MLS Season Preview: 10 Players to Watch in 2012

Major League Soccer's 17th season starts Saturday and after a busy offseason, the league now boasts a slew of new talent to add to a mix that already includes names like David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane. 

Several of the new additions figure to play big roles in how this campaign plays out, while the attitude and development of players already in the league will have a natural impact on team fortunes. 

Between the new guys, the old guys, and the guys in between, it might be a little difficult to keep up. 

To get you started, here are 10 MLS players worth keeping an eye on as the season starts. 

Kris Boyd

New Timbers striker Kris Boyd is the Scottish Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer. Despite that record, there are some very serious doubts that he's worth the designated player contract the Timbers handed him in January. 

The Scottish target man has a reputation for disappearing for long stretches of games. But with Kenny Cooper no longer calling Jeld-Wen Field home, the Timbers are in need of a clinical finisher.

Like so many high-risk, high-reward DP signings, Boyd will have a very bright spotlight on his play. Timbers fans will certainly be hoping for lots of boom and very little bust.

Joao Plata

Joao Plata is tiny. That's saying something when it comes to soccer, where size is generally no barrier to success. Ask Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, or 50 other all-time greats.

But Plata is so short (5'3") and slight that there were legitimate questions about his ability to hold up to the rigors of a physical league like the MLS when Toronto drafted him in 2011.

With a year under his belt in which he racked up 21 league appearances and three goals, the 20-year-old Ecuadorian is primed for an even larger impact in 2012. 

Dwayne De Rosario

Is it cliché to put the reigning league MVP on a "players to watch" list?

Probably, but this is Dwayne De Rosario we're talking about. He deserves our attention. No, he demands it.

De Rosario's itinerant 2011 was strange for a player of his talents (he's currently squarely in the mix as an MLS Mount Rushmore candidate), but the Canadian attacker settled nicely in D.C. to close out the year after Toronto and New York coldly dumped him.

Thirteen goals and the aforementioned MVP award later, Major League Soccer's resident prima donna finally got paid. With a new contract in hand and no sign his skills are diminishing at age 33, DeRo will be a massive part of a very possible United revival.

Dilly Duka

Step 1: Find an expert on MLS. Step 2: Ask them about Dilly Duka. Step 3: Sit back and listen to them rave.

Duka was a highly-rated prospect coming out of Rutgers in 2010, and had a solid rookie campaign for Robert Warzycha's team in Columbus after being drafted eighth overall.

His time was naturally limited though, both because of his rookie status and players ahead of him in the Crew pecking order.

But with Robbie Rogers departed for foreign shores (by which I mean Leeds), Duka will have a full chance to shine on the left side of the Crew midfield. When he's not starring for the US U-23 team, that is. 

Luis Gil

Speaking of young Americans, Luis Gil is due for his own breakout season out in Salt Lake. Jason Kreis is bringing the 18-year-old midfielder along slowly at Rio Tinto, but Gil looks ready in his third MLS season to be a trusted contributor. 

Whether Javier Morales is completely recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out much of 2011 or not, Gil's role should be substantial. RSL's injury concerns are following them into the new season, and depth will be tested. 

Gil is best suited for an attacking midfielder role, which is where American fans who have been hearing about his talent for years would love to see him thrive, but he's capable of popping up in several different spots. 

C.J. Sapong

An intriguing combination of athleticism and developing technique, Sporting Kansas City's C.J. Sapong's ceiling is—dare I say it—Drogba-esque. 

The striker took home the MLS Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 on the strength of five goals, and has all of the tools to double that total in his second year. SKC's 4-3-3 system fits him, as does the supporting cast. Add the service of the newly acquired Bobby Convey to the mix, and it's breakout time for C.J.

With Teal Bunbury likely headed to the Olympics, Sapong will have to shoulder a greater load for Sporting. He certainly looks capable. 

Blas Perez

Despite making an MLS Cup Final appearance in 2010 and reaching the playoffs again in 2011, FC Dallas has struggled to find a consistent goal-scoring forward to complement good midfield play.

Enter Perez, a 30-year-old Panamanian with a solid scoring record and plenty of experience.

The fortunes of Schellas Hyndman's team may rise or fall with two things: the resurgence, or lack thereof, of midfield maestro David Ferreira, and the form of Perez.

 Let's not forget Dallas has the burgeoning talents of Brek Shea and Fabian Castillo available on the wings, two players very capable of finding the big man in the air or on the ground. 

If Ferreira plays at his previous MVP-worthy level and Shea and Castillo maximize their potential, Perez will be the prime beneficiary. A Golden Boot season isn't out of the question.

George John

George John is worth watching in 2012 almost entirely because of his unsettled situation leading into the season. In January, John went to London, probably not expecting to come back. 

But there he is, back in Dallas, tasked with leading Schellas Hyndman's defense. 

John is certainly one of the better young centerbacks in the league, but after failing to secure a transfer to West Ham this winter, it's hard to know where his head will be. MLS has history littered with players who fell flat after missing out on a move.

If he plays to his full capabilities, John will set himself up nicely for a move next January when he's out of contract. But if he lets the disappointment of his West Ham loan affect his play, both FC Dallas and John will suffer.

Benny Feilhaber

The new look for the New England Revolution under first-year head coach Jay Heaps will lean heavily on the abilities of Benny Feilhaber, a player with the attacking chops to make the Revs dangerous all by himself. 

The US international landed in Foxboro mid-season 2011 and made an immediate impact, but the Revs ultimately finished last in the Eastern Conference. Even Benny's solid play, a run that got him back in the USMNT mix, couldn't lift New England.

Feilhaber's passing and creativity ads to the Revs' dynamics.

Heaps hopes to maximize this year, so keep an eye on Benny. As he goes, so will the Revs. 

Bill Hamid

Goalkeepers rarely get "ones to watch" love, but here it is—Bill Hamid is a player to keep tabs on in 2012. Already in the USMNT picture at age 21, it might not be too early to ponder when Hamid's day will come as the US' number one. 

Tim Howard can't play forever.

A likely Olympian this summer, Hamid's reflexes are top notch and his decision making is improving rapidly. Playing a position where Americans typically don't mature until their mid-20s, Hamid shows signs of reaching the top of his game well ahead of schedule.

If he gets a little help from a reinforced D.C. back line, Hamid could leap into the MLS elite this season.