Teams jockey for playoff spots amid international callups and late-season turmoil

A month remains in the regular season, and in that interval, teams will scramble to fill the eight playoff spots.

Few teams will not be affected by call-ups for national teams and Olympic teams, and those player issues add yet another unknown element to the late-season equation. Here’s how Soccer America stacks them up:


1. CHICAGO

The injury to Hristo Stoitchov opened the door for Dema Kovalenko, who needed minutes. The latter, as well as the former, might be a vital cog down the stretch as national-team and Olympic call-ups take their toll.

Stoitchkov is the consummate game-breaker. If he stays healthy, the Fire can go all the way.

Lubos Kubik’s return could bring the Fire back to its 1998 persona: strong goalkeeping, composed defense, good role players, and an opportunistic attack sparked by Peter Nowak.

Sun: Many ’98 champs are still around.

Shadow: Olympic player losses might yield playoff defeats.


2. MetroStars

The knee injury suffered by Daniel Hernandez opens up a spot for an experienced defender. Will it be Mark Semioli, Thomas Dooley or Lothar Matthaeus? Or will they play in shifts?

Adolfo Valencia and Clint Mathis form one of the best attacking tandems in the league. The flank raids of Petter Villegas and Mark Chung keep teams honest.

Unbeaten in nine games heading into the All-Star Game, the Metros are due for a lull. They have five tough road games left.

Sun: Road record (7-3) is tops in MLS.

Shadow: Football lines in the Meadowlands.


3. Kansas City

Five goals in 10 games, during which the Wizards were 2-5-3, slowed their momentum heading into the All-Star Game but didn’t cost them the top spot in the Western Division.

An ungodly defensive record (17 goals allowed in 23 games) isn’t predicated on grotesque soccer. Kansas City can knock the ball around as well as push it forward, and Preki is dying to flaunt his skills in the playoffs.

Sun: Tony Meola.

Shadow: What if the scoring drought continues?


4. Los Angeles

No team suffers more than the Galaxy when World Cup qualifying rolls around, with as many as six starters affected. Absences will probably cost it a shot at the Western Division crown.

Yet with a full squad, L.A. can run teams off the field. It will need goalie Kevin Hartman healthy to challenge for the title, and Danny Pena’s loss hurts. Both Luis Hernandez and Cobi Jones must produce.

Sun: Robin Fraser.

Shadow: Too much whining about the league and the refs.


5. Tampa Bay

Flank attackers Steve Ralston and Eric Quill have ably supported the central strike force of Mamadou Diallo and Carlos Valderrama. The Mutiny are nearly as potent on crosses as they are up the middle.

Joe Addo and Steve Trittschuh are carrying more of the defensive load with the change to a three-man back line. But teams may find ways to turn the corner as the season winds down.

Sun: Mutiny has outscored opponents, 22-10, in final 15 minutes of first and second halves.

Shadow: Still averaging less than 10,000 fans per game at home.


6. Colorado

Rapids games are usually gritty. In 15 of their 23 games this season, neither team has scored more than two goals. In four OT games, they’ve won twice and tied twice.

A team with a goal difference of minus-12 has to be admired for its survival instinct.

Another injury to Adin Brown and his impending Olympic duties are balanced by the fact David Kramer has a far better goals-allowed average (1.49 to 2.04) this season and MLS playoff experience.

Sun: Anders Limpar can take teams apart.

Shadow: No more excuses. Everybody except Brown is healthy.


7. Columbus

The Crew can’t seem to break out of its win-a-few, lose-a-few rut, but the return of Brian McBride should vault it into the playoffs.

Or, maybe not. The run-and-gun style of Jeff Cunningham, Brian West and Dante Washington poses a thorny problem for Coach Tom Fitzgerald as to how he deploys McBride.

The defense is OK, if a bit slow, but nobody back there is a national-teamer or an All-Star. Ditto for keeper Mark Dougherty.

Two trips to Foxboro in August may decide if Columbus makes the cut.

Sun: Dante!

Shadow: Home mark of 6-4-3.


8. New England

Like several MLS teams, the Revs hover on either side of mediocrity. But they have some tough customers at key positions in Juergen Sommer, Leonel Alvarez and Wolde Harris. The effort is usually there.

Midfield confusion reigns as John Harkes and Mauricio Ramos try to sort things out and cover up the giveaways of Mauricio Wright. Rusty Pierce has been a stud at right back.

Sun: Five of six August games are at home.

Shadow: Not much punch if Harris is stifled.


9. Dallas

The player unrest that nearly boiled over at the end of the 1998 season has returned as the Burn struggles to get above .500.

Goalkeeper Matt Jordan has given away a few goals, and the defense has not looked settled. Sergi Daniv’s sophomore season has been a nightmare.

Ariel Graziani and Jason Kreis are a joy to behold, but the Burn needs to be tighter at the back and get consistent play from its midfield.

Sun: Abundant talent.

Shadow: Coaching change or housecleaning is likely.


10. D.C. United

When Marco Etcheverry sleepwalks through several MLS games, then tears it up against Newcastle – which just happens to play in the league and country El Diablo wishes to join – D.C.’s days appear numbered.

This team is not as rich in talent as in the past, and the championship spirit is gone. Several veterans – Raul Diaz Arce, Eddie Pope, Richie Williams – are struggling, and the young brigade hasn’t come through. Neither keeper has been outstanding.

Sun: Three more games with Miami.

Shadow: Too many points to make up, too many teams to climb over?


11. Miami

Got tons of publicity but essentially wrote off the playoffs when Ray Hudson was hired as head coach. Jokes get laughs but they don’t win games, and he freely admits the last squad he led was a girls’ team called the Pink Flamingos.

The Fusion won just three of 11 games in June and July and surrendered 26 goals in the process. So how did this team shock the league under Ivo Wortmann with its miserly defense?

Sun: Can beat teams on talent alone.

Shadow: Hasn’t beaten an MLS team since Independence Day.


12. San Jose

Playoff chances were riddled by injuries to Ronald Cerritos, Khodadad Azizi and John Doyle. The reluctance of Coach Lothar Osiander to take either Jose Manuel Abundis or Emilio Mora didn’t help.

Osiander also claimed the league killed his efforts to trade an allocation to Los Angeles for Clint Mathis. Instead, Mathis went to the Metros and Luis Hernandez wound up in L.A.

Still, the Earthquakes were right in the hunt until they lost back-to-back home games with Colorado and New England. They’d been unbeaten at Spartan Stadium prior to those defeats. Timing is everything.

Sun: Joe Cannon and Dario Brose.

Shadow: Attendance is plummeting.

by Soccer America senior editor Ridge Mahoney