Pre-Season Look At the Competition

Discussion in 'D.C. United' started by DCU, Feb 23, 2004.

  1. DCU

    DCU Member

    Feb 15, 1999
    Bay Area, CA
    This thread is intended for news about and discussion of the other teams in the league from the DC United fan's perspective. Maybe people want to talk about this, maybe they don't. But we've still got 40 long days till the first kick of the season.

    That said, the Wizards have taken a big hit.

    http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562134341

    Preki has a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Personally, I think the sad truth is that his career is over. He's defied father time for the past 6 years, but I think this injury is too much to overcome at his age. I could be wrong. At the very least, he's out 3-4 months. That puts him out till at least the end of May, and possibly much longer. Now, I don't mean to be insensitive, but we do play the Wizards May 15th. Without Preki, they're a much weaker team.

    In a side note, the Metros will probably be without Mike Magee when we play them at the Meadowlands on April 17th.

    As for our other division rivals, Columbus, Chicago, and New England...Columbus is going to be a big mystery. I'm interested to see how Chitown does without Thornton, and NE has, as usual, a questionable backline.
     
  2. MikeLastort2

    MikeLastort2 Member

    Mar 28, 2002
    Takoma Park, MD
    Wow, that really is a shame about Preki. He's always been on of my favorite players in the league, and I hate to see him go out like this.

    Who's in net for the Fire now that Thornton is in Portugal?
     
  3. Bison1997

    Bison1997 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Dec 30, 2001
    RFK - Lot 8
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They traded for DJ Countess last week.
     
  4. Cweedchop

    Cweedchop Member+

    Mar 6, 2000
    Ellicott City, Md
    It's definitely a shame about Preki, he is a class act in my book.. In all fairness though, I wouldn't be suprised to see him suit up later this season because he is in insane shape for a 40 year old guy.. If only Etcheverry had consulted him a few years back when Preki decided to reshape both his body and his game..

    As for the topic at hand, I think United is in a four way dogfight for 2nd place in the East..

    I think, barring bad injuries, the Chicago Fire are still class of the division, notwithstanding two key losses in Boca and Thornton.. They are still rock solid from top to bottom.. If they avoid injuries, they should walk away with the East..

    As for the rest of the division, I would right now say it will finish in this order:

    2. New England - there team is still relatively intact and they now have a pretty lethal forward tandem of Twellman and Noonan and a now healthy JMM to throw in the mix as well.. The defense is getting a little long in the tooth but they still have that prick Rusty Pierce and Chucky Doll Franchino as well..

    3. United - I think they'll make the jump ahead of the Mutts.. This team obviously lost their icon in Marco, but in all honesty, I think this is a case of addition by subtraction (along with Hristo leaving).. I feel the pressure will be off to find Marco at every turn, which in turn stifled what little offense we had.. The 2nd ranked defense returns with a healthy Rimando and Reyes to add to the mix.. Only question, and still one we have been waiting three years to answer, is who will score the goals for this team? If they find any semblance of a goal scorer, they could be downright scary..

    4. Columbus - The losses of McBride, West and Walsh will hurt this team and the addition of a bunch of new faces will also be some cause for concern.. Too much turnover right now, though by midseason if they are somehow able to stem the tide of unfamiliarity, they could be the wild card by seasons end.. They still have some deadly offensive weapons in Buddle, Cunningham and Martino..

    5. Mutts - Seriously, who is going to score goals for this team? They lost Moreno, Mathis and now their top goal scorer Magee for quite some time.. They didn't help themselves much by trading away Steve Jolley and they still don't have any outside midfielders whatsoever.. Of course, they'll again probably find a way to win or draw games they have no business being involved in, much like they did last season with their frustrating endless series of late game "pull it out of their asses" results..



    Won't go too much into detail about the West in that I really only focus mainly on our immediate competition, but I see the West panning out like this:

    1. San Jose - no reason to believe they won't be back in MLS Cup

    2. Colorado - Great team work ethic.. If they can drum up a consistent scoring threat aside from Spencer and Chung, they could supplant the Quakes..

