Well, in light of the fact that the season begins this weekend I felt that in the interest of fairness I should give every clubs in the league an absolutely final grade for what they did during the off-season. Since I'll be mentioning every club, then, I'd best get started, eh?
Atlanta: Simply put the Silverbacks and Timbers have to be the best looking teams out there right now because of their off-season moves. Since their previous grading they've only improved with their additional signings (re: Steve Armas among others). Things look good along I-285 for the upcoming year and the only thing that brings their grade down at all are the losses of Pablo Nassar and Henry Ring, both through little fault of their own. A
Charleston: The Battery are a strange case considering the addition of Dan Calichman, who looks a bit slower than Charleston fans were afraid to admit, and the loss of Brent Sancho, which will hurt the team more than some may wish to think. The MLS veteran will provide, if nothing else, a good tutor for Pablo Nassar and Pablo Webster. Seamus Donnelly also looks to be the real deal through the pre-season. As Donnelly, Nassar, and Webster emerge this team should get better and better. The late loss of Alan Woods to the Revs does hurt a bit but it shouldn't bother the club too much in the long run. B-
Charlotte: It really is hard to see exactly where the Eagles may have improved in the off-season but then again they didn't lose much, if anything, from last seasons team. The biggest questions in Charlotte right now are how many people will show up for the jump to the A-League and can this team achieve respectability in their first season at this level? I think they've already got the talent to hang in there with Cincinnati and Indiana but Nashville looks to have improved a lot. The on again, off again situation for draftee Caleb Norkus at D.C. United has to be frustrating for the Eagles but I still expect to see him suit up for the Eagles this year. C
Cincinnati: They've brought in several new faces who should be able to start almost immediately which will push some of last years squad to the bench. The good news: they'll have some newfound depth. The bad news: that depth is made up with players from last seasons squad who were, quite frankly, dismal. From the time of their previous grade they essentially beefed up their roster which helped along my previous points. Either way they and their new ownership deserve an A for effort. Unfortunately they didn't have a lot to work with in the first place. C+
Connecticut: The key to this teams off-season was getting several quality players to sign their names on the dotted line. Signing their draft picks as well as former Charleston Battery midfielder, Temoc Suarez, upgraded this squad greatly. The combination of their previous efforts with the late signing of Suarez brought their final grade up. The only thing that keeps them from having a great off-season, by their standards, is the fact that they didn't do a whole lot of extra marketing during the off-season. Oh well better luck next time. B
El Paso: Decent work in the off-season by a decent club who will wind up with a decent record in a great division. They've got a quality coaching staff, players who can do the job adequately and an ever improving (from most accounts) presence in their local community. It's hard to knock a club who has been nothing more or less than solid for the past few seasons. A few more fannies in the seats this season, though, would be nice. C+
Hershey: The Wildcats look like a decent bet out of their division with the supposed demise of the Rhinos but their trade of Jamel Mitchell looks almost suicidal. A lot of people, myself foremost among them, believed that former Wake Forest standout, Ben Stafford, was headed to Hershey to fill the nets this season. Unfortunately, D.C. United decided to postpone his arrival into the Wildcats fold. While I'm still confident he'll be a Wildcat, I'm a little less enthused about their chances now. They, unlike the Rhinos, failed to make any huge moves or signings to bolster their final squad. The wheeling and dealing may not be completely over yet but headed into the first few games it looks like the Wildcats aren't quite the hot favorite anymore. C+/B-
Indiana: The Blast made some moves to upgrade their squad after an exodus of personnel towards the end of last season. The good news for them is that they added some offensive punch. The bad news is that they'll have to rely on a defense that is shaky at best because they didn't do enough to ensure that there won't be some leaky moments at the back. This is a club that needed to work on all areas from media and marketing to their relationship with the fans. Bottom line: they didn't do enough. C-
Long Island: The Riders were able to throw together some players from last years team, sign a couple of guys who have the potential to be offensive threats, fill a couple of needs, and hire people who will actually keep the fans and media updated via their PR office. So on those counts alone they deserve a good grade for their off-season. Unfortunately, it still appears that they left a bit to be desired in the transition between last seasons team and this years edition. C+
Milwaukee: The Rampage haven't exactly been running wild during the off-season but it appears that they were able to re-sign most of last seasons squad which is good news. Things also appear to be on the up and up with their new home field. Otherwise it's been kind of a dull 6 months for fans in Milwaukee. C-
Minnesota: While they recently lost their back-up goalkeeper it shouldn't affect this team too much. With John Swallen in goal and much of last years squad in front of him they look a safe bet to win the West. A new link in Mexico and keeping Buzz in Minnesota were a couple of the biggest deals to come out of the Thunder's off-season. They reinforced last seasons squad in the draft but have yet to really shop for a big free agent. Signing Mexico's Marco Fabian could prove risky if his health becomes a factor due to his age and the wear and tear of playing 20 years worth of professional soccer. They also got some new sponsorship dollars and have maintained their presence in the community. Now if only they could get themselves their very own stadium…. C+
Montreal: Maybe the Impact should be renamed the Enigma since they are one of those clubs that made some definite forward strides during the off-season yet remain a club that will likely finish in the middle of the pack. They had a decent draft, they have a good coaching system, they've brought in some interesting talent (re: Campi, Thompson, and Bernier), and they've gotten some added exposure in the areas media outlets. There's nothing outwardly wrong with what they've done headed into this season but they just don't appear to have what it takes to get over the hump. Either way for the good work they've done during the off-season they deserve a decent grade. B-
