Pundit Marc Connolly pasted his collection of things to look for in '07 on MLSnet.com.
Of his things to look for, I'd single out the Freddy Adu experiment - and Real Salt Lake in general - as what I anticipate will be the most compelling story of the season. No matter what happens, it will matter somehow. His thoughts on new(-ish) signing Luis Tejada catches one of the key subplots.
Also, news of Curt Onalfo coming in as something of a new broom was news to me; Jeff Bradley hit a similar note (link to that above). Lord knows the Kansas City Wizards could stand a fresh approach.
Finally, Connolly doesn't do it, but it seems worth contrasting two of his points: the need for "another Deuce" - e.g. another player to replace Dempsey's "star power" - and his love for Frankie Hejduk toward the bottom. The latter stands as what I'd call the "old model" MLS player: high on fitness and effort, but not so much on technique and skill. For much of its history, MLS has been a blunt instrument kind of league. Is Dempsey another type of player? Mmmmm...yes and no. While he's more skilled and bolder than most, there's something missing - tactical awareness and passing ability come to mind - that keeps him from complete player status.
With that in mind, then, does Dempsey count as an "evolutionary" kind of player? Tough call, that one.
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