2004 A-LEAGUE EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW

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Chacon

Fitzpatrick

Woods
2003 Rundown: 
4-7-17; 5th place in the Southeast Division
Our 2003 Prediction: 8-6-14; 5th place
Flew the Coop: Bryheem Hancock, the league leader in saves who started 24 of 28 matches between the pipes for the 'Backs; John Barry Nusum, the forward who netted 15 points in just 20 games (they both went to Toronto); ex-Rhinos Carlos Parra and Carl Fletcher.
Back in Action: 2003 minutes-played leader and All-League 2nd Team defender Alan Woods; forward Mac Cozier, who was almost a Rhino last season.
New to the Fold: New head coach and ex-MLS veteran David Vaudreuil; 2001 MLS MVP and Honduran legend Alex Pineda Chacon; Queens Park Rangers' midfielder Leslie Fitzpatrick from Trinidad & Tobago; Charleston refugees Fred Degand and Andrew Lewis. 
The Skinny: Ordinarily, you'd be able to say something like, "Things can only get better for Atlanta," but with the loss of Pittsburgh and Charlotte, wins are going to be even harder to come by in 2004. Forget about the playoffs and shoot for doubling the number of 2003's wins. Vaudreuil's presence should be a big help - especially defensively - but this team is only going as far as Chacon can. Will he be able to outscore what the Atlanta defense allows (nearly two goals a year in 2003)? Me thinks so. Could be the surprise team of the A-League.
vs. Rochester: Last year, the Rhinos went 2-1-0 against the 'Backs, including that abominable 2-2 opening night draw - the first non-win against an Atlanta in team history. In those three matches, Doug Miller and Ian Fuller combined for 12 points (5 goals and 2 assists). Lifetime, Rochester is a sparkling 10-1-0 against Atlanta (both the Silverbacks and the hapless Ruckus).
Funniest Name: Forward Attila Vendagh. Okay, not so much funny as scary. 
Projected Finish: 12-9-7; 3rd place; out in first round of playoffs.

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Simmonds

McKinley

Goos
2003 Rundown: 15-7-6; 1st place in the Southeast Division; A-League champions
Our 2003 Prediction: 15-7-6; 1st place; out in first round of playoffs
Flew the Coop: Forward Josh Henderson (25 points in 20 matches); defenders Rick Titus and two-time Team of the Weeker Fred Degand; Rochester-bound John Wilson and Ryan Trout.
Back in Action: 2nd Team All-League defender Ted Chronopoulos (9+3=21); 2003 co-shutout leader Dusty Hudock, who was fourth in GAA (0.864) in 2003.
New to the Fold: A pair of ex-MLS defenders in Ivan McKinley and Nick Downing; a gaggle of ex-Hershey/Pittsburgh stars in Nigel Henry, Justin Evans, Michael Green and Aleksey Korol; ex-Rhino penalty kick sensation Greg Simmonds, who is already showing signs of that ol' post-Rochester turnaround we all love so much.
The Skinny: The last team you'd expect to complete a fairly major roster overhaul would be the defending champs, but that's just what happened down in South Carolina. Charleston lost a sick amount of talent. They've replaced most of it, but there's no guarantee it'll stick (and here's to hoping it won't). The Battery's first match featured six starters who weren't with the team last year, including their entire defensive line. It's not like they needed replacing, either – Charleston's defense was the second-stingiest in the conference in 2003.
vs. Rochester: The Rhinos are 7-1-1 in the regular season against Charleston, including an overtime win and an overtime draw in 2003. Until last year, Rochester held a 3-0-0 playoff advantage over the Battery.
Funniest Name: Duquesne defender Jason Kutney, which is what he'd have if he ever had to face ex-Battery goon Nicky Spooner. A close second was Chris Goos, just because Rochester shot goos eggs against Charleston in last year's playoffs.
Projected Finish: 13-9-6; 2nd place; through to A-League title match.

