Hard to believe where it today compared to when it first opened back in 1999. Thirteen years ago today the Columbus Crew opens Crew Stadium before a sold-out crowd of 24,741, the first MLS stadium built specifically for soccer in the United States as Columbus beat the New England Revolution 2-0.

Now there is a stage on one side and probably a few other good changes. This place opened up many doors for the league and has seen its fair share of quality games too. Who doesn’t forget the US beating Mexico here a few times? Or some of the crazy MLS matches that have taken place here too.

Cheers Crew Stadium, you’ve never known a sponsor name and now you enter those fun teenage years. Still lots of growing to do but the ride has certainly been fun up until this point.

Darren Mattocks has shown well already for Vancouver. (Photo via MLSSoccer.com)

Each season Major League Soccer has a new crop of rookies that don their respective clubs jerseys for the first time and try to prove that they have what it takes to be something in this league.

In seasons past it has been the top picks in the draft that have shined the most in getting the Rookie of the Year award. Other times like with Jonathan Bornstein (a 4th round pick back in 2006) or even a mid-first round pick like CJ Sapong last year have gone on to win the award.

So who has the inside track this season out of the group of rookies that are entering the league? Will it be one from the draft or will another Home Grown Player follow the footsteps of Andy Najar and steal the award away from one that was drafted?

Below are my early season favorites to win the Rookie of the Year award, in my season’s first Rookie Watch post. (Just note there is no meaning behind the order here, so don’t read into that)

1. Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps) – So far this preseason he has shown he is hungry for goals. He’s also shown at least to Montreal that they were dumb not to take him with the first pick. I love players that want to prove a point like that and if he can do it to all the other 18 clubs in the league and not just Montreal, then he has to be the odds-on favorite to start the season to win this award.

2. Casey Townsend (Chivas USA) – He’s had some solid minutes so far this preseason. Sometimes this award comes down to goals scored and if he can bag more than the rest, he’ll be in good shape.

3. Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution) – Some still have questions on Rowe but early preseason reports indicate he’s doing pretty well under Jay Heaps. I think he’s definitely one of the most intriguing rookies to watch out of this season.

4. Tom Meyer (LA Galaxy) – Not a big name from the draft but he is already looking like he may be the Omar Gonzalez replacement for the season. He’ll have some rookie issues early on but with all that talent around him he could sneak up and do very well this season.

5. Ben Speas (Columbus Crew) – I’m throwing a HGP out there for good measure. Speas showed well at the College Cup last year for UNC and earned himself a pro contract with the Crew as a result. This one is a long shot but anything is possible these days with HGPs.

6. Dom Dwyer (Sporting KC) – Hard not to argue with Peter Vermes’ track record with young players as of late. He scored huge with Teal Bunbury and with Sapong last year. If he can make it three in a row with Dwyer then he may be the new coach that others should be modeling their SuperDrafts after.

7. Andrew Wenger (Montreal Impact) – Hard to not include the first overall pick but I do worry that his lack of time with the club this spring will hurt his chances at this award. A lot of expectations will be placed upon him as well. Can he handle it will be the key question.

Ryan Johnson could have a big season ahead with Toronto FC. (Getty Images)

Each season in Major League Soccer there are a number of players that seemingly come out of nowhere to enjoy a big season. A couple years ago it was Chris Wondolowski to last season with Dominic Oduro finally finding his way in the Windy City with the Fire.

Obviously it is always hard to tell who will breakout like Wondo and Oduro. Some guys have shown talent before like Oduro but haven’t been in the right set up for their skill sets to show it. Others are just waiting for their time really to get solid minutes and show the league what only few have been able to see in training and in reserve league games.

So who will it be this year? Below are a couple guys that could have big seasons for their respective clubs if the chips fall in the right way for them.

Dilly Duka (Columbus Crew) – With names like Robbie Rodgers and Emmanuel Ekpo gone, the midfield for the Crew will look drastically different in 2012. The only thing that won’t change is Duka. I’d expect the 22-year old to come into his own this season and contribute in a big way to get the Crew in the playoffs once again.

Andrew Wiedeman (FC Dallas) – A bit of a hometown pick for me but I think this one could be a good one. Wiedeman has had a strong preseason thus far and is putting himself in the discussion to compete for some serious playing time this season. With guys like David Ferreira returning from injury and newcomers like Blas Perez snatching goals, look for Wiedeman to be that spark for Dallas that was missing in 2011.

