In part three of our MLS preview we look at the No 8 through No 5 ranked teams for 2011.
The top picks will be revealed Friday afternoon.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
No 8 - Kansas City
With a new stadium to look forward to and a solid close to 2010 to build on, KC looks to be a solid, if not spectacular side.
There no real weakness and some nice attacking options -- not the least of which (stop here Canadian national team fans) being Teal Bunbury. The turncoat looks like the real deal and since his injury was less serious than first thought he looks ready for a breakout year.
If that happens, KC should be a solid playoff side that slots somewhere below the true contenders, but above the mess of the bottom 10.
No 7 -- San Jose
The Earthquakes were the surprise team of 2010. They succeeded with a strong midfield and Chris Wondolowski’s breakout season.
Wondolowski likely won't repeat his 2010 - that would be a big ask. However, the 'Quakes play a great team game and Frank Yallop seems to have finally remembered how to coach again.
A drop back seems unlikely. Actually, if you were looking for a third straight darkhorse MLS Cup pick you could do worse than San Jose.
No 6 -- Seattle Sounders
With Freddie gone this is now Fredy's team. If the Sounders are to make the jump from very good to elite they will need the young star to live up to his new, big contract.
They also need their original signing, Casey Keller, to hold back father time one more season. It hit Houston's Pat Onstad quickly and the effect was devastating. The Sounders had best hope there isn't a repeat in the northwest. He doesn't have a great backline in front of him either.
This might be Seattle's last good shot at the MLS Cup for a couple years. They are a contender, but, unlike 2010, we're not willing to label them a runaway favourite.
No 5 -- Colorado
The champions will probably get a MLS Cup bump. The confidence of winning the championship can do wonders in a league like MLS where teams are close in talent. However, the truth is the Rapids weren't an elite team last year. They just won, that's all.
Still, Connor Casey and Omar Cummings are as good a 1-2 as you'll find up front in MLS and they will continue to cause chaos across the league.
There is more to this team than Casey and Cummings though. The midfield is solid, especially in the holding position, and the Rapids can play the cynical, physical game that is often successful in MLS as well as any team.
They aren't the favourite, but they can repeat. It will be interesting to see how the Rapids do in the CONCACAF Champions League and how that impacts their playoff push.