SB Nation Power Rankings, Tier 3: Still Something To Prove

Houston Dynamo: Was last year an aberration?

There was a fair amount of discussion this offseason surrounding what did and did not qualify as a MLS dynasty. The Dynamo/San Jose Earthquakes teams from 2002-09 was one that may have just barely missed the cut. Whether or not you consider that run of success worthy of the title dynasty may be a bit beside the point, though. During that period, the Dyna-Quakes (or Earth-Amo) won four MLS Cups, a Supporters' Shield and went to the playoffs every year. The one connective tissue between all those teams was coach Dominic Kinnear, who was an Earthquakes assistant from 2001-0, then took over as head coach and moved with the team to Houston.

That all came to abrupt end last year when the Dynamo were among the worst teams in the league, claiming just 33 points and losing 15 matches, more losses than their previous two seasons combined. In an attempt to rectify that, Kinnear has brought in a host of new faces that are expected to contribute immediately. Chief among those new additions are foreign imports Jermaine Taylor and Hunter Freeman and rookies Kofi Sarkodie and Will Bruin. A move to the Eastern Conference should also make the job a little easier.

Philadelphia Union: Stabilizing the goalkeeper

After a year in which Piotr Nowak handled his goalkeeping situation in as confusing a way as possible, he now seems to have clear plan: Turn it over to veteran Faryd Mondragon and groom No. 5 overall draft pick Zac MacMath for the future. Compared to the previously haphazard way in which the position has been handled, this seems like a sensible way forward, and simply improving the goalkeeping could lead to a significant leap forward for the second-year Union. Of course, that's assuming there are no major setbacks.

If Mondragon gets hurt or is not quite up to the task, there's really no clear fall back option. MacMath may be a great keeper someday, but he's just 19 years old and is still at least a couple years away from leading a team to the playoffs. The other goalkeeper on the roster is Thorne Holder, a 24-year-old out of Trinidad & Tobago via Adelphi University, does not seem any closer to leading a MLS team to the playoffs either.

DC United: Can Charlie Davies rehabilitate his image and career?

For all the change DC United underwent during the offseason, no one move drew more attention than the signing of Davies, the one-time "it" player in the United States National Team pool. With all the excitement around him, it's easy to overlook the fact that he's only scored four goals in the USMNT shirt and has scored just twice in Ligue 1 action. Granted, he's scored those goals in somewhat dramatic fashion, but even before his horrific injury, Davies was still a developing player.

Now, he'll be given the chance to work back into form while playing in the domestic league he originally skipped. It really does set up nicely for him, as D.C. has welcomed him with open arms and he's been largely spared facing too much criticism over the circumstances of his injury (car crash while being out past curfew). But if he fails to perform, this could be a negative turning point in his career.

Chivas USA: Can a turnaround be engineered with other teams' cast-offs?

Of all the teams rebuilding in this off-season, none of them looked to do it with MLS veterans to the degree that Chivas USA did. Of the 11 players they have so far signed, seven of them had previously played in MLS. That list includes younger players like Tristan Bowen and Heath Pearce, as well as grizzled veterans like Jimmy Conrad and Alejandro Moreno. Most MLS teams rebuild by looking outside the league, either through the draft or international transfers. It's probably not unprecedented, but new coach Robin Fraser is obviously putting a lot of faith in players who are approaching the ends of their careers.

Chicago Fire: Will Carlos de los Cobos be able to bring the 3-5-2 back to MLS?

Portland Timbers: Don't call them an expansion team

One of the ongoing themes of the Timbers as they prepare for their inaugural MLS campaign is that they don't consider themselves an expansion team, but rather one that was promoted. Along those lines, they've already signed 11 players who spent last year in the lower divisions, 10 of which played for either the Timbers' USSF-D2 or PDL teams. Coach John Spencer and GM Gavin Wilkinson have also set the bar a little higher than your average expansion team, clearly setting their sights on the MLS playoffs and potentially beyond.

No team has ever put so much faith in players who had spent the previous season in the lower-divisions of American soccer, but Portland does seem to have put together a strong side, even if their decision to not hold onto Dax McCarty still seems a bit baffling. Their strike force seems to be in capable hands with Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza, and their midfield will be filled by MLS vets, at least until No. 2 overall draft pick Darlington Nagbe returns from hernia surgery.

Columbus Crew: The Robert Warzycha coaching hot-seat watch

It's not entirely clear if the Crew coach was largely responsible for the housecleaning that occurred this offseason, but it's hard not to see how he's ultimately held responsible for its success or failure. Coming off two straight first-round exits from the playoffs, Warzycha is already feeling a bit of heat. Now, he's at the helm of a team that lost 10 players, most of whom were significant contributors to both of those teams. Most outsiders aren't giving the Crew much of a chance to compete this year (including me), but it sure seems like the Crew front office is at least expecting a run at the playoffs. If Warzycha can guide the Crew to the post-season, he'll have done his best job yet and likely earned himself a nice little extension.

Toronto FC: Is Aron Winter the answer to what ails the Reds?

Toronto FC became the first team in MLS history to go four consecutive seasons without making the playoffs when they finished 11 points shy of No. 8 San Jose last year. Aron Winter and Paul Mariner were brought in to change that, although it's probably going to take at least another year of no playoffs.

His hiring brought headlines promising the "return of total football", which is just ridiculous and is not something anyone should really expect to see. Three forwards? Sure, we'll see that. Will we see players rotating freely from position to position and filling multiple roles? Doubtful. But success will not be defined by whether or not Winter can accomplish "total football," nor has he ever really promised that. What will define success, and be the story of this season, will be the establishment of a clear organizational direction, something that has been clearly lacking in the previous four seasons.