It is that time again, the new season is here and I will make my annual Bold MLS Season Predictions.

Last year I did alright in some predictions, and pretty poorly in others. In years past I’ve always thrown out a few random predictions to mix things up a bit so this isn’t just another predictions post out there. You may like what I say or think I’m crazy, either way I try to have a bit of fun with this each year.

I’ll start off with some early awards predictions, followed by some random stat predictions, and finally the season outcome I see happening.

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 still beyond me. I’ll give you my top three for each since that is how we have to vote on it anyways.

Goalkeeper:

1. Nick Rimando (RSL) – Always a frontrunner for this award, I think he’ll have a solid enough season to finally win this award.
2. Kevin Hartman (FC Dallas) – Another always in contention for this, I’d expect his level of play to be better this season after a disappointing finish to the 2011 season.
3. Stefan Frei (Toronto) – I really like Toronto this season and Frei has always had the talent, this year he and his club finally “get there”.

Defender:

1. Jamison Olave (RSL) – The guy is still a beast.
2. George John (FC Dallas) – He’s back for the season and will be looking to secure a big contract at the end of the season.
3. Geoff Cameron (Houston) – He’ll keep them in most games this season, and probably help them win a few too.

Newcomer:

1. Kris Boyd (Portland Timbers) – Love the early look I got of him last week in a preseason game. He’s a natural goal scorer and one that will do very well in MLS.
2. Hamdi Salihi (D.C. United) – A lot rests on how he messes with Dwayne De Rosario but the guy just scores goals. Should be fun to watch.
3. Blas Perez (FC Dallas) – Another guy that is expected to score goals this season, he’ll have a tall order in front of him to lead Dallas but so far he looks good.

(Note: this will easily change as newcomers join the league in the summer)

Coach:

1. Peter Vermes (Sporting KC) – I think KC has a chance to be really special this year.
2. Bruce Arena (LA Galax) – LA is strong and if they can do well in the Champions League and win another Supporters’ Shield then there is no doubt he’ll win this or at least be in contention to again.
3. Aron Winter (Toronto FC) – A wild pick in one sense but I do like where he is taking this club.

Rookie:

1. Kelyn Rowe (New England) – This kid fits in perfectly in the midfield for Jay Heaps. Something about him there makes me think this will be a really good first season for Rowe.
2. Darren Mattocks (Vancouver) – A lot depends on how much time he gets on the field but he showed flashes of how talented he is in the preseason.
3. Luis Silva (Toronto FC) – Don’t sleep on this kid for a moment. Silva fits into Winter’s 4-3-3 perfectly.

MVP:

1. Javier Morales (RSL) – I expect big things from him after a tough 2011.
2. Mauro Rosales (Seattle) – A guy that nearly won the award last season. I’d expect more of the same from him in 2012.
3. Landon Donovan (LA) – He’s always in the mix really and with a slightly more favorable schedule this season, he should continue to put up big numbers.

Next MLSer to move to Europe:

• Brek Shea (FC Dallas) – It will happen before long…I keep saying after the Olympics.
• George John (FC Dallas) – Same as Shea, it will happen before we know it. Third time will be the charm but likely after this season is over.
• Geoff Cameron (Houston) – Throwing this one out there, I’ve always been a fan of Cameron’s game and as he gets more time with the national team, his stock should rise for clubs overseas.

2012 WVH Bold Predictions:

1. MLS will get 4 clubs in CCL knockout stage after this fall’s group stage – LA, RSL, Seattle and Toronto will all make a return to the knockout round after getting through the group stages this fall.
2. A MLS club will win the USOC – Not a stretch but go a head and bet on a MLS club winning it again, my money is on Seattle again to make it four in a row. Though that new format certainly makes it more interesting for another team to win it all.
3. Four clubs add DPs this summer – With the Young DP rule in effect, look for Chicago, DC, Dallas and New York to all add DPs this summer.
4. A couple more Yanks return home – Just a hunch as always but given Rangers financial woes, at least Carlos Bocanegra will return to MLS, maybe even Demarcus Beasley will as well.
5. The 20th club will be announced…and it will be New York. Yeah surprise, surprise. I think some kind of deal gets worked out in this year to add New York. Not sure which group will be part of it or where a stadium will be but something will get done.
6. But a deal with Orlando comes up as well…yes team number 21. I said this was a bold prediction page now didn’t I? I think something also gets worked out in Orlando and they’ll enter MLS a year after NY does.
7. A late run this season will help…Portland – While the East certainly is weaker I do think a late run to get into the playoffs will be done by a Western side. The Timbers have the talent and the chops to get through the West.
8. Golden Boot winner will be…Danny Koevermans (Toronto) – I’ve been saying how much I like Toronto and a big part of it comes down to how well Koevermans looked late last season. He has the size and skill to deal with MLS defenses and I think he has the chance to bag at least 18 goals.
9. Mauro Rosales will lead the league in assists – I’d say he’ll get 15 assists this season.
10. US will finish with a bronze medal in the Olympics – Qualifying will be one thing but I do see the US doing well in London.

