Fredy Montero and Alvaro Fernandez were a big part of the Seattle offense in 2011. (Getty Images)

I had every intention of doing this revisit sooner but things happen as you know. Today, we’ll finally wrap up this positional rankings revisit with a look at the forwards.

To recap, here the midfield, defense and keepers.

A lot of the rankings for this group have changed of the course of the season but some of them were pretty close to being right from the start.

1. Seattle Sounders FC – The Sounders dominated the league in scoring this year with 56 goals. Sure some came from the midfield and defense but the likes of Fredy Montero and others like Mike Fucito were huge this season. This team was always a threat to score from anywhere on the field and even if you take out that beating 6-2 beating of Columbus, they would still lead the league in goals. (Preseason Rank: 5)

2. LA Galaxy – I wasn’t too far off about the Galaxy and their attack. I thought if Juan Pablo Angel would step up that they’d be fine, instead it was them shipping off JPA for Robbie Keane that did the trick. Landon Donovan also had a strong year and believe it or not so did Chad Barrett. (Preseason Rank: 3)

3. Sporting Kansas City – Easily one of the top attacking teams in the league. I had them pegged completely wrong at the start of the season. Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara, CJ Sapong and Omar Bravo were huge for them all year long. It will be interesting to see where this team goes in 2012. (Preseason Rank: 11)

4. New York Red Bulls – I nearly had them at the top of my list like I did back at the start of the year. I just felt the three above them were a tad more consistent over the long haul. Still, Thierry Henry and Luke Rodgers were great when they were both healthy this season. (Preseason Rank: 1)

5. DC United – I don’t think they would be this high had Dwayne De Rosario not come over in the middle of the year. But with him they are certainly a top-level offense in this league. We saw though without him and Chris Pontius late in the year that they struggled, that’s how important they were to this group. Oh yeah and Charlie Davies had a decent year for them as well. (Preseason Rank: 12)

6. Philadelphia Union – When it was Carlos Ruiz early in the year or Sebastien Le Toux late in the year, this group was much improved from 2011. I think if they can get a little more out of Danny Mwanga next year that this will be an even tougher team to handle. (Preseason Rank: 7)

7. Real Salt Lake – Injuries hurt this club over the course of the season but once Alvaro Saborio got going late in the season it was fun to watch. Fabian Espindola was also good for this this season. I think adding some depth over the winter will help this bunch out a whole lot going into 2012. (Preseason Rank: 2)

8. Columbus Crew – I do feel a little odd placing them this high but I have to give some credit to Andres Mendoza for stepping up as a DP this year and getting double-digit goals. I still think this group has a ways to go before they are in the top class of this league but in 2011, it wasn’t too bad.

9. Houston Dynamo – Just about where I had them from the start. Good but not great. I really view numbers 8-13 to be on the same level really. You could make the case to move Houston higher but for the most part this seems about right. Decent production out of Brian Ching and company. (Preseason Rank: 10)

10. Colorado Rapids – The injury to Conor Casey really, really hurt this club. He and Omar Cummings were so good together that replacing that production was tough. They still managed to score a fair amount this season but I kind of see this group on the decline as it is. (Preseason Rank: 4)

11. Chicago Fire – Another good but not great squad. They came on stronger late in the season once some good pieces were added to the midfield. I think if they go out and get a big time scorer in the winter that they will be extremely tough to deal with in 2012. (Preseason Rank: 16)

12. San Jose Earthquakes – Outside of Chris Wondolowski, this team really doesn’t scare a lot of people. They get this high of a ranking mostly because of Wondo. This group has to improve as a whole in 2012 for them to be a playoff team again. (Preseason Rank: 9)

13. Toronto FC – Not a lot of goals early in the year but after all the trades and players got settled into this system they began to find the back of the net. Danny Koevermans could be one of the best DP signings the league has ever had in terms of production. A full preseason with this club and I expect big things for this team in 2012. (Preseason Rank: 18)

14. FC Dallas – Biggest drop off of any forward group, mostly because their goals didn’t come from here. Milton Rodriguez wasn’t the answer, neither truly was Maicon Santos. When Schellas Hyndman had to go with a defender (Jackson) as their main striker you knew things were bad. Yet, some how Ruben Luna was scoring like gang busters in the Reserve league, makes you wonder. (Preseason Rank: 6)

15. Portland Timbers – Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza never really got on the same page. Darlington Nagbe wasn’t used as a true striker either. This team was good on set pieces but that was about it. They have to improve this bunch if they want to see the post season in 2012. (Preseason Rank: 8 )

16. Vancouver Whitecaps - This one feels lower than it should be due to Eric Hassli and Camilo’s play this season. Both combined for a good chunk of this club’s goals. Outside of that they really didn’t score a ton of goals this season. Hence the bottom of the barrel spot in the standings.(Preseason Rank: 17)

17. Chivas USA – Not a huge shocker to see them here. Outside of getting Juan Pablo Angel they really did nothing to improve their offense in 2011. Alejandro Moreno had a decent year for them before Copa America kicked off. Justin Braun looked decent at times too. (Preseason Rank: 15)

18. New England Revolution – Here is one club that I felt that had pretty much nothing from their forward group in 2011. I had them pegged right at the start of the season by saying the pressure would be on them. In the end they just didn’t get the job done this season.  (Preseason Rank: 17)

LA and Seattle had two of the top midfields in 2011. (Getty Images)

It has been a couple weeks since I revisited my 2011 positional rankings. I got caught up in the 2011 Expansion Draft lists – something I will likely continue on today.

Today, we’re looking back at the midfielder rankings. To recap I’ve already done the defense and keepers.

Again these rankings are all about the starters and the depth behind them. This is a look at basically how right (or mostly how wrong) was I was at the start of the season. You may not like where I put the clubs now but its all apart of the discussion.