    3. Los Angeles - I think their "back to normal" schedule will help them out earlier this season.. It's never easy to start the season with 8 straight road matches.. Kirovski, though I loathe him, will probably help this team tremendously though again, this is another team that needs someone besides Carlos " Is that a blade of grass? - I'm goin' down baby!" Ruiz scoring PK goals..

    4. KC - the loss of Preki is a major major loss.. This drops them from 2nd to at least 4th in the West..

    5. Dallas - Help is on the way with Gibbs and Nunez, but they still are a few players away from contending.. The move back to the Cotton Bowl could be a major mental boost for the Burn..
     
  5. DCU

    DCU Member

    Feb 15, 1999
    Bay Area, CA
    Good analysis Cweed.

    I think you're right about NE and Chicago. Though I do think Chicago will be a little shaky in goal with Countess there. I just don't rate him very highly. It's a complete mystery to me how he started ahead of Warren in the Olympic Quals.

    My guess for Columbus is that they'll have a few injuries and implode sometime around midseason. Toward the end of the season (after they've fired Andrulis) they'll start to look great.

    As for the Pukes, I can't imagine that they'll start the season as is. My guess is that HQ will find a way to give them a couple of talented players before the season starts.

    It strikes me that every team in the East has a weakness. Even Chicago got badly exposed by the Quakes last year. I'm hopeful that a more organized squad will be able to take advantage of those weaknesses. Certainly, our biggest problem still seems to be scoring goals. If Nowak can't fix that one, well...
     
  6. Jacen McCullough

    Nov 23, 1998
    Maryland
    As things stand today, your analysis looks about right cweed. This thread could get pretty interesting in the next few weeks though. According to Dan over at Metrofanatic, the Metros are lining up a massive signing with one of their allocations. Also, over on Bergin's board, he says that DC is currently highly involved in trade talks concerning high profile players. These two teams will likely look very different in a few weeks time.
     
  7. Funkfoot

    Funkfoot Member+

    May 18, 2002
    New Orleans, LA
    God, I hope this is true.
     
  8. TCompton

    TCompton Member

    Oct 21, 2002
    Alexandria
    The thing is, even with what we know about certain teams, there is this MASSIVE variable of the unknown... I mean, last year, LA and Columbus were the teams to beat... and, so that's what happened to them.

    Last we're we were cautiously hopeful that Ray Hudson could perform the impossible, only to have what hope remained after the prior few seasons, squashed by a rash of unfortunate injuries, call-ups, sales, and a general lack of aggression (towards the goal). And, while we may have talked up United, we knew that it was going to be a massive undertaking for United to remind us of the early years.

    So, this season, we see a little more structure and stability to our team. Nowak has taken what quality we had last year and is starting to mold and shape it into a "professional" club.

    But the unknown is still at play in this league, which pretty much gives every team a decent shot at improvement and success. Nothing is certain.
     
  9. Jambon

    Jambon Member

    Mar 3, 2000
    Austin, TX
    As an outside observer, this strikes me as very wishful thinking. It's nothing less than preposterous to think that DC would challenge NE or Chi at any point in the season. As for NY, sure you might look favorably matched now, but does anybody here doubt that NY will use all that Mathis/Howard money to get what DC may not have all season - a stud max-salary-type forward? Bet on it.

    Almost certainly it will be DC and Columbus battling for the #4 spot, which doesn't at all mean that DC won't be a vastly improved team. With all the suckitude likely to be concentrated in the West among Dallas, Colo, and KC, the exclusion of the #5 seed in the East may turn out to be quite an injustice.
     
  10. CHICO13

    CHICO13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 4, 2001
    SECTION 135
    Club:
    The Strongest La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    I'm with cweed except for the fact that I rate LA a bit higher. I think that playing on the road the first part of the season last year just killed them. They couldn't build any continuity. Now with Kirovski and playing regularly at the Toolbox, they should be much improved. As far as DC goes, they have to aim high. Go in and take it to NE, the Mutts and Cowlumbus. We beat Chicago last year on the road and there's no reason we can't do it again. I'm really looking forward to the return of Milton Reyes. He could be the difference in a game with someone like the Fire. No reason we can't shoot for second in the East.
     
