long, short, straight, curving, chipped, driven -- was always a treat. He was also as nasty a player as the league has ever seen and was known to go out of his way to protect his own turf as well as the backs of his teammates. He had many signature moments in his career, but the one that stands out in my mind is the corner kick he put onto the head of Eddie Pope in MLS Cup 1996. It was radar-like in its precision. Safe to say the league will never have a player quite like our No. 10.
- Jason Kreis. This shirt might have gone to Jaime Moreno had Jaime not switched to uniform number 99 upon his return to D.C. in 2004. Kreis' main competition for this jersey came from Ante Razov, but JK gets the nod because I just always loved to watch him nail a free kick. I cannot recall the exact season, but I remember Kreis beating Zach Thornton from about 25 yards with pure power. It was like watching Randy Johnson throwing a fastball past a batter. Thornton got a little piece of the ball but simply could not impede the shot's raw force enough to keep it out of the net. Kreis did this over and over again in his MLS career on his way to 108 goals.
8. Hristo Stoitchkov. His time in the league was not long, and he really only had one good season, but what a season 2000 was for Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoitchkov. From his two-goal debut in Dallas right through the playoffs, MLS Cup Final and U.S. Open Cup Final, Stoitchkov was amazing to behold. Everyone remembers Hristo's amazing left foot, but in 2000 he also exhibited speed and power that belied his age. At first it appeared Stoitchkov would be content to glide around the field and hit pretty long passes, but as he gained his fitness in 2000, he showed that he still had enough acceleration to blow past defenders and unleash his famous blasts.
7. Roberto Donadoni. This is a nostalgic pick for me because I remember Donadoni saying that while his first choice for a jersey was number 10, he respected the fact that 10 on the original MetroStars would be worn by New Jersey's Tab Ramos. Donadoni was another one of those players who was amazing to watch if only for the ease in which he navigated the field and the control he had on passes longer than 50 yards. It's funny to say about a player who was undoubtedly brought to MLS to be a star, but Donadoni was more like an amazing role player than a guy who could take over the game. I sometimes wonder if Robi should've been a little more selfish, but I don't think that's in his nature.
6. Peter Vermes. He started out in the league wearing No. 9 because everyone thought he would be a striker, but ultimately Peter Vermes became a defensive player in the league for hard-fighting teams in Colorado and Kansas City. A fierce competitor who wasn't afraid to direct traffic or let his teammates know they weren't working hard enough, Vermes was also a guy who, from Day One, wanted to promote MLS. It's fitting that he's remained a part of the league and I expect he will be a part of it for many years to come.
5. Lubos Kubik. A rarity in MLS, the attacking defender. Sure there were times when C.J. Brown and Francis Okaroh wondered where Kubik was going when he started wandering up the field, but there's no denying that, in 1998, Kubik was as special a "libero" as the league has ever seen. What was most amazing about Lubos was how he could seemingly walk the ball out of pressure, using subtle fakes, spins and pull backs to buy himself a little extra time and space with the ball. This guy is perhaps my favorite all-time player in MLS if only because he stands out as a unique talent in the history of the league.
4. Robin Fraser. As steady as they come, Robin Fraser was the backbone of the L.A. Galaxy for many years before putting in solid work for Colorado and Columbus. Without a doubt, in my book, an All-Time MLS First XI defender. He had both speed and smarts and relished showing young players the proper way to play the game. I got a great thrill, as well, watching Fraser work his way onto Bruce Arena's national team for qualifying matches for the 2002 World Cup. It was a just reward for a classy player.
3. Nick Garcia. The No. 3 shirt goes to a no-nonsense defender if ever there was one. Nick Garcia was drafted by the Wizards in 2000 and asked to be a solid contributor and he was just that and more for eight stellar seasons, helping the Wizards to multiple trophies. It will be odd to see Garcia in a uniform other than the Wizards this season, but I expect him to take on a real leadership role for Frank Yallop's Earthquakes. No other word to describe Garcia but "solid."
2. Eddie Robinson. An acquired taste for me. I used to see Robinson as little more than a hatchet man, but as I've admired the way Houston Dynamo have evolved over the past few seasons, I've come to appreciate the approach that Robinson brings to the game. Sure, he gets too many yellow cards, but opposing forwards know when they match up against this No. 2, it's going to be a long, unpleasant day of work on the field Robinson gets the nod ahead of longtime Fire No. 2 C.J. Brown.
1. Tony Meola. A two-horse race for this shirt between Meola and Kevin Hartman, but it's hard not to give the nod to the all-time shutouts leader and the man who might well have authored the single-best individual season in league history when he won the Comeback Player of the Year Award, the Goalkeeper of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award while leading the Wizards on a worst-to-first ride to both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
