by Gerald Barnhart

The Impact served notice last year that this team is back as a title contender. Although the team did not experience the success it desired in the playoffs, it proved it can compete with perennial Northeast power Rochester, finishing tied in points on the year. In the Conference Semifinals, Montreal was just barely edged by the Rhinos, 1-0, on aggregate score showing just how close the two teams were to one another.

Montreal has re-signed a majority of its roster from last season and has added a few players here and there to fill out the squad. With a year under their belts, this team should be considered frontrunners to win the division during the season.

It's been a difficult history for Pittsburgh, which came out with an above average inaugural 1999 season but has been unable to find the magic on a consistent basis since. The team has showed moments of promise over the last three seasons with good runs in the US Open Cup and postseason in 2001, but has not been able to permanently get over the hump.

Tim Carter, who took over as coach midseason last year, will have the solid middle-of-the-pack squad more tailored to his style this year. The additions of rookie Eric Ongao at the back and former Indiana Blast midfielder Paul Dolinsky could solidy the team even more, allowing Pittsburgh to make that move it and the fans have been waiting for in a division that has become a little watered down over the past two years.

 

But what will likely get the 'Hounds past the hump will be the newest additions -- former MLS players Aleksey Korol, forward, and Justin Evans, who has been with the club on two prior occasions. The club also has another impact player in its fold, announcement pending, who led a fellow A-League club in scoring two seasons ago.

With an eye on the player budget and the other on the new PaeTec Park stadium to be built over the next year or so, the Rhinos will likely slip a little further south again this year. It will not, however, be a bad year for the three-time league champs. They should still finish at or above .500 as Frontier Field is still one of the most difficult places for visitors to win.

This team still has a strong defense and although Pat Onstad and Scott Vallow are now in MLS, the Rhinos have got veteran goalkeeper Billy Andracki, who can still be a dominant player in front of a solid back line that head coach Pat Ercoli always puts his primary focus on. Hey, defense wins championships - it's a proven fact in the A-League.

Fan unrest over the club's offensive struggles has prompted management to address its attacking ability and on that front, a few changes have been made. Gone is Greg Simmonds and in is Mac Cozier from the Charleston Battery. Also, the Rhinos have brought the club's all-time leading scorer Doug Miller back into the fold.

As an expansion team, the Salty Dogs will likely have a slow, frustrating start as the team tries to come together.

That being said, they couldn't have a better coach at the helm than Laurie Calloway. The former MLS coach led the Des Moines Menace to an unbeaten 15-0-3 mark last season, taking the team to new levels in his second year at the helm. At the same time, the Menace made some headlines in the US Open Cup, downing the USL Pro Select League's New Jersey Stallions and taking Calloway's new rival Rochester to overtime before being eliminated from the tournament.

Every year, Toronto fields a plucky team that although may not be a contender, always seems to give fits to their opponents. This year should not be any different.

The team has lost some key players that have gone abroad in search of European play, hoping it will help them gain some playing time with the Canadian National Team.

But, the Lynx, who still have a solid core of players, have produced the league's Rookie of the Year the last two seasons. Should lightning strike again with another unknown following in the footsteps of Robbie Aristodemo and Niki Budalic, the club could finish as high as third in the division.

Montreal will finish atop the division at the close of the season. What should lock that up is the drop in quality overall in the division. Rochester has trimmed its player payroll and with the new Syracuse franchise in the mix, the players will be a little more spread out. I still like the Rhinos for second given the roster the club still possesses, coach Ercoli and their home field/fan support advantage. The other three clubs could finish in any order to round out the bottom of the division. I like Pittsburgh to narrowly finish behind Rochester for third, Syracuse for fourth and Toronto to bring up the rear. This could be a make-or-break year for Pittsburgh, however. Rochester will likely return to prominence sooner rather than later with the new stadium on the horizon, so if the Riverhounds want to jump into the elite of the league, this is their chance.