1. LA Galaxy – Strongest club all around in MLS this season. From Landon Donovan to David Beckham – to massively underrated players like Juninho – the Galaxy are loaded in the midfield and only seem to get stronger each season with this bunch.(Preseason Ranking: 2)

2. Seattle Sounders FC – They were a very close second for me – mostly because of Mauro Rosales. You have to really wonder where this club would have been with Steve Zakuani this season too. His injury could have really hurt this club but Sigi Schmid definitely showed his depth in this area this season. Guys like Alvaro Fernandez, Brad Evans, Eric Friberg and Osvaldo Alonso also help make this one of the best groups in the league. (Preseason Ranking: 5)

3. Real Salt Lake – Even with the injury to Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake continued to be one of the best groups of midfielders in the league in 2011. Kyle Beckerman stepped up in a massive way and had probably a MVP-type season in the process. Injuries hampered this bunch but overall this group is still very strong from top to bottom. (Preseason Ranking: 1)

4. FC Dallas – Some won’t agree with this ranking but when you lose a MVP caliber player like David Ferreria and have a guy emerge into a MVP like Brek Shea it is hard to ignore this bunch. They struggled down the stretch with the amount of games on the schedule but it is hard to deny Shea, Marvin Chavez, Andrew Jacobson, Daniel Hernandez and the rest of the midfield bunch the respect that they deserve. Most of the goals came from this group this season for Dallas as well. (Preseason Ranking: 3)

5. Sporting Kansas City – Getting rid of Jack Jewsbury seemed to be a stupid thing at the start of the season and then when Ryan Smith left the club you thought there was no way back for this club. Well, we were all wrong. The depth isn’t stellar but the starters are. Graham Zusi emerged as a bit time player in the league this season – while others stepped up to help make this one of the most exciting clubs to watch in 2011. (Preseason Ranking: 11)

6. Philadelphia Union – I went back and forth on where to place Philly in this revisit but I kept having them come in around this point. Seems about right as Peter Nowak improved his depth overall this year by adding in guys like Freddy Adu and Brian Carroll. Also, having young guys step up and play well certainly helped carry this club into the post season. (Preseason Ranking: 8 )

7. Houston Dynamo – This one felt a little low but I struggled in placing them in the top five, even with Brad Davis. The talent is there for this bunch and I think going into next year they should only get better. (Preseason Ranking: 9)

8. Colorado Rapids – A big dip for this club, mostly due to injuries but for me it boiled down to consistency. I still view Jeff Larentowicz as one of the best midfielders in all of MLS. They do have impressive stuff on the wings but there were too many games this season where clubs controlled them in the midfield. (Preseason Ranking: 3)

9. New York Red Bulls – No real shocker to see them a little lower in my mind. They are still talented as ever but lack the depth to really push some clubs around. Joel Lindpere and Dane Richards are about as underrated as it comes in MLS. Thing is, with Hans Backe, the young talent on the bench never really gets time to show if they have potential to make it in this league. (Preseason Ranking: 6)

10. Chicago Fire – Midseason additions helped this bunch out a ton. Adding Pavel Pardo paid off in more ways than most would like to admit. Sebastian Grazzini proved to be a huge pickup for the club. Marco Pappa and Logan Pause continued to be the consistent factors in the midfield that helped carry the team at times as well. Like I said with their defense, this is a club to watch out for in 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 16)

11. Columbus Crew – I honestly had no idea where to place the Crew. They felt like a better team than this at times when Robbie Rogers, Emmanuel Ekpo and Eddie Gavin were all on the same page. But that didn’t happen a lot this season. Landing them here seemed like the right fit due to consistency and overall lack of depth. I still believe had they gone out and either kept Guillermo Barros Schelotto or added another true playmaker, that they would have been much higher and better this season. (Preseason Ranking: 13)

12. Toronto FC – They were weak coming into the season but thanks to many, many trades in the summer, this bunch improved a lot. Julian de Guzman finally started to earn his DP money – while guys like Eric Avila settled in well with their new club. I expect this bunch to continue to improve in 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 18 )

13. Portland Timbers – Probably the strong point for this club in their expansion season was their midfield. Jack Jewsbury and Diego Chara carried this club well while young players on the wings stepped up and helped carry the offense. I think adding some defensive help and possibly another winger in the offseason will only improve this bunch for 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 15)

14. DC United – An up and down season for United, all around really. I though going into this that they’d be higher at the end but I couldn’t justify any higher than this really. Some may view Dwayne De Rosario as a midfielder, I don’t, he’s a striker so he will be lumped into that bunch. Their depth in the midfield is still very young, but will only improve as we move forward here. (Preseason Ranking: 10)

15. San Jose Earthquakes – Boy, this club took a serious hit this season. Collectively they just weren’t always on the same page. Bobby Convey is on his way out and in a way this whole group needs an overhaul going into 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 7)

16. Chivas USA – Never felt like this was a good group all season long. The talent is there with guys like Nick LaBrocca, Blair Gavin and Michael Laloud. Adding a true playmaker in the offseason could help – something they could have done twice – with Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber. (Preseason Ranking: 12)

17. New England Revolution – Another group that just didn’t click in 2012. Sure Shalrie Joseph should warrant a higher ranking but the rest of this bunch doesn’t do it for me. Adding Feilhaber was nice but it really did nothing in the end to their record. (Preseason Ranking: 14)

18. Vancouver Whitecaps – I went back and forth between them and the Revs for the bottom spot and in a way this is really a 17a and a 17b kind of thing. I never felt like this group really did anything this season to help the Whitecaps on the field. They certainly don’t have the depth in place yet to handle any injuries either. A lot of work will need to be done for 2012 here. (Preseason Ranking: 17)

LA's defense has been on top form this season. (Getty Images)

I am moving on in my look back at my preseason positional rankings. Yesterday we looked at the keepers, today we’re diving into the folks in front of those keepers – the defense.

Again these rankings are all about the starters and the depth behind them. The keeper discussion yesterday kind of reminded me that maybe next season I will lump the keepers and the defenders together. Thankfully once we get out of the keepers section the rankings are a little more cut and dry in terms of looking at the starters and the depth behind them.

