Things to watch for in 2005
The new year with all its promise and uncertainty surely has all 12 MLS clubs thinking the upcoming season will end in triumph for them. However for Bruce Arena and the regulars on the U.S. national team it's a different story. Qualification for the 2006 World cup will be tougher than ever. The USSF and the player's union still need to come to an agreement before the final stage of qualifying begins. Making matters worse is that the U.S. faces a difficult 10-game schedule which includes a road trip to Mexico.
Some things we do know: The new home of FC Dallas -- the Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center -- will take its place alongside the Home Depot Center as the two model soccer facilities in the United States. Chivas USA will set attendance records in its first year in existence. John O'Brien will get healthy, then get injured, recover and then get injured again. Arena will invite Freddy Adu to at least one camp for the full national team. Finally, the hairstyle that Clint Mathis starts the year wearing in Salt Lake City won't be the one he ends the year with.
Anything else that transpires over the next 12 months will be a mystery.
While you're busy predicting just what players the U.S. will be sending to the Caribbean next month, here's a list of 25 players and coaches to watch in 2005:
1. John O'Brien -- The aforementioned midfielder for the national team is determined to get back in the swing of things for both club (Ajax) and country in 2005. When healthy, the 27-year-old from Playa del Rey, Calif., is right there with Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Claudio Reyna as the most important players for the U.S. Unfortunately, various hamstring and Achilles tendon injuries have slowed his career. For O'Brien, '05 has to be better than a disastrous '04.
2. Alecko Eskandarian -- What can the left-footed striker do for an encore in '05? Now entering his third year in the league, the former University of Virginia All-American no longer has to worry about playing time after a breakout season last year for D.C. United. His next hurdle appears to be making his presence felt with the National Team, which should happen this year.
3. Danny Szetela -- Last year's awkward late-season signing with the Columbus Crew made it difficult for the 17-year-old midfielder to make an impact. Subsequently he had limited opportunities to show the type of skills that had English sides such as Everton drooling over him before he decided to play in MLS. Szetela should push for a starting role with the Crew this season. He'll also be one of the go-to players for Sigi Schmid, as the Under-20 National Team looks to qualify for the FIFA World Youth Championships later this year in the Netherlands.
4. Brian Ching -- With Donovan in Germany and seemingly half of his teammates from the past two seasons gone as well, the San Jose striker will have increased pressure on his shoulders. He'll probably have to work harder for all of his goals.
5. Eddie Gaven -- The MetroStars midfielder got a taste of what World Cup qualifying was all about last year. This year, he may be relied upon to do more than just soak up his surroundings when the national team makes difficult road trips to Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
6. Chad Marshall -- Some would argue that this strong centerback deserved to win Rookie of the Year honors for Columbus last season. Regardless, his impact was immeasurable and his learning curve was noticeable having veterans such as Robin Fraser, Simon Elliott and Tony Sanneh surrounding him on the field. Last year's second selection in the MLS SuperDraft is expected to get a shot with the national team at some point this year.
7. John Harkes -- The fact that the former U.S. national team captain applied for the head coaching job with the Rochester Rhinos shows where his future may lie. From this point on, any time a coaching job comes available in MLS, expect to see his name pop up while he waits in the weeds as the Director of Youth Development for D.C. United.
8. Ryan Cochrane -- Dom Kinnear will look to this 21-year-old centerback to lead his backline now that Jeff Agoos is gone. In his rookie campaign, the Santa Clara product was impressive during his 19 starts. However, it'll be much more difficult for him and his teammates in the back this season without having all the firepower up top and in the midfield in front of them.
9. Jordan Cila -- As an undrafted rookie out of Duke, this former U-17 national team standout put up solid numbers in his first year with the Colorado Rapids. By scoring four goals to go with two assists, he finished tied for third on the team in scoring, and found the back of the net more than established veterans such as John Spencer, Mark Chung and Chris Henderson. With Spencer gone, his role will undoubtedly change from super-sub to starter in '05.
10. Michael Parkhurst -- Opting for the Project-40 route after three impressive seasons for Wake Forest, the Cranston, R.I., native is probably the most talented player available in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft that takes place on January 14 in Baltimore. However, new Real Salt Lake head coach John Ellinger hasn't always been enamored with Parkhurst going back to the days when he played at the Bradenton Soccer Academy which shared fields with Ellinger's U-17 National Team. After trading Evan Whitfield to Real Salt Lake last week, the Chicago Fire are in need of another solid defender to play alongside Jim Curtin, which makes Parkhurst a likely pick at No. 3 should RSL and Chivas USA pass him up with the first two selections as expected.
