Sam Cronin could be moving to the West Coast.

Major League Soccer may be off on break but it appears most of the clubs are actively working on some summer deals. This one appears to be in the works between Toronto and San Jose as the Reds are about to send midfielder Sam Cronin to the Quakes.

No details about what Toronto would get in return for second overall pick in 2009. My guess would be some sort of allocation to make room for some moves the Reds will be making this summer. That makes sense to me.

Cronin going to San Jose would only help the Quakes out in the midfield. No doubt their last couple games before the World Cup break was a disaster compared to their four-game run just prior to it where they didn’t allow a single goal in. Adding someone like Cronin will sure up the defensive part of the midfield for them and allow guys like Bobby Convey to run a little more freely in the midfield.

Depending on what Toronto gets in return this could be a great deal for both sides.

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

Toronto FC has talent, but little depth. (Getty Images)

Its the very last team in our 2010 Look-in series. First off sorry TFC fans for not posting this sooner. I had ever intention of doing this last week but set backs got in the way.

Lots of changes have taken place in Toronto this winter. From the turf being removed for natural grass at BMO Field, to a new manager in Preki taking cover and re-doing the roster his way. Lots of changes have taken place but have any really done a good enough job of getting this club ready for 2010?

Will this be the year that Toronto finally gets to the playoffs? Is Preki the right guy to lead the way? Let’s take a look now to see where this team is at right now and what places they need to improve on before the new season gets underway.

Keepers:

Who they have: Stefan Frei, Brian Edwards

Notes: Honestly they are set for years here between these two. Frei is an All-Star keeper in the making and Edwards may be one of the better backups in the league. I’m sure they’re working on getting a third keeper on the books as well. Still they’re covered here.

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Defense

Who they have: Nana Attakora, Nick Garcia, Jim Brennan, Marvell Wynne, Ty Harden, Gabe Gala, Emmanuel Gómez, Zach Harold.

Notes: What they did this winter in this area was added a young prospect in Harold and traded for Harden. Two moves that aren’t bad but aren’t exactly going to help them out in the area that I’d argue they are pretty weak in still. But things could improve since the field is no longer turf, which has to help out the older guys like Garcia and Brennan.

I would have liked to have seen them go more for depth in this area this winter. Adding a quality center back would have been a real upgrade here and would help increase their playoff chances. They do have good speed on the outside with Wynne.

I’d like to think they improved here over the winter but I’m just not buying it yet.

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Midfield

Who they have: Dwayne de Rosario, Julian de Guzman, Sam Cronin, Nane Joseph, Amadou Sanyang, Jacob Peterson.

Notes: Losing Carl Robinson wasn’t a terrible thing in my eyes. Cronin will slide in nicely in his old spot and for the most part they shouldn’t miss too much of a beat with De Rosario and de Guzman leading the way in the center of the park. I would have liked to have seen them go for more depth on the wings but the trade for Peterson should help that area out a decent bit if he is full fit to go this year.

They lost a lot of fire power in this area with Robinson and Amado Guevara both exiting this winter. But if I were a Reds fan I would see it as addition by subtraction. Sure Robinson was a big leader and a fan favorite but if he wasn’t happy there he wasn’t going to help this club in the long haul.

They’ll need more depth on the wings and possibly in the attacking portion of the midfield  here to get through the long season and the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

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Forwards

Who they have: Chad Barrett, Ali Gerba, O’Brian White, Fuad Ibrahim.

Notes: One thing is for certain either Barrett or Gerba have to step up in a big way this year. Also the club has to hope that both Ibrahim and White grow as players. No doubt there is the most pressure on this group of players as compared to the rest of the club. If the team doesn’t score they won’t win, it is as simple as that.

Most would have liked Mo Johnston to get a primary striker for this season this winter but that didn’t happen. Most likely that will come this summer, if at all. I’d like to think they can win with these four (and the help of De Rosario and de Guzman in the midfield) but realistically they didn’t improve in this area at all this winter.

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Overall:

No doubt there is loads of pressure in Toronto this year. Offensively they have to produce like never before and defensively they have to be able to prove to teams that they won’t give up 5 goals in a must-win game. Preki is a good coach though that will change the culture of that club inside and out. The team will be tougher, which may have been lacking in the first place.

I do however have trouble seeing if this club improved this winter though. They have so many questions to be answered as well. I think depth wise they are very weak but I do like the talent they have starting out on the field.

It just looks like another long, yet interesting year in Toronto.

