Just as in years past I was dead on about a couple things, sorta right about others and way off about the rest. Its fun and I don’t mind telling you all when I am wrong.

First up I gave you all a hand-full of guys to keep an eye on, just about all lived up to expectations though Kenny Cooper did head to Germany. At least back then I dropped a hint that I didn’t think he would finish the season in Dallas and that turned out to be the case.

Next were a list of coaches on the hot seat. Three out of four either quit or got canned, so not bad. Bruce Arena exceeded expectations on my part and got to MLS Cup though I do believe I had every right to place him there at the start of this past season because of all the changes he made, if they hadn’t panned out and LA had missed the playoffs again you have to think he probably would have been in some hot water.

Then I gave you all three rookies, all lived up to expectations as this rookie class in 2009 was something special to say the least.

Now for the fun. Below are all the items I predicted, with my comments now after the fact along with either a plus or a minus in the point system.

1. A MLS club will win SuperLiga. – I said back then New England would repeat, turns out they didn’t get to the title game. Plus a MLS club didn’t win. -1
2. A MLS club will win the US Open Cup – I said Chicago had a good shot but they didn’t win, but at least a MLS club did in Seattle. No Points
3. MLS will expand to Portland and Vancouver. – It wasn’t much of a prediction back then and it turned out to be the case. +1
4. MLS will also announce plans for the 2013 round of expansion. – No real announcement has come for 2013 but we have an idea what we may get in 2012 in Montreal. No points
5. One trade in the mid-season will shake up everything. This year we had a lot of trades, not many made a huge impact like in recent years. Houston made plenty of deals to shape up their roster, while San Jose also packed a lot of trades. None really made an impact on the eventual MLS Cup champion, though some may say the Pablo Campos trade did. No Points
6. Another club will add a DP by the end of the summer. I said back then Toronto would add one by the end of summer and they did. So did Houston. +1
7. A couple Yanks abroad will return home. Sorta got that one right in saying Berhalter would return. We should see more in the coming years. +1
8. MLS will field four clubs in the CCL. I said New York for some reason would go through and not Houston. Toronto didn’t make it though. -1
9. Houston and KC will see stadiums slowly go up. If you count more renderings of photos then yes things are still slowly going up. No points
10. DC will finally get their stadium deal in place. I gotta stop adding this every year. -2
11. MLS will win the All-Star game. Nope, lost in PKs. -1
12. Juan Pablo Angel will lead the league in scoring. Not even close. Jeff Cunningham’s revival lead the way. -1
13. GBS will lead the league in assists. Oddly enough he flipped the switch and scored more than he assisted on in 2009. Injuries played a factor in that. -1
14. Kasey Keller will lead the league in saves. Nope, that honor went to Matt Reis who had two rookies in front of him. -1
15. Blanco will lead the league in fouls suffered. Weirdly enough he didn’t but a fellow DP did in Freddie Ljungberg. -1
16. Blanco will also be a finalist for the MVP even though there is a better candidate. I was hoping to jinx this and thankfully he was not a finalist. All three deserved it this year. No points.
17. A late season run will help…San Jose. The Quakes did come together at the end but the late run helped out RSL. -1
18. Frank Yallop will win coach of the year. Not even close. Man I was really drinking the Quakes kool-aid huh? -2
19. Sam Cronin will win rookie of the year. The kid is golden but no he didn’t win or be a finalist. -1
20. GBS will repeat as MVP. He was easily a MVP for the first half of the year but injuries did him in late. No points.
21. Chicago will win the Supporter’s Shield. We all liked the Fire going in and for good reasons but they didn’t win. -1
22. Houston will once again win the western conference. They came very close to LA and had it not been for a tie-breaker they would have here. -1
23. The east will go as follows: Chicago, Columbus, Toronto, New England, New York, DC , KC. – Way off all together though I at least had Chicago and Columbus in the playoffs. I knew KC wasn’t going to be anything great and DC turned out to be about what I expected. New England and Toronto were guesses then and even towards the end. -1
24. The west will go as follows: Houston, Salt Lake, San Jose, Chivas, Seattle, Dallas , LA, Colorado – San Jose was the obvious miss here but they and Dallas have plenty of hope for next year. LA was also a miss but we never knew what to expect going in with them. -1
25. The playoffs will include: Chicago, Columbus, Houston, RSL, Toronto, San Jose, New England, Chivas. – Take out San Jose and Toronto and add LA and Seattle and we are good. Six of eight isn’t bad in any year. No points.
26. Columbus will repeat as MLS Champions. Champs got knocked off by the eventual champs in RSL. -1

So I didn’t do so hot this year. Some of my predictions are stat based and some are just random thoughts going into the year. Its fun and always interesting to look back on.

Time now for the final preview if you will, the season predictions. I will go through who I think we need to keep an eye out for, some rookies that could make a splash, and some coaches that could be on the hot seat this year. Later on today (or maybe tomorrow morning) I will have the year’s first power rankings.

Keeping in the tradition of past season predictions there will be some random stat guesses. Like them or hate them, I do them every year and sometimes actually end up correct on them.

As always feel free to add your own predictions below.