Justin Braun (Montreal Impact) – I’ve honestly been waiting for a couple years now for Braun to really burst out on the scene. He has shown moments over the last couple years with Chivas USA that he can be dangerous. I think a new location and coach could really help him out though this year. He’s certainly a player to watch out for.

Bright Dike (Portland Timbers) – He’s finally healthy and if he can get solid minutes this season I think he could really be a difference maker for the Timbers. A lot of attention will be placed on newcomer Kris Boyd and that should free a player like Dike up to bag a few goals this season.

Sammy Ochoa (Seattle Sounders)  - Even with Fredy Montero and now Eddie Johnson, I see Ochoa as a breakout guy. This will be his first full season with the club and now that Mike Fucito is gone (sorry Sounders fans, I know you’re still mourning that one), Ochoa should be able to sneak in and gain plenty of solid minutes this year.

Ryan Johnson (Toronto FC) – Here is another guy that has shown some glimpses in the past. I think a full season with TFC will certainly help push him out even more. With the spotlight being on Danny Koevermans this season, look for Johnson (and Joao Plata for that matter) to get plenty of quality chances on goal. The potential has been there for years folks.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to say to this. I suppose Eddie Gaven will have to shave.

The Columbus Crew and Perio, Inc. announced a major, long-term partnership on Wednesday that positions the Barbasol brand as the new jersey partner for the Crew, starting this season. The deal is said to last for five years.

So the 2012 Columbus Crew jerseys now have a little more on them. Remember when they came out last fall? Yeah, most of you hated them but at least there is something on the front to help out.

So now we’re back down to San Jose, Dallas, Colorado and Kansas City as the sponsorless teams in MLS.

(Photo via Columbus Crew)

Toronto and Kansas City have faired pretty well so far this winter. (Getty Images)

Many clubs are a few weeks into their pre-seasons and now that the international transfer window has shut, it is a good time to look at how each MLS side has done so far this winter. (Note: the MLS window doesn’t close until April, which means players who failed to land new jobs in Europe can still head to MLS.)

Keep in mind, these grades are based on the offseason to this point, not on how good I think the team will be. I know there will and can be a lot more moves between now and April. I’ll go more into how I think each team will be before the start of the season with various rankings and previews then. The transaction page at MLSSoccer.com was where the majority of the info seen on this post came from.

I’ve also thrown in some thought about what I think each club still needs before the start of the season in terms of depth and areas of concern.

(Side note: I’m not including any Supplemental Draft picks in with any of the teams. Some players have already been let go by their clubs while some are still trying to make the teams. Once they have definitely signed we’ll discuss it more)

Chicago Fire

Players in: G Jay Nolly (12/5: trade from Vancouver); F Kheli Dube (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/New England); M Rafael Robayo (1/9: free/Millonarios); F Federico Puppo (1/11: free/Danubio); D Austin Berry (1/12: SuperDraft); F Lucky Mkosana (1/12: SuperDraft); D Hunter Jumper (1/12: SuperDraft)

Players out: F Christian Nazarit (12/7: option declined); F Gabriel Ferrari (12/7: option declined); G Alec Dufty (12/12: option declined); M Baggio Husidic (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Colorado); G Jon Conway (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/LA Galaxy); F Diego Chaves,(1/15: free/Palestino)

What is still needed: Defensive help and another striker

Thoughts: For some reason the Transaction page lacks the losses of Yamith Cuesta and Josip Mikulic, Those two losses leave their defense in a bit of a pickle. Only Cory Gibbs and Jahil Anibaba have MLS experience. That being said however I did like their SuperDraft with them landing Berry and Jumper. There will be some growing pains in the back for sure to start out with but I think before long they’ll be okay. I’m very interested to see how Puppo works up top with Dominic Oduro, Patrick Nyarko and Pavel Pardo. If it works out that could be a very nice move for the Fire. Losing Diego Chaves is a tough loss even though his output wasn’t a whole lot last season due to injuries (six goals, one assist). Frank Klopas still has some work to do here, that is for sure.

