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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:18 EST |
2000 Tampa Bay Mutiny at a glance
[SportsTicker]
Division: Central
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Soccer capacity: 17,482
Investor/Operator: League-operated team
Head coach: Tim Hankinson
1999 record and finish: 14-17 (32 points), third place in East
1999 offensive ranking: 3, (tied), (51 goals, 1.59 per game)
1999 defensive ranking: 8, (50 goals, 1.56 per game)
Top returning scorer: Steve Ralston (5 goals + 18 assists = 28 points)
Key returning players: Carlos Valderrama, Steve Ralston, Raul Diaz Arce, Scott Garlick
New players of note: Mamadou Diallo, Kalin Bankov
Key departed players: Mauricio Ramos, Jan Eriksson, Musa Shannon
Outlook: Although Tampa Bay did not make any major acquisitions during
the offseason, the Mutiny returns an experienced squad that finished
8-8 after a 6-10 start to finish third in the East in 1999. Laying the
foundation for the Mutiny offense will be superb midfielder Carlos "El
Pibe" (the Kid) Valderrama, the Colombian superstar who guided Tampa
Bay to the league's best record in 1996 during an MVP season and returned
midway through 1999 after spending more than a year in Miami. Valderrama's
stellar vision and sensational playmaking skills will be the key
to Raul Diaz Arce's success up front.
Steve Ralston, who led MLS with 18 assists in 1999, joins Valderrama,
Manny Lagos and Ritchie Kotschau in the Mutiny midfield. After languishing
on the end of the bench with defending champion Chicago, Lagos and
Kotschau combined for seven goals and seven assists late in the season
for the Mutiny.
Forward Musa Shannon, who had 12 goals and five assists in 1999, departed
during the offseason for Europe. One week prior to the start of the season,
Hankinson added Mamadou Diallo of Senegal to to team with Diaz Arce. An
imposing athlete, the six-foot-one Diallo gives the Mutiny a breakway
player up top.
Goalkeeper Scott Garlick leads a veteran defense that includes Steve
Trittschuh, Ghanian Joe Addo and Mutiny captain Dominic Kinnear.
Players to watch
Steve Ralston, the 1999 MLS assist leader with 18,
teams with Carlos Valderrama to provide opportunities to Raul Diaz Arce,
who scored nine goals in 13 games with Tampa Bay in 1999. Goalkeeper
Scott Garlick, who led MLS with 152 saves (5.54 per game) in 1999, is
a steady presence in the back. Young defender Chad McCarty continues to
improve, but will miss time due to the Sydney Summer Olympic Games
and qualifying for the Olympics.
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