1. LA Galaxy - Far and away the best defense in the league this season. Consistent, tough to break down, and rarely gives up a lot of goals. Their 25 goals against this season is tops in the league with the next clubs coming in on the list at 35 and 36 goals against. Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, AJ DelaGarza, Greg Berhalter and the rest have been on top form all season long. (Preseason Ranking: 3)

2. Real Salt Lake - I had them at the top to start the season and for the most part this season they have been one of the best. Their play as of late concerns me but overall their depth has shown up nicely when needed and their 35 goals against this season is tied for second in the league. Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave continue to be two of the very best in the league. (Preseason Ranking: 1)

3. Seattle Sounders FC - A fairly consistent bunch of defenders. No big name that stands out and makes headlines like you have with LA, RSL and FC Dallas. They have given up one more goal than RSL and Dallas but given the amount of extra games this season that they have had to deal with I won’t hold that against them. Really 2-4 is a total guess for anyone as it is. (Preseason Ranking: 5)

4. FC Dallas - Ugo Ihemelu and Geroge John were once again one of the better center back duos in the league this season but their form lately hasn’t been as stellar. The potential transfer for John caused some issues. But the group of defenders for Schellas Hyndman continue to be some of the best in the league as the depth is there with guys like Zach Loyd and Jair Benitez. (Preseason Ranking: 2)

5. Philadelphia Union - Several said I was too harsh on them in the preseason and you were correct. Their depth is still shaky in my mind but you have to give it up to Peter Nowak as he knew what he was doing with this bunch. Should they reach MLS Cup he will have to go out next year and get more depth for this group however. Still between the Farfan brothers, Danny Califf and Carlos Valdes, this group was very strong this season. (Preseason Ranking: 15)

6. Columbus Crew - A very underrated bunch are the Crew’s defense. To be honest, this is the group that probably got them into the playoffs this season. Chad Marshall and Julius James ended up forming a nice partnership in the middle of the defense and guys like rookie Rich Balchan ended up being very good for them. (Preseason Ranking: 10)

7. Sporting Kansas City - This group ended up being much better than I expected – and much better than most people thought as well. Aurelien Colin was a beast for them in the defense and we finally saw guys like Chance Myers step up and play to his potential. Matt Besler also had a strong year and snagging Seth Sinovic from New England ended up being a good move. (Preseason Ranking: 13)

8. Colorado Rapids - I feel like this is low for the Rapids but again their defense is an underrated part of their team. They have given up 40 goals this season – which is near the top/middle of the pack. They’ve battled with some injuries this season and have been a little inconsistent at times too. Still, they are a playoff team and could end up being a dangerous one if they get on a roll come playoff time. (Preseason Ranking: 6)

9. Houston Dynamo - Another club that has give up 40 goals on the season but they’ve come together so much more lately than they did earlier in the season. Had I done this back in June or July this club wouldn’t be ranked so high. Having Geoff Cameron in  the defense makes this group miles better though. (Preseason Ranking: 11)

10. Chicago Fire - Here is another group that has come together better as the season as moved on. They’re still a bit iffy on depth but rookie Jalil Anibana has been solid this season and guys like Cory Gibbs have stepped up well. I think they will continue to make strides next year as well. Maybe a piece or two more and they’ll be a top six defense in 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 14)

11. Chivas USA - Health Pearce in the middle of the defense worked very well until he got hurt. His injury showed the lack of depth this club had in defense and really ended their slim playoff hopes for 2011. Still the Goats only gave up 40 goals this season which is middle of the pack for the most part. As long as the owners of this club don’t give up on Robin Fraser this winter, he’ll be able to continue turning this club into a potential winner. (Preseason Ranking:

12. New York Red Bulls - Another club that I was way off on. I thought the Rafa Marquez-Tim Ream combo in the center of defense would be one of the best but it turned out not to be the case. For the most part the Red Bulls don’t win with this duo in defense. They’ve given up 42 goals on the season and could be staring at a long winter if this week doesn’t turn out well for them. (Preseason Ranking: 4)

13. San Jose Earthquakes - Here is a club that has given up 43 goals on the season and really didn’t play well for the better part of three months this season. They had spells were they looked good in defense but the large chunk of the season they failed to convert chances into points. Injuries and inconsistency in the back caused them to fall down my list here. (Preseason Ranking: 7)

14. Portland Timbers - The expansion Timbers come in a little higher than where I had them to start the year. The depth still isn’t there but we’ve seen quality play out of guys like Eric Brunner and Mamadou Danso. John Spencer will have to work on this bunch in the offseason and possibly find a veteran to trade for to help improve the bunch. (Preseason Ranking: 17)

15. Toronto FC - Yes the Reds have given up a league-high 57 goals this season but I think the talent and depth is there for 2012 already. Adding guys like Andy Iro and Torsten Frings have gone a long way in correcting the issues this club has been plagued with in the past. As long as Aron Winter can continue to improve this group in the offseason, they will be contenders in 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 18)

16. DC United - Yeah, this feels a little low for the Black-and-Red but giving up 50 goals in a season will do that to you. This group is still very young and while the talent is potentially there. Perry Kitchen, Ethan White and Brandon McDonald are a good foundation going forward but Ben Olsen has some work to do to help correct this group from giving up 50 goals in a season. (Preseason Ranking: 12)

17. Vancouver Whitecaps - Just about where I had them to begin the year. The Caps gave up 53 goals this season, near the bottom of the table. Lately we’ve seen how much better they can be with Alian Rochat and Jay DeMert in the lineup together. Depth is still a big issue with this club in defense and they will have a long, hard offseason to fix it. (Preseason Ranking: 16)

18. New England Revolution - The talent is certainly there with this club but the results speak for themselves. Giving up 56 goals in a season is one less than Toronto’s league-high. Again the talent is there but this group did nothing but regress this season. Major changes need to happen this winter in New England. (Preseason Ranking: 9)

Donovan Ricketts and his backup Josh Saunders have been some of the best keepers in 2011. (Getty Images)

Before the start of the 2011 MLS Season I went through each position and ranked the teams by I thought would be the best at that position in 2011. With the final week of the season upon us, I figure it is a good time to go and revisit those rankings and call out where I was spot on and where I was way off.

Today I will be taking a look back at the keepers.

Just to recap those rankings a little bit and how I determined who went where – I ranked the teams – not individual players. For keepers it was about the main starter and the depth behind them. If you feel I am off on my revisit here, then let’s hear it in the comments section below.

