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. &nbsp;The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man. &nbsp;The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a&nbsp;trophy-winning side. &nbsp;Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager. &nbsp;However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship. &nbsp;A manager is especially important in MLS, with the salary cap and built-in rules designed to promote parity.
These men are masters of the realm, the best managers in MLS today. &nbsp;The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season. &nbsp;Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season. &nbsp;Agree or disagree? &nbsp;Make your opinions known in the comments section.
5. &nbsp;Piotr Nowak:&nbsp; Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself. &nbsp;The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender. &nbsp;Building the team around a stout defense and the timely scoring of his offense, Nowak has made the club in his image and, even with the departures, Philadelphia is now a team to watch every year. &nbsp;His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume. &nbsp;Although he does not have the large number of trophies some of the others on this list have, he is undoubtedly established himself as one of the best head coaches in the league.
4. &nbsp;Schellas Hyndman: &nbsp;Although at times his decisions are questionable (Brek Shea as a full back?), Hyndman is a long-time collegiate coach who finally got the right opportunity to prove his worth with FC Dallas in 2008. &nbsp;His defining win was a 3-0 defeat of Los Angeles in the 2010 Western Conference finals over a team that looked like the best in the league with a healthy David Beckham. &nbsp;Although Dallas lost the 2010 MLS Cup in overtime, the former SMU head coach has done a good job balancing his roster and replacing departed players, especially in the midfield. &nbsp;Under his watch David Ferreira blossomed into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league and with some promising youth coming up through the system this year, Hyndman may soon be able to chase down that elusive MLS Cup.
3. &nbsp;Sigi Schmid: &nbsp;For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league. &nbsp;His uncanny ability to identify talent and his in-game ability to identify mismatches has made the former UCLA Bruin the brain behind the constantly-successful Seattle Sounders. &nbsp;A team with a rich history and demanding fan base, Schmid gave the league a blueprint for how to compete in MLS from year one, a blueprint that teams as recently as Montreal are looking to emulate. &nbsp;He is the most successful U.S. Open Cup head coach in the modern era and has guided the careers of many of MLS’s greatest stars. &nbsp;His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup. &nbsp;He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.
2. &nbsp;Dominic Kinnear: &nbsp;The coach of this year’s Eastern Conference champions narrowly edges Sigi Schmid in my rankings because since 2006, Houston has been one of the league’s most successful teams. &nbsp;Besides winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, this year may have been his best coaching job, leading an arguably less talented team to the MLS Cup. &nbsp;All of this is even more impressive considering the fact that the team has worked within a tight budget and a changing ownership situation.
1. &nbsp;Bruce Arena:&nbsp; The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time. &nbsp;Even though he had three famous designated players, it was his work with the Galaxy’s defense that was most impressive about the 2011 Galaxy. &nbsp;The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees. &nbsp;Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it. &nbsp;His history is unparalleled in the U.S., but even going into the new season he is still in a class by himself and recognized by many as the best head coach out there.

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS? - World Soccer Talk

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS?