Grade: C-

Columbus Crew

Players In: D Carlos Mendes (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/New York); G Matt Lampson (12/15: Home Grown); M Milovan Mirosevic (1/4: free/Universidad Católica); F Olman Vargas(1/6: free/Club Herediano); F Ben Speas (1/11: Home Grown); F Ethan Finlay (1/12: SuperDraft); D Aubrey Perry (1/12: SuperDraft); M Kevan George (1/12: SuperDraft)

Players Out: D Josh Gardner (11/23: expansion draft); M Santiago Prim (11/23: waived); D Dejan Rusmir (11/23: waived); F Andrés Mendoza (12/6: option declined); M Kevin Burns (12/12: option declined); F Jeff Cunningham (12/12: option declined); M Robbie Rogers (1/11: free/Leeds United)

What is still needed: Possibly another striker and some defensive depth

Thoughts: Still no word on what Emmanuel Ekpo will be doing this season. Is he still with the club or not? The club hasn’t talked about it too much this winter but from what I can gather he is a free agent (some MLS side should take note and grab him). Outside of that the club did lose a couple big names in Mendoza and Rogers but Gardner could be one of the tougher losses in the back. On the flip side they did bring in Mendes from New York, which I thought was a smart move and they signed two home grown players. Vargas could be a huge addition for them down the road, as will Mirosevic. The Crew went young once again this winter with their moves and I think it will pay off for them.

Grade: B-

DC United

Players In: D Robbie Russell (11/29: trade from RSL); M Nick DeLeon (1/12: SuperDraft);  F Maicon Santos (1/18: free); M Danny Cruz(1/20: trade from Houston); D Emiliano Dudar(1/25: free/BSC Young Boys)

Players Out: M Santino Quaranta (12/7: retired); DMarc Burch (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Seattle); M Clyde Simms (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/New England); M Brandon Barklage (12/12: option declined); G Steve Cronin (12/12: option declined); F Joseph Ngwenya (12/12: option declined); D Jed Zayner (12/12: option declined); D Devon McTavish (12/22: retired)

What is still needed: Defensive depth and another striker

Thoughts: It looks like they lost more than they gained but really when it comes down to it Ben Olsen has done a solid job this winter. Getting players like Cruz, Russell, Santos were all smart moves while rookie DeLeon was a nice pick last month. The big question will be if Dudar can make an impact with the side or not. I still believe their defense could use a little more work but these moves should help Perry Kitchen move back into his more natural spot in the defensive side of the midfield.

Grade: B-

Houston Dynamo

Players In: M Nathan Sturgis (12/29: trade from Toronto); F Colin Rolfe (1/12: SuperDraft); MWarren Creavalle (1/12: SuperDraft)

Players Out: F Brian Ching (11/23: expansion draft); MFrancisco Navas Cobo (11/23: waived); GEvan Newton (11/23: waived); F Carlo Costly(11/24: option declined); D Hunter Freeman(12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Colorado); F Jason Garey (12/12: option declined); D Eddie Robinson (1/11: retired); M Danny Cruz (1/20: trade to D.C.)

What is still needed: Depth all around but most pressing need is a couple strikers

Thoughts: I’m not exactly sure what the Dynamo are waiting on here this winter. Possibly the Bring Ching situation shook them more than they thought it would. Only three moves this winter and two of them came from the SuperDraft. That isn’t enough at all for a club that will have additional games on their slate this season with the CCL. Even with the new format of that tournament it will still be more games to deal with than what they have had the last couple of seasons. The good news in all of this though is the club has to have plenty of cap space. Nearly all the players they lost this winter took up plenty of caps space, especially Costly, Ching and Freeman. For now this club feels incomplete but I don’t like giving out those kinds of grades.

Grade: D-

Montreal Impact

Players In: D Nelson Rivas (10/3: free/Inter Milan, Italy); G Evan Bush (10/21: NASL Impact); DSinisa Ubiparipovic (11/1: NASL Impact); M Hassoun Camara (11/3: NASL Impact); D Jeb Brovsky (11/23: expansion draft); DBobby Burling (11/23: expansion draft); F Brian Ching (11/23: expansion draft); D Josh Gardner (11/23: expansion draft); M Justin Mapp (11/23: expansion draft); M Sanna Nyassi (11/23: expansion draft); D James Riley (11/23: expansion draft); D Seth Sinovic (11/23: expansion draft); M Collen Warner (11/23: expansion draft); D Zarek Valentin (11/23: expansion draft); F Justin Braun (11/23: trade from Chivas USA); M Gerson Mayen (11/23: trade from Chivas USA); D Tyson Wahl (11/23: trade from Seattle Sounders); M Bryan Arguez (11/25: free/Ft. Lauderdale Strikers);  M Davy Arnaud (11/28: trade from Sporting KC); G Donovan Ricketts(11/28: trade from LA); M Ian Westlake (12/5: NASL Impact); M Miguel Montaño (12/7: free/Seattle); G Greg Sutton (12/9: free/New York); M Patrice Bernier (12/19: free/Lyngby); M Felipe Martins (12/21: free/FC Lugano); D/FAndrew Wenger (1/12: SuperDraft); M Calum Mallace (1/12: SuperDraft); D Geinier García(1/17: trade from Vancouver); D Shavar Thomas (1/20: free)