Stefan Frei has proven to be one of the better picks in the 2009 draft. (Getty Images)

We are nearly halfway through the 2009 campaign and it is a good time to review how the rookies are doing thus far. As stated before I think this year’s rookie class has been one of the better ones that we have seen in recent years. Plenty of rookies are getting a chance on the field and some are making very good impacts with their clubs.

For me right now the rookie of the year race is really starting to heat up. A few guys have really shown they are worthy of the honor already and continue to do so each week. While I won’t go into any particular order with this list I will say the few that are mentioned are definitely above and beyond the rest of the class here.

Steve Zakuani (Seattle Sounders FC): The number one pick continues to impress me. I knew a while back that this kid had some special talent and I believe we are seeing just that here this season. Currently he has two goals and three assists on the year. His number may not jump out to some but his skill on the field definitely do to me. Right now he has to be considered a front-runner for ROY honros. Good to see a number one pick live up to the expectations of the pick.

Stefan Frei (Toronto FC): I think Frei has made a lot of clubs second guess themselves this year to why they didn’t pick him until Toronto did late in the first round. He’s already proven himself to be a quality starter in the league. Hell he’s even gotten Toronto’s old keeper out of a job because of his play. While he has let in a few more goals than other keepers out there a lot of that could be due to the defense that plays in front of him, though I think that could be changing soon.

Rodney Wallace (DC United): When DC selected Wallace at the draft I had a good feeling for them with that selection. Wallace has shown a lot of growth in his first season with the club and continues to be a headache for other clubs with his runs out of the back. Also his defending hasn’t been too shabby either.

Chris Pontius (DC United): A lot of United fans hated this pick back in January. And I mean a lot! Fast forward to today and United is in first place in the east and some of that is due to the play of Pontius who is third in scoring for DC. Just like fellow rookie Wallace, he has seen action in every game this season for DC. Not a lot of rookies can say that. I see nothing but good things for this kid’s MLS future.

Darrius Barnes (New England Revolution): One thing I am sure of is that Steve Nicol sure knows how to pick them. A late selection in the draft was Barnes but none more valuable to New England this season who have been through a lot of injuries in defense. Barnes has been one of the better defenders in the league this year and I think he could easily grow into one of the top defenders in the league in a couple years.

A few others to watch out for:

Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy): Has shown plenty of potential in the back for LA. Still gives up a few chances for other clubs but that may be partly due to the fact that he is surrounded by a fairly young defense with a couple older veterans.

Sam Cronin (Toronto FC): Nearly put him in the top group but he is just outside of it for me right now. He’s played a lot of minutes for this club already this year and I think his value will continue to show as the season moves forward.

Matt Besler (Kansas City Wizards): Another guy that has seen a lot of minutes this season for his club. Besler has shown some good promise for a young club.

Kevin Alston (New England Revolution): When healthy he is as good as though in the top group. He hit a bit of an injury bug like the rest of his club earlier this season but he has returned to help get New England out of their early funk. I do believe he is a name that you could see eventually move to Europe in a few years.

Michael Lahoud (Chivas USA): Here’s a guy that is starting to see a lot more minutes here as the season goes on. So far I think he’s shown a lot of good potential for Chivas. I think given time he will prove to be one of the better picks in this draft.

Rodney Wallace has proved to be one of the best picks in the 2009 Draft. (Getty Images)

A lot has been said about this year’s draft class. Going into the draft a lot of people thought it was a deep pool of players, more so than it had been in a few years. After eight or nine games for most clubs you could say those people figured right. Many rookies continue to get plenty of minutes and impress folks in the stands with their abilities.

I figured instead of doing the usual look at the potential rookie of the year today to do something a little different. Instead I will be looking at each club’s selections once again. I’ll do most of the first round and a few random picks here and there from that with a few other notes.

Most of all the clubs who had first round selections used them wisely as we can all see. A few others did not though. Then you have the clubs that hardly picked at all. Those are tough to grade.

As always feel free to post your comments below on the subject.

Seattle Sounders FC: This club made a big splash with Steve Zakuani at number one who has lived up in my eyes as a number one pick. Definitely more of a Maurice Edu-type pick rather than a Nikolas Besagno-type number one pick. Which is a good thing for the expansion Sounders. Zakuani has done enough to make the Sounder draft class one of the better ones this past year.

Toronto FC: Two picks in the first round usually mean the club will do fairly well. While one pick (O’Brien White) hasn’t played yet due to injury, the other pick has certainly lived up to his pick number. Sam Cronin was a worthy number two pick in the draft. Either off the bench or in the starting lineup, Cronin has shown he has what it takes to help make this TFC club a contender. But TFC’s best pick was probably in the last first round pick they had with keeper Stefan Frei. He probably has made the biggest impact of the three first round selections.

