For the first seventy minutes of yesterday's First Kick match-up between the Galaxy and RSL, the predictions about the amazing 2012 Galaxy season looked like they were more than just hype. Only the crossbar and some timely RSL defending denied the Galaxy a multi-goal lead and the defense looked shaky but solid. When Edson Buddle converted a […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

If Sporting Kansas City's season had a title, it would be "Night and Day". A tough start to the season, no doubt spurred on by the never-ending road trip, saw the team open Livestrong Park and use its great atmosphere to rocket to the top of the Eastern Conference. Although they fell in the conference […]

Last year was a good year for one of MLS's premier franchises. The Sounders won yet another U.S. Open Cup and advanced past the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. While they could not vanquish their nemesis Galaxy in the regular season or playoffs (and were knocked out early by streaking RSL), the team […]

Defending champions in all sports have had down subsequent seasons, but few have imploded quite like Colorado. Despite qualifying for the playoffs, the Rapids' season was a roller coaster. Struggling with injuries and added games the entire season, the team constantly rotated players and tried to field a healthy eleven, ending the season with third-string […]

Poor New York Red Bulls. In a season when it was all supposed to come together (young stars! established DPs! weak conference! newish stadium!) it all fell apart. New York struggled all season and barely made the playoffs, defeating a floundering Dallas side before falling in the conference semi-finals. The offseason has not been kind […]

FC Dallas was an up-and-down team last season, getting off to a slow start (remember Brek Shea as a fullback) before surging in the summer then falling off a cliff in the fall. The team ended the season on a whimper with a playoff loss to New York, but it was a particularly traumatic and […]

This past season in U.S. soccer was certainly an interesting one. In MLS, two new teams were promoted and the soccer world fell in love with them and their passionate fans. Coaches were hired and fired, players finally fulfilled their potential, and others failed to inspire. One MLS team had a chance to make history […]

This time last year, the San Jose Earthquakes were riding high. They had upset the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference playoffs and had seen the emergence of Chris Wondolowski as a bona fide goal scorer. Although the team had definite weaknesses and was not at the level of, say, Real Salt Lake, […]