Normally I tackle one of these kinds of posts each year it seems as there are always a group of guys that just look prime to go from MLS to Europe at the next chance. A year or so ago (okay December 08) I wrote that guys like Sacha Kljestan and Michael Parkhurst were on their way out of MLS.

After Geoff Reid’s talk yesterday about players heading to leagues in Sweden or Norway I felt like piggy-backing that post a bit to get back into this discussion today. The fact that I skipped an entire year on something like this was a bit shocking as I thought I’d keep up with it longer when I first started doing it. Silly me I suppose.

The summer transfer window just closed a couple weeks ago and now clubs have to wait before they can get their hands on some up and coming MLS talent. It seems like right now there are plenty of guys that could very well be gone from MLS next year if the league doesn’t step up and protect it’s own, which we know probably won’t happen.

A lot of talk has surrounded Landon Donovan in recent months but really anymore I don’t see him going back to Europe full-time. I think in January we’ll see him head back to England or where ever for a three-month deal only to return to LA for the start of the 2011 season. Plus I feel as though he went to England this past year and did what he’s been wanting to do for a long time, prove himself on a big stage. He’s done that and so I think he’s fine in LA for the time being. Some folks won’t agree with that but let’s face it MLS isn’t getting rid of it’s biggest star just yet.

Now some of my list below is built on a gut feeling and the others could be based on rumors flying around. All of these guys are young too as I didn’t go for any veterans that think they’ll just up and leave MLS. Which means I still believe guys like Shalrie Joseph won’t go even though you know they’d like to. Also I know a few of these guys are a couple years away from a move but I thought they were worth discussing. If you feel like I missed someone or think I’m totally crazy just share your thoughts below.

1. Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo) – His injury this year probably dampened his chances in a big way to score a huge contract or even a transfer this summer but one thing is certain about Cameron he’s vastly underpaid in MLS. He knows it and so does the rest of the soccer world. He hasn’t signed a contract extension with the Dynamo just yet either so don’t be shocked if his situation turns out to be similar to Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark. I’d love to see Geoff stay here in MLS, believe me I would but we’ve seen this time and time again with clubs like Houston. They make good, young, and cheap players into very talented stars. Its always tough to hold on to something like that.

2. Danny Mwanga (Philadelphia Union) – I know he got talked into coming to MLS instead of going to Europe but believe me he won’t be in MLS very long with the way he plays. I give him one more year here tops. Maybe even less than that.

3. Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy) – Here’s a gut feeling kind of thing. Once his contract runs out with the club I see him as a goner. Defenders like Gonzalez are tough to come by and he’ll also continue to get more US National team play in the coming year as well I believe. The more folks abroad see him the more likely he won’t be in MLS with LA.

4. Brek Shea (FC Dallas) – Here is another talented yet cheap player that is continuing to get better. He had rumors a couple years ago about going to Europe but after the way he’s emerged this season it will be tough for Dallas to keep him long-term. He’s still very young and has room to grow in the right system.

5. Andy Najar (D.C. United) – You can’t be shocked to see this kid’s name listed here. Thankfully for D.C. fans they have him for at least another year as he can’t go anywhere else until he’s 18. But unfortunately for D.C. and anyone who enjoys watching him play in MLS he’s a star on the rise that will only continue to garner interest from abroad.

6. Toni Tchani (New York Red Bulls) – Some will say Tim Ream is more likely to leave MLS than Tchani but I disagree. Tchani may be a couple years off from a move out but believe me once this kid gets the proper playing time you’ll understand why I put him here. His size and skill are there and its only a matter of time before this guy gets attention abroad.

7. Stefan Frei (Toronto FC) – I could be wrong here about Frei but the talented Swiss player could make a move easily based on his passport. Then again if anyone watches him in goal they’d be silly to think he wouldn’t be a good fit abroad. He’s got the size and skill you want in a keeper too.

8. George John (FC Dallas) – This one may shock some folks but I’m a big George John fan, not because I see him all the time here in Dallas but because he’s really started to grow as a player here. His size is perfect and he’s only getting better, just like his club at defense. Part of me feel he could be the next Clarence Goodson from MLS.

9. Steve Zakunai (Seattle Sounders FC) – The speedy winger from Seattle is a guy that can be a game changer with his pace and scoring ability. Having some chances in Europe before (he was with the Arsenal youth system) before coming to the US to play college soccer at Akron. Now that he is making a name for himself here its only a matter of time before he hops back across the pond.

10. Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew) - Part of me thinks he’ll be in MLS for his entire career but the other part me thinks he’ll eventually try his hand at going to Europe. He’s only 26-years old but had enough experience to land in a decent league if he wanted to.

Week four in Major League Soccer got off to a slight bang last night. Philadelphia and Toronto clashed up on the new grass at BMO Field. Dwayne De Rosario nailed two goals for the Reds in the 2-1 win. Take away the red card to Danny Califf and really Philadelphia should have at least gotten a point out of last night’s game. But they didn’t and its time to move on.

The win was definitely bigger for Toronto, even if it wasn’t pretty. Fans held up banners that said YOU MUST WIN last night. They may have won but they are far from being a team that is on the up and coming here. Preki knows lots still need to change, don’t be at all shocked if they continue to re-work this roster.

One thing we did learn from Philadelphia last night is that Roger Torres and Cristian Arrieta are solid players. Torres’ pass to Jordan Harvey on the lone Union goal was a thing of beauty. I know I’ve raved over New York’s Joel Lindpere as one of the best newcomers this year but keep watching Torres, he’s young and loaded with talent.

