The State of the States | May, 2010

The big European leagues are winding down, Major League Soccer approaches the quarter-way mark, and the World Cup is looming just a month in the future. It's time for the latest installment of "The State of the States."

It's Still Early, But...

More suspicious minds than yours truly might be wondering that the two "flagship," big-market teams, the Galaxy and Red Bulls, sit atop their respective conferences in the league during a year when the World Cup will focus more attention than usual on the domestic league. But this is MLS; nothing shady happens behind the scenes here, right? Conspiracy theories aside, the Galaxy's start has been nothing short of remarkable. Eight games, seven wins, one draw, only two goals conceded. You've got to wonder if not having the Beckham circus tents pitched around the club has been a factor. The players certainly seem to be enjoying their soccer and each other.

On the other end of the spectrum are some of the teams that are having surprising early-season struggles. RSL, fresh from their MLS Cup triumph, have stumbled out of the gates, though that's pretty much their established pattern over their short history. After an impressive pre-season, many expected DC United to be at least amongst the playoff contenders this year, but an 0-5 start seems to have cast the icy waters of reality on those hopes. And while Chicago is struggling more than may have been expected, it's Seattle, currently sitting bottom of the Western Conference, that has been the biggest disappointment.

Who's Behind Door #3?

Last month I pointed out coach Bob Bradley's conundrum with the striker spots. He's got Charlie Davies himself making a miraculous recovery, trying to fill the void created when he dropped out of the picture in the fall. Herculez Gomez had a remarkable run in the Mexican top-flight to stake his claim to challenge for a spot. And now we have a couple of late bids being entered by Eddie Johnson, who seems to have found his scoring touch for Aris in the Greek playoffs, and particularly Edson Buddle, currently racking up more than a goal per game in the young MLS season. It probably won't hurt Buddle's case that many of his goals feature combinations with Landon Donovan, a fixture on the national team.

The Get-Fit Shuffle

With the Euro-leagues putting their long seasons to bed, you've got to wonder about the fitness of some of the players that may be instrumental to the USA's hopes in South Africa. Clint Dempsey completed his return from injury and seems to be in decent form for Fulham, but the likes of Stuart Holden and Oguchi Onyewu will be lacking match sharpness when Bob calls his 30. Ricardo Clark did manage to squeeze in a few starts for Frankfurt, while Mo Edu looks to be over his long layoff as well. Also of concern may be Jozy Altidore, whose head-butt dismissal saw him miss Hull City's last two games through suspension.

Going Forward

So what should the intrepid American soccer fan be watching out for in the month to come?