Rowe-AM (Revs), Luis Silva-AM (Toronto), Casey Townsend-F (Chivas), Charles Renken-AM (Portland), Sam Garza-F (San Jose Earthquakes)
     
  25. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    It was more tongue in cheek than anything. But yes to get Shea out of MLS is going to take a minimum of $10 million or more.


    I think Rowe will have the best season of those listed there, but that's just my guess.
     

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