How has Eddie Johnson has changed our lives? New WVH writer John Parker takes a look.

By John Parker

Brian Mcbride was a good player. So was Joe-Max Moore. Eric Wynalda held the American scoring record for nearly a decade.

Alright, I don’t know where to start with this, and my free writing is a little sub par here. But there is a point, and it’s not that subtle. The US has produced some adequate players up top, but the position has been the country’s Achilles heel…and an anomaly. This is a nation that hosts the most astonishing athletes in the world, and yet cycle after cycle we see gadflies, overachievers and “hard workers” leading the line. Meanwhile, the Damani Ralph’s of the world were entering the MLS and snatching golden boots.

Before the 2006 cycle, this is what we not only experienced, but expected. We waited on the coming Hispanic infusion that would introduce craft to the position; the demographics of America were rapidly changing, and the future of American soccer supposedly with it. We would see a new breed of player, one who preferred to play on the ball, to strike it from distance and to create for his teammates. Brian Mcbride was great, but we could improve.

But then something curious happened. Eddie Johnson, an American striker with sub par ability on the ball won the golden boot with the U-20’s, and then again with the MLS. It was astonishing…because he was an astonishing athlete. Playing off the hips of the defender, Eddie looked to impose his will with his speed. He didn’t finish off of crosses or set pieces but rather through balls. He was introduced to the National Team and quickly reeled off seven goals. The message boards lit up. People bought the jersey they were sure to wear for a decade…after all, who offered what Eddie did up top? Those seven goals may have been somewhat of a fluke, but they may also have been proof of something greater than just Eddie. The American style, with its counter-attacks and its high pressure defending (which leads to interceptions up the pitch) could take advantage of a forward who routinely got behind the defense. The Twellman’s of the world slowed down our attack when, if anything, we needed to be speeding up.

Don’t beat yourself up for falling for the hype to early. I did…and your favorite blogger probably did too. After all, it’s not like we could complain that Eddie’s ball skills didn’t compare with the rest of the pool. We’d later realize how much better Mcbride’s first touch was, or how much better Moore was off the ball…but the point is for a youth player it was tough to criticize him in comparison (remember, he was battling Taylor Twellman for a spot).

Yes, in the end it did not work out with Eddie. However, his fiery start revealed a seed that is just barely now sprouting. The American striker was not going to be born out of Latino influence but rather an American one. Our obsession with physically dominating our opponents…of physically imposing our will…that was the future of the position, and one that fit our American sensibilities.

Yeah, we are still lacking at the position, but let’s go back to the beginning of the current cycle. Eddie Johnson was beginning to be exposed…and…and…who started against Mexico in the Gold Cup? (Hint: one isn’t a forward, and the other probably won’t be there this summer. Look it up…it took me five minutes to figure it out too.)

Now, the trail-blazing Eddie Johnson has left us with two (yes two!) options up top who offer an array of talents. I know Davies is injured, but as an American product, he must be discussed. You see, we now have a striker tree building from Eddie. One branch, Jozy Altidore, offers extraordinary power, good speed, and a penchant for taking players on off the dribble. The other, CD9, has fantastic speed, good power, and consistently attack the goal with fiery determination. Both can score off through balls, or create a goal themselves. They can play off the defenders hip, but can also be effective receiving it with their backs to the goal. In general, they’re advantage is an athletic one coupled with adequate skills and a confidence we haven’t seen in our past strikers…it’s a confidence that wants to take over the game rather than simply be a cog. Yes, “team” play is great, but sometimes you need more from your strikers than target play. Sometimes you need a goal like Jozy’s against Spain, or Charlie’s against Mexico. Sometimes you need it from both your strikers.

So where do we go from here? Sheer math makes me believe that the previously mentioned dearth of Hispanic influence will be overcome. However, if you look at the current prospects, the proof points more to the growth of the Eddie tree.

