Attacking players are often the first to get looks from abroad when the transfer window opens up and MLS teams get worried about losing their best.  Because of this fact, teams are often constantly looking for new attacking talent.  Though traditionally South America and Africa have been the first choices for finding international talent, MLS scouts would do well to look to Asia as well.

Sunil Chetri, a diminutive, 24 year-old striker who also happens to be the Indian National Team’s top attacking threat and the I-League’s top domestic scorer, could be a major coup for an MLS side.  Chetri has been playing in India for the last few months after a trial with Coventry City in England, and he has been linked to Fulham and two anonymous MLS teams in the past.  If Chetri were to make the move to the United States, not only would he be a valuable addition to his squad, his presence in the league would immediately boost the profile of both club and league in India, an emerging international football market.  For Sunil, the move to higher competition could only improve the lethal attacker as a player, which would in turn benefit his national side.

To this point, USL clubs have been much better about scouting Asian talent than MLS teams.  Portland, for example, has brought in several Japanese players, as well as Solomon Islands international Benjamin Totori.  It would be exciting for MLS fans, as well as Asian fans, if MLS started reaching out to more Asian players.

1. Seattle (3-0-0)- The Sounders continue to roll on the road at hostile BMO Field, even without wunderkind Fredy Montero.  As Freddie Ljungberg returns to form, this team could get even more dangerous.  The only question is whether they have the defensive depth to weather injuries.

2. Chivas USA (3-0-0)- The Goats are somehow managing to win games with an injury list that looks like a starting lineup.  They didn’t look overpowering against Columbus, but winning 3 of 3 is impressive for this league. Perhaps most importantly, they managed to score with Kljestan effectively taken out of the game.

3. Chicago (2-0-1)- As usual, the Fire are the early season class of the East.  Winning a 10-on-11 contest shows that this team has the resilience that last year’s lacked.  There is impressive offensive depth, with Rolfe and Blanco on the bench, but can the defense hold up over the course of the season?

4. New England (2-0-1)- Nipping at the heels of Chicago in the East.  Having to come from behind at home to beat Dallas is worrying, but you can’t argue with the results.  The next contests (DC and RSL) will be better tests of what this team can do.

5. Colorado (2-1-0)- So they can beat LA and Kansas City.  The big test for them will be at Columbus next week.  The Crew will be at home and fighting desperately to regain a shred of respect.  Colorado’s road win over LA was impressive, but most teams won’t give up the easy goals that the Rapids managed to poach.

6. Real Salt Lake (1-1-0)- Two ends of the spectrum from RSL.  Will this be like last season where they dominate at home and flounder on the road?  Benefited from some huge errors by Columbus, but still managed to beat the defending champs 4-1 (does that mean anything right now, though?).  Can Findley and Movsisyan keep it up?

7. Toronto FC (1-1-1)- Showed some flashes in the windy home loss to Seattle.  When will TFC find a consistent goal-scoring threat?  If the Reds can’t beat Dallas next week, John Carver will be in hot water up north.

8. DC United (1-0-2)- Less than impressive in a game where they had a man advantage at home against Houston.  Couldn’t create very much on offense until the end.  Circle the Eagles’ tie with RSL next week as the most potentially enlightening game of the week, as both are in a good position in the standings.

9. Kansas City (1-2-0)- Maybe the Wizards found the right defensive combination against San Jose?  2-0 over the Quakes is impressive, but they’re still one of the worst defensive teams in the East.  Can they be the first to keep Seattle out of the W column next week?

10. San Jose (1-2-0)- How can they score so little when they have so many experienced playmakers?  The Quakes can redeem an ugly road loss to KC at home against Chicago next week.  Paging Bobby Convey.

11. Houston (0-2-1)- The class of the winless ranks of MLS.  There’s plenty of fight in this team, they just haven’t been getting the bounces thus far.  The Dynamo no longer have a consistent midfield presence with D-Ro gone.  Cameron and Mullan are good at times, but neither is much of a revelation.

12. Columbus (0-2-2)- Showed some fight with 10 men against Chivas, but the injuries are mounting and this team doesn’t have the same confidence that it did last year.  Could Sigi Schmid have been the difference maker?  Even Guillermo Barros Schelotto looks off.  A home win against Colorado would be huge next week.

13. Los Angeles (0-1-1)- The talent is there, but it is horribly inconsistent.  Omar Gonzalez’s roller coaster performance perfectly exemplify this.  Can a 35 year-old 2.Bundesliga defender really improve the backline?  Does anyone really miss David Beckham?

14. New York (0-1-2)- The only consolation for The Red Bulls is that they aren’t the worst team in MLS.  However, Houston would seem to be ripe for a road upset.

15. FC Dallas (0-0-3)- There is no consolation for Dallas.  They let a 1-0 lead slip away at New England and now have to travel to Toronto.  Off-season improvements look like a waste at this point.

