MetroStars lack bite in attack

Editor's note: Over the next six weeks, ESPN.com will be previewing all 12 MLS teams as they prepare for the 2005 season. Marc Connolly will be tackling the clubs in the Western Conference, while Ives Galarcep will take the teams in the East.

2004 record and finish: 11-12-7 (3rd in MLS)

Key additions: M/F Youri Djorkaeff, D Jeff Agoos, D Tim Ward, M Chris Corcoran

Key losses: F Fabian Taylor, F Cornell Glen, M Ricardo Clark, D Eddie Pope, M Pablo Brenes, D Craig Ziadie, D Tenywa Bonseu

Three questions facing this team

1. Can Jeff Agoos still lead a defense?

There is little question about Agoos' ability to lead and the influence he wields as a five-time MLS Cup winner and World Cup veteran. What is in question is whether Agoos will be able to handle the differences between playing in San Jose and with the Metros. He was relatively healthy last year but will now have to play 16 home games on artificial turf that isn't nearly as soft or forgiving as it was when first installed.

Agoos must also play behind a midfield and attack that is notorious for the lack of defense it played last season, something Agoos hasn't had to do before. With San Jose, Agoos had the luxury of playing behind defensive midfielder Richard Mulrooney and Ronnie Ekelund. In Miami, Agoos played behind Pablo Mastroeni and Jim Rooney and with D.C. Agoos played with veterans throughout the defense and Richie Williams in front of him.

One thing the Metros won't have to worry about with Agoos around is veteran leadership. MetroStars coach Bob Bradley felt a leadership void in the locker room last year, something he had to address with such a young team. Agoos is an unquestioned veteran presence that will help the horde of youngsters mature.

2. What will Youri do?

The skeptics who scoffed when French midfielder Youri Djorkaeff signed are laughing right now after Djorkaeff suffered a left hamstring strain during the Metros trip to Ecuador. The World Cup winner is out four to six weeks and you have to wonder just what the MetroStars will get from the 37-year-old. He was showing signs of still being an effective player and good leader but the question will be if he can stay healthy once he gets healthy.

How important is Djorkaeff to the MetroStars? The team doesn't appear close to signing a marquee forward, and haven't signed one all off-season, hoping that Djorkaeff would be able to contribute up front. If he can't, the Metros could be forced to use star midfielder Eddie Gaven up front. It's either that or start Sergio Galvan Rey alongside John Wolyniec until Mike Magee recovers from a spring training knee injury.

3. Is Eddie Gaven ready to take the next step?

With Landon Donovan and Damani Ralph playing in Europe now, it might be time for Gaven to emerge as the league's marquee attacking player. He showed flashes of his impressive ability all year despite fighting through a groin injury the second half of the season. Gaven struggled at times dealing with the defensive responsibilities at left midfield, a position he was relatively new at last year.

Bradley will look to move Gaven around more this year, trying him out at forward, in the hole behind the forwards, and as an attacking midfielder. With fewer defensive responsibilities, and his groin fully healed, Gaven should have more time and opportunity to go at defenses with his deceptive speed on the ball and elusive moves.

Biggest X-factor: Jeff Parke.

What a difference a year makes. Last season, Parke was the last pick in the MLS Draft and came into camp with few, if any, expectations. After a surprisingly strong season playing alongside Eddie Pope, Parke started to draw raves as a future star. That stellar play is part of the reason the Metros felt comfortable dealing Pope.

The pressure might be getting to Parke, who has struggled mightily in training camp so far. If he doesn't improve on last season, as the Metros were hoping, or at the very least play as well as last season, the MetroStars could be in for a nightmare season.

What will the team do if Parke falls apart? Seth Stammler was supposed to be better than Parke when both were drafted last year, but he is injured again and his immediate future is in doubt. Stammler is good enough to be an MLS starter but needs to stay healthy to prove it. The team might have no other choice but to trade one of its midfielders for defensive help.

Breakout player to watch: Michael Bradley

The coach's son spent his entire rookie year dealing with a broken foot, but has spent the off-season impressing with his play during European practice stints and for the U.S. Under-18 national team. A versatile central midfielder and sharp passer, Bradley might be ready to step in and play major minutes even though the team is loaded at central midfield.

Another candidate for this category is Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Flores, who was a pleasant surprise when he slid into a starting role last summer. He had the perfect combination of bite and passing skill to complement Amado Guevara. That was before Clint Dempsey took him out with a tackle from behind, sidelining him for two months. Flores came back in time for the playoffs but wasn't the same player. If he can recapture the form he showed last summer, Flores could become the team's defensive midfield presence now that Ricardo Clark is in San Jose.

Outlook: Just how bad an off-season are the MetroStars having? Their only marquee signing is already hurt and they managed to trade away the best defender and defensive midfielder from the worst defense in MLS last season, with an A-League player and 17-year-old rookie looking like the only additions to the back-line.

The game plan coming into the year was to build a midfield dynamic enough to keep the ball and put pressure on opposing defenses, therefore limiting the opportunities for opposing attacks. D.C. United flourished last season behind a five-man midfield that was able to smother opponents with defensive pressure and punish them with a deadly counterattack. The Metros don't have the defensive makeup to compete for the East title and may not be good enough defensively to avoid missing the playoffs. How can the Metros salvage the season? Short of signing a quality striker and defender, the team will need Tim Ward to be this year's Jeff Parke, Gilberto to be the player he was before being injured last year, and Galvan Rey to score the goals he was expected to score last season. That's a very tall order.

Predicted finish: Sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPN.com and is also a writer and columnist for the Herald News (NJ). He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com