We've got about three weeks to go before MLS teams will return from various spots on the globe and reconvene in Fort Lauderdale for their official exhibition season and pre-season Cup. So, without getting too wordy, let's ask ourselves what will be each team's most important unanswered question when they arrive in South Florida for their final tune-ups?

Today, we'll look at the East.

New York/New Jersey:
Who'll be the leader in the locker room?

From the standpoint of making the saves he should make, Tim Howard will be able to replace Mike Ammann in net. But who's going to replace Ammann's presence in the locker room? Last season, when Alex Comas was struggling and sensing the team had no faith in him, it was Ammann who praised him every day for the hard work he put in during training and convinced him he'd get a chance to shine -- and Comas did. Factor into the equation that new Metro Richie Williams has always had a love-hate relationship with his teammates (his shower-room scrap-up with Dave Vaudreuil in Japan is now legendary), and the Metros are going to need a player to step up and keep the unit cohesive.

New England:
Who's going to pull the strings in midfield?

One thing is for certain, the Revolution cannot go deep into the season without filling their allocation slot, like they did last season. But can New England find a playmaker to fill that spot? That's been the million-dollar question for so many MLS teams and, off the top of my head, I'm wondering who was the last maestro to come to the league via allocation? John Wilmar Perez was supposed to be that man in Columbus last season, but the jury's still out. Would it be Peter Nowak, who came to Chicago from 1860 Munich in 1998? If the Revs cannot find a player like that, they're going to have to grind it out again like they did last year and rely on Mauricio Wright to make plays out of the back and Wolde Harris to pull off more solo efforts up front.

Miami:
How are the pieces going to fit?

The Fusion have been the Internet's favorite team this off-season, with stories piling up online about players like Manchester City's Ian Bishop, Glasgow Celtics' Lubo Moravcik and various unidentified Central and South American midfielders, all supposedly headed to Lockhart Stadium. Of course, before any of that can happen, Miami's got to trade or waive one ore more of their Senior International players (Diego Serna, Welton and Andy Williams). It seems most likely that Williams will go on loan to a team in England and the 35-year-old Bishop will move into his place on the roster. But, if Bishop's the man, coach Ray Hudson's going to have to figure out how to utilize two of the Fusion's better players, Jim Rooney and Pablo Mastroeni, who both play deep in the midfield, Bishop's preferred spot. Mastroeni played a lot last season as a center back, but the team recently picked up Carlos Llamosa. Could Leo Cullen be looking at a position change? This is going to be interesting.

D.C. United:
Is Eddie Pope ready to lead?

When D.C. traded keeper Tom Presthus, veteran defenders Llamosa and Jeff Agoos and defensive midfielder Richie Williams, they were really saying they believe Eddie "They Used to Call Me the Future of American Soccer" Pope was ready to become the leader of United. Handed the captain's armband for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Pope said he's ready to assume that role. And if D.C.'s going to play the aggressive offsides-trapping 4-4-2 system they played during most of their championship days, Pope's going to have to be the conductor -- with Carey Talley as his most experienced mate. Certainly, the quite off-season pickup of Canadian international Mark Watson looms as a critical piece to D.C.'s plan. And if the defense does its job, United will be right back in the title hunt.

Pub talk (from high atop my barstool)

Thanks for all the e-mail regarding the Mike Ammann story in the last Boot Room. Have to admit, though, I'm a bit amazed how many of you missed my point.

I never said the league was screwing Ammann, only that he was faced with a real-life, adult decision that any young husband and father should understand. That is, "Do I continue doing something I love for a living, or do I do something that might be better for my family?" Personally, I know I've been faced with that decision twice in the five years since my first son was born. Regardless of money issues, if I was told tomorrow I had to move to a different branch of ESPN, sell my house, uproot my family, etc., it would not be cut-and-dried. There would be a lot of soul-searching and priority-list making.

The sooner we accept that MLS is really "The Soccer Company," the sooner we'll understand the way the league is operated and the way the players are treated.

If that sounds harsh, well, one of my editors said "It sounds like a cartel."

I'm only saying it's a company, more than it's a professional sports "league." When a player signs with MLS, he's signing with a company that reserves the right to dictate his salary and move him to one of its 12 cities. If he doesn't like it, his option is to quit.

Actually, "quit" is a bad choice of words. If a player doesn't like what MLS has dealt him, his option is to "move on." I believe it's a real option, not a cop-out.

As we speak, I know of an MLS player who's been offered an assistant coaching job at his alma mater. This is a player who easily could play another year or two in the league, but he's also a guy who wants to start a family and, ultimately, wants to coach.

If he decides to stick it out in MLS for another two years, for love of the game or whatever, what are the chances he'll be able to step into a job at his alma mater? Also factor in: an assistant coach's position plus soccer camps will pay him more than what he makes in MLS.

I'm not saying the league is in the wrong, because the players are the ones who agree to work for this company. But, if a player decides he's got to look at other career options, I fully understand and sympathize with him. This is not John Elway refusing to play for the Colts or Eric Lindros refusing to play for the Nordiques. This is me and you and every other working stiff out there trying to do the right thing for ourselves and our families.

As long as the league is operated this way, don't be shocked if players quit before they accept trades or leave for more secure professions. No, it probably won't be the big stars or the young players, but the 30-something guys who simply can't mess around any more. Sadly, I think these players are the ones who elevate the quality of play in MLS.

And all of this talk gets me back to my crusade for free agency.

If MLS could figure out a way to reward the players who've been dedicated to the company -- the four-year vets -- with a chance to find the team that's the best fit, it would go a long way toward a better work environment.

Seems to me, that's something all good companies strive for.