  11. revelation

    revelation Member+

    Dec 17, 1998
    FC St. Pauli
    Club:
    FC Sankt Pauli
    At the post game event after the last game of the season, I had a chance to chat with Preki. I asked how he kept going. His response was quite simple "I work out every day to keep in shape." Just goes to show the mantra of "if you take care of your body, your body will take care of you" actually works. I feel that recovering from a long layoff like this will be very difficult but if anyone will be able to do it - Preki should because I know he is determined enough.

    As a few other posters have hinted at, I think it is really too early to tell anything about the teams. Given the reduced rosters and disparity between the starting 11 and the back ups, nearly anything is possible... Of course without speculation this board would dry up and blow away... :)

    The key to the season will be finding a quality goal scorer. LA has Anchovy, NE has Twellman and Noonan, Chicago has Razov and Ralph, SJ has Donovan, and Colorado has Spencer (is he still here...) and Carrieri. What killed Cowlumbus, Metros, Dallas and DC last year was not having a consistent goal scorer. I would argue that without a consistent goal scorer a team is sunk - a good defense won't do it.
     
  12. greenbill

    greenbill New Member

    Apr 30, 2003
    York, PA
    Yeah man...I'm excited to see him back in action. Although, its so unknown how sharp he'll be after such a long injury.
     
  13. CHICO13

    CHICO13 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 4, 2001
    SECTION 135
    Club:
    The Strongest La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    He's been playing with the Honduran nats so probably not far off.....
     
  14. DigitalTron

    DigitalTron New Member

    Apr 4, 2001
    Arlington, VA
    Jacen beat me to some of what I would have said, so I'll build from there. I think it is a mistake to write off a Bob Bradley team. He's shown the uncanny ability to get mediocre players (A-League caliber) to play a very proficient role, while getting his stars to play at a star level. IMHO, last season was an abberation for him. When healthy, the Metros were a very good team. Mathis wanted to be gone, and he is. Guevara was extremely effective (though I dislike his antics). Walker proved to be quality, and Pope--when healthy--was as good as any other year. While we know that Pope will be injured again this year (because he always is) if he's healthy for the playoffs the Metros could be quite good.

    I think some of the team evaluations are on paper, not on players. On paper, the Metros haven't had an allocation. In reality, I'm sure the league will not skimp on the Metros allocation. Bradley lacks a veteran scorer, a central defender and two wingers. Bonseau can cover for a lot of bad defending, and if Bradley can get one more decent central defender, he'll be fine.

    My analysis:
    1. Chicago Fire
    Chris analyzed it well. All I'll add is that the defense will slip a little, and the offense will find it harder this year, so I expect every game to be closer for them this season, and that usually takes its toll on a team in the form of injuries.

    2. DC United
    If the team has an organized attack and finds a scorer, it'll be quite good. I think Freddy may eventually end up as the withdrawn forward, but until Martins gets healthy, or we find a top notch forward, I expect Freddy to be a winger. Sputtering forwards prevents passing the Fire.

    3. Metros
    I suspect Bradley will get his back line working this year, and Bonseau is very underrated IMHO. Gaven will have another breakout year and be quite a threat either from midfield or the forward line. Expect them to really hit their stride in midseason.

    4. NE Revolution
    This team really is a house of cards. The defense isn't nearly as good as it's stats IMHO. Llamosa is too old now. Pierce and Franchino are decent defenders, but both lack height to be central defenders. Kante is inconsistent, and if the refs ever start calling half of the fouls that Franchino, Pierce and Heaps commit, then they'll play many games with 10 men. Twellman and Ralston are superb. Cancela and Shalrie Joseph are good as well, so they'll win games if their central defense holds up. But I think this year is the year people realize just how vulnerable they are there. And, I don't think Noonan will repeat his rookie year.

