Thw West right now: Pre-draft The 2003 MLS Draft is within just hours. There have been a few moves in the West. As only the top 4 in each dicision go to the playoffs, it's worth taking a look at just the West as it sits today: Here are the best guesses as to opening day top 16 sans draft choices(I took the rosters from team sites). With more questions than answers here's how I see it: COLORADO: Garlick, Frasier, Herdsman, Kotschau, Jackson, Maestroeni, Chung, Grmandi, Henderson, Spencer, Carrieri, Napoleon, Hart, Jackson, Stewart, Trembly *Colorado might be in the same boat as KC; looking to just not miss the playoffs. All teams do have to work every night against Colorado with Chung and Hendu on the wings. They certainly have danger-men up front, but who will get them the ball? They did get what should be a huge signing in Arsenal's Grimandi. As El Pibe didn't run much, providing cover will be the easy part. Providing the lost service will be tougher. Garlick must return from a hand injury and a middling MLS track record. Not much bench, but the Rapids did make it to Round 2 last year. DALLAS: Jordan, Morrow, Bonseau, Gbandi, Martinez, Vaca, O'Brien, Pareja, Cerritos, Rhine, Kreis, Countess, Suarez, E. Johnson, Broome, Rodriguez *Dallas has a GK or defensive problem depending on who you ask. Some have mentioned a coaching problem. It could be all of these things, but maybe it's just a youth/old guy problem. The whole team seems to be either 20 or 32. The 20-year-olds might just be better... Playing 15 games on turf makes everything a bit of a question. Any team with an opportunist like Kries should be good until the annual October implosion. KC: Meola, Garcia, Burciaga, Talley, Gutierrez, Zavagnin, Klein, Preki, Quill, Wolff, Fabbro, Oshoniyi, Armstrong, Simutenkov, Gomez, Brown KC needed defenders and a scorer. Wolff should solve half the problem. KC plays to its' strenght when the game is on the wings quickly or built with patience. They must find a way to get shots on net. KC attackers were charitably wastful with abundant chances last season. Meola underratedly (is that a word?) adds sneaky offense with good distribution. KC will need every bit of it as the back is leaky. Anything to occasionally bypass the center of the park should help. The questions are will a healthy Burciaga at the back, Meola's abs(2 late season injuries on the trot), Meola's form, and Wolff's addition be enough to allow KC to compete with LA and SJ? SAN JOSE: Cannon, Agoos, Corrales, Dayak, Robinson, Barrett, Ekelund, Lagos, Mulrooney, Donovan, Barclay, Conway, DeRosario, Conrad, Waibel, Russell *After blowing a late 2002 double digit lead and the division, CLB swept them deservedly out of the Cup in 2. It might be an indicator that CLB is out for the big title this year and SJ might have a fissure in the team bedrock. Still, SJ is just flat stacked with skill, and intelligence everywhere on the field. teams speed at the back after September as Agoos, Corrales, and Dayak are not the swiftest group in MLS. Speed everywhere esle is a long suit. Part of the beauty of this game is that creativity like Donovan's can erase any definiency anywhere real or imagined. LOS ANGELES: Hartman, Califf, Ezra, Bo Hong, Lalas, Jones, Elliot, Cienfuegos, Vagenas, Hercules Gomes, Ruiz, Reis, Glinton, A. Moreno, Victorine, Marshall *When Hartman is the "weakness", that speaks vollumes. They should repeat as West champs. LA, needing nothing, signed Bo Hong and Gomes. They also have massive depth and speed at every position. They also have a new stadium. The only two things working against LA is the 8-game roadie to start the season...and maybe the new Jamaican-esque unis. With any luck they will play like Jamaica in them also. MLS has scheduled time off for LA midseason so they can fit in all the other competitions. Nice of MLS. Shame they couldn't do that for other overly congested teams who went deep in them, were stretched impossibly thin, and were embarassed last year. At least MLS is demonstrating an ability to learn. Finally, mark my words, whoever gets cut from LA will get picked up in a heartbeat...or should. If they don't go East, we get first shot. Yah, Mon! What it should tell you right away from a KC perspective is this: KC might be on bottom right now. This even before a draft where KC has a lesser opportunity to get help as they pick after everyone else. KC has the players to beat anyone, but to win the West they will need a few things unforseen today to happen. Subtle message to KC players: You had better find your A game and your focus early, you'll need it.