the best the league has to offer.
With their thrilling 2-1 victory over New England, Houston Dynamo cemented their status as one of the great teams in MLS history. They became the first team to win back-to-back titles since D.C. United won the first two MLS Cup Finals in 1996 and 1997. Having won both of their titles in their first two years playing in Houston, Dynamo are on the path to becoming a dominant club in MLS.
There was, however, another kind of champion in Washington, D.C. for MLS Cup weekend: the 2007 MLS Fantasy Challenge winner. Dave Bowers of Harrisburg, Penn., came out on top of a field of more than 35,000 players, earning a trip to the 2007 MLS Cup. The amazing fact is that this isn't Dave's first trip to an MLS special event that he has won through a first place finish in MLSFC.
Since 2003, Dave has been traveling to All-Star Games and MLS Cups thanks to his stellar performances. From the start of this season in April to the end of the regular season in October, Dave's team was at or near the top of the MLSFC leaderboard, proving his consistency and knowledge of MLS. In a season that saw many newcomers make headlines in MLS -- Luciano Emilio, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and Juan Pablo Angel, among others -- Dave found a way to select the right players week-in and week-out to become the champion of MLSFC. During the weekend, I sat down with Dave to gain some insight into the architect of the best fantasy team in Major League Soccer.
Chris Wurst: How long have you been playing MLSFC?
Dave Bowers: I've been playing for six years. Each year the game has been different, which makes it fun and challenging to try to be successful every year. By my second year playing, I won a trip to an All-Star Game, which was a lot of fun, and that experience really helped me fall in love with MLSFC.
CW: How would you describe your success this year in MLSFC?
DB: It's been a good season since the beginning. I barely missed out on winning the Mid-Season prize and a trip to the 2007 Sierra Mist All-Star Game, so it was satisfying to come back and win the Grand Prize trip for this weekend. I think that since I was so close to winning the Mid-Season trip, I was even more determined to win the trip to D.C. for MLS Cup 2007.
CW: How does your past experience help you improve each season?
DB: Actually, the game has changed so much in every year that I've played, so I don't think my experience playing has helped me very much. Each year you have to look at the game and figure out which players will be good fantasy players and learn how to build a good team.
CW: How much do you change your strategy year-to-year?
DB: My basic strategy doesn't change very much from year-to-year. The biggest thing I do every year is research the teams and players before the season. It's important to know who will be in the starting lineup, which newcomers will have big impacts on their teams, things like that. You really have to follow the entire league to have a good fantasy team.
CW: How does MLSFC help you follow MLS better, and increase your knowledge of the league overall?
DB: Playing the fantasy game is really what made become a huge MLS fan. Before I started seriously playing MLSFC, I was a fan of soccer and MLS, but following the entire league so closely has really made me passionate about MLS. And that's thanks to MLSFC.
CW: Can you share any of your strategy with the rest of us?
DB: Like I said, my main strategy and focus is on research. I have to know which players are about to step up for their teams, and which matchups are going to be successful. I really try to have a sense of what's going on in every team throughout the league.
CW: How much time do you spend adjusting your roster for each week's games?
DB: I spend about two hours per week adjusting my roster. It's really about looking into the matchups, who has been playing well recently, keeping an eye out for injuries or changes to team's lineups. It's fun each week to figure out who the best players will be and that comes down to the research that I do.
CW: What is your favorite MLS team?
DB: I've always been a D.C. United fan.
CW: How hard is for you to balance your rooting interest in DC United with your fantasy team?
DB: I never let the two things get in the way each other, and there's never a conflict of interest. For example, if DC United has a particularly tough matchup, like facing Houston's defense, I won't have a problem not playing Luciano Emilio. I don't worry about D.C. United's fortunes impacting my fantasy team because I keep them totally separate.
CW: What was the best part of the MLS Cup festivities?
DB: The best part has been interacting with MLS players at the various events. My son and I got to play in a Fantasy Soccer game with a few MLS players, including Emilio, Preki and Jimmy Conrad. On the bus ride home from the game, we talked to Emilio for about 30 minutes, and he ended up giving my son his shoes! He told us that he had worn those shoes for the last six or seven games of the MLS season, which is pretty exciting. All of the MLS players are so down to earth and accessible -- I haven't met one that I didn't like.
Chris Wurst is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
