<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="Defend the fort by Lorianne DiSabato, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenmama/4009761467/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/4009761467_f88b1b4ac3.jpg" alt="Defend the fort" width="500" height="376"></figure></div></a>Photo by Lorianne DiSabato</div>
 
Team: New England Revolution 
Coach: Steve Nicol 
Last Year’s Finish: 9-5-16, 32 points. &nbsp;Eastern Conference: 6th
The big news this offseason was the recent arrest and suspension of Shalrie Joseph and Kevin Alston. &nbsp;While the situation is still under investigation, both players just returned to the team but face possible disciplinary action from the league. &nbsp;This unfortunate situation has taken attention off a team that has made some solid offseason moves and looks to vastly improve after a terrible season last year. &nbsp;The big keys for this team are resolving the situations of Joseph and Alston as well as finding that elusive striker the team needs so desperately.
The steady presence on this team is head coach Steve Nicol, who returns for his ninth season and is the longest tenured coach in MLS. &nbsp;Nicol’s team has gone through a rough patch; after making six conference finals and MLS Cups his fix six years they have gone three years without advancing to the final four, missing out on the playoffs last year for the first time since 2001, before he became the permanent head coach. &nbsp;To return to the playoffs and start a new streak, the team must find someone (or someones) to score goals consistently for the team.

Key Roster Additions: The Revs made two very recent acquisitions, picking up French international Ousmane Dabo and Argentine defender Franco Coria. &nbsp;Dabo, who previously played for Manchester City and Lazio, will provide some defensive help in the midfield and could be penciled in as a starter immediately. &nbsp;Another defensive signing is former PSG and Newcastle defender Didier Domi, who will likely be a starter at left back and make the New England back line even more “seasoned”. &nbsp;To offset some of their older signings, the team was active in the college draft, taking A.J. Soares with the sixth pick. &nbsp;Soares, another defender but one with a knack for scoring, played at Cal and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy.
Key Roster Subtractions: The biggest subtraction last year was the retirement of American legend (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/TaylorTwellman" target="_blank">and prolific Tweeter</a>) Taylor Twellman, a forward who suffered from terrible concussion issues. &nbsp;Obviously the club has not found a way to replace his scoring up front. &nbsp;In recognition of the defensive shortcomings last season, the club also let go two of their starting defenders: Cory Gibbs to the re-entry draft and Emmanuel Osei.
Projected Starters: Even with all their turnover, Matt Reis will be the starter in goal. &nbsp;The 35 year old was decent last year and will look to provide some stability in defense. &nbsp;On the backline, I can see newcomers Domi and Corba eventually becoming starters once they work their way into the system. &nbsp;Darius Barnes will probably be the only returning starter at center back and may be pushed by A.J. Soares, who also could get a look in midfield. &nbsp;Once MLS is done with him, Kevin Alston looks to be a starter at left back. &nbsp;Re-entry draft pickup Ryan Cochrane is also a starting option here.
Assuming Nicol goes with a four-man midfield, we could see newcomer Dabo hold down the middle with Joseph once he returns or, if he feels like experimenting, Nicol could move Soares to midfield where he could score an occasional goal. &nbsp;On the wings Nicol could start Sainey Nyassi (who started 27 games last season) and Kenny Mansally (who scored four goals last season, good for third on the team).
The problem last year that looks to be a problem again is at forward. &nbsp;To be honest, the talent up front is lacking, so look for the Revs to try and make an international signing in the near future. &nbsp;Right now your starters are Marko Perovic and Ilija Stolica, who combined for nine goals last season. &nbsp;Also in the mix is Zach Schilawski.
 
Player to Watch: The player to watch is a player who might not even see the pitch this season. &nbsp;Diego Fagundez is the teen prodigy who is coming through the team’s academy and is tearing up nets left and right. &nbsp;He scored 28 goals in the past year and a half with the youth team, but at only 15 years old he is too young to regularly contribute to the senior club. &nbsp;However, if the Revs don’t find that high-scoring international player and struggle to score goals, look for the young man to get a few minutes for the senior team this summer and fall.
Predictions: The depths to which this&nbsp;proud&nbsp;franchise have fallen can be summed up in this sentence: of the players in the Revolution’s camp, only two (Joseph and Reis) have played in an MLS Cup with the Revolution. &nbsp;For a club with a great recent history of Cup runs, that’s astounding. &nbsp;It also speaks to how bad the team was last season, though injuries did play a part in that. &nbsp;This team has significantly upgraded its defense and I think it will not be letting in another 50 goals this season. &nbsp;But can it score more than 2010’s 32 goals? &nbsp;That’s the big question.
One thing is for certain: I expect New England to get off to a slow start. &nbsp;With so many late signings and new players getting integrated into the system, as well as Joseph’s possible suspension or&nbsp;disciplinary&nbsp;action, this team will probably have a rough start to the season. &nbsp;However, if they can find that goal scorer or have their current forwards improve, then this team could be a dark horse for the third Eastern Conference playoff spot. &nbsp;However, call me a skeptic.
Prediction: 6th place, Eastern Conference

MLS '11 Preview &#8211; Can New England Reclaim the Glory?

