Here are the Green Army’s official power rankings.  Right now I’m basing the rankings on how the teams finished last season and what they have done in the offseason.  After few weeks of play the real contenders will start to show themselves.  I’ll try to update this every frequently.  Also, at the bottom I have my predictions (random guesses)  for this weekend’s first round of games.

1. Columbus Crew

The reigning MLS champions are returning almost all their key players.  They are poised to repeat this year, but we have to see if the aging Schelotto can put together another MVP year.

2. Chicago Fire

Arguably the best team in 2008.  The team is a nice mix of youth and experience.  This should be a breakout year for players like Pappa and Nyarko.

3. Real Salt Lake

Should be the  class of the West this year.  They were literally inches away from playing in the MLS Cup last year.  The team returns all of its key players.

4. NY Red Bull

Runners up in last years MLS Cup.  Even though they made it to the MLS Cup, Coach Osorio sill felt his team needed improvement.  The Red Bulls spent the offseason overhauling their team, bringing in players like Celades, Pacheco, Oduro, and Hall.  With the return of Angel and Rojas they boast a speedy and dangerous team.

5. Houston Dynamo

No Jaqua, no De Rosario, and now no Eddie Robinson.  Houston lost two of its best offensive weapons in the offseason in DeRo and Jaqua.  Robinson has recently sustained an injury that should sideline him for a significant amount of time.  Houston’s success has always come from its team play and not its individual talent.  I think they will still be a top team in the West.

6. Toronto FC

Toronto look like real playoff contenders this year.  The acquisition of De Rosario and Pablo Vitti give Toronto one of the most potent attacks in the league.  Not to mention they owned the Superdraft by picking the top midfielder, Cronin, top keeper, Frei, and top striker, O’Brien White.  Toronto has also secured the services of Adrian Serioux from FC Dallas to help shore up the back line.  All that remains is to see if Toronto can put it all together.

7. New England

Slowly but surely, New England’s top talent has been slipping away. The loss of Parkhurst to Europe might be too much for the club to overcome this season.  They definitely have enough quality to make the playoffs this year, but another MLS Cup appearance is at least a few years away.

8. KC Wizards

The Wizards have done a lot of work starting at the end of last season.  They have a acquired an admirable crop of offensive talent in Josh Wolff, Abe Thompson, Herculez Gomez, Adam Cristman, and Santiago Hirsig.  The return of Claudio Lopez at a reduced contract should help their offense.  With Conrad is still around to the lead the backline, the Wizards look like a top of the table team.

9. Chivas USA

The return of Sacha Kljestan is a huge boost for the club.  There is a very real possibility that he might be off to Europe in the summer but the return of Bornstein and Galindo might help soften that blow.  Chivas will be hurting without Claudio Suarez holding down the backline, and Preki’s big challenge is going to be keeping clean sheets this year.  Another challenge the club will face is the absence of Burling, Vaughn, and Razov for at least another month with injuries.  Not to mention Victorine who isn’t scheduled to return until the end of May-early June.

10. Seattle Sounders

The Sounders have done everything an expansion side can do to prepare for their first season.  They got one of the best coaches in the league in Sigi Schmid, 2008 MLS Coach of the Year, they secured top foreign talent, (Freddie Ljunberg and Fredy Montero), hometown hereos (Kasey Keller and Sebastian LeToux), young players (Nathan Sturgis, Steve Zakuani, and Sanna Nyassi), and finally, proven performers in the league (Jaqua, Riley, Marshall, and Evans).  The team has a fantastic front office and an enviable fan base.  This should be an incredible year for the team even if they don’t make the playoffs.  It takes more than just good players to be successful in this league.  If Seattle can get some good chemistry by the summer time, they should be a playoff contender.

11. Colorado Rapids

Being a Rapids fan just doesn’t seem worth it anymore . . . that is what I believed until they fired Clavijo. I’m back on the bandwagon now and pretty optimistic about this years group.  No they haven’t made a ton of trades or acquisitions and normally that would be worrisome.  I’m putting some faith in Coach Smith. Colorado’s backline looks very promising with Gibbs, Guerrero, and Ihemelu. The midfield returns a solid group Mastroeni, Ballouchi, Clark, and Cooke.  Up top Conor Casey will lead the charge for the Rapids.  The Rapids also managed to acquire the services of goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Ty Harden, and forward Ross Schunk.  The team is good enough to make the playoffs, but first they have to work on being consistent.

12. FC Dallas

I predict that Coach Hyndman will be replaced by mid season. Dave Van Den Bergh and David Ferraira should help offensive production in the midfield, and the return of Kenny Cooper is key to their success this year.   Dallas’s defense is still a question mark.  They have a nice stable of central defenders but not real outside backs.  Hyndman is a great college coach but he doesn’t have the depth to coach the professional game.  There have been a few comments emerging that the training lacks professionalism and serious concerns over the physical preperation of the players.

13. DC United

It is strange to see DC United ranked so low but they haven’t done much to turn their fortunes around.  The return of Ben Olsen and Christian Gomez should boost their offense.  Luciano Emilio regained his form at the end of last season and hopefully he can continue to produce.  Their defense is practically non existent and they will struggle to stop goals all year.

14. LA Galaxy

Bruce Arena will turn things around, but it will take time.  The Galaxy look to start the season off on the wrong foot.  Their list of injuries is extensive and includes starting players Eddie Lewis, Todd Dunivant, Edson Buddle, and Ricketts. The return of Landon Donovan helps bolster their playoff chances.  We’ll see what Beckham can do when he gets back but I’m not putting much stock in him turning anything around.

15. San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose looked good at the end of last season but they didn’t do enough this offseason to improve.  The addition of Cam Weaver and Bobby Convey really helps them fill some gaps but they aren’t looking like a playoff contender.  Their defense is solid enough especially with Joe Cannon in goal.  Up top they are really hoping Cam Weaver is the missing piece of the puzzle.

FIRST ROUND OF GAMES:

Thursday, March 19

9pm (et), ESPN 2,  NYRB at Seattle: 3-1 NY

Saturday, March 21

8pm (et), FSC, Columbus at Houston: 2-1 Columbus

Chicago at Dallas: 3-0 Chicago

Toronto at KC: 2-2

10:30pm (et), FSC, Colorado at Chivas USA: 1-0 Rapid

New England at San Jose: 0-0 San Jose

Sunday, March 22

3pm (et), Telefutura, DC United at Los Angeles: 1-0 LA

The Red Bulls are a tall order for an expansion side.  Houston could pull off a tie at home against the champs, but I think Columbus will edge them for a victory. Chicago is going to be too much for Dallas that isn’t particulary good at home.  Toronto and KC both have great offensive weapons that should cancel each other out.  Colorado should take advantage of a Chivas side that is starting off the season with a lot of injuries.  New England will struggle early this season. LA v. DC used to be a clash of the titans in MLS now it is more like a joke.  I think LA will beat DC at the Home Depot Center.  DC is usually a slow starter and this year looks like no exception.

What do you think of the rankings going into the season?  How do you think the games will turn out this season?

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