• Brek Shea, a tall, lanky winger/striker was taken second by FCD in the draft a couple of years ago after a display of speed and flair at the combine. He may not be a striker in the end, but the mere fact that he was drafted with the position in mind was proof of a new American mindset. He still might have a future at the position.
• Robbie Findley will probably see little time on the pitch for the US in any competitive matches, but Findley seems to have become a preferred option to the Conor Casey’s of the world because of what he offers athletically (which, unfortunately, is about all he offers).
• At the U-20 level, Juan Agudelo and Stefan Jerome seem to be top options for the next cycle. Agudelo is looking at offers from NYRB and Millionaros because of an intriguing balance of size, speed and technical ability, especially at his age. Jerome, who has fallen off quite a bit since his stunning performance against Brazil a couple of years ago, is a tall, lanky striker with speed and desire to beat his defender off the dribble (perhaps too much). [Note: The other striker here is Jack McInerney, but he is unlike any American striker produced, so I’ll pretend he doesn’t exist for the purposes of this article]
• Then there is the 2010 draft. Teal Bunbury may be playing for Canada, but he fits the mold, and MLS large GA offer is proof to his value in the American game. However, Danny Mwanga, the first pick of the draft, should be of more interest to us. Mwanga told a soccernet reporter he hoped to play for the U.S., and given his status as a refugee with a green card, he shouldn’t be too far away from his citizenship. As a 6-2 striker who wows with both elite level athleticism and the technique to match, he would be a natural fit in the new breed of American striker.
• Finally, there is Alfred Koroma, the 15 year old who recently left Bradenton after beginning his second cycle. Koroma was highly advertised as the star of the new class as a player who was not only physically dominant but also technically advanced. Yes, he is young…but Jozy got his first cap at 17 and Koroma will turn 19 before the next world cup.

All of this is admittedly wild speculation. All the speculation, however, points towards one conclusion. Many of these players won’t make it, but the fact that almost all of America’s top prospects at the position fit the Davies/Altidore mold speaks to what we can learn from the past and expect of the future. Current trends point towards a focus on strikers with the ability to get behind defenses off the ball and to overtake them off the dribble.

With Davies and Altidore taking two positions in the next cycle, two remain open. Will we see an entire leading line built in a similar fashion? Will it become a position of strength? Will the American striker become a unique character in the world of soccer?

All of this is unlikely…but it’s still cool to think that Eddie Johnson may have changed American soccer forever.

Editor’s Note: John Parker is new to WVHooligan.com. Feel free to leave him a comment below.

Is Blanco the best DP MLS has seen so far? (Getty Images)

I’ve had this thought for a little while, on the surface the Designated Player rule is good as it brings quality players into Major League Soccer that do help in more areas than just on the field itself. We know the cons against it like teams spending so much money on one player but I started looking at all the past and present DPs and started wondering if this rule really is worth it.

Now first of all I’m not going to advocate for or against this rule today. I just merely want to point out who’s done well with it and who’s not. We’ve seen this rule in place for a couple seasons now and so far only a few clubs have ventured out with this rule. Now it seems like most clubs are going away from the rule, currently only five clubs have a DP (Toronto, New York, LA, Seattle and Houston).

Also, so far five clubs (or six if you count Philly too) have yet to use their DP slot. RSL won MLS Cup 2009 without one so maybe they aren’t worth the money.

So let’s take a deeper look into each DP. What worked about it and what didn’t work on and off the field. We’ll go from worst to best in this instance. I’d also like to note that two fo the DPs on this list have only played a little under a half season with their clubs so grading and discussing them at length seemed unfair at this time. If you are wondering about who I am talking about here those two are Houston’s Luis Angel Landin and Toronto’s Julian De Guzman. (For the record I like De Guzman but don’t care of Landin…but saying that I am very curious about their upcoming seasons.)

Denilson (FC Dallas):

What worked: This may be the one DP in league history that had very little good come from it. Possibly the only good that we can see is it will keep teams like Dallas from spending money on a washed-up player like Denilson in hopes of putting more butts in the seats.

What didn’t work: Nearly everything on and off the field. When former Dallas GM Michael Hitchcock made this move it seemed like he was reaching a good bit at the time on this one. No doubt it was a weak attempt on his part and the rest of the Dallas front office part to sign Denilson. The hope was to put more fans in the stands and improve the on field product in the process due to the flashy Denilson. What happened was no one in Dallas cared and Denilson was a waste on the field.

Final thoughts: I think it is safe to say this is the worst DP in league history. No one in Dallas cared that he was here and most that did care were happy to see him go. Looking back I’m sure Dallas wishes they hadn’t wasted the money on him but that’s what happens when you gamble, sometimes you waste your money.

DP Grade: F

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Claudio Reyna (New York Red Bulls):

What worked: When Renya was healthy you’d see a quality New York team on the field back in 2007. The midfield was a little more complete and the offense had a nice spark to it with him. I think had the timing been right when him coming to MLS we probably would have even seen a decent pump in attendance with him but probably nothing major like Beckham.

