(From the March 7 issue of Soccer America Magazine.)
By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America Magazine
As MLS teams race to get ready for opening day, questions abound about their readiness. Will the moves already made work out? What moves remain to be made? Here's a look at some burning questions around the league.
Will another MetroStars' foreigner flop?
The MetroStars' spotty record with international players, putting playmaking midfielder Amado Guevera aside, is again in the news with the signing of former French international Youri Djorkaeff, who will turn 37 before playing his first MLS game.
No solution has yet been found to the case of Sergio Galvan Rey, who arrived as an allocation last year to much fanfare and produced a meager two goals and much consternation. He's on a guaranteed deal for 2005 and attempts to sell him — he arrived from Colombian team Once Caldas, which won the Copa Libertadores after selling him to MLS — have not been successful.
The Metros got rid of forwards Fabian Taylor (Jamaica) and Cornell Glen (Trinidad & Tobago) and are in the market for a goalscorer, just like they were when they signed Galvan Rey, whose cut of the salary cap won't make that search any easier.
Can Pablo find a place?
Colorado coach Fernando Clavijo plans on using U.S. international Pablo Mastroeni in midfield. Predecessor Tim Hankinson used Mastroeni in the back for many games last year and, combined with Mastroeni's trips back and forth from the national team, hampered the Rapids in several critical areas, one of which was an ability to hold the ball.
Clavijo is also concerned with the amount of Colorado's preseason Mastroeni will miss while training with the national team. He could be with the U.S. for the entire month of March and not report back to the Rapids until two days before their MLS opener.
''At least he'll be training at altitude part of the time,'' says Clavijo of the two weeks the national team will be in Colorado Springs. ''But we have to get him in as much as possible. He's a very important member of our midfield.''
Is Mulrooney the final piece?
Citing personal reasons, midfielder Richard Mulrooney asked to be traded out of San Jose, and the Quakes complied. In Dallas, he'll be closer to his father in Tennessee; both of them were deeply shaken by the death of Mulrooney's mother last fall.
Mulrooney brings a valuable component to the Dallas midfield, but just how Simo Valakari, Ronnie O'Brien and he will fit together remains to be seen. Valakari, whose ballwinning and mobility are average at best, can leave the running and tackling to Mulrooney. O'Brien occasionally comes inside and is one of the best in the league on the right flank, so Mulrooney's ability to play intelligent balls both short and long will aid him. And as a leader, Mulrooney brings another element Dallas needs more of, as well as steel in the middle. The central defense has lost Cory Gibbs to Feyenoord and Steve Jolley underwent surgery in February.
What will become of these Wizards?
The futures couldn't be more different for Kansas City veterans Preki and Tony Meola.
Coach Bob Gansler is giving Preki the chance to come back from ankle injuries that limited him to just 90 minutes last season at age 41 but isn't counting on it happening.
Gansler is shopping for attackers in preseason and picked up forwards Scott Sealy and Ryan Pore in the SuperDraft. The club is also in the process of renegotiating Preki's contract.
Meola, who underwent surgery in January to repair his Achilles tendon, disrupted Kansas City's run to MLS Cup last fall. He complained after the match, in which Bo Oshoniyi kept the starting spot he'd held since Meola went out with an injury in August, that he'd been led to believe he was going to play in the final.
His MLS contract has expired and he won't be able to play for months, but in any case, Gansler is ready to go with Bo.
Who mans the middle for D.C.?
Ryan Nelsen wasn't the fastest or fanciest defender to play in MLS, but his rugged tackling, underrated passing and nonstop shouting made for a lively four-year career in the heart of United's defense.
The Kiwi has found a spot in the Premier League with Blackburn, leaving a huge hole in the D.C. lineup — as well as its locker room.
His backline mates Mike Petke and Bryan Namoff are back, and U.S. national team defender Greg Vanney (unhappy at French club Bastia) has been mentioned as possible addition.
Coach Peter Nowak is also investigating foreign options to fill the void.
Which team will rule in L.A.?
Chivas USA and the Galaxy don't meet in the first Los Angeles derby until April 23 yet they've been battling for months on other fronts.
Chivas USA unveiled its eight Mexican League imports at Home Depot Center Feb. 21 and six days later scheduled a grand opening at HDC so fans could attend a practice session, meet the players and, more importantly, buy tickets.
The Galaxy led MLS in average attendance last season with a 23,809 fans per game. General manager Doug Hamilton, who concedes that Chivas USA will probably cut into his team's walk-up attendance, is banking heavily on Coach Steve Sampson's promises to field a more dazzling team than predecessor Sigi Schmid did. Sampson's first big signing was Costa Rican defender Michael Umana. Hmmm!
Chivas coach Thomas Rongen has also promised excitement, a melding of Latin flair and the Dutch boldness preached by Guadalajara technical director Hans Westerhof.