RSL took it to a banged up and shorthanded Columbus squad last night, mostly behind F Robbie Findley’s hat trick (the first in RSL history).  Both teams were missing some internationals, but the weather, fatigue, and lingerging injuries (M Robbie Rogers, F Guillermo Barros Schelotto) did the defending champs in.  Crew fans should find some consolation in the team’s first two performances; the team on the field at the Rio Tinto was vastly different from the one that threw away a win against TFC in Columbus.  The Crew’s defense looked sluggish and RSL’s athletic forwards, Findley and Yura Movsisyan were able to take advantage of that.  The disconnect between Schelotto, Rogers, and F Jason Garey further propounded Columbus’s problems, as they were unable to create anything in the box.  It’s clear that the Crew missed Hejduk, Moreno, and a healthy Rogers.  On a night when even Chad Marshall looked suspect, the Crew were never going to come away victorious.

Crew Player Ratings:

GK Will Hesmer 5: The first two goals were entirely Hesmer’s fault.  He wasn’t able to hang onto a free kick and his poor kicking continues to haunt the Crew after kicking one right to Robbie Findley, giving him an easy 1-on-1

D Gino Padula 7: Padula continues to look more and more comfortable in MLS.  His offensive support is minimal, but he is solid at the back and last night’s effort was no different.

D Danny O’Rourke 5: Often tries to rely on his pace to beat forwards one-on-one, but showed once again that he doesn’t have the ability to outfox more athletic attackers.  Looked overmatched all night.

D Chad Marshall 6.5: Made several important tackles, but also had a few slip-ups.  Never made any impact on the Crew’s numerous set pieces.

D Jed Zayner 6: Another marginal performance from a marginal player.  I’m surprised RSL didn’t attack him more, he never does anything too spectacular at the back, but he did what he had to do.  Doesn’t add anything to the attack from the fullback position because his delivery into the box in marginal.

M Brian Carroll 6.5: Was able to keep RSL’s playmaking M Javier Morales out of the game.  On the other hand, he looked downright uncomfortable with the ball at his feet.

M Robbie Rogers 5.5: Did not contribute much.  It’s clear that his injury is still bothering him.  He didn’t look confident on the ball and his delivery was poor.

M Emmanuel Ekpo 6: Had a few positive plays on offense, but looked overmatched by RSL’s physical defense.  Doesn’t often get a chance to use his pace in the middle of the field, and his one-on-one efforts are nullified by being surrounded by defenders.

M Eddie Gaven 6: Was one of the lone bright spots on offense for the Crew.  Made good runs and used his speed, but was single-handedly responsible for an RSL goal when he whiffed on a corner.

F Guillermo Barros Schelotto 6: Kept at bay by RSL.  Made some good passes, as well as some foolish ones.  Probably hampered by the injury he picked up last week.

F Jason Garey 6.5: Notched the lone Crew goal and worked hard all night.  Couldn’t capitalize on a few chances.

Subs

F Alejandro Moreno 5.5: Clearly tired from traveling 12,000 miles.  Had little impact.

F Steven Lenhart 5: Continues to be unimpressive.  Made from the hard-working Moreno mold with less strength and skill.

Ricketts was thurst into the international spotlight when he was the backup keeper on Jamaica’s surprise 1998 World Cup squad.  In 2004 he made a move to Premier League side Bolton Wanderers, but never played in a match and was loaned to League Two Bradford City.  Ricketts eventually became a fixture in net for Bradford City, starting 80 consecutive games, and was in line for a move to Queens Park Rangers before work permit complications forced him back to Jamaica.  Back in his home country, Ricketts joined Village United last season and has split time between club and country, taking up the role of Vice Captain of the Jamaican National Team.

In his first match with Village United, Ricketts was replaced after complaining of double vision from being hit in the head with a ball.  Even with double vision, Ricketts could probably still mind the goal better than 2008 keeper platooners Josh Wicks and Steve Cronin who combined to allow 56 goals in 28 games, an even 2 goals allowed per game.  Clearly, Bruce Arena’s latest signing addresses a pressing need for Los Angeles.

This can be nothing but good news for Columbus fans, as the official announcement means the Crew can get on with their offseason roster finagling.

After a fantastic showing in the Champions League against New England, Richardson not only disappeared in that contest, but also only managed 3 league goals all season long in the TT Pro League, failing to make the T&T Express season All-Star team.

Richardson is 26 years old, meaning his days are probably numbered as a striker that relies heavily on pace.  After a few outstanding performances, 2008 was turning into a make or break year for Richardson’s chances to move on to MLS.  With the buzz that momentarily surrounded him completely gone now, it looks as if Richardson didn’t quite make it.