What didn’t work: Injuries and overall poor management on New York’s part really did this number in for me. Reyna was never going to be 100% while playing on turf (see Juan Pablo Angel for that too) and with the Red Bulls changing coaches every year stability was always going to be an issue.

Final thoughts: I liked this move at first for the club back in 2007 but as time wore on this move really showed some early flaws in the DP system.

DP Grade: D+

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Marcello Gallardo (DC United):

What worked: He probably came in with too much hype and in some way he wasn’t really the guy DC actually wanted at the time (remember the Juan Sebastian Veron debacle?). Injuries did him in quickly and he was only limited to 15 games. In that time he scored four goals and assisted on a couple others but that was it.

What didn’t work: From what I recall there was always some attitude issues with Gallardo. At times it seemed like he didn’t want to be there and I’m sure that sports hernia didn’t help one bit either.

Final thought: Early on I thought Gallardo could be a big time impact player for DC but after a couple games that thought quickly went away. He disappeared in games that he was needed in and injury aside was just not a good fit for DC or MLS. Then again about every player DC brought in back in 2008 was not a good fit for both.

DP Grade: D+

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Claudio Lopez (Kansas City Wizard):

(Note – Lopez was originally a DP but KC reworked his contract to not be a DP after 2008)

What worked: Late in 2008 we saw exactly how dangerous Lopez could be with the Wizards. The Wizards had a late surge towards the playoffs and were even able to upset Chivas USA in the opening round of the second season. A lot was thanks to Lopez and his efforts on the offensive side of the ball.

What hasn’t worked: He was truly never worth the DP money at the time, also he’s shown his age just a bit while in KC. Also he hasn’t been the offensive spark that some thought he’d be in KC. Only 15 goals in 57 games for the Wizards isn’t DP worthy.

Final Thoughts: Thankfully for KC they got his contract below the DP mark after one season. Since then he’s been doing okay as a non-DP player. I’d say he may still be a little more than he is worth right now but his leadership has been solid nonetheless in KC.

DP Grade: C

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Luciano Emilio (DC United):

What worked: No one can deny that when Emilio was on he was on. After the 2007 season he earned his way into a DP contract with his MVP performance. The only thing was after his stellar non-DP year of 20 goals his production dropped in the final two years with the Black-and-Red with only 21 more goals, 10 of which did come in 2009. Still when he was on his game he was one of the best strikers in the league.

What didn’t work: I suppose his downfall was getting the DP contract after 2007. DC traded for the DP slot from Colorado, only then to trade it back. As mentioned his production dipped considerably after earning the DP money. A pretty typical thing of most athletes that earn a big contract after a strong year.

Final Thoughts: I liked Emilio as a DP last year for the most part, he was one of the few offensive bright spots for DC. After going for 20 goals in 2007 there was a lot expected of Emilio. He got the DP contract and still got 11 goals in 2008 and 10 in 2009 but its hard to live up to what got him the DP contract, that 20 goal tally. DC was smart to low ball him going into 2010 and in a way he was smart to reject it and go home to Brazil.

DP Grade: B-

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David Beckham (LA Galaxy):

What’s worked: For the most part anytime he is on the field people are watching. He brings a lot to the table for Bruce Arena’s side and does create still create a decent amount of buzz for the league.

What hasn’t worked: For starters this loan thing with AC Milan has been a pain for the league. Second of all things did get off on a bad foot (excuse the pun) when he first came over with his injuries. He was expected to some to bring MLS into a lot of people’s houses but let’s be honest he really hasn’t spark that big of an interest in casual sports fans across the country like some thought he would.

Final thoughts: Hey the rule was made for him. He’ll eventually own a team in this league and his footprint will be all over when it is all said and done. While I have seen some issues with him making so many more money in a single season (or half season in his case now with this loan) than a couple clubs combined. But I’d still be willing to bet the positives have outweighed any negatives from him being here. He’s still done more for the league than most who have come over and tried their hand at playing in MLS.

DP Grade: A

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Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders FC):

What’s worked: When he’s fit he is a dangerous part of the Seattle offense. Even though he’s only been in the league for a single season he has brought a ton of credibility to the league in my eyes. I knew it was a good signing for Seattle last year and I’m standing by it again today. The thing I do like about this signing is he wasn’t brought in to put more butts in the seats at Qwest, he was brought in to facilitate the offense. I think if Ljungberg is fully fit again this year he could have an even more productive campaign.

