Des News series on RSL this week by James

[AreliusII]

Also:

Team-by-team look at MLS


CD CHIVAS USA
Coach: Thomas Rongen

Last Year’s Record: -

Home Stadium: Home Depot Center

History: First year

Impact Players: Ramon Ramirez, Brad Guzan, Martin Zuniga

Why They’ll Win: A distinctive style of play, a supporting Mexican parent club, and fans in every stadium

Why They Won’t: Friction possible with coach Rongen, star power never
materialized

Plays RSL: May 7 in L.A.; July 9 in L.A.; Aug. 6 in Utah; Sept. 21 in Utah


COLORADO RAPIDS
Coach: Fernando Clavijo
Last Year’s Record: 10-9-11

Home Stadium: Invesco Field

History: Played for MLS Cup in 1997, but lost to D.C. United 2-1

Impact Players: Pablo Mastroeni, Chris Henderson, Mark Chung, Kyle
Beckerman

Why They’ll Win: A fresh start with a new coach and a veteran-laden team

Why They Won’t: Who is going to score? Plus, Chung and Henderson are getting older

Plays RSL: April 16 in Utah, Aug. 26 at Colorado; Oct. 1 at Colorado; Oct. 15 in Utah


FC DALLAS
Coach: Colin Clarke

Last Year’s Record: 10-14-6


Jeff Agoos


Home Stadium: Cotton Bowl, later the Frisco Soccer & Entertainment
Center

History: Has gone 7-14-2 in the
postseason

Impact Players: Carlos Ruiz, Eddie Johnson, Ronnie O’Brien, Richard
Mulrooney

Why They’ll Win: Ruiz and Johnson are scoring machines, and Mulrooney can control a midfield

Why They Won’t: Defense is a
question

Plays RSL: April 23 at Dallas; June 4 in Utah; July 23 in Utah; Sept. 18 in Dallas


L.A. GALAXY
Coach: Steve Sampson

Last Year’s Record: 11-9-10

Home Stadium: Home Depot Center

History: Has gone 1-3 in the championship game, beating New England in 2002

Impact Players: Kevin Hartman, Chris Albright, Cobi Jones

Why They’ll Win: Even without Ruiz, the roster is deep

Why They Won’t: Can Sampson last?

Plays RSL: April 9 in L.A.; May 14 in Utah; June 11 in L.A.; June 22 in Utah


REAL SALT LAKE
Coach: John Ellinger

Last Year’s Record: -

Home Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium

History: First year


Carlos Ruiz


Impact Players: Clint Mathis, Eddie Pope, Jason Kreis, Andy Williams

Why They’ll Win: Creative, talented attacking players with a lot of
personality

Why They Won’t: Can Mathis remain consistent? Can Countess prove himself?


SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Coach: Dominic Kinnear

Last Year’s Record: 9-10-11

Home Stadium: Spartan Stadium

History: Owns two MLS Cup Championships: 2001 and 2003

Impact Players: Brian Ching, Pat Onstad, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis

Why They’ll Win: The talent is there, now it needs to mesh.

Why They Won’t: Vulnerable in the back with a lack of speed

Plays RSL: April 30 in Utah; June 18 at San Jose; Aug. 20 in Utah; Oct. 8 at San Jose


EASTERN CONFERENCE
CHICAGO FIRE
Coach: Dave Sarachan

Last Year’s Record: 8-13-9

Home Stadium: Soldier Field

History: Won the MLS Cup in its first year, 1998

Impact Players: Zach Thornton, Nate Jaqua, Tony Sanneh, Chris Armas, Justin Mapp

Why They’ll Win: Armas and Jesse Marsch have a winning mentality

Why They Won’t: Lost goal scorers Damani Ralph and Ante Razov

Plays RSL: May 28 in Utah; June 26 at Chicago


COLUMBUS CREW
Coach: Greg Andrulis

Last Year’s Record: 12-5-13

Home Stadium: Crew Stadium

History: Never played in MLS Cup

Impact Players: Kyle Martino, Robin Fraser, Chad Marshall, Frankie Hejduk, Ante Razov

Why They’ll Win: Talented roster, with something to prove, capable of big winning streaks

Why They Won’t: Can Fraser, 38, last the year? Can goalie Jon Busch step
up?

