March 03, 2017
Daniel Gajdamowicz/Philly Soccer Page
Toronto FC is the consensus favorite to win the Eastern Conference in 2017.
If you're reading this article, then you've successfully made it through the MLS offseason.
There's a lot to look forward to in 2017, with two new teams entering the league, a number of intriguing foreign signings, and a Philadelphia Union club that has the potential to be pretty good, or pretty bad.
There are a lot of question marks surrounding the Union, which makes it impossible to predict how they'll do this year.
Can Chris Pontius replicate his 2016 season?
Is Haris Medunjanin the missing piece in the midfield?
Where will record signing Alejandro Bedoya even play?
How many goals can Jay Simpson score?
What about the health of Maurice Edu, Josh Yaro, and Oguchi Onyewu?
I have no clue what's going to happen, and that's what makes covering the Union and MLS interesting and entertaining. This isn't like the NBA, where we know the Cavs will probably meet the Warriors in the finals. This isn't like the NFL, where Tom Brady will probably find his way back to the Super Bowl. The captivating thing about MLS is the league-wide parity that makes anything possible.
Overall record – 11 wins, 12 losses, 11 draws (44 points, seventh place in the east)
Home record – 7 wins, 4 losses, 6 draws (27 points)
Road record – 4 wins, 8 losses, 5 draws (17 points)
Goals scored – 49
Goals conceded – 50
Top goal scorer – Chris Pontius (10 goals)
Top assist provider – tie between Haris Medunjanin and Alejandro Bedoya (7 assists)
All-Star selections – Andre Blake
Most improved player – Ilsinho
Union newcomer of the year – Haris Medunjanin
Number of starts for Maurice Edu – 6
Number of starts for Josh Yaro – 14
Number of starts for Oguchi Onyewu – 10
Number of starts for Ken Tribbett – 10
Player most likely to leave in the summer – Roland Alberg
Player who won't start the season opener, but will eventually force his way into the lineup – Fafa Picault
Jim Curtin's most difficult lineup choice – Ilsinho vs. Fabian Herbers at right midfield
Biggest concern for Union fans – health of Onyewu, Yaro, and Edu, plus the risk of Herbers and Keegan Rosenberry going through sophomore slumps
Goals for Jay Simpson – 9
Goals for C.J. Sapong – 5
Goals for Charlie Davies – 2
Most important game of the year – Sunday, June 18th vs. Red Bull at Talen Energy Stadium
U.S. Open Cup performance – eliminated in quarterfinals by Chicago Fire
1. Toronto
2. New York Red Bulls
3. New York City FC
4. Montreal Impact
5. Atlanta United
6. D.C. United
7. Philadelphia Union
8. Chicago Fire
9. New England Revolution
10. Orlando City
11. Columbus Crew
1. FC Dallas
2. Seattle Sounders
3. Colorado Rapids
4. Real Salt Lake
5. Sporting KC
6. LA Galaxy
7. Portland Timbers
8. Vancouver Whitecaps
9. San Jose Earthquakes
10. Minnesota United
11. Houston Dynamo
Golden Boot – David Villa (22 goals)
Most assists – Nicolas Lodeiro (19)
Supporter's Shield – FC Dallas
MLS Cup – Dallas 2, Toronto 1
U.S. Open Cup – Seattle Sounders
Canadian Championship – Montreal Impact
CONCACAF Champion's League – Pachuca 3:2 Tigres (on aggregate)
Defender of the year – Matt Hedges
Newcomer of the year – Miguel Almiron
Player who will continue to perform at a high level with little media recognition– tie between Drew Moor and Sam Cronin
Breakout player of the year – Matteo Mancosu, Marlon Hairston
Comeback player of the year – Clint Dempsey
Coach of the year – Gerardo Martino
Best game of the year – New York City vs. New York Red Bulls, Sunday, August 6th
Worst game of the year – Houston vs. San Jose, Saturday, August 12th
Most yellow cards – Marcelo Sarvas
Most red cards – Kendall Waston
Most minutes played (not counting goalkeepers) – Richie Marquez
Most overrated soccer statistic – time of possession
Most underrated soccer statistic – final third entries
Most bothersome statistical topic – failure to differentiate between primary and secondary assists
Promising American player who should move to Europe, but won't – Darlington Nagbe
Biggest media shortcoming – not enough reporters will re-watch game film
Position that not enough people will pay attention to – defensive midfield
Biggest tactical shortcoming – not enough risk-taking with shape or system
Pointless coaching behavior that will continue – complaining to the fourth official
Biggest refereeing concern – games that fall apart in the final ten minutes because of a failure to establish first-half disciplinary precedent
Coach most likely to not make it through the year – Gregg Berhalter
Team that needs a coaching change, for the sake of everybody – Arsenal