1. FC Dallas - I stated back in March that Dallas had the top group and I still feel that way. Kevin Hartman has had a very strong season and his backups (Chris Seitz and academy star Richard Sanchez) are still likely the future of this club. No need to change this ranking in my mind. Hartman is tied for the league lead in shutouts this season and current has one of the top goals against averages.  (Preseason ranking: 1)

2. LA Galaxy - Donovan Ricketts and Josh Saunders continue to be a great duo in net for the Galaxy. When healthy, Ricketts has been good and Saunders has been strong as a backup too. Oh and let’s not for get Mike Magee’s performance against San Jose earlier this year too! Both Ricketts and Saunders have killer goals against average but neither will end up winning the Keeper of the Year award due to the amount of games the two have split this season. (Preseason Ranking: 3)

3. Real Salt Lake - This is largely because of Nick Rimando and what he brings to the table. He keeps RSL in games and at times helps them win them. He and Hartman are neck-and-neck for Keeper of the Year at this point and with one final game for each this season, they could cause a lot of voters some issues. Rimando is tied with Hartman for the shutout lead in the league and he is also one of the best in terms of goals against average. (Preseason Ranking: 2)

4. Seattle Sounders - Hard to put Kasey Keller at 4th but I am ranking groups not just individuals here. Keller has nine shutouts and a solid GAA right now. His backups are still young and I have to believe that they’ll be looking outside of MLS for Keller’s replacement for next season. (Preseason Ranking: 4)

5. Philadelphia Union - Have to say I was way off on the Union to start the season but I did admit at the time that we just didn’t know how good Faryd Mondragon would be for them. Turns out he was one of the most consistent keepers in the league this year. Rookie Zac MacMath has filled in nicely while Mondragon was out injured too. (Preseason Ranking: 15)

6. Colorado Rapids - Only down a peg from my preseason rankings. I’ll repeat what I wrote then that I do believe that this group gets overlooked and are underrated for the Rapids. Matt Pickens is as solid as they come in MLS – he has eight shutouts and a strong GAA. (Preseason Ranking: 5)

7. Chivas USA - Before the year I had no faith in this club’s keepers but boy did Dan Kennedy prove me wrong time and time again this season. If he isn’t one of the most improved players in all of MLS, then I don’t know who is. (Preseason Ranking: 18)

8. Houston Dynamo - I stated at the start of the year that they had gone young in goal with Tally Hall. It turns out that move has worked out pretty well for them this season. Hall has six shutouts and a decent GAA. He looks like a strong keeper for the future for this club. (Preseason Ranking: 16)

9. Columbus Crew - William Hesmer continues to be a strong starting keeper in this league. His stats this season aren’t sexy but they are getting the job done and are putting the Crew back into the playoffs. Andy Gruenebaum also been a solid backup for the Crew when they have needed him this year. I still view them as middle of the pack though when you boil it all down. (Preseason Ranking: 10)

10. San Jose Earthquakes - I had them a little higher at the start of the year due to how much I liked Jon Busch. I still like Busch as a keeper and his depth is pretty decent with David Bingham. But when you look at things Busch’s numbers were down a bit due to his defense having so many issues. (Preseason Ranking: 6)

11. Sporting Kansas City - It has been an interesting year in KC. They had the long road trip, then the massive home stand. Jimmy Neilsen has been consistent for the most part this season. Backup Eric Kronberg has been decent in the few games he has started this year as well. Some will want this ranking higher but middle of the pack seems fair for this bunch. (Preseason Ranking: 8 )

12. DC United - Bill Hamid has proven to be the keeper of the future for this club and while the depth behind him is largely dry, he continues to improve week after week. (Preseason Ranking: 17)

13. Chicago Fire - Sean Johnson is another young keeper in the rise, I thought he would go a little higher at the start of the season but it has taken a while for his defense to come together this season. I’d expect this ranking for Chicago to be higher going into 2012. (Preseason Ranking: 11)

14. Toronto FC - I feel like this one is low and it could be even lower considering the amount of goals given up by this club earlier this year (though I do believe that falls more on the defense and midfield than the keepers). Stefan Frei continues to be one of those keepers that improves from year-to-year and his backup Milos Kocic has filled in nicely for him in games where he’s been hurt. Definitely some building blocks for the future. (Preseason Ranking: 7)

15. New York Red Bulls - Yes, I believe the Red Bulls keeper situation deserves to be ranked this low. Bouna Coundoul and Greg Sutton couldn’t get the job done earlier this year. Then comes in DP Frank Rost who hasn’t really changed a whole lot for New York. I was a bit too kind to this group back in March. (Preseason Ranking: 9)

16. Portland Timbers - Troy Perkins has been solid this year for the expansion Timbers. Good at times and also bad at times. There is some room for improvement going into next year as I have doubts about his backup situation. (Preseason Ranking: 12)

17. Vancouver Whitecaps - Going back and forth early on between Jay Nolly and Joe Cannon could have done a number to this team but then again their defense wasn’t too great all year either. Neither had great stats this season to argue a higher placement but there is hope for this club going into 2012 I believe. (Preseason Ranking: 14)

18. New England Revolution - Matt Reis and Bobby Shuttlesworth have split some time this season and really it hasn’t been all rosy for the Revs. Neither have great GAA or shutout numbers and seeing how the Revs are the worst club in the league, this ranking feels about right. (Preseason Ranking: 13)

Thierry Henry and Juan Agudelo should be the top striking force in the league for 2011. (Getty Images)

Can you believe the season is less than a week away now? Seriously, the preseason is nearly up and we’re finally going to be getting back into some regular season action here. I’m wrapping up my positional rankings today with the forwards group. I’ll have my first official team Power Rankings to kick off the week on Monday, for those interested.

To recap a bit, here are links to the keeper, defenders and midfield rankings that I’ve already done. Again, I’ll go back at the end of the season and re-do these to see how good/bad I was at projecting things.

I know I received a lot of comments on the midfield rankings, particularly over the Chicago Fire. I get it, but again, these are preseason rankings and will likely change for each club by the season’s end. Just because your club’s ranking is low in one of these positional rankings doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be that low in the overall team rankings.

Anyways, let’s get down to the task at hand for the day. Below are the forward rankings as we head into the new season.