Players out: D James Riley (11/23: trade to Chivas USA); D Seth Sinovic (11/28: trade to Sporting KC)

What is still needed: That big-named player they’ve been talking about for weeks would be nice.

Thoughts: For an expansion team, this club sort of feels like the Seattle Sounders when they came into the league. Smart moves, a couple risky ones and enough MLS guys that could make this club very watchable in year one. They are young for the most part but talented enough that they could surprise some people. If they can get that big DP signing that they have been claiming to have on the radar before the season starts then this grade could end up being higher. But overall I can’t fault them too much for what they have done thus far.

Grade: B+

New England Revolution

Players In: D Danleigh Borman (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/Toronto); F Nate Jaqua (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Seattle); M Clyde Simms (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/D.C. United); D John Lozano(1/9: free/América de Cali); M/F Fernando Cárdenas (1/9: free/América de Cali); M Kelyn Rowe (1/12: SuperDraft); D Tyler Polak (1/12: SuperDraft); F Jose Moreno (2/2 loan/Once Caldes)

Players Out: F Alan Koger (11/23: waived); D Otto Loewy (11/23: waived); M Andrew Sousa (11/23: waived); F Milton Caraglio(11/30: option declined); F Monsef Zerka(11/30: option declined); D Ryan Cochrane(12/1: option declined); M Franco Coria (12/1: option declined); M Pat Phelan (12/1: option declined); F Kheli Dube (12/12: Re-Entry Stage 2/Chicago); F Rajko Lekic (1/31: free/Lyngby)

What is still needed: A go-to striker with experience (Moreno may be that guy), and some depth on the wings

Thoughts: Jay Heaps has done a decent job so far this winter are building his roster. He cut a lot of fat and made some interesting calls early on. Re-signing Shalrie Joseph to a DP deal was fairly smart and if his three Colombian players can pan out like others have in this league then he could have a competitive team in 2012. I still have a ton of reservations about this club though for this season. I want to like what they have done this winter but I have a feeling it won’t be nearly enough to be a playoff side. They are too young in some places and we still don’t know how well this offense will actually be.

Grade: D+

New York Red Bulls

Players In: D Connor Lade (12/5: Home Grown); D Jonathan Borrajo (1/5: free/Hamarkameratene); D Markus Holgersson (1/12: free/Helsingborg); F Kenny Cooper (1/12: trade from Portland); G Ryan Meara (1/12: SuperDraft);  G Jeremy Vuolo (1/25: free/AC Oulu); D Wilman Conde (1/30: rights from Chicago)

Players Out: G Alex Horwath (11/23: waived); DMychal Jones (11/23: waived); D Tyler Lassiter (11/23: waived); M Marcos Paullo (11/23: waived); M John Rooney (11/23: waived); D Teddy Schneider (11/23: waived); DCarlos Mendes (Re-Entry Stage 1/Columbus); D Chris Albright (12/12: option declined); GBouna Coundoul (12/12: option declined); DTim Ream (1/26: transfer/Bolton Wanderers)

What is still needed: A goalkeeper with plenty of good experience, defensive cover, depth in the midfield

Thoughts: The Conde-Holgersson combo in the back could be good. Keyword there is could. I do think it is a step in the right direction though for this season. You have to imagine it will still be a high expectation season for Hans Backe and these Red Bulls though. The depth is still an issue but is getting better. It still comes down to their goalkeeper situation for me though, it hasn’t gotten any better and don’t think for a moment that Vuolo is the right answer there. He’s decent but not nearly decent enough if the club goes through some growing pains with this new defense.