    5. Columbus Crew
    This team could go either way, it's really living on the razor's edge I think. IF they get and keep Buddle and Martino healthy to work with Cunningham, this team is very good. Adding Simon Elliott is huge, as he is a Mais type player. When Mais is injured (inevitable) they will not miss a beat. When both are healthy, they have a nice two-way deep midfield. Lagos will add size, attitude, skill and scoring punch. Still waiting on the final central defense solution though. Marshall will be good, but likely take his lumps early in the season. Fraser may be too old, and Clark is mediocre. But, if they can get it to work behind the stronger and more skilled midfield, then I like Hejduk and Wingert at fullbacks. When on, this team can challenge any in MLS. But with health question marks in attack and age (both too young and too old) in the back, I'll take a wait and see attitude.

    Out west I think it's a lot simpler.

    1. San Jose Quakes
    Best talent and leadership.

    2. LA Galaxy
    Great defense, lots of talent, no longer resting on their laurels, no longer starting the season on a colossal road trip. Return to the top.

    3. Dallas Burn
    Big bounce for Big D. Corey Gibbs is the real deal, and Jolley is a good veteran defender. They've given up on the Deering-as-Dmid idea, so their defense should improve dramatically. Kreis is always good to score until August, and at that point the others should be able to step up, particularly EJ.

    4. Colorado Rapids
    Decent team, solid, and Hanki is coaching for his life.

    5. KC Wizards
    I think Preki makes this much of a difference. But even if I didn't, I might put them here just to get a rise out of WizardChatter (yes, I know he spells it differently;)). When/if Preki returns is the real question.

    -Digital
     
  15. entropy

    entropy Member

    Aug 31, 2000
    People's Republic of Alexandria, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Agreed, it will be sooooo nice to see Reyes back in action. He was my fave player in 2002. Rev's right, though, without a goal-scorer we're toast.
     
  16. DigitalTron

    DigitalTron New Member

    Apr 4, 2001
    Arlington, VA
    Truer words were never spoken.

    Also, congrats on post 5,000 rev. :)

    -Digital
     
  17. Cweedchop

    Cweedchop Member+

    Mar 6, 2000
    Ellicott City, Md
    Yes and No..

    Yes in the sense that it is very wishful thinking, but then again, it's a new start and everyone is a bit optimistic.. I base my theory on the fact that now United doesn't have to go into each and every match with a gaping hole in the middle of the field, which bore itself out over the course of the season.. Now, with younger and definitely more hard working legs, I think you'll see an improved product on the field, provided they can find someone, anyone, to score goals on a consistent basis..


    No in the sense that only 7 points seperated last place Columbus from 2nd place New England last season and that is without United winning any of their last 5 matches.. So, in essence, the race was very close and hotly contested last season and if not for a few key injuries (Olsen and Rimando) United may have taken 2nd place outright as they were only 1 point out at the time both Rimando and Olsen got hurt..
     
  18. Jambon

    Jambon Member

    Mar 3, 2000
    Austin, TX
    I envy you that luxury. :(

    Still, while you can make arguments that DC might make a push for #2 in the East, I still maintain that you have to be hallucinating to think DC and NE are anywhere close to the same level. I think NE will return to the Cup this season mainly because they have not just a rock solid roster, but also the holy grail of all MLS teams - good coaching.
     
  19. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Looks like I'm the odd man out in this discussion. I actually think that if the Crew can find a way to stay healthy, they are gonna have quite a squad. The Buddle/Cunningham pairing up front was consistently the most dangerous pairing they had (with all due respect to McBride), and if they are healthy along with Martino, they are going to absolutely torture defenses. Health is the key issue. On the flip side, the Metros do in fact look quite week, and I think that Chicago will be slightly down this year, because of Boca's loss and not necessarily because of Thorton's. In the west, we all seem to want to anoint San Jose, but I just don't think they are that far ahead of everyone. They can score, but in the playoffs last year, their defense was shown to be on its last legs. They infused some new talent, but that new talent is inexperienced. If they are not scoring regularly, they are going to be in trouble. Remember, they gave up 2 goals in every game, were down 4-0 to LA, trailed twice against KC, and were outchanced by Chicago in the final. They earned MLS Cup for sure, but they are not miles ahead of every other team like people think. I hate to say this, but I would rather play them than the team that I see LA putting on the field right now.
     