Plays RSL: May 21 at Columbus; Sept. 24 in Utah


D.C. UNITED
Coach: Peter Nowak

Last Year’s Record: 11-10-9

Home Stadium: RFK Stadium

History: Has the most MLS Cup titles, including 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004

Impact Players: Jaime Moreno, Alecko Eskandarian, Freddy Adu, Ben Olsen

Why They’ll Win: Defending champions have talented attacking
players

Why They Won’t: Last year’s captain, Ryan Nelson, left to play in England. Suspect goalkeeping.

Plays RSL: July 28 at D.C.; Oct. 5 in Utah


KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
Coach: Bob Gansler

Last Year’s Record: 14-9-7

Home Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium

History: Won MLS Cup in 2000, beating Chicago 1-0

Impact Players: Josh Wolff, Kerry Zavagnin, Chris Klein, Jimmy Conrad

Why They’ll Win: Gansler’s teams always exceed expectations

Why They Won’t: Mediocre goalie with Meola gone; is Preki too old at 41?

Plays RSL: July 16 at Kansas City; Aug. 13 in Utah


NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY METROSTARS
Coach: Bob Bradley

Last Year’s Record: 11-12-7

Home Stadium: Giants Stadium

History: Has never gotten past the
semifinals

Impact Players: Amado Guevara, Youri Djorkaeff, Eddie Gaven,
Jeff Agoos

Why They’ll Win: They have winners in Agoos and Djorkaeff; Gaven could help a lot

Why They Won’t: Suspect goalkeeping and an older back line. They need a good foreign player

Plays RSL: April 2 in New Jersey; July 4 in Utah


NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Coach: Steve Nicol

Last Year’s Record: 8-13-9

Home Stadium: Gillette Stadium

History: Played for MLS Cup in 2002, lost to L.A. Galaxy

Impact Players: Clint Dempsey, Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Pat
Noonan

Why They’ll Win: An organized style, plus capable players up front

Why They Won’t: Can they be consistent throughout the year? Is Matt Reis a No. 1 goalie?

Plays RSL: Aug. 10 at New England; Sept. 5 in Utah

[SoccerPrime]

Wow, thats a lot of reading. Thanks Arelius, this was easier than clicking on all those Trib links.

I am little perplexed by the last one, the MLS Team by Team evaluation. A lot of those whys and why nots are just plain wrong.

[Deuce]

This is from an apparent season ticket holder that also happens to be a reporter for Deseret News. Way to go Scott!


Here's hoping RSL will make good TV
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600122793,00.html

[AreliusII]

See also:

MLS season about to kick off

Two new teams — including RSL — join pro soccer league

By James Edward
Deseret Morning News

Freddy Adu might be a household name to 12-year-old soccer players, but don't be mistaken, he isn't the reason D.C. United is seeking back-to-back MLS Cup titles this year.



D.C. United's Alecko Eskandarian heads the ball against the Kansas City Wizards during the 2004 MLS Cup in Carson, Calif., won by D.C.

Chris Carlson, Associated Press
Yes, Freddy mania is very real, and the 15-year-old soccer phenom has a bright future in Major League Soccer, but players like Alecko Eskandarian, Ben Olsen and Jaime were the main reasons why D.C. beat Kansas City for last year's title.


D.C.'s quest for a record fifth title begins Saturday, at 1 p.m. (MDT) when it hosts expansion CD Chivas USA in a game televised national on ABC. Five other MLS openers highlight MLS First Kick during the league's 10th anniversary season, including Real Salt Lake at the MetroStars.


For the players, this weekend is long overdue, having spent the past two months training for the upcoming season. The long stretch was dotted by several exhibition games, most against other MLS teams. Now the games count, and the intensity level is about to increase significantly.


By expanding from 10 to 12 teams this year, MLS didn't just add a new market in Salt Lake City, it added an entirely new culture. With CD Chivas USA, which will share the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles with the Galaxy, the league added a franchise that's the equivelent to the New York Yankees of Mexican soccer.


