March 25th, 2008 . 9:24 am . By: Parrish Glover

Ed note: Please welcome back Parrish Glover.  One of the earliest writers in 3rd Degree history, Parrish took a sabbatical to attend graduate school.  With a bit more free time on his hands, Parrish has rejoined us and will be taking over the first and original MLS power Rankings.

With year 13 of Major League Soccer looming on the horizon, the game in the U.S. (and Canada) finds itself at possibly its highest profile and strongest prospects. While the league continues to leak talent to European clubs, the growth of professionalism among young players is readily evidenced by the success of the U-23s to cruise to Olympic qualification.

Taking a brief look at each of the teams, I feel that while there may be a lot of tumult on team rosters, there’s been very little to affect the overall dynamic between MLS haves and have-nots. To begin the year, I offer a brief look at each team’s prospects, as well as identify one key addition and subtraction to the roster, and selected the one play I feel will be most interesting to watch or most important to making the difference between success and failure.

1. Houston Dynamo

In: Bobby Boswell.
Out: Joseph Ngwenya.
Watch: Stuart Holden.

Unless and until somebody can show me otherwise, I’m putting the champs at the top of the list. An excellent defense gets better with Boswell and Holden looked very good at the Olympic qualifiers. Some of the spark is gone with the departure of Ngwenya to Europe, but with Dwayne DeRosario solidifying his reputation as the most lethal big-game striker in league history the Dynamo are still to be reckoned with.

2. Chivas USA

In: Raphael Wicky.
Out: Orlando Perez.
Watch: Brad Guzan.

Between Sacha Kljestan, Jonathan Bornstein, and Guzan the Mexican team has the best collection of young American talent of anybody in the league. Furthermore, the team is returning all of its regular starters. If Preki can get the most out of the talent on the roster and the players can avoid the injury bug, the Goats should have multiple legitimate shots at bringing in some hardware.

3. D.C. United

In: Marcelo Gallardo.
Out: Greg Vanney.
Watch: Luciano Emilio.

Gallardo could be this year’s Juan Pablo Angel. He could also be this year’s Luis Hernandez. His willingness to take a leadership role and his ability to survive the physicality of the American game will be paramount. Offseason turnover leaves the defense a shambles and while Team Tradition may be able to get away with it against Harbour View, it won’t fly in today’s Major League Soccer.

4. Chicago Fire

In: Tomasz Frankowski.
Out: Chris Armas.
Watch: Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Chicago gets the joy of breaking in another new coach in Denis Hamlett. Red Bull management is hoping for good things from Hamlett as they will be looking for a high-profile replacement once they lose patience with Osorio. A full season with Blanco may prove that David Beckham was not the most important designated player signing in the league. Blanco’s spark and hustle are perfectly suited for MLS and his talent has never been in doubt.

5. New England Revolution

In: Argenis Fernandez.
Out: Pat Noonan.
Watch: Steve Ralston.

In addition to Noonan, the Revs are now without the services of Andy Dorman and Avery John. The team has some good young players in Adam Cristman, Wells Thompson, and Khano Smith, and Steve Nicol has proven his ability to develop a squad and get his team in position to compete for titles; but the dropoff in talent may be too much to overcome the elevated depth other teams are fielding.

6. Los Angeles Galaxy

In: Greg Vanney.
Out: Cobi Jones.
Watch: Carlos Ruiz.

The ability of Beckham to truly showcase his talents will depend heavily on the play of Carlos Ruiz. If El Pescadito can earn free kicks and finish crosses, the Galaxy could be unbeatable. If Ruiz brings his Cool Carlos routine of giving his best only in fits and spurts, it will be another long season for LA. I question Ruud Gullit’s ability to adapt to the U.S. game and depth will be a major issue for a star-laden squad.

7. FC Dallas

In: Duilio Davino.
Out: Clarence Goodson.
Watch: Kenny Cooper.

