SI says DC will finish last?

[C. Ronaldo7]

This thread is to share insight and comments on this prediction made by Sports Illustrated. Personally I am cancelling my subscription because the editors must be on drugs.

[galperin]

Link to article?

[McOwen]

I love SI... soft to the touch, thoroughly absorbing (the articles.)... Why it makes a great substitute for toilet paper the moment I run out. :o

[AndyMead]

I love SI... soft to the touch, thoroughly absorbing (the articles.)... Why it makes a great substitute for toilet paper the moment I run out. :o

I figured you wanted DC to finish last this year, just so you could show those Etcheverry haters that you were right.

[79United]

SI doesn't give two sh!ts about MLS or DCU. They probably just recycled last years predictions.

TS.

[DigitalTron]

Look, all 10 teams in MLS are very close talent-wise. One good run could take a team from out of the playoffs into MLS Cup. Just ask the New England Revolution and LA Galaxy.

I think some teams have improved significantly, like Columbus. If their newly renovated defense (Simon Elliott at Dmid, Robin Fraser and Chad Marshall in Central Defense, and Chris Wingert to compete at left back) slows the bleeding in the back, then they could go all the way. They replaced Brian McBride with Erick Scott, who may actually score more goals for them. If Buddle and Martino stay healthy, they're going to be lethal. Cunningham will get his goals regardless. So, it's a solid prediction that they'll improve.

New England gets a healthy Joe-Max Moore and Taylor Twellman, an experienced Jose Cancela, Pat Noonan and Shalrie Joseph, and everyone back on defense. If their central defense can stay healthy without Llamosa showing his age, then they should be quite solid, even if they're rather unexciting to watch.

Bob Bradley has added a very underrated defender in Bonseau, and a top forward in Galvan. Guys like Eddie Gaven, Mike Magee and the illustrious Ricardo Clark will be ready for the grueling MLS season. And they may have found another sleeper in this kid Parke. Projecting (dangerously) that Eddie Pope will miss less games this season because of injury (ok, foolishly projecting ...) and this team looks pretty strong.

Obviously the Fire were dominant last season, and look to be just as strong this year.

So the difference in quality among all 5 Eastern Conference teams is quite thin. IMHO, Nowak will make the difference. He recognizes how to use Convey and Stewart, which should help the attack. Freddy will also energize our scoring. But in the end, we lacked a finisher last year, and didn't add one this season. So I'm ok with SI's predictions, they're safe and retro-spective.

I, on the other hand, think that DC United underachieved last season. The solid defense remains, and those ties will be mostly wins this year, and many of the losses should be ties or wins. That can make a huge difference. Now that we've taken the shackles off of the attacking players, we should score more goals, and that'll make all the difference for us in the standings.

-Digital

[MikeLastort2]

SI doesn't give two sh!ts about MLS or DCU. They probably just recycled last years predictions.

TS.
You might want to let Grant Wahl know that so he can quit wasting his time writing MLS articles for the magazine.

:rolleyes:

[eurojack]

You might want to let Grant Wahl know that so he can quit wasting his time writing MLS articles for the magazine.

:rolleyes:

Grant Wahl is proof that SI doesn't give a rat's ass about soccer. If he wasn't writing about college hoops the majority of the time, he probably wouldn't be on board at the magazine.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder how many articles Grant Wahl writes for the actual SI magazine each year.

Props go to him for fighting the good fight, but he's basically trying to sell French wine at McDonalds.

[MikeLastort2]

Grant Wahl is proof that SI doesn't give a rat's ass about soccer. If he wasn't writing about college hoops the majority of the time, he probably wouldn't be on board at the magazine.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder how many articles Grant Wahl writes for the actual SI magazine each year.

Props go to him for fighting the good fight, but he's basically trying to sell French wine at McDonalds.
You are aware that in the USA soccer is a marginal sport at best, right?

He writes great articles about the league and the sport of soccer, and has done so for a good number of years. At McDonalds I'd rather drink French wine than a Coke. FWIW, no one is forcing soccer fans to buy or read Sports Illustrated. If you don't like it, don't read it.

