SEASON SEVEN KICKS OFF SATURDAY

March 21, 2002 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release

New York (Thursday, March 21, 2002) - Major League Soccer's seventh season, which officially gets underway with Saturday's nationally televised match between the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew (4:00 p.m. ET - ABC Sports), is arguably the most unpredictable ever as the gap between the ten contenders for MLS Cup narrowed considerably during the offseason. Each squad in the new-look, two-conference alignment can realistically harbor the dream of repeating the success story of the San Jose Earthquakes, who came out of nowhere in 2001 to claim their first Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy.

The Earthquakes will open the defense of their crown on the road at the Cotton Bowl this Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET). While San Jose confirmed its faith in last year's core of players, its opposition will be the new-look Dallas Burn. These two clubs were involved in the blockbuster trade of the offseason in which both sides exchanged their leading goal scorers from last season with sniper Ariel Graziani moving to the West Coast and Ronald Cerritos, after five years in San Jose, heading to the Burn. The test for Dallas will be whether its defense can start on the right foot after a rocky 2001. The additions of Tenywa Bonseu, Steve Morrow and Lee Morrison are expected to supply solidity against an explosive San Jose attack which left its mark last season in the opening match in Los Angeles, laying a three-spot on the Galaxy in the opening half.

One team expected to challenge the Earthquakes for the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy is the New England Revolution, arguably the best team on paper going into the new season. With the Budweiser Scoring Champions of 2000 (Mamadou Diallo) and 2001 (Alex Pineda Chacon) among other star acquisitions, the Revolution have high expectations surrounding them. New England's arch-nemeses, the MetroStars, will pose as the first obstacle for Fernando Clavijo's squad (7:30 p.m. ET). Metros forward Diego Serna will be looking to leave a lasting first impression in front of his new fans as the two squads face off for the second consecutive season opener at Giants Stadium.

Aside from the intense rivalry that will take center stage in the mid-America derby between the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew on ABC Sports (fans of these two clubs regularly make the 350-mile trek), D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy will renew a battle reminiscent of MLS Cups past (10:00 p.m. ET). While the Los Angeles Galaxy are coming off their third ill-fated trip to MLS Cup, three-time champions United aim to regain their elite status in the League led by their highly respected and charismatic head coach, Ray Hudson. Fans will also witness the MLS debut of two renowned Central American internationals: midfielder Milton Reyes (D.C. and Honduras) and forward Carlos Ruiz (L.A. and Guatemala). Of particular note will be the performance of former D.C. forward Chris Albright who will wear the teal Galaxy jersey for the first time against his old club, on which he struggled to meet expectations since his rookie season in 1999.

The fifth match on tap for Saturday will see the Colorado Rapids visit the Kansas City Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium (8:00 p.m. ET). Another squad which was revolutionized during the offseason, the Rapids will want to send a message to the rest of the League early in the campaign, while the return of Preki to his old stomping grounds should prove to be the marquee highlight for the Wizards' faithful in attendance.

MLS STAR PLAYERS CALLED UP TO WORLD CUP TUNE-UP MATCH IN GERMANY: U.S. National Team Head Coach Bruce Arena has publicly stated his desire to split the traveling load between MLS-based and Europe-based U.S. National Team players for international exhibitions given the start of the MLS season this Saturday. However, eight MLS standouts will still form part of the 20-man U.S. squad that will gather to take on three-time World Cup champion Germany on Wednesday, March 27 across the Atlantic in Rostock: Jeff Agoos (D - San Jose Earthquakes), Landon Donovan (F - San Jose Earthquakes), Chris Armas (M - Chicago Fire), Clint Mathis (F - MetroStars), Cobi Jones (F/M - Los Angeles Galaxy), Brian McBride (F - Columbus Crew), Eddie Pope (D - D.C. United) and Tony Meola (GK - Kansas City Wizards). Each one of the call-ups will leave to Germany following their MLS matches on Saturday.

