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United will stand Burn's Kreis takes MVP, but D.C. will again take the title
Posted: Friday October 15, 1999 07:03 PM
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- When Major League Soccer held its very first player draft back in 1996, all teams were created equal. Well, at least on paper they were. That notion lasted all of one round when coaches and general managers started to stock their teams. There was supposed to be parity in the league, so one team would not become dominant, let's say, like the Cosmos. So much for good intentions. D.C. United has become the class of the league, winning the first two MLS Cups, appearing in the third and serving as the favorite in this year's playoffs. Not surprisingly, since former United coach Bruce Arena made El Salvadoran international striker Raul Diaz Arce his first selection in the first player draft, the gap between the haves and have-nots of the league has widened considerably. Just compare this year's standings to 1996. Three seasons ago, only two teams won 19 or more games, and only one team lost as many as 20 games. In 1999, six teams cracked the 19-win barrier (yes, one of them was the San Jose Clash and we all know that 10 of those "victories" came via the shootout) and three teams lost 20 games. And that doesn't include the Miami Fusion, United's first-round opponent, at a miserable 13-19. Saying all of that, it should not be surprising that the same teams usually reach the postseason year in, year out. In the Eastern Conference, D.C. United and the Columbus Crew have participated in the playoffs all four times while the New England Revolution has missed the boat three times and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars twice. Out West, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Dallas Burn have made four postseason appearances, while the San Jose Clash has participated in the postseason only twice and the Kansas City Wizards have missed out the past two seasons. At the 1998 college draft, United coach Thomas Rongen, who was then directing the Revs, felt that each team's nucleus was set in that first draft. That's because there was such a huge talent base, from the United Soccer Leagues to American players who were performing overseas who were dying to have a domestic league that could call their own. "If you didn't draft well, it will take years to catch up," Rongen said.
"Look at some of the teams that are successful year in and year out, D.C., the Galaxy, Dallas this year and Chicago the last two," he said. "You'll see a nucleus of players of who have remained there. Look at Etcheverry, Moreno, Agoos and Pope, there is a nucleus of players in DC. There is a nucleus of players that have been there with Dallas from beginning and in Los Angeles... The teams that have not done as well seem to have a greater amount of turnover. As a result of that stability it helps you achieve long term success." If you want parity and close series, don't look at the playoffs. Of the 18 playoff series after the first three seasons, 13 wound up as two-game sweeps. And how important is winning the first game? Teams that advanced to the next series have won the opener 16 of 18 times. The exceptions? When the MetroStars opened with a win against United in 1996 and when the San Jose Clash topped the Galaxy that season as well. Saying all of that, here's a look at the four best-of-three playoff series, which kick off this weekend: Eastern Conference D.C. United (1) vs. Miami Fusion Columbus Crew (2) vs. Tampa Bay Mutiny (3) Western Conference L.A. Galaxy (1) vs. Colorado Rapids Dallas Burn (2) vs. Chicago Fire The rest of the playoffsIt would be unfair to leave you hanging. Let's take D.C. over Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals, while Los Angeles will avenge last year's Western Conference final loss to the Fire. In a snowbound MLS Cup at Foxboro Stadium (ugh -- I have to drive there from Long Island), United will upend the Galaxy in a repeat of the 1996 final, 2-1, as organizers are forced to use an orange ball. United, however, won't need a miraculous comeback this time. It will control the match. Snow in a championship soccer game? Hey, stranger things have happened. Award timePlayer of the year: After three solid seasons, Dallas Burn forward Jason Kreis enjoyed a breakthrough 1999. He figured in 61 percent of the Burn's 54 goals. He earned MLS player of the week honors an unprecedented six times and won the league scoring championship. "The team always seems to make goals happen," Burn coach David Dir said. "But you have to have a guy like Jason to be at the top of the ladder. With Jason, we feel like we're one of the elite teams. Without Jason, I don't know if we would have been." Coach of the year: In an MLS first, the winner's name - Sigi Schmid - does not grace the MLS and team media guides this season because he was hired in April, after the team fired Octavio Zambrano. He took a 2-3 team that scored but three goals and turned it into the Western Conference champion. Rookie of the year: After a year in which there were a half-dozen qualified candidates, this year's crop did not produce offensively or did not get enough playing time. It was a difficult choice because of the paucity of the competition. But Clash defender Jamie Clark gets the nod. He started 22 games and played in 26 and in 1,894 minutes. One writer's all-star team: Goalkeeper -- Kevin Hartman (Los Angeles) Defenders -- Jeff Agoos (D.C. United), Robin Fraser (Los Angeles), Marcelo Balboa (Colorado Rapids), Lubos Kubik (Chicago Fire). Midfielders -- Chris Armas (Chicago), Marco Etcheverry (D.C. United), Steve Ralston (Tampa Bay), Carlos Valderrama (Tampa Bay). Forwards -- Jason Kreis (Dallas) and Roy Lassiter (D.C. United).
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