Cannon appealed and, while the A-League sided with the Kickers, it was suggested the parties resolve their differences. If the club refused, Cannon eventually would become a free agent, available to anyone without compensation to the Kickers. Hallock and Cannon's agent began hammering out a new arrangement that would enable the veteran player to return and keep intact what quite possibly was the A-League's best backline of a season ago. Only champion Rochester allowed fewer goals. The MLS regular season gets under way today.
Injuries play a major role in soccer.
Cannon could be summoned at any time. Rumban Munthali, a defender from Alabama-Birmingham, has joined the Kickers on a tryout basis. He was the 29th player chosen in the 2001 A-League draft by the Montreal Impact. Courage, of course, has nothing to do with it. If Cannon returns, Cowlishaw would be hard-pressed to abandon what worked so well in his rookie season on the bench.