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

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

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

From year to year we see a crop of newcomers in the league that either take the league by storm or they fail to do much of anything (like most of last year’s). The 2009 bunch so far seems to be doing quite well in compairson to the 2008 bunch.

First of all we know what Seattle’s Fredy Montero did in week one. His two-goal effort against the New York Red Bulls was pretty much what we expected out of him. And as we all know if he keeps it up he will either become the Newcomer of the Year or he will be bought by some European club by mid-summer.

Montero wasn’t the only Seattle newcomer that turned some heads. Both Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Osvaldo Alonso stood out and former USL MVP Sebastien Le Toux wasn’t too shabby either. Continue Reading…

I’m pretty excited about this move, more than I honestly expected to be. While on the surface I don’t agree with a 32-year old designated player like Freddie Ljungberg, I dig a little deep and begin to think that this could very well be a smart move by Seattle.

Ljungberg is a winner, both internationally with Sweden and with Arsenal in the EPL.

Between his first appearance for his country in 1998 (oddly enough against the US) and his international retirement following Euro 2008, Ljungberg played in two World Cups (2002, 2006) and three Euros. He had served as national team captain since 2006 and, altogether, scored 14 goals.

Ljungberg is a two-time Swedish footballer of the year (2002 and 2006). His career began at age 16, signing with local club BK Halmstad with his first senior debut at 17-year-old. After winning a first division and domestic cup title in Sweden, he was scouted by Arsenal and spotted by Arsène Wenger. His rights were purchased by Arsenal in 1998 after an impressive display for Sweden in a World Cup qualifier versus England. Continue Reading…