If Herold can get some help from his other fullbacks--right wing Kevin Jiggetts (a strong substitute last year), left wing Bob Carey, and sweeper Grassby (a converted striker)--the defense will be strong. If he doesn't, it may be as porous as the Teton Dam.

The league, as usual, is tough--"probably the most competitive league in the country," according to Ford. Brown returns a number of players from its 1975 NCAA consolation game winning team. The Bruins, Ford says, should be a contender in the Ivy League and also in NCAA competition."

"Cornell and Penn might be strong also," Ford adds. Princeton and Dartmouth can never be written off either, and Yale and Columbia are usually respectable, if seldom good.

The injuries, the tough league, the history of unpredictability: all of these bode ill for the Crimson booters. Ford is starting the year on an emphatic upbeat, though: "We might surprise a few people. We're not picked to be strong and that's the way we like it--without pressure, but with dedication."

Attitude problems that developed between Ford and his players last year have apparently disappeared. Although senior Mark Zimering has not come out for the squad because of his disagreements with the coach, Ford says, "The attitude has been tremendous. We have 24 guys here with a great attitude and I'm looking forward to a real good year."

Maybe the prognosis should be one of optimisism, then. The goal is in good hands with the steady Herold. There are no identifiable chinks in the Crimson's armor, either at offense, midfield or defense. A lot of big names are returning. Saunders. Bullard. Acorn. Bowyer. Jiggetts. Grassby. The list goes on.

The team certainly looks good on paper. The game of soccer is played on grass, however, and pre-season outlooks have been erroneous in the past. Last year's kick-and-run offense, for example, was expected to create a lot of exciting scoring opportunities. While it did create many opportunities, the goals did not begin to click until late in the season.

The overall outlook, in short, is uncertain, but somewhat on the positive side. This may be the year that Harvard soccer recreates its glory days of the early '70s and challenges strongly for the Ivy crown. But don't be surprised if the sky over the Business School soccer field is ominously cloudy--as it was for last September's opener versus MIT--when the Crimson plays its opening game this year.