Now for the weekend, we have seven games with six coming up tomorrow. Some how Columbus managed to be left off the weekend slate. Can anyone figure out why a club that will have such a heavy schedule late in the year has two weekends off within the first month of the year? Shouldn’t the league have loaded their schedule up a little more early on? I don’t know, just a weird thing to see.

Feel free as always to leave you score predictions and thoughts on this weekend’s games below in the comments section.

Saturday

Kansas City Wizards – at – Seattle Sounders FC

One of the better games this weekend, the Wizards travel to Seattle to face the Sounders. Qwest Field is a place the Wizards managed to grab a win at last year so don’t be shocked if they find a way to do the same this year. With Ryan Smith charging down the sideline it could happen. This will be a great test for the Wizards though, most of us really wonder exactly how good this team really is here this season. We’ve only seen them at home and on a smaller field.

Seattle will need to use their speed and skill on the wings to spread the Wizards out. I’d expect another solid game out of Steve Zakuani in this one as I love him going against either Roger Espinoza or Michael Harrington. I think his speed may be too much to handle for either one. Also can KC handle Fredy Montero up top? They did well to shut down Omar Cummings and Conor Casey a week ago but Montero can be an entirely different kind of handfull to deal with. I like the Sounders at home but in a close one.

Player to watch out for: Jimmy Nielsen – I’m not usually one to point out a keeper in this area but so far he’s kept a clean sheet this season. I’m mainly curious to see how he handles the turf at Qwest, sometimes its a tricky monster to deal with.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 2, Kansas City 1

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Chivas USA – at – Houston Dynamo

This one could be interesting, on one hand you have a club that never does well at Robertson Stadium and on the other hand you have a club that has nearly nothing to place on the field at striker. As we all know Brian Ching is out with an injury, so is Cam Weaver and Luis Angel Landin will sit with a red card suspension. So who will the Orange turn to? Dominic Oduro and newly signed Joeseph Ngwenya.

The thing is Houston finds ways to get points, and wins at home. I expect that to happen this weekend even with all the injury issues that the Dynamo have right now. Chivas hasn’t been tested on the road yet this season, unless you count the SuperClasico game against LA, which I don’t count as a road test. Brad Davis and Geoff Cameron will be too much for Chivas to deal with.

Player to watch out for: Jesus Padilla – If Chivas is going to win they will need this guy to find ways to score again this week. His goals last week against New York weren’t pretty but were enough for three points.

WVH Prediction: Houston 2, Chivas 0

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Chicago Fire – at – D.C. United

Its hard to really think that between these two clubs they combine for only one point on the season so far. And it’s not like that draw for the Fire was pretty either. Both have plenty of issues that is obvious. D.C. however may have a few more issues in the injury department than the Fire do at this point, especially defensively. Its hard to take a club serious that has that many issues in the back like D.C. does right now.

For whatever reason the Fire are a better road team still than they are at home. I think this will be one of those cases where they play the spoiler on the road and grab three points. Even with the issues I just like the Fire’s attack and midfield a little more than United’s right now.

Player to watch out for: Marco Pappa – He has to be the guy that keeps the Fire going in this one. He can be a bit too hot and cold at times but when he’s hot he’s extremely tough to stop.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, D.C. 1

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FC Dallas – at – New York Red Bulls

Dallas goes on the road for the first time and it won’t be easy as they get their first try at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls will have to do a better job possessing the ball if they want to pick up three points. Dallas has improved a lot in that department this year but only have two points to show for it.

I think the trip back across the country (again) will be rougher on the Red Bulls than some will think. Remember they went from Seattle to LA to NY all within three weeks. That’s a lot of traveling, long traveling to be exact. Dallas will have to find a way to cut down Joel Lindpere’s touches on the ball and spread the field with their wing play. I think we’ll figure out how good exactly this New York side is after this game, but I just small another draw for Dallas though. New York’s offense hasn’t come alive yet this season and believe it or not but Dallas is doing better in the back.

Player to watch out for: Juan Pablo Angel – He’s gotta get going for New York if they want to win this one. He has the technical skill to beat Dallas.

WVH Prediction: New York 1, FC Dallas 1

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New England Revolution –  at – San Jose Earthquakes

The Revs momentum may be slowed down a bit with the loss of Shalrie Joseph this weekend. He’s out again with an injured hip. Still going for a third straight win will be big for Steve Nicol’s side. Frank Yallop’s side got three points of their own a week ago in Chicago thanks to a Ike Opara goal. So the confidence is there for both sides.

The matter comes down to the midfield and even without Joseph I still like how the Revs are playing through the midfield these days. Pat Phelan will likely slide back into the starting role this week. The wing play of Sainey Nyassi will be key for the Revs attack, his pace should be too much for the Quakes to figure out. One also has to wonder what the hat trick for rookie Zach Schilawski, can he keep it up? I think so.

Player to watch out for: Ramiro Corrales – He has to be the one for the Quakes to shutdown Nyassi, if he does that it may give the homeside some points.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, San Jose 0

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Real Salt Lake – at – LA Galaxy

The Big one for sure this weekend, a MLS Cup rematch out in LA. Its easy to say right now that LA is the best club in the league, both standings-wise and play-wise. RSL will have to find ways to get their attack going and pressure a defense that hasn’t given up a thing thus far this season. The big story will be if Javier Morales will be 100% or not, he picked up an adductor strain last week against Seattle. Without him at full strength others like Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson and Fabian Espindola will have to pick up the slack.