Arturo Alvarez is probably better poised for a breakout season, but Cooper will need to share his load of the scoring for the Hoops to keep pace in an increasingly talented Western Conference. Davino has the experience and the physical skills to be a great MLS defender, and Dallas will need him to make an impact immediately to compensate for the loss of Chris Gbandi and Goodson. Dax McCarty is probably the most exciting player of the Olympians to watch.

8. New York Red Bulls

In: Juan Carlos Osorio.
Out: Ronald Wattereus.
Watch: Jozy Altidore.

Claudio Reyna gets another year older. Juan Pablo Angel returns to a league that may have an understanding of what he’s capable of. The “super club” flexes its muscle to steal another coach from Chicago. However, if TAFKA MetroStars have any tradition to lean on, it is a steadfast commitment to disappointment and underachievement. Perhaps the elevated profile of the new MLS will expose RBNY for what they are… a small-time team in a big-time market

9. Kansas City Wizards

In: Claudio Lopez.
Out: Eddie Johnson.
Watch: Jimmy Conrad.

The City team are the quintessence of mediocrity. The most notable thing I can think of about their roster is that they have the league’s best writer in Jimmy Conrad. Their stadium situation has gone from marginally acceptable to patently absurd. Into this situation, they bring Claudio Lopez, easily the most exciting signing of the off-season and one of the most gifted talents in the league. That he’ll be playing at a minor-league baseball stadium is an embarrassment.

10. Columbus Crew

In: Brian Carroll.
Out: Andy Herron.
Watch: Guillermo Schelotto.

Sigi Schmid has yet to show the coaching prowess he displayed at UCLA, the Los Angeles Galaxy, and with U.S. youth teams. On the one hand, the talent on the pitch is not enough to compete in the league today. On the other, Schmid’s regimental approach to the game is a poor fit for the players he has. Schelotto and Hejduk can be productive when unleashed and Eddie Gaven is facing a make-or-break season.

11. Colorado Rapids

In: Christian Gomez.
Out: Jose Cancela.
Watch: Conor Casey.

Between Pablo Mastroeni, Bouna Coundoul, and Fernando Clavijo, you never know what you’re going to get from the Rapids. From one day to the next, they can either be world beaters or one of the worst teams on the continent. Perhaps Gomez can introduce some consistency, but Casey, America’s favorite x-factor, will have to find his scoring touch for the team to have a realistic chance at making the playoffs.

12. Real Salt Lake

In: Dema Kovalenko.
Out: Eddie Pope.
Watch: Kyle Beckerman.

No MLS team has ever failed to make the playoffs four years in a row. Granted, recent expansion makes the playoff hurdle less ludicrous than it was in the shootout days when 8 out of 10 saw post-season action, but that doesn’t make RSL’s lack of accomplishment any less ignoble. Still, the team performed decently in Argentina. If Beckerman can develop some of his leadership potential, a mediocre season is not out of reach.

13. San Jose Earthquakes

In: Everybody.
Out: Spartan Stadium.
Key: Joe Cannon.

This is not the old Quakes, the team that could overcome four-goal deficits in the playoffs. However, Frank Yallop is one of the finest coaches the league has ever seen and taking the Carolina Challenge Cup indicates that he’s bringing a squad that’s prepared to play. Cannon has not looked strong over the past two or three years, but with Nick Garcia anchoring the backline, a return to form is certainly possible.

14. Toronto FC

In: Kevin Harmse.
Out: Ronnie O’Brien.
Key: Maurice Edu.

TFC never quite figured things out on the field last year, and this offseason shows little sign of improvement. I don’t think John Carver is the right kind of hire for MLS; Fly-by coaches have a spectacular history of failure in the league. Jeff Cunningham and Tyrone Marshall are the on-field leaders, which is hardly a ringing endorsement. Beyond Edu, Marvell Wynne is another quality young American that should provide some great play but will miss time due to Olympic duty.

Categories: Power Rankings.

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