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Vincello

Budalic

Biello
2003 Rundown: 16-6-6; 1st place in the Northeast Division; lost in first round of playoffs
Our 2003 Prediction: 16-6-6; 1st place; out in first round of playoffs
Flew the Coop: Midfielders Martin Nash (4+6=14); head coach and Scott Schweitzer hater Bob Lilley.
Back in Action: 1st Team All-League goalkeeper Greg Sutton (1st in shutouts and GAA); Defender of the Year Gabriel Gervais; Mauro Biello (7+6=20); Eduardo Sebrango (6+3=15); Zé Roberto (6+5=17). Wait...Defender of the Year? I thought Gervais was a forward…
New to the Fold: Head coach/former defender/Biello’s brother-in-law Nick DeSantis; Toronto defender Mauricio Vincello; ex-Rhino Fred Commodore; deadly forward Nikola Budalic; and the return of Darko Kolic.
The Skinny: With Lilley gone (presumably he's laying in wait for Schweitzer at the Carousel Mall), will Montreal lack the drive to topple Rochester in the standings again? If you consider the fact that his replacement might be the only person who hates the Rhinos even more, the answer is pretty obvious. Still, the Impact's midfield took a huge blow losing Nash and speedy Mark Rowland. The combination of this and the league re-alignment could mean Montreal will find itself out of playoff contention. Don't count on it, though.
vs. Rochester: The Rhinos managed to eke out a 1-1-2 record against Montreal in last year's regular season before the two teams bored each other to death in the playoffs (Rochester advanced on Away Yawn Differential – they count double, you know). The Impact remain the only team in the conference to hold a lifetime advantage over the Rhinos (14-2-11), including a too-close-for-comfort 4-1-9 record at Frontier.
Funniest Name: It's still David Fronimadis because it still means “loose, runny cheese.” It's the same stuff they put on their fries up there in Canadia.
Projected Finish: 16-8-4; 1st place; out in second round of playoffs.

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2003 Rundown: n/a
Our 2003 Prediction: n/a
Flew the Coop: n/a
Back in Action: n/a
New to the Fold: ??
The Skinny: If anyone knows anything about this team, I'll give 'em a nickel.  Their official site isn't in English.  I've seen a list of names, but I don't know if they're players, or some kind of board of directors.  I have a feeling it won't matter.  More wins for everyone!
vs. Rochester: n/a
Funniest Name: ??
Projected Finish: Really, really bad.

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Williams

Norkus

Worthen
2003 Rundown: 12-7-9; 3rd place in the Southeast Division
Our 2003 Prediction: 15-5-8; 2nd place; out in second round of playoffs
Flew the Coop: Greg Simmonds (4+3=11); David Testo (6+2=14); solid defenders Khary Stockton and Ray Goodlet.
Back in Action: 2nd Team All-League forward Kevin Jeffrey (10+9=29); Rob Ukrop (6+3=15); Ronnie Pascale (1.114 GAA with 8 shutouts); midfielder David Testo (6+2=14), the 2003 Rookie of the Year.
New to the Fold: A new crop of midfielders, including Pittsburgh's Joey Worthen, former Charlotte Eagle star Caleb Norkus, and the return of both David Hayes and ex-USMNT stalwart Richie Williams.
The Skinny: The Kickers did little to shore up their defense after the loss of Stockton and Goodlet, though Worthen and Williams do tend to play more of a defensive midfield role. I'd still look for Richmond to give up more goals this year than last. In a league where most teams – at least on paper – look a lot stronger, that's probably not a great thing. Still should be a bubble playoff team, regardless. It's just not automatic anymore, though.
vs. Rochester: The Rhinos hold a 6-1-3 regular season advantage against the Kickers, including an even 1-1-1 split in 2003. The real Rhino-killer is midfielder Paul Lekics, who had a goal in each of the three skirmishes last year.
Funniest Name: Norkus, just because it rhymes with Dorkus.
Projected Finish: 10-8-10; 6th place; out of playoff contention.

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Carrieri

Allnut

Wilson
2003 Rundown: 15-6-7; 2nd place in the Northeast Division; out in second round of playoffs
Our 2003 Prediction: 2nd place; out in second round of playoffs
Flew the Coop:

The heart (2nd Team All-League defender Scott Schweitzer) and soul (neglected midfielder Stoian Mladenov) of the team, as well as 'keeper Billy Andracki (8 shutouts), Temoc Suarez, Fred Commodore and David Hayes.
Back in Action: Forwards Doug Miller (17+4=38) and Ian Fuller (8+4=20); Kirk Wilson (4+6=14), defensive rock Craig Demmin.
New to the Fold: Toronto goalkeeper Theo Zagar; defenders John Wilson (Charleston), David Wright (Pittsburgh) and Carlos Semedo (Syracuse); midfields Ryan Trout (Charleston) and Noah Delgado (Syracuse); forwards Steve Butcher (Toronto), Corey Woolfolk (Pittsburgh) and Chris Carrieri (Colorado); the return of Yari Alnutt.
The Skinny: Another year, another fairly huge makeover for the Rhinos. The loss of Schweitzer and Mladenov will be incalculable, and given the team's penchant for frustrating the piss out of new players by shackling the talent that brought them to Rochester, one can only imagine how their replacements will fare. The relationship between the outspoken Carrieri and head coach Pat Ercoli will likely emphasize Rochester's off-season acquisition style: It's like ordering a bunch of stuff you're not even sure you like off of the menu when you're not that hungry in the first place, just because you feel like you have to.
vs. Rochester: n/a
Funniest Name: Shaun Tsakiris, mostly because I still have no earthly idea how to pronounce it.
Projected Finish: 12-8-8; 4th place; out in first round of playoffs.

