by Robert Burns

Updated: April 1, 2008, 6:37 PM EST 14 comments

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Every new MLS season brings with it a wild anticipation of what the league will deliver. The now 13-year old league is still a work in progress — an experiment if you will, so each year tends to have its own up and down cycles. At the end of the year, MLS fans take stock of such statistics as attendance, goals scored and net revenues to see if it was another year for our league on the rise or perhaps a year it took a step back.

2008 is a pivotal year for MLS in that the hype machine surrounding a certain star player who won't be named (do I reallly need to yet?) from last season is now officially turned off and results on the field — and in the stands — are what matter most.

A number of quality foreign imports have been brought in by the league's now 14 clubs (following the addition of the San Jose Earthquakes this season) so the level of play is expected to be at an all-time high. This is a good thing as fans now aren't only interested in seeing their stars on the sidelines, but instead contributing to the team and justifying their salaries.

With media access and the international appeal of the game at its peak, Major League Soccer has a terrific opportunity in 2008 to turn the casual fan into a hardcore supporter and the I'm-only-into-European-soccer fan into an MLS observer at worst.

For those new to MLS this year, the following team-by-team capsules (East and West) should give you a decent starting point on your MLS journey. And for those fans who are already enthralled with the great adventure that is MLS, get ready for an exciting eight months of what our version of the Beautiful Game has grown up to become.

Western Conference

Chivas USA

2007 Finish: 1st in Western Conference, lost first round of the playoffs
Stadium: Home Depot Center

Chivas USA finally broke out of its shell in 2007 and took home the Western Conference title under exciting rookie head coach and former U.S. national team star Preki. A balanced attack and experienced defense (anchored by MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Brad Guzan) had many thinking that the Goats would storm into the MLS Cup final, but plans were derailed in the first round when they went cold against Kansas City (thanks in part to the injury suffered by Cuban striker Maykel Galindo).

But what a difference a year might just make. Galindo is back and healthy to team up with strike partner Ante Razov (11 goals in 2007) in front, while young U.S. star Sacha Kljestan is showing all the tools of an excellent creative force in the midfield. The addition of Swiss international Raphael Wicky in the middle should give Chivas USA a tough, experienced two-way player to help control the game's tempo.

After being courted by British clubs Celtic and Aston Villa, goalkeeper Brad Guzan returns to the Home Depot Center for his third season between the pipes. 'El Guzano' sported the league's best Goals Against Average last season (0.93), but his main defender in front of him, Claudio Suarez, is now 39-years old. Will this finally be the year the Mexican ironman surrenders to Father Time? That's the big question mark.

Outlook: The playoffs should easily be within reach again for Preki but it will be important for the club to stay healthy throughout the year.
Breakout star: Jonathan Bornstein could cement his place as the U.S. national team's left back of choice if he excels for Chivas USA in 2008. Don't bet against it.

Colorado Rapids

2007 Finish: 4th in Western Conference and missed playoffs
Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park

The Rapids got hold of one of the league's best attacking midfielders in Christian Gomez as D.C. United shipped out the talented Argentinean in favor of bringing in countryman Marcelo Gallardo. Gomez, the 2006 league MVP, has the ability to turn any game on its ear with his fierce shots and tricky passing, but he will first have to adjust to the larger field and new confines in Denver.

Colorado coach Fernando Clavijo also brought in Brazilian player Rafael Gomes, the 27-year old having played most recently in Portugal. He will provide teammate Pablo Mastroeni some serious competition for the defensive midfield role, but Gomes' flexibility may allow them to play alongside one another as well.

The attacking line in Colorado is a possible weak point with the aging Jovan Kirovski, the inconsistency of Herculez Gomez and Conor Casey and the inexperience of Jacob Peterson and Omar Cummings. One of these players will need to provide career best numbers for the team to flourish.

In defense, the Rapids are anchored by experienced defenders in Mike Petke and Facundo Erpen, but either are susceptible to the occasional lapse in judgment that could prove costly when points begin to matter most.

Outlook: Even the addition of Christian Gomez won't be enough for this squad to beat the best in the west.
Breakout star: Third-year Moroccan midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy will be the prime benefactor of Gomez's talents.

FC Dallas

2007 Finish: 3rd in Western Conference, lost first round of the playoffs
Stadium: Pizza Hut Park

The most frustratingly inconsistent team in MLS, head coach Steve Morrow will hope this is finally the season when the Hoops regularly defeat those teams they should beat handily and put up a solid fight against the ones they maybe shouldn't. But in MLS, parity reigns so no team should ever be looked past.

The loss of Carlos Ruiz to L.A. will give Kenny Cooper the opportunity to put himself front and center of the Pizza Hut Park showcase gallery. His play alongside exciting young talent Arturo Alvarez could provide some highlight reel stuff in the Lone Star state.

It's no surprise though that Dallas is relying heavily on Latin flair to push them over the top in 2008. Mexican international Duilio Davino brings a wealth of grit and experience to the backline, while promising Brazilian talent Andre Rocha looks to be a real threat in front of goal. And who could forget the flowing locks of Colombian Juan Carlos Toja?

Toja suffered an injury-riddled last part of the season but when healthy he's one of the most talented and entertaining players in the league. Rounding out the Latin contingent is Argentine midfielder Pablo Ricchetti who'll be pulling the strings often under the Texas sun.

Dallas' Colombian midfielder Juan Carlos Toja in action against L.A. (Jeff Gross / Getty Images)

Outlook: If Dallas can avoid having any long stretches of poor form they could be a threat to go all the way ... to the Conference semifinals.
Breakout star: Dax McCarty will face stiff competition for a regular place in a crowded midfield but recent form suggests he'll make the most of the opportunities.

