MLS notes

13 players waived as teams trim rosters to 20.

The players released will be put in Monday’s waiver draft which will be held at 4 p.m. (ET). Teams will have the opportunity to pick up these players, selecting in the reverse order of finish from the 1998 regular season.

In the Western Conference, the defending champion Chicago Fire waived defender Jeff Zaun and forward Tony Kuhn. The Dallas Burn cut rookie midfielder Andrew Parrish and defender Gabe Jones. The Kansas City Wizards waived forward Brian Loftin. The Los Angeles Galaxy released forward Jose Vasquez. And the San Jose Clash waived midfielders Carlos (Chile) Farias and Anthony Farace.

In the Eastern Conference, the Columbus Crew waived rookie defender Jeff Bilyk. The MetroStars cut midfielder Jim Rooney and forward John Wolyniec. And the Miami Fusion waived midfielders Mohenjo (Pepe) Smith and Tomasz Wygonik.

Last week, the Colorado Rapids waived 1999 first-round college pick Andrew Mittendorf and rookie defender Bobby Meyer and the New England Revolution waived forward Carlos Rocha and midfielders Leighton O'Brien and Chris Fox.

MLS fined the MetroStars organization $5,000 for not submitting its list of waived players by the league's deadline of 5 p.m. (ET) today.

Meola out six months after knee surgery

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The news was bad for Kansas City Wizards starting goalkeeper Tony Meola, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday morning in Los Angeles. The surgery, performed by United States national team doctor Bert Mandelbaum, was successful, but revealed the injury to Meola’s left knee to be worse than expected.

The injury occurred on March 17 when he turned and planted to kick a ball at training. "Tony (Meola) had a complete tear of his (anterior cruciate ligament) and arthroscopic ACL reconstructive surgery was performed, as well as repairing the tears to his meniscus," Dr. Mandlebaum said. "The procedure went very well and rehabilitation will begin immediately. We are probably looking at six > months for his return."

Meola earned Soccer America's Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 1998, as well as being named starter for the national team. He was brought to Kansas City from the MetroStars, in a January 28 trade. In New Jersey, he was twice named its MLS Defender of the Year (1996 and 1998). If he is able to return in six months, there will still be three regular season games remaining.

"Although I suspected the worst news, it does not help to have it confirmed," K.C. coach Ron Newman said. "We had great ambitions this season with Tony in the back, but it is much different now. We have to put it aside and do what we can with what we have. It is time for (Chris) Snitko to come through. He has waited three years for this opportunity."

Goalkeeper Snitko missed the first two games of the 1999 season with an injured back, but is scheduled to start on Saturday versus New England at Arrowhead. The Wizards have two other goalkeepers on its roster, David Winner and Anthony Latronica, who were both called up after the injuries to Meola and Snitko.

Wizards defender Sean Bowers was knocked unconscious in training today after he collided with midfielder Brian Johnson. He was rushed to the hospital via ambulance for further evaluation, where he was found to have suffered a concussion, but no neck injuries. Johnson had two stitches in his scalp. Bowers will be out for the game on Saturday, but Johnson is scheduled to play.

Wright ready to report to Clash

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Defender Mauricio Wright, 28, the highly-regarded Costa Rican international allocated to the San Jose Clash earlier this month, has completed his immigration process and could make his MLS debut Saturday against Los Angeles.

Wright will train with the Clash for the first time tomorrow.

"Adding Mauricio to our back line improves our defense," Clash General Manager Lynne Meterparel said. "He's one of the best defenders in Central America, and he's right at the peak of his career."

Wright, 28, won the equivalent of the country's most valuable player award while leading perennial Central American club power Comunicaciones to the First Division championship in Guatemala last season.

"I've been impressed with Mauricio Wright since last year, when we saw him play in Oakland," coach Brian Quinn said. "He's a tall, very talented defender who is solid in the back and dangerous coming forward."

Columbus Crew

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Crew's 1-0 loss to the MetroStars Sunday was its first-ever season-opening loss The setback to the MetroStars brings the all-time series record to 7-6 in favor of the Crew, but only 2-5 at Giants Stadium.

Columbus is now 15-34 all-time on the road, a mark better only than those held by New England (14-35) and Colorado (13-37). That does not bode well for the Crew which has six more road games ahead before inaugural game in its new stadium on Saturday, May 15 against the New England Revolution.

Defender Mike Lapper made his first appearance since May 9, 1998, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament his left knee in Miami.

D.C. United

HERNDON, Va. -- United returned home after defeating the Bermuda national team 2-0 in a friendly at the Bermuda’s National Stadium Tuesday night. Jaime Moreno netted a penalty kick in the 18th minute and Marco Etcheverry added a brilliant wind-aided chip from just inside the midstripe to seal United's victory 10 minutes from the game’s conclusion.

United has set a club record for season tickets sold with the home opener not until April 17. D.C. has sold more than 4,100 season tickets, an increase of more than 10 percent over last year's total of 4,033 season tickets. United's season ticket total has risen each year since the club's inaugural season of 1996, increasing 13 percent over each of the last two years.

MetroStars

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Midfielder Tab Ramos is probable for Saturday’s home match with D.C. United after missing Sunday’s victory over Columbus with soreness in his right leg, a result of the hit he took from Miami’s Henry Gutierrez in the season opener.

Miami Fusion

MIAMI, Fla. -- Fusion chief operating officer Betty D'Anjolell has resigned, effective immediately. She intends to return to her hometown in the Philadelphia area. Her responsibilities will be assumed by the existing Fusion management team, as well as Ken Chartier and Doug Hamilton of CC&C Management Group, Inc. the marketing firm retained by the Fusion before the start of the season.

New England Revolution

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Midfielder Paulo Dos Santos, who spent much of the 1996 season training with New England but never played in a match, made his MLS debut, playing the final 32 minutes in the shootout loss to Miami.