|
|
 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Western Division preview
Updated: Friday April 06, 2001 4:15 PM
By Scott French, Soccer America MLS Cup 2000 champion Kansas City and CONCACAF Champions Cup titlist Los Angeles are again the class of the Western Division, but better parity may be evident as the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes revamp under new coaches. The Wizards hope MLS's top scorer will complement their sublime defense, while the Galaxy balances its desire for an MLS title with its quest at this summer's World Club Championship in Spain.
ColoradoPatience required to meet lofty aim Tired of mediocrity -- of squeaking into the playoffs, then taking an early exit; of playing flairless, blue-collar soccer that's rarely thrilling -- the Rapids are operating under a new mandate. GM Dan Counce wants to see something pretty, and he's got a new coach -- Tim Hankinson, late of Tampa Bay -- and a whole slew of new players to make it reality. Patience will be required. "All things will evolve in time," says Hankinson, who's first step is instilling in the Rapids a winning mentality. "Things build up -- they don't always change overnight. But they will change." The model, Counce says, is D.C., Chicago and L.A. -- teams that have employed vibrant attacks while setting MLS's defensive standard. It's a lofty goal. Whether Colorado has the personnel to achieve such aims is in question. Things have to improve over 2000, when injuries dammed the Rapids -- 119 games lost, 16 players carted off the field, seven missing nine or more games -- and the offense and defense ranked 11th in MLS. Nonetheless, "Mooch" Myernick, dismissed in November, had them hovering around .500 until an August skid. Their postseason journey, as in '98 and '99, lasted one round. This year's squad looks similar only in the back, where goalkeepers Adin Brown and David Kramer and defenders Chris Martinez, Scott Vermillion and 2000 surprise Lance Key will be joined by veteran Robin Fraser, who came over from Los Angeles just before the start of the season. Also in the mix is 25-year-old Jamaican-born speedster (4.4 in the 40) Steve Herdsman, drafted out of NAIA Cornerstone University. Herdsman may sweep, with Rapids MVP Marcelo Balboa moving into the midfield slot vacated by Jason Bent. D.C. castoff Geoff Aunger is another option. Also gone are three flank players -- Swede Anders Limpar, Olympian Joey DiGiamarino and David Vaudreuil -- and forwards Jorge Dely Valdes, Henry Zambrano and Matt Okoh. Those departing made 124 starts last season. Colorado's attack is being rebuilt largely around newcomers. Discovery options yielded Scottish forward-midfielder John Spencer, who has played at Chelsea, Everton and Rangers, and South African striker Neathan Gibson; Imad Baba, from New England, provides width on the right; Hankinson would like to use his allocation for left-sided help. Spencer's presence could settle dynamic but inconsistent forward Junior Agogo, Colorado's top scorer in 2000. Hankinson inquired about green-card holder Gibson when Finland's MyPa 47 scrimmaged Tampa Bay last year. Ross Paule, hindered by injury in 2000, needs to regain '98 form, and oft-ailing Wes Hart will be asked to take on added responsibility. Paul Bravo could see time up front, as an attacking midfielder, or in front of the backline. "In this league, you need to make the playoffs and get past the first round," Hankinson says. "Once we're at that stage, we'll continue to grow our goals from there. In the next couple of years, we want to win an MLS Cup."
Kansas CityChamps just want another chance The Wizards built their MLS championship with defense. The core of those responsible -- every first-teamer from the defensive midfielders back to goalkeeper Tony Meola, the league's MVP -- will be back in blue, so expect K.C. to proffer a spirited defense of its title, right? "I don't think we're defending anything," counters Bob Gansler, MLS's coach of the year after guiding Kansas City from successive last-place finishes to last fall's title. "We're attempting to achieve something. "It's a new adventure. Even if all the same guys were here, there would still be something different. They're not [all here], and this group has to find their way." The hope is this group will find the net more often. The Wizards' attack was only eighth in MLS, often struggling when Danish finisher Miklos Molnar (12 goals in 17 games, plus five of K.C.'s eight playoff goals) was out. Defensive play covered all shortcomings: Kansas City notched 17 shutouts in 2000 -- plus five in seven playoff encounters -- and surrendered only 29 goals behind Meola, MLS defender of the year Peter Vermes and youngsters Nick Garcia and Brandon Prideaux. When the sheet wasn't clean, K.C. was 5-7-3. Roy Lassiter, MLS's career scoring leader (84-34-196 in 142 games), steps in after Molnar's retirement. He arrives after an unhappy stint in Miami, where he netted only eight goals last year after averaging 18 through the first four campaigns. The speedster's a different breed than Molnar, historically requiring expert service from top-notch playmakers, something the Wizards lack. "We'll playmake by committee," says Gansler, who figures Francisco Gomez or Gary Glasgow most often will play behind the front pair, in the spot Preki owned until he was shipped off to the Fusion. Defensive midfielders Kerry Zavagnin and Matt McKeon will take on greater attacking responsibility. Lassiter says he expects to score "boatloads of goals, more than 15." Gansler doesn't see why he can't. "He needs the right kind of service and at precisely the right time," Gansler says. "I don't think he's a one-pony stagecoach. As long as we give him the ball in the box, he's going to create havoc." Glasgow, whose 2000 season ended prematurely with a broken foot, will get first shot at partnering Lassiter. Scotsman Mo Johnston, who changed his mind about retiring, and fifth-round draft pick Narciso Fernandes provide attacking options. Critical to success will be the wing play of rising star Chris Klein on the right and of Chris Brown or versatile Mark Santel, acquired from Dallas, on the left. "What is doing well?" Gansler says. "It's the same as last year: make it to the playoffs -- you want the team playing well when you get there -- and roll the dice."