Houston Dynamo

2007 Finish: League champions
Stadium: Robertson Field

After finishing at the top of the heap for the second year in a row, Houston is still the team to beat in 2008 with a solid core from back to front. Goalkeeper Pat Onstad is still making up for his age with great positioning, defenders Wade Barrett and Eddie Robinson are at the top of their games, scoring and distributing sensation Dwayne de Rosario still has a lot left in the tank (if he can stay relatively healthy) and up front U.S. national teamer Brian Ching is always dangerous at the MLS level.

The Dynamo's main concerns in 2008 are the depth up front and all the way at the back as two of its main strikers in Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya both headed for Austria's Bundesliga, while they shipped backup goalkeeper Zach Wells to D.C. in order to acquire defender Bobby Boswell.

But at the end of the day, Houston is still an incredibly strong and fluid team — that's the way head coach Dominic Kinnear likes to build them. Part of that strength comes from young midfielders Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, while their 'veteran' midfield partner Brian Mullan is still holding his own nicely on the verge of reaching 30.

Outlook: Houston has all the tools in place to make another run to MLS Cup. Threepeat? Tougher said than done but it really wouldn't be any surprise at all to see them hoisting the trophy again.
Breakout star: Stuart Holden is on the verge of great things and this may be the first season everyone gets a chance to really see it.

Los Angeles Galaxy

2007 Finish: 5th in Western Conference and missed playoffs
Stadium: Home Depot Center

If there's one team that will feel the pressure to win in 2008, it's the L.A. Galaxy. This once proud franchise has failed to make the playoffs for two years in a row after never having missed them since the league's inception in 1996.

The David Beckham hype now finally over, the club can get back to the business of scoring goals and getting points. The English international appears fit and healthy and should provide some great service to returning Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz. 'El Pescadito' only scored 7 goals for FC Dallas last season, but new Dutch coach Ruud Gullit will be counting on Ruiz to play more like he did back in 2002 when he led the Galaxy to the MLS Cup trophy.

In Landon Donovan, L.A. possesses one of the best finishers and distributors in league history, so if the magical triangle of Beckham-Donovan-Ruiz stays healthy, motivated and productive, it could be lights out for opposing defenses more times than not.

But if there's great optimism up front in L.A., there's equal pessimism at the back.

Abel Xavier is generally solid but he's surrounded by a severely inexperienced or injury-prone core of defenders, outside of the promising Mike Randolph. The Portuguese defender is also known to lack a fondness for the turf used in places like Toronto and New York, so mystery injuries could pop up at any time.

Outlook: Only a healthy trio of Becks, Donovan and Ruiz will get Los Angeles back to the Holy Grail and MLS Cup, but the playoffs at least are an absolute must for GM Alexi Lalas.
Breakout star: Landon Donovan has certainly not reached the lofty heights he achieved during his first few seasons in MLS (3 MLS Cup titles, 1 U.S. Open Cup), but some crisp interplay with a healthy Beckham should make him shine once again.

Real Salt Lake

2007 Finish: 6th in Western Conference and missed playoffs
Stadium: Rice-Eccles Field

The loss of retired U.S. defender Eddie Pope will be a difficult piece of the puzzle to replace, but Real Salt Lake did an excellent job during the offseason in filling holes within the team that finished last in the Western Conference last season and didn't get a victory until their 12th match.

Adding veteran defender Ian Joy from St. Pauli in Germany and tough defensive MLS regular Dema Kovalenko from New York could help make up for Pope's absence, but it's up front where Real improved the most.

The addition of Gretna standout Scot Kenny Deuchar could finally provide some punch up front for Jason Kreis' team, especially if U.S. U-23 forward Robbie Findley can be menacing enough alongside him to keep defenders occupied.

In goal, an interesting battle is shaping up behind veteran Nick Rimando and young hotshot Chris Seitz. The former D.C. United shotstopper Rimando is battle tested, but the young American 'keeper proved a solid figure in goal for the U.S. at the U-20 World Cup so it could be a coin flip all season long.

Outlook: The Utah club will certainly not finish at the bottom of the west, but they'll most likely fall agonizingly short of a playoff spot.
Breakout star: American midfielder Nathan Sturgis has loads of talent but needs to gain confidence in himself to reach the next level. This should be the year for that to happen.

San Jose Earthquakes

2007 Finish: Re-entering the league in 2008
Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium

After the club left the Bay Area in 2005 and became what is now the Houston Dynamo, San Jose fans couldn't have dreamed of being back in the league so quickly, but amazingly the 'Quakes are back in MLS and it's a better league for it.

While new stadium plans are underway, the team will be playing its home matches at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University. The 11,500 seat ground should provide an intimate setting and plenty of atmosphere when San Jose takes on hated rivals L.A. again in the California derby, but it will also be interesting to see what kind of reaction Houston gets upon their west coast return.

Former Galaxy coach Frank Yallop has assembled a brand new team through the expansion draft, trades and the MLS SuperDraft which will attempt to avoid the first-year club jinx of finishing dead last (although Chicago did win MLS Cup in its very first year of existence in 1998).

Luckily for Yallop he'll have goalkeeper Joe Cannon back in San Jose after prying him away from Los Angeles as well. After that things get a little dicey for the team, with the possible exceptions of Ronnie O'Brien and Ned Grabavoy in midfield. The rest of the team is a patchwork of journeymen who will be hard-pressed to deliver night in and night out.

Outlook: Most likely San Jose will be this year's version of Toronto FC and finish the season in last place.
Breakout star: Ned Grabavoy showed glimpses of quality in Los Angeles and Columbus but he'll have all the spotlight to himself in San Jose to make it happen more frequently.

Move ahead to the Eastern Conference Preview

Robert Burns is the editor of FoxSoccer.com and contributes his Side Kicks column every Friday.