Defensively RSL will have to figure out a way to slow down the hot feet of Edson Buddle. He currently leads the league in goals with five so far this season. Let’s not forget that RSL isn’t the best road team in the league either over the last couple of years. Just too many issues to overcome I think for Jason Kreis’ bunch.

Player to watch out for: Sean Franklin – He’s quietly putting together a very nice season so far for the Galaxy. He’ll have to find a way to slow down Espindola or Robbie Findley in this one.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, RSL 0

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Sunday

Toronto FC – at – Colorado Rapids

No time to rest for the Reds, they immediately go on the road after their first win of the year on Thursday night to face the Rapids on Sunday in Colorado. Not the easiest of road trips for a Thursday-Sunday swing. I’ll make this one short because let’s be honest after last night we know that Toronto lacks the depth and talent to go on Thursday-Sunday swing here. Colorado will be hungry for another win and to get their defense more in check. This should be a good game for them to do just that.

Player to watch out for: Claudio Lopez – He’s new to the Rapids but if he sees playing time he’ll be too much for Toronto to handle.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 3, Toronto 1

Kyle Beckerman will lead RSL into battle with the Dynamo tonight. (Getty Images)

Tonight we get not just one but two solid primetime games on ESPN2. Which kind of begs the question, why didn’t the league have two games go on last week on opening night to kick off the year? Too late to wonder about that now but from the looks of things these two games won’t go head-t0-head with a lot of normal Thursday night TV.

We got two big western conference clashes tonight on ESPN2. First up in Houston its the defending champions Real Salt Lake taking on the Dynamo. Then its off to LA to see the first game in the 2010 Honda SuperClasico between the Galaxy and Chivas USA.

As always feel free to leave your thoughts and predictions below.

Real Salt Lake – at – Houston Dynamo

Probably the best game so far to date this season. Typically the meetings between these two clubs are heated. Six of the last seven Houston-RSL matches have seen red cards, including five ejections in three games last year. Its not a bitter rivalry, just a physical one. Don’t expect anything different this year.

RSL took a huge step forward in week one from their 2009 road campaign by downing San Jose 3-0. Javier Morales looks to be back and better than ever for Claret-and-Cobalt. Look for Houston to have newcomer Lovel Palmer zone in on him in this one. If Palmer can be as effect as Ricardo Clark used to be in the midfield for the Orange, we shouldn’t see too big of a change from a year ago in the defense for Houston. The big thing in this one though is if Houston can slow down the likes of Robbie Findley. Last week in Dallas, the Dynamo had trouble with the speed that FC Dallas presented them. Look for an even bigger challenge with a speedy Findley.

I think the Dynamo will have to find a way to slow down Findley, if they do that they should be fine in this one. But even more so they have to find a way to get their attack going in this one, which means Geoff Cameron will have to get going more in this one.

I see a close draw in this one, even though the Dynamo have absolutely owned RSL at Robertson Stadium in the past couple years. Thing is this isn’t the same RSL club from those years.

Player to watch out for: Kyle Beckerman – He’s not very liked in Houston and he’ll be going head-to-head with Cameron in this one. I think he’ll slow down Cameron enough to keep Houston from scoring a lot in this one.

WVH Prediction: Houston 2, RSL 2

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Chivas USA – at – LA Galaxy

Everyone loves a good rivalry and this one is as heated as any in the league. The Home Depot Center mates don’t like one another at all. Landon Donovan went as far to say today that Chivas is a team that they should beat. Fightin’ words if you ask me.

Chivas hasn’t been able to do much to this Galaxy squad these last couple years. I see that trend continuing here tonight if the Goats fail to find a way to generate offense again. Last week against Colorado they looked slow and lacked creativity on offense against the Rapids. Going against a better defense in LA it won’t be easy to score at all in this one. The Galaxy looked strong in week one against New England and that should carry over to this one.

Look for it to be heated as usual with plenty of cards. I’d expect Donovan to have one of his big games in this one too.

Player to watch out for: Omar Gonzalez – The big defender for the Galaxy will have to find a way to slow down the speed of Maykel Galindo in this one. Lucky for him all he needs to do is be a big physical with Galindo, a few bumps on him should do it.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, Chivas 0

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Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni lead Colorado against Chivas USA tonight. (Getty Images)

So far the season is off to a bang, the Seattle Sounders FC downed Philadelphia Union 2-0 last night thanks to goals from Brad Evans and Fredy Montero. I’d be lying to you if I said that I wasn’t happy to see my score prediction come true last night. I highly doubt that trend will continue this weekend.

Speaking of which the weekend slate is here. Everyone else in the league will get their season opener tonight or Saturday. Lots of good games all across the board. I know I am ready to get out to Pizza Hut Park tomorrow for the first game of the year.

Friday

Colorado Rapids – at – Chivas USA:

Both clubs saw a lot of changes this winter either in the coaching side of things (Chivas) or in the player side (Colorado). I love the Colorado midfield with Jeff Larentowicz. But the real interesting deal was done yesterday that sent trusty midfielder Nick Labrocca to Toronto for speedy outside back Marvell Wynne. If Wynne gets the starting nod it could pose some pressure to left side for Chivas. I see Colorado holding their own in the midfield in this one though. They’ll have to find a way to get Conor Casey and Omar Cumming involved early and often here. Getting those two going early will go a long way here this season. But I like Chivas to keep it close and end on a draw.

