Throwing darts: MLS predictions and previews

Mar 14, 2011, 2:45 PM UTC

Galaxy attacker Landon Donovan, my preseason pick to claim Major League Soccer’s MVP. Let’s see if that works out better than last year’s prediction.

You know what they say about journalism: “It’s more art than science, and even on our best days, we get some of it wrong.”

Never will I sing this song louder than at prediction and preview time.

Last year, in SI.com’s MLS preseason preview, I called the Colorado Rapids my dark horse favorite to win it all. Yea, me! I also had Colorado finishing third in the West, when most people had Gary Smith’s team falling closer to the bottom than to the top.

But on the other hand, I also had Juan Pablo Angel winning the league MVP and had Freddie Ljungberg presiding over my Best XI. So there you go.

Thus, you’ve been warned. My predictions and previews are for the new season are out now – but don’t go rushing to Las Vegas with fists full of cash to bet on any of this coming to fruition.

First kick in Major League Soccer’s 16^th season begins tomorrow. The 18-team league means there’s even more than usual for us all to write about, argue about and gab about over cold ones at the local, soccer-friendly pub.

To grease your MLS wheels, check out my previews at SI.com. Here’s the West, where I call RSL over L.A. in a close one. Here’s the East, where I say it New York and then a big old, anybody’s-guess grab bag for placed 2-9. And for good measure, here’s the SI.com soccer writers’ predictions piece.

And since I did nail this one, I’ll go ahead and reveal that this year’s dark horse will be ... well, never mind … go read it for yourself.

Enjoy.

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