When asked what sort of team the Quakes will have this year, captain Jeff Agoos scratched the side of his close-cropped head.

''I wish I could tell you,'' says the man who has won four MLS titles, including the 2001 edition with San Jose. ''We've got a couple of new forwards, we've got a new goalkeeper. I don't think we'll really understand what the team's about until a quarter or a third of the way into the season. We're going to figure it out as we go.''

The arrival of frontmen Brian Ching and Brian Mullan and Canadian keeper Pat Onstad may not be as visible as the chopping off of Agoos' distinctive pony-tail, which isn't the only change to a resilient back line that conceded fewer goals than any other MLS team during the past two seasons combined.

Keeper Joe Cannon and left back Wade Barrett bolted for Europe within days of each other in January, and Jimmy Conrad was traded to Kansas City. Craig Waibel, a Quake in 2001, came back from Los Angeles via waivers, and Coach Frank Yallop drafted Todd Dunivant out of Stanford as cover at left back. Third-year defender Eddie Robinson played 19 games last year.

What defined the Quakes in their championship season was a cohesion borne of stalwart midfielders Richard Mulrooney and Ronnie Ekelund, the pairing of Dayak and Agoos in central defense, and the explosiveness of Landon Donovan. And teamwork.

New faces abound for the 2001 champs, but a solid core returns.

''We proved that in 2001,'' says Dayak, whom Yallop used at right back in preseason. ''I don't think we had the best collection of talent but we were definitely the best team. That's why we were successful then, and how we'll be successful again this year.''

The departure of Ariel Graziani, who led the team with 14 goals last year, to clear salary-cap space places a heavier load on Donovan. Yallop has already made clear he wants his young star to finish near the top in points as well as endorsements.

''Landon has to drop all that stuff on the outside and play some good football for us because that's the only reason he's here,'' says Yallop. ''He's not here to do commercials and photo shoots, he's here to play soccer for San Jose and score 20 goals in a season and help us get back to where we want to be.''

Also expected to take up the scoring slack are Manny Lagos, who hit eight goals in 2001 but only three last year, and Dwayne DeRosario, who missed most of the 2003 preseason with a broken ankle.

Mullan, a forward most of his two seasons with the Galaxy, has been moved to the right side of midfield and can whip in a good cross. Onstad, 35, is a former Canadian international but has never played in MLS.

''It's a totally different team than the past two years,'' says Agoos. ''There are a lot of new faces and we're very young. We still have a good core of guys. We can compete and have a good shot at getting back to the final.''

AT A GLANCE

Pivotal: Jeff Agoos. If Agoos doesn't have a monster year, the Quakes will struggle. They desperately need him to anchor a revamped defense and be the leader who has won four MLS championships.
Worth Your Money: Landon Donovan. Showtime on grass. Sharp finisher and master of the no-look pass.
Make or Break: Eddie Robinson. The defender has shown great promise but he's also been prone to the big mistake.
Best Youngster: Arturo Alvarez. Teenager is quick, daring and potent with both feet.
Underrated: Troy Dayak. Rugged, savvy defender is one of the league's best.
Overrated: Manny Lagos. Needs another good season.

Roster

Avg. Age: 25.6 (7th youngest in MLS). Capped players: 8 (6th in MLS).
Goalkeepers – 1 Jon Conway, 18 Pat Onstad (Canada/GC), 30 Josh Saunders.
Defenders – 12 Jeff Agoos (USA), 19 Troy Dayak (USA), 17 Todd Dunivant, 2 Eddie Robinson, 16 Craig Waibel.
Midfielders – 5 Ramiro Corrales (USA), 6 Ronnie Ekelund (SI), 11 Manny Lagos (USA), 8 Richard Mulrooney (USA), 4 Chris Roner, 7 Ian Russell.
Forwards – 26 Arturo Alvarez (P40), 25 Brian Ching, 14 Dwayne DeRosario (Canada/SI), 10 Landon Donovan (USA), 15 Roger Levesque, 9 Brian Mullan, 22 Jamil Walker.
Head coach: Frank Yallop (MLS record: 27-18-9, 2 seasons).

ò Countries for which players have been capped (through March 25) are in parentheses.

by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney