2009-03-23T22:18:35-04:00 2009-03-22T21:18:40-04:00 23 2009-03-22T21:18:40-04:00 1 3 10 2009-03-23T22:18:35-04:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/856/30/thumb/kb.gif 1713 PA Buck Feckham Philadelphia 85930 23 The Red Bulls are horrible. DVDB was a horrible loss. 4788231 2009-03-23T16:53:41-04:00 1 MA Joe76M Quincy 742900 22 Why can't the MLS just wake up and work with the USL? By 2011 you could have a 18 team league table with relegation possibilities like the rest of the world. While their at it run the season from August to May also. I love my country, but why MUST we always have to do it our own way. Don't count my REVS out of the title race yet. It's a long season. 4785158 2009-03-23T13:53:52-04:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/531/098/thumb/Fire.jpg 474 IL rhussmann Chicago 531538 21 Fire will win Supporters Sheild and MLS Cup this year. 4781815 2009-03-23T13:23:06-04:00 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/622/601/thumb/zico.jpg 2583 NV The Las Vegas Genius Las Vegas 623241 20 At some point, the league will figure out that single table is what the fans want. I've no issue with playoffs, so long as they stay at eight teams. Any more than that, and it's clown shoes. As for Galaxy, its one game. As Bill Simmons would say, let's not start sucking each other's popsicles yet. I would say the same thing for Sounders, who were far more impressive in their debut, albeit against a horrendous New Jersey Energy Drinks squad and with a home crowd that could have willed a U10 squad to victory. Montero is ridiculous, though. Dude's footwork left my jaw dropped no less than seven times. 4781194 2009-03-23T12:21:09-04:00 1 VA robG Arlington 742773 19 I have to agree with mommyrocks and some of the other posters above. I'm a bit confused by the evidence that you're using to support your #1 &amp; #2 points. Bruce Arena may indeed turn L.A. around this season, and D.C.'s aging stars will probably fade down the stretch this year. But I don't think the game yesterday happened to offer anything to support those conclusions or some of the other statements in the above article. D.C. was already up two-nothing when L.A. rallied. L.A. got one gift penalty call (the video replays clearly showed that Wallace's hand never touched the ball), and D.C. simply wasn't able to sort out its defense again after two of its defenders collided. In point #1, you state that &quot;the Galaxy's control of the ball in the midfield against D.C. United on Sunday was terrific, and they created a slew of scoring chances.&quot; However, according to the match stats that I checked, D.C. and L.A. split time of possession 50-50. Ultimately, D.C. had 4 shots on goal, and L.A. had 2 shots on goal. I don't see how 2 shots on goal over an entire game constitutes &quot;a slew of scoring chances.&quot; 4779819 2009-03-23T12:14:51-04:00 6 MD bance Frederick 235420 18 Who was ever enamored of Bobby Convey anyway. Not me, ever since I watched him come on the scene with local telecasts of DC United games. And who cares about conferences. Just wait for the next expansion round. I guess that'd mean St. Louis in the East, hoping they'll finally give a franchise to a real deserving city. 4779711 2009-03-23T11:40:18-04:00 1 NY Eugene32 Long Island City 407989 17 Actually, what makes me want to vomit is the goal gifted to LA by the horrendous Jair Marrufo penalty kick call. Landon Donovan didn't right his team -- Jair Marrufo did. 4778902 2009-03-23T10:39:54-04:00 1 IL Iaintfeelinit Loves Park 742747 16 How did Kenny Cooper's 60 yard goal not make more highlight reels? What a stud. 4777730 2009-03-23T10:33:31-04:00 1 MD stevenho Brookeville 742639 15 Just move Houston and Dallas to the Eastern Conference and Kansas City to the Western Conference. Neither team will lose a nearby geographic rival because all three teams are located too far away from other MLS teams for their supporter groups to comfortably travel to away games by car or bus. As for the three conference option - ugh! 4777587 2009-03-23T10:21:12-04:00 1 VA mommyrocks Richmond 86344 14 I'm baffled by your #1. The Galaxy were down 2-0 and, in my opinion, being outplayed when two DC defenders went down after banging heads. The ensuing confusion led to a flurry in front of DC's goal in which the ref made a ridiculous decision to award a pk for a non-existent hand ball. If the ref doesn't react to the Galaxy players screaming for a hand ball, when it clearly played off Wallace's leg, then the whole end of the game is different. Using that game to make your point is kind of silly. 