Edit: Richardson has signed with Colorado, but has not yet earned a spot on the bench for any of the Rapids’s matches.  Perhaps he’ll see action in the U.S. Open Cup.

If Izaguirra ends up signing with the Revs, that would be their second signing of  a player from a CONCACAF member nation in four months after signing Costa Rican center back Gabriel Badilla.

Check below for a compilation of Izaguirre making simple passes and getting tackled from behind while listening to low-budget trance music

But would a move right now really be the best thing for his game?  Kljestan has the opportunity for a serious pay raise if he makes a move, but his play is not at the level it needs to be to start for, say, Celtic.  To me, Kljestan is still a player defined by his frustrating inconsistency: he mixes flashes of brilliance so often with disappearing acts that he fails to catch the eye for more than one game at a time.  Furthermore, he makes great runs, but often seems to lack a top-notch ability to make decisions in the final third.

Given his flaws, Kljestan may either play on a reserve team, or go out for a loan spell and end up with a lower division team, possibly playing at a lower competitive level than he currently is in MLS.  If he were to stay in Los Angeles, Kljestan could hone his game for a year or two before making the leap to a side where he could make a more immediate impact.  Playing in the Eredivisie may be his best shot at playing right away.

It does, however, seem to be in Sacha’s best interest to strike while the iron is hot.  A move overseas would mean a bigger paycheck, as well as entrance into the European scouting crucible, where he will be most certainly be evaluated by more clubs than he can be right now, even if he is playing second-tier football.

Of course, staying in the States benefits the league greatly, but especially Chivas USA, who could very well be in for a big shakeup soon, even after a second-place finish in the Western Conference last season.  The more talent that stays in the United States, the better for the league.  Adding European money to the MLS coffers cannot balance out losing a young talent like Kljestan whose ability and potential can continue to raise the standard for a league that needs to continue to set the bar higher for itself.

Simmons began his UMass career as a true walk-on (not an invited one), but earned significant playing time by his sophomore year.  Over the course of his career, his Goals Allowed Average dropped from around 1.5 to just below .8 goals per game and his save percentage rose from 78% to 85% of shots saved.  Amazingly, his numbers improved from 2007–when he was awarded All-American honors as well as being named the Umbro National Player of the Year and a member of the College Cup All-Tournament team–to 2008.  His play was instrumental in UMass’s second straight Atlantic 10 Championship.

But Simmons isn’t just a star on the field.  In the classroom, he is an Economics and History double major who boasts an astonishing 3.99 GPA and was named ESPN The Magazine’s Top Academic All-American for all sports.

Simmons was named a Second-Team All-American by College Soccer News in 2008 and was selected as their top keeper for the 2008 MLS Superdraft.  At 6’2, he does not have outstanding size, but that is above average for a professional keeper and MLS Keeper of the Year Jon Busch is only 5’9.

If the MLS is serious about improving American soccer, they need to be serious about paying attention to the college game, their best source for homegrown talent.  My guess is that Simmons is going to make a solid if not spectacular keeper some day, and someone is going to question how they missed out on him.  Most likely, a team like Chicago that does an excellent job of scouting the college ranks will pick him up in the middle rounds of the draft.

So tell me again: why wasn’t Simmons one of the seven keepers chosen for the MLS Combine?

He may have to fight for a spot in Columbus, as two of the three players the Crew rotated in that spot are definitely returning, with Chad Marshall the wildcard.  If Marshall resigns with the Canaries instead of heading for Europe, Boswell would have to look elsewhere.

In Chicago he would be playing in front of MLS Keeper of the Year Jon Busch, but would be stepping into a defensive unit that will suffer a few losses this offseason, and thus a hit to their chemistry.

New England lost Michael Parkhurst to Europe, but Boswell could team with Costa Rican import Gabriel Badilla to form a solid central duo in Boston.

Chivas USA would probably love to add Boswell to complement Shavar Thomas, but Thomas is not nearly the potential partner that Badilla would be and playing for Chivas may just be the least rewarding experience in the league.

Los Angeles is always in need of defenders and may be too much of a landmine to step into (the Galaxy probably don’t have the money to spend anyway), but Boswell would be on the league’s highest-profile team and having both Boswell and Franklin in defense could be the stabilizing force LA needs.

In the end, Boswell’s best option might be staying in Houston.  If the Dynamo can reload up front, they may have just as good a chance as anyone in the league of holding the 2009 MLS Cup after not making it to the finals for the first time in three years in 2008.

Regardless of where he goes, what will Boswell’s new team be getting?  According to Cosmo magazine:

“I am optimistic, work well under pressure, and am goofy.”

What does Boswell look for in a partner?:

“Confidence and enthusiasm are big for me. I like girls [or teams] who challenge themselves.”

The man has spoken MLS, now go show him what you’ve got.