Players to watch in 2009:

• Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew – The MVP, probably the best player even for his age in the league. Even if GBS is half as productive as he was a year ago the Crew will be alright. The man can make anyone look good on the field. Sure he is a DP but he is well worth the pay in my book. Still for the Crew to repeat GBS needs another 15-20 assist year, with probably 6-9 goals too.
• Christian Gomez, DC United – The main reason why I have him here is because he is back in Black…the Black-and-Red that is. Getting Gomez back in DC is a big thing, plus this time he seems like he really wants to be there. Good thing too because this could either be a good DC team or a terrible DC team.
• Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas – For Dallas a lot still rests on Cooper. How much longer will he be with the Red Stripes? And can he produce like he did a year ago? A 15-20 goal season shouldn’t be far off with the addition of David Ferreira, but will he stay on board for the full year? I just doubt it.
• Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy – Just like Cooper, how long will the Galaxy be able to hold on to LandyCakes in 2009? For me this should be his last year in MLS. Maybe even last couple months. I really was shocked to see Bayern Munich not pick him up and I wouldn’t be shocked to see another club in Europe come get him before the year is out. As for the MLS side with Donovan, I fully expect him to pick up where he left off in 2008.
• Dwayne de Rosario, Toronto FC – The big guy is finally home in Toronto. Just how good will the Reds be with him in 2009? I think the potential is certainly there but as we all know it comes down to his pairing with Amado Guevara. Its a pairing I have to say I like though and one I think will work. If it doesn’t it could be another long year at BMO Field.

A couple coaches already feeling the heat in 2009 (no particular order here):

• John Carver, Toronto FC – Should TFC get off to a slow start or start to stumble in the summer again we could see Carver and even GM Mo Johnston get the boot from upper management. I think if one goes the other will have to do the same. They both built the team but its more up to Carver to get the results on the field now. If it doesn’t happen fast enough he could be the first to go this year.
• Curt Onalfo, Kansas City Wizards – I know some Wizard fans will get on me for this one but I’ve had the same feeling about Onalfo since he took over this club. I always feel they are a below-average club because of him and I really believe that if the club isn’t looking good before going into a new stadium he could be one to blame. Management seems pretty true to their guys but if the club isn’t producing points and playing inconsistent like they have in years past, Onalfo could be looking at a pink slip.
• Bruce Arena, LA Galaxy – Bruce has total control over this club, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good in the sense that he can control the roster and get who he wants in. Bad in the sense that if he fails to deliver quality play by the All-Star break he may get fired for it. Oh yeah, and he still has the Beckham Soap Opera to deal with.
• Juan Carlos Osorio, NY Red Bulls – I know Osorio made it to the MLS Cup last year with the Red Bulls…I know that. I put him on here for the same reason I put any NY coach on here. No coach has ever stayed with that club long enough to give anyone a reason to not expect them to get canned if the club doesn’t do well. Osorio is in danger if the guys he brings in this year fail to work out and the club fails to reach it’s full potential.

Rookies to keep an eye out for in 2009:

• Sam Cronin, Toronto FC – For me out of the gate he should be the leading candidate for ROY. I fully expect him to be a big time contributer for this club in 2009.
• Steve Zakuani, Seattle Sounders FC - With the number one pick comes a lot of hype and pressure. Zakuani has the skills and the talent to live up to the hype and the pressure. He will have plenty of time to develop his skills to behind guys like Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montreo
• Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy – There was a reason why people loved this kid coming out of college. He has the size and tools that Bruce Arena needs as a center back.

The rest of the bold season predictions:

1. A MLS club will win SuperLiga. – New England did it a year ago, I sort of see them repeat it this year.
2. A MLS club will win the US Open Cup – Some think the margin between the USL and MLS is closer than ever, I sort of disagree. Its all about getting up for these games, which the MLS clubs don’t do as well as the USL clubs do. I think a club like Chicago will win the Open Cup in 2009.
3. MLS will expand to Portland and Vancouver. – Not much of a prediction but we will hear them announced by the end of the month.
4. MLS will also announce plans for the 2013 round of expansion. – Cities like Miami, St. Louis, Montreal, New York, Las Vegas, Ottawa, Atlanta and Phoenix will all enter their name in the hat with a surprise city or two (Milwaukee and Edmonton).
5. One trade in the mid-season will shake up everything. It happens nearly every year, a trade that helps get one club to a MLS Cup while helping a less fortunate club get some salary cap room that they need for the following year.
6. Another club will add a DP by the end of the summer. I see Toronto finally doing it.
7. A couple Yanks abroad will return home. Maybe a Preston Zimmerman or someone like that. Gregg Berhalter maybe?
8. MLS will field four clubs in the CCL. I think Toronto comes out of Canada to join Columbus, DC and New York in the group phase this fall. None do all that well though as usual.
9. Houston and KC will see stadiums slowly go up. I may have mentioned this before but I see big things for these two clubs once their stadiums are done. Both will play another year or two in temp venues but will have very nice stadiums afterwards, everything breaks this year for them.
10. DC will finally get their stadium deal in place. Sad to say but I have been adding this to the predictions for the past couple years. I really believe this is the year though.
11. MLS will win the All-Star game. Yawn.
12. Juan Pablo Angel will lead the league in scoring. I think Angel will net at least 17 this year, if not 19 or 20.
13. GBS will lead the league in assists. Shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. But RSL’s Javier Morales will make it interesting in that race.
14. Kasey Keller will lead the league in saves. Weak defense, new club. It smells like a good bet.
15. Blanco will lead the league in fouls suffered. It was a easy pick a year ago, so why change it.
16. Blanco will also be a finalist for the MVP even though there is a better candidate. It’s happened before so why not again?
17. A late season run will help…San Jose. I see thinks falling in line for the Quakes this year. But it won’t come easy at first.
18. Frank Yallop will win coach of the year. The late run will help.
19. Sam Cronin will win rookie of the year. The kid is golden.
20. GBS will repeat as MVP. Who else can step up and knock him off right now? No one, that’s who.
21. Chicago will win the Supporter’s Shield. Something about the Fire I like.
22. Houston will once again win the western conference. Until someone knocks them off, why not?
23. The east will go as follows: Chicago, Columbus, Toronto, New England, New York, DC , KC.
24. The west will go as follows: Houston, Salt Lake, San Jose, Chivas, Seattle, Dallas , LA, Colorado
25. The playoffs will include: Chicago, Columbus, Houston, RSL, Toronto, San Jose, New England, Chivas.
26. Columbus will repeat as MLS Champions. Even with the heavier schedule I just can’t see anyone knocking them off just yet.

