New to MLS, who should I root for?

Timbers...is the only option.


Best crowds in the league...

JOIN US.

quote:

---

Timbers...is the only option.

---

quote:

---

Obviously, he looked at what he saw last night and wants something different

---

If I had to cheer for Fredy Montero I'd shoot myself FWIW.

I did enjoy watching the timbers last night. Im going to start keeping up with them. I was just looking for other teams as well.

quote:

---

I did enjoy watching the timbers last night. Im going to start keeping up with them. I was just looking for other teams as well.

---

Welcome aboard. GMorgan is our whipping boy.

I guess for a new fan, the Timbers would be easier. I mean, he definitely won't have to figure out what's going on with the U.S. Open Cup or the Champions League. He also probably won't have to worry about all that MLS Playoff nonsense, either.

Every new MLS fan = a Portland Timber fan. So get prepared for that answer. A LOT. They are the biggest fad in the MLS. Also, the Timbers first year in the MLS. (Along with Vancouver, Rivals with the Sounders and Whitecaps. Cascadia Cup). They have a very compact stadium and it's one of the loudest in the MLS. The front office seems to make a lot of moves for players and they will probably be pretty decent for awhile.

The best team that may win it all = Los Angeles Galaxy. With Beckham, Keane, Juninho, Gonzalez, Ricketts (Broken arm tho) and Donovan. They have quality players but not a ton of depth. As of late, they are the best team in the regular season but choke in the playoffs. They've been the most flashy team in the MLS since inception and have had the face of the league and USSF (Donovan) on their team for years.

NYRB is a lot like the Galaxy. Big Market = Big names. They have Henry, Ream, Marquez, Richards, Dax McCarty, Agudelo, etc. They underachieve A LOT.

FC Dallas is similiar to the Atlanta Braves of old. They are the team with the best "farm system". FC Dallas has an advantage because of the state they are in produces extremely good soccer players. Texas is probably the best state that develops soccer than any other state due to the hispanic population. As of late, they have gotten rid of a ton of players but have replaced them with younger and just as good players. Big Rivals with Houston Dynamo. They rivalry between these two teams is getting bigger and bigger. With billboards being built and etc.

Real Salt Lake arguably one of the better MLS clubs of late. They made a deep push into the CONCACAF Champions League (Although, the Champions League format is only 3 years old) but fell short in the final. They are the first MLS team to do so. They tied the first leg and lost the 2nd. Real Salt Lake is one of those teams that produces talent and doesn't buy talent often. They have good players such as: USMNT spot call up - GK Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman, El Salvadorean (was a U-20 USA Player) Arturo Alvarez, U-20 member Luis Gil, and Costa Rica's best player in Alvaro Saborio.

Seattle Sounders always have a pretty good team and until Portland came into the MLS. They were the team of every new MLS follower. Seattle has a GREAT fan base like the Timbers and that rivalry should be one of the best in MLS. The front office always seems to bring in a designated player and will always have that team in contention year in and year out.

DC United is the OG of the MLS. They basically killed the MLS when the MLS was very young. However of late, they are pretty bad. They've had a slight resurgence this year with Ben Olsen at the helm. They have a fan favorite in Charlie Davies, a possible future USMNT player in defender Perry Kitchen, a USMNT call up on occasion GK Bill Hamid, and they made a deal for DeRo.

Colorado Rapids have been in the league as long as DC United but they just won the last MLS Cup. They beat FC Dallas last year. They aren't a flashy team. They don't have big names. They are just a blue collar team who works hard for every ball. The most notable players = Pablo Mastroeni, Conor Casey, Marvell Wynne, Omar Cummings.

Houston Dynamo came into the league in 2006 and won the MLS Cup in their inaugural year and then followed up 2007 with another championship. They produced talents like Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark. Dynamo always seem to be in the playoffs. They missed the playoffs last year and this year isn't looking good either. They also have a brand new stadium that is being built and it should be the nicest stadium in the US.

Columbus Crew is another team that has been in the MLS for the longest with only one Championship. They always field a pretty decent team. Always in the playoffs. However, they have no big names like the Rapids and the names they do have. The USMNT fan base don't like them at all. Chad Marshall, Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven have all been called up to the national team and they usually don't make their call up worth it. They do have a 2 time golden boot winner in Jeff Cunningham though.

New England Revolution is almost identical to the Buffalo Bills. They used to be great and they made it to the Championship game THREE straight years 05-07 and lost in the championship game THREE straight years. They also lost the game in 2002 as well. They haven't been good as of late but have had great talent in the past. Their best player of all time (Taylor Twellman's) career was cut short due to concussions. They have had notable players in the past like Alexi Lalas, Clint Dempsey, Eric Wynalda, Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, n a few others.

I say pull for whoever is your hometown team. Or hell, just pull for whoever you want. I'm kind of a Timbers fan, but I would switch allegiances if I had a local team.

Eh, they're a good club in a football/baseball state. They have OK crowd support. They do, however, have one of the better youth academies in all MLS.

OR