It’s time for the end of the season scoring of the often imitated, never duplicated, original FEARLESS PREDICTIONS. (Which have been running them since 1998)
I do this bit every year, and you can look back at all the previous versions on this site if you like, they’re at the bottom of this page. Here’s last year when I rocked an 8 for the second year in a row.
Ouch 5 points. That’s not good. Maybe the 20th team will be announced soon and get me to 5 and a half.
Twenty Fearless Predictions for 2010
1. Thierry Henry will play less than 15 games this season for New York. Age and injuries are catching up with him, he just won’t be able to stay on the field enough.
0 points – he did miss some games but managed to play 26… not as few as I anticipated.
2. Carlos Ruiz will be MLS Comeback player of the Year. Is it really a comeback if he wasn’t injured but was rather just fat and lazy? I like O’Brian White’s chances at this award if Ruz isn’t deemed eligible.
0 points – Once David Beckham was eligible for this award it was going nowhere else… not that Ruiz would have won anyway.
3. A Home Grown MLS player will finish top 5 in scoring in MLS. Proving to MLS teams once and for all that their own Academies are the way to go and putting a death watch on the MLS SuperDraft.
0 points – missed bad on this one, I thought a HG player would break out. I’m looking at you JA.
4. West Finish: Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, San Jose, Colorado, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Chivas USA. Dallas being slow starters won’t be able to catch RSL and LA. San Jose is better (watch out for them), Colorado worse. Seattle is slipping. Chivas USA is a mess and worse than the expansion sides.
½ point – only miss was Seattle, the rest was fairly close to where they ended up.
5. MLS will announce the newest expansion franchise to New York and it won’t be the Cosmos. Unsuccessful gimmick is unsuccessful. Welcome to MLS Brooklyn FC and part owner Jay-Z.
½ point – they didn’t announce it yet but it sure looks like it’s happening, and sure looks like it’s not going to be Cosmos.
6. East Finish: New York, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Houston, DC United, Chicago, Columbus, New England, Toronto FC. The East isn’t that great which allows Philly, KC, and DC to improve. The Crew, Revs, and TFC are all going to struggle.
½ point – Got 4 of the top 5 and 4 of the bottom 5, only the Crew are out of place.
7. Tim Ream will be Defender of the Year for the Red Bulls. Let’s face it the kid can play, and the US Nat love will make him ever more popular.
0 points – sophomore slump for Ream. Omar Gonzalez wins.
8. FC Dallas this season will cut someone and sign their 7th home grown player. FCD used 4 Academy kids in their first reserve game… and won.
0 points – nope.
9. San Jose Earthquakes will be US Open Cup Champions. I think their ability to beat anyone day to day carries them a long way in the Cup.
0 points – never bet against Seattle in the USOC.
10. Following the Gold Cup, Bob Bradley will step down as US National Team coach. He’ll have a new job and be “moving on to something new” to a MLS team as TD or VP of soccer ops.
1 point – He got fired instead. Same thing.
11. Peter Nowak will be MLS Coach of the Year. Philly will do well in the East and the press love Nowak as he is a MLS “legend.”
0 points – When the Galaxy are good they get lots of love.
12. The Rookie of the Year will be AJ Soars. He’s going to play enough for the Revs that people will talk about Nicol’s genius drafting again. Sheanon Williams should win this award but having been a pro before MLS will say he’s not eligible.
0 points – C.J. Sapong won. AJ did start 28 games for NE and is a lock starter, but goal scorers get the glory.
13. Robert Warzycha will be fired midseason. The Crew keep losing players and it’s hard to coach without talent.
0 – points. Nope. He actually rallied the Crew for a good year.
14. New York Red Bulls will win the Supporters Shield. The Bulls will win a lot of game and RSL’s busy schedule will cost them the shield.
0 points – NYRB should have been better.
15. Chris Wondolowski repeats as the MLS Budweiser Golden Boot for the Quakes. I just have a feeling he’s gonna do it again. A rejuvenated Carlos Ruiz will shockingly run 2nd.
1 Point – um hum, nailed it.
16. Real Salt Lake will be MLS Cup Champs. I really like what Jason Kreis is doing with his team, they are built to win and their home field advantage is amazing.
0 points – RSL is dang good, just didn’t get it done in playoff time.
17. Javier Morales will finally be MLS MVP. He’s been one of the best players in MLS the last few years.
0 points – he never gets the love he should.
18. The World Football Challenge will draw big crowds. The WFC will dwarf the MLS regular season, making the WFC a win now, lose later deal for MLS.
1 point – 80k for an exhibition game? Wow.
19. Dwayne De Rosario will throw a fit when subbed out of a game. At some point this season he’ll get subbed out, refuse to shake the coach’s hand, and throw his jersey at someone… and he’ll be right to do so.
1/2 point – He asked to be traded form TFC, then got traded again, then won the MVP for a team that didn’t make the playoff and actually had a better record without him… Bizzaro De-Ro world but dang what a great player.
20. Diego Cháves will be the MLS Newcomer of the Year. Not that it will help Chicago be better than mid table.
0 points – Mauro Rosales won and was a big part of the Seattle turn around.