EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 Television
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

Garth Lagerwey's MLS final four

Posted: Wednesday May 31, 2000 05:53 PM

Garth Lagerwey responds to the Question of the Week: Besides your own team, name the three teams that you think will reach the MLS playoff semifinals.

1. Miami Fusion

"You can't stop us, you can only hope to contain the number of times we play in L.A. That is the only way to limit our losses in Vegas."

2. K.C. Wizards

Lagerwey left big shoes for Tony Meola to fill. Ezra O. Shaw/Allsport

"Could this be the year they finally break the Lagerwey curse? The last time K.C. won a playoff series it had an unknown rookie in goal. That novice won what is still the only playoff series in franchise history and is the only keeper in MLS history to win a Game 3 on the road. Three weeks later he was cut in a public flogging in which Ron Newman responded to the question of why K.C. failed to win the title by saying he was bringing back 10 of his starters and thought he had found the problem. K.C. has not won a playoff game since. Tony Meola had that scoreless-minutes streak going, but I wish him the best in trying to live up to my legacy. Another record of mine he probably can't equal is my three-peat of trips to the waiver wire, not to mention my consistent ledger of releases in every single non-expansion year. So, yeah, I kinda thought it would be cool if they added a few more squads next year. It would at least save MLS having to negotiate another contract with me, which is to say I could be spared being verbally tossed down an abandoned mine shaft, with only the light of a freshly ignited contract sheet to guide me back out. It is kind of fun to see if you can get there before it burns up completely and they pull it off the table, but you known deep down that once you read it you'll want to swan dive back into the pit anyway.

"Did I digress? My apologies."

3. L.A. Galaxy

"Sure, the league may have plundered the depth of this team like a frat boy at the Tri Delt Christmas formal, but I am confident all those new fans can act as the burro L.A. rides to the semifinal fiesta. At least the ones that are still around after Luis Hernández misses his 10th game to check on his wife and their kids. Or to see his hairstylist back in Monterrey where he really gets fuller body and better tones. Or because his shoulder hurts."

4. Chicago Fire

"Solid club which hammers us more often than Thor crashing lightning bolts down from Valhalla."

Click here to return to this week's Inside U.S. Soccer.

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.