Major League Soccer - The Next Generation - Who Will Breakout in 2009

The MLS season is one week away and every serious fan has had enough of worthless friendlies against college teams and unmotivated reserve sides. It's time for some real game. Like most fans, I am anxious to watch and analyze the skills and contributions of Blanco, Schelotto, Angel and Beckham, but if truth be know, I am more interested in tracking the contributions of players who are about to make their mark in the league. Last year we all witnessed the rise of Yura Movsisyan, the maturing of Marvel Wynn and the explosion of Sacha Kleijstan into an elite national level player. Who will it be this year? Which little known players are ready to make an impact? Here is a short list of five players I will be keeping my eye on, players who I believe have a bright future ahead of them.


#5 Patrick Nyarko (Chicago Fire) - Chicago is a tough place for an offensive minded player to make his mark. With the creative genius of Blanco, the experience of McBride and the flank play of Rolfe and Mapp, it's difficult to find your place. To make matters worse, Blanco is a free spirit who refuses to defend, which makes it difficult to add another offensive player into the system. All that aside, I still believe that Nyarko will find his spot. Last year, in a game against the Galaxy at Home Depot Center, Nyarko showed the type of quality he is capable of. His runs off the ball were crisp and he was dangerous every time he touched the ball. Unfortunately, he left the game due to injury, but for me, I had seen enough. When given a chance Nyarko will make his mark.


#4 Sebastien Le Toux (Seattle Sounders FC) - Le Letoux, a Frenchman who jumped across the pond to ply his trade in the USL - 1 is going to be a revelation to MLS fans who are unfamiliar with him. The Sounders, getting a jump on the league, inked him to a contract well in advance of their first season. In the USL he was dominant physical presence, winning the league's MVP award in his first year. Initially he was brought in as a flank defender, but was quickly moved to outside mid and eventually to striker as a withdrawn forward. Under the tutelage of Sounders coach, Brian Schmetzer (also known for developing Brian Ching, Maykel Galindo and Cam Jenson) Letoux developed into a dominant goal scorer. He is a great two way player who is versatile, athletic and tactically aware. His versatility will make him a tremendous asset to Sigi Schmid as the Sounders look to gain respectability in their inaugural season. Le Toux, for his part, is not your typical European player. He wants to play in the US and has stated bluntly that he would jump at the chance to represent the US at the National Level.

#3 Steven Lenhart (Columbus Crew) - Steven who? For those who don't follow the Columbus Crew, this little known small college product (Asuza Pacific) is an unknown quantity to many a MLS fan. Last year, in somewhat of a shock, he surprised everyone by making the roster of the Crew. Not the most skillful man on the pitch, he began to do something that most first year players don't do.... score goals. He scored for the reserve team and then when given a few minutes with the full squad he managed to score some decisive goals. He is raw, athletic, nasty and unsophisticated... but in the box he is a reckless hammer who has a nose for finding the space and getting to the ball first. With Schelletto delivering world class balls into the dangerous areas, get ready to see Lenhart climbing over defenders to put the ball in the back of the net. It won't be pretty, but who cares, a goal is a goal.

#2 Jorge Flores (Chivas USA) - The winner of "Sueno MLS - Chivas Wants You" is entering his second year in the league. This kid beat the odds, came directly out of high school and won a spot on the Chivas Reserve Team, then broke into the full squad and scored three goals (2008) and won a spot on the U-20 National Team. He is a dynamic player with a touch of flair who darts around the field with passion and energy. I especially enjoy his runs on the ball and forays into the attacking third because he moves with pace and daring, something I don't particularly see from American players.






#1 Macoumba Kandji (NY Red Bulls) - Macoumbae, a native of Senegal, joined the Red Bulls at the end of last season (via the Atlanta Silverbacks). Due to his late arrival, he did not receive enough minutes to make an immediate impact, but if you watched him play, you couldn't help but notice that he possessed a skill level in combination with pace that is not always evident in MLS wingers. In a lot of ways he reminded me of a bigger, faster version of young Clint Dempsey. NY Red Bulls surprised many by making their way to the finals, but truth be known, it was a fluke. Juan Carlos Osario, their coach, knows this and has made every effort to upgrade the talent on the pitch. This year I expect the Red Bulls to make a serious run in the East, challenging the likes of Columbus and Chicago, and Kandji, I believe will be a large part of their run to the top of the table.

What do you think? Who is your break out player for 2009? Let us know, we love feedback.