20: Alvaro Saborio FW (Real Salt Lake) - The Costa Rican international established himself as Salt Lake's main goalscoring threat in 2010, having joined the club in March last year, and with the departure of Robbie Findley, he'll be even heavily relied upon to lead the line for the pre-season MLS Cup favourites, going into this season. Formally of Bristol City, with whom he endured a fairly torrid time, Saborio was signed on a permanent deal by Salt Lake in December, becoming the club's first ever Designated Player, on the back of the 12 goals he grabbed over the course of last season, an achievement which earned him the MLS Newcomer of the Year award. Understandably, there are high expecations now for Saborio, with a lot of pressure on him to justify his new hefty salary figure, but there's no doubt that he has the natural goal scoring instincts, as well as the talent around him in the Salt Lake starting XI, to challenge for the Golden Boot in 2011 and to hopefully guide his team to MLS Cup success.
19: Chad Marshall DF (Columbus Crew) - A mainstay in the Crew's backline since 2004, Marshall has been one of the most consistent and lauded defenders in MLS for a few years now, and was a key reason for the club's 2008 MLS Cup victory. Consitently on the fringes of the national team, the hulking centre back has faced stiff competition for a place in Bob Bradley's starting XI, but more recently looks to be forcing his way into contention. Injuries have undoubtedly been an issue throughout his career, as has less than ideal pace, but Marshall makes up for any deficiencies in his game with his natural ability to read the game, as well as his hard-nosed attitude and exemplary leadership qualities. At 26, he still has his best footballing years ahead of him, and the opportunity for a move to Europe could well be in his future if he manages to stay healthy and continue to play to the level he's maintained over the past few seasons. For now though, one gets the impression that Marshall is more than happy to fill the role of Columbus' on-field leader, in front of an American audience which could seen be crying out for his inclusion in the US national team's backline.
18: Conor Casey FW (Colorado Rapids) - A tall, powerful goal poacher, Casey's professional career began with Borussia Dortmund, after impressive performances on the youth level for the US national team, though the now 29-year-old striker never managed to make the impact overseas that he had hoped to. After numerous loan spells, as well as an unhappy two seasons spent with FSV Mainz, during which time his career was further derailed by a torn ACL, Casey decided it was time to return to the States, signing first with Toronto FC for their inaugural 2007 season, before being traded to Colorado after just 2 games with the Canadian club. Since then, Casey has proven himself as a solid, if unspectacular, goalscorer in MLS, one who can be relied on to provide at least 10 goals a season, causing constant problems for opposition defenders, with his tough, physical style of play.
On the international level, despite a few solid performances during the US' qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup, including a brace in the 3-2 win against Hounduras, a result which sealed their place in South Africa, Casey was somewhat controversially left off of the final list of 23 names for the tournament, and was very vocal in his displeasure with Bob Bradley over the decision, a move which could well have signalled the end of his career with the national team. He made up for the disappointment however later on in the year, as his Colorado side enjoyed a fairytale run through the MLS playoffs, culminating in the shock win of their first ever MLS Cup, as Casey was named MVP of the final. The Rapids are unlikely to repeat that success this season, but should they make a reappearance in the playoffs in 2011, you can guarantee it will be largely due to the goals of Casey.
17: Blaise Nkufo FW (Seattle Sounders) - Nkufo arrived in Seattle after the World Cup last season, and looked impressive in his limited appearances, scoring a comendable 5 goals in 11 games, including a hat-trick against Columbus Crew in September. The Congoloese-born Swiss international striker has an impressive goal scoring pedigree from his time in Europe, where he became a cult figure at FC Twente, finishing with more than 10 goals in each of the 7 seasons he played with the Dutch club. At 35, he's certainly no spring chicken, and with the Sounder having an array of attacking talent to choose from he may not even have a regular starting role, but he'll no doubt produce the goods when called upon.
16: Geoff Cameron MF (Houston Dynamo) - Poised for a stellar 2010 campaign, after being named in the 2009 MLS Best XI, Cameron's season was cruelly interupted by a serious knee injury, which ruled him out for most of the season and ended any his chances of making Bob Bradley's World Cup squad. One of the most versatile players in MLS, having played virtually every position on the pitch at some stage during his pro career, Cameron's absence was a major blow for Houston, especially after the loss of Stuart Holden to Bolton, and was no doubt a huge factor in their largely underwhelming season. Now back to full fitness, Cameron is all set to make up for lost time, and should force his way back into the national team picture before too long, the July Gold Cup squad most being likely his first goal, and his return will be a huge boost for the depleted Dynamo. Due to his age and style of play, Cameron is also one of the leading candidates in MLS to make a move abroad in the near future, and 2011 will therefore be a crucial year in the 25-year-old midfielder's career, as he looks to prove his abilities once and for all.
