MLS Players That USMNT Fans Should Keep An Eye On In 2010

Well, we had to sweat it out, but the MLS season will go ahead without any delay thanks to the new CBA that was signed this past weekend.  Up until this point, I was hesitant to dedicate much time to any MLS previews, but now that everything is back on track, I'm ready to give you some thoughts on the season that lies ahead.

Whether they are prospects for future cycles, 2010 World Cup hopefuls, or USMNT regulars, there are plenty of MLS players that USMNT fans should keep an eye on throughout the 2010 season.  Here are a few worth keeping track of:

The Rookies

Several prominent US youth players have made the jump to the professional ranks this offseason, most notably Luis Gil, Jack McInerney, and Ike Opara.  Gil was the last of the three to sign with MLS, opting to stay Stateside rather than move to Europe and securing a move to Real Salt Lake after initially being allocated to Kansas City.  The way RSL's midfield stacks up, I can't see Gil getting too many minutes in league play, with mop up minutes in a blow out being one possible exception.  Gil will likely earn most of his minutes (if, that is, he does get any) in Open Cup or CONCACAF Champions League play, but once again, that will most likely be in a late game substitute role.  While some may question the wisdom of signing a pro deal and missing out on valuable game experience at this critical juncture in development, I won't say that Gil's decision to turn pro was a bad one.  After all, player development varies on a case-by-case basis, and training in a pro environment closer to home may be better for Gil in the long run than a stint overseas.  Only time will tell. 

McInerney, meanwhile, steps into a pretty good situation in Philadelphia under the tutelage of Piotr Nowak, who happened to be at the helm when another youth star made the jump to the pro ranks with good success (Freddy Adu).  He's had a solid preseason with the Union and seems to be in a better position to earn some minutes than his U-17 teammate.  As it stands, McInerney is fourth in the forward depth chart, so an injury or two would put him closer to the playing field.  Like Gil, US Open Cup play will likely be where McInerney earns most of his minutes to start out, but I could see him earning substitute minutes in league play somewhat regularly in the second half of the season.

Opara joins a San Jose Earthquakes team that allowed the most goals in all of MLS last season.  Last season, it was another rookie center back successfully stepping into a shambolic defense and eventually winning rookie of the year, Omar Gonzalez, so Opara's youth and the comparative defensive struggles of his team in seasons past doesn't necessarily preclude a great transition into the pro game.  Along with his U-20 center back partner Gale Agbossoumonde, Opara is considered to be a top center back prospect for the future, so USMNT fans should keep an on the Bay Area as the Wake Forest product kicks off his career.

The Second and Third Year Starlets


After his aforementioned Rookie of the Year campaign, Omar Gonzalez will be looking to turn in a strong sophomore season with the LA Galaxy.  Like Opara and Agbossoumonde, his name is being thrown around as a future center back prospect with the national team, and his promising start to his professional career earned him some time at USMNT camp this past offseason. While his time with national team may not come until a couple of years down the road thanks to a solidified group of regulars at that position, USMNT fans should definitely keep track of his progress over this season.

DC United forward Chris Pontius is another player coming off of a strong rookie year looking to continue his success in 2010.  Like Gonzalez, his solid play last season earned him a call into USMNT camp this past winter, and another quality season will likely push him further up in the national team forward pool, which Yanks fans are quickly realizing is not very deep at this point in time.

The player that I am most eager to see this season is Houston's Geoff Cameron.  Cameron has progressed very nicely over the course of his first two professional seasons, and his versatility makes him an enticing USMNT prospect.  With Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark gone, Cameron will likely have a much bigger burden to bear, and it will be interesting to see if he can step up and be "the man" for the Dynamo.  He showed some promising signs in his first cap a month ago, and if he can continue his rapid development, I expect him to earn plenty more caps in the future. 

The Veterans

After a checkered stint with Hansa Rostock and a couple of months without a club, Heath Pearce reinvigorated his career by signing with FC Dallas and contributing over the final month and half of the 2009 season.  His revival earned him a cap in February, in which he was one of the bright spots on the field.  His strong wing play earned him another appearance against the Netherlands a week later, and he now looks to have to inside track on the final outside back spot on the World Cup roster.  A strong start to the MLS season should earn him a ticket to South Africa.  At just 25 years of age, Pearce still has plenty of years ahead of him, and LB continues to be a weak point in the roster, so USMNT fans should also keep an eye on him for future cycles as well as this one.  



Robbie Findley, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a string of underwhelming performances with the USMNT this winter as he and RSL look to defend their 2009 MLS Cup title.  At just 24 years old, Findley still needs a good deal of polishing before he can shine at the international level, but he's been making some nice strides in his three MLS seasons to this point.  As stated before, the forward pool is fairly thin at this point, so Findley will remain on the USMNT radar if he can put in another quality club campaign.    
 
And, of course, what USMNT-centric MLS preview would be complete without mentioning Landon Donovan.  Whether you're happy about it or not, Donovan's time at Everton is done, and his final months leading up to the World Cup will be spent in Los Angeles rather than Liverpool.  American fans can at least take solace in the fact that he will have games to play in, thanks to the new CBA.  Donovan is in the midst of his most impressive year as a professional, and every single one of us will be keeping tabs on him over the course of the next couple of months, hoping that his fine form continues and that he stays healthy ahead of South Africa.

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Well that's it for now.  I'm sure I missed someone noteworthy along the way, so consider this more of a brief overview rather than an all-encompassing post.  Believe it or not, the MLS season opener is just a few days away, so let's make up for some lost time and get pumped for what promises to be another great year.