Player to keep an eye out for: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA) – If he can get a handle on controlling what Casey does on and off the ball in this one it could go a long way in keeping Chivas in the game.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 1, Colorado 1

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Saturday:

Toronto FC – at – Columbus Crew:

At this point you have to wonder what kind of club Toronto FC has with all the moves Preki has made this winter. I think that will definitely play a factor in how this club plays early on this season. Its obvious they’ll rely on the one strength on their club to carry them, their midfield with Sam Cronin, Julian du Guzman, and Dwayne De Rosario. If those three can carry the banner both offensively and defensive until Preki sorts out his roster the club stay fine. Thing is they’ll start the year off in the worst place for them, at Columbus. The Crew are just too deep and too good not to take in this pick right now. They need to sort out their issues up top still but I think if Steven Lenhart can get the goals for them this year they’ll be just fine. Look for the Crew to control the pace in this one and come away with three points.

Player to keep an eye out for: Lenhart – Again, he’ll be asked to be the man up top for the Black-and-Gold this year. Could be ugly at times but I think he’s a quality striker waiting to bust out.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Toronto 0

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Houston Dynamo – at- FC Dallas:

I love a good rivalry game to kickoff a new season and this one should be as competitive as ever between the Dynamo and Red Stripes. Houston lost a lot of key parts to their midfield over the winter but with recent additions and some shifting of the roster, Dominic Kinnear should once again have a tough club to face in 2010. Schellas Hyndman and FC Dallas won’t be an easy out this year either. Their hot finish to the season last year should put a lot of clubs on alert. I see Dallas getting on the board early but Houston will find a way to level things off before the game ends.

Player to keep an eye out for: Geoff Cameron – If his move into the middle of the park pays off for the Dynamo it will keep the offense going and allow Brad Davis to stay on the wing where he is more dangerous.

WVH Prediction: FC Dallas 1, Houston 1

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Chicago Fire – at – New York Red Bulls:

Red Bull Arena really opens for league play this weekend. Expectations are definitely high after the big win over Santos last week. I still don’t like either keeper situation for both clubs. This game will definitely come down to the midfield and right now I actually like New York’s over the Fire with Joel Lindpere leading the charge. Chicago has had some big wins over the Red Bulls in recent years but this one will be closer. Part of me leans Red Bulls but I know the Fire will put up a good fight, draw seems likely here.

Player to keep an eye out for: Juan Pablo Angel – If he can go at least half or more of the game he should be able to find a way to help lift this club to a victory.

WVH Prediction: New York 1, Chicago 1

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D.C. United – at – Kansas City Wizards:

Both teams are in transition here, and both have loads of question marks going into the new year. Part of me sees Curt Onalfo getting some revenge on his old side right away here in this one. Kansas City will be better this year because of all the moves Peter Vermes has made this winter but I don’t see them paying off just yet here in this one. D.C. should be able to still control things in the midfield and even in the tighter field in KC I think Chris Pointus and Jamie Moreno are able to find space to score here.

Player to keep an eye out for: Carey Talley – He was just brought in by Onalfo after being waived by Chivas USA. I wouldn’t be shocked if he is thrown in the defense right away in this one. If he adjusts quickly to the changes look for United’s defense to be solid in this one.

WVH Prediction: D.C. 2, KC 1

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Real Salt Lake – at  - San Jose Earthquakes

The reigning MLS Cup champs take their title defense to the one place that haunted them a year ago, the road. If they want to get their confidence up they’ll need these three points on the road to start out the new year. I’m really looking forward to the combo of Alvaro Saborio and Robbie Findley for RSL. I think they’ll be a handful for the Quakes who are still sorting out their defensive issues. If Jason Hernandez and Ike Opara can control things from the back they could keep those two in check. I just see RSL’s midfield taking control though in this one, thus getting a rare road win for this club.

Player to keep an eye out for: Kyle Beckerman – He’s got to be the rock in the midfield for RSL. I just see him being too much to handle for the Quakes.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, San Jose 1

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New England Revolution – at – LA Galaxy:

Early west coast road trip for the Revs here this weekend. New England has a lot of question marks surrounding them while the Galaxy are hoping their new additions pay off in 2010. Landon Donovan will likely run all over this Rev’s midfield that is going to look a lot different than the 2009 version (plus Shalrie Joseph is out with a hip injury). I don’t see where the offense will come from yet out of the Revs which leads me to easily take the Galaxy in this one. Donovan and company will be too much to handle at home.

Player to keep an eye out for: Juninho – I’m very curious to see how this young Brazilian stacks up in MLS competition. Word out of their preseason camp was that he will fit in nicely in this league.

WVH Prediction: LA 3, New England 0

I’d normally like to get these predictions out much sooner but with all that has gone on this winter the day before First Kick seems about right really. The rosters became compliant at 5pm ET yesterday and thus will put an end to the preseason in a way for all the clubs.

In the past I’ve done these bold season predictions in various ways. I ended up sticking with the tradition of the predictions and picks and also added some other items like I did a year ago. I know some of the bold predictions are silly and meaningless but they’re fun to do nonetheless.

As always feel free to put in your season predictions below.

Players to watch out for in 2010:

• Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus): Can he guide this club to another stellar season? I think he will but it won’t be easy with the league out to get them.
• Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy): No doubt Donovan will return to his MVP form from a year ago, but the question will he be with the club after the World Cup? Part of me thinks he will and part of me sees him going back to England.
• Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls): Once he is 100% again look for him to do very well this year. Not playing on nasty turf at home will do wonders for him and the Red Bulls.
• Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo): Big, big year in Houston for the Dynamo especially for Cameron. If he can help keep their offense in check and facilitate things like I believe he can then look out.
• Freddy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC): He’s a marked man but if he can break open in space like we’ve seen him do time and time again then he’ll get his goals this year.

