Rough roads in Wild West
Three of the last four MLS Cup finalists square off with revamped squads in Colorado and Dallas. Management questions have been answered in San Jose, which finished last in attendance despite beating the Galaxy in MLS Cup 2001. Kansas City, the 2000 champ, seeks redemption. The Burn lives on despite a stadium setback in nearby McKinney, and the Rapids have a spanking new facility in which to strut their stuff.
COLORADO
The Carlos Conundrum
Thanks to the contraction follies in Florida, the Rapids’ midfield is reborn. One member of the inaugural 1996 team who also reached MLS Cup ’97 is back. Another has been jettisoned.
If any surviving team needed change, it is this one. The spiffy new Invesco Field at Mile High can’t be the only attraction.
The Rapids won just five of 26 games last year, only one more than the moribund Mutiny, and nearly accompanied Tampa Bay across the river Styx.
Deft, dreadlocked Pablo Mastroeni is expected to scrape the ball free and feed it to Carlos Valderrama, around whom the attack revolves. To scorch foes on the flanks are book-end burners Chris Henderson and Mark Chung.
The latter came via a trade that sent original Rapid Marcelo Balboa to the Metros. Also in Metroland is Ross Paule, who logged 10 assists in 2001.
“With our players who can attack from midfield and Carlos serving balls, we should have a pretty good team offensively,” says Henderson, an original Rapid who returns after winning a title in Kansas City and playing one year with the Fusion.
Effervescent John Spencer arrived from Scotland last year to top the Rapids with 14 goals. He needs help to improve upon the 36 goals (ninth in MLS) the Rapids scored last year.
Daniel Amokachi’s aborted acquisition promotes Chris Carrieri, who as the No. 1 SuperDraft pick in 2001 straightened out his game and head after arriving in a trade from San Jose to score five goals in 14 games.
Regal stalwart Robin Fraser returns in the back. A-League Defender of the Year Rick Titus will be paired with Fraser in the middle, which has to be an upgrade from Chris Martinez.
With some solidity in front of him, Scott Garlick can go back to being a goalie rather than the punching bag he was in Tampa.
DALLAS
New men in the middle
The trade of Ariel Graziani to San Jose for Ronald Cerritos is a wash, on paper. Both scored 11 goals in 25 games last season.
But both were looking for greener pastures as well.
“Ariel needed a change, and so did Ronald,” says Coach Mike Jeffries. “It should work out well for both teams. I think the combination of Cerritos and Jason Kreis will work well for us, and Bobby Rhine will see a lot of time as well.”
Kreis scored only seven goals in 2001, the lowest output of his career, although he was second on the team with 10 assists.
Playmaker Oscar Pareja led the team with 12 assists and should find more room to operate with the mobile Cerritos opening up space. He could also be pushed to the right side.
Inconsistent flank play haunted the team last year. Antonio Martinez did well enough in preseason to perhaps lock up the left side. The long-serving Richard Farrer and exciting youngster Joselito Vaca offer contrasting abilities on the right.
Jeffries has made other changes to improve on last year’s 10-11-5 record and first-round playoff elimination by the Fire.
The central defense has been re-tooled with ex-Crew Tenwya Bonseu and former Northern Ireland international Steve Morrow.
They add power on the ground and in the air, which may help the Burn cut down on the scrappy goals it conceded last year by failing to clear knockdowns and loose balls.
A cleaner goalmouth also will take pressure off the man in goal, where incumbent Matt Jordan has a battle for the starting job with D.J. Countess in town.
Jorge Rodriguez, like Cerritos, has acquired his green card. Being teamed with a fellow Salvadoran should bolster Cerritos’ psyche and lighten the dark moods that sometimes clouded his play in San Jose.
KANSAS CITY
Lean to the left
The Wizards duly fell victim to the post-championship slump last season, falling from the 2000 pedestal to a sub-.500 team at 11-13-3.
No MLS champion has repeated since 1997, but D.C. United did bounce back to win it all in 1999.
To emulate that feat, Coach Bob Gansler has culled five starters from rosters around the league and still had a senior international slot open five days before opening day.
Back from that championship squad is Preki. He leads a slew of left-footed additions (Eric Quill, Stephen Armstrong, Diego Gutierrez) of which much ado has been made as the Wizards seek greater balance on the field.
But Gansler seeks improvement in application as well as alignment.