1. New York Red Bulls – I thought long and hard about this one and sure the Red Bulls lost Juan Pablo Angel but I view having a healthy Thierry Henry along with an up and coming star like Juan Agudelo to be pretty nice. Depth could be an issue but it’s not something I’m too worried about yet with this bunch. I do look for big things out of the Red Bulls in 2011, and their offense is the reason why.

2. Real Salt Lake – You could easily make the argument to have RSL at the top slot for the forwards and I do get that. RSL will score goals and in bunches too. Alvaro Saborio should continue to haunt teams all season long and if Paulo Jr. can continue to impress this ranking could easily move up to number one at the end of the year. I’m also curious to see how long it will take Cody Arnoux to get involved with the club as well.

3. LA Galaxy – They lose Edson Buddle and gain Juan Pablo Angel. Before Angel signed it looked as though they were desperate for some striking options as they traded for Adam Cristman and Chad Barrett. I do expect Barrett to do well in LA. Yes he will miss plenty of chances like he always does but he’s bound to get on the end of a few Landon Donovan or David Beckham crosses this season.

4. Colorado Rapids – Omar Cummings and Conor Casey will continue to be the focal point for Gary Smith’s offense in 2011. This could be a low rating to some folks out there but I am more curious to see how they handle the pressure of being a defending champion this season. Also, holding on to Cummings will continue to be a key issue that the Rapids will face all year.

5. Seattle Sounders FC – I do believe this could be a big year for Fredy Montero. His production last season carried the Sounders at various points in the year and having guys like Blaise Nkufo around longer will only help increase his production.

6. FC Dallas – Could be a little high considering the gaps in age the club has on their roster at this position and the loss of Jeff Cunningham. Milton Rodriguez and Maykel Galindo (he’s still on trial but he’ll likely sign) are a lot older than the young guns waiting in the wings in Ruben Luna, Jonathan Top and newly signed Colombian striker Fabian Castillo. Should Castillo turn into the Montero-like signing the club is hoping for and Rodriguez stays healthy, the offense should thrive. Throw in Luna’s likely breakout production and this ranking will end up higher at seasons end.

7. Philadelphia Union – This one could be higher if we knew that Carlos Ruiz was his old MVP self or just another striker in the lineup. My gut tells me he’ll produce and that’s good news as the Union will need his production to help out Sebastien Le Toux and Danny Mwanga.

8. Portland Timbers – Yeah, I do believe what John Spencer has brought in there in Portland will score plenty of goals. Kenny Cooper will look to rebound his career a bit as he comes back to MLS and he’ll lead a healthy stable of strikers that could really push clubs around this season. I do think rookie Darlington Nagbe will be a Rookie of the Year contender as well.

9. San Jose Earthquakes – This feels low even considering the fact that they have Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski. But it also feels high because they have basically nothing after him. In a way you could say this is just out of respect to what Wondo did a season ago. If he produces like he did a season ago then this ranking will be justified a bit but he still needs help.

10. Houston Dynamo – Brian Ching isn’t getting any younger but boy the addition of rookie Will Bruin excites me about this bunch. I also think the addition of Jason Garey will be a solid one for them as well. I still wonder if they’ll ever make a big splash on a DP at striker again though after the failed experiment that was Luis Angel Landin.

11. Sporting Kansas City – This one feels a bit low but that is because I’m nervous about the health of Teal Bunbury starting out the year. I do think that Kei Kamara and Omar Bravo, along with Bunbury make for an exciting group of attackers. Sporting will score some goals this year but they do have to hope these three stay healthy for the long haul because depth isn’t quite there yet.

12. D.C. United – The Black-and-Red were an interesting bunch to rate. They have quality guys like Chris Pontius, veterans Josh Wolff and then they have Charlie Davies. I believe as Davies goes, so will United this season on offense. Ben Olsen has to hope for the best out of Davies and I think he’ll prove he’s back to his old self again here. At least the USMNT fan in me is hoping so.

13. Vancouver Whitecaps – This one was going to be much lower up until the last day or so. Signing DP Eric Hassli and playmaker Davide Chiumiento help push them up a little higher. I also like the expansion draft pick of Atiba Harris. If they can some how get number one overall pick Omar Salgado able to play before his 18th birthday then this group could be all the better.

14. Columbus Crew – Between Jeff Cunningham searching for his MLS all-time scoring mark and the tandem of Emilio Renteria and Andres Mendoza could be a fairly underrated duo. If rookie Justin Meram can develop quickly, the Crew could be in the thick of things in the east.

15. Chivas USA – Robin Fraser has plenty of capable strikers in Justin Braun, Alejandro Moreno, Alan Gordon, and Tristan Bowen. My concern is which duo will work best with one another? That could still take some time to sort out. But don’t sleep on rookie Victor Estupinan doing well with Chivas. He could be the reason that Chivas is a part of some early season trades for guys like Gordon or Moreno.

16. Chicago Fire – I want to say the Fire are better than this but I view Patrick Nyark of a midfielder than a striker. I am curious to see how well newcomers Gaston Puerari and Diego Chaves work out for the club. Both are young and could either be huge for the club or just another international bust for the club.

17. New England Revolution – Its a big year for Steve Nicol’s club. A lot of pressure falls on this group though. They are all wanting to prove themselves this year. If they can get more out of Illija Stolica this year then maybe they’ll be okay. They still have hardly any solid experience up top though.

18. Toronto FC – Can’t keep up with who is in camp for Toronto up top this winter? You’re not alone. This is going to be a very long season in Toronto.

RSL should continue to have the top defense in 2011. (Getty Images)

We’re continuing on this morning with the 2011 Major League Soccer previews. Wednesday we ranked the 18 club’s keepers, today we’ll move up a notch on the field to the defenses in front of them.

Again these rankings are all about the starters and the depth behind them. I polled some folks on Twitter yesterday and got some pretty good feedback. Of course all of this is just objective on my part as well. I tried my best to remove any sort of bias from these rankings, which may upset some folks. I do plan on reviewing these rankings at the end of the season to see how off or on I was about each team.