Coaches Already Feeling The Heat

Each year I’ve done a Coaching Hot Seat, where I look around the league to see who stands the greatest chance of getting the boot. Last couple year’s I’ve been right on with some picks on here while a few others have been a bit off. Again, its just my opinion on each coach listed and it doesn’t mean it will actually happen. In other words don’t get all bent out of shape if you see your coach on here at any point this year, I can’t tell you how many emails I get over this issue.

But in saying so this year could be a fairly light year for coaching hot seats in general since there have been so many coaching changes.

• Frank Yallop (San Jose Earthquakes): Its year three for the Quakes 2.0 which means Yallop should really feel some heat if he doesn’t get this club winning early on this year. I wasn’t shocked to see him get another season with the club after last year but I wouldn’t be at all shocked to see him be the first gone this year.
• Gary Smith (Colorado Rapids): Another western coach that should feel some heat this year if his club isn’t winning. If they continue to be inconsistent look for lots of calls for his head later this year. Thing is the Rapids owners typically drag these things out. I think he’ll be fine but for now this is more of a caution of possible things to come.
• Hans Backe (New York Red Bulls): I do believe he’ll last longer than most expected him to but I think its more of a formality at this point to always include the New York boss in these lists given the fact that they have a new coach about every year or year and a half.
• Schellas Hyndman (FC Dallas): While I believe he will have this job as long as he wants it I also think that if he has another clunker of a season the pressure for him to go will have to mount. His overall record (15-18-14) isn’t anything to brag about.

Early Award Predictions:

Below are some predictions for each end-of-season award. I left a few off that I really don’t care about, why we vote on things like the Ref of the year is beyond me. I’ll give you my top three for each since that is how we have to vote on it anyways.

Goalkeeper:

1. Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy): He’s a beast…nothing more to say than that.
2. Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders): If Ricketts isn’t 100% all year then this award easily goes to Keller.
3. Will Hesmer (Columbus): I find him to be highly underrated.

Defender:

1. Chad Marshall (Columbus): Hard not to go against the league’s best defender.
2. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle): He’s the rock in the back for the Sounders.
3. Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy): I see this kid growing into a perennial All-Star.

Comeback Player:

1. Taylor Twellman (New England): Its gotta be Twellman right? Anyone else to put here?

(Yes I’m sure there are others but right now Twellman is all I have for this one.)

Newcomer:

1. Joel Lindpere (New York Red Bulls): If NY is going to be half as good as people think/say they are this year it will be because of this guy.
2. Eduardo (San Jose Earthquakes): The Quakes need a goal scorer and he will help do just that.
3. Blaise N’Kufo (Seattle Sounders FC): Yes he is only playing a half season but I agree with a lot of folks out there that think he is the final piece to the puzzle that puts this club over the top.

(Note: this will easily change as newcomers join the league in the summer and after the World Cup)

Coach:

1. Sigi Schmid (Seattle Sounders): He’ll continue to work his magic in the Pacific Northwest.
2. Peter Nowak (Philadelphia Union): I do believe he’ll make them better than most expansion clubs and thus will get high praise for it. A playoff birth would easily help him win this though.
3. Bruce Arena (LA Galaxy): If they end up losing Landon Donovan this summer and they still do well in the west then he may very well beat out Schmid for this honor.

Rookie:

1. Tony Tchani (New York Red Bulls): He’s a beast, believe me.
2. Zach Loyd (FC Dallas): The man that can play just about anywhere for Schellas Hyndman. Once he settles into a role he’ll be golden.
3. Teal Bunbury (Kansas City Wizards): He’s a natural goal scorer, and KC needs goals.

MVP:

1. Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy): Not settling the world on fire with this pick but as long as he is in the league he’s the best player no matter what.
2. Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew): As long as he has a full healthy season he could end up winning this on his production alone.
3. Kyle Beckerman (RSL): If this club is going to repeat it will be because of this man.

Playoff Predictions:

Top two from Eastern Conference: Columbus Crew* and Chicago Fire
Top two from Western Conference: Seattle Sounders FC and LA Galaxy

Wild card winners: Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas, D.C. United

I feel as though the first six (auto-bids, RSL, and Houston) are simple picks for me but with parity in this league we really could see any number of teams in those final two spots. I think it will come down between Dallas, D.C., Colorado, Chivas, Toronto, New York and New England for those final two spots. I felt weird taking four western conference wild cards so D.C. gets the nod for me though I’ll be honest I’m not totally set on that pick. Dallas needs to find a partner for Jeff Cunningham or they’ll be in trouble. Still Dallas is a dark-horse for me just as I’ve said all winter long. Had to stay with that pick here.

First round playoff winners: Columbus (over Dallas); Chicago (over D.C.); Seattle (over Houston); and RSL (over LA).

Conference final winners: Columbus and Seattle.

