Major League Soccer's 13th season is already looking like a winner - and that's coming on top of a sensational 2007, in which an influx of top talent dramatically improved the level of play. No team can be counted out, and none of the traditional favorites look like shoo-ins, which confirms MLS's place as the world's most competitive Division 1 league.
The Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC have made impressive moves, and they appear ready to contend for the MLS Cup crown or, at the least, claim one of eight playoff berths available next fall. The Crew, which has missed the postseason three years in a row, is the hottest club in the league. Toronto has stitched three wins together for the first time. And Kansas City, with the addition of Designated Player Claudio Lopez, could be celebrating next November at Home Depot Center.
The big four - two-time defending champion Houston Dynamo, four-time runner-up New England Revolution, storied D.C. United and rising power Chivas USA - still look stocked to chase the crown, even though all four are off to slow starts. It's a long season, a true marathon, and the talent on these clubs should turn things right before long.
The Chicago Fire, with Cuauhtemoc Blanco pulling the strings, and FC Dallas, with a young lineup led by Colombian midfielder Juan Toja and big striker Kenny Cooper, won't be easy to beat. Neither will the New York Red Bulls, who boast the best 1-2 punch up front with Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore, expect big things from Claudio Reyna and can count on the guidance of coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who has made it clear he's in his dream job.
Even the San Jose Earthquakes, back in the league 2½ years after the previous incarnation took off for Houston, appears ready to compete. Coach Frank Yallop has built a formidable defense, and if the Quakes can score goals on a regular basis, watch out.
The most intriguing club in MLS this season, and not just for the obvious reasons, is the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Beckham guarantees the Galaxy will receive plenty of attention, but salary-cap issues has forced new coach Ruud Gullit - one of the greatest ever to play the game - to use a very young team. Beckham, Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz provide L.A. an attack that could be dynamite, but there are questions in central midfield and on the backline that will need to be answered.
Donovan has scored eight goals in the first five games, feasting on a connection with Beckham that has been otherworldly. The Galaxy seems capable of anything, good or bad, and it will be interesting to see how their season plays out.
MajorLeagueSoccer Magazine celebrates MLS's 13th season with a special 2008 Season Preview edition. Our writers have assessed every team in the league, and we include a bevy of statistics, charts and diagrams to create the most complete preview package available. It's must-have for any MLS fan.
In addition, we take good looks at the New England Revolution's success under Steve Nicol, how D.C. United has reinvented itself, and Brad Guzan's return to Chivas USA after his planned move to England fell apart.
And MLS isn't the only league kicking off. The United Soccer Leagues, the second and third tiers of American professional soccer, also is underway. We take a look at the First Division - featuring defending champion Seattle Sounders, in their final USL campaign before the MLS version debuts in 2009 - and offer insight into the Second Division, too.
Happy reading!
Scott French
Managing Editor