11. Kristine Lilly -- My sources are telling me that April Heinrichs is looking to turn the world's all-time leader in caps into a left back for the women's national team. Considering the 33-year-old Lilly remains one of the best midfielders in the world, it doesn't seem like a wise move.
12. Clint Mathis -- Real Salt Lake is hoping to get the player that finished second in the league in scoring back in 2000 when he lit up the nets for 16 goals while splitting time with the L.A. Galaxy and MetroStars. Hopefully it won't be the version that failed to score in his final eight matches with the Metros in 2003 before heading over to Germany. Perhaps the change of scenery -- the familiarity of being back in the U.S., and away from the NYC party scene - and being partnered with someone like Jason Kreis, will serve the 28-year-old striker well in his return to MLS.
13. Davy Arnaud -- Was last year's performance with the Kansas City Wizards an aberration or the start of good things to come?
14. Kasey Keller -- Manchester United is looking for a goalkeeper with a bit more experience than Tim Howard and with more ability than Roy Carroll. Does anyone see a potential match here? The U.S. National Team stalwart is currently number one in Arena's depth chart and definitely has two or three years of top-level soccer left in him before he returns to the U.S. to play in MLS.
15. Charlie Davies -- I'm told the Boston College freshman is leaving school for MLS. At least that's what he's been quietly telling people for two months now. It's uncertain whether he can make an immediate impact in the league. However there aren't too many teams who will be able to pass up the potential they see in him. Davies is a possible first-round selection.
16. Bobby Convey -- His club, Reading, currently sits on the edge of getting promoted to the English Premier League. If Convey's side is able to achieve promotion, his move last summer will have been worth it. If not, the 21-year-old midfielder should move on to a club that where he could be a regular starter.
17. Wade Barrett -- The left back wants to return to MLS to play for the San Jose Earthquakes, which is expected to happen sometime this month. If so, he could play his way back into the national team pool as he did in 2002 when he parlayed a Best XI season with the 'Quakes into a few call-ups from Arena.
18. Landon Donovan -- Bayer Leverkusen finally got its man. Should the 22-year-old star come in and make a difference, as expected, his profile around the world will likely explode. Pundits all over the globe have been waiting for him to perform well outside of MLS before they include him in the same sentence with the other elite young players in the world.
19. Bryan Namoff -- The D.C. United defender turned heads throughout the playoffs, especially during his commanding performance in the MLS Cup against Kansas City. Without Ryan Nelsen to rely on in the back, Namoff's role will be even more vital to Peter Nowak's side in '05.
20. Chris Klein -- How the Kansas City Wizards were able to advance to the MLS Cup final after Klein suffered a torn ACL in August is still a mystery. Once he is back to full fitness, Klein could play a big role in qualifying for Arena, not to mention help the Wizards contend in what should be a very strong Eastern Conference this season.
21. Brad Friedel -- The Blackburn goalkeeper has only played once for the U.S. since his scintillating performance at the 2002 World Cup, and he mentioned last fall that he may retire from international play. If he isn't in the mix at least a few times over the next 10 months of qualifying, it's doubtful he'll ever appear in a U.S. jersey again.
22. Steve Sampson -- Since Chivas USA is now sharing the Home Depot Center and will be getting the majority of the attention in SoCal, the former U.S. national team boss will have more pressure on him than ever to guide the L.A. Galaxy back to the playoffs.
23. Taylor Twellman -- Is this the year he cements himself as a striker on the National Team?
24. Jonathan Spector -- Alex Ferguson doesn't pull back players from an arranged loan unless he thinks very highly of them. Once the Chicago native finally moves to Blackburn on loan, he'll likely get a chance to play week-in and week-out for a side that plays a heck of a lot more defense than Red Devils do.
25. Freddy Adu -- After scoring five goals for the top club in MLS as a rookie, perhaps reaching double digits isn't out of his range in '05. Same goes for a shot with the national team.
Marc Connolly covers soccer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at: marc@oakwoodsoccer.com.