LA Galaxy:What can you say about their top two selections? Omar Gonzalez and AJ DeLaGarza have become pretty comfortable in the starting rotation. Each took sometime to get use to the style of play in the league but they are a big part of the reason why this club has only lost a single game this year.

FC Dallas: Had some good selections in the first round. George John has proven to be a very good pickup for this club in the back, who really needed help defensively. Peri Marosevic will get his time. Not a bad draft but then again not the best.

DC United: Two picks in a row in the first round have led to arguable the best draft class for this club in a very long time. Both Rodney Wallace and Chris Pontius are mainstays in the starting lineup for Tom Soehn and each are making big time impacts for the Black-and-Red this season. Right now I would say they are both in the thick of things for rookie of the year. Also, third round pick Milios Kocic has been a good pickup for them in goal when needed. He was a very underrated pick at the time and proves to be maybe one of the best steals of the draft.

Kansas City Wizards: A club with loads of picks this past year. Matt Besler has been a good addition to this club’s defense and Graham Zusi saw decent minutes to start the season. Overall their draft proved to be a decent one but nothing too exciting.

New England Revolution: Another club with a lot of picks, the Revs went out in typical Steve Nicol fashion and got a few good steals. Darrius Barnes and Kevin Alston have been big additions to the club’s defense and I would say Barnes could be right up there in the discussion of rookie of the year. Come on, the kid was a third rounder!

New York Red Bulls: Jermey Hall proved to be what we all pretty much expect him to be. A good pickup. Other than that the Red Bulls really didn’t end up with anyone else that has done enough to improve this club.

Real Salt Lake: Ah, most felt it was the worst draft of any club and I have to still agree with that. Jean Alexandre has really done little of note to be a first round selection. Raphel Cox has decent potential though to make up for it however. I wouldn’t mind seeing him get more playing time for this club as it is.

San Jose Earthquakes: No first rounder and really no big impact selection. Brad Ring hasn’t played but third rounder Quincy Amarikwa is showing potential. Either way its a draft class for this club that few will remember in years to come.

Chicago Fire: With this club being deep already adding a few rookies is tough. None have even had a sniff at the starting XI, much less even time off the bench so far this season. It may be a come back in a year and see if anyone does anything of note.

Chivas USA: Another club with few selections. Michael Lahoud has seen some decent time off the bench for this club. From what I’ve seen out of him in person this kid has some real potential to make the Chivas draft class for this year a good one.

Colorado Rapids: Another so-so draft. None of the players selected have even seen playing time this season. Hard to even say it was a good draft in that regards.

Columbus Crew: Kind of the same as the Rapids. Though fewer selections, one guy has seen time with the club so far this season. I do think third rounder Alex Grendi has turned into a solid selection for the Crew. He’s seen his fair share of playing time already.

Houston Dynamo: The club that took the biggest risks in the draft are seeing any sort of reward from it. Hey we kind of expected it when they took Daniel Cruz and Marcus Tracy with their only picks that it would be a high-risk/high-reward type of thing.

Its early so far but its worth going in to see who has the best shot after the first couple weeks.

So far this won’t be in any particular order but if you have an order to who you think is leading the rookie pack this early feel free to post below. If you think a rookie needs to be on this list, just post below.

Steve Zakuani, Seattle Sounders FC – I think we are all seeing why this kid was picked first by Seattle back in January. And to think we had some questions about Seattle not picking him and trading away that top pick. Right now I think it is safe to say that the number one pick could be the leader in the clubhouse after three games. His one goal and one assist have helped lead the Sounders to their perfect record thus far.

Stefan Frei, Toronto FC – The record may not show and now that he is back on the bench will possibly hurt his chances but Frei definitely showed he was the best keeper in this rookie class. The three goals scored on him were more defensive problems than poor positioning on his part. Not many keepers would save those two goals by Davy Arnuad in week one.

Graham Zusi, Kansas City Wizards – While Zusi hasn’t done anything real special so far for KC he did carry a starting position for the first couple of games. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

Kevin Alston, New England Revolution – Alston is one of two New England rookies to watch. He didn’t play this past week against Dallas but I look for him to be a mainstay (when healthy) for New England this year on their backline. I just thought in week one he did a great job of holding guys like Darren Huckerby and Arturo Alvarez to no goals.

Darrius Barnes, New England Revolution – Barnes is the other rookie for Steve Nicol. I think Barnes has been possibly the more impressive defender rookie so far this season in the entire league. Think about it, the Revs have only given up two goals in three games with rookies in their backline. It could be part poor offense on the other clubs but I would argue its a bit good defense on the parts of guys like Barnes.

Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy – The kid from Maryland has one impressive goal but that is about it really. He looked decent in the first game against DC but was absolutely smoked by Conor Casey and Colorado last week. I still think he will be one of the top rookies this year though.

Sam Cronin, Toronto FC – He hasn’t been a main starter just yet for TFC but he is getting plenty of minutes so far this season. I think he has the chance to be a real difference maker for this club this season. We just need to see more out of him here, that’s all.

Chris Pontius, DC United – Some hated this draft pick back in January, I think it is safe to say now that those who hated it aren’t quite as angry at it now. Pontius has been a steady addition to DC this season.

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

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

As always feel free to add your own predictions below.

Players to watch in 2009:

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

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

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

Rookies to keep an eye out for in 2009:

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

The rest of the bold season predictions:

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

Toronto would move up to #1 and of all things Seattle would take some allocation and move down to #4. Yup, that would mean Toronto would own the top two picks. After all the talk about Toronto shipping the second overall pick to the best buyer this deal sounds more reasonable for Toronto.

Apparently this is all stemming from a poor MLS Combine for a couple players that Seattle had in mind for the top pick. Mainly Steve Zakuani isn’t living up to his billing at the Combine so far. Sure Combine results are tough to tell anyways from year to year but they do hold weight with clubs.

Plus the idea of getting some extra allocation for the expansion club is a smart move I think. Moving down to number four won’t be a big swing in the quality of player they could draft. Not to mention there could still be a outside shot that Steve Zakuani would fall to that spot if they were there. Toronto would be at the top two and would probably take Stefan Frei and Sam Cronin with the top picks. Some believe they will take Cronin only to deal him to someone else. Which I could see them do it with Omar Gonzalez as well.

Honestly I like this deal for both clubs if it turns out to be true. Toronto gets better in possible in areas they need help with; Mo Johnston gets to play the trade game like always; and Seattle gets some solid allocation and a good prospect for Sigi Schmid.

What do you all make of this possible pick swap between these two sides? It could be a domino effect that could change a lot of things in this draft.

Graham Zusi leads Maryland to another National Title. (Getty Images)

So let’s be honest here, the College Cup this past weekend was just okay. Nothing special and really nothing worth taking time away from the holiday season for. I watched recaps, highlights and read some reviews of the semifinals and found a way to tune in for the final yesterday between Maryland and UNC.

First off I really wish Wake Forest had made the final. All year long I had seen clips and heard reports of just how damn good that team was. Turned out their power ran into a brick wall on Friday against UNC. No knocking UNC for what they did to slow down the Demon Decans, it was just boring stuff to watch really.

The other semifinal between Maryland and St. John’s didn’t look all that much better. Sure it ended with a sweet goal in overtime but for the most part it too was a bit unwatchable on the account of the style of play that St. John’s brings to the table.

I just don’t get why some coaches, in college and even in the pros, hold off in big games. I really felt that this weekend’s Cup was that way. Some sloppy play out of all four teams really hurt this year’s Final Four from being a great one. It wasn’t terrible but it sure could have been better with some offense.

Moving forward to Sunday’s game, it was just as slow and sloppy as the two on Friday. For once the weather was the reason. Usually these games are in North Carolina or Columbus or somewhere a bit cold (yes I know sometimes it is in LA, so hush). This one was in a fairly warm Texas town called Frisco, you know the town outside of Dallas with the soccer stadium.

Hell, even Maryland’s coach, who’s team won the whole tournament had this to say about the game:

“The game didn’t have much flow. It was a championship game, both teams were exhausted [because of UNC's big effort Friday holding off Wake, Maryland going to overtime vs. St. John's, the warmer weather and gusty wind]. It was never going to be a game of beauty. We initially got frustrated because we couldn’t play more and then after the first [TV] timeout, we just accepted the fact that this was not going to be a beautiful game and just did all the little things to battle and find a way to win. We showed some poise in that regard. It’s just the way it went.”

Just the way it went indeed. I know this will continue to come across as negative and I truly don’t mean it in that sense. The games this weekend were just not the accurate barometer of what college soccer is right now.

Still I was able to get plenty out of this weekend. I got to see most of the players I wanted to in preparation for next month’s SuperDraft. Guys like Marcus Tracey, Ike Opara, Omar Gonzalez, Sam Cronin and Graham Zusi are all MLS ready in my book. I’m sure there are a few others that I saw that I am drawing blanks on (like a couple kids from UNC) but those few really stood out to me (before and during the Cup).

By the way, Zusi was a bit hot and cold but the kid really knew when it make things matter for Maryland. Think his draft stock just went up with those goals? I think it is possible.