Robert Hay

Team: D.C. United Coach: Ben Olsen Last Season: 9-13-12, 7th Eastern Conference, 13th Overall Hashtag: #DCU There is a sense of anticipation around the DC United fan base this season, a sense of anticipation that fans have not had for a few years. After missing the playoffs four straight years, the team invested in some new talent to […]

Name: Seattle Sounders Coach: Sigi Schmid Last Year: 18-7-9, 2nd Western Conference, 2nd Overall Hashtag: #Sounders Are Sounders fans too demanding? In its current iteration, the club is entering its fourth MLS season and has made three consecutive conference semifinals. They own the U.S. Open Cup. They have set attendance records that will be hard to […]

Team: San Jose Earthquakes Coach: Frank Yallop Last Season: 8-12-14, 7th Western Conference, 14th Overall Hashtag: #SJEarthquakes Although it is an overused phrase, this year is a critical year for the San Jose 'Quakes. The team is at a crossroads and this season will show if the newer franchise with the classic name can create a permanent and financially […]

Ah the never ending fun of MLS expansion talk. Because no league can have an odd number of teams, speculation over who will be the 20th MLS team is always a source of debate and discussion for U.S. soccer fans. Everyone assumes that the New York Cosmos will be the newest MLS franchise and, if […]

Name: Houston Dynamo Head Coach: Dominic Kinnear 2011 Record: 12-9-13, 2nd Eastern Conference, 7th overall Twitter Hashtag: #HoustonDynamo The Dynamo are the defending Eastern Conference champions, but all the talk this offseason has been about other teams. That's not to say the winter has been cruel to the team; in fact they will be opening a […]

Team: Colorado Rapids Coach: Oscar Pareja Last Season: 12-9-13, 5th West, 6th Overall Twitter Hashtag: #Rapids From MLS champions to gutted in the past season, the Colorado Rapids enter the season wondering "what if". A new front office and new coach will try to repeat the incredible playoff run of two years ago with an older and more injury-prone […]

Team: Chicago Fire Coach: Frank Klopas Last Season: 9-9-16, 6th East, 11th Overall Twitter Hashtag: #CF97 In our 2011 preview of the Chicago Fire, I predicted the Fire would either make a surprise long run in the playoffs or miss the playoffs, be stuck in neutral, and just be lost in the near future. Neither of […]

Did you feel that? That little shiver down your spine as you clicked on this story to read it. Was it too much caffeine this morning? Or was it the sense that the beginning of spring and the MLS season are just around the corner. That's right, we are less than a month away from […]

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it's time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself. The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man. The best are the ones who can bring a […]

On the eve of the much-anticipated American Civil War between Everton and Fulham, American soccer fans are relishing the chance to see three of their best players take the pitch at the same time at the highest level of competition. Other American sports' fans do not understand the importance of this match: Kobe plays LeBron […]

The most intriguing pick-up in the 2012 MLS Superdraft was the one not made in Kansas City. The Portland Timbers traded forward Kenny Cooper to the New York Red Bulls for the team's 2013 first round Superdraft pick and conditional allocation money. The move, announced prior to the draft, clears up some intriguing personnel conundrums […]

The U.S. Soccer Federation yesterday announced an expanded Open Cup format and schedule, one that will incorporate all MLS and lower division teams in a newly and hopefully more condensed way. In essence, the changes allow the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to mirror the English FA Cup, where lower division and semi-pro teams have […]

Today we wrap up our "Three Questions" series with the defending MLS champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy. By any definition, they were the best team in MLS last season: they convincingly led the Supporters Shield's race most of the season, looked like the best team in the playoffs, and won the MLS Cup. They did […]

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" said a famous philosopher centuries ago, but he may as well have been writing for MLS Talk about the 2011 Eastern Conference champions. The Houston Dynamo took advantage of a weak conference and a hot streak to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS […]

We are nearing the end of our Three Questions series, and I hope you have found it insightful and useful during the offseason. We'll end the series tomorrow and Tuesday with the MLS Cup participants, prior to the 2012 Superdraft. Today in addition to Sporting Kansas City we'll turn our attention to Real Salt Lake, […]