The 16th season of Major League Soccer will kick off on Tuesday March 15th when the Seattle Sounders host Donovan, Angel, Beckham and the LA Galaxy. This is the best time of the year for outrageous predictions and rumors about the upcoming season. We decided to cut to the chase and interview five people that we believe know MLS just as good as anyone. First up is Marc Connolly, who serves as the chief researcher and editorial consultant for ESPN's MLS and U.S. National Team soccer broadcasts while also serving as the Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Holy Cross. Connolly spent nine years covering the U.S. National Team for ESPN.com, and has been a contributor to USA Today, ESPN The Magazine and Four Four Two. Besides all that he's a great guy who took time from his busy schedule to give his insight on the upcoming season.
Soccer Banter: With the start of the 2011 MLS season just around the corner with a total of 18 teams, think back to 10 years ago in 2001 when two teams folded from MLS (Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny) and the league was at 10 teams and many people thinking the entire league could be eliminated...what are your thoughts on what has transpired over the last decade and the current state of MLS?
Marc Connolly: I was covering the league back then and there really was an uneasy feeling at the time about its future. Looking back, I really think the interest in the U.S. National Team at the 2002 World Cup helped MLS a great deal. Maybe more than we realized at the time. It helped lead to a well-attended MLS Cup that fall and a momentum that has increased each year. What has really helped MLS, in my opinion, is an overall awareness of soccer by sports fans. It's all over the TV, easy to find online and much more mainstream than it was a decade ago. For a small time in the middle of the decade I felt that MLS was devoid of star power, but then came Angel, Beckham, Schelotto, Blanco and others to help. I do think Landon Donovan's quick return to MLS in 2005 - and to a much bigger market in LA - was vital as well. No one has done as much for MLS than Donovan. He's been consistently the best player in the league and someone they can market around for a full decade now. And Don Garber has been smart in his dealings. I like that he's always open to change.
SB: Easier question, which team(s) will win the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup in 2011 and in your opinion which is more rewarding?
MC: I can see the LA Galaxy winning both this year. They are definitely going for it, knowing it might be Beckham's last year and considering the age of some of their top players. It might be as talented a group as the league has ever seen. If Angel, Donovan and Beckham are all clicking, who will stop them? And, no, I'm not one of those who will talk about the importance of the Supporters' Shield. In the current setup, it is so far behind the MLS Cup. Winning the Cup is what the players dream about and what motivates them in the offseason, not winning the Supporters Shield. To a man, 99 out of 100 will tell you that, too.
SB: Which Designated Player will have the biggest impact on a teams success this season?
MC: With a full offseason under his belt, I think we'll see a lot from Thierry Henry this year. New York would be good without him. But with him, I think they are the class of the East.
SB: Who will be this year's Chris Wondolowski?
MC: O'Brien White. With the talent around him in Seattle I can see him posting double digit numbers in a true breakout year.
SB: A bit off-topic but what young American (playing in MLS or abroad) are you most excited for in regards to future national team success?
MC: Juan Agudelo. He just turned 18 in November. So imagine how he’ll look when he’s 21? I think that he’ll be someone that will contribute to the U.S. National Team by the time World Cup qualifiers start. He’s pretty fearless, which is what I like the most about his game. And playing alongside someone as professional as Henry is probably the best thing that could ever happen to him.
Tomorrow we will hear from Matt Doyle, who is a New Media Editor with MLSsoccer.com. He's been following the league as a journalist, a blogger, an employee, and - always - a fan since day one. You can read his regular column, "Armchair Analyst," a look at the tactical happenings throughout the world of soccer, at MLSsoccer.com every Friday.
Soccer Banter: With the start of the 2011 MLS season just around the corner with a total of 18 teams, think back to 10 years ago in 2001 when two teams folded from MLS (Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny) and the league was at 10 teams and many people thinking the entire league could be eliminated...what are your thoughts on what has transpired over the last decade and the current state of MLS?
Marc Connolly: I was covering the league back then and there really was an uneasy feeling at the time about its future. Looking back, I really think the interest in the U.S. National Team at the 2002 World Cup helped MLS a great deal. Maybe more than we realized at the time. It helped lead to a well-attended MLS Cup that fall and a momentum that has increased each year. What has really helped MLS, in my opinion, is an overall awareness of soccer by sports fans. It's all over the TV, easy to find online and much more mainstream than it was a decade ago. For a small time in the middle of the decade I felt that MLS was devoid of star power, but then came Angel, Beckham, Schelotto, Blanco and others to help. I do think Landon Donovan's quick return to MLS in 2005 - and to a much bigger market in LA - was vital as well. No one has done as much for MLS than Donovan. He's been consistently the best player in the league and someone they can market around for a full decade now. And Don Garber has been smart in his dealings. I like that he's always open to change.
SB: Easier question, which team(s) will win the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup in 2011 and in your opinion which is more rewarding?
MC: I can see the LA Galaxy winning both this year. They are definitely going for it, knowing it might be Beckham's last year and considering the age of some of their top players. It might be as talented a group as the league has ever seen. If Angel, Donovan and Beckham are all clicking, who will stop them? And, no, I'm not one of those who will talk about the importance of the Supporters' Shield. In the current setup, it is so far behind the MLS Cup. Winning the Cup is what the players dream about and what motivates them in the offseason, not winning the Supporters Shield. To a man, 99 out of 100 will tell you that, too.
SB: Which Designated Player will have the biggest impact on a teams success this season?
MC: With a full offseason under his belt, I think we'll see a lot from Thierry Henry this year. New York would be good without him. But with him, I think they are the class of the East.
SB: Who will be this year's Chris Wondolowski?
MC: O'Brien White. With the talent around him in Seattle I can see him posting double digit numbers in a true breakout year.
SB: A bit off-topic but what young American (playing in MLS or abroad) are you most excited for in regards to future national team success?
MC: Juan Agudelo. He just turned 18 in November. So imagine how he’ll look when he’s 21? I think that he’ll be someone that will contribute to the U.S. National Team by the time World Cup qualifiers start. He’s pretty fearless, which is what I like the most about his game. And playing alongside someone as professional as Henry is probably the best thing that could ever happen to him.
Tomorrow we will hear from Matt Doyle, who is a New Media Editor with MLSsoccer.com. He's been following the league as a journalist, a blogger, an employee, and - always - a fan since day one. You can read his regular column, "Armchair Analyst," a look at the tactical happenings throughout the world of soccer, at MLSsoccer.com every Friday.
