This week, some alarm bells are ringing around First XI. We're starting to see some trends that are worth analyzing. Sure, the MLS season is just leaving the station, but it's time to take a leap of faith, trust our instincts and make a few evaluations.
11. The Red Bulls mean business. Sat in the stands with my family and my son's team on Saturday, watching the very impressive defensive performance of the 10-men New York Red Bulls. Claudio Reyna was the quarterback, the guy who kept moving the ball to the right players, and kept the team compact. If he's on the field, this Bulls team is going to be ultra-organized and tough to break down. His skill in the possession game is enough to keep the opposition chasing for long, long stretches. Also, you begin to see what continuity can do for a defense, and Carlos Mendes and Jeff Parke are looking like a tandem that's played a lot of games together. Zero goals allowed. Impressive, to say the least, for a team that awaits superstar Juan Pablo Angel. Watch out for these guys.
10. Toronto is in the danger zone. TFC play one more road game before playing the league's first game north of the border. Don't want to jump to any conclusions here, because it is a long season, but Mo Johnston does not want his team to start out with a winless and goalless streak that extends too long because it makes the hill look entirely too steep. Just ask Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake what it was like two years ago. This little Wednesday-Saturday home-and-home with Kansas City will be crucial for TFC. Mo will certainly insert recently-acquired Marvell Wynne to see if his speed can get them going in a positive direction. At the very least, Toronto needs to hit the net a few times.
9. Real Salt Lake need a streak. Man, it almost hurts to see RSL struggling out of the gate, once again. Saturday's 4-0 loss to Chivas USA was a strange game. Chivas barely had to work to build a 3-0 lead, and at that point, Real Salt Lake just looked unlucky. But by the time this game ended, you walked away thinking Chivas USA could've scored 10 goals if they'd only finished their breakaways. Nick Rimando has always been one of my favorite MLS goalkeepers, but his play in the opening 30 seconds was enough to make one wonder why RSL didn't go hard after Kasey Keller this offseason. At any rate, RSL get a week to regroup, but they need to return to the field with a vengeance if they want to avoid falling deep in the West before the season is truly up and running.
8. Jaime Moreno needs to ignite. Seems there's one common thread that links all the great D.C. United teams and separates the three D.C. teams that missed the playoffs. That thread is Jaime Moreno. What I'm saying is that if you show me a good D.C. team, I'll show you a productive Jaime Moreno. Show me a D.C. team that struggles and I'll show you a Moreno that's unhealthy, unhappy or both. D.C. is 0-2, but I don't think anyone's panicking about that fact. However, if you're a D.C. fan, you're certainly anxious to see if Moreno's going to break out here soon and be the player who has led in years past.
7. The Honda SuperClasico will be Must See TV. These battles between Chivas USA and Los Angeles heated up nicely a year ago, and I expect Saturday night's derby to be just as spirited. Chivas USA have shown they can ping the ball around with the best of them so far this year. Even in their 1-0 loss to Houston they played some beautiful combations and sliced through the Dynamo backline for a number of good chances. Los Angeles is going to be so high for this game because they absolutely want to get out of the basement and want to do it in a big way against the team they love to hate. It will be interesting to watch how Amado Guevara handles this game and this atmosphere and I can almost guarantee one of Frank Yallop's boys will take a run at him early to see if they can tick him off and egg him into an early caution. Just you watch.
6. Andy Herron made a big mistake. Man, there's just not much to say here. I've always liked Herron as a player and have been told he's a great guy, but that elbow to the head of Jay Heaps was about the most flagrant, violent foul I've ever seen. I won't play judge here, but will simply let what I just wrote stand up as my own personal opinion. Brutal.
5. Columbus needs Guillermo Barros Schelotto to be good. Real good. As much as the Red Bulls are going to need Angel to deliver, the Crew desperately need an attacking player who can get them rolling. The Crew did a nice job of pushing the game when they were down last week against New England, but they're still a long way from being an attacking team that the opposition has to fear. I'd love to see Crew Stadium rock again, and the only way for that to happen is to score some goals and win some games. It may be bold to say it, but this is the most important signing in the team's history.
4. FCD has something to prove to RBNY. FC Dallas played a stinker in the Meadowlands a few weeks back and had tired legs as an excuse. Now they're home to the surging Red Bulls and I want to see Captain Carlos Ruiz and his teammates bring their 'A' game so I can better judge the first-place Red Bulls. I'll be watching closely.
3. Taylor Twellman has 20 in his sights. Big prediction here. If he plays 25 games, Taylor Twellman will become the first 20-goal scorer in MLS since 2002, when he and Carlos Ruiz both hit the 20 mark. I like the way Twellman is moving these days and the Revs are doing a good job of providing him the types of balls he has mastered.
2. Houston needs Ching. The defending champs have scored but one goal in their first three matches. Saturday night in Giants Stadium, with Brian Ching only available as a reserve, Dynamo were toothless. Alejandro Moreno and Paul Dalglish are both useful, hard-running strikers, but Ching is one of the best in the league and almost impossible to replace. The Orange return to Robertson this week, where they are always much, much tougher. But if they're going to even think of repeating, they're going to need Ching.
1. Colorado is fun. There, I said it. They're starting to remind me a little of the old Ray Hudson Miami Fusion, the Rapids, and coach Fernando Clavijo, who never met a player he wouldn't throw into the mix. Terry Cooke is the assist king. Kyle Beckerman is developing into one of the steadiest holding mids in the league. Jovan Kirovski scored one of the prettiest goals of the season last week. They're fun. I will look forward to watching this team play on a weekly basis.
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.