15: Jay DeMerit DF (Vancouver Whitecaps) - After a very impressive showing at the World Cup, it's somewhat of a surprise to see DeMerit make the move to MLS at this stage of career, especially when it was rumoured that the likes of Everton and Wolfsburg were keen on his signature. Nevertheless, as the Whitecaps captain for their first ever season in the league, DeMerit will be playing a crucial role for the Canadian side, as he looks to bring a veteran presence to a relatively young-looking defence, and become a figurehead for the franchise for years to come. The 1st season for an expansion side is generally always a rather humbling experience (unless you're the Sounders of course), and it'll be up to influencial players like DeMerit to ease the club through that difficult transition to the 'big leagues'.
14: Donovan Ricketts GK (Los Angeles Galaxy) - Having been widely criticized during his time with Bradford in the lower league of English football, Ricketts' career has been rejuvinated since his move to LA, firmly establishing himself as one of the league's best goalkeepers over the last two seasons. The Jamaican has seemingly cut out the many errors that used to plague his game and ended 2010 by being name Goalkeeper of the Year, as the Galaxy's defence conceeded just 26 goals. Currently suffering from a preseason inury, LA will be hoping Ricketts can get back to full fitness quickly, in time for the start of the season, having become such an integral part of Bruce Arena's team.
13: Kenny Cooper FW (Portland Timbers) - The Timbers undoubtedly pulled off a great piece of business, when they sealed the signature of the recently returned Cooper for their first season in MLS. Once hailed as the possible successor to Brian McBride for the national team, Cooper has so far failed to make that transition into a fully-fledged star, though there's no question that he's proved himself as a more than capable MLS striker, during his previous 4 seasons in the league. The failed transition to European football in 2009, with 1860 Munich, was certainly a significant setback for Cooper's career, but a comeback to MLS at this point should be just what is needed to set the big target man back on track, as the Timbers look to be assembling a squad to be competitive right off the bat. A former Man Utd trainee, Portland will be relying heavily on Cooper to provide the majority of their goals this season, and he is certainly capable of firing them towards playoff contention, if provided with regular service from his teammates.
12: Omar Gonzalez DF (Los Angeles Galaxy) - Only 2 years into his professional career, Gonzalez has already been singled out by many as one of the leading defenders in MLS, and a future US national team star. One of the tallest players in the league, at 6ft 5in, Gonzalez won Rookie of the Year honours in his debut season, and followed that up by being named to the All-Star team in 2010, as the Galaxy claimed the Supporter's Shield, with the best regular season record. MLS Cup victory may have alluded them last season, but LA look all set make another push for the championship this year, with Gonzalez now arguably one of the key ingredients to future success, on a team made up of established veterans and promising young talent. The 22-year-old centre back recently made his debut for the national team, against Brazil back in August last year, and despite the 2-0 defeat, looked extremely composed and comfortable at that level. Gonzalez certainly has a very promising future ahead of him and, though there will always be questions surrounding his pace, his continued growth as a player will almost certainly see him become one of the best American players around before too long.
11: Omar Cummings FW (Colorado Rapids) - Over the past 3 seasons, Cummings has quietly gone about establishing himself as one of best allround forwards in all of MLS, scoring goals at crucial moments and providing a flurry of assists for teammates, a testament to his unselfing play. Together with Conor Casey, he makes up one of the best strike-partnerships in the league, a combination which proved vital in Colorado's late season success last year. After a January move to Aston Villa broke down due to work permit issues, the Rapids will be delighted that their Jamiacan striker will be returning to the club for the 2011 season, as they look to try and remain competitive in an extremely strong Western Conference.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where we'll continue our rundown of the top 50 MLS players!
When will you present the final ten? I'm waiting! :D
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for reading, sorry not to reply sooner but work was getting in the way. Anyway, I did post the top 10 but for some reason it never showed up. It may be a bit dated now but it's up and you can read it if you so wish. Thanks!
ReplyDelete