A few of the league’s biggest names slipped out of the top slots as their teams faltered in 2001.
The dilemma faced annually by Soccer America is how to rank players by position when many of them play different roles in different systems.
This task is not only complicated by what form of 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 a team might play but also by rating those players required to play more than one position.
The Galaxy played 4-3-3 much of the season, which transformed Cobi Jones into a winger instead of a midfielder. So this season he is ranked as a second forward.
The categories listed refer to a player’s place on the field, not necessarily to the corresponding position in a particular system. i.e., left back in a 4-4-2 formation is precisely what Wade Barrett plays, but Diego Gutierrez – a left-sided defender in the 3-5-2 Chicago normally used by Chicago – is also listed as a left back.
Central midfielders is a catch-all category for defensive mids like Chris Armas and dual-purpose players such as Richard Mulrooney and Simon Elliott.
To address the versatility issue, the 2001 positional rankings include a category for Mr. Utility as acknowledgment of those players pressed into service in more than one spot.
Goalkeepers
1. Tim Howard (MetroStars)
2. Nick Rimando (Miami)
3. Zach Thornton (Chicago)
4. Joe Cannon (San Jose)
5. Tom Presthus (Columbus)
6. Tony Meola (Kansas City)
For leading the league with 146 saves, the top spot goes to Howard. For being blessed with brilliant reflexes and the audacity to wear shoes of any color except black, next up is Rimando.
Thornton is just a shade behind the top two; the big man made some big saves in the playoffs. Cannon seldom erred; and Presthus’ superb reflexes bailed out the Crew more than once.
Tony Meola was injured and Kevin Hartman was benched for much of the regular season.
Right Backs
1. Ezra Hendrickson (Los Angeles)
2. Pablo Mastroeni (Miami)
3. C.J. Brown (Chicago)
4. Mike Petke (MetroStars)
5. Mike Clark (Columbus)
6. Nick Garcia (Kansas City)
Without peer as an attacking back, Hendrickson causes teams fits on the dribble and in the air on set plays.
He looks gangly and easy to beat, but his strength and long reach often scrape the ball away at the last second.
Mastroeni sometimes finds himself in the middle as the Fusion whirls around the field. He really blossomed this season; his pace and skill will likely draw offers from foreign clubs.
Both Brown and Petke had to adjust to a variety of partners. Clark cut down on his mistakes.
Garcia dropped from his outstanding rookie season. The Wizards’ defensive woes exposed him somewhat, and his season ended with a smash to the mouth from Diego Serna.
Central Defenders
1. Jeff Agoos (San Jose)
2. Carlos Llamosa (Miami)
3. Greg Vanney (Los Angeles)
4. Jorge Rodriguez (Dallas)
5. Carlos Bocanegra (Chicago)
6. Troy Dayak (San Jose)
7. Tenywa Bonseu (Columbus)
8. Steve Jolley (MetroStars)
A slew of defenders earned high grades this season. Ex-D.C. United stalwarts grabbed the first two slots.
Agoos dominated the defensive ranks. Moved into the middle of a 4-4-2 and made captain by Coach Frank Yallop, he forged the league’s best defense with his strength and anticipation.
Llamosa’s cool play anchored the Fusion’s free-wheeling system and its uncanny strength down the middle.
Vanney, like Agoos, moved inside from the left-back slot and anchored his defense. Bocanegra also shifted to a central spot and in only his second season continued to refine his game.
Left Backs
1. Diego Gutierrez (Chicago)
2. Ivan McKinley (Miami)
3. Wade Barrett (San Jose)
4. Paul Caligiuri (Los Angeles)
5. Orlando Perez (MetroStars)
6. Mike Duhaney (Columbus)
Gutierrez’s bending balls up the left flank are a prime weapon in the Fire’s attack, and his speed usually makes up ground when the ball is played over his head. He doesn’t miss many tackles, either.
McKinley is an experienced customer. He can hit a good long ball, particularly when switching play, and not many attackers get past him cleanly.
Barrett missed most of 2000 with a broken leg. He tackles tenaciously and whips in the occasional cross. He sometimes is overpowered in toe-to-toe duels, yet usually takes the right angle in tracking back and can nick the ball off anyone.
Caligiuri performed well in his final MLS season, Perez was a revelation, and Duhaney had a good season.
Paul Broome filled in admirably when the Burn went to a 4-4-2.
Right Midfielders
1. Steve Ralston (Tampa Bay)
2. Petter Villegas (MetroStars)
3. Ian Russell (San Jose)
4. Chris Klein (Kansas City)
5. Brian West (Columbus)
6. Tyrone Marshall (Miami)
Nobody had a superb season, as Ralston did last year with 19 assists. He still rates highest of a group that was good but not great.