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Rivas

Millwood

Schweitzer
2003 Rundown: 11-5-12; 4th place in the Northeast Division
Our 2003 Prediction: 5-6-17; 4th place
Flew the Coop:

Forward Jamar Beasley; new Rhinos Carlos Semedo and Noah Delgado.
Back in Action: Ex-Rhinos Mike Kirmse, Tommy Tanner, Rene Rivas, and probably whoever else Rochester cuts before the season starts.
New to the Fold: Ex-Rhinos Scott Schweitzer and Temoc Suarez; midfielder Chris Doré from Charleston.
The Skinny: Yellow card-loving Syracuse is a better team this year, and that' s not something you can say about most other A-League teams. They're not playoff contenders, especially without Charlotte to kick around anymore. But a winning record wouldn't be out of the question for 2004. Look for Suarez to have a typically monstrous post-Rochester year, and for Rhinos fans to wring their hands when Noah Delgado doesn't. 
vs. Rochester: The S-Dogs own an impressive 2-1-3 record against the Rhinos, including those two bullshit Can-Am Cup matches. Rochester scored 11 goals in those 6 games, but one was an own-goal and six of them were made by players no longer with the team.
Funniest Name: Csaba Kerkekes. Looks like I just kind of pounded my fists against the keyboard, doesn't it?
Projected Finish: 7-9-12; 8th place; out of playoff contention.

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Gerba

Bartolomeu

Munthali
2003 Rundown: 11-4-13; 5th place in the Northeast Division
Our 2003 Prediction: 10-6-12; 3rd place
Flew the Coop:

Goalkeeper Theo Zagar; defenders Jan Veenhof and Mauricio Vincello; forward Sebastian Barclay; ex-Rhino Nikola Vignjevic; Frontier fan favorites Brian Ashton and Robbie Aristodemo.
Back in Action: Most of the starting back line (Josue Mayard, Adrian Serioux and Tyler Hughes) and midfield (David DiPlacido, Shawn Faria and Joe Mattacchione).
New to the Fold: Head coach Duncan Wilde, who played in England's Premier League; goalkeepers Bryheem Hancock and Richard Goddard; midfielder Rumba Munthali; forwards John Barry Nusum and Ali Gerba (the artist formerly known as Ali Ngon); ex-MetroStar Edgar Bartolomeu.
The Skinny: Nobody lost more than the Lynx did, but nobody has as much young, raw potential, either. Wilde's hand will dictate the success of Toronto's 2004 campaign much more so than any other coach in the conference. The Lynx could be unstoppable, and they could be a total bust, too. It's anybody's guess.
vs. Rochester: The Rhinos started out slowly against the Lynx in '03, drawing their first two matches, 1-1. Then, starting with the infamous Fred Commodore hat trick, Rochester peeled off three straight wins for a 3-2-0 record against Toronto. Lifetime, the Rhinos hold a 21-5-10 regular season record when they play the Lynx.
Funniest Name: Lewis Blois, because of his name and the fact he played for Diss Town. Which town? Diss one.
Projected Finish: 10-7-11; 7th place; out of playoff contention.

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Washington

Fenger

Bilyk
2003 Rundown: 14-5-9; 2nd place in the Southeast Division; lost in first round of playoffs
Our 2003 Prediction: 9-8-11; 3rd place
Flew the Coop:

Roy Lassiter (20 points); goalkeeper Joe Larson (7 shutouts; 1.224 GAA).
Back in Action: Dante Washington (18+1=37); Pato Aguilera (10+9=29); ex-Rhino Hamisi Amani Dove.
New to the Fold:

Midfielder Christof Lindenmeyer from Columbus; and a couple of guys from es-A-League teams (Jose Gomez from PSL's Charlotte and Joe Morelli from Cincinnati).
The Skinny:

The Mariners acquired approximately zero new players for their 2004 campaign and have retained most of last year's starters. This might be great for team chemistry, but will that be enough to keep VeeBee in the playoff race? The Mariners had no problems scoring last season, notching more goals than everyone except Rochester. So the team's biggest question mark appears to be 'keeper Matt Nelson, who started just 10 matches in 2003. Another playoff bubble team that was as streaky as all get out last year (6-1-3, then 1-1-5; then 7-3-1).
vs. Rochester: 1-0-1 in 2003, splitting home wins. The Rhinos hold a slim 3-0-2 regular season advantage over the Mariners, be they from Hampton Roads or Virginia Beach.
Funniest Name: It's a tie between Matt Nelson and Kevin Knott, who both have surnames that sound like wrestling moves. But beware of someone who tries to pull a Jakob Fenger on you – those are a little like a Dirty Sanchez.
Projected Finish: 12-7-9; 5th place; out of playoff contention.