  20. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    Finally, I have the time to respond to this thread.

    I don’t think I can come up with a real ranking because there are just too many unknowns. However, I think I can make some broad categorizations of the teams around the league on the basis of their current condition. I’ll keep it simple with three fairly self explicit categories:

    1) F’ing good!
    2) All f’ed up.
    3) What the f’?

    The groundwork now established, let’s turn to the analysis.

    Eastern Division :: In detail ::

    Chicago :: I’m gonna surprise people with this assessment, but I really think there are big questions about Chicago’s defense. The loss of Bocanegra and Thornton are potentially huge. If I had to make a categorization right now I’d say they’re still f’ing good but Sarachan has his work cut out for him defensively. They got some great draft picks, but when you get right down to it Countess ain’t Thornton and Bocanegra was arguably the best defender in the league. In short, they’re f’ing good, but with a little bit of what the f’ too.

    New England :: I don’t understand this team. I never have. I don’t know why that is. But as I see it this team comes down to four players: Twellman, Ralston, Kamler and Adin Brown. Cancela should be in that list, and Kamler shouldn’t, but I don’t think they’ve ever really integrated Cancela into their play, and I actually think the professional and workmanlike Kamler more precisely epitomizes this team’s midfield. If Ralston and Twellman click again then the goals will come in droves (and Noonan might repeat his rookie year along the way). Still, those doubts about the defense are real, but I don’t think they’re fatal. Individually I agree with the idea that the defense is questionable. But I actually think Nicol can make up for a lot of that tactically. If the defense is exposed defensively this team will adopt the same ultra-defensive tactics they had during Nicol’s first year. That was the year they made it to the MLS Cup. In the end this team is hard for me to categorize because I just don’t get them. Still, were I forced to choose I’d have say they’ll at least be pretty f’ing good. Barring injuries and other catastrophes I just can’t see them falling too far down.

    DC United :: I don’t want to make a big deal of analyzing our team, but for comparative purposes I thought I should include DC United here. In the end, I still think there are too many questions about this team. For instance, I asked a few weeks ago who is going to score our goals. Thus far the answer is apparently absolutely nobody. On the other hand, the teams moving in a positive direction so who really knows how it’ll turn out in the end. In short, what the f’?

    MetroStars :: I really thought Bradley would be able to turn this team around but more and more I’m just convinced that there’s something persistently dysfunctional about the MetroStars organization. It seems like no matter what they do it all gets f’ed up somehow. I don’t think this year will be any different. They’ve got a few really good players – Guevara, Pope, Walker (arguably Magee). But Walker won’t be scoring any goals. And how long do you really expect Pope to stay health? And who the f’ is Guevara going to pass to? Magee? Like he’s gonna carry this team. I just don’t see it happening. Vaca’s not going to save their butts. Hell, I don’t even know where Vaca’s going to play on this team. To me the MetroStars look more like a hodge-podge of mismatched players more than a team. (And I haven’t even mentioned Kenny Arena and Michael Bradley!) In short, they’re all f’ed up … as usual.

    Columbus :: Remember DC United last year? We had all that talent, tons of great individual players, but when you got right down to it – all f’ed up. When I look at Columbus this year I’m reminded of DC United last year. The coach is desperate to save his job so he’s loading up his side with lots of very talented individuals. But does an amalgam of good players make a team? It didn’t work for DC United last year, and I doubt it will work for the Crew now. There are two differences though. First, they do have very capable goal scorers in Buddle and (giving him the benefit of the doubt) Cunningham. Actually, Testo should be able to make an impact in this regard right away too. We didn’t have that. Second, and on the other hand, at least in pre-season we had the possibility of a rejuvenated Etcheverry. They really don’t have an answer for that in Martino. The great thing about Etcheverry was that when he was at his best he was the kind of player who really could improvise with other strongly creative players on the field. He was dynamic and creative enough to do that in the past (although, not last year). Martino isn’t there yet. Indeed, if you ask me his game has gotten worse since his injury. Plus, Andrulis has made it pretty clear that he doesn’t really trust Martino with the reigns. Simon Elliot, honestly, is a basically standard MLS veteran. He won’t bring anything special to the team. Lagos will be good for a few big plays a season but that’s it. Wingert remains a rookie. Hejduk is always questionable. All that and I haven’t even mentioned the loss of the heart and soul of that team: Brian McBride. Frankly, I think this team is all f’ed up and I very much doubt that Andrulis will last the season.