Some items here will be included in the actual season predictions that I will do later on in March but some of this is just New Year’s wishes for different clubs and players.

As always feel free to add your own way too early predictions below.

1. Houston Dynamo will not win CONCACAF Champions League – They may come close but I think they will need to sign an impact player between now and February to make me want to change this thought. I do see them getting to at least the semi-final of the knock-out phase.
2. Two Expansion Site Will Be: St. Louis and Miami. As much as I’d love to see Portland I just know the league isn’t going to pass over Miami right now. The Barcelona deal is too sweet for them to go over right now and St. Louis will somehow have the right mix of investors this time around to get the league’s attention.
3. Miami will not begin play in 2010 – No matter what they say the league will make sure they won’t start play until 2011. Which may cause some issues causing Barcelona to possible back out of the bid but in the end they will stay on board and wait it out another year.
4. Houston and KC will break ground – I think 2009 will be another good year for the league in terms of SSS. Those two plus St. Louis will have stadiums in the works. Plus the opening of Red Bull Arena will be great.
5. David Beckham will return to MLS – He will flirt with Milan until the loan is over. But once it is done he will return to the league and actually play well in 2009. He had a solid 2008 but I see him doing even better in 2009 under an actual coach in Bruce Arena.
6. Freddy Adu will return to MLS – I hear his stay in Europe isn’t going well. What’s a boy to do? Come home Freddy. Question is will a MLS club spend the big bucks on him because you know he will have to have a DP style contract. I say he is worth it if he is wiling to return home.
7. Other Americans will return to MLS – I won’t name names just yet but some guys that have been in Europe who aren’t seeing much playing time will flirt with the idea of coming to MLS. I see at least three or four American return home in 2009.
8. Kenny Cooper will finally go aborad – Dallas will finally cave in (due to pressure from the league) this coming summer when another club offers some big bucks for SuperCooper. It will be worth it in the end when Dallas is able to sign a really good DP in the process.
9. Landon Donovan will go to Europe in 2009 – Someone will pony up the cash for LandyCakes and he will finally get his wish to play abroad again. This time around however he actually stays and doesn’t get home sick.
10. Two DPs will sign before March – I think Toronto will get their DP on board, as will Houston.
11. Three clubs will sign African players – It was a hit last year for the Revs and I see three other clubs looking to the best place right now for cheap talent in the World. I think Seattle, New York and Toronto all cash in on a cheap but talented player from Africa.
12. A MLS Club will win SuperLiga – Sure the middle of the pack will be playing in this tournament now, but I think New England will repeat as North American champions.
13. The CBA will get renewed before next December – I think this issue will actually be a non-issue before the end of the summer. The league will not want this to get out of their hands and right now I don’t see the Players Union doing enough to get what they want…high wages. In the end the league will raise a few minimums enough to keep them happy for a couple more years.
14. Seattle will win 8 games but miss the playoffs – This won’t be a playoff team right from the start but neither is any expansion club. I want to see how Sigi drafts next month and what other signings they make before I stamp them as a good or bad team. Right now I see them as a typical expansion club that could be good.
15. Playoff clubs will include: Auto-bids from the East include Columbus and Chicago, auto-bids from the West will include Houston and Real Salt Lake. Wild card clubs will be New England, Chivas USA, San Jose, and Toronto. Its going to be a really tight race for those wild card spots.

That’s all I have for now. I would make a prediction for Supporter’s Shield and MLS Cup winner but I just don’t feel up to it right now. I waited a bit long to make these predictions instead of doing it right after MLS Cup a month ago like I meant to. Too many moves have happened since then so I will hold off until March.