Now ranking different area’s of each club (keepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards) isn’t always easy. You could easily group in the defensive midfielder to this batch or even lump in the keepers. Technically everyone plays defense on a team but for this purpose we’ll stick to the three to five guys in the back (and those who back them up on the bench) for these rankings.

1. Real Salt Lake – From top to bottom, I still view RSL as the best defense in the league. The biggest loss they suffered in the back this year however was the Robin Fraser bolting west to take over Chivas USA. Judging what we’ve seen out of this bunch already in preseason, there is little doubt in my mind that they will continue to be a dominant defensive side once again in 2011. Having two of the top defenders in Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers doesn’t hurt but I think we’ll see plenty of progression out of guys like Tony Beltran and second-year player Chris Schuler.

2. FC Dallas – They may have traded Health Pearce away and also have some injury concerns out of Ugo Ihemelu and George John, but they’re still very close to the top for me. Depth wise I actually believe because of their academy they’ll only get better in this area in 2011. You have to remember this bunch was very tough to get beat last year and I see no change in that for this coming season.

3. LA Galaxy – The Galaxy may have gotten a tad bit older when they got Frankie Hedjuk in the Re-Entry draft but that will be a very nice depth piece to have off the bench. I still believe Omar Gonzalez is one of the best defenders in the league. I look for some big things out of A.J. DeLaGarza this season too, as he showed late last year he has the ability to really improve things in the back when they are forced to play quick clubs.

4. New York Red Bulls – I nearly had the Red Bulls over LA, and in a way they are 3a and 3b for me because of the move to put Rafa Marquez in the back with Tim Ream. That pairing will be very fun to watch this season, that is unless you are going against them. I still have a couple concerns about their depth though which may be the biggest reason why they aren’t at 3 here. Still, this group could end up higher at season’s end and it wouldn’t shock me in at all.

5. Seattle Sounders FC – I think getting Jhon Kennedy Hurtado back for a full season is going to lift this bunch up in a big way. They made due without him last year as Patrick Ianni, Jeff Parke, James Riley and Leo Gonzalez all proved to be very good together in the back. Rookie Michael Tetteh could also be a big reason why this group makes some strides in 2011 as well.

6. Colorado Rapids – I feel like this is a major disrespect to the defending champions as this group really was a big reason why the Rapids did so well in 2010. Drew Moor, Marvell Wynne, and Anthony Wallace were all traded parts that came together in a brillant way late for Gary Smith. With the addition of Tyrone Marshall, I believe there is a good chance this group will make a strong push to defend their title.

7. San Jose Earthquakes – When healthy this group is very tough to beat. My only concern is them all staying healthy for an entire season though. Having said that, getting Ike Opara back will be a huge lift to this bunch. Jason Hernandez is an unsung hero in the back for them and Bobby Burling had possible his best season in MLS last year.

8. Chivas USA – In a way this ranking is largely based on their new coach Robin Fraser, the other reasoning is their additions this winter. Jimmy Conrad will be a huge boost in the middle while rookie Zerek Valentin will provide solid cover on the wings alongside Health Pearce. Their depth concerns me a bit but I have a feeling Fraser isn’t done putting his backline together here. This ranking may be a little high for now but I do believe they’ll surprise plenty of folks in 2011.

9. New England Revolution – This is another that may surprise a few folks but their young nucleus will keep them in plenty of games this season. Darrius Barnes, Kevin Alston, and rookie A.J. Soares make a really nice group in the back for Steve Nicols. Yes they did give up a load of goals in 2010 and they’ll be pressured again in 2011 due to their lack of offense at the moment but this young group has enough talent to overcome it.

10. Columbus Crew – I may be a little generous to the Crew according to some folks but remove yourself from the RSL beating from the other day and look at this squad again. They still have Chad Marshall in the back and I believe Andy Iro will become one of the better centerbacks this season. Second year defender Shaun Francis showed solid strides in this rookie season that I think will carry over in 2011 and who knows we may even see first round draft pick Rich Balchan prove he was worthy of his early selection.

11. Houston Dynamo – Dominic Kinnear has done a lot of work to his entire club this winter, especially in the back. This group gave up a lot of goals last year but injuries were a big factor. This group is mostly healthy now and are starting to come together nicely in preseason play. I’m very curious to see how rookie Kofi Sardokie plays for them alongside Bobby Boswell, Mike Chabala and Andrew Hainault.

12. D.C. United – The Black-and-Red have made some serious strides this winter but still have plenty of work to do. The additions of Perry Kitchen and Ethan White are nice even though they are both rookies. Could this ranking be a bit high to start out? Possibly but I think this could be a club that surprises many in 2011.

13. Sporting Kansas City – KC still has some work to do on their defense I believe. They were middle of the pack last year in terms of goals against but when everyone was on their game together they were pretty good. Losing Jimmy Conrad was a set back but one that was bound to happen. I don’t think they’ve done enough to replace him though as Michael Harrington, Roger Espinoza, Chance Myers, and Shavar Thomas are all quality players but none that will make a MLS All-Star roster just yet. One or two more moves in the back could help push them in an Eastern Conference that is bound to be fairly open this season.

14. Chicago Fire – Boy this is a bunch that regressed a lot in 2010. I’m starting them off pretty low for 2011 but I do think they could make some strides up the rankings by the end of the year. Rookie Jahil Anibaba should be the reason for that as well as newcomer Cory Gibbs. Losing C.J. Brown and Wilman Conde was a lot though, and possibly more than they can make up in just one season.

15. Philadelphia Union – Honestly this felt a little high but I’m giving them their due because of what is below them. Sheanon Williams is a guy I think they could lean heavily on this season. They still have a ways to go though as they only have five defenders signed right now on their roster. That won’t get it done these days in MLS.

16. Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Part of me felt this could be much higher consider the talent they brought in from their D-2 side that was absolutely dominant defensively last year. But that was a different league against talent that isn’t quite MLS-standard. So we don’t exactly know how well this group will stack up against better offenses like LA, Colorado, New York and RSL just yet. I do think captain Jay DeMerit was a solid signing to kick things off for them though. I am very curious to see what Alan Rochat can do for this club in MLS.

