Major League Soccer 2012 Season Preview
The 2012 MLS season will kick off on March 10th with 19 teams. The Montreal Impact will join the league which has 10 teams in the Eastern Conference and 9 in the Western Conference. Will the LA Galaxy repeat as MLS Cup champions? Below is a brief preview for each team.
LA Galaxy
Notable Player(s) Added - Edson Buddle
2011 Finish - 1st Place Western Conference, MLS Cup Champions
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 7/2
Outlook - The defending MLS Cup champions start the season with almost the exact same roster from 2011. Some would argue the team is even stronger with the signing of Edson Buddle. The Galaxy are in great position to repeat but its extremely tough in MLS. There will be a few problems as many of their top players will miss part of the season due to international players. The one weak spot in the team is their defense with CB Omar Gonzalez out due to injury. For the Galaxy, expectations will remain high with anything short of the MLS Cup is a disappointment.
Montreal Impact
Notable Player(s) Added - Entire Roster (expansion team)
2011 Finish - n/a
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 66/1
Outlook - In recent years, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for expansion teams to compete in their first season. For Montreal, it’s hard to predict this season. A trip to the playoffs (even the wild card spots) would be a successful season.
Chicago Fire
Notable Player(s) Added - Arne Freidrich
2011 Finish - 6th place Eastern Conference (missed playoffs)
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 33/1
Outlook - The Fire have a strong history but have struggled in recent seasons. They have a decent roster and some rising stars such as Logan Pause and Sean Johnson but probably aren’t expected to be realistic MLS Cup contenders. Making the playoffs is a realistic possibility but probably not much more.
Chivas USA
Notable Player(s) Added - James Riley, Oswaldo Minda
2011 Finish - 8th place Western Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 33/1
Outlook - Chivas have not made the playoffs since 2009 and will have a tough time in a strong Western Conference. There were some positive signs last season and many believe Robin Fraser can get this team into the playoffs. Again, it’s an unproven team who could have a very good season and go largely unnoticed being in the Galaxy’s shadow.
Colorado Rapids
Notable Player(s) Added - Jaimie Castrillon
2011 Finish - 5th place Western Conference, lost to Sporting KC in playoff quarterfinals
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 16/1
Outlook - The Rapids will have a lot of question marks with new manager Oscar Pareja. After a surprise MLS Cup victory in 2010, the team failed to recapture the magic in 2011. There hasn’t been many changes to the roster and there’s still a solid core. If there aren’t many injuries, they should be in the playoffs and still capable of making a run in the playoffs.
Columbus Crew
Notable Player(s) Added - Milovan Mirošević
2011 Finish - 4th place Eastern Conference, lost to Colorado Rapids in wild card round
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 20/1
Outlook - The Crew are another team likely to be in the middle of the pack. The one notable loss was Robbie Rogers who went overseas to play in England. The roster doesn’t jump out with a lot of names but there remains quality with players like Eddie Gaven and Chad Marshall.
DC United
Notable Player(s) Added - Maicon Santos, Emiliano Dudar, Robbie Russell
2011 Finish - 7th place Eastern Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 40/1
Outlook - On paper, DC could be a very dangerous team in 2012. They have some quality with players like Dwayne De Rosario, Maicon Santos, and Andy Najar. The club has made some interesting moves bringing in several foreign players and expectations have increased. If Najar can continue his progression into one of the top midfielders, the team has the potential to be the near top of the Eastern Conference.
FC Dallas
Notable Player(s) Added - Carlos Gabriel Rodríguez, Hernán Pertúz, Blas Pérez
2011 Finish - 4th place Western Conference, lost to NY Red Bulls in wild card round
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 18/1
Outlook - FC Dallas had a strong 2011 season but unfortunately were in the very deep Western Conference. They finished 4th in the West but had enough points to finish 1st in the East. The team’s roster remains largely unchanged except for the addition of several foreign players. The team is poised to improve on 2011 but will need Brek Shea, Zach Lloyd, and George John to lead the way.
Houston Dynamo
Notable Player(s) Added - Mac Khandji, Nathan Sturgis
2011 Finish - 2nd place Eastern Conference, lost to LA Galaxy in MLS Cup final
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 15/2
Outlook - The Dynamo have a great win in 2011 playoffs and have consistently under manager Dominic Kinnear. They will be opening a new home stadium (BBVA Compass Stadium) which could help them improve on last season’s great home form (had 10 victories). The Dynamo are one of the favorites in the East and will target a top 3 finish.
