Still early, but who do you think will win the cup? Colorado and Kansas City are left out because there can only be 8 options and I view them as the least likely.
Least likely? Colorado will kill this year. Their team is a scoring machine. Their 4th best striker would start on the Quakes, no question.
Spejic is right. And Kansas City? Wolff, Preki, Klein, and Armstrong mean nothing? This year has probably the most balanced rosters in MLS history (save perhaps San Jose.) People count out Chicago as well. Don't listen to them. They have a midfield consisting of Kelly Gray, DaMarcus Beasley, and Chris Armas; Rodrigo Faria and Ante Razov up top, and a back line with CJ Brown, Jim Curtin, and Carlos Bocanegra. San Jose seems to be the least likely to win it all (as much as I hate saying that) and LA or Dallas (who is too stacked not to go the distance) are my favorites.
Prediction: SJ finishes last, trades number 1 pick in Superdraft to DC for Devin Barclay. DC takes Freddy Adu.
      Kansas City is in Missouri, while Colorado is just east of Utah.       GO EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
I choose the Quakes because Landon will score 40 goals and IBT will fall in love with him all over again.
As bitter as it is to say as a Quakes' fan, realistically you can't count out L.A. this year. That said, I also expect Dallas to come on strong. Colorado does have a lot of offensive might but if you can't keep them out of your own net--that just makes you an average team. KC and the Quakes will be competitive and one will miss out on the post-season. Back East, I favor Columbus with the MetroStars as my darkhorse. Bradley has always gotten results. I admire his approach and abilities. I believe that he will fashion a pretty fine team out of them by year's end. I don't expect NE to do as well as last year. Given the plans they started to make with Nowak, then to watch him retire has gotta sting. DC is loaded on paper--so were the Redskins in football and look what the big names got them. Chicago...a very pesky "also-ran" this season. West favorite--Galaxatives West darkhorse--Dallas East favorite--Columbus East darkhorse--MetroStars MLS Cup-- Crew 3, Dallas 1. (But I hope I'm totally wrong and our Quakes grab the final WIN of the season!!! Go Quakes!!!)
My top three in no particular order are DC United, Colorado and the Galaxatives. Sadly, I fear the Quakes will finish near the bottom of the league or in the middle as a best case scenario. Columbus and the Metrostars will be filler this year but probably finish above us unless we get our act together.
San Jose probably has as good a chance as anyone, especially as the West is far more competitive than the East this season. San Jose can go all the way simply because it can be a repeat of 2001 in the sense no one will know what to make of this team beyond our defence and Donovan... Considering our style of play will alter because of who we will have up top: Ching, DeRosario, Donovan, Mullan, and Wegerle we may have the element of surprise for the first half of the season. Also add to the fact because the West is stronger with Colorado, Dallas, KC and LA significantly improved, when it comes down to playoff time...good teams will have to eliminate good teams.. For example look at a probable scenario: ------------------------- 1 LA 2 Dallas 3 SJ 4Colorado 5KC 1 LA v Colorado 4 3 SJ v Dallas 2 And San Jose could handle a home and away series with any of the teams this season. In all liklihood, what I assume MLS would love to see, is a packed Victoria Street Stadium as LA and SJ battle it out to face either the Crew or Metrostars in the MLS Cup final Quakes v Crew 3-2 in extra time to the Quakes.
I'm goin' with L.A. We've got all of our roster from last year AND we added much more depth with Hong and Chacon. Yeah, the 8 road games in the beginning will start us low... but we were bottom of West last year about halfway so I'm pretty confident with the string of home games at the end that the Galaxy will be top once again. Not to mention that MLS Cup will be a home game for us.... Oh yeah, the west will dominate. tm
I'm sorry but either you guys are voting with your heart(which i chose not to do), or you cannot assess talent or you think that Saunders is the second coming, Lagos and Russell will return to 2001 form, Ching, DeRo and Mullan will over achieve along with our D. There is no way you can honestly think the Quakes are the best team. I always want the Quakes to win, but im not gonna lie and say that I think they will win, not on paper anyway.
Are you kidding? You think the Rapids are out of the running for the playoffs? Which one of the new Rapids makes you think that? Zizi Roberts, a striker likened to the great Liberian Weah? Giles Grimandi, a midfielder with championship experience with one of the best clubs in the world, last season? Casey Schmidt, the leading scorer in MLS preseason thus far? I think you need to create a new poll with the Rapids.
On KC: Preki is ancient. Wolff is overated and Armstrong isnt making me shake. I dont expect to see much from KC other than what they've shown in the past. On Chicago: Curtin and Brown dont overly impress me, although Boca is a stud. Beasley doesnt inspire fear, Armas is good but coming off of injury. Gray may show something. Faria doesnt really scare me either. Overall the biggest lack for Chicago is someone to orchestrate thier midfield. Too many players who id say their best aspect is their defensive play, I think they will have a hard time doing much creative offensively, and their defense will crack from having to absorb pressure without too many good offensive ideas on how to feed the forwards. DC, NY/NJ and NE arent that impressive either in my book. Especially DC and NY/NJ, whos offseasons are over-rated. Colorado has a potent strike force but their midfield may turn out to be a bit suspect. And for all the talk about who they have, notice no one is talking about their back line. This team may be seeing a lot of high scoring games, both for and against. LA is just scary good. And SJ... well Yallop knows what he likes and went out and got it. The fact that a lot of these guys we picked up are guys who couldnt crack the mix in LA doesnt really bother me, since well as I said LA is just scary good. I am not exactly jumping for joy over this years prospects, but I wouldnt be as down as if I were a Chicago fan. Edit: Dangit, I have some sort of special dislexia that makes me confuse Kleinn and Kreis name wise.
I agree with the earlier sentiment....Colorado is easily the second best team in the West...If anyone should have been left off, it's San Jose. The cupboard is nearly bare and what's left is past its expiration date. However, I think the Crew is overdue and it's quite simply their year. MLS Cup: Crew 2, Galaxy 1 in overtime with Edson Buddle scoring the winner.
You heard it here first, Columbus and Chicago will be the worst teams in the league. The Quakes not far ahead.
Of course I don't think that the Quakes will win it all. We've lost several starting players, so that's got to hurt for the first few weeks anyway. Now our starting keeper has gone down. No I don't think that any of the forwards we picked up are as good as Graz, no I don't think that Dunivant will be as good as the Mighty Wade Barrett. On the other hand, I do expect that the team will have fewer injuries than we did last year. (Which may be wishful thinking on my part I admit.) At this moment, I expect that our wing play will be better. I think that Lagos will play more like 2001 than 2002, I think that either Russell will play more like 2001 than 2002 or will sit the bench behind Lagos with either Alvarez or Corrales on the left wing. Donovan should be much better than in 2002. Ching gives us some size up front. Mullan is a very busy player and should help create space for Landon (at least in so far as he'll tie up a couple of defenders). DeRo could have a good year (and we need for him to do so). So I don't think it's all doom and gloom. I don't think that we're going to experience 2000 all over again. And if we do, I'll just go to a lot of Portland Timbers games. GO QUAKES!! - Mark
That's the beauty or horror of the MLS system, depending on your perspective. You don't have to be the best team to win it all. Just be in the top 8 and play a handfull of good games at the end and you are champions. That said, I voted with my heart. Go Quakes!
Thats very iffy for the Quakes....Quakes and Chicago could easily fill out the early vacation club. The Quakes need to win early while other teams are building chemistry and try to squeak into that 8th spot......only to get swept in the first round, that's if all goes well.