Joining Agoos (125 appearances), who has played in each of the last 16 matches for the U.S. on the back line, McBride, Mathis and Donovan represent the stars of the attack for the Americans. McBride has four goals and two assists in seven matches in 2002, while Mathis and Donovan each netted a pair against Honduras in a 4-0 victory. Jones may have the opportunity to add to his all-time best total of 151 international appearances for the U.S., presently good for fourth best in the history of world soccer.

The match from the Ostseestadion will be played at 2:45 p.m. ET and shown on tape delay on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET and on Telemundo at 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans can also follow the action live from Germany online via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. The U.S. has shut out Germany in their last two encounters, winning 3-0 on Feb. 6, 1999 and 2-0 on July 30, 1999, at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. Those matches marked the first ever U.S. wins against Germany.

In the lead-up to the World Cup which kicks off on May 31 (on June 5 for the U.S. vs. Portugal) the U.S. has registered a record of 6-1-1 in 2002 while outscoring its opponents 14-2 and posting six shutouts. Following the match in Germany, the U.S. will meet rivals and fellow World Cup participants Mexico at Invesco Field in Denver on April 3 in a doubleheader, which also features the Colorado Rapids meeting three-time MLS Cup champion D.C. United in the first game.

MLS NATIONAL BROADCASTS ADD SIDELINE REPORTER VERONICA PAYSSE: Major League Soccer Executive Producer Mike Cohen announced today that Major League Soccer's television talent pool has added Veronica Paysse, an innovative and engaging personality who will serve World Cup broadcasts on ABC and ESPN2 as a features reporter and work MLS telecasts on the networks as the lead sideline reporter in 2002.

The Univision talent has covered World Cup France '98, Copa America 2001, the Mexican First Division and Super Bowl XXXIII as an associate producer or reporter for Univision and its parent company, Televisa. As a featured personality on the popular "Republica Deportiva" magazine show on Univision, Paysse (pronounced PIE - say) interviewed several MLS stars and athletes from across the world's sporting landscape.

"We are thrilled to have Veronica join our announce team for Major League Soccer and World Cup telecasts on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2," said Michael Cohen, the recently-named Executive Producer and Head of Production for MLS/Soccer United Marketing broadcasts. "We are confident her knowledge and enthusiasm for soccer will add a new dimension to our broadcasts."

The former Miss Hispanidad 1998 and Miss Florida USA 2000 runner-up was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and moved to Miami when she was nine years old. Her father, a "fanatic" supporter of Club Nacional, instilled the love and passion for the sport of soccer in her blood, while Veronica credits her Cuban mother with providing an appreciation for baseball. Her photo is available for media download at the following location on Major League Soccer's official site: .

ABC, SOCCER VETERAN MITCH GREEN ALSO ADDED: Mitch Green, a veteran soccer producer comes to MLS as the Lead Producer for all "Soccer Saturday" broadcasts on ABC and ESPN2 during the 2002 season. Green has spent his entire career in the sports television industry where he has cultivated a lifelong love of the game of soccer. Green produced feature pieces for ABC Sports' telecasts of U.S. National Team games in preparation for and during World Cups 1994 and 1998. He also produced the game telecasts of U.S. National Team friendlies and World Cup qualifiers from 1996 through ABC/ESPN's coverage of World Cup '98, repeating the cycle of qualifiers for World Cup 2002 Korea/Japan. Green also worked as an Associate Director on NBC Sports' soccer coverage at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Green joins Emmy award-winning veteran Doug Wren who will be entering his seventh season as the lead director on MLS network broadcasts.

