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MetroStars No longer a laughingstock, Metros are stocked with talent
By Michael Lewis, CNNSI.com Once the laughingstock of Major League Soccer, the MetroStars get the respect due MLS Cup contenders these days. And why not? They have many of the ingredients to go all the way and take the victory lap around Columbus Crew Stadium come Oct. 21. They return three of the 10 top scorers in the league. They boast arguably the best American in the league in Clint Mathis and one of the top foreign bodies in the league in Adolfo Valencia. Add a physical, take-no-prisoners backline and a solid supporting cast and you can see why coach Octavio Zambrano is brimming with optimism and confidence. "We feel that we have enough to compete for a championship," he said. "We managed to keep a core of players who were important for us this year. Even though we have lost some players, I think the ones who have come in and the ones who have more experience are certainly an improvement overall over last year. "Since we were close last year, I think this year we will get even closer." How close were they last season? The MetroStars suffered an excruciating 3-2 defeat to the Chicago Fire on a goal in the 88th minute in the final game in the best-of-three semifinals.
No sir, no one's laughing these days. Given Zambrano's background and coaching philosophy, it should be no surprise that the MetroStars' strength comes from their attack. Off a marvelous, record-setting five-goal performance in one game and a 16-goal, 14-assist season, Mathis is just scraping his potential. Valencia, now 33, made history last season by becoming the oldest player to score the most goals (16) in league history. Alex Comas looked clumsy at times, but still managed to score 13 goals. The modified midfield has three mainstays from last year's team -- veteran Tab Ramos, who doesn't have to shoulder the creative burden by his lonesome any more; an underrated Mark Chung, who is the best two-way midfielder on the left side; and an improving Petter Villegas. Add two experienced defensive midfielders in Colombian Pedro Alvarez and former D.C. United player Richie Williams, who came via the controversial trade of goalkeeper Mike Ammann, and you have as good a midfield as any in the league. The MetroStars' Achilles' heel, however, is defense. They discovered how fragile life could be in the back when central defender Daniel Hernandez went down right before the All-Star break last season. Until then, the MetroStars were 13-7-2, surrendering 29 goals in 22 games. In their remaining 10 matches, they were 4-5-1, allowing a whopping 27 goals on 10 games. It was quite a difference. Zambrano was forced to use aging and injury-prone Lothar Matthäus and Thomas Dooley in that position, with varying results. Both have since retired. Hernandez is now healthy and will team with all-star Mike Petke -- who decided to stay home after Germany's Kaiserslautern bid for him -- and Steve Jolley. "Everything defensively will be dependent on the maturity and the development of these players," Zambrano said. They'll patrol in front of the talented Tim Howard, who inherited that position after Ammann was dealt. Howard, who was the youngest keeper in league history when he manned the nets at 18 in 1998, is a mature 22 years old. He is aiming to buck one trend in league history -- no keeper this young has ever backstopped a team to an MLS title. "Timmy's a leader," Zambrano said. "He has all the capabilities to become a great leader. I have seen those signs, talking to him and his demeanor on how he approaches the game and how he carries himself. "I think there is definitely a learning curve that will take place there. But the upside of that learning curve is incredible. So I am willing to back him up and give him the confidence and the security that he needs to come into his own as a goalkeeper." The MetroStars' biggest challenge just might be the schedule. They play seven of their opening eight games at Giants Stadium by May 16, so a fast start out of the gate is imperative before hitting the road for a good portion of the summer. A fantastic finish also will be just as important for a team with such high expectations.
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