Grade: B-

Philadelphia Union

Players In: M Nizar Khalfan (11/23: waiver draft/Vancouver); F Josué Martínez (12/7: transfer, Deportivo Saprissa); M Jimmy McLaughlin (12/12: Home Grown); M Gabriel Gómez (12/21: Indios/Mexico); D PorfirioLópez (12/22: Dalian Haichang/China); FChandler Hoffman (1/12: SuperDraft); M Greg Jordan (1/12: SuperDraft); D Raymon Gaddis(1/12: SuperDraft)

Players Out: D Juan Diego González (11/23: waived); G Thorne Holder (11/23: waived); M Justin Mapp (11/23: expansion draft); G Chase Harrison (12/12: option declined); M Stefani Miglioranzi (12/12: option declined); F Levi Houapeu (1/17: option declined); M Morgan Langley (1/17: option declined); M/D Ryan Richter (1/17: option declined); D Joe Tait(1/17: option declined); F Veljko Paunovic (1/18: retired); G Faryd Mondragón (1/30: released); F Sébastien Le Toux (1/30: trade to Vancouver); M Kyle Nakazawa (2/1: trade to LA)

What is still needed: Backup goalkeeper, some depth in the midfield and in defense

Thoughts: What a difference a couple days makes for a club like this. Losing Mondragon and Le Toux in one day was rough. Peter Nowak is committing to the youth movement in a big way and I don’t mind it really. I know fans are attached to players like Le Toux but give it some time and it should all work out. I do like their other moves with Martinez and Gomez coming on board. Lopez should also be an interesting player to watch while Hoffman and Gaddis should be able to contribute in their rookie seasons. Adding some depth behind Zac MacMath has to be done before the start of the season though. That is a huge area of concern.

Grade: C

Sporting Kansas City

Players In: D Seth Sinovic (11/28: trade from Montreal); M Paulo Nagamura (11/29: trade from Chivas USA); M/D Bobby Convey (12/2: trade from San Jose); F Dom Dwyer (1/12: SuperDraft); DCyprian Hedrik (1/12: SuperDraft); M Michael Thomas (1/18); F Jacob Peterson (1/19: free/San Jose Earthquakes)

Players Out: M Davy Arnaud (11/28: trade to Montreal); M Jéferson (11/23: waived); D Scott Lorenz (11/23: waived); M Craig Rocastle(11/23: waived); D Seth Sinovic (11/23: expansion draft) M Milos Stojcev (11/23: waived); F Omar Bravo (12/12: Cruz Azul/Mexico); D Shavar Thomas (12/12: option declined)

What is still needed: More defensive depth and cover

Thoughts: I still have to think that the Eastern Conference will go through KC this season. I’ve really enjoyed the moves that Peter Vermes has made this season. Their defense should be better while their offense will be just as tough, if not tougher in 2012. Convey should be a fun addition to watch. I do still have concerns about their defense going into 2012. I think they need at least one or two more moves in that area to ease my mind a bit. Also, this club will have to get mentally tougher in 2012 as they lost a lot of games late due to lack of maturity. Still, overall, not a bad winter.

Grade: B

Toronto FC

Players In: D Jeremy Hall (11/29: trade from Dallas); M Reggie Lambe (12/7: free/Ipswich Town); M Luis Silva (1/12: SuperDraft); D Aaron Maund(1/12: SuperDraft); D Geovanny Caicedo(1/26: LDU Quito); D Miguel Aceval (1/30: Universidad de Concepción)

Players out: D Kyle Davies (11/23: waived); M Matt Gold (11/23: waived); M Leandre Griffit (11/23: waived); F Javier Martina (11/23: waived); DDemitrius Omphroy (11/23: waived); D Eddy Viator (11/23: waived); M Gianluca Zavarise(11/23: waived); D Danleigh Borman (12/5: Re-Entry Stage 1/New England); M Nathan Sturgis(12/29: Trade to Houston) F Mikael Yourassowsky (1/18: waived); D Andy Iro(1/20: declined extension); F Peri Marosevic(1/20: declined extension)

What is still needed: Some depth up top behind Koevermans

Thoughts: Is this going to be a playoff team in 2012? Time will tell on that one but one thing is clear, this club is much better than before. Smart moves this winter that followed the smart moves that took place late last year. They seem to have brought in some defenders that they are very high on in Aceval and Caicedo. If those two moves pan out, then expect huge things from this side in 2012. Aron Winter is certainly taking this club places and its nice to see the management there give him the time and freedom to do it.

Grade: B

When the Chicago Fire announced Quaker Oats as their new jersey sponsor earlier this week (I swear that one is growing on me by the day), the news left four clubs without a sponsor.

The Colorado Rapids, the Columbus Crew, FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City all have holes in their jerseys – well metaphorically speaking.