26 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN MLS' 2002 FIELD OF TEAMS: As the seventh MLS regular season kicks off on Saturday, a total of 26 countries will be represented on team rosters. The country with the most nationals among MLS squads is the Caribbean island of Jamaica with five. Colombia comes in a close second with four representatives. The newest entry of 2002 comes in the form Northern Ireland as Steve Morrow (Dallas Burn) becomes the first member of the country to ever play in MLS. What follows is the 2002 breakdown of the 47 internationals in MLS:

Bolivia (3): Marco Etcheverry (D.C. United), Jaime Moreno (D.C. United), Joselito Vaca (Dallas Burn)

Brazil (1): Rodrigo Faria (MetroStars)

Bulgaria (1): Hristo Stoitchkov (Chicago Fire)

Canada (2): Rick Titus (Colorado Rapids), Dwayne DeRosario (San Jose Earthquakes), Josue Mayard (Dallas Burn)

Colombia (4): Diego Serna (MetroStars), John Wilmar Perez (Columbus Crew), Carlos Valderrama (Colorado Rapids), Oscar Pareja (Dallas Burn/green card)

Costa Rica (1): Daniel Torres (Columbus Crew)

Denmark (1): Ronnie Ekelund (San Jose Earthquakes)

Ecuador (2): Ariel Graziani (San Jose Earthquakes), Petter Villegas (MetroStars/green card)

El Salvador (3): Mauricio Cienfuegos (Los Angeles Galaxy/green card), Ronald Cerritos (Dallas Burn/green card), Jorge Rodriguez (Dallas Burn/green card)

England (1): Daniel Jackson (Colorado Rapids)

Ghana (1): Joe Addo (MetroStars/green card)

Guatemala (1): Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Honduras (2): Alex Pineda Chacon (New England Revolution), Milton Reyes (D.C. United/green card)

Jamaica (5): Craig Ziadie (D.C. United/dual citizen), Tyrone Marshall (Los Angeles Galaxy/green card), Winston Griffiths (MetroStars), Andy Williams (New England Revolution), Wolde Harris (New England Revolution/green card)

New Zealand (3): Duncan Oughton (Columbus Crew), Ryan Nelsen (D.C. United), Simon Elliott (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Northern Ireland (1): Steve Morrow (Dallas Burn/green card)

Peru (1): Jose "Chino" Alegria (D.C. United)

Poland (2): Peter Nowak (Chicago Fire/green card), Robert Warzycha (Columbus Crew/green card)

Scotland (1): John Spencer (Colorado Rapids)

Senegal (1): Mamadou Diallo (New England Revolution)

Sierra Leone (1): Abdul Thompson Conteh (D.C. United/green card)

South Africa (2): Ivan McKinley (D.C. United/green card), Stephen Armstrong (Kansas City Wizards)

St. Vincent & The Grenadines (1): Ezra Hendrickson (Los Angeles Galaxy/green card)

Trinidad & Tobago (1): Gary Glasgow (Kansas City Wizards)

Uganda (1): Tenywa Bonseu (Dallas Burn)

Ukraine (3): Dema Kovalenko (Chicago Fire/green card), Serge Daniv (Chicago Fire), Aleksey Korol (Chicago Fire)

YOUNGEST MLS TEAM AS OF OPENING DAY - CHICAGO FIRE: Helped on by the youngest player in MLS, 16-year-old Craig Capano, the Chicago Fire hit Opening Day 2002 with the youngest roster in MLS (average age 24.7 years). If Capano earns playing time on Saturday, he will become the second youngest player ever to enter an MLS match at 16 years, 8 months and 16 days. D.C. United's Santino Quaranta was the youngest ever to appear in a game when he played against the New England Revolution on May 9, 2001 at 16 years, 6 months and 27 days. Also on the Fire roster in the Under-20 category are: 19-year-old DaMarcus Beasley, 20-year-old Kelly Gray and 18-year-old Miguel Saavedra.

