By Ridge Mahoney
Senior Editor
Soccer America

Whether or not he trades away the No. 1 pick, CD Chivas USA Coach Bob Bradley has begun to re-mold the league's worst team.

Not surprisingly, Bradley — who coached five seasons in Chicago and three with the MetroStars — is negotiating deals to acquire two of his former players: midfielder Jesse Marsch and striker Ante Razov.

Chicago, which traded Will John to Kansas City for midfielder Diego Gutierrez, will receive a draft pick — probably in 2007 — in exchange for Marsch, who had formed one of the league's strongest midfield pairings with Chris Armas since Chicago began play in 1998. A going-away party is being held for Marsch Friday night.

If deals are done, Razov and Bradley will be paired up for the third time. In Chicago, Razov scored 76 goals before being traded a year ago to Columbus for Tony Sanneh. While still coach of the Metros last season, Bradley traded John Wolyniec and an allocation to Columbus for Razov, who scored three goals in his first three games for the Metros and ended up with six goals in 18 games. He is fourth among goalscorers in MLS with 84 goals.

Contacted by telephone Thursday in Philadelphia, Metros GM Alexi Lalas said no deal for Razov has been consummated. ''He's a proven goalscorer in MLS and there are not many of those around,'' said

Lalas, ''so of course teams are interested. Absolutely nothing has been done and unless something does get done I expect Ante will be with us this season. And that's fine by me.''

RAPID MOVEMENT. There's more change afoot in Colorado. Goalkeeper Joe Cannon is reportedly headed to Kansas City, perhaps in exchange for the Wizards first-round pick (No. 4 overall). Reached by phone Thursday, Cannon confirmed he'd been notified of the trade but said some details had yet to be worked out and he couldn't speak any further.

The Rapids are also about to land midfielder-defender Chris Wingert from Columbus, according to a source. Phone calls to Clavijo's cell phone Wednesday and Thursday were not returned prior to this story being filed. Clavijo has already acquired midfielder Clint Mathis from Real Salt Lake in exchange for defender Ritchie Kotschau and will have to replace defender Matt Borchers, who is in the final stages of negotiating a move to Odd Grenland in Norway.

GUEVARA CHAT. Lalas also said he hadn't recently spoken with outspoken midfielder Amado Guevara, whose disenchantment with the Metros and Lalas resurfaced earlier this week to the extent Guevara said he won't give a full effort for the Metros if Lalas stays as GM.

''We haven't talked,'' said Lalas. ''He's a former MVP and a recognized No. 10 and we expect him to report for the start of training Feb. 1. There are a lot of teams around the league who would be interested in an Amado Guevara but we're talking to multiple teams about multiple players, so it wouldn't be prudent to single out one player.'' Guevara rumors have him going to:

1) CD Chivas USA for the No. 1 pick, even though Chivas already has Juan Pablo Garcia and made a big deal last week by staging a press conference stating Garcia and Francisco Palencia would be available from the start of the season; and

2) FC Dallas in exchange for Eddie Johnson, i.e. one talented, temperamental attacker for another.

LOCAL, SORT OF. Several players projected to go high in the SuperDraft have trained with local MLS teams, which may increase the chances of them winding up with that team.

Marvell Wynne trained several times with CD Chivas USA while recovering from a broken foot and has already expressed his desire to stay in Southern California. Mehdi Ballouchy, who played at Santa Clara, has trained with the Earthquakes, and even though that team is now in Houston, a source says Coach Dominic Kinnear hopes Ballouchy is available when Houston uses the eighth overall pick.

Kinnear has signed an extension to his contract and is looking for an assistant coach to replace childhood friend John Doyle, who reportedly earns more than $100,000 as director of coaching for Mustang Soccer, a Northern California youth team, and won't move to Houston. Goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley and trainer Bruce Morgan will make the move.

TIDBITS: U.S. under-17 star David Arvizu did not go to Mexico, as was reported in a previous edition of the Confidential, and could be ready to re-open talks with MLS. He was on hand last weekend at the MLS combine but didn't participate. … Salt Lake coach John Ellinger is reportedly eyeing Seton Hall midfielder Sacha Kljestan as perhaps worthy of the second overall pick. … Discussions continue regarding a swap of Metros midfielder Eddie Gaven and Crew forward Edson Buddle. … Michael Bradley, the MetroStars teenage midfielder, has been training with Dutch club Herenveen.