What hasn’t worked: Injuries have been an issue thanks to his age and the nasty field turf at Qwest. His off the field comments this winter also sparked some issues with teammates for him not showing up on time to camp.

Final Thoughts: Still one of my favorite players all together (gotta stick by my Swedes). Ljungberg will continue to be what’s right with the DP slot. Quality talent on the field and for the most part good stuff off the field that gets fans excited.

DP Grade: A

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Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls)

What’s worked: He’s been a goal scoring machine, despite some injuries and playing on the lovely field turf at Giant’s Stadium. He loves New York and it seems like he is definitely at home in MLS.

What hasn’t worked: Injuries and lots of coaching/management turnover has probably cut into his production. I often wonder at times if he had gone anywhere else in the league as a DP would he be setting some scoring records each year?

Final thought: A move to Red Bull Arena this year will definitely help out with his injuries, which should definitely help New York get some wins this year for a change. Angel has been one of the better DPs the league has seen, some will even say the best. He brings a lot to the field and a good bit off of it.

DP Grade: A

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew):

What worked: While GBS only spent a single season as a DP he was still very much a good one. Not only did he help get the Crew to their second straight Supporter’s Shield trophy but he also did help them be the only MLS club to make it through the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League.

What hasn’t worked: Injuries, his age, and the constant threat of him leaving (which has pretty much vanished this winter).

Final thoughts: Even though he was only a DP for a single season he is still one of the best DPs the league has had up until this point. He brings so much to the field and from the sounds of things he brings a good bit of things off the field. He’s a player you build your club around and who knows maybe he’ll become the first DP to turn into a coach in this league.

DP Grade: A

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Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire):

What worked: Its really hard to pinpoint something that didn’t work out right for Blanco in Chicago. He was an instant success on and off the field. While the Fire never got to a MLS Cup with Blanco they did see some quality soccer on the field and in a way the Fire help get his international career back on track. I won’t even mention what he brought to the table for the league in terms of growth in the Latino department.

What didn’t work: Blame it on coaching or management but the one big flaw with Blanco was that he never was able to lead them to any sort of domestic or international Cup while in Chicago. Oh and that US Open Cup mess wasn’t anything fun to discuss either.

Final thoughts: For me Blanco is and will continue to be the best DP the league has seen so far. GBS is a close second for me but Blanco edges him out because of what he brought to the game and the crowds he brought in when the Fire were on the road. He had his issues like any other player but he was well worth the DP price in my book, even though I’m still not the biggest Blanco supporter.

DP Grade: A

Piotr Nowak leads the troops. (Photo via Philadelphia Union)

By: Geoff Reid

I must admit, when Philadelphia officially got announced as the next expansion club added to the MLS brass for the 2010 season in March of 2008, I was very skeptical.  Of course at the time, I was still based in Massachusetts as an undergrad and my local side then essentially was the New England Revolution.  For a long time in the back of my mind I was always thinking it was a mistake that the league picked Philadelphia over St. Louis.  Now nearly two years later, my opinion is a complete 180 degrees from what it originally had been.

Since the last update in November, much more has developed: the expansion draft, MLS Superdraft, additional player signings, full fixture announcement for the whole season, date for when the stadium will officially open, additions to coaching staff, the hiring of JP Dellacamera as play by play commentator and local TV contract on 6abc to televise games that aren’t nationally televised, amongst a whole other bunch of information.

The media coverage has been particularly interesting.  It’s not been front page of the sports editions by any means, nor was the Union expecting that to happen. However, signs have been encouraging.  Tom Veit, President of the club told the local newspaper Philadelphia Inquirer that season ticket sales will still cap at 12,000 and that currently the number is closing on 10,000.  Veit pointed out that Toronto FC had as many season ticket holders at this point when they were approaching their 1st season in league play and used the TFC model as an example to prove why he believes all Union home matches will sell out the 18,500 seat stadium when completed.

I personally remain a little skeptical about that because at this point in time, it’s far too difficult to tell but as club President, it’s what he has to say.  If it did happen, I really wouldn’t be surprised because it makes sense by looking at the model they’re following.