The team with the highest average age is the Colorado Rapids who feature veterans Carlos Valderrama (40), Chris Henderson (31), Robin Fraser (35), Mark Chung (31), John Spencer (31) and Rick Titus (33) in the over-30 category. When he plays on Saturday, Carlos Valderrama will continue to set the pace as the oldest player to ever play in MLS (date of birth: 9-2-61). Each MLS squad's average age is listed below from youngest to oldest:

(1) Chicago Fire - 24.7
(2) Dallas Burn - 25.0
(3) D.C. United - 25.1
(4) San Jose Earthquakes - 25.4
(5) Los Angeles Galaxy - 25.9
(6) MetroStars - 25.9
(7) New England Revolution - 26.6
(8) Kansas City Wizards - 26.8
(9) Columbus Crew - 26.9
(10) Colorado Rapids - 27.4

THREE OF FOUR MLS TEAMS ADVANCE TO F.C. CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTERS: On Wednesday night, the Chicago Fire completed a 3-0 aggregate goal victory in their two-leg series against Guatemalan club Municipal, making Bob Bradley's club the third MLS team to earn passage to the quarterfinals of the regional cup competition: the Football Confederation Champions Cup. The Fire join the San Jose Earthquakes and the Kansas City Wizards in the next round.

The defending MLS Cup champion Earthquakes, facing perhaps the toughest opposition of MLS teams in the Round of 16, defeated CD Olimpia of Honduras in both matches of their home-and-away match-up, capping off the series with a 3-1 win on Saturday. On the same day, the Wizards also finished off their opponents, W Connection FC of Trinidad, with a 2-0 result that came on the heels of a 1-0 victory in Trinidad. Veterans Preki and Mike Burns netted the goals for the 2000 MLS Cup champions. D.C. United were the only MLS club to falter at this stage of the tournament, with the 4-0 loss in the first game against CSD Communicaciones proving too large an obstacle to climb despite a 2-1 second-leg win at RFK Stadium.

The quarterfinal match-ups are listed below. The final two quarterfinalists will be decided on March 27. If the Fire and Wizards advance past the quarterfinals, they will face one another in an all-MLS semifinal meeting - the second consecutive all-MLS semifinal. D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy faced off in January of 2001, with Sigi Schmid's squad moving on to the championship game and their first-ever club trophy.

F.C. Champions Cup Quarterfinals:
CSD Communicaciones (GUA) vs. LD Alajuelense (CRC)
San Jose Earthquakes (USA) vs. Defence Force (TRI) or Pachuca (MEX)*
Chicago Fire (USA) vs. Morelia (MEX)
Kansas City Wizards (USA) vs. Santos Laguna (MEX) or Tauro FC (PAN)**

* Defence Force leads the series after the first match, a 1-0 win in Trinidad
** Santos-Tauro series is tied after the first match, a 1-1 tie in Panama

MLS Week 1 Match Previews (all times ET)

Saturday, March 23 (4:00 p.m.) - Chicago Fire at Columbus Crew (ABC Sports)
2001 season series: Chicago won series 2-1-1 (Columbus led 5-4 on aggregate goals);
All-time regular season series: Chicago leads series 8-3-1 (Chicago leads 20-16 in aggregate goals)
Top returning scorers: Chicago: M Dema Kovalenko (8g, 7a = 23pts); Columbus: F Jeff Cunningham (10g, 13a = 33pts);
Did you know?: Fire forward Ante Razov is a Columbus Crew killer - in each of his last six starts against the Crew he has netted a goal dating back to an October 10, 1999 match.

Key players out: Chicago: D Jim Curtin (ankle sprain-L), F Hristo Stoitchkov (hernia); Columbus: D Mike Lapper (sprained MCL-R);

Notes: This is the second consecutive season opener between the two teams at Columbus Crew Stadium ... The Fire are coming off the second leg of their F.C. Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Guatemala's Municipal ... Both the Crew and Fire will feature U.S. National Team forwards and World Cup hopefuls in attack with Ante Razov and Josh Wolff wearing Fire red and Brian McBride and Jeff Cunningham wearing the Crew's Black-and-Gold ... With the competition for spots on the U.S. National Team, these players will be extra-motivated ... However, the sector of the field to watch will be the back line of both squads as each will be featuring new-look defenses ... C.J. Brown and Carlos Bocanegra are the only two starting defenders from 2001 available for the match while the Crew will make room for newcomers Chad McCarty, Brian Dunseth, Eric Denton, Daniel Torres or Chris Leitch to join veteran captain Mike Clark ... This is a rivalry that matters a great deal to the fans of the two sides as traveling supporters (making the 350-mile, five-hour trek) are a regular presence at these matches.