MLS Cup winner: Seattle Sounders FC

(*= Supporter’s Shield winners)

The Rest of the WVH Bold Predictions:

1. A MLS club will win SuperLiga: I still hate this tournament but I’m a homer and root for anyone MLS in it. My guess is Houston will take it hom this year.
2. A MLS club will win the US Open Cup: The league usually does every year and with the whole Division II mess that went on these past few months I like a MLS club’s chance even more. I’m going to go with the Chicago Fire to win this year.
3. MLS will get four clubs in CCL Group stage: We already get two in Columbus and Real Salt Lake. I’ll say LA and Toronto some how manages their way into the group stage this year. Seattle falls short.
4. MLS will win the All-Star game: Yawn.
5. Three clubs will add DPs by the end of summer: New York will add their second while Chicago and D.C. get new ones.
6. More Yanks will return home: Maybe a Benny Feihaber? Who knows? I still see a couple coming back this summer.
7. A couple Yanks transfer out of MLS: This deserves it’s own post (again) but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Donovan go as well as someone like Brek Shea.
8. Dominic Kinnear will once again trade like crazy: He does it each year and it only makes his team better. Why people trade with him I’ll never know. You can bet one at least one trade really working out in the Dynamo’s favor though.
9. Mo Johnston and Preki will butt heads: All seems good now as they continue to dump salaries but at some point they’ll clash over player pickups.
10. Houston and San Jose will see their stadiums go up: They’ll join Kansas City in the movin’ dirt department.
11. D.C. will still be stuck at RFK: Its election year for D.C.’s mayoral race, so I don’t see anything happening to United’s stadium issues anytime soon. Which sucks.
12. Montreal will get their expansion bid: They’ll be in the league in 2012…its all but announced at this point.
13. No other expansion bid will be announced this year: I think the league will carefully plan who their 20th club will be. My money is on them trying to find an owner in New York to bring a second club to that area.
14. A late season run will help…D.C.: We see it every year, last year it was RSL getting lucky at the right time, this year it will be D.C.
15. Juan Pablo Angel will lead the league in goals: No turf at Red Bull Arena will go a long way in getting him back to producing lots of goals.
16. Brad Davis will lead the league in assists: He always quietly gets lots of assists and no one notices.
17. Kasey Keller will lead the league in saves: I still see the Sounders give up a fair amount of shots but Keller will be there to save most of them.
18. The US Men’s National Team will make it to the quarterfinals: Not MLS related but definitely worth predicting at this point. I love the boy’s chances in South Africa, as much as I want to put them in the semi-finals, a quarterfinal exit seems more likely.

Every team has that one guy that will either help lead them to the MLS promise-land or be partly the reason why they are stuck at home in November instead of seeing the playoffs. These are you X-Factor players.

I have one (maybe two) guys for each MLS team that are those X-Factors for this new season. Some guys are really no brainers while others may surprise you a bit. Its safe to say that each club needs a big year out of their X-Factors.

If you think I’m way off base on someone or think I missed a sure-fire X-Factor please list it below.

1. Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire): I thought long and hard about the Fire’s biggest X-Factor for the 2010 season. Part of me leaned towards Brian McBride but the rest of me stayed with Pappa. Mainly because the midfield will be more dependent of Pappa in 2010 now that Blanco is gone to Mexico.

Pappa will help control the midfield, which will help create goals for McBride, Patrick Nyarko and newly acquired Collins John.

2. Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA): This one wasn’t really hard to figure out though I did come close to writing down Jesus Padilla down. Kljestan has to control the midfield and generate offense for this club to reach the post season again in 2010. We saw glimpses in 2009 of what he really can be once he broke out of his early season slump that he was in.

The thing about Kljestan is he needs to have a fast start to the year and build up his confidence. If he does that then expect another strong year out of the Red-and-White.

3. Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids): We saw just how good he and Conor Casey can be together in 2009. The thing was the party ended and so did their season. I know a lot had to due to the midfield being all banged up but with the recent additions to that area they have no excuse anymore. I see Cummings as a big facilitator in that offense as he had double-digit assists last year before the wheels came off the wagon.

If Cummings doesn’t produce then don’t expect Casey to have high numbers again this year. The two went hand-in-hand last year in scoring goals.

4. Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew): I nearly went with Guillermo Barros Schelotto here but thinking about it more, the more I came to Rogers as this club’s X-Factor. As important as GBS is to the Crew, Rogers is pretty far up there. If he isn’t on the wings and producing quality passes in the midfield the team will suffer for it.

I think this is the perfect year for Rogers too. He will and should show that he’s a quality leader for the team too. If he can help bring in some goals this season the Crew will be all the better for it and will have another shot at a MLS Cup in the process.

5. Santino Quaranta (D.C. United): A lot, and I do mean a lot of pressure is going on Quaranta this winter. The word is he is coming into an attacking midfielder role of some sorts this year for Curt Onalfo. Honestly I love the idea of him facilitating things offensively for the Black-and-Red. The club is moving away from that tradition No.10 role in the midfield and guys like Quaranta and Clyde Simms will be asked of more this year.

But the question will be is he up for it? As long as he brings in some assists and helps get newcomer Christian Castillo involved in the midfield the club will be fine. If he throws in a few goals in the process I’m sure the Screaming Eagles will love him all the more for it. But if the pressure is too much he’ll get back out on the wings fairly quickly.

6. David Ferreira (FC Dallas): This one was simple for me, if Ferreira sets up the goals like he did towards the end of the season in 2009 for Dallas the club will make the playoffs easily in 2010. If he struggles however look for another playoff-less year in the Big D. He means that much to the offense and to a lesser extent the defense of this club. If he isn’t controlling things in the midfield then it puts pressure on the defense, it is as simple as that.

7. Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo): Another fairly simple one for me to pick out. Cameron moves into the midfield to replace Stuart Holden. If he succeeds it will continue to make Dominic Kinnear a genius. He along with Brad Davis have to drive the offense through the midfield for this club. There may be some growing pains at first but Cameron should slide comfortably into this role.

