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May 19, 2003,
Monday
New York Times

MetroStars' Draft Reaps Dividends
By JACK BELL (NYT)

They are roommates and classmates on the accelerated track in the school of American professional soccer. The MetroStars rookies Ricardo Clark and Mike Magee are, in many minds, joined at the hip because they were two of the first four players selected in this year's Major League Soccer draft.

Clark and Magee are only two players on Coach Bob Bradley's reconstituted roster, two among six draft picks with a first-place club that has now won four straight games for the first time since 2001.

Bradley, who led the Chicago Fire to the league title in the club's first year in the league, has a reputation for finding young, talented players and giving them the room, guidance and game experience they need to mature.

''I don't know about this reputation stuff,'' Bradley said recently. ''People have articles to write, so they write stuff like that. Now, and in the past, I've had young players who wanted to get better. You would have to be pretty stupid not to have seen talent in players like DaMarcus Beasley and Carlos Bocanegra. With young players, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. There is no secret.''

Perhaps.

Beasley and Bocanegra are two players who emerged under Bradley's keen tutelage in Chicago.

Now, the 20-year-old Clark, a defensive midfielder from Jonesboro, Ga., and Furman University, is more confident and mature, in soccer years, than Magee. Clark has played every minute for the MetroStars (4-1-1) this season, teaming with the veteran Richie Williams in front of the MetroStars' revamped central defense of Steve Jolley and Eddie Pope. It is a busy year for Clark; in addition to M.L.S., he will be playing for the United States in Olympic qualifying and for the under-20 national team at the world championships in the United Arab Emirates in late November and early December.

''To come in and be a starter as a rookie is difficult, but Ricardo physically plays older than he is,'' Williams said. ''He will ask questions at times, but he's a pretty quiet guy. We try to keep it simple; we don't want to pour too much into his head.''

Clark has a good, controlled first touch of the ball and uncommon confidence as he neatly feathers passes. He is quick, deceptively so, although his long strides can make him seem languid. As comfortable as he is going forward (a 50-yard run several weeks ago in Columbus resulted in a strong 20-yard shot on goal), Clark is also a hard tackler who is not reluctant to fight for the ball.

''I'm feeling more comfortable with every game,'' Clark said last week from Guadalajara, Mexico, where he played 90 minutes for the United States under-23 national team, which defeated Mexico, 3-1.

''What's important is that I'm doing something that I love to do. Probably the biggest thing that Bob has been telling me is to play quicker and make quicker decisions on the field.''

The 18-year-old Magee, a forward, came to the MetroStars with the reputation of being a ruthless finisher after scoring 14 goals for the under-20 national team in 2002, but he has taken longer to settle down. In his first few games, some as a starter, Magee was too quick dishing the ball.

''I was pretty nervous before the games,'' Magee said last week. ''I was uncomfortable. In training, Bob told me he wants me to hold the ball longer. Not to be selfish, but in the first couple of games I was scared of making mistakes.''

Bradley is not interested in coaching automatons; he is patient and believes that Magee, who is from South Barrington, Ill., and who trained with the Fire last summer, only needs time.

''We believe that Mike has special qualities around the goal,'' Bradley said. ''If you're lucky enough to be thought of as a scorer, then as long as you score goals people think you had a good game.''

If perception is reality, then Magee has started to grasp what is expected of him. He scored his first goal in Columbus on April 26, jamming the ball into the roof of the net when Jolley stubbed his shot. Magee had entered the game midway through the first half when Jaime Moreno left with a back injury. Magee scored again in the MetroStars' 2-0 victory over Colorado on Saturday, when his beeline run to the far post was rewarded as he collected a rebound of Amado Guevara's hard shot. He tucked it into the open net for the MetroStars' second goal and Magee's second of the season. ''I was drifting, roaming around,'' Magee said in a television interview after the game.

''Bob just told me to try and stay in a good position.'' Magee has started four of the MetroStars' six games, becoming the youngest player in the club's eight-year history to both start a game and score a goal. In his first few M.L.S. games, the slight, 150-pound Magee was easily shrugged off the ball, leading some people to say that he needs to bulk up.

''What I like about Mike is that he has more guile than girth,'' Bradley said. ''That whole size thing is overrated. Being bigger and stronger isn't everything in this game. What I would like is for Mike to be a little nastier, have a harder edge. I expect a lot from him.''