Today we wrap up our “Three Questions” series with the defending MLS champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;They did it with glitz and&nbsp;glamour&nbsp;(the three&nbsp;designated&nbsp;players) as well as grit and determination (best defense in MLS, good midfield play). &nbsp;In the end, they were possibly the most complete and dominant team in “modern” MLS history.
But the page on the calendar has turned and the team is facing a new set of challenges in 2012. &nbsp;Even with the good news of <a href="http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16367775.stm" target="_blank">David Beckham’s return</a>, there have been some dark clouds this offseason that will push the team to see if it can repeat the success of 2011. &nbsp;Let’s take a look at the three questions that will define the rest of this offseason for LA:
(Additionally, use the comments section to give some feedback on the Three Questions series. &nbsp;Was it something you enjoyed? &nbsp;Was it something you’d like to see repeated or emulated during the season?)
1. Will the midfield be as strong as it was last season?
Casual soccer fans know about “bend it like Beckham” but the Galaxy midfield in 2011 was a key to their ability to create offense seemingly out of nothing. &nbsp;Whether it was Beckham’s storied free kicks or Juninho’s timely goals, the midfield came through in the clutch when it was needed. &nbsp;That midfield will look different beginning next season. &nbsp;Although there’s still a chance he may be loaned again to LA, Juninho has been <a href="http:\/\/espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/post/_/id/13299/galaxy-juninho-gone-gonzalez-going" target="_blank">recalled by Sao Paulo</a> and will leave a gap in the “clutch goal scorer” category. &nbsp;Miguel Lopez has also seen <a href="http:\/\/espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/post/_/id/13772/galaxy-lopez-returns-to-quilmes" target="_blank">his loan end</a> with LA and he has been called back to his home club of Quilmes.
The team has tried to replace Juninho with <a href="http:\/\/www.sbnation.com/soccer/2011/12/21/2651985/rumor-mill-la-galaxy-transfer-rumors" target="_blank">Marcelo Sarvas</a>, but the 30 year old is arguably a step down offensively. &nbsp;Having Beckham back does help cover this loss, but the team needs to take some steps to shore up a midfield that helps cover for a weaker forward position.
2. Can the defense do it again?
The <a href="http:\/\/sports.yahoo.com/mls/news?slug=ycn-10803189" target="_blank">loss of Omar Gonzalez hurts</a>, badly, <del>but in the “silver lining” category he will be able to return at some point for the Galaxy this season, it looks like</del>&nbsp;(update: no silver lining, folks, <a href="http:\/\/www.lagconfidential.com/2012/1/11/2700656/arena-doesnt-expect-gonzalez-back-until-end-of-2012-la-galaxy" target="_blank">he’s gone for the whole season</a>). &nbsp;However, the team may need to spend some money on a replacement, or focus their drafting on this position. &nbsp;Bruce Arena also looked to keep key components of his defense by <a href="http:\/\/www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/12/la-galaxy-re-sign-three-players-ahead-2012-season#.TvS-QaAWNbw.twitter" target="_blank">re-signing Sean Franklin</a>, another defender who should be receiving more love from the USMNT. &nbsp;The keeper position also lost a little depth with the expensive Donovan Ricketts moving to Montreal, but the back-up duo of Nick Noble and U-23 player Brian Perk look quality.
This defense was incredibly dominant last season, and even with Gonzalez it would have been a challenge to repeat their suffocating style. &nbsp;With him gone for the<del> first half of the</del> season, seemingly, can the Galaxy&nbsp;approach&nbsp;the greatness they achieved last season a second year in a row?
3. How big of a role will the three designated players play this season?
Beckham is back, and he will be with the Galaxy a little longer. &nbsp;But that will be contractually, and how much he is physically there is an important question for a team that already suffered a hit in midfield. &nbsp;He will be playing in the Olympics and will miss time for that, as well as the usual jaunts across the pond. &nbsp;With a longer schedule that adds two CONCACAF Champions League tournaments, how much will he contribute during the season?
Then there’s Landon Donovan, who is finally getting another chance to play in England. &nbsp;He likes Everton, the team needs him, and we know his deal is only for a few months. &nbsp;But can the best known American MLS player force a longer loan or transfer if he wants to stay? &nbsp;My bet is yes. &nbsp;Regardless, the Galaxy will be without his services for stretches this summer as he reports to the national team for friendlies and qualifying.
Robbie Keane looks to be enjoying his time in LA, but with a<a href="http:\/\/msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/premierleague/story/robbie-keane-set-for-aston-villa-loan-move-los-angeles-galaxy-010912" target="_blank"> loan to Aston Villa</a> and his Euro 2012 commitments, will his 31-year old legs be able to handle the travel and numerous competitions in which he will be competing?

Three Offseason Questions for the Defending Champs: LA Galaxy - World Soccer Talk

Three Offseason Questions for the Defending Champs: LA Galaxy

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Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS?

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Three Offseason Questions for the Defending Champs: LA Galaxy