The squad is also coming together very nicely.  By no means is the squad complete, but manager Piotr Nowak likes what he has to build the foundations with so far.  What lineup can we see at Quest Field against the Seattle Sounders for first kick 2010?  Again, it’s far too early to tell, but looking at the current squad and assuming everyone’s healthy, why not give it a look.  My projected lineup right now would be this:

• Chris Seitz (GK)
• Danny Califf (CB)
• Michael Orozco (CB)
• Jordan Harvey (FB)
• Shavar Thomas (FB)
• Stefani Miglioranzi (CM)
• Andrew Jackobson (CM)
• Fred (LW)
• Nick Zimmerman (RW)
• Danny Mwanga (CF)
• Alejandro Moreno (CF)

Now that lineup is assuming Nowak goes with a 4-4-2 formation.  He could easily go for a 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 or another formation.  Quite simply it’s far too early to figure that out.  He could prefer Sebastian Le Toux, Shea Salinas, rookie Amobi Okugo, or David Myrie in the back.  I’m just assuming for the club’s first ever match, he’ll go for an experienced lineup but if the rookie’s have a strong pre-season, Nowak may not have the option to overlook them.

Another important bit of news that hasn’t been made official and will not be until it is confirmed by the club is the naming rights of the stadium.  For the last few weeks it has been reported that Philadelphia Power and Light (PPL) were to sponsor the stadium for 10 years worth $20million ($2million each year) which would be big time revenue the club will get on top of their partnership with Panasonic and other partnerships.  A jersey sponsorship looks like it’ll happen sooner rather then later with the club just trying to find the right partner in that regard after turning down a few offers so far.  As mentioned earlier briefly, the television deal with the local ABC affiliate here channel 6 is massive because not only is it one of the three main networks locally and affiliated with a major national broadcasting network, ABC is partners with ESPN and therefore will have a good number of live televised world cup matches this summer and assuming Euro 2012 if Disney hasn’t purchased those rights for North America yet.

On top of all that, it’s far better to have a partner like 6abc rather then the local Comcast Sportsnet (CSN) channel because not only do they have the rights to Phillies games, but also Sixers and Flyers too.  I believe CSN wouldn’t give the Union and the sport the respect the team, league and game deserves.  Since there is no Fox Sports Net locally in the area, it should be CSN’s right to broadcast Champions League matches live on Tuesday afternoons which they haven’t been doing at all.  That alone shows how committed they would be toward the club or MLS.  On 6abc, the club has much more room to work with.

Right now, the club is doing their training in Greensboro, North Carolina, hoping to work under a slightly warmer climate then the comforts of home but with this latest snowstorm they haven’t managed to escape it.  Needless to say, the first unofficial match (scrimmage) in team history takes place on Saturday against University of North Carolina (UNC) with a good number of Sons Of Ben members expected to be in attendance.

It’s hard to believe that first kick 2010 is a month and a half away already, that’s if a new CBA can be agreed upon in time.  A message to the league and the players union: it’s up to you now.

Editor’s Note: Geoff Reid appears on WVHooligan each week. Feel free to leave him a message or comment below. You can also reach him on Twitter @GeoffReid.

Today he has added a new podcast…or videocast…or whatever they are called with Chicago Fire forward Calen Carr.

Enjoy.

I try sometimes to stay away from personal matters but today just isn’t one of those days. See today is a special day for me and this site because it is the three year anniversary!

I’ll cut to the chase and not bother you with loads of memories and wishes though. I would though like to thank you all who come here everyday, every week, once a month, once a year or how ever often you visit my little space on the internet. I know I have ruffled a few feathers and probably upset a few of you over time. I’d like to think that I am growing as a writer and a person here.

I’d also like to give a thanks to Geoff Reid and Brian Stevens, two people who have helped me out in different ways over the last year. Geoff with his interesting views on things and Brian with his amazing photography of the Kansas City Wizards.

I hope that moving forward this site continues to grow. Don’t worry I’m not going to bother you with my site stats, I believe in showing off how much or little you do is a little annoying. If you want to see them or know them just ask me or find a site that can look them up for you.

As for what the new year here at WVH will bring, I am hoping to grow the site with more writers (and photographers) if anyone is interested. Don’t worry I won’t force deadlines or anything like that. I would just like to add some people who enjoy writing about the beautiful game for the fun of it like I do. Hopefully this new year brings a lot of good from it.

Again, thanks for coming.

