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No Dethroning D.C.

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Posted: Thursday March 16, 2000 02:23 PM

By Grant Wahl

The salary cap may lop off a top United player every year (midfielder Tony Sanneh in 1999, forward Roy Lassiter this season), but D.C. remains the league's 800-pound gorilla. It gets whatever it wants -- including, this season, a fourth championship.

1. D.C. United Bolivians Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno are the best MLS has to offer -- and they have been since Year One.

2. Chicago Fire Savvy playmaking (Peter Nowak and, possibly, Hristo Stoitchkov) plus potent youth (DaMarcus Beasley, Ante Razov, Josh Wolff) equal a second MLS Cup appearance.

3. Los Angeles Galaxy Offensive hub Mauricio Cienfuegos (17 assists in '99) is league's most underrated player.

4. Dallas Burn Jason Kreis might not repeat MVP year (18 goals, 15 assists), but Ariel Graziani (four goals in eight games) will be a scoring machine.

5. Tampa Bay Mutiny Thanks to ageless field general Carlos Valderrama, Raúl Díaz Arce will lead MLS in goals.

6. Kansas City Wizards Mo Johnston's new sidekick: Danish import Miklos Molnar, who led spring training with five goals in three games.

7. Columbus Crew Mysteriously underachieving Brian McBride (five goals in 25 games in '99) will not make up for the defection of Stern John.

8. New England Revolution Revs will put their trust in new playmaker Mauricio Ramos, but Eduardo Hurtado (seven goals last year) can't finish.

9. New York/New Jersey MetroStars German legend Lothar Matthäus will try to save this bumbling franchise but he'll spend too much time pining (and leaving) for home.

10. San Jose EarthQuakes Iranian midfielder Khodadad Azizi will begin by spraying splendid passes ... until he realizes that the E-Quakes have nobody on his wavelength besides Ronald Cerritos.

11. Colorado Rapids Look for another crippling scoring drought courtesy of Jorge Dely Valdés, Anders Limpar and Co.

12. Miami Fusion Too many forwards, not enough defensive midfielders means lots of 5-3 losses and plenty of fun (but few victories) in Fort Lauderdale.

Issue date: March 20, 2000

Click here for CNNSI.com's full MLS 2000 Preview.

 

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