CD Guadalajara, nicknamed Chivas, is the most popular club team in Mexico, and by adding a sister club in the United States, Major League Soccer is hoping to broaden its fan base.


In addition to the new faces on the block, fans will notice many other changes from last year. Most noteworthy is Landon Donovan's address.


For the past four MLS season, Donovan was a key cog on the San Jose Earthquakes leading them to titles in 2001 and 2003. At the end of the 2004 season, he returned to Bayern Leverkusen in Germany, a franchise he's been under contract with since he was 17.


In startling events leading up to the start of the 2005 season, Donovan has returned to MLS, and now one of the most popular and talented players in U.S. Soccer is a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. His move changes the whole complexion of the Western Conference.



D.C. United's Freddy Adu, center, goes through some exercises during a morning practice, Monday, March 28, 2005 in Washington. This is the 16 year old's second season with the D.C. United.

Haraz Ghanbari, Associated Press
Other noticeable changes involve Dallas, a franchise that changed its named from the Dallas Burn to FC Dallas, a move that coincides with the completion of Dallas' soccer-specific stadium. Dallas is also entering uncharted territories with Eddie Johnson being the focal point of the attack. For the past nine seasons, Jason Kreis was the man in Texas, but in a season after becoming the league's all-time leading scorer, Dallas shipped its poster boy to Salt Lake.


Kreis is one of several big-name strikers donning new colors.


Jeff Cunningham moved from Columbus to Colorado, Ante Razov moved from Chicago to Columbus and then Clint Mathis moved from Hannover 96 in Germany to Real Salt Lake.


Regardless of who transferred where, parity should once again dominate the landscape of Major League Soccer, which is exactly the way league commissioner Don Garber likes it.


"In Major League Soccer with the way we've structed it, any team can win on any soccer Saturday, and it's hopeful that Real and Chivas will be able to put strong teams on the field," said Garber. "Unlike other professional leagues which takes years and years to develop, this is something that should happen quickly."


By using a salaray cap, as well as limiting the number of player allocations and international players, MLS has helped keep the league playing field pretty balanced.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



E-mail: jedward [at] desnews.com

[AreliusII]

Also:

Eastern Conference Preview: D.C. United headlines tough grouping

As if the Eastern Conference wasn't tough enough, now teams in the East have to contend with the Kansas City Wizards as well. With MLS expanding to 12 teams this year, both out West, the league decided to shift Kansas City from the West to the East.


That puts defending MLS Cup champion D.C. United, U.S. Open Cup champion Kansas City and Columbus, the team with the best regular season record last year, all in the same division. Ouch.


Throw a very dangerous Chicago team into the mix, and then a New England team with some of the best forwards and midfielders in the league, and you've got the makings of a very good conference.


Here's a look at the spors writer James Edward's predictions for the upcoming season:







1. D.C. United



2004 RECORD: 11-10-9 (42 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Second


COACH: Peter Nowak (second season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Alecko Eskandarian (F), Jaime Moreno (F), Joshua Gros (M), Ben Olsen (M), Christian Gomez (M), Brian Carroll (M), Bryan Namoff (D), Matt Petke (D), Steve Guppy (D), Brandon Prideaux (D) Nick Rimando (K).


STRENGTHS: Most people have heard of Freddy Adu, or at least "that 14-year-old." Well, the names many people haven't heard of is the reason D.C. hoisted the MLS Cup last year. MLS Cup MVP Alecko Eskandarian, 22, is quickly emerging into one of the premiere goal scorers in the league. United's midfield is as solid as any in the league thanks to Joshua Gros, Ben Olsen, Christian Gomez and Dema Kovelenko.


CONCERNS: The biggest concern for United is how it plays without Ryan Nelsen. The linchpin to last year's championship-caliber defense is now overseas. For that matter, so is Earnie Stewart, who returned to Holland after one season in MLS. The defense will suffer without the duo, and is keeper Nick Rimando up to the challenge to pick up the slack?