Cheers,

- Drew

DC United fans are hoping for a return to playoffs in 2010. (Getty Images)

I wasn’t entirely sure I’d get to this offseason look at DC United today but extra time this afternoon came out of no where. So far these last couple weeks we’ve looked at a handfull of teams including Philadelphia, Chicago, Chivas, Colorado and Columbus.

Today is all about the Black-and-Red who have seen a pretty big change this winter. From Curt Onalfo taking over for Tom Soehn to seeing Ben Olsen retiring to not offering Christian Gomez or Luciano Emilio a new contract, this is a whole new United.

Let’s see exactly what they’ve done and what they need to work on before the season starts.

Keepers:

Who they have: Troy Perkins, Milos Kocic, Josh Wicks, Bill Hamid.

Notes: Obviously when they made the deal to get Perkins it was to sure up this area. Wicks was too on and off last year and Kocic and Hamid aren’t quite ready to take over. Perkins gives them stability in between the pipes and will help them win. No need to look elsewhere for any additional keepers right now. I am curious to see Hamid develop though, hopefully he’ll get some PT in some US Open Cup games.

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Defense:

Who they have: Julius James, Marc Burch, Dejan Jakovic, Devon McTavish, Bryan Namoff, Jordan Graye.

Notes: I like certain parts of this group like Burch, McTavish, Namoff and Jakovic but the rest not as much. Injuries are always an issue and right now Namoff is out with some sort of head injury and those can linger long depending on how bad of an injury it is.

If I were Onalfo I’d be worried about this bunch. Perkins will probably have to come up big for them more times then they’d like to admit right now. DC fans may answer this easier than I can at this point but who is the leader in the back out of this group? They have some veteran players but not one that you know right away is going to step up, maybe I am missing something here.

Right now I see them defending like Onalfo’s KC teams, solid for a game with a shutout and then give up two or three in the next.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Floribert N’Galula, John DiRaimondo, Danny Szetela, Christian Castillo, Clyde Simms, Tiyi Shipalane, Rodney Wallace, Brandon Barklage, Santino Quaranta.

Notes: This group will be fine if two things happen, Castillo lives up to the billing surrounding him and if Quaranta can help create some offense on a consistent basis. I do where they are in the back part of this group in terms of defensive midfielders.

Another interesting question will be whether or not N’Galula, the young 22-year old former Manchester United product will do anything of note. If he can be productive in the midfield for Onalfo he could end up being one of the bigger steals of the winter by any club.

With Christian Gomez gone you have to wonder where the offense will come from this group though. I think defensively in the midfield they will be fine and even on the wings they should be good with Castillo and Quaranta. They still however need that go-to guy in the midfield that will help with the attack, a playmaker if you will. Right now I just don’t see that. Maybe one of these young guys will surprise me.

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Forwards:

Who the have: Danny Allsopp, Chris Pontius, Boyzzz Khumalo, Jaime Moreno, and Adam Cristman.

Notes: An interesting group to say the least. One hand they are fairly young with Pontius and Cristman but on the other they aren’t with two 30+ year olds in Moreno and Allsopp.

I like the Cristman move for Onalfo and United though. You know he is familiar with Onalfo and his style of play. Moreno we know is going to get his normal amount of goals, mostly from the penalty spot.

I think the big thing to see is whether or not Pontius continues to develop into a goal scorer and if Allsopp can come in and produce at least six to eight goals. I think if those two things happen DC should be fine in the goal scoring department.

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Overall:

This will be an interesting season for the Black-and-Red. For one they are very young in respect to other teams in the league. Just like Philadelphia they only have three guys right now on their roster over 30 years of age. Finding a leader other than Moreno will be interesting to see. Hopefully someone steps up and leads this team because there will likely be a big drop off in leadership with Ben Olsen retired now.

With Gomez and Emilio out it looks like United aren’t looking for a big name product from South American to step in like they normally do. Its a risky move not to bring in a bunch of signings but as we’ve seen in recent years out of DC it doesn’t always work out. Instead they are now focusing on talent here and adding one or two pieces from outside MLS. I like the move on their part but it may take a while to produce well.

But we’ll see, this is a club that is bound to make a move or two more before the season starts so it will be interesting if they add depth in the back, find a playmaker and most importantly someone to be a leader.

Crystal Palace Baltimore Stadium rendering. (Photo via CPUSA)

A little mid-day stadium porn for you. And believe me some MLS teams would love to have this stadium right now.

