Rapids lead the way with offseason moves

The Major League Soccer transfer window came and went on Wednesday and while there were no high-profile deals done at the last minute like the New York Red Bulls' acquisition of Juan Pablo Angel at the deadline last season, that doesn't mean it wasn't a busy and impressive overall winter transfer period.

The league lost its share of players, such as Pat Noonan, Nate Jaqua and Eddie Johnson, but also added a pair of designated players in Marcelo Gallardo and Claudio Lopez as well as a former MLS MVP in Toronto's Amado Guevara.

The offseason wasn't just about international transfers. There were also trades within the league that could wind up making major impacts by season's end.

We won't truly know until the end of the season which teams did the best with their moves this winter, or which teams really cost themselves with bad moves or not many moves at all, but it isn't too early to offer an opinion on which teams helped themselves the most this winter, and which clubs did the least to improve heading into the 2008 season.

Here is how the league's 14 teams did with their offseason signings and trades (MLS SuperDraft not factored in).

Best offseasons

Colorado Rapids. The Rapids didn't add a bunch of new faces in the offseason, but one face that was added was playmaker Christian Gomez, a former MLS MVP who has stepped right in and played well for the most surprising team in the early MLS season. The Rapids paid a steep price for Gomez but the early results look good for Colorado. Other additions that have worked out, at least early on, are defenders Jose Burciaga and Kosuke Kimura.

Real Salt Lake. RSL added more new players than anybody this offseason and any concerns about that group needing time to gel have been answer to some degree. Leading the newcomers are defender Nat Borchers, who has taken over as the club's defensive leader, and Dema Kovalenko, who was plucked off the Red Bulls scrap heap and has given RSL sorely-needed grit and energy.

Toronto FC. Toronto would have been in the Worst offseason category if not for its activity in recent weeks. TFC has added Guevara, French winger Laurent Robert, English winger Rohan Ricketts and will add Ivorian defender Olivier Tebily. That foursome could give Toronto the boost it needs to challenge in the East.

Kansas City Wizards. The Wizards didn't add a bunch of players, but it may have added by subtracting some players. Nick Garcia and Jose Burciaga became defensive liabilities last year and the Wizards' ability to deal them both and land No. 1 overall draft pick Chance Myers in the process was a huge score. Then you have the one major addition the team did make, Argentine forward Claudio Lopez, who has already taken on a strong leadership role.

Mixed offseasons

New England Revolution. You may think having the Revs in this group is crazy, but you must remember that standout Gambian youngsters Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi both joined New England last season. As far as this year's additions go, Honduran midfielder Mauricio Castro has already shown good quality, but it remains to be seen whether the additions of Chris Albright and Argenis Fernandez will make impacts and whether the Revs came out ahead after losing Pat Noonan, Andy Dorman and Avery John.

D.C. United. So how is D.C. United in this group considering all the players they added? Well, it boils down to the fact that we still don't know whether D.C. made the right decision in letting Christian Gomez go and signing Marcelo Gallardo. Yes, Gallardo's resume is more impressive and his pedigree is strong, but Gomez has been a success in MLS for years. It is also forgotten that Gallardo was not United's first choice, Juan Sebastian Veron was.

Gonzalo Martinez has been a strong addition but Gonzalo Peralta has looked very shaky early in the season. It also remains to be seen whether D.C. made up for the loss of goalkeeper Troy Perkins with the additions of Zach Wells and Jose Carvallo.

Chicago Fire. Polish forward Tomasz Frankowski has enjoyed a good beginning of the MLS season , looking every bit like the forward Chicago needed, but he has been alone in that department. Re-acquired forward Andy Herron hasn't shown much and the Fire hasn't made any other significant additions. The club's need for some help on the flanks went unresolved.

Chivas USA. The Goats biggest move came by luck in the form of Brad Guzan being denied a British work permit. There were plenty of other moves as well, including the additions of Rafael Wicky, Jim Curtin, Alecko Eskandarian and Atiba Harris. All four newcomers have question marks and the early signs are that Chivas USA will struggle to match last year's success.

FC Dallas. The Hoops traded Carlos Ruiz and lost defenders Clarence Goodson, Chris Gbandi and Alex Yi. They added Mexican defender Duilio Davino, who has had mixed results, and Brazilian midfielder Andres Rocha, who has shown some promise. Not exactly a great offseason. So why is FC Dallas unbeaten? Having Kenny Cooper and Adrian Serioux healthy helps.

Columbus Crew. The Crew added Argentine defender Gino Padula and midfielders Brian Carroll and Adam Moffatt. All three look like capable starters, but the Crew's inability to land the target forward it desperately needed keeps Columbus from being anywhere but in this group.

Worst offseasons

New York Red Bulls. Keeping Jozy Altidore in MLS was a major victory in itself, but the team's slow offseason has made head coach Juan Carlos Osorio's job a difficult one. The team added Colombian forward Oscar Echeverry, who has shown some promise, but the Red Bulls failed to address key defensive issues, something that could put the team into a deep hole in a fast-improving Eastern Conference.

San Jose Earthquakes. Yes, we know, San Jose is an expansion team, and the Earthquakes should be cut some slack. This is true, but the team's inability to land a true high-profile attacking player is a cause for concern. Securing Haitian forward Jean Philippe Peguero on loan should help, as should the arrival of Irish winger and former MLS All-Star Ronnie O'Brien, but that probably won't be enough to help San Jose escape the inevitability of last place.

Los Angeles Galaxy. The Galaxy added Carlos Ruiz, which should pay dividends, but the team's other additions are less than remarkable. Midfielder Alvaro looks average and defender Greg Vanney has looked awful early on. Los Angeles' inability to address its defensive issues could cause major problems all year long.

Houston Dynamo. The champs lost Nate Jaqua, Joseph Ngwenya and Kenny Dalglish, but managed to add only unproven Argentine forward Franco Caraccio. The trade of Zach Wells for Bobby Boswell isn't exactly paying dividends, and it is tough to deny that the 2008 Dynamo are worse than the 2007 Dynamo.

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet. He also writes a blog, Soccer By Ives and can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com.