KEY MATCHUP: Fire D Carlos Bocanegra vs. Crew F Brian McBride: These two will arguably be the two best players in the aerial game at Columbus Crew Stadium on Saturday ... Their timing on corner kicks and free kicks sent into the box on either end of the field could prove to be the difference.

SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Kevin Stott; Assistant Referees: Craig Lowry (SAR), Nathan Clement (JAR)

Saturday, March 23 (7:30 p.m.) - New England Revolution at MetroStars (MSG, FOX Sports New England)
2001 season series: MetroStars won series 2-0-1 (Metros led 6-3 on aggregate goals);
All-time regular season series: Series tied 11-11-1 (MetroStars lead 44-37 on aggregate goals);
Top returning scorers: New England: M Andy Williams (3g, 7a = 13pts); MetroStars: F Clint Mathis (7g, 5a = 19pts);
Did you know?: The MetroStars have scored the most goals (44) and registered the most wins (11) against the New England Revolution than against any other squad in MLS.

Key players out: New England: M Braeden Cloutier (knee MCL strain-R), M Tony Frias (grade-two ankle strain-R), M Shaun Tsakiris (hamstring strain-L); MetroStars: F Martin Klinger (lower back pain);

Notes: This match will feature two of the most anticipated debuts of the 2002 season ... On one end, fans will see how arguably the best team on paper going into the campaign, the new-look New England Revolution, actually sizes up ... The tantalizing wait to see the likes of Mamadou Diallo (2000 Budweiser Scoring Champion) and Alex Pineda Chacon (2001 Budweiser Scoring Champion) on the field at the same time will come to an end on Saturday ... However, the MetroStars' one-two punch in attack is expected to rival the Revolution's as American superstar Clint Mathis and Colombian sniper Diego Serna team up for the first time ... With only one shutout registered by either team in the last three years of regular season action, offense should be plentiful.

KEY MATCHUP: Revolution F Mamadou Diallo vs. MetroStars D Mike Petke: As if the rivalry between these two teams wasn't enough, Diallo's move to New England brings a new story line into the mix ... Although both players say their past mix-ups on the field are a thing of the past, there's no telling what fireworks can erupt in the heat of the battle between two of the most physically dominating athletes in MLS.

SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Michael Kennedy; Assistant Referees: Greg Barkey (SAR), Richard Eddy (JAR)

Saturday, March 23 (8:00 p.m.) - Colorado Rapids at Kansas City Wizards (FOX Sports Rocky Mountain)
2001 season series: Kansas City won series 1-0-2 (Kansas City led 5-4 on aggregate goals); All-time regular season series: Kansas City leads series 12-8-3 (Kansas City leads 47-30 on aggregate goals)
Top returning scorers: Colorado: F John Spencer (14g, 7a = 35pts); Kansas City: F Roy Lassiter (7g, 1a = 15pts);
Did you know?: The Colorado Rapids' last regulation win against the Wizards came back on July 7, 1999 (2-1). None of the 13 Rapids players who saw action in that match are currently on the 2002 squad.

Key players out: Colorado: none; Kansas City: M Chris Klein (ACL surgery-R), M Eric Quill (strained hamstring-L)
Notes: Both squads come into 2002 having seemingly filled last year's void except at forward ... With Nigerian Daniel Amokachi getting waived on Wednesday, the Rapids will be without the physical presence Colorado believed it was missing alongside John Spencer in 2001 ... That move, however, opens the door for the fiery Chris Carrieri to make an immediate impact as Spencer's partner with an attacking combination based on speed ... The Kansas City Wizards will see their forward line made up of a combination of the following: Roy Lassiter, Chris Brown or Gary Glasgow ... The Wizards trio tallied a total of 16 goals among them, only two more than John Spencer's 14 last year ... Of particular interest will be whether the Tim Hankinson's flank play attacking system kicks in from the start with newly acquired Mark Chung and Chris Henderson providing the push down the sidelines ... In 2000, the Wizards barreled through opposition all the way to an MLS Cup championship with flank play (in the persons of Chris Henderson and Chris Klein) being one of their key strengths ... There will also be a few big-name ex-players on both sides of the ball on Saturday: Mark Chung (ex-Wizards), Chris Henderson (ex-Wizards), Peter Vermes (ex-Rapids) and Matt McKeon (ex-Rapids).