17. Portland Timbers – Collectively they do have a decent looking bunch of defenders. My biggest concern though is that they don’t have a big time leader just yet in the back. Maybe Kerrea Gilbert will be that guy for them as the rest of the defenders there are still fairly young. I do think Eric Brunner and David Horst will fit in very nicely in Portland and this group could easily be higher by the end of the season.

18. Toronto FC – Have you looked at their roster lately? Its kind of sad really. I know they have more players in camp but the uncertainty of the type of players this new management will bring in on their first year is still a red flag for me. Not having Adrian Cann on the team hurts in a big way as he was easily their best defender in 2010. Aron Winter could surprise us with his defense this season but I do believe they have a long way to go.

Kevin Hartman made many saves like this last season for FC Dallas. (Getty Images)

I think I’ve thrown out half of my preseason post ideas due to lack of time and energy to write them (18 teams is a lot to do these days!). Instead I will be going with some more league-wide previews. Today I wanted to start with some positional rankings. Yes, Power Rankings if you must get all technical. I’ll be going through the defense, midfield and forwards later on this week and into next but today we’ll begin with the keepers.

I do want to point out that today’s keeper rankings have more to do with the main starter and who is behind him on the bench rather than just a look at the starters for each team. I felt it was only fair to size up the starters and their backups in this rankings since all the other positional rankings are based on groups of players as well.

Some clubs are firm in their starting keeper while a couple are still trying to figure their situation out. A lot of how well the keepers are has to do with the defense in front of them but the teams near the top have one of those game-changing guys between the pipes.

One thing I found when writing this up was after the first few clubs, everyone below them were pretty much a crap shoot of a guess. You could make the argument for plenty of clubs to be higher/lower than they are but its a good discussion point to kick off the new season.

1. FC Dallas - I still feel that Kevin Hartman got a big snub from voters in the Keeper of the Year race last season. But moving forward into 2011, Dallas has a healthy Hartmand in goal and a very solid backup now in Chris Seitz. Not to mention the club also has a very solid prospect in Richard Sanchez from their youth system that will likely be the future of the club’s keeper situation.

2. Real Salt Lake - And in a way I feel that Rimando was also snubbed last year in the Keeper of the Year race. Rimando is still very talented and continues to lead the charge for RSL in goal. I think RSL fans feel confident that as long as they have him between the pipes, they will be in any game. Backup Kyle Reynish isn’t too bad either but he hasn’t seen a whole lot of time defending the RSL goal.

3. LA Galaxy – With the 2010 Keeper of the Year, Donovan Rickets still there, the Galaxy are going to continue to be in the hunt for a MLS Cup in 2011. Also, backup Josh Saunders has proven he can step in at a moments notice and be a very good keeper as well.

4. Seattle Sounders FC – Anytime you have a legend in goal like Kasey Keller, you’re probably going to be okay in this area. Also, the club feels confident in backup Terry Boss and rookie Bryan Meredith looks to be a guy that will be guarding a MLS goal for years to come.

5. Colorado Rapids – I feel one area the Rapids don’t get a lot of respect in is this one. Matt Pickens is a very solid keeper and one that kept them in plenty of big games last season. Just watch some of the MLS Cup against Dallas from last November and you’ll see how important he is to their club.

6. San Jose Earthquakes – I believe the Quakes are set at keeper for years to come. Currently they have Jon Busch, who is an outstanding keeper. After him they have Andrew Weber and rookie David Bingham. The latter of the two backups should be one to watch for years to come.

7. Toronto FC – I may be rating them a little high but I’ve always been a big supporter of Stefan Frei. I believe he is a game-changing keeper but he just has not had the defense in front of him to prove that just yet. Should he go down for any extended time this club will be hurting.

8. Sporting Kansas City – Jimmy Nielsen is as good as most in this league and probably deserves a lot more credit than he gets from pundits around the league. This is another club though that will be hurting a decent bit if he goes down any.

9. New York Red Bulls – Most people know I’m not too high on Bouna Coundoul but I will say he made plenty of strides in 2010 to repair his shaky play. After him is Greg Sutton, a decent backup, but not someone you want between the pipes longterm.

10. Columbus Crew – The Crew have an interesting situation going on right now, both Will Hesmer and Andy Gruenebaum are hurt. If the season started today they’d be leaning on former FC Dallas keeper Ray Burse Jr., to start in goal. Still, when healthy I believe Hesmer is one of the better keepers in the league and Gruenebaum is a good backup.

11. Chicago Fire – This is one to keep an eye on moving forward. I believe we’ll see some serious strides in the play of Sean Johnson this season. I think Johnson can make that leap forward into the top five or six keepers before long but a big thing will be how good his defense is in front of him.

12. Portland Timbers – Portland was an interesting one to rate considering who they have with Troy Perkins and backup Adin Brown. I think if Perkins plays with a viger to prove 2010 was an utter fluke from him, then the Timbers made the right call in making the trade for him this winter.

13. New England Revolution – This is one club that could easily be higher but injuries continue to play a part of how good they’ll actually be. Matt Reis is still a very good keeper and Bobby Shuttlesworth is a formidable backup to say the very least. As long as Reis is healthy for an entire season there is no reason in my mind not to think this ranking will be higher at season’s end.

14. Vancouver Whitecaps – Another interesting one to rate. I believe Joe Cannon is still a very good keeper and one that probably needed to get out of San Jose a lot sooner than he did. The Whitecaps will lean on his experience a lot in their inaugural MLS season.

15. Philadelphia Union – Considering what they had a season ago to what they have now is pretty crazy. Do we know how good Faryd Mondragon will really be for them? Is he just a guy that will help build up rookie Zac MacMath, who is possibly MLS-ready? Either this is an extremely low ranking for this bunch or one that is right on target. Time will certainly tell.

16. Houston Dynamo – Houston is in an interesting situation now, they’ve moved on from long-time net minder Pat Onstad and are moving younger. Tally Hall seems like he’ll make a decent starter and backup Tyler Deric comes from the youth system in Houston. Both seem decent but will they be enough to carry this club moving forward right now?

17. D.C. United – Speaking on Onstad, he retires and takes a position with D.C. United only to then un-retire weeks later to sign a short-term playing contract. DCU is hurting right now with injuries and I think once academy standout Bill Hamid gets healthy it will be his job for the taking. The little bit I saw out of him last year gave me belief that he’ll be a very good keeper in this league in the near future.