8. Jimmy Neilsen (Kansas City Wizards): The Wizards are going to be very interesting to watch early on this year. For one we’ll all need name tags on the players for a few weeks until we know who all these new guys are. Neilsen is one of those new guys, one that definitely got plenty of talk when he signed a while back. Neilsen takes over for the departed Kevin Hartman, who’s now in Dallas.

Neilsen is being brought in to smooth out a defense that was not so smooth in 2009. He’s known as a guy that controls his box very tightly and can organize any defense. If he gets this bunch organized and collected right in 2010 the Wizard’s could have a nice turn around.

9. Clint Mathis (LA Galaxy): Bruce Arena got most of the old band back together with this addition of Mathis at the SuperDraft in January. While some may think Landon Donovan is a X-Factor for this club I see Mathis as an even bigger one for a midfield that will definitely need his abilities to control things. If Mathis steps in and plays like he has in the past couple of seasons for Real Salt Lake then it will make Arena look more like a genius here. If Donovan ends up leaving town in the summer after the World Cup like most speculate, the Galaxy will have to lean more on Mathis at that time to keep the ball moving.

10. Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution): This one is pretty simple like it was a year ago, the ball for New England will run through Joseph once again in 2010. If he continues his MVP form the Revs will likely find themselves back in the playoffs again this year. Taylor Twellman could also be listed here once he is fully healthy again, but until then Joseph is it for the Revs.

11. Joel Lindpere (New York Red Bulls): From all the reports and people I’ve spoken to this winter about the Red Bulls (that didn’t center around Red Bull Arena), all mostly said the same thing – Lindpere is the guy in the midfield that can make them into winners again. That’s good news for a club that has seen nothing but failures over the years.

Most of the reports I saw on him this winter he did a great job of controlling the midfield and created good chances for the guys up top. It will be up to him to get the ball out to the wings and create chances. But this 30-year old Estonian international shouldn’t have too much issue with that pressure.

12. Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union): I asked around in Philly who some folks thought would be their biggest X-Factor and surprisingly the couple folks I spoke to said Le Toux. Simple reason really, if will likely have the pressure of creating their attack and controlling possession. If he can do that it will be easier on other MLS veterans like Fred and Alejandro Moreno to do what they do best on the wings and up top respectively.

13. Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake):  Yes Robbie Findley has to score and the defense has to hold up but the bigger thing that has to happen for a possibility of a repeat champion is the play of Morales has to return to MVP form. When he was on top of his game this club was a handful to deal with offensively and defensively there was less pressure.

Consistency will be key for Morales and RSL in 2010, along with finding balance to win on the road like they do at Rio Tinto Stadium.

14. Jason Hernandez (San Jose Earthquakes): A lot of the defensive pressure will likely fall on the Quakes vice-captain. If he is fully fit this season the Quakes defense will be much better because of it. Last year we saw their defense go into the gutters due largely to this man missing a lot of action.

15. Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders FC): I don’t like picking DPs for this but in this case it almost has to be. Ljungberg has to be the man to generate offense on a consistent basis in Seattle this year. When he was on his game last year the Sounders were easily one of the best teams in the league because of it. He has to help make Freddy Montero look good along the way too.

16. Chad Barrett (Toronto FC): I nearly went with Dwayne De Rosario but upon further look and with the recent news of Ali Gerba being sent home from a preseason camp makes me realize exactly how important Barrett is to this club’s offense in 2010. If Gerba gets the boot (which part of me thinks will happen), a lot of the offense weight goes straight to Barrett. We know the Reds will likely sign a striker in the summer transfer window but Barrett has to keep them afloat until then.

Brian Ching will be called to lead the Dynamo yet again. (Getty Images)

The 2010 season presents a challenge for Dominic Kinnear and the Houston Dynamo. First of all their top two stars from a year ago are now gone to Europe. Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark left a big hole in the midfield and some would even argue that the club is still recovering from the trade of Dwayne de Rosario from last winter.

Today we take a gander at where they are right now going into the new year. So far the Dynamo have shifted some players around drafted a couple guys that may never see time on the field and for the most part done very little in terms of player movement this winter. We’ve actually heard more news surrounding this club’s potential stadium deal than new players joining the roster this winter.

Let’s take a look at who the Dynamo have and where they still need to go before the new season starts next month.

Keepers:

Who they have: Pat Onstad, Tally Hall, and Tyler Deric.

Notes: As long as Onstad remains healthy this isn’t an area of concern for Kinnear. Big thing will the the development of Deric who has to be in some way the future keeper of this club. My bet is they will loan out Deric this season to a USSF Division II club or even a USL-2 club. They have to get him some playing time to get any sort of progression out of their first academy signing.

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Defense:

Who they have: Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Ryan Cochrane, Craig Waibel, Mike Chabala, Wade Barrett, and Andrew Hainault.

Notes: Getting a healthy Robinson back this season should be a big thing for the Dynamo. This group will still be solid with all the talent they still have in the back. One thing though will be getting some depth and some youth here.

I still believe if this group stays healthy they won’t have too many issues this season. I kind of see Kinnear trading for a defender to add depth at some point this season.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Kevin Harmse, Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis, Daniel Cruz, Erik Ustruck, Richard Mulrooney, Brian Mullan, Corey Ashe, Samuel Appiah, and David Walker.

Notes: Big change here will be seeing Cameron slide into the midfield. Honestly from knowing Cameron and seeing him play he’s probably better suited for the midfield than in the defense anyways. Houston will be looking for him to really step it up this season and carry the load in the midfield. Thankfully he does have some quality offensive players like Brad Davis to help out in the assist department.

