MLS Five-a-side: Five things you should know about as the offseason moves forward:
1. Equal and opposite reactions: The laws of physics apply ubiquitously. Even in matters of MLS personnel, the tenets of science are in effect: To every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.
Recently some fairly high-profile players have vanished from MLS rosters. That's the action.
What's the reaction? For starters, it's an opportunity for someone else.
Kenny Deuchar was recently bought out at Real Salt Lake. "Dr. Goals" arrived in Utah amid much hoopla a year ago, but never quite tamed the MLS defenses. His sum contribution: three goals and two assists. Three words: not good enough.
About the same time, word emerged that RSL strike-mate Fabian Espindola had also been released. The Argentinean forward was more productive, with five goals in 12 appearances, and often looked more dangerous that Deuchar, a target forward whose performance was overly dependent on pinpoint service.
But Espindola struggled to stay healthy, a misfortune exacerbated -- queue the collective groan -- when he broke his ankle during a showy goal celebration late in '08. So who will benefit from the flux?
Yura Movsisyan's late-season scoring heroics have probably bought the young striker a starting role. The confidence gained from the heightened expectations of a full-time starting assignment could indeed elevate the fourth-year striker to difference-making status.
And Robbie Findley will surely benefit as well. Even if RSL imports another showy striker, Findley would likely be no lower than third on the depth chart.
In San Jose, Francisco Lima has taken his extended career -- the man is about to turn 38! -- to Italy. Don't underestimate Lima's contributions to San Jose's big push for the playoffs over the back half of 2008. Darren Huckerby contributed the goals and scooped up more acclaim, but Lima's smooth passing out of midfield and savvy positioning in a holding role was perhaps equally invaluable, if less easily noticed.
So Brad Ring, a rookie draft pick from Indiana, could gain minutes at Buck Shaw. Or Dax McCarty could eventually be the benefactor if several dominoes fall. FC Dallas officials are aggressively shopping the unhappy midfielder, and San Jose is among the teams reported to be involved in talks. McCarty seems like the ideal two-way midfielder that Frank Yallop needs in that spot in his preferred 4-4-2.
At RFK, it's difficult to say who might benefit most from D.C. United's ongoing (and much needed) backline makeover. Gonzalo Peralta has been loaned to Argentina's Santa Fe and is not expected to be available for manager Tom Soehn this year. Gonzalo Martinez's status remains unclear, and his days in the nation's capital could be numbered.
So all that could spell opportunity for Greg Janicki, who exploited his late-season loan from USL Second Division Pittsburgh through promising performances. Or it could mean additional opportunities for free agent trialist Kyle Veris, who played for the Galaxy last year, or for first-round draft pick Rodney Wallace.
2. Hot spots of the preseason: To broaden your MLS preseason knowledge, you may want to check on flights into Charleston, S.C., Austin, Texas, Bradenton, Fla., or any number of California airports. MLS preseason schedules -- always a surprisingly well-guarded secret -- are finally trickling out, and those are some of the prominent gathering spots.
Bradenton is the place to be in early February, as Chicago, Columbus, D.C. United, Kansas City and New York have booked trips to train and engage in friendlies in the city outside Tampa Bay.
Shortly thereafter, San Luis Obispo, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, will be the center of attention. San Jose, Seattle and Houston will gather at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from Feb. 12-15.
Between late February and early March, New England, Houston and Columbus will deploy to Austin for training and matches against the Aztex, a debuting USL1 club.
Also in early March, San Jose and Colorado will report to The Home Depot Center (home of Chivas USA and the Galaxy) for matches and training.
Finally, as the regular season draws nearer, D.C. United, Toronto and Real Salt Lake will join the USL's Charleston Battery in the annual Carolina Challenge Cup, March 7-14 at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston.
Other MLS clubs could pop up at any of these locations -- some have yet to reveal their preseason plans.
3. Galaxy, you're on the clock: The LA Galaxy makeover is surely one of the most evocative MLS story lines for 2008. As Bruce Arena strives to toughen up and super-size a defense that, he says, got pushed around a bit in the forgettable 2008 campaign, here's something that will surely turn up the pressure:
If the Galaxy fail to make the playoffs once again, it will join "San Jose 1.0" as the only club to have missed the postseason four years running.
Other teams have missed the regular season after-party for three consecutive years, including D.C. United, Columbus and Real Salt Lake (and now the Galaxy, of course). But only the Clash/Earthquakes, playing under four different managers between 1997-2000, missed in a quartet of consecutive seasons.
4. Watching Kljestan with special interest: With perhaps eight or nine MLS players set to start for Bob Bradley's U.S. national team in Saturday's friendly against Sweden, many eyes will be on a certain midfielder, who just happens to be playing on his home ground.
Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan has just returned from a training spell with Celtic in Scotland. A big performance at The Home Depot Center on Saturday can only elevate the chances the Scottish giants will proffer an offer before January's transfer window closes.
European overtures shouldn't surprise anyone; 2008 was a breakout year for Kljestan, the smooth attacker who gets better and better each season. He'll turn 24 this year, with three years pro experience already. Whether a move happens sooner or later, if at all, is up to MLS headquarters, Chivas USA and any European pursuers.
It should all be concerning to Preki and the rest of Chivas USA's management, as so much of the Red-and-White's attacking muscle may disappear. Francisco Mendoza has already been recalled to Chivas de Guadalajara; the technically gifted midfielder had been with the U.S.-based sister club on a series of loans.
Mendoza played as a left midfielder for Preki (with some fill-in duty at left back). Kljestan has been a fixture on the right. And the way Preki ran matters last year, holding midfielders Jesse Marsch and Paulo Nagamura provided some of offensive push, but most of the attacking verve emanated from the outside spots.
(FYI: Mendoza made his Mexican league debut last Saturday as Chivas de Guadalajara opened the 2009 Clausura in a 3-3 draw with Cruz Azul. Mendoza, introduced as a 74th-minute substitute, made an immediate impact by drawing a red-card foul.)
5. The downlow on De Ro: Still not much word coming out of Toronto on where Dwayne De Rosario fits into an increasingly crowded TFC midfield. Carver hasn't spelled out exactly where the former Houston Dynamo attacker, now fulfilling the dream of playing in his cherished hometown, will line up, other than to say he knows "De Ro" prefers a midfield role.
That may be a tall order considering that the center of the park at BMO is already an address for MLS A-listers Carl Robinson and Amado Guevara. Plus, Carver and technical director Mo Johnston have high hopes for midfielder Sam Cronin, the No. 2 overall pick in last week's draft. De Rosario, for his part, says he doesn't care where he plays, even joking about playing center back or in goal.
Not to worry there; it's quite unlikely starting backstopper Greg Sutton is losing any sleep over that one.
De Rosario could perhaps line up on the left in a 4-2-3-1 alignment, with Guevara as the central attacking fulcrum. Carver used that formation at times last year in deference to departed French midfielder Laurent Robert, who is now with Larissa in the Greek Super League. Robert was relatively effective going forward but not such great shakes at chasing back on defense. Thus, Carver carved out a formation where the Frenchman didn't need to do as much tracking back.
De Rosario is a more willing worker in midfield. The Canadian international, just signed to a four-year deal at BMO, wouldn't have held up so well as a central element in Houston's 4-4-2 otherwise. The problem is that he and Guevara probably couldn't share central roles, as that might tip the balance too heavily toward the attack. Robinson, among the league's better holding presences, must be in the mix.
We'll find out more as TFC reports next week.
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