Right now there are no real updates on any of these four clubs in where they stand at getting a kit sponsor. That isn’t the type of post I am writing up for you all today. Locally for me in Dallas, I know the Hoops have been working for a couple seasons at finding the right brand to be on their jersey. They came super close last year only to have the company that they were working with back out at the last minute thanks to a CEO change.

Kit sponsors are big deals for MLS clubs. They help with paying salaries for one. I’ve had a couple teams tell me in the past that the jersey sponsor deals go a long way in keeping costs down for a season. It doesn’t put teams in the green on the financial books but it does help.

We know those four have struggled at finding a sponsor. The brand has to match what the club feels as the right feel for the team. It’s possible that Chicago has hit a home run with Quaker. It’s a local brand that is well known. That’s what clubs like to go for – well known brands – that have strong local ties. Chicago is doing it with Quaker, Philadelphia did it with Bimbo.

Now, not all clubs go for the local brand. VW sponsoring D.C. United isn’t a local company but one that works on a global scale.

But where does Colorado, Columbus, Dallas and KC go? We know they are all losing out on money as we speak. So who could step in and help them out? Below are some companies worth exploring for each club, along with other current sponsors that could step up. More than likely all are long-shots for each side but you never know.

Colorado Rapids: Finding a strong brand for the Rapids isn’t easy. Many folks have been pining over getting someone like Coors as a kit sponsor. Big time brand like Coors would be a big fish to land for the Rapids and MLS. But having Budwiser as a league sponsor has probably always hurt the chances of  Rapids landing them.

Other possible companies for the Rapids: Western Union (located in Eaglewood), DISH Network (Eaglewood), and MapQuest (large offices in Denver)

Columbus Crew: The Crew were one of the first in the league to have a sponsor with Glidden Paint. Ohio is home to many large corporations that would work perfectly for MLS and the Crew. I’d personally love to see someone like Kroger’s (grocery store), Nationwide/Progressive (insurance), or FifthThird Bank. Two of those three are current sponsors for the club as it is while Nationwide or Progressive probably would have problems seeing how Allstate is a big USSF backer.

Other possible companies for the Crew: Goodyear Tire (located in Akron), Sherwin-Williams (Cleveland), or Value City Furniture.

FC Dallas: FCD already has a bunch of sponsors but two that could step up and be huge for the club would be Dr. Pepper or Subaru. I’ve always thought though that if Southwest Airlines could step up and be a bigger partner for the club that it could transition well into a jersey sponsor. But again, its all long-shot talk here. FCD has been extremely picky over which company to put on their jersey and that has probably caused a few of these bigger companies in the DFW area to back out.

Other possible companies for FCD: AT&T (located in Dallas), Baylor Health Care System (Dallas), or Gamestop (Grapevine – a Dallas suburb)

Sporting KC: This is one club I’m still shocked to not see a brand on their kits. But I do believe they are next in line to do so. Question is who though? Two companies come to mind, Sprint and Pepsi. Both are current club sponsors and both would be big brands that would look good on those SKC unis.

Other possible companies for SKC: AMC Entertainment (located in KC), H&R Block (KC), or Dairy Farmers of America (KC).

(Naturally this post was meant to suggest some companies and is in no way saying any of these companies are great fits for the four clubs. I thought it would be a fun debate, feel free to leave your suggestions for each side below)

Arturo Alvarez was picked up by Chivas USA. (Getty Images)

The first stage of the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft has come and gone with a bang. Only three players were selected in the first stage today as 16 clubs passed on their selection.

The terms of the first stage mean the three players selected today, their new teams will have honor their current contracts or offer them a 5 percent raise over what they made last year if they are currently out of contract. Stage 2 of the draft will take place next Monday and is expected to be more active, as teams can renegotiate the players’ contracts.

Danleigh Boreman was selected first by the New England Revolution. The outside back/midfielder spent most of the 2011 season with Toronto FC after being traded to the Reds from the New York Red Bulls. The speedster should add some quality depth to Jay Heaps’ roster. Last year, he made the league minimum ($42,000), one should expect him to get a small bump in pay with the Revs.

Chivas USA selected journeyman Arturo Alvarez next in the draft. This was certainly the most surprising pick of the first stage as Alvarez made close to $200,000 last year with Real Salt Lake.

Lastly, the Columbus Crew selected defender Carlos Mendes. The veteran defender made $100,000 last year with the Red Bulls and should be a nice pickup for the Crew.