4777416 23 <div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009_images/landon-donovan-blog.jpg" alt="Landon Donovan" width="298" height="274" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Landon Donovan scored twice in L.A.'s 2-2 draw with D.C. <br /><span class="smtext">Robert Mora/MLS via Getty Images</span></div> </div> <p>With Week 1 of the 14th season of Major League Soccer in the books, here are five quick thoughts:</p> <p><br /><strong>1. Bruce Arena will turn the Galaxy into a contender.</strong> The conventional MLS wisdom says that when you bring in an elite coach to right a losing team, it takes him one season to overhaul a roster and another season to build a playoff team. That would suggest L.A. will be MLS Cup-worthy by next season. And I honestly believe Arena can do it. To be fair, the Galaxy still have a horridly porous defense -- it's never good when you have to rely on a rookie center back in the starting lineup (20-year-old <strong>Omar Gonzalez</strong>), and arguably even worse when the other center back (37-year-old <strong>Tony Sanneh</strong>) is old enough to be his father. But the Galaxy's control of the ball in the midfield against D.C. United on Sunday was terrific, and they created a slew of scoring chances. Keep your eye on the Galaxy. They may make the playoffs this year after all. If only the New York Red Bulls had that kind of patience with Arena.<br /><strong><br />2. Don't be fooled by the points picked up by the old guard.</strong> Besides the draw D.C. earned at the Home Deport Center, undermanned New England surprised San Jose 1-0 on Saturday -- both good results for two teams that have combined for nine MLS Cup appearances. But these are dynasties that may be over. The Revs will be severely challenged this year with the loss of a key player in defender <strong>Michael Parkhurst</strong> and the advanced years of guys like hobbled <strong>Taylor Twellman</strong> and <strong>Steve Ralston</strong>. D.C., meanwhile, is a step slower than in years past as well. Both teams may struggle to reach the playoffs.<br /><br /><strong>3. MLS fans, meet your new star.</strong> I know, it's just one game. But man, were you as impressed as I was by <strong>Fredy Montero</strong> last Thursday? Seattle has a budding stud in its 21-year-old Colombian striker, who scored two goals in his MLS debut against New York. Not only that, but that tricky touch on the ball is something you can't teach. Remember this well: For MLS to score an up-and-coming South American national-teamer who hasn't yet reached his prime is a huge coup for the league. Let's hope it's not the last.<br /><strong><br />4. Bobby Convey has the most to prove of any American player.</strong> His first game back in MLS was "OK," according to Earthquakes coach <strong>Frank Yallop</strong>, but he's got to be better. The 25-year-old midfielder, once a U.S. national-team fixture until his right knee fell apart, will have to <em>dominate</em> in MLS if he wants to find his way back into the Team USA fold. <strong>Bob Bradley</strong>'s midfield is more or less set, and Convey has donned a U.S. jersey only four times since the 2006 World Cup (the U.S. Soccer Federation doesn't even list him in the player pool anymore). It's strange to think that he'll be quarterbacking the Quakes against Houston next Saturday at the same moment his U.S. teammates are taking on El Salvador in World Cup qualifying.<br /><br /><strong>5. That nasty smell is realignment in the air.</strong> Philadelphia will join the Eastern Conference next season, with Vancouver and Portland ostensibly being assigned to the West in 2011. That would weight the league unequally with 10 teams in the West and eight in the East. And that's not going to work. MLS president <strong>Mark Abbott</strong> told reporters in San Jose on Saturday that the league is going to have to come up with a solution before then. Single table? Dream on. MLS won't give up the conference system yet because of how it feeds into the playoff model, which the league will <em>never</em> give up. Realigning Houston into the East? Also doubtful -- separating the two Texas teams makes little sense. How about this horror scenario? Three conferences of six, much like the Mexican league format. (In case of nausea, induce vomiting immediately.)<br /><br />What are your thoughts? What stood out the most after one round of games? Have we left out idle Real Salt Lake?</p> 58665 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/459/8/thumb/freedman_jonah.jpg 12 CA Jonah Freedman San Francisco 4618