Our Competition

Na. SKC and NYRB maybe good eastern conference teams, and one of them will probably be in the Cup finals, most likely SKC.

But our main competition will be against Seattle, of course, but more importantly against a healthy RSL squad.

 

Yeah, I agree. RSL's off season has been relatively quite, and considering the talent they have, turnover is the last thing they need. A squad that gels is a BIG thing in MLS, considering that the worst team isn't that much worse than the best team. I have a lot of respect for what Kreis is doing up there.

Of course Seattle still has a talented squad, but we're their bogey team, so not to worry.

Vancouver's got a lot of offensive talent and a decent starting backline, but their midfield is too weak to be in the conversation of "competition" for us.

 

I think it'll take time for Vancouver to gel. They will be more formidable later in the season.

I'm actually less concerned about winning the SS since we now have an unbalanced schedule now. I'm very concerned about the playoffs (but we should have Omar back by then).

Still, I'm very glad that we have basically the same team but much more dangerous up top (which was our only weakness last year).

 

Meh, I just don't see it. Too much turn over to be good this year. Too many players who are unproven in this league (where many good players simply can't adapt). Their starting XI may be among the best in the league (even though I disagree with that), but depth in anything but striker will be a HUGE problem.

All in all, I think they'll be in a large group of MLS clubs right in the thick of things come the end of the season.

 

Wow, I forgot RSL. That's just about as terrible a brain fart as the guy who said SJ would be competition for us this year.

I'll add RSL to the top 4, but I stand by what I said about SKC and NYRB being real threats. SKC was just too green last year but is crazy-talented, and with NYRB, if they can ever manage to get their act together, they have a ton of talent. They are just not really a team you want to face in the playoffs particularly in a one-off game.

But yeah, leaving RSL off...my bad. It's been one of those days.

 

I really think you guys are going to be surprised with the Quakes. I totally understand why you would think we are going to be bottom of the barrel since we we've been terrible this past season. Our defense will be solid with Opara coming back and Bernardez coming in. We've gotten alot faster with the Marvin Chavez addition, and with Dawkins on the other wing with Lenhart coming back for a full season we will def be a playoff team and as you all know anything can happen in the playoffs so I wouldn't write us off just yet.

 

Is it confirmed that you're getting Dawkins back? I thought he was trying to stay at Tottenham? If so, that's great, he's a helluva player.

 

Pretty much. Someone on our board posted a Spurs Insider twitter account who is reporting that Dawkins will be back

 

I look forward to the matches. Should be fun.

 

Yeah me too. Especially with the unbalanced schedule and us playing you 3 times this year. It will be nice for us to finally be good enough to be a rival for you guys. Quakes vs Galaxy has great history to it so the fans cannot let it die

 

I was going through the Offseason Moves thread on MLS N&A, and noticed that New York has signed Wilman Conde. That's a really nice one for them, somehow I had missed that. Chalk one up for the Red Bulls

 

Yeah, seriously. That signing really went under the radar. He was a guy that I was hoping for as a replacement signing this off-season, plus they got him for non-DP money. People complain about the Galaxy and our signings, but it's clear with all of our allocation money how we could make our moves. NY hardly has any allocation money, they make the playoffs and never make CCL. I don't know how they balance the books and stay under the cap.

But I wanted Wilman Conde, that's for sure.

 

Not hard to do. Outside of the Red Iguana... everything in SLC is forgettable.

 

I think his best days are behind him. He's clearly not the same player he was with Chicago. He struggled in Mexico and has had multiple foot surgeries. He still is not recovered from the his last foot surgery that ended his season after only 13 games. NY can have him.

 

http://blog.sfgate.com/soccer/2012/02/14/quakes-sign-simon-dawkins/

We got Dawkins Back! Let the Rivalry Live On!!!

 

Congrats, great player. Are you going to pick up Bentley, as well? I'm interested to see where he ends up.

 

Montreal picks up Barry Robson, who will come over in the summer window from Middlesbrough on a free. Nice pickup for them, he's got a great motor and is a tough, tough player who can dominate the midfield. This is also yet another crowning insult for me as a Boro fan. Now we are losing players to the MLS! It's bad enough that we lost just about everyone right before and after relegation (Downing, Adam Johnson, Schwarzer, Wheater, Huth, to name just a few of many), but now an expansion MLS side can sign our players?? Man. It's been a rough 4 years.

 

Rennie's storyline for his first season in MLS is one that interests me almost as much as the Galaxy. He seems to have a particular aptitude in assembling good teams and getting them to play well. I don't expect him to adapt to MLS instantaneously, but I think if the Whitecaps front office gives him the time he'll be a great manager.

 

Man, for some reason I have it stuck in my head that Rennie got hired by Montreal, even though I know that's not the case.

Things are certainly going to be interesting in Vancouver this year. Tons of forwards, new coach, still not much defense---it won't be boring, that's for sure.

With Portland and Vancouver making strides forward this year the power balance in the MLS continues to move West. If NE and DC continue to stink, that's not going to change any time soon.

 

With Seattle now adding Eddie Johnson to pair with Montero; they have the potential to put up some really good numbers.

 

What rivalry?

 

I'm so glad we got Edson back rather than making any bid for head-case Eddie.