MLS '11 Preview - Can New England Reclaim the Glory? - World Soccer Talk

MLS '11 Preview – Can New England Reclaim the Glory?

<div style="width: 398px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="MLS: Chicago Fire vs NE Revolution (Oct 7th) by SGFsoccer.com, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgfsoccer/1921444655/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2053/1921444655_7a0057d0b6.jpg" alt="MLS: Chicago Fire vs NE Revolution (Oct 7th)" width="388" height="500"></figure></div></a>Photo by SGFsoccer</div>
Team: Chicago Fire 
Coach: Carlos de la Cobos 
Last Year’s Finish: 4th Eastern Conference, 10th Overall, 9-9-12
Last year’s Chicago Fire were going through a transition regardless of the tumultuous offseason they’ve had. &nbsp;With the retirement of U.S. legend Brian McBride and MLS veteran C.J. Brown, the team would have had to adjust without its legends. &nbsp;But management, seeing a mid-table finish in a weak Eastern Conference, decided a rebuild was in order and jettisoned some of its bigger (read: more expensive) names. &nbsp;To replaces the likes of Freddie Ljungberg and Collins Johns, the team has turned to some international signings and a youth movement. &nbsp;In an Eastern Conference that is again weak this year, even a rebuilt Chicago team could be a playoff contender again.
Key Roster Additions: To fill the role of veteran leader, the Fire picked up Cory Gibbs in the re-entry draft. &nbsp;The defender not only will likely start on the backline but can help young keeper Sean Johnson reduce the 38 goals allowed last season. &nbsp;To score some goals, Chicago turned to Uruguay and signed two forwards: Gaston Puerari and Diego Chaves. &nbsp;The two were teammates at Motevideo Wanderers in 2009, so their familiarity should help coordinate the Fire’s attack. &nbsp;Both have scored consistently in their domestic leagues and it behooves Chicago that they do so in the U.S. &nbsp;An under-the-radar trade brings Jon Conway over from Toronto as a stable and veteran backup keeper to young Sean Johnson.
Key Roster Subtractions: Brian McBride’s leadership and veteran presence will be hard to replace, no doubt. &nbsp;He finished last season with six goals and four assists. &nbsp;In the case of addition by subtraction, Freddie Ljungberg made the highly-publicized move to Celtic this offseason after his contract expired. &nbsp;His impact was not quite as expected so hopefully Chicago can put the money to better use. &nbsp;Same for Collins John – another pedigreed international who just didn’t adjust to MLS.

Projected Starters: A guaranteed starter is Sean Johnson, who caught Bob Bradley’s attention and was invited to “Camp Cupcake” last month. &nbsp;He looks to be another in the long-line of overseas-quality American keepers. &nbsp;The backline will be renovated with C.J. Brown’s retirement. &nbsp;Gibbs is almost definitely a starter, and could be joined by two newcomers: Josip Mikulic signed from Zagreb and Jalil Anibaba, their #9 pick in the SuperDraft from the University of North Carolina. &nbsp;Returner Gonzalo Segares could be the other starter on the outside.
Carlos de la Cobos plays both a 4-4-2 and 4-5-1, but with so many new forwards he may play more 4-5-1 at first. &nbsp;Last season’s leading goal scorer Marco Pappa (8) is likely to start on the right and Patrick Nyarko on the right. &nbsp;The cooly nicknamed Baggio Husidic will start in the middle possibly flanked by last year’s starter Logan Pause, who has six caps for the U.S. in his career. &nbsp;Depending on the formation, either Puerari and Chaves will start or the head coach will a midfielder while putting one of the Uruguayans up front. 
 