    Western Conference :: In brief ::

    San Jose :: The coaching change shouldn’t make any difference at all. They’ll again be f’ing good.

    Los Angeles :: I wish I could say they’ll be all f’ed up. I really do. But I think Fat Sigi learned his lesson last year and will return to a more free flowing attacking style. If he doesn’t, then all bets are off. The addition of Kirovski, I hate to say it, is a great addition. Defensively the team is stacked. Offensively it’s stacked too. The midfield is a little questionable. Are they really going to give Memo Gonzales the keys to the car? Is he really ready? I have no idea. Does Sigi really know what he’s doing? What exactly is he cooking up there in his magic belly? I sometimes wonder. Still, the safe bet is they’ll be f’ing good.

    Colorado :: All I know is they were the best team in MLS for a while in the middle of the season last year. Their roster now is even better. Colorado has quietly put together one of the best sides in the league. They have the potential to rival the Quakes in the West. Keep your eye on this team, I think they’re going to be f’ing good, perhaps even f’ing great … unless Hankinson f’s it all up.

    Kansas :: Preki got hurt. They’re all f’ed up now.

    Dallas :: I never thought the Burn were really as bad as Dragon Stadium made them. That’s right, I think the stadium last year made that big a difference. It did incredible damage to that team. Moving back to the Cotton Bowl alone will be a tremendous help. But the reality is they’ve still got a new coach, they’ve had tremendous roster turnover, and there’s just no way to make a real assessment at this time. I don’t underestimate Gibbs, but that’s just one player. So I look at this team, and I can only ask what the f’?
     
  21. Karl K

    Karl K Member

    Oct 25, 1999
    Suburban Chicago
    FYI, one of the things that Preki did was hook up with the guys at Somaxsports to enhance his flexibility.

    See:

    http://www.somaxsports.com/soccercamp.htm

    and go down the page to see how Preki improve his flexibility dramatically.

    When I saw this I was wowed, and thought about doing this for my now U15 (then U13), but the price is really only affordable by guys like Preki.

    He also does a lot of yoga to maintain flexibility. See:

    http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/resource_center/for_players/tips_from_the_pros/369466.html
     
  22. DCU

    DCU Member

    Feb 15, 1999
    Bay Area, CA
    The Gals seem to have handed the midfield reigns to Andreas Herzog. He was great back in 1996 or so... To be fair, I have no idea what he's done since.
     
  23. Ricky_DCU

    Ricky_DCU New Member

    Feb 1, 2001
    Somerville, MA
    A lot of good points in this thread...I'm going to do a simpler (i.e. lazier) prediction list.


    East

    1 New England - just a gut feeling; Nicol's good
    2 Chicago - Countess isn't Thornton; nat call-ups
    3 DC United - up and down season, but we pip NJ
    4 Metros - could challenge with a goal scorer
    5 Columbus - lots of talent; Andrulis is the problem


    West

    1 Los Angeles - solid additions; Sigi back on track
    2 San Jose - Can Kinnear replace Yallop?
    3 Colorado - another baseless gut call
    4 Dallas - re-building year, but just beat KC for 4th
    5 Kansas City - Preki is a huge loss; Meola losing it?

    And now from the department of wishful thinking and premature predictions:

    MLS Cup 2004: San Jose vs. DC United
     
  24. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    Right. I forgot about him. But that doesn't change my overall sense that the Galaxy midfield is suspect.
     

Share This Page