Nashville: The Metros have done a good job during this off-season to pick up players to make this a more competitive club. Signing players such as Guy Norcott and former MLS-er Dominic Schell will add some sorely needed leadership and it also shows a lot of initiative by the club. They seem to be getting better at marketing the game locally but still haven't been able to crack the Volunteers' and Predators' grip on the local media. The attempts to fight city hall, as it were, for the right to sell their adult fans some frosty beverages seemed to have failed. This could be a huge financial stumbling block for this club if there aren't enough fans at Ezell this season. Unfortunately, the their shrewd signings couldn't totally outweigh this factor in their grade. C+/B-
Pittsburgh: If losing Tenywa Bonseu wasn't bad enough for the 'Hounds they also lost several other members of last years club that would've given them a solid outfit for a playoff push. Instead they have a rebuilding job on their hands and it's questionable whether or not they've done enough to get to the .500 mark this season. Add a new coach that's come in under the auspices of replacing a guy that the club saw fit to fire only weeks before the draft and you've got a very interesting season ahead. Right now the outward appearance in Pittsburgh is that it's taking a little longer than expected for Kai Haaskivi to get his feet under him and that's not good for this club. The on again, off again stadium news for this club also doesn't help matters. C-/D+
Portland: What more can be said about the Timbers? They got out in the market immediately and picked up some of the best talent available in the league. One of their latest acquisitions finally addressed their defensive needs in Brent Sancho. They got a draft pick that should come along well under the tutelage of Darren Sawatzky and Mark Baena. They picked up last season's rookie of the year. They've got a newly renovated stadium, a large fanbase, and a front office committed to making the sport a success in the city. Not to mention the fact that they're getting substantial coverage in the local media outlets. Rochester West? Maybe so but then again if Portland is able to keep this up the Rhinos could become Portland East. A
Richmond: Losing standout striker Dewayne DeRosario and defender Scott Cannon have proven to be the demise of their time off. They were able to acquire some free agents to bolster the team but these two men could be just the kind of casualties which could cost the Kickers dearly. While maintaining strong support in the community during the off-season it's the player moves which lowered their grade. The first time around I said they only had one real hole to fill. Well, they haven't exactly filled that one yet and now they just got one more hole in the boat. It's becoming increasingly apparent that their draft amounted to zip and when you combine that with the fact that now they have two huge holes to fill you get something like…. D-
Rochester: In the past few weeks since receiving their initial grade they have gone on to make some dynamite signings. They added a dash of Jamel Mitchell, a splash of Carlos Parra, and voila! They have apparently been able to replace Yari Allnut. Look for the Rhinos to pick up a big name defender some time in the future if their back line should betray them. Oh, and did I forget to mention that they got Pat Onstad to come back? Where that leaves Scott Vallow no one seems quite sure but one thing is certain, the Rhinos surely have some depth in the nets. B+
*San Diego: Who knows? Originally they had made some decent moves to cut some costs and sign some inexpensive players but were eventually swallowed up by a red tide over their Mission Beach offices. If the club the USL now controls has the players that had been signed by the Flash and gets the same amount of fans in the first few games there should be a new owner in town no later than May or June. Some speculate that there will be a new sheriff in town as early as next week but that could be pushing it. One thing people need to keep in mind is that if the league doesn't learn from the Peacock fiasco they may be doomed to repeat it in one of the A-League's best markets. For the previous efforts of Yan Skwara to keep the club afloat after being left adrift they'd have gotten at least a B, but coming within millimeters of folding on the eve of the season their grade could be no higher. F
Seattle: While the Sounders have lost Greg Howes they drafted a boat load of players which should help to alleviate the task ahead of the players who have to replace Howes and Sawatzky. Losing draftee Brian Ching to the Galaxy was a rather unexpected twist to their story but it's one that may not have such a big impact on what they're capable of doing. They did some good work in the youth areas of their club, but it seems that more attention could have been used for the Sounders senior squad. As an organization they had a fair off-season but as far as their A-League squad goes it looks like they're in for a rough time of it due to the moves of most of their rivals of late. Consideration of the move to Paul Allen's new stadium and a seeming increase in local media coverage keeps their grade from dipping too much. C+/B-
Toronto: The Lynx fans have been busy off the field creating quite the stir among the rest of their Northern Conference rivals while the team have been busy making some signings and creating a larger local footprint with new sponsorship dollars and extra media coverage. Getting themselves on television is a huge plus and should help the club all the way around. They've made some very solid moves throughout the off-season and it should lead to a successful season. B+
Vancouver: The newly re-christened Whitecaps look to have built a quite workman-like club around a solid core of returning players as well as adding some youth. The increased media exposure due to the name change hasn't been bad either. As far as the on-field action goes with the players they have in camp and their results in pre-season competition (which in the long run could mean nothing) they appear to be poised to be the top team in the tier below Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Portland in the West. They've marketed well but their opening day attendance may go a long way in determining just how much better this club can get. So far, so good, though. B
*This, of course, depends on the status of any San Diego franchise for this upcoming season, which is unresolved at this time. All the same I wish the new San Diego franchise and Yan Skwara all the best in the future.
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