2. Kansas City Wizards


2004 RECORD: 14-9-7 (49 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: First (West)


COACH: Bob Gansler (sixth season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Josh Wolff (F), Davy Arnaud (F), Chris Klein (M), Kerry Zavagnin (M), Diego Gutierrez (M), Sasha Victorine (D), Nick Garcia (D), Jimmy Conrad (D), Jose Burciaga Jr. (D), Alex Zotinca (D), Bo Oshoniyi (K).


STRENGTHS: Last year, the Wizards were one win away from the double — U.S. Open Cup title and MLS Cup title. The scary thing is they should be even better this year. Midfielders Preki and Chris Klein missed significant playing time in 2004, but they are both healthy and ready to contribute. In fact, in a 4-1 exhibition victory over Real Salt Lake last week, Klein recorded a goal and two assists. Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud are extremely potent goal scorers, while Jimmy Conrad and Nick Garcia are two of the premiere central defenders in the league.


CONCERNS: None . . . OK, that's only partially true. But of the 12 MLS teams, the Wizards have the fewest question marks. How well will midfielder Sasha Victorine blend in after spending last year in Los Angeles? Will goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi handle the pressure associated with being the No. 1 keeper now that Tony Meola is out of the picture?





3. Columbus Crew


2004 RECORD: 12-5-13 (49 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: First


COACH: Greg Andrulis (fourth season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Ante Razov (F), Edson Buddle (F), Kyle Martino (M), Ross Paule (M), Simon Elliot (M), Manny Lagos (M), Robin Fraser (D), Frankie Hejduk (D), Chad Marshall (D), Domenic Mediate (D), Jon Busch (K).


STRENGTHS: March 22 was a very big day for the Crew, the team with the best regular-season record last year. That was the day Guatemalan international midfielder Mario Rodriguez signed his contract to officially join Columbus. Ante Razov also joins the Crew following a trade that sent the six-year Chicago Fire striker to Columbus in exchange for defender Tony Sanneh. Many believe that the edition of Razov alongside Edson Buddle should bolster a front line that disappeared in a quick playoff exit last year.


CONCERNS: Realistically, the concerns are small. Even though the team struggled during the preseason, the Crew return most of the players that helped it reel off an 18-game unbeaten streak to end last season. The players who aren't back have been replaced by what appear to be better players.





4. Chicago Fire


2004 RECORD: 8-13-9 (33 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Fifth


COACH: Dave Sarachan (third season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Andy Herron (F), Nate Jacqua (F), Chris Armas (M), Jesse Marsch (M), John Thorrington (M), Justin Mapp (M), C.J. Brown (D), Jim Curtin (D), Ivan Guerrero (D), Samuel Caballero (D), Zach Thornton (K).


STRENGTHS: After a brief stint with Benfica in Portugal, Zach Thornton returns to MLS and a Fire team he enjoyed great success with for seven years. The defense is stacked in front of him as well — a year after a terrible season defensively. Joining Jim Curtin and C.J. Brown in the back are newcomers Tony Sanneh, Ivan Guerrero and Samuel Caballero. Chicago could be the deepest team in the league, it just needs some of its talented youngsters to emerge as everyday starters.


CONCERNS: Midfielders Chris Armas and Jesse Marsch are both in their early 30s, and the likelihood of enjoying an injury-free season isn't realistic. More than anything, who will score goals with the recent departure of Damani Ralph, who was acquired by Russian club CSKA Moscow? The team also lost Ante Razov, Andy Williams and Orlando Perez.





5. New England Revolution


2004 RECORD: 8-13-9 (33 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Fourth


COACH: Steve Nicol (fourth year)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Taylor Twellman (F), Pat Noonan (F), Clint Dempsey (M), Shalrie Joseph (M), Steve Ralston (M), Jose Cancela (M), Joe Franchino (D), Avery John (D), Michael Parkhurst (D), Jay Heaps (D), Matt Reis (K).


STRENGTHS: The Revs are littered with talent up top. With Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan up top, and then 2004 rookie of the year Clint Dempsey joining Steve Ralston in the middle, New England will give defenders fits all season. All four of those players have spent time with the U.S. National Team recently. Rookie Michael Parkhurst made a big impression on the coaching staff during preseason games and should emerge as a regular on the backline.


