Llamosa aiming for top
Says Revolution are title-worthy
NEW ORLEANS -- Revolution defender Carlos Llamosa has reached at least the semifinals of the Major League Soccer playoffs six times with three teams. But Llamosa has not won a championship since 1999 with D.C. United.
Llamosa's best chances to regain a title were in 2001 with the Miami Fusion, which self-destructed in a playoff game against San Jose, and 2002 with the Revolution, which lost to Los Angeles (1-0) in overtime in the title match in Foxborough. Now, though, Llamosa and the Revolution are expected to contend for the championship when MLS begins its ninth season April 3.
"Everyone here has the same expectations," Llamosa said after practice yesterday. "And that is to get to the MLS Cup final again, and this time to win the Cup. Every other team wants to do the same thing. But the last two years we have had good performances and expectations are higher for us this season."
The Revolution have seldom entered a season with a combination of such high expectations and the credibility to match. The team has earned 61 points in the last 36 regular-season games with a 17-9-10 record. The defense has been intact for two successive seasons. Four Revolution attacking players have US national team experience. And Jose Cancela and Shalrie Joseph have formed one of the Revolution's most dynamic midfield combinations.
"It's not something we talk about, because talk is exactly what it is," Revolution coach Steve Nicol said of the team's favorite role. "Do we think we are a good team? We think we are, but starting in LA [April 3], we have to go on the field and win games. It's nice to think we have a good team, but you have to win games. I would think most of our players believe in the team we have. But I would also say we have to keep our feet on the ground. The only way to do anything is not by talking but by doing the basics, really, taking one game at a time. And if that takes you somewhere, that's great."
Though the Revolution are not as glamorous or worldly a team as some past MLS favorites, continuity and momentum are in their favor.
The D.C. United teams that were the best in the league from 1996-99 were filled with national team players and influential foreigners. The San Jose Earthquakes are intent on inheriting the role of the predominant team, following the lead of Landon Donovan to two championships in the last three years.
Llamosa was part of the Miami team that nearly disrupted San Jose's emergence in 2001.
"We had a great team in Miami and we showed we were the best team in the league," Llamosa said. "But everyone knows the story why we lost to San Jose. We had two red cards [Ivan McKinley and Diego Serna] and San Jose went on to win the championship."
That Miami team included English midfielder Ian Bishop, now a member of the New Orleans Shellshockers, the Revolution's opponent in an exhibition game Saturday night. The Fusion then folded in the offseason, though the team would certainly have remained in business had it captured the MLS Cup title. And Llamosa joined the Revolution, possibly his last stop on the MLS circuit, which started when coach Bruce Arena recruited him to D.C. United's championship team in 1997. . . .
Brian Kamler (Achilles' strain) returned to training but will likely be replaced by Pat Noonan in midfield when the Revolution meet the University of Mobile tonight . . . Joe-Max Moore has returned to full speed after a groin strain caused him to miss the Revolution's 4-2 loss to CD Santa Clara in the Azores last week . . . Midfielder Richie Baker (ankle) is out for tonight's game . . . Reserve goalkeeper Kyle Singer is practicing with Syracuse. 