As we come up on the end of another calendar decade, I figured we’d have a discussion on who everyone thought was the best team of the 201Xs. The trigger for this is an article from MLS where they say the Sounders are the team of the decade. I’m hopelessly biased, so I completely agree with them, of course. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...eattle-sounders?amp&__twitter_impression=true The rest of the top 5 listed in the article are: If it weren’t for the last 2016 and 2017, the Galaxy would have walked away with the “title”, but missing the playoffs twice and finishing last undid the dominance of the first half of the decade, IMHO.
So then, the team of the 90's is inarguably DC United. The team of the Aughts? Probably the Galaxy? They shouldn't count, but you could make a case for the Earthquakes/Dynamo.
Here's hoping the Sounders prioritize USOC enough to at least play squad players this year, instead of the janitor and the U-14s. But, yes, well done for decade.
Galaxy have more Cups in the decade, yes? I would say recency bias for Seattle. More Cups & more Shields trumps Seattle's better USOC haul for me. YMMV. Sounders more consistent over the decade, however. Team, Cup (1st/2nd), SS, USOC/CC = Tot 1. LAG: 3/0, 2, 0/0 = 5. 2. Sea: 2/1, 1, 3/1 = 6. 3. TFC: 1/2, 1, 6 = 8. 4. SKC: 1/0, 0, 3 = 4. 5. NYRB: 0/0, 3, 0/1 = 3 ------------------- 6. ATL: 1/0, 0, 1/0 = 2. 7. FCD: 0/1, 1, 1/0 = 2. ------------- 8. Port: 1/1, 0, 0/0 = 1. 9. COL: 1/0, 0, 0/0 = 1. 10. Hou: 0/2, 0, 1 = 1. T11. SJE: 0/0, 1, 0/0 = 1. T11. LAFC, 0/0, 1, 0/0 = 1. 13. DCU: 0/0, 0, 1/0 = 1. ------------ T14. RSL: 0/1, 0, 0/1 = 0. T14. NE: 0/1, 0, 0/1 = 0. T14. CLB: 0/1, 0, 0/1 = 0. 17. Philly: 0/0, 0, 0/3 = 0. T18. Fire: 0/0, 0, 0/1 = 0. T18. Minny: 0/0, 0, 0/1 = 0.
When talking about best MLS Team of a decade, any decade in MLS history, the very fact that the writer of this article actually typed in FC Dallas is the funniest thing I have read in a while! HAHA!!!
Since I started watching in 2014 it's Seattle, unfortunately. Their style of play and late runs into the playoffs haven't made many friends outside of Washington State.
Possibly, although at the rate that MLS progressed over the decade there's some merit in weighting more recent wins more heavily.
I'm not sure I'd weight recent wins more heavily, but it also means we shouldn't discount the Galaxy's period of suck after Beckham and Donovan left. If the Galaxy hadn't had the 2017 season, they would have easily walked away with the "award". But since they not only had a bad season, but got the wooden spoon in 2017, that should counter one of the Galaxy's MLS Cups (or SS), which brings them back into line with the Sounders when coupled with USOC performance.
I'd disagree with that. I don't think one lost season should be weighted that heavily. Ultimately it's 6 trophies to 5, and more spread out across the decade, plus the box office success, which at the end of the day is the story of MLS in the 2010's. The Sounders winning big games at a packed-to-the-gills CenturyLink, that's the image to take from this decade.
A decade is a long time on which to judge a team. I get that it fits nicely into our base 10 thought processes, tho. This should have waited until 2027, at least.