CONCERNS: When will Cassio arrive? The Revolution signed the Brazilian left midfielder in the offseason, but visa problems kept him from joining the team in training camp. With his spark down the left side, and a plethora of talent to the deliver the ball, Cassio could be the missing piece for a franchise that always seems to underachieve until September.





6. MetroStars


2004 RECORD: 11-12-7 (40 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Third


COACH: Bob Bradley (third season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Galvan Rey (F), John Wolyniec (F), Eddie Gaven (M), Gilberto (M), Amado Guevara (M), Ramon Bailey (M), Jeff Parke (D), Jeff Agoos (D), Carlos Mendes (D), Chris Leitch (D), Zach Wells (K).


STRENGTHS: Beyond midfielders Eddie Gaven and Amado Guevara, there might not be a strength. But there's no questioning that Gaven, 19, is a special player. At 16, he became the youngest player to sign an MLS contract — of course until 14-year-old Freddy Adu joined the league last year. With U.S. National Team appearances, both full and youth under his belt, Gaven could be in store for a breakout year in his third professional season. Gaven is complimented in the midfield by Amado Guevara, a Honduran National Teamer who recorded 10 goals and 10 assists last year.


CONCERNS: The team signed 37-year-old French striker Youri Djorkaeff to anchor the midfield, but he's already out a month thanks to a spring training hamstring injury. The Metros may have invested too much in the aging European star. Defensively, the MetroStars were one of the worst in the league last year, but it's doubtful replacing Jeff Agoos with Eddie Pope is the answer.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[AreliusII]

Also:

Western Conference Preview: Deep FC Dallas is expected to lead way

Putting two expansion teams out West sure made a few Western Conference MLS teams happy.


Even though both Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA have every intention of competing in their first year, there's no disputing that expansion in conjunction with sending Kansas City to the Eastern Conference definitely diluted the Western Conference.


At the same time, all six teams legitimately have a shot at nabbing one of the West's four playoff spots.


FC Dallas' depth in the back and the midfield should help it emerge in front of rebuilding San Jose, the always-underachieving Rapids, two expansion teams and the up-and-down Galaxy.


Here's a look at the spors writer James Edward's predictions for the upcoming season:





1. FC Dallas


2004 RECORD: 10-14-6 (36 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Fifth


COACH: Colin Clarke (2nd season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Eddie Johnson (F), Carlos Ruiz (F), Ronnie O'Brien (F), Richard Mulrooney (M), Simo Valakari (M), Carey Talley (M), David Wagenfuhr (D), Greg Vanney (D), Clarence Goodson (D), Philip Salyer (D), Jeff Cassar (K).


STRENGTHS: Eddie Johnson, without a doubt. In his past eight games with the U.S. Men's National team, the 20-year-old striker has found the net eight times. He's been so impressive, Portuguese first-division squad Benfica offered MLS a $4 million transfer fee to acquire Johnson, but the league wasn't about to let one of its premiere players head overseas. The team also acquired midfielder Richard Mulrooney in an offseason trade with San Jose and then recently acquired U.S. National Team defender Greg Vanney, who spent the past four seasons in France. On Thursday, Dallas also acquired Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz in a trade with Los Angeles.


CONCERNS: Trading away MLS all-team leading scorer Jason Kreis wasn't too difficult with Johnson waiting in the wings, but replacing Kreis' leadership won't be nearly that easy.





2. L.A. Galaxy


2004 RECORD: 11-9-10 (43 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Second


COACH: Steve Sampson (1st full season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Landon Donovan (F), Jovan Kirovski (F), Cobi Jones (M), Guillermo Ramirez (M), Paulo Nagamura (M), Paul Broome (M), Chris Albright (D), Pablo Chinchilla (D), Michael Umana (D), Tyrone Marshall (D), Kevin Hartman (K).


