by Gerald Barnhart

 

 

The Riverhawks are just simply outgunned. The club has never really turned the corner competitively over the years since joining the league although it showed some promise last year with a decent early-season run that had some thinking a possible playoff berth would come. However, late season defection of some top players to better teams left the team struggling across the finish line and Cincinnati finished the season out of the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

 

A number of players are not returning to the team due to off-the-field conflicts with management, leaving the Riverhawks even more dependant on young, unproven talent from the region. Although I'd love to see this team do well for the betterment of professional soccer in Cincinnati, I just don't see the 'Hawks leaving the cellar in 2003.

 

El Paso Patriots:

 

This is one of those wild card clubs. You never know quite what to expect out of the Patriots. Some days you see brilliance, yet on others, they leaving you scratching your head.

 

That trend will continue as the team moves to the Central Division after numerous seasons in the Pacific. The team will still play a heavy slate of teams from their old division due to being geographically between the two, so there will be some continuity there.

 

Also new for El Paso this year will be their home field, the Sun Bowl. Looking to revive their slowly diminishing following, the Patriots have forged a partnership with the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and will play their entire home schedule at the famed collegiate stadium, which they made their debut in last year.

 

Hopefully, the new division and home field will help a roster, which will likely be of less experience this year due to El Paso's thin budget. The club will be relying a lot on local talent, looking for a successful season and improved fan following to help bolster the team for the long-run over the next few years.

 

The Blast are probably one of the best teams in the A-League at making the most of what they have. The team has traditionally fielded a squad comprised of solid local players, which has made it difficult to reach the postseason.

 

However, management of the team places more value on the fan experience and developing the game in the greater-Indianapolis area than winning a championship, a rarity in any professional sport.

 

That tradition will continue in 2003 although I have a feeling that one of these days, the Blast will make one of those Cinderella-type runs like the New England Patriots of the NFL. All it could take is one or two unknowns to have a breakout year for this team to turn the corner.

 

Another item of note is the official return of head coach Jimmy McDonald, who led the team in its first four seasons of existence from 1997-2000. The club's performance slipped during his two-year absence, beckoning the return of the former skipper to the sidelines late last year to assist player/coach Eric Descombes.

 

 

This is not your typical expansion team. Although others have their doubts about this new club, I think they'll be one of the better ones at the close of the season.

 

With the transferring of rights to the players from last year's championship Milwaukee Rampage squad, Wave United started with a great base of players. Some have moved on either by the club's or player's choice, but should be offset by the team's acquisitions.

 

Tied to the indoor powerhouse Wave of the MISL, the club knows what it is doing off the field and, in my opinion, will prove the same for on the field when the season gets underway. The team has placed a steadfast focus on signing key players to multiple-year deals and tried to bring in some of the better indoor/outdoor players from other teams to their organization for year-round commitments to the Wave and Wave United.

 

All this equates into a future powerhouse in the A-League that should rival Rochester's success over the years. Soccer fans in Milwaukee should consider themselves lucky for this development, which comes off the heels of an A-League championship last year. They may not repeat as champs this year, but over the long-term, it is very likely you will see Milwaukee in the final more than once.

 

Minnesota Thunder:

The Thunder have been a consistently successful club, dating all the way back to the amateur days. That will not change this year. Minnesota brings back the core of its strong squad from last year and has added a few players that could take the Thunder back to the final for the first time since their three-year run in the championship game from 1998-2000.

 

The new addition that could make the team a contender will be midfielder Marco Ferruzzi, who led the Richmond Kickers as captain last year to the A-League final. With the offensive power the team showed on occasion last year, Ferruzzi will only make it a more consistent threat to opposing defenses in the Western Conference.

 

Minnesota also added former MLS defender Steve Shak and brought in Atlanta's Carlos Parra to shore up its defense. In the midfield will be a familiar face in Kevin Anderson, who returns to Minnesota after several years with MLS and the Charleston Battery.

 

Overall Thoughts:

 

Well, same old story in this division. It will be Milwaukee and Minnesota in playoffs. El Paso could make it interesting at the finish, but I just don't see them on the same level as the two rivals. Indiana should do well enough to stay ahead of Cincinnati for fourth in the division.