The outlook for Harvard soccer this fall is, well, questionable. Although there is some cause for optimism, "questionable" is the only realistic way to describe a team that has had varied success under George Ford's coaching the last two seasons.

"I'm pretty sure that this is the best team we've put on the field in three years," Ford says. But his optimisism is muted: "Other teams, of course, are doing the same thing."

Ford learned his lesson about optimism last season, when he held high hopes for the squad as the schedule began. Eleven players, including big gun Lyman Bullard and senior co-captain fullbacks Geoff Hargadon and Ralph Booth, were returning from Ford's first-season team that placed second in the Ivies and made it to the NCAA playoffs.

While the black thunderstorm that rained out the 1975 opener against pushover MIT may have been a harbinger of the flood that was to follow, Ford's spirits remained high. "We're farther along now than we were at this time last year," he said after a 3-0 opening victory over Wesleyan.

Unpredictability set in after that, however, and the Crimson--despite Dave Acorn's scoring and Fred Herold's strong goaltending--played poorly. By November, there were reports of dissatisfaction among the players with Ford's coaching.

By the end of the season, the squad had turned it around to finish with a 6-6-1 overall record and a 4-3 Ivy mark to tie Dartmouth for third place behind Brown and Cornell.

Bullard regained his scoring touch (he scored eight goals in 1974) as the team won three of its last four games, with the only loss coming at the hands of Brown, ranked third in the nation.

This season Ford hopes to turn the tide as he did late in the 1975 season and make the Crimson predictable--as winners. He unquestionably has the manpower to do it, with 13 lettermen returning.

This is the final year to make good for the group of players who, as upstart sophomores in 1974, led Harvard to a 7-4-2 record and a berth in the NCAA regional playoffs. Seniors Bullard (one co-captain), Acorn (the other), Chris Saunders, Eric Zager, Mike Lohrer and George Grassby have but one season left to prove that they are the stuff of champions.

The proving will be made all the tougher by some key injuries during the team's training camp during early September at St. George's School in Newport, R.I. Lohrer, junior fullback Kevin Jiggetts, senior midfielder Harold Martin and sophomore forward Dave Eaton have all been sidelined with nagging injuries. These injuries look like mere nosebleeds when compared to the temporary loss of Acorn to knee surgery he underwent during August.

Playing striker, Acorn led the 1975 squad in both goals (10) and assists (4). "It's too bad," Ford says, "because we were looking forward to Acorn and Bullard teaming up. I hope Dave will be back some time in October." Bullard and Acorn have combined for a total of 21 goals over the last two seasons, so the scoring burden will rest on Bullard for the first part of the season.

There can be no doubting Bullard's explosive capability--as a sophomore, he scored eight goals during one four-game stretch. "Lyman is a good player going forward," Ford says. "We hope to open up some room for him." Bullard will need some help on offense, though. Lohrer and Dave Updike at the wings and Eric Zager on the inside will probably open the season on the front line, trying to open up some room for him.

Matt Bowyer, a starter last year as a freshman, and Robbie McGee will back up the front line in Ford's 4-2-4 alignment.

Spearheading Ford's diamond-shaped defense will be Saunders, who has been known in the past as much for his bullying tactics as for his athletic talent. This year, Saunders seems to be in top form. "He really looks super this year," Ford says, "and his shot looks tremendous, so he may play some offense."

The responsibility for the defense rests with slightly built goalkeeper Fred Herold. As a sophomore last year, Herold emerged from nowhere to stand out in the nets almost as much as his bright shock of red hair stands out in a crowd. Herold registered an 83.7 per cent blocked shots average under often intense pressure last season.

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.