KEY MATCHUP: Rapids M Mark Chung vs. Wizards D/M Stephen Armstrong: Known less for his work on the defensive side of the ball, Mark Chung will have to contend with the advances of Armstrong, who showed with D.C. United last season the propensity to blast shots on goal with his powerful left foot when given the space and time ... While Armstrong will not be hesitant to make his presence known to Chung with timely tackles, an attack-oriented Colorado squad will probably need to offer Chung help in this job of containment.

SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Alex Prus; Assistant Referees: George Gansner (SAR), Richard Huber (JAR)

Saturday, March 23 (8:30 p.m.) - San Jose Earthquakes at Dallas Burn (FOX Sports Bay Area)
2001 season series: Series tied at 1-1-0 (San Jose led 2-1 on aggregate goals);
All-time regular season series: Dallas leads series 11-9-0 (San Jose leads 27-26 in aggregate goals) Top returning scorers: San Jose: M Manny Lagos (8g, 8a = 24pts); Dallas: F Jason Kreis (7g, 10a = 24pts);
Did you know?: The Burn's Ronald Cerritos is the Earthquakes' all-time leading scorer with 148 points (55g, 38a). The active San Jose player with the most career points in a Quakes uniform is Richard Mulrooney with 25 (2g, 21a).

Key players out: San Jose: M Manny Lagos (red card suspension), D/M Scott Bower (leg surgery); Dallas: M Joselito Vaca (ankle sprain-R), M Oscar Pareja (red card suspension);

Notes: The highlight of this match will be the performances of two of the greatest goal scorers in MLS history against their former teams ... The Burn's Ronald Cerritos (who formerly spent five years with the Earthquakes) was involved in a trade which saw Dallas' second all-time leading scorer, Ariel Graziani, move to the MLS Cup champions after more than two seasons in Texas ... Cerritos was prompt to stoke the fires the day he was traded, stating: "Since I first came to MLS one of my wishes was to come to Dallas." ... Last season, Graziani experienced conflicts with Burn Head Coach Mike Jeffries which were sometimes accompanied with outward signs of disapproval on the playing field ... Both players will be carrying extra motivation although it is not certain that Graziani will start given the fact that Dwayne DeRosario and Landon Donovan were often teaming up at forward during preseason ... This match will be a measuring stick of the mentality and attitude of the reigning MLS Cup champion Earthquakes, who will be returning many of last year's starters ... It will also be the first test for a Dallas team with fresh blood which will hope to see its newer elements gel quickly as second-year Head Coach Jeffries begins to make his imprint on the club's personnel ... The absence of both playmakers, Joselito Vaca and Oscar Pareja, from the Burn starting lineup should be a severe blow in the buildup of the Burn attack.

KEY MATCHUP: Earthquakes D Troy Dayak vs. Burn F Ronald Cerritos: These are two players who are most readily identified with Bay Area soccer during the last seven years ... With their familiarity with one another and their past history through the rough and happier days in San Jose, it will be interesting to see who will be the one to make the first tackle and show first as the aggressor against his former teammate.

SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Rich Grady; Assistant Referees: Jorge Reyes (SAR), Francisco Sanchez (JAR)

Saturday, March 23 (10:00 p.m.) - D.C. United at Los Angeles Galaxy (Comcast)
2001 season series: Los Angeles won series 2-0-0 (Los Angeles led 4-0 on aggregate goals);
All-time regular season series: Los Angeles leads series 9-8-0 (Los Angeles leads 26-22 in aggregate goals)
Top returning scorers: D.C. United: F Abdul Thompson Conteh (14g, 1a = 29pts); Los Angeles: F Cobi Jones (6g, 10a = 22pts);

Did you know?: Since losing MLS Cup '99 to D.C. United, the Los Angeles Galaxy have won five of six regular season matches against United, dropping a lone 2-1 result on July 15, 2000.