STRENGTHS: The face of the Galaxy the past three years has been leading-scorer, Guatemalan international Carlos Ruiz. That changed drastically Thursday as Los Angeles traded Ruiz to Dallas to free up a roster spot for Landon Donovan. The U.S. National Teamer, and former San Jose Earthquake, had been playing for Bayern Leverkuesen in Germany since January. Things didn't work out, and L.A. was at the top of the MLS pecking order for player allocations.


CONCERNS: There's no disputing that Guillermo Ramirez at attacking midfielder is a plus, but its his midfield cohorts that could have Steve Sampson scratching his head. It's not that the Galaxy don't have capable midfielders, the problem is that they're just that — capable.





3. Colorado Rapids


2004 RECORD: 10-9-11 (41 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Third


COACH: Fernando Clavijo (1st season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Jeff Cunningham (F), Jean Philippe Peguero (F), Chris Henderson (M), Pablo Mastroeni (M), Martin Morales (M), Kyle Beckerman (M), Guy Melamed (D), Nat Borchers (D), Hunter Freeman (D), Ritchie Kitschau (D), Joe Cannon (K).


STRENGTHS: Joe Cannon won the 2004 Goalkeeper of the Year award, and is a regular invitee to U.S. National Team training camps. With Cannon standing between the posts, the Rapids will have a chance every game. Perhaps the biggest strength is a fresh face on the sideline. Head coach Fernando Clavijo replaces the fired Tim Hankinson, and the buzz in Denver is that team morale has never been better. The Rapids are also very strong in the midfield, particularly with Pablo Mastroeni anchoring things defensively.


CONCERNS: Which Jeff Cunningham will show up? By acquiring the speedy striker from Columbus, the Rapids added a player who is only two years removed from being a Best XI performer. That sure didn't make a lick of difference when he was benched late last season. If a hungry Cunningham arrives in Colorado, the Rapids could be one of the best attacking teams in MLS.





4. Real Salt Lake


2004 RECORD: N/A


CONFERENCE FINISH: N/A


COACH: John Ellinger (1st season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Jason Kreis (F), Clint Mathis (F), Andy Williams (M), Marlon Rojas (M), Dipsy Selalwane (M), Brian Kamler (M), Matt Behncke (D), Eddie Pope (D), Nelson Akwari (D), Rusty Pierce (D), D.J. Countess (K).


STRENGTHS: MLS veteran and all-time leading scorer Jason Kreis is fitter than he's ever been, as evidenced by his seven preseason goals. Clint Mathis is eager and willing to play for coach John Ellinger. Eddie Pope is arguably the best defender in the history of U.S. Soccer, and he's still got three or four good years left in the tank. The talent doesn't end there, with Trinidad & Tobago international Marlon Rojas, Botswanan international Dipsy Selalwane and Jamaican international Andy Williams. How long will it take for the individual talent to gel?


CONCERNS: Depth. To the amazement of virtually everyone around the league, the expansion franchise along the Wasatch Front assimilated a pretty solid starting 11. After that the team is littered with question marks. As many as five starters could miss significant time this year with national team call-ups, leaving many voids in RSL's line-up.





5. S.J. Earthquakes


2004 RECORD: 9-10-11 (38 points)


CONFERENCE FINISH: Fourth


COACH: Dominic Kinnear (2nd season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Brian Ching (F), Dwayne De Rosario (F), Brian Mullen (M), Brad Davis (M), Danny O'Rourke (M), Ricardo Clark (M), Eddie Robinson (D), Danny Califf (D), Wade Barrett (D), Troy Dayak (D), Pat Onstead (K).


STRENGTHS: Surprisingly the strength of this team is its goal-scoring ability, even with the departure of Landon Donovan to Germany. With Brian Ching, who's had a few call-ups with the U.S. National Team, and Dwayne De Rosario up top, there shouldn't be a shortage of goals. Midfielder Brian Mullan, another National Team guy, is ready to emerge as the best player in San Jose. Fellow midfielder Brad Davis, acquired in a trade with Dallas, is ready to flourish now that he's an everyday starter.


CONCERNS: No matter how the team spins it, losing starters Donovan, Jeff Agoos and Richard Mulrooney is going to take time to recover from. If the 'Quakes, the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cup champions, fill those spots quickly, they should be in the running for one of the Western Conference's four playoff spots.