Player to Watch: Guatemalan&nbsp;international Marco Pappa has three seasons with Chicago and is a key to the team. &nbsp;Not only was he the team’s leading scorer last year, but he is in his fourth year with the club and is one of the more recognizable players. &nbsp;With so many new players to the team in key positions, Pappa is a player who can carry the load while the others catch up to MLS.
Predictions: Chicago saw their future last season, and it was middling. &nbsp;A team with big-name talent that couldn’t finish above the middle of the pack in a weak conference was not a long-term strategy, so management took advantage of McBride and Brown’s retirements to let Ljungberg and Johns walk. &nbsp;These are definite improvements, but their replacements are unknown. &nbsp;Will Puerari and Chaves be able to score more goals than the departed talent? &nbsp;Can youngsters Johnson and Anibaba help reduce the number of goals allowed? &nbsp;Can Gibbs provide McBride-esque leadership? &nbsp;This is a team in transition that looks to have maybe less talent overall than last season, but might have more productive talent. &nbsp;Productive enough to sneak into a playoff spot.
Best Case Scenario: The Uruguayans take to Major League Soccer and provide the goal scoring needed, which is supplemented by a strong and veteran midfield. &nbsp;Gibbs stabilizes a young backline and they are defensively adequate. &nbsp;Chicago grabs a playoff spot and makes a surprising run during the playoffs (whatever the structure looks like).
Worst Case Scenario: Same as last year- the international signings fail to come through and the team looks stuck in neutral. &nbsp;The proud franchise misses another playoffs. &nbsp;The team has to reassess its strategy the next offseason.

MLS '11 Preview: Can International Signings Spark a Fire Under Chicago?

MLS '11 Preview: Can International Signings Spark a Fire Under Chicago? - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/soccer-news.jpg" alt="soccer-news.jpg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>While you’re enjoying EPL Talk, don’t forget to check out the sister sites in our network for a taste of German, Italian, Spanish, European and American soccer.
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/" target="_blank">Bundesliga Talk</a> has the statistics comparing Schalke to Atletico Madrid for the most enticing Champions League third round qualifying match. Another new article written by Bundeliga Talk correspondent Mark Moll is a piece on the new manager at Hamburger SV, Martin Jol, who lost 2-1 yesterday against Real Madrid in the 2008 Emirates Cup in London.
Prolific writer Lonnie Smetana at Champions League Talk has been busy previewing the most exciting matches in the Champions League third qualifying round stage, the latest transfer market activity in Europe and a roundup of the results from the third round of the Intertoto Cup.
If you’re a fan of Major League Soccer, Kartik Krishnaiyer writes on a near daily basis at <a href="http://majorleaguesoccertalk.com/" target="_blank">Major League Soccer Talk</a> about topics such as Cory Gibbs who may be heading to LA Galaxy, the list of MLS players playing in the Olympics, how the Mexican players are notorious sore losers when they get defeated by US club sides and/or the national team, and a very interesting article entitled, Does SuperLiga Have A Future?
Over at Serie A Talk, Kevin Walker has an interesting article about the Italian connection at Bordeaux, as well as rumors about Tiago leaving Juventus.
Yours truly has written an article about the Spanish influence at Swansea City under the website Championship Talk. Shakira Graham meanwhile writes about one of the best supported clubs in England, Derby County.
If you’re a fan of the world’s game, be sure to check out the sister sites on a regular basis.

Expert Football Coverage From Around The Leagues

Expert Football Coverage From Around The Leagues - World Soccer Talk

<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/la-galaxy-team.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2013/07/la-galaxy-team-600x402.webp" alt="la-galaxy-team" width="600" height="402" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80116" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>
Cory Gibbs/BBC Sport
Despite the presence of the two of the most gifted players ever in Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Galaxy appear to be sinking without a trace. A leaky defense and poor linkup play have made the Galaxy at this point a side that is struggling to remain competitive in the Western Conference of MLS. With the sides in competition with the Galaxy making moves to improve no doubt Alexi Lalas, Paul Bravo, Ruud Gullit will be hard pressed to match what other sides have accomplished already in this transfer window.
Yesterday, Steve Goff of the Washington Post wrote that he has learned that Cory Gibbs is interested in returning to MLS and that Los Angeles possibly now sits first in the allocation line. Recall Gibbs made the 2006 World Cup squad for the US before a devastating injury in a pre World Cup friendly took him out of first team football for two years. Gibbs, a defender who has been on squads in Germany and England as well as one year stint with Dallas in MLS is an experienced back worth taking a chance on. Gibbs is left footed and could provide cover on the outside for the weak Ante Jazic or even for the inconsistent Mike Randolph. Or Gibbs could be paired inside with Sean Franklin giving the Galaxy more athleticism on the back line. As far as I am concerned the Galaxy have to take the risk on Gibbs, a player whose injury history and probable high salary demands could scare other clubs away. Right now Los Angeles is more than likely to miss the MLS playoffs for the third consecutive season after making the playoffs in each of the league’s first ten years. For a club that continues to boast about mattering more than anyone in MLS, and aspiring to be a worldwide brand, a record like that is beyond laughable: it borders on criminal.
In other words, if the Galaxy are to be taken seriously for all their boasts this is the type of risk the organization must make.

Help Coming for the Galaxy?

Help Coming for the Galaxy? - World Soccer Talk

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