Beginning Thursday night and continuing on through the weekend, seasons will end for four teams in MLS. Dreams of reaching MLS Cup will be dashed for some and endure for others. The finality of the situation got me thinking of a First XI of players who deserve their first opportunity to play in the league's Big Game.
11. Frankie Hejduk. For so many years Hejduk has been one of the fiercest competitors in Major League Soccer. I have vivid memories of him playing on the old Astroturf at Giants Stadium for Thomas Rongen's Tampa Bay Mutiny in the very first MLS season. And the amazing thing is that I recall him looking exactly the same as he looks today. With his nonstop running and tackling and a spirit that never takes a night off -- not on the field, not in the dressing room -- Hejduk is deserving of a spot on the field in MLS's big game. It would also be fitting that the game is in southern California, where Frankie grew up.
10. Chad Marshall. Marshall is all-Crew and one of the real keys to the team's Supporters' Shield triumph and, more important, Columbus' long, three-year rise under Sigi Schmid. After missing much of the 2007 season with concussions, Marshall is a great comeback story. A fitting end to that tale would be a chance to compete for the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
9. Claudio Suarez. It's no secret that Chivas USA struggled in their first year in MLS, but since Suarez arrived in Year 2, this team has been one of the most competitive in the league. Much of the credit for the team's transformation is due to the steady influence of Suarez. It's been an injury-plagued campaign for Claudio, but his teammates have done him proud, fighting for results all season long. Chivas USA has a tough battle ahead this weekend, forced to overcome a 1-0 deficit against a confident Real Salt Lake club, but if they can survive, don't be surprised to see Suarez play a key role in a conference final.
8. Ricardo Clark. The last two years Clark has found himself on the outside looking in at Houston's MLS Cup Final triumphs because of suspensions. Here's a guy who's as critical to the Dynamo's success as any player in the organization and it's time for him to make it all the way to a final and get a chance to shine in a championship game. While intensity and all-out effort is a huge part of Clark's game, here's hoping Rico can keep his emotions in check through the playoffs and make it all the way to the finish line in '08. He deserves it.
7. Jon Busch. The comeback story of the year, written by one of the gutsiest players to ever play the goalkeeper position in MLS. Everyone knows how Busch defied the odds just to make his way into MLS. You just don't see too many 5-foot-10 goalkeepers and Busch had to prove so many naysayers wrong along the way. But this season is the capper, earning a starting job after three full seasons of limited duty. Busch has a U.S. Open Cup victory on his resume, but an appearance in MLS Cup would be an even greater accomplishment.
6. Gonzalo Segares. A steady, winning player for the Fire since he was taken in the 2005 SuperDraft, Segares represents the new blood on this First XI list. While his time in the league has not been as long as most of the others here, Segares has hung in through three coaches in Chicago and put in steady, solid work on the left side of the field. I expect Segares to have a big game against New England in front of the home fans at Toyota Park.
5. Eddie Gaven. Hard to believe that Gaven, who just turned 22, is wrapping up his sixth year in the league already and that he's now played as many years for Columbus has he played for his homestate MetroStars. It hasn't been an easy ride for Gaven by any means, but his story now becomes one of perseverance and improvement. Still one of the young Americans I really enjoy watching on the field week-in and week-out, it would be great to see a kid we've watched grow up on the MLS stage make it all the way to a final.
4. Kyle Beckerman. Is it really going to be 10 years next season since the U.S. under-17s gave us all a thrill, racing to the semifinals of the FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand? Indeed, and it's really been eight seasons of watching Kyle Beckerman in MLS. From his Project-40 days in Miami to his growing-up years in Colorado to his position of leadership on the first RSL team to make it to the playoffs. A good soccer player, plain and simple. The type of player who can help any team. A player deserving of an MLS Cup.
3. Chris Rolfe. Another player who's not getting mention on this list because of a long tenure in the league, but rather because of the quality of the minutes he's contributed to one team. I remember Rolfe as a rookie in 2005, showing off a shot release with either foot as quick as any MLS forward I'd ever seen. He's battled some injuries along the way, but when Rolfe is on the field, he's always a threat to find the net. I always think of the Fire as a team that's got a great thing going with its fans and I think of Rolfe as one of those players who has been fully embraced by some of the league's most passionate fans.
2. Francisco Mendoza. Here's the last man standing from the original Chivas USA roster. And who could've predicted that back in 2005, when the team boasted such Mexican stars as Paco Palencia and Juan Pablo Garcia? Mendoza earned and kept his spot with Chivas USA with a combination of versatility and hard work. Not quite the attacking player he looked to be in 2006 and '07, Mendoza contributes in other ways for Preki. Should Chivas find a way to the final, the founders of this club can look proudly to Mendoza as a symbol of what Chivas USA set out to be and what they've become during their first four years in MLS.
1. Brian McBride. Sure it was a long hiatus for McBride, but anyone who's followed this league at all over the last dozen years remembers McBride as the league's first No. 1 draft pick, and a long-time fixture for the Crew before he headed to England for a long, proud career in the Premiership. It's taken the Fire a while to get adjusted to playing with McBride and it seems they're just starting to play some balls to his feet, rather than simply pounding balls up field for him to win in the air, but the adjustment could be occurring at exactly the right moment. McBride made it as far as a conference final before (four times to be exact), but certainly deserves a shot on the MLS Cup stage.
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