“We under-achieved last year, and that includes me as the coach,” says Gansler. “It’s a matter of talent, but it’s also a matter of how players come together or don’t come together.”
The Wizards were 11th in goals scored (33) and goals allowed (53). That latter stat is a glaring change from 2000, when Kansas City had the best defense (29 goals allowed) in MLS. Ray Lassiter’s seven goals was his lowest MLS output.
“There wasn’t anybody in Kansas City who had a career year, and that starts with me,” says Gansler. “The year before, maybe some folks had [a career year].”
In the defense, which Gansler converted to a four-man unit last year, Diego Gutierrez’s return to Kansas City adds speed and toughness at left back.
Attackers Gary Glasgow and Chris Brown played well in preseason, which included a tour of Argentina and two FC Champions Cup games.
Glasgow played up top and on the right side of midfield, where Chris Klein ruled in 2000. Klein, whose numbers slipped in 2001, is recovering from offseason ACL surgery.
Gansler also has the means and cap space to replace forward Onandi Lowe.
LOS ANGELES
Life without Luis and Greg
The personnel will be different, but the Galaxy will again feature a 4-4-2 system hard to decipher.
Attacking right back Ezra Hendrickson has been joined by fellow Caribbean international Tyrone Marshall, who is fond of forays up the left.
Chris Albright will be given a chance to recharge his MLS career after two rough seasons (four goals in 56 games) in D.C. He and Guatemalan import Carlos Ruiz are a dramatic change from the blond lightning bolt, Luis Hernandez.
Add a free-roaming role for one of the attackers – could be Albright, could be Cobi Jones – and there’s a puzzle to be solved.
“At times,” says Coach Sigi Schmid, “we’ll be playing without a left-sided midfielder, and at other times we’ll be playing without a right-sided midfielder, depending on whose playing that free attacking role and what the other team is doing.”
Ruiz and Brian Mullan could start up front, with Albright playing free. Or Albright could be paired with Ruiz, which would leave enough midfield slots to accommodate Mauricio Cienfuegos, Simon Elliott, Sasha Victorine and Jones.
Pete Vagenas would be the odd man out, but he’ll see a lot of playing time if Jones goes to the World Cup and Cienfuegos doesn’t get younger (he’s 34).
Schmid says he’ll use Jones more in the middle this season rather than out wide.
“We didn’t attack enough down the center last year, and that’s one area where Cobi can help us,” says Schmid.
Greg Vanney’s departure leaves a hole. As the season began, Schmid had a foreign slot open, but in deference to Alexi Lalas, Dan Califf, Craig Waibel and Adam Frye said, “We have six defenders, so there’s no need to make a move right away.”
Kevin Hartman took the starting keeper job back from Matt Reis last year. Neither relished the situation, and the tension may recur this season.
SAN JOSE
Don’t fix what ain’t broken
The greatest threat to the Quakes may not be found in the United States but rather the Far East and perhaps Europe.
Defender Jeff Agoos and forward Landon Donovan will miss at least six weeks to play in the World Cup. Midfielder Richard Mulrooney may go as well. All three are among MLS’s best at their positions.
Other teams may lose as many or more players, but no team will make do without a rugged defensive anchor (Agoos) and a brilliant ballhandler (Donovan).
“I think we’ll have enough to get through the World Cup and even afterwards if they come back nicked up,” says Coach Frank Yallop. “We have cover in the back and two very good young players up front, so I don’t think it will be a problem.”
Up front, newcomer Ariel Graziani is the poacher San Jose has lacked. Dwayne DeRosario would start on most teams, Donovan is Donovan, and Yallop used an allocation to claim teenager Devin Barclay and a SuperDraft pick for Luchi Gonzalez.
“Those guys are more chancy,” says Mulrooney. “I don’t know if we’ll be quite as good keeping possession up top as we were last year. But it gives us a different dimension.”
Mulrooney’s absence would demand another stellar season from Manny Lagos, who rolled eights in goals and assists last year, and central partner Ronnie Ekelund.
If foreign teams come calling for Donovan, a tug-of-war may ensue between Bayer Leverkusen and MLS.
No team conceded fewer than the 29 goals the Quakes gave up in 2001. San Jose might be caught thin if injuries hit the back line, but keeper Joe Cannon has big saves in his holster.
An offseason sale of the NHL’s Sharks has stabilized the team’s management – former NASL Quakes star Johnny Moore takes over as GM – although operator Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment has declined to buy the team.
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney