The Next Big Thing in Goal
If there is one position at which America has few worries, it is goalkeeper. Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire) and Bill Hamid (DC United), as well as Cody Cropper of Southampton, are set to take over in net for the country that produced Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Tony Meola and many other quality keepers.
Youth Movement
Few teams in Major League Soccer can match the New England Revolution’s stockpile of young talent. Juan Agudelo, Diego Fagundez, Andrew Farrell and Kelyn Rowe all show great promise and should form the core of the team for years to come. The man who makes things happen, though, is the Don Juan of Saigon himself, playmaker Lee Nguyen. Allied with the veteran leadership of Jermaine Jones, Daigo Kobayashi and Charlie Davies, the Revolution pose a frightful threat when they are clicking.
Who Fills the Net?
In contrast to keepers, producing strikers has vexed the US for years. The woes of Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) are well-known, and Eddie Johnson (DC) seems to only play well in contract years. Watch out for young Americans Gyasi Zardes (Los Angeles Galaxy) and Jack McInerney (Montreal Impact), as well as Houston’s Erick Torres, who will join the Dynamo in mid-season after spending six months on loan at Chivas de Guadalajara.
New Boys in Town
New York City and Orlando City make their MLS debuts this season to great fanfare. Big-name signings Kaka, David Villa and Frank Lampard will inevitably draw the most attention, but performances by players such as Brek Shea (Orlando) and Mix Diskerud (NYC) will be just as important as their teams try to avoid the struggles that usually dog expansion teams. MLS veteran Aurelien Collin, an important part of Sporting Kansas City's 2013 MLS Cup-winning side, will be key to organising Orlando's defence.
Token Foreigner You’ve Heard Of
Take your pick – Lampard, Steven Gerrard (LA), Kaka, Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto), Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders), Villa, Nigel Reo-Coker (Montreal), Robbie Keane (LA), Shaun Maloney (Chicago), etc. Because someone has to teach these poor, benighted Americans how proper football is played, right? There was much hooting and guffawing from English types when Bradley Wright-Phillips of New York Red Bulls won the golden boot last season with 27 goals, but how well will he do without Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill alongside him?
Best Foreigners You Don’t Know Yet
Big-name signings such as Lampard and Gerrard are the exception, not the rule, in MLS. Many foreigners in the league come from Africa, South America or elewhere in Concacaf – players who come to the US both for the football and for the improved quality of life. It might not seem like a big deal to those accustomed to the Premier League's rarified air, but getting paid on time and players not having to fear for their or their family's safety is a big draw when such things are absent.
Kansas City’s Dom Dwyer was second only to Wright-Phillips last season, scoring 22 goals and generating speculation that the English-born striker, who came to America in 2009 to pursue a college education, could be on track for a call from the US national team. Irish-born Colorado Rapids defender Shane O’Neill is also poised to pledge his future to the Stars and Stripes after playing for the US Under 23s, though he has yet to play at the senior level. Joao Plata stands a mere 1.6 metres but still emerged as a force to be reckoned with last season, and Real Salt Lake will be eager for him to return after he broke a metatarsal bone in January. Marco Pappa helps drive the Seattle midfield and create chances for the likes of Martins and Clint Dempsey, and Vancouver Whitecaps winger Kekuta Manneh has the speed and skill to become a truly dominant player.
pfreelend@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @NatSportUAE