Key players out: D.C. United: M Ben Olsen (ankle surgery), F Jaime Moreno (knee surgery); Los Angeles: F Isaias Bardales (knee sprain-R), M Peter Vagenas (lower back strain);

Notes: The Los Angeles Galaxy have probably been waiting for this day longer than any team in MLS ... After their crushing 2-1 overtime defeat in MLS Cup 2001 at the hands of the San Jose Earthquakes, their third such loss in a title game, Sigi Schmid's squad should be hungry ... The 2002 Galaxy present new options in attack with Guatemalan star Carlos Ruiz and former United frontman Chris Albright likely to accompany Sasha Victorine and Cobi Jones in attack ... Albright had a hard time living up to his billing while at D.C. ... However, the 2000 U.S. Olympian was also asked to carry the load for a team that failed to make the MLS Cup Playoffs for two consecutive seasons ... D.C. United has already had its mettle tested in 2002 in its two-leg F.C. Champions Cup series against CD Communicaciones of Guatemala, Ruiz's homeland ... In the two-game set, Hudson's team lacked the offensive dominance that his Miami Fusion team displayed in 2001 ... Defensively, Ray Hudson's teams have had a difficult time stopping the Los Angeles Galaxy ... In three games at the helm of the Miami Fusion, Hudson saw his team give up three goals on each occasion, while never coming away with the win.

KEY MATCHUP: United M Bobby Convey vs. Galaxy D Ezra Hendrickson: The size difference is readily apparent with the 5-8 Convey looking to beat the 6-3 Hendrickson down the left flank ... While Hendrickson can cover a lot of ground and use his physique to his advantage, Convey has shown the knack for displaying superior vision of play and making just the right runs before receiving the ball.

SCHEDULED REFEREES: Referee: Noel Kenny; Assistant Referees: Chris Strickland (SAR), Steven Davidson (JAR)

ACE/TRU-FIT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER INJURY REPORT

The following is a brief team-by-team injury overview entering Week 1 of the 2002 MLS Regular Season:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: D Jim Curtin (ankle sprain-L), F Hristo Stoitchkov (hernia-R); DOUBTFUL: F Aleksey Korol (bursitis-left knee), F Ante Razov (groin strain-L); PROBABLE: F Josh Wolff (shoulder injury-R)

COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: D Mike Lapper (sprained MCL-R)
D.C. UNITED - OUT: M Ben Olsen (ankle surgery), F Jaime Moreno (knee surgery)
METROSTARS - OUT: F Martin Klinger (lower back pain); PROBABLE: M Tab Ramos (strep throat)
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: M Braeden Cloutier (knee MCL strain-R), M Tony Frias (grade-two ankle strain-R), M Shaun Tsakiris (hamstring strain-L); PROBABLE: D/M Ted Chronopoulos (hamstring strain-L)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
COLORADO RAPIDS - No injuries to report
DALLAS BURN - OUT: M Joselito Vaca (ankle sprain-R); QUESTIONABLE: F Hamisi Amani-Dove (lower back strain)
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: M Chris Klein (ACL surgery-R), M Eric Quill (strained hamstring-L)
LOS ANGELES GALAXY - IR: F Isaias Bardales (knee sprain-R), M Peter Vagenas (lower back strain); QUESTIONABLE: D/M Tyrone Marshall (ankle sprain-R)

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: M Scott Bower (surgery - both legs)

SUSPENSION REPORT

Player/Coach Team Suspension Reason
Oscar Pareja Dallas Burn 1 game, 3/23 Red card
Manny Lagos S.J. Earthquakes 1 game, 3/23 Red card

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