6. CD Chivas USA


2004 RECORD: N/A


CONFERENCE FINISH: N/A


COACH: Thomas Rongen (1st season)


PROJECTED STARTING 11: Arturo Torres (F), Isaac Romo (F), Matt Taylor (F), Ramon Ramirez (M), Hector Cuadros (M), Francisco Gomez (M), Douglas Sequeira (D), Aaron Lopez (D), Ezra Hendrickson (D), Orlando Perez (D), Brad Guzan (K).


STRENGTHS: With a rookie goalie in Brad Guzan, Chivas needs to be strong at the back, which it is. Costa Rican Douglas Sequeira is a proven defender in the back and should be complemented nicely by Ryan Suarez, Ezra Hendrickson and Orlando Perez. Midfield could also be a strength, assuming 35-year-old Ramon Ramirez can motivate himself enough to play in MLS after a brilliant career with Chivas' Mexican club and the Mexican National Team.


CONCERNS: There are a boatload of concerns for this expansion franchise. The biggest question involves who will score goals. Arturo Torres and Matt Taylor have a combined three years' MLS experience, but neither has been given a shot to prove itself as a regular in the league. They have that shot now, but if they struggle, Chivas could be in for a long season.

[AreliusII]

Also:

MLS is celebrating its 10th anniversary season

By James Edward
Deseret Morning News

A decade later, Major League Soccer is alive and kicking, and in better shape than it's ever been.


When MLS's 10th anniversary season kicks off this Saturday, the league will be celebrating the past, present and future of the highest level of professional soccer in the United States.


The past includes icons like Alexi Lalas and Carlos Valderamma. The present includes Freddy Adu mania and a legion of up-and-coming talented youngsters. And the future? Who knows, but MLS commissioner Dan Garber — a former marketing director of the NFL — has a grand vision.


MLS is a league founded on the success of the 1994 World Cup staged on American soil. It's a league that's enjoyed its fair share of successes and failures during those 10 years. It's also a league, however, that has directly influenced the U.S. National Team's rise to prominence, and a quarterfinal finish in the 2002 World Cup.


Since that opening day back in 1996, the quality of play has increased every year, and 2005 should be no different.


By adding expansion teams CD Chivas USA (Los Angeles) and Real Salt Lake, the league took two more baby steps toward its optimum size of 18 teams. Garber says he expects to expand again in 2007.


"We've got to be very smart, to grow our league slowly," he said. "We want to expand at the right time, at the right places and with the right owners. We'll go about this slowly and strategically, and learn from some of the errors other leagues have made in the past by expanding too fast and in the wrong markets."


Soccer is still fifth or sixth in terms of popularity in this country behind football, basketball, baseball, hockey and golf, but the gap is narrowing — and stadiums are a big reason why.


Los Angeles and Columbus are already enjoying the fruits of playing in a soccer-specific stadium, with Dallas scheduled to begin play in its new stadium later this summer. Denver, Chicago and New York are in the midst of building stadiums as well, or soccer cathedrals as Garber calls them.


Stadiums are what ultimately will help the league financially.


In the first seven years of MLS, not a single team turned a profit, not even once. That trend ended in 2003, when the Los Angeles Galaxy became the first franchise to turn a profit, which coincidentally occurred during the same season it began playing in the Home Depot Center, Los Angeles' soccer-specific stadium.


When people ask Garber why stadiums are necessary, he asks people if they think basketball would be successful in the Houston Astrodome. It's a building, and isn't that all you need? Unfortunately, it takes more than a building, it takes a building of optimum size. For soccer, that's about 20,000 to 25,000 seats.


The bottom line is Major League Soccer isn't the NFL, there isn't a large enough fan base to expect 75,000 fans per game. It's more realistic to expect 20,000 fans. Therefore, when over 20,000 fans show up for an MLS game, but there's over 50,000 empty seats, no matter how intense the game is, the stadium looks cavernous, which takes away from the game.


The average attendance in MLS games in 2004 was 15,559.


"There just isn't a professional sport in this country that doesn't work without its own venue," said Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts, who is hoping to build just such a soccer-specific stadium in Utah in the future.