Big thing here will be if guys like Ashe can step up play on the wings. If Houston’s wing play is weak this season so will their offense. Ashe, Davis, and Cameron have to step it up in order to keep the Dynamo near the top in the west.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Brian Ching, Dominic Oduro, Luis Angel Landin, and Cam Weaver.

Notes: We know this, Ching will have to carry the load once again…that is if Landin doesn’t finally step up and play to his DP status. Those are two guys that will have to score the goals this season we know that but don’t sleep on Oduro or Weaver here. Oduro and his speed along with Weaver’s size are big parts to this groups offensive output. How Kinnear uses them this season will be key.

Landin, Weaver and Oduro will likely have to step up production though if Ching does make it to South Africa with the USMNT this summer. Should any dip in goals happen while Ching is gone this club will be in trouble.

More than likely we’ll see a trade for this group though at some point in the season. It seems like once a year Kinnear makes a trade for a striker within the league. I look for that to happen yet again this season towards the middle part of summer.

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Overall:

The questions always surround this club each year about their offense and where it will come from. Now the question will be can they improve from losing two important players in their midfield. They can replace one with Cameron and they’ll get away with guys like Mulrooney filling in for Clark but will that be enough? I honestly doubt it.

Funny thing is we always doubt something with this club each year and yet they still show up when it matters. Kinnear knows what he is doing more than most coaches in this league do. He works his system well and always knows how to find the right parts for it. They won’t be flashy this year but they’ll get by. I think adding a couple more parts in the midfield on the wings and maybe a defender or two in the back for depth purposes will suit them well.

Stuart Holden is on his way to Bolton. (Getty Images)

The day has some for those Houston Dynamo fans, their club no now longer has Stuart Holden. Bolton manager Owen Coyle has confirmed that the club will sign Holden as one of two winter acquisitions.

Holden joins former Dynamo teammate Ricardo Clark, who has signed with Eintracht Frankfurt, as Americans to make major transfer moves from MLS this winter.

How can a team recover from the loss of their two most important midfielders? It won’t be easy though having quality coaching in Dominic Kinnear, who has been a master at getting exactly what he wants out of players and deals with other teams. Also having some quality talent like Brad Davis and Geoff Cameron doesn’t hurt either.

But it is more than losing the likes of Clark and Holden that will be a game changer this winter for Houston and for that matter Major League Soccer. Clark we knew was headed overseas and the Dynamo easily knew last winter that they’d need to prepare for such a move. As for Holden there was always some hope that they could retain him even though his price tag was far higher than anything they could pay for.

Houston will have to recover fast here as the western conference is getting better each day with LA, RSL, Chivas, Seattle and even Dallas being major players for this coming season. If they don’t want to get passed up as the top dog in the west for good Kinnear will have to make some moves, which have to be expected at this point. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him go within the league for a veteran looking for a new home. Possibly a guy like Pablo Mastroeni would be a decent fit to replace Clark (just an idea floating in my head).

Houston is going to be down this year but I don’t think we can count them out just yet.

Houston had another strong season behind Brian Ching. (Getty Images)

Dominic Kinnear teams always compete, always and the 2009 edition of the Houston Dynamo looked very similar to the ones we’ve seen win league titles over the last few years. Even though the Dynamo lost their big star in the midfield in a trade to Toronto before the season started everyone knew this team would still compete.

Just as in years past the Dynamo started out strong on the year. Brian Ching, Stuart Holden and up and coming stars like Geoff Cameron lead the way for the Orange. Pat Onstad had yet another stellar season in front of the net thanks to another strong defense in front of him.

And just like in years past Kinnear pulled all the right strings in trades by getting parts on his roster that were missing like speed up front when he got Dominic Oduro from New York or some extra size when he got Cam Weaver from San Jose. Yet again we asked questions like “why are clubs even going into business with Kinnear and the Dynamo?” We knew the results would be the same as before as Kinnear would get something out of nothing and lead his club to the top of the standings again.

But then the ladder part of the summer hit. Ching, Holden and Ricardo Clark missed buckets of time with the US national team and that seemed to be when things got a little dicey. They brought in Luis Angel Landin as their DP, and while that should be a good move for 2010 it didn’t pan out all that much for 2009. Also for some reason the club’s discipline kept shooting themselves in the foot. August and September saw more cards, particularly red cards than most would want to see.

By the end of things the Dynamo lost on a weird night in LA in the playoffs. They may have been the better team on the night but moving forward into 2010 will certainly be interesting.

What Went Right In 2009:
A lot of good did happen in Houston this season. Ching produced, Brad Davis continued to be completely underrated, Cameron emerged like most had figured he would and Holden showed he could very well be the real deal. The Dynamo continued to have strong depth that kept them afloat despite all issues they had late in the season with suspensions and what not.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
As mentioned before the lack of discipline they showed late in the season was a real bummer to see. They went from being one of the most consistent clubs in the league on the year to a wildly inconsistent bunch. Offensively they still lacked a punch when needed and Landin didn’t step into the role as a DP like most would have liked this year.

What’s Next:
Well we know Ricardo Clark is out and its possible Stuart Holden could join him. Should that happen this bunch will go from being one of the deepest teams in the midfield to just a mid-level team. Kinnear will have to do his best to find replacements if that happens. They have to find a way to retain Holden and improve their roster on offense. But at the same time they do need to find some depth in defense behind Bobby Boswell and Cameron.