18. Chivas USA – I thought long and hard about where to place Chivas and they ended up last for me. Zach Thornton isn’t quite the keeper he was a couple seasons ago for them and if he goes down they’re not left with all that much. Dan Kennedy is decent but not a full-time starter in my eyes.

We’ll see you all next season with new Power Rankings.

Team	Rank	Record (W-L-T)	Comments
	1 (1)	15-4-10 55 pts.	If this past Saturday is any indication, this RSL team should have no problem retaining their MLS Cup title.
	2 (2)	12-3-14 50 pts.	We knew the unbeaten run would eventually end but going from late May until mid-October unbeaten is pretty damn impressive. The biggest thing though is getting Kevin Hartman back and healthy.
	3 (5)	14-9-6 48 pts.	The league’s hottest team continues roll. Looks like a first round meeting with LA, a team that has had their number all year.
	4 (3)	17-7-5 56 pts.	Colorado showed yet again how to beat LA, use speed and pressure up front against them. LA has to find ways to slow teams down or else their good season will go for nothing.
	5 (4)	14-9-6 48 pts.	Philadelphia made them just look normal for a change. A potential playoff series with San Jose could present them with plenty of problems.
	6 (8)	12-8-9 45 pts.	Colorado regained their impressive offensive power against LA. Perfect time to get things back on track before the playoffs.
	7 (7)	13-8-8 47 pts.	Will Hesmer’s goal may have saved the Crew here late in the year as they head into the playoffs.
	8 (6)	12-8-7 43 pts.	Only team left to clinch a spot is the Rapids, just a point is needed to do so in two games against LA and RSL. We’ve seen teams collapse before here late in the year, will the Rapids find a way to do that?
	9 (10)	8-14-7 31 pts.	No playoffs for Peter Nowak’s side but I’m pretty sure this was a successful first season for the Union.
	10 (9)	10-13-6 36 pts.	I know they failed to reach the post season again but I don’t think anyone outside of KC expected them to have a 10-win season this year.
	11 (11)	8-12-9 33 pts.	Classy move to see Brian McBride taken off in his final home game with a couple minutes left. Just too bad his final game wasn’t a playoff match.
	12 (12)	8-16-4 28 pts.	Just like we’ve seen all year one bad half overshadows a good half.
	13 (14)	9-15-5 32 pts.	The Revs have shown that they still can do a lot with a little in the past few weeks.
	14 (15)	8-15-6 30 pts.	Houston looked up to their old tricks against San Jose last weekend but the facts don’t lie this season has been anything but good for Dominic Kinnear.
	15 (13)	8-13-8 31 pts.	Giving up a goal to a keeper at home will hurt for a while but this team will rebound from it.
	16 (16)	6-19-4 22 pts.	A rare road point in Chicago for United. Nothing too impressive about it though.

The top four remained the same this week as all top four clubs won their games. None probably looked better than FC Dallas but I still have trouble seeing them as the top club in the league in these rankings. A lot has to do with those 12 draws I believe.

Anyways, below are the rankings for this week. I’ll probably have some updates for the Supporter’s Shield race later today on here.

Team	Rank	Record (W-L-T)	Comments
	1 (1)	14-4-9 51 pts.	Again, not the prettiest of play on the road but Jason Kreis and his bunch still find ways to remain in the Supporter’s Shield race.
	2 (2)	12-2-13 49 pts.	Two big records tied against their Brimstone Cup rivals last Saturday, the league’s unbeaten run at 18 games and Jeff Cunningham tying Jamie Moreno for the all-time scoring mark.
	3 (3)	14-8-5 46 pts.	Finally took over first place with the win over KC. How long can they keep it up will be the question with RSL coming into town. Missing the hot foot of Dane Richards won’t help, neither will missing Bouna Coundoul (both were called up for international duty).
	4 (4)	16-6-5 53 pts.	Hard to keep the Galaxy here but I still worry about their midfield play against better clubs. Still seeing David Beckham and Edson Buddle score shows some good signs for this club as the playoffs near.
	5 (6)	12-9-6 42 pts.	Made it look easy at times against Toronto now they hope to claim their second straight US Open Cup tonight against Columbus.
	6 (7)	13-7-7 46 pts.	Not exactly setting the world on fire here but a win in Seattle tonight in the USOC will certainly get this club back on track.
	7 (8)	11-8-7 40 pts.	Rough week only kept them over Colorado because of the quality road draw in Columbus. Jon Busch kept San Jose from having what could have been their worst week of the year after the 3-0 beaten at home to the Fire.
	8 (5)	11-8-8 41 pts.	Rapids fans won’t like the big drop even though they got a win this past week, I just have trouble keeping them up due to the big slip at home against D.C. on Saturday.
	9 (9)	9-11-6 33 pts.	Their hopes come down to one game this Saturday against Seattle. Win and their chances remain in tact, lose and you can pretty much kiss the season good-bye.
	10 (10)	7-13-7 28 pts.	An ugly road loss in Chicago was slightly made up for by the home draw to Houston. I mainly am keeping them up for due to that Goal of the Year candidate from Sebastien Le Toux.
	11 (12)	7-11-8 29 pts.	The 3-0 win in San Jose showed they have the ability to do some nice things but getting spanked in Dallas showed they just aren’t where they should be right now as a club.
	12 (11)	8-12-7 31 pts.	I wonder how long it will take for Toronto to start re-working their roster after the season is over here.
	13 (13)	7-15-4 25 pts.	The season is finally dead for Chivas USA, my next wonder is if they keep Martin Vasquez or not after the year is out.
	14 (14)	7-15-5 26 pts.	So their upper management said they’d actually spend money on this club next year with maybe even as many as two DPs. I’ll believe it when I see it.
	15 (15)	7-14-6 27 pts.	Again, another club I’m curious about for the end of the month. Just exactly how much housekeeping will Dominic Kinnear really do with this roster?
	16 (16)	6-18-3 21 pts.	If anyone can actually enjoy the spoiler role this year it will have to be Ben Olsen’s bunch.