The Galaxy are a prime example. Playing in the 100,000 seat Rose Bowl, the team averaged decent crowds, but Los Angeles didn't begin turning a profit at the turnstiles until it begin playing in the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center.


At the end of the day, it's all about the game according to Garber.


"We call Major League Soccer a league for a new America, a country that increasingly diverse, that's a part of a global community," said Garber. "I think you'll find that we're going to be living in an environment where soccer is a language that everyone will speak, even at times if English isn't their first language."

[AreliusII]

Also:

Major League Soccer: Straight to the top
RSL rookie Luke Kreamalmeyer is living a dream with his run to the top U.S. league
By Peter Richins
The Salt Lake Tribune





Luke Kreamalmeyer has worked his way up to a spot on Real Salt Lake's roster. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Real Salt Lake's Luke Kreamalmeyer is living his dream.
The 22-year-old from Illinois is fresh out of college and playing in his first year with a Major League Soccer team. He has a good chance of starting some games this year, and the season starts Saturday in New Jersey.
"[Soccer] means a lot to me," Kreamalmeyer said. "I love playing the sport, watching it, and everything that goes along with it. It's a great blessing that I get to do what I love to do and get paid for it. That's really cool."
An advertising major at Bradley University, Kreamalmeyer started playing soccer at age 4 when his father, Cody, enrolled him on a youth team. At first he played just for fun, but by high school he knew there might be a future in the sport

Kreamalmeyer

for him.
"Once I started doing well in soccer, and saw there was a future, I wanted to be a professional soccer player one day," Kreamalmeyer said. In high school, the accolades were plenty: Parade All-American, National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American, and an appearance in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" feature.
Kreamalmeyer also stood out at Bradley. He ended his collegiate career fifth in school history with 72 points and fourth with 20 assists. Twice, he was named to the Missouri Valley Conference First Team. It was also in college that he was first called "Laser Luke," by a television announcer during one of the Braves' games. But it was RSL goalkeeper D.J. Countess that made the appellation stick, after Kreamalmeyer told him about it during the teams' practice sessions in Florida.
"Once I told [Countess], of course he started calling me that," Kreamalmeyer said. "It's funny, because someone called me that just once in college. It was kind of a joke at first, but now it has kind of stuck."
Despite his successes at Bradley, Kreamalmeyer was an unknown. He needed to do something special in order to get noticed, and his invitation to the MLS Combine leading up to the 2005 SuperDraft was the perfect opportunity. And he made the most of it.
"Knowing that I had to perform well, I worked extra hard," Kreamalmeyer said.
For months beforehand, Kreamalmeyer practiced


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his game and worked on his fitness to make an impression.
"I just wanted to make myself known," Kreamalmeyer said. "I just tried to come in and show the coaches that I'm a hard worker and a good player, too."
And he achieved his goal. Kreamalmeyer was named Most Valuable Player of the MLS Combine and was given the first Tom Fitzgerald Memorial award. In the SuperDraft, Kreamalmeyer slipped past the first three rounds and was available when RSL's fourth-round pick, the 37th overall, came up. RSL coach John Ellinger did not hesitate to take him.
"Luke is a player that we think can have an impact right away," Ellinger said.
And he has. Kreamalmeyer scored RSL's first goal in the preseason in a 5-1 loss to the defending MLS Cup champion D.C. United.
That, combined with his impressive performances through the rest of the preseason, has earned him a spot on RSL's first team.
He could even start a few games this year if Clint Mathis and Andy Williams are both away on national team duty.
"This is what I always wanted to do," Kreamalmeyer said.
"I'm just excited that it worked out to where I have a chance to be in the starting lineup. This is something I've always hoped for."

Kreamalmeyer at a glance
* Earned the 2005 MLS Combine MVP
award

* In his rookie year, Kreamalmeyer has made RSL's first team

* Scored the team's first goal in the preseason in a 5-1 loss to D.C. United on Feb. 9

RSL season opener
REAL SALT LAKE AT METROSTARS
SATURDAY, 5:30 p.m.