Columbus goes into the offseason with some questions for their expansion draft lists. (Getty Images)

The Columbus Crew had many questions going into the 2011 season – mostly due to the amount of veteran players that were let go by head coach Robert Warzycha. But as the season went on the Crew began to find their footing and were actually in contention to win the Eastern Conference.

After their Wild Card exit last week, the Crew now shift focus on the final touches of the 2011 season – the expansion draft.

To recap, I’ve already looked at the Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, D.C. United, FC Dallas, the New England Revolution, the Portland Timbers, the San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Keep in mind the rules of the expansion draft, to read more about them click here.

Protected List: 

1.William Hesmer – Quality keeper, enough said.

2. Rich Balchan – Once considered a Rookie of the Year candidate. He’d cheap and would be a big addition if Montreal were to get their hands on him.

3. Andres Mendoza – A DP, a big contract but he showed up this season after questions of his game were brought up earlier in the year.

4. Emmanuel Ekpo – Quality midfielder, cheap, young and an international.

5. Shaun Francis – No not the MLS Insider but a decent defender that had some injury issues this year.

6. Emilio Renteria – A decent strike partner for Mendoza, his international status probably makes him safe.

7. Sebastian Miranda – Probably one of the better outside backs in all of MLS.

8. Chad Marshall – Captain, leader, all around bad-ass in the middle of the defense.

9. Eddie Gavin – Veteran player that is a must to keep.

10. Robbie Rogers – Some question his game, others love it.

11. Julius James – Another guy some love and that most hate. His partnership with Marshall helped his career out in a huge way though this year.

Home Grown/Generation adidas Players:

• Dilly Juka
• Aaron Horton
• Tony Tchani

Unprotected List:

• Josh Williams
• Danny O’Rourke
• Bernardo Anor
• Justin Merman
• Eric Gehrig
• Kevin Burns
• Dejan Rusmir
• Ben Sippola
• Korey Veeder
• Alex Riggs
• Santiago Prim
• Andy Grunebaum
• Josh Gardner
• Jeff Cunningham
• Tom Heiemann

Notes:

For the most part I felt the Crew were a fairly straight forward team to do here. They do have a couple guys on the unprotected side that could be worth saving but with their amount of internationals it makes it tough to hold on to certain guys.

Columbus hopes to knock off Colorado tonight. (Getty Images)

I hate being quick with playoff previews but this one will have to end up being the case. Time has not been on my side today.

Tonight is the second wild card game of the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs. Last night the New York Red Bulls upset FC Dallas on the road and tonight the Columbus Crew hope to do the same against the defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids.

It should be a fun one tonight for sure though – snow covered Dicks Sporting Good’s Park yesterday – and we very well could see an appearance by the Orange Jubilani. The weather should play a tricky factor in this one for both sides but each are no stranger to cold weather games.

To me this one is a simple midfield battle. If Colorado can overcome some injuries in their lineup to key guys like Pablo Mastroeni, then I could easily see them advance in this game to take on Sporting Kansas City this weekend. I’d expect the Crew to lean on guys like Dilly Duka, Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gavin to make up for the suspension of Emmanuel Ekpo in the midfield.

The two defenses are fairly even down the board thanks to injuries and form issues. Up front you almost have to go with the Crew right now with Andres Mendoza and Emilio Renteria leading the way. If one of those two can get on the board early it will be hard for the Rapids to play catch-up in this one. Without Conor Casey in the lineup, Colorado needs another big playoff push from Omar Cummings, something that we haven’t seen as much this season.

I think this one will be a little slower than the Dallas-NY game from last night but it should still be fun to watch. I’m taking the home side by a hair. Cummings finds a way to insert himself into this one and uses his speed to beat a slower Crew defense.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 1, Columbus 0

My pal Daniel over at BigDSoccer.com just posted this photo on his twitter feed. Valencia of La Liga in Spain did this clever jersey sponsor idea of promoting their brand online instead of having a big time sponsor. I’d say for clubs like FC Dallas, the Colorado Rapids, the Columbus Crew, Sporting Kansas City and the Chicago Fire that this wouldn’t be a bad route for a year while they finalize any deals with a big company.

What do you think of someone like FC Dallas having @FCDallas on the front of their shirt for a year or even a few months while they finalize a deal with some local company? To me it is better than having a blank spot on a kit like some of these clubs have right now. It wouldn’t bring in cash right away like most of the deals do but it may drive up some jersey sales though.