So, why is it that soccer fans are never satisified with the coverage the sport is given in this country?

[Sandon Mibut]

I can't really blame the magazine for picking DCU last. To refresh the memories, we scored a grand total of five goals in preseason, one of those was a PK, our only wins this spring were over minor league teams, we needed the aforementioned PK to beat a D-III team and our best attacker is 14.

This team struggled to score goals last year and, save for Freddy, did nothing to upgrade the attack.

The defense is solid, arguably the best in the league. But, our GK is coming back from an ACL and is replacement has never won a game in MLS.

Remember, we just squeaked into the playoffs last year but haven't gotten better. And, if a replacement doesn't step forward for Marco, the team may not be as good.

At the same time, Columbus is arguably better (I really like the Fraser move), adding Fraser, Elliott, Lagos, Erick Scott, Matt Jordan and two of the best backs in college soccer last year in Marshall and Wingert.

I'm not saying United IS gonna finish last, but I don't fault folks for picking the team to do so.

And, for the record, I think Grant Wahl does a great job on soccer - and college hoops - at SI and I'm gonna continue to subscribe.

[McOwen]

I figured you wanted DC to finish last this year, just so you could show those Etcheverry haters that you were right.

What the hell are you talking about? If you want to take a shot at me and my support of the team, then back it up fan boy. I'm there every game and will be to the end.

--On second thought, just stick to the pictures Andy. Your good at that.

[AndyMead]

What the hell are you talking about? You want to take a shot at me and my support of the team back it up fan boy. I'm there every game and will be to the end.


I wasn't taking a shot at you over your support for your team. I know you bleed DC red, black, and white.

I was taking a shot at you over your belief that Marco Etcheverry was a useful player last year. That's all.

[CHICO13]

I was taking a shot at you over your belief that Marco Etcheverry was a useful player last year. That's all.
I blame Marco's usefullness or lack there of on Ray Hudson. He strips him of the captains armband midseason and says Marco's role will be limited. Marco in the true role of the ultimate professional takes it in stride and says he will do what's best for the team. So what does Hudson do? He plays him 100 plus minutes in a blazing midsummer game. Marco could've come in at the 60-65 minute mark and made a difference and did on occasion. But when Ray saw that his plan was not working, he went back to El Diablo to clean up his mess. Attributing DC's suck ass season on Etcheverry is lame and flat out wrong.

[MikeLastort2]

What the hell are you talking about? If you want to take a shot at me and my support of the team, then back it up fan boy. I'm there every game and will be to the end.

--On second thought, just stick to the pictures Andy. Your good at that.
Lighten up Owen. Andy was joking around.

[GoDC]

Pretty much every prediction had Columbus winning the East last year and LA being a good bet to repeat. Guess what, this is MLS. Nothing is sure, one or two players stepping up can turn a team around. It starts for real on Saturday.

[roadkit]

SI predicts DCU to finish last. Whoopty-do. They have a one-in-ten chance of being right.

All this means is that if DC isn't at the bottom of the standings at the end of the season, we can all write letters to SI telling them they suck and to kiss our not-at-the-bottom-of-the-standings asses.

I see it as a win-win. :p

[Catfish]

SI doesn't give two sh!ts about MLS or DCU. They probably just recycled last years predictions.

TS.

LOL...finally, I'm not the only one that thinks that SI is a pile of bat droppings! And don't get me started on ESPN the Magazine either..lol. Sporting News is the best US sports mag.

For football....Four Four Two is the standard! GREAT STUFF, fantastic article about Raul and Southampton vs. Portsmouth (English Southcoast Rivalry). Just picked it up yesterday...I'm going to start getting a subscription.

What is the best MLS magazine?

[AndyMead]

Pretty much every prediction had Columbus winning the East last year and LA being a good bet to repeat. Guess what, this is MLS. Nothing is sure, one or two players stepping up can turn a team around. It starts for real on Saturday.

This is a great post. Parity has really made predicting the standings all but impossible.

[ChrisE]

What is the best MLS magazine?

Look between these posts.

[rjdolesh]

We got into the playoffs last year? Ha! Fancy that.