Monthly Archives: March 1997

Most coaches will tell you that this year’s recruiting class doesn’t compare to last year’s or even next year’s. They’ll say 1996 was the best class of blue chips to come out in a long while and 1998 won’t be far behind. “There are some years when you have these kids and you can say, […]

Pete Bailey: Since we were all busy working on the 1997 MLS Preview issue this past week, we aren’t going to have a normal Q&A session. However, we’ve received a number of questions about the citizenship of Steve Potts, a defender for West Ham United who was born in Hartford, Conn., so I thought I’d […]

In what may prove to be a sign of things to come, the best high school player coming out of Region II this year will forego college to enter the pro ranks. Nino DaSilva — the son of former Brazilian pro Batata out of Hoffman Estates, Ill. — draws raves from college coaches for his […]

Date: 3/12/97 2:56 PM From: San Jose Clash Dear U.S. Soccer fan, Our U.S. national team needs your support this Sunday, March 16 at 11:30 am at Stanford Stadium as we battle Canada for the rights to participate in the 1998 World Cup in France. This is the most important game for our national team […]

The Dallas Burn lost to UAG 1-0 on a goal by Markus Lopez to complete its trip to Mexico. It also fell to Guadalajara 5-2 and beat minor-league team Club Sol 3-1. March 12 in Guadalajara UAG 1 Dallas 0. Goal: Lopez 50. Dallas — Dodd, Sonora, Dade (Branigan, 33), Soehn, Pollard (Martinez, 21), Farrer […]

March 12 in Orlando Orlando (A-League) 0 Colorado 8. Goals: C. Henderson 27, Bates 40, Paule 44, Bartlett 52, 65, pen. 67, Paz 60, 87. Colorado — Hudock, Britton, Bates, Jakins, S.Henderson, Benedetti (Paz), Paule, Amaya (Tote), C.Henderson, Bravo (Bartlett), Wegerle (Harris). Att.: n/a. March 12 in Orlando Dayton (USISL) New England 5. Goals: Olalere […]

MLS has allocated Mexican midfielder Jorge “Tote” Castaneda, whom it acquired from Mexican First Division club Atlas, to Colorado. Castaneda, a stalwart on Mexico’s 1992 Olympic team, will serve as the Rapids’ playmaker. Castaneda is the 12th new player Colorado first-year coach Glenn Myernick has brought in. He’s the first Mexican pro it has brought […]

Features Soccer America’s 1997 MLS Preview — features, interviews, and scouting reports Alexi’s Year of Discontent By Duncan Irving U.S. Faces Rigors Of The Road By Doug Cress Manchester United’s Glorious Win ‘Batigol’ On Target For Fiorentina England’s Enigmatic Club Beckenbauer Blasts His Bayern Columns Soccer Talk — Is the gavel mightier than the whistle? […]

Call it the house that Bruce built. The house being the University of Virginia soccer program and Bruce, of course, being the inimitable Bruce Arena, who guided the Cavaliers to four consecutive NCAA titles from 1991 to 1994. Although Arena has moved on to the bigger waters of MLS, new Virginia coach George Gelnovatch is […]

American Kasey Keller reached the final of the English League Cup final when Leicester City tied Wimbledon 1-1 March 11 in the second leg of the semifinals. The series finished 1-1 on aggregate with Leicester going through on the away goal rule. Leicester meets the winner of the Middlesbrough-Stockport County semifinal April 6 at Wembley […]

D.C. United wrapped up its Asian tour March 9 with a 7-1 demolition of Hong Kong league champion Instant Dict at the Hong Kong Stadium. Jaime Moreno led the way for D.C., scoring a hat trick and causing an own goal in just 57 minutes of work. Steve Rammel added two strikes, and Tony Sanneh […]

The Columbus Crew and the Tampa Bay Mutiny played a pair of exhibition matches over the weekend, with the teams drawing 1-1 on March 7 and Columbus prevailing 2-1 on March 9. In the March 7 game, played at the University of Tampa, Roy Lassiter scored just three minutes into his preseason debut. Midfielder Marco […]