Villegas’ scorching pace helped a depleted Metros’ attack extend the Galaxy to a tiebreaker. Klein wasn’t the dominant force he was in 2000 yet is still among the best.
San Jose’s scheme relied on Russell to shut down some dangerous players. He also had nine assists in the regular season and a sweet goal in the playoffs.
West didn’t see a lot of time yet caused a lot of problems.
Central Midfielders
1. Chris Armas (Chicago)
2. Ian Bishop (Miami)
3. Simon Elliott (Los Angeles)
4. Richard Mulrooney (San Jose)
5. Brian Maisonneuve (Columbus)
6. Jim Rooney (Miami)
7. Jesse Marsch (Chicago)
8. Matt McKeon (Kansas City)
Armas still commands great respect around the league with his toughness, strong tackling and knack for dropping into passing lanes at just the right moment.
Bishop (13 assists) is a tough customer and often kick-starts the Fusion attack with the proper outlet pass that sets it in motion.
Elliott plays a simple, effective game beautifully. Mulrooney has no peer when workrate, tackling, tracking and passing are added up. Maisonneuve’s attacking prowess opened up space for John Wilmar Perez and Jeff Cunningham.
Left Midfielders
1. Manny Lagos (San Jose)
2. Chris Henderson (Miami)
3. DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago)
4. Mark Chung (MetroStars)
5. Eric Quill (Tampa Bay)
6. Ted Chronopoulos (New England)
Lagos finally got the recognition he was due after two good seasons in Tampa Bay. Kids all over the country should be practicing the Manny Move, that insidious cutback to the middle.
Henderson runs, crosses, runs, tackles, runs, shoots …
The sky is the limit for Beasley and those spindly wheels of fire.
Attacking Midfielders
1. Preki (Miami)
2. Peter Nowak (Chicago)
3. John Wilmar Perez (Columbus)
4. Oscar Pareja (Dallas)
5. Marco Etcheverry (D.C. United)
6. Francisco Gomez (Kansas City)
If life truly begins at 40, Preki (8 goals, 14 assists) has three years to hit his peak. That doesn’t seem possible after an utterly brilliant season.
Nowak’s scything runs and impeccable passes are a joy to watch. The gifted Perez made opponents look foolish with his deft passes and sneaky pull-backs.
Pareja quietly logged 12 assists. Marco had some stinkers, but he’s still Marco.
Gomez suffered from inconsistency yet threw in enough good games to squeak past Carlos Valderrama and Mauricio Cienfuegos.
Second Forwards
1. Alex Pineda Chacon (Miami)
2. Jeff Cunningham (Columbus)
3. Landon Donovan (San Jose)
4. Cobi Jones (Los Angeles)
5. Dema Kovalenko (Chicago)
6. Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Classifying Alex Pineda Chacon (19 goals) and John Spencer (14) is tricky. Miami’s attack is so fluid any of the attackers can wind up anywhere, and Spencer adjusts his game to whom he’s playing with and against.
Both are superb attackers with a great knack for finishing as well as finding teammates. We’ll put Spencer at striker.
Cunningham just puts his head down and goes for goal. Somehow (10 goals, 13 assists) the ball winds up in the net.
Donovan blossomed in his first pro season. Jones is always a threat. Dema Kovalenko isn’t as good a player as Jaime Moreno but had more good games.
Strikers
1. Diego Serna (Miami)
2. John Spencer (Colorado)
3. Abdul Thompson Conteh (D.C. United)
4. Ronald Cerritos (San Jose)
5. Eric Wynalda (Chicago)
6. Luis Hernandez (Los Angeles)
Serna (15 goals, 15 assists) is the best bad boy in the history of MLS. On his good days, he’s unstoppable by legal means. Too much bold, unbridled talent.
Thompson Conteh scored one-third (14) of D.C. United’s goals. He’s limited but sticks the ball away.
Waldo reminded us of who and where he is with 10 goals after moving over to the Fire.
Luis Hernandez had eight goals in about half as much playing time as Ariel Graziani (11 goals).
Mr. Utility
1. Duncan Oughton (Columbus)
2. Ross Paule (MetroStars)
3. Adam Frye (Los Angeles)
4. Evan Whitfield (Chicago)
5. Daniel Hernandez (MetroStars)
6. Sasha Victorine (Los Angeles)
Oughton made the rounds of positions like a late arrival at a party, and most of the first impressions were good ones.
Paule played all over the place for the Metros and Rapids.
Frye played on the left side of midfield and up front. Whitfield got a lot of time at right mid and also played in the back.
Hernandez moved into midfield when injuries hit the Metros. Victorine isn’t the sharpest finisher but scored some vital goals when moved up front.
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney