which was really, his third year of decline -- who really thought Moreno would come back and be as good as he's been? Not me. So, as much as it looked to me that Jaime was slowing down this season, I cannot say that he does not have another comeback in him. He is, after all, only going to be 33 this year.
7. If Simo Valakari is gone ...
... then who is going to lead MLS in fouls? Simo has been the runaway fouls leader in all three of his MLS seasons, so you have to wonder who can step up and become the new king of the hack? My money is on Danny O'Rourke, who figures to step into a starting role in Columbus. Another decent pick would be Eddie Robinson, who never met a shin he wouldn't kick and, the guy who was king before Simo, fellow FCD man Carlos Ruiz.
6. How does Columbus improve?
The Crew were pretty clearly the worst team in the league this year, but they did make a commitment to trade for and play a number of youngsters. But now, what do the Crew do to become an MLS playoff team again? Since it does not seem likely that the Crew will use a designated player, who could they trade their DP slot to and improve their squad immediately? No, I don't have an answer to that question, but my brain is spinning.
5. What about EJ?
So far, new head coach Curt Onalfo has said that he wants Eddie Johnson to play for him in Kansas City. That's the right thing to say, no doubt, but what if EJ continues to be unproductive? Does K.C. deal him? Do they allow MLS to seek a sale to a team abroad? From my conversations with people in the league, if Onalfo were to go seeking to trade EJ, there would be a lot of teams willing to talk. So, that shows his stock has not dropped too far. When you look at the striker position league-wide, moving a player with Johnson's potential is very, very risky. Especially for a first-year coach.
4. How much will New England miss Deuce?
Clint Dempsey has been pretty outspoken about his desire to leave MLS and play overseas, so I'll assume he's history in New England. Now, I know the Revs have played fairly well without Dempsey when they've had to (and that's been way too many times), yet still wonder just how they can replace a player who, in my opinion, helped transform the Revs' attacking play from the minute he stepped on the field for the first time in 2003. And I can't get it out of my mind how different (less predictable) the Revolution looked in the MLS Cup Final once Dempsey entered the match.
3. If Jurgen Klinsmann becomes the U.S. coach, what other dominoes fall?
If Klinsmann becomes the U.S. coach, will he take an MLS head coach along to be his assistant? What new MLS players will the new boss call in for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America? Even if it's not Klinsmann, there are a lot of questions yet to be answered.
2. Is Beckham a done deal?
All I can say is, my bosses at ESPN want to know if David Beckham will be bending free kicks at The Home Depot Center next summer. Not sure if an MLS story has ever led SportsCenter, but this one would ... I think.
1. Who's going to play for the Red Bulls?
They've got two DP slots to fill and a lot of holes in their lineup. The rumor mill is hotter than ever with names like Claudio Reyna and Ronaldo. Will we see these big names playing on the FieldTurf of Giants Stadium? Or will the building process slowly take place over the months leading up to the opening of Red Bull Park in Harrison?
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.