New England Revolution
Notable Player(s) Added - Nate Jaqua, Fernando Cardenas, John Lezano
2011 Finish - 9th (last) place Eastern Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 40/1
Outlook - It was a disastrous 2011 season for the Revolution. Expectations will not be high with a new manager but MLS is a league that has good competitive balance. It’s entirely possible for the Revolution to make the playoffs this season. If the team can find some goals (second lowest total in 2011), they could finish in upper half of the East.
NY Red Bulls
Notable Player(s) Added - Kenny Cooper, Wilman Conde, Markus Holgersson
2011 Finish - 5th place Eastern Conference, lost to LA Galaxy in quarterfinals
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 8/1
Outlook - The Red Bulls were the most disappointing team of 2011. On paper, they had lots of talent but were never consistent and barely qualified for the playoffs. If the team can finally put it all together, they have the capability of being as good as any team in the Eastern Conference. Anything less than a trip to the MLS Cup final is a disappointment for a team loaded with talent.
Philadelphia Union
Notable Player(s) Added - Gabriel Gomez, Chris Albright, Josue Martinez
2011 Finish - 3rd place Eastern Conference, lost to Houston Dynamo in quarterfinals
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 25/1
Outlook - The Union have had a lot of roster changes in the off-season including the loss of Sebastian Le Toux. The team was very strong defensively last season and manager Piotr Nowak deserves a lot of credit. They are a young team who could finish in the top 3 or fail to make the playoffs.
Portland Timbers
Notable Player(s) Added - Kris Boyd, Hanyer Mosquera
2011 Finish - 6th place Western Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 25/1
Outlook - The Timbers had a decent opening season but expectations will be to make the playoffs in 2012. The home atmosphere at Jeld-Wen Field is as good as any and should continue their strong home form. The key will be to improve their away form which was 2-6-9 in 2011. Portland are a team on the rise but it will be tough to make the playoffs in a top heavy Western Conference.
Real Salt Lake
Notable Player(s) Added - None
2011 Finish - 3rd place Western Conference, lost to LA Galaxy in semifinals
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 15/2
Outlook - RSL has kept most of their core players and remain one of the stronger teams in the Western Conference. Expectations will be to at least reach the quarterfinals and with a good chance to reach the MLS Cup final.
San Jose Earthquakes
Notable Player(s) Added - Martin Chavez, Tressor Moreno
2011 Finish - 7th place Western Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 33/1
Outlook - The Earthquakes have not finished higher than 6th in the West since returning in 2008. They’ve made a few moves in the off-season but there’s not a lot of reason for optimism. Generally, there are always one or two teams each season who surprise and maybe it could be SJ. A spot in the playoffs is a goal but won’t be expected.
Seattle Sounders FC
Notable Player(s) Added - Eddie Johnson, Adam Johansson,
2011 Finish - 2nd place Western Conference, lost to Real Salt Lake in quarterfinals
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 13/2
Outlook - Seattle has mad the playoffs every season since joining the league in 2009 but stumbled in the playoffs. The team leads the league in attendance and there’s no doubt that supporters have a trip to the MLS Cup final in their sights. The Sounders should compete for the Western Conference title against the LA Galaxy.
Sporting KC
Notable Player(s) Added - Bobby Convey, Pablo Nagamura
2011 Finish - 1st place Eastern Conference, lost to Houston Dynamo in semifinals
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 9/1
Outlook - Sporting had a breakout season in 2011 and are one of the favorites in the East. They strengthened their defense with the signing of Bobby Convey and have kept their core of young players. Expectations will be high for the club this season and it will be interesting to see how they respond. Sporting should make the playoffs and be in the top 3 of the East.
Toronto FC
Notable Player(s) Added - Jaoa Plata, Geovanny Caicedo
2011 Finish - 8th place Eastern Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 20/1
Outlook - TFC has never made the playoffs and it’s hard to tell if 2012 will be any different. The team did some some improvement late in the 2011 season and has some quality. The team should improve from 2011 but will likely be battling for one of the last playoff spots.
Vancouver Whitecaps
Notable Player(s) Added - Sebastian Le Toux, Barry Robson
2011 Finish - 9th (last) place Western Conference, missed playoffs
2012 Odds To Win MLS Cup - 40/1
Outlook - The Whitecaps struggled in their inaugural season including a winless treak from late March to the middle of June. The addition of Sebastian Le Toux will immediately improve the squad but making the playoffs could be out of reach. The key will to get points on the road as they were 0-5-12 last season.