The Maryland Stadium Authority approved a $100,000 study on Tuesday to explore the viability of building a professional soccer stadium in Baltimore. Both DC United and the USSF Division II’s Crystal Palace Baltimore are being looked at in this study.

The renderings though are for CP Baltimore. A cozy little venue with a roof over all the seats with one end open for probably a party deck of some sorts. I like it…a lot.

No real major surprises for this camp as we figured it would be mostly all MLS based. This may be a first in a long time that the entire roster for a camp is all MLS based.

What do you make of this roster?

KEEPERS: Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA).

DEFENDERS: Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Orozco (Philadelphia Union), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC).

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

FORWARDS: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake).

The 2010 Crew look a lot like the 2009 Crew, does that mean another Supporter's Shield is on the way? (Getty Images)

I had hoped to get this post out of the way earlier in the day but some issues on the back end of my site kept me busy all day (some PHP bug!). But I felt like it was still alright to move on with out look at each Major League Soccer club and how they are doing this offseason.

Today we go back east and look at the two time defending Supporter’s Shield champion Columbus Crew.

The offseason hasn’t been too busy for the Crew but they were able to make some big noise at the SuperDraft with a couple of their selections.

Keepers:

Who they have: William Hesmer, Andy Gruenebaum, and Kenny Schoeni

Notes: This area is still fine for the Crew. I had heard whispers that Gruenebaum was not on the roster for the training camp but I haven’t seen anything out there about it yet (Crew fans can help me out on that one). If he is in camp then he is a fine backup to Hesmer, if not then they may be in trouble.

For the most part I’d say if they are looking to add anything here it will be with one of the league’s pool keepers that travel around. Hesmer is one of the more underrated keepers in the league in my opinion. The Crew should be fine here as long as Hesmer stays healthy this season.

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Defense:

Who they have: Frankie Hejduk, Gino Padula, Andy Iro, Chad Marshall, Eric Brunner, Jed Zayner, Shaun Francis, and Kwaku Nyamekye.

Notes: When healthy this group is as good as it gets. But like we saw late in the year when they aren’t 100% things get a little dicy. Hejduk has shown his age and sometimes Padula isn’t all there. Let’s not forget that Marshall will probably be missed some point this summer if he ends up going to South Africa. I do however like the youth with this group in Iro, Zayner and Brunner.

Too bad they probably won’t get anything out of Nyamekye, one of their forth round picks. Apparently he is headed to play in Europe.

I think if Robert Warzycha can get a couple more quality center backs and maybe one more wing back in here this group will be set for the long run. With the amount of extra games again this year on the menu you gotta think depth will come into question with the Crew yet again.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Alex Grendi, Danny O’Rourke, Dilly Duka, Duncan Oughton, Eddie Gavin, Kevin Burns, Brian Carroll, Emmanuel Ekpo, Robbie Rogers, Adam Moffat, and Cory Elenio.

Notes:  Just like the defensive group if they are healthy they are one of the best in the league but if they aren’t it gets interesting. They have a good solid core of players here and I’m very curious to see Duka plays into their system here as well.

I would like to see them go after another attacking midfielder though for depth. Should Schelotto go down they will need some sort of back up in place. Adding more depth in the defensive side of the midfield wouldn’t be a bad thing as well.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Jason Garey, Bright Dike, Emilio Rentería, and Steven Lenhart

Notes: Schelotto makes this a very solid group but I kind of still see him as an attacking midfielder more than a forward at this point. Some folks list him as a forward others list him as a midfielder.

I like Renteria and Lenhart – and Garey isn’t too bad either. Biggest question will be around Dike and whether or not the Crew really did gamble on picking him so early. Most like me agree they could have gotten him in the forth round with one of their three picks then.

I’d still like to see them go after another striker before the season starts if they can, or definitely one during the summer transfer window. Right now they’ll have to rely too much on Schelotto to score for them and I can see that doing well early on but leading to some trouble late if no one else steps up.

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Overall:

One still has to figure the Crew will be in the discussion for the Supporter’s Shield yet again this season. They’ve barely lost anything from a year ago and I have to think that playoff loss to RSL really stung this group. I think as long as Rogers and Ekpo step up in the midfield, Schelotto and Renteria do their part up top and the defense stays healthy they’ll be another tough team to beat in 2010.

Still saying that they do have some work left to do to get the depth issues taken care of.