Los AngelesSecond verse -- same as the first? Armed with one trophy, MLS's perennial underachievers now take aim on the one they really want. The paradox: L.A.'s success in the CONCACAF Champions Cup will challenge its prospects for a third MLS Cup appearance. The Galaxy heads into a campaign that is fraught with uncertainty. Undetermined are Luis Hernandez's availability for something other than this summer's World Club Championship, the fruits of January's triumph; the roles of several aging veterans, and the possibilities posed by a front pair with 46 years and one professional season between them. Cobi Jones, more wing-midfielder than forward these days, cleared up some confusion by signing in mid-March; Greg Vanney's return, after Europe wooed, might have been more crucial, although there is no question about L.A.'s defensive depth. The addition of Alexi Lalas will pay dividends in the locker room, Paul Caligiuri, now 37, and versatile Adam Frye provide depth. And Olympian Danny Califf is a rising defensive star, far better in the back than on a surfboard. Jones' return played havoc with L.A.'s salary cap, and Fraser was the one to be sacrificed. Just days before the season started, the four-time MLS Best 11 selection was shipped to Colorado for three future draft picks. Coach Sigi Schmid has other options, but Hernandez's arrival -- May? June? -- from his Club America gig in Mexico may force further maneuvers. Until Hernandez shows, or when he's off playing for Mexico, midfielder-turned-target man Sasha Victorine will partner one (or any) of three forwards picked up in the SuperDraft. Brian Mullan, from NCAA runner-up Creighton, may fit best, but Brian Ching -- MLS's first Hawaiian product -- and Project-40 designee Isaias Bardales will get their chance, too. L.A.'s strength may be a skilled midfield triangle in which Simon Elliott, L.A.'s MVP in 2000, and Peter Vagenas support Mauricio Cienfuegos. The 33-year-old Salvadoran playmaker needs to improve production that declined last season (seven assists after 56 the first four years). Danny Pena, back after a torn ACL, offers more in a deeper role. The Galaxy's depth will be tested like no other MLS team's. To accommodate participation in Spain, a month was cleared from their league schedule, with five games wedged elsewhere. The trip to Spain will make winning the MLS championship hard. "A major concern is that we don't get ahead of ourselves -- that we don't think about it while we're playing in league," says Schmid. "And when we come back, that we're able to refocus and reorganize to get ready for the playoffs."
San JoseStarting over, one more time The Bay Area's MLS entry gets a makeover just about every year, so the Quakes' cries about starting over in 2001 might seem stock. There exists a greater sense of optimism this time, with some reason. New, local management -- NHL's San Jose Sharks, operating with an option to invest -- an exuberant rookie coach, a solid collection of strikers and the prospect of Landon Donovan offer Quakes fans reason for hope. Questions abound, but San Jose really can't get much worse. The Earthquakes were MLS's bottom club last season, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Their anemic attack netted 35 goals, just nine of them in 16 road games. They surrendered 14 goals after the 75th minute, and they went through a 22-game stretch from April to August with just three victories. New coach Frank Yallop, a former Ipswich Town/Tampa Bay defender who takes over for Lothar Osiander, is starting near from scratch with a mix of old hands -- all except Dario Brose 26 and younger -- and new veterans. "We don't quite have the mentality of winning yet, but we'll get there," says Yallop, an assistant coach with the Mutiny in 1999 and D.C. United last season. "We've got to get rid of the habit of losing. Once we do, we'll be OK." Gone are 10 players who played significant roles in 2000, including leading scorer Abdul Thompson Conteh, failed international Khodadad Azizi and four defenders (John Doyle, Mike Burns, Dan Calichman and Ryan Tinsley) who combined for 77 starts. The big-name addition is defender Jeff Agoos, who steps into the leadership void left by Doyle's retirement. Left-sided midfielder Manny Lagos and flank defenders Zak Ibsen and Ramiro Corrales also arrive -- and center back Troy Dayak might return, too -- but much of the excitement in Quakes camp is over the addition of three young forwards. Dwayne DeRosario, at 22 a five-year veteran of Canada's national team, will join Salvadoran star Ronald Cerritos up front. Rookies Chris Carrieri, the No. 1 selection in February's SuperDraft, and Casey Woolfolk will press for time. But the biggest news came late when the Earthquakes were able to acquire the 19-year-old Donovan from German's Bayer Leverkusen. Cerritos scored 40 goals his first three seasons in MLS but knocked in only four last year -- three on PKs -- while missing 18 games with a quadriceps injury and five more for World Cup qualifiers. Depth is a concern, especially in midfield. Quakes MVP Richard Mulrooney has moved from the right wing to fill a void; Brose, coming off knee trouble, hasn't secured the attacking midfield job. Dane Ronnie Ekelund received a long look during Spring Training.
| ||||||||||||||||