Playoff Predictions:

Eastern conference order of finish: Sporting Kansas City, Houston Dynamo, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, Montreal Impact

Western conference order of finish: LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders, FC Dallas, Portland Timbers, Colorado Rapids, San Jose Earthquakes, Vancouver Whitecaps, Chivas USA

Darkhorse clubs: Portland and Chicago

I like both sides to be fairly sneaky this season but Chicago will just barely miss out in a surprisingly crowded East.

Supporter’s Shield Winner: Sporting KC

Notes: With the unbalanced schedule, KC has a chance to get a ton of points on a much weaker conference while clubs like LA, Seattle and RSL will be fighting it out behind them. The unbalanced schedule really opens up nicely for KC to win the Shield this year as they have the talent to do it and the lack of non-MLS games to deal with (only the USOC is on the slate so far outside of MLS).

MLS Cup Winner: LA Galaxy

Notes: They may have to go on the road to win the Cup this year but I think they’ll repeat. Just too much talent not to.

There is plenty to be excited about tonight’s home debut for the Timbers. Below are some videos that may help get you hyped up for it.

Here Comes Joey

JELD-WEN Field Time Lapse

Maybe I’m wrong and the new logo which will debut on June 12 will surprise me.

I guess in a way they figure to start a new era in MLS they need to have a new(ish) look and feel to them. I just hope they don’t mess with this current look too much.

Maybe it will end up looking like this logo that was talked about a while back:

The Portland Timbers still have a year before they enter Major League Soccer but they are already making sure their roster will be MLS-ready. Today they signed veteran keeper Adin Brown. MLS fans will remember Brown from his time in New England back in 2002-04, he lead the Revs to a MLS Cup final in 2002.

I love this move for a couple reasons, not only do the Timbers get a quality veteran keeper this year but they also completely skip over the crazy MLS allocation process to get Brown. You see, Brown would normally go through the MLS allocation system to be placed with a club. Now Portland will have one of the first cracks at a player next year (along with Vancouver) meaning they still have a shot at a quality player. This is in a way almost a two-for-one deal.

Now Brown isn’t fully healthy yet but reports suggest he will be good to go by the middle of June. Even more important he should be 100% for the first MLS season in Portland.

Very smart of Portland to get this deal done if you ask me. It makes them better now for their USSF Division II season and for next year.

Merritt Paulson signs the official expansion letter with MLS. (photo via Portland Timbers)

The final hurdle to bring Major League Soccer to Portland was cleared on today when the Portland City Council voted 4-1 to approve $31 million in funding to renovate PGE Park. The vote means the Portland Timbers expansion team can begin play in 2011 as planned.

As we all know Portland and Vancouver will join the league next year to put MLS at 18 clubs. Portland had a long history of issues with getting the proper money to renovate PGE Park but with that all now out of the way the club can focus on getting everything in line for next season.

Great news for the Rose City.

PGE Park renovation renderings. (Portland Timbers)

Details of PGE Park’s $31million renovation for the Portland Timbers’ move to Major League Soccer in 2011 was released Monday to The Oregonian. Renderings show exactly how they plan on making PGE a soccer facility for good.

The biggest transformation will be the stadium’s east side. A public plaza at the corner of 18th Avenue and Morrison Street will form the main entrance, extend toward the field and include a team store open even on non-gamedays.

A sit-down restaurant will serve 1,444 midfield seats, a community meeting room will be built next to the restaurant and three group and family decks will be built for events and extra seating. A cover will jut over most of the roughly 4,000 east-section seats, echoing the existing wooden overhangs in the 83–year-old stadium.  Additional restrooms and concession stands will serve the new seating areas.

Work is expected to be done started in January in time for the 2011 season.

Timbers owner Merritt Paulson said the capacity will be expanded from it’s current 16,000 to somewhere between 20,000 and 24,000, including a north auxiliary area that will be closed for most games.

PGE Park Renovation renderings. (Portland Timbers)

The only real bad news is the field, it probably won’t be grass like most MLS fans would want.

The renovation details come with a concession: Though hard-core soccer fans wanted the Timbers’ re-vamped home to include grass, the playing surface almost certainly will be artificial turf, Paulson said.

The stadium’s reality is rainy springs and falls, and the need to accommodate the Portland State football team, high school games and other events. Crisscrossing field lines for football and soccer when those seasons overlap would be far more difficult to manage on grass, Paulson said.

“We’re going to have days where we play soccer right after football games, and on a rainy day, the field would be utterly destroyed,” he said.

I guess we can let the complaining on PGE Park begin out of fans and players. I know FieldTurf is an eyesore to most but it isn’t the absolute worst thing in the world and it’s come a long way from its AstroTurf days.

I think overall it’s exciting news to hear and see details of their plans for this stadium (finally). Hopefully the work gets done on time and things work out for Paulson and company.

PGE Park renovation renderings. (Portland Timbers)

Makes me want to fast forward a bit to 2011 to see this rivalry in Major League Soccer.

No word on if the scarves will just say Portland 2011 or if Timbers will be included on it.

What: Rally and Press Conference Announcement

When: 9:30 a.m., Friday March 20

Where: Portland Hilton
921 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland Oregon

And the Timbers Army and supporters who rallied a couple weeks ago are asked to show up once again and be even louder than before.

What do you make of this news? I know I am excited to see Portland get in. Funny how the league decided to just do it all at once while they were out in Vancouver.