Hard to believe, but we've closed the curtain on the first month of MLS. So far, it's hard to know if what we've witnessed is an indicator of the way the season is going to play out, or just a three or four-game sampling that, were it to occur in August, would simply be just a blip on the radar screen. At any rate, we're in the mood for awards, so here's a First XI to honor those who've busted out of the gates better than the rest.
11. Team of the month. New York Red Bulls. I don't necessarily believe the Red Bulls are playing the best soccer in MLS right now, but they seem to have a group of players who are willing to fight for one another for 90 minutes, game in and game out. The same can be said for the Chicago Fire, whose 3-0-1 record matches the Red Bulls, but given what coach Bruce Arena and technical director Jeff Agoos attempted to do this offseason, I give the first month nod to RBNY and look forward to the arrival of Juan Pablo Angel - because I think this team is still a striker away from being contenders.
10. Player of the month. Chris Rolfe. I'm going to confuse everyone in the next couple of paragraphs, but what's new there? Rolfe has a point in three of the Fire's first four games and is providing the type of spark we saw from this kid a couple of years ago. His energy up front is what's got the Fire out of the chute fast. He's not only a goal scorer, but a good set-up man, and a handful for any defender in the league. The thing I've always liked best about Rolfe is his decisiveness when he's in good form. When he's got his mojo, he's got the quickest release in the league and one of the league's best first steps.
9. Striker of the month. Taylor Twellman. OK, so I know Rolfe is a forward, and so is Twellman, so I know it's confusing how one can be "player" of the month and the other "striker" of the month, but I want to spread the love, that's all. Twellman, as I wrote last week, is on his way to 20-plus goals this season. I can just feel it. He's healthy, he's finding the ball in good spots, and the guy just loves to score goals. Four goals in four games, and it's not going to slow down any time soon for Taylor, who looks happier than ever.
8. Central midfielder of the month. Claudio Reyna. This guy is almost unnoticeable in the Red Bulls midfield, unless you pay attention to his direction of traffic in the midfield and the efficiency of his touches on the ball. He's the captain they've needed in New York since Timmy Howard departed for Manchester United in 2003. What everybody wants to see, of course, is how Reyna holds up when the weather gets hot and the FieldTurf starts to burn in the Meadowlands. But for April, he's been fantastic.
7. Defensive midfielder of the month. Kyle Beckerman. The time has come for Beckerman, who has long been an underrated man in the middle in MLS. Deceptively strong, extremely crafty with the ball, and a good hard-nosed defender, Beckerman could be on the verge of Best XI. Did I mention that the guy has a great long-range shot? Beckerman's climb in the league has been steady as they come, and so far in '07, he's showing he's one of the league's best at his position. He wins by a nose over Chris Armas, who's playing very well for the Fire.
6. Wide midfielder of the month. Steve Ralston. I threw down the gauntlet a few weeks ago, saying that Ralston needed to start racking up the assists again, and the man has responded with three goals in the team's first four games. Watch the replay of his assist on Twellman's goal vs. Dallas and you're seeing Ralston at his best, getting his head up and placing a cross exactly where it had to be for Twellman to finish. Terry Cooke fans will be disappointed, but must admit I've been praising Cooke on a weekly basis. Ralston gets the nod, mostly because of the way he answered the First XI challenge.
5. Central defender of the month. Marcos Gonzalez. The Crew have been stingy and tough to break down and Gonzalez has been a rock. Not much else to be said there. Sure, Jeff Parke and Carlos Mendes have been flawless so far in New York, playing in front of Ronald Wattereus, but the Crew deserve some props, too, especially on the heels of their clean sheet victory against D.C. United last week. Here's hoping that from a strong backline, the Crew begin to gain confidence in the attack and start to score a few more goals.
4. Wide defender of the month. Hunter Freeman. This kid has been a revelation for the Red Bulls, playing perfect defensively and providing good, dangerous runs on the right flank. He's shown he can cross, he can knife inside and get shots for himself, and as he proved in Dallas, he can score. By the way, that goal was a beauty.
3. Goalkeeper of the month. Joe Cannon. This guy made some amazing saves last week in the Honda Super Clasico at The Home Depot Center. A few of his stops seemed almost impossible. If you haven't had the opportunity, check out the highlights package on MLSLIVE.tv. The Galaxy hope Cannon doesn't to continue to save their bacon on a weekly basis, but it sure must be nice knowing he's back there as the last line of defense.
2. Best team to watch this month. Chivas USA. I'll surely get nailed with the "biased" e-mails (what else is new?), but I just love the way Chivas USA is moving the ball through the midfield, and the way they're creating so many chances to score. Jonathan Bornstein must lead the league in near-misses and Maykel Galindo looks like a striker who can make a difference in the league. Less certain is the role Amado Guevara will be able to assume with this club, especially if he cannot curb his petulant behavior.
1. Goal of the month. Taylor Twellman, April 29, at FC Dallas. This goal is mentioned above in the Steve Ralston entry. Twellman took Ralston's cross out of the air with the inside of his right foot and laced the ball into the top of the net, past an awestruck Shake Hislop. A pure striker's goal if ever there was one. Sure, Sacha Kljestan's opening night drive for Chivas was good, as was Jozy Altidore's turn and rocket for the Bulls against Houston, but I'm going with Twellman's full volley as the best goal of the season's first month.
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.