The New England Revolution continued its roster overhaul March 10, as the club traded speedy Brazilian midfielder Welton to the Los Angeles Galaxy for a first-round pick in the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft. Welton was the only Brazilian native in MLS last year, and he dazzled Foxboro Stadium crowds with his skill and speed. In […]

The New England Revolution rallied from a late two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 shootout victory over the Dallas Burn in an exhibition played in Pensacola, Fla. on March 7. New England, inspired by the preseason debut of U.S. national team stars Alexi Lalas and Mike Burns, as well as Canadian international Iain Fraser, controlled […]

Group 6 March 9 in Bangkok Thailand 2 (Kritsada 23, Natipong 78) Hong Kong 0. Half: 1-0. Att.: n/a. Standings Team GP W T L GF GA P South Korea 2 2 0 0 5 1 6 Thailand 2 1 0 1 3 3 3 Hong Kong 2 0 0 2 0 4 0

March 9 in San Jose Costa Rica 5 Cameroon 0. Goals: Wanchope 22, 38, 43, Berry 55, 67. Att.: 10,000.

Rob Gentry Arlington, Va. I’m having some trouble finding any information about the CONCACAF tournaments for league and cup winners from the member nations. I realize that these have almost no tradition in the U.S., but do you have any information about them? Ridge Mahoney and Paul Kennedy: Believe it or not, CONCACAF has yet […]

The MetroStars, working with the Clark Copmanies of Delhi, N.Y., will unveil a new type of grass field this season. The 6,124-piece modular field could provide a solution to the difficulties encountered at multi-purpose facilities such as Giants Stadium, creating a way to hold a large number of games and events without destroying the grass […]

Kansas City Wizards defender Sean Bowers will be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery March 7 to repair a nueroma (an inflammation of nerves in the foot area). The condition had been aggravated at training camp. “[It] was more inflamed than the doctors thought, but I will work hard to rehab to get […]

Tampa Bay and Kansas City drew 1-1 in an exhibition match March 5 in Lakeland, Fla. Kansas City struck first in the eighth minute, when Ryan Tinsley’s cross eluded Tampa keeper Scott Budnick, and Damian Silvera knocked the ball into the net. Tampa Bay equalized in the 38th minute through rookie Musa Shannon, who is […]

The New England Revolution have acquired Argentine defender Leonardo Squadrone, the club announced March 6. Squadrone is a 25-year-old, left-footed player who is big (6-2, 180 pounds), and will likely start in the center or on the left side of the Revolution defense. “We always felt we owed our tremendous fans a significant upgrade in […]

The following is the 1997 Major League Soccer Referee Pool. Name Hometown Zekai Akbay Farmington Hills, Mich. Arturo Angeles Temple City, Calif. (FIFA referee) Kenneth Austin Dallas, Texas Esse Baharmast Aurora, Colo. (FIFA referee) Levon Baladjanian Fresno, Calif. (FIFA referee’s assistant) Andrew Barnes Baton Rouge, La. Greg Barkey Succasunna, N.J. (FIFA referee’s assistant) Tom Bobadilla […]

Champions League Quarterfinals, First Leg March 5 in Amsterdam Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) 1 Atletico Madrid (Spain) 1. Goals: Kluivert 53; Esnaider 8. Ajax — Van Der Saar, Blind, Melchiot (Veldman, 84), F. De Boer, R. De Boer, Babangida (Wooter, 71), Witschge, Kluivert, Litmanen, Overmars, Musampa (Scholten, 47). Atletico Madrid– Molina, Toni, Solozabal, Santi, Esnaider, Pantic […]

U.S. coach Steve Sampson has called in 21 players to report March 9 for training camp in Palo Alto, Calif., site of the March 16 World Cup qualifier against Canada. The match kicks off at 11:30 a.m. (Pacific) and will be televised live on ABC. U.S. Training Camp Roster Goalkeepers — Brad Friedel (Columbus Crew), […]

The MetroStars completed their five-week tour of Italy today, when they fell to Serie A club Reggiana 2-1. The New York/New Jersey club opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, when its two Brazilian guest players worked a give-and-go. Guido, a midfielder, led Renato, a striker alone into the box with a perfect ball, and […]