Monthly Archives: February 2000

U.S. Soccer Secretary General Hank Steinbrecher will step down from his position after more than nine years of guiding the Federation. “After watching him serve the U.S. Soccer Federation through tremendous growth and prosperity over the last nine years, Hank informed me of his decision to step down last week,” said U.S. Soccer President Dr. […]

USA-Peru (1-0) Brad Friedel (7). Solid positionally throughout and spectacular on two occasions in the second half. A short-side reflex stop on Ysrael Zuniga’s 10-yard bid and a full extension one-hander on Abel Lobaton’s low drive preserved the victory. Carlos Llamosa (5). The least visible player on the team was stable and gritty. No standout […]

USA-COLOMBIA (2-2; 1-2 on PKs) Brad Friedel (5). No chance on first goal. The second was surrendered at the near post, but was an absolute bomb. Well-beaten yet saved by the woodwork on two other occasions. Stopped one PK and got his hand on another. Eddie Pope (5). Often isolated on his side while the […]

I’ll take Bruce Arena at his word when he says he hasn’t lost any sleep over the U.S. elimination from the Gold Cup in the quarterfinals, but I have to say that the road to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan seems much harder than it was a week earlier. On the […]

Elimination deprived the U.S. of valuable experience MIAMI – The new-look U.S. no longer is a new commodity. Its success in the first full year of Coach Bruce Arena’s reign brought attention and scrutiny, and opponents once again regard the U.S. seriously. Arena’s second competitive tournament at this level brought none of the success the […]

Civic Stadium in Portland, Ore., will play host to the United States, Mexico, Canada and South Korea in the Nike U.S. Women’s Cup in May. The USA, which has won all six previous U.S. Cups, takes on Mexico while Canada plays South Korea on May 5. The two winners will play in the final on […]

English soccer legend Stanley Matthews died Feb. 23 at age 85. As a tribute, Soccer America presents the following article by SA columnist Paul Gardner. The column appeared in the Sept. 27, 1990 issue of Soccer America. It is also a part of GardnerÆs latest book, ôSoccerTalk, Life Under The Spell of the Round Ball.ö […]

When Bruce Murray’s U.S. career ended in 1993, he held the all- time record for caps (93) and goals (21). Soccer America tracked down Murray, 34, a veteran of the 1988 Olympics and 1990 World Cup, at his home near Atlanta. SOCCER AMERICA: Did you know that Soccer America named you to its College Team […]

For the veterans, preseason is simply about getting in shape for the real season. For many others, like the four players Soccer America followed in Florida, it’s about realizing the dream of being a professional athlete. Getting A-League lessons JOHN WILSON. A year later, John Wilson is able to say that being released by Kansas […]

WUSA’s John Hendricks announces investors and other details, but he leaves plenty out The unveiling of what might become the professional league for which America’s best female players have long lobbied answered some weighty questions. It left plenty more unanswered. Billionaire John S. Hendricks, who backed one previous attempt to start a pro women’s league, […]

USA-HAITI (3-0) Brad Friedel (6). Not seriously tested, but not inactive, either. Reacted sharply to block, if not catch, several hard shots from sharp angles, and unwittingly flattened C.J. Brown while cutting out a ball driven into the box. C.J. Brown (5). Outrun at times in the first half as Haiti countered forcefully. Distribution, one […]

Mike Sorber, the 1994 World Cup veteran, was waived by the MetroStars Feb. 21. Sorber, 28, who has 67 U.S. caps, last played for the United States in 1998. The midfielder played in every 1994 World Cup game for the United States and subsequently played for UNAM Pumas in the Mexican First Division. He started […]

The Gold Cup 2000 Schedule and Results: GROUP A Date Feb. 12 Colombia 1 Jamaica 0 Feb. 14 Jamaica 0 Honduras 2 Feb. 16 Honduras 2 Colombia 0 GROUP B Date Feb. 12 USA 3 Haiti 0 Feb. 14 Haiti 1 Peru 1 Feb. 16 USA 1 Peru 0 GROUP C Date Feb. 13 Mexico […]

During the 1996 Olympics, 83,810 fans watched the United States play Argentina in Birmingham, Ala. So impressed was U.S. Soccer with the rare pro-U.S. support that officials immediately inquired about using the venue for World Cup qualifying. Finally, a place to play Mexico that won’t feel like Guadalajara. That dream lasted 24 hours, because when […]

Colombia beat the USA, 2-1, in the penalty-kick tiebreaker after the teams played to a 2-2 tie in their Gold Cup quarterfinal match Feb. 19 in Miami. In the semifinal Feb. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium (8 pm PT), Colombia faces the winner of the Honduras-Peru quarterfinal. The USA drew first blood in the Orange Bowl […]

The Colorado Rapids acquired midfielder Jason Moore from D.C. United in exchange for a 2001 first-round draft pick. Moore, 21, left the University of Virginia after his sophomore year and was the top overall selection in the 1999 Major League Soccer Draft. Moore appeared 16 times for D.C. United in 1999, then went on to […]

Tom Stagliano Wellesley, Mass. What has happened to Danielle Fotopoulos regarding the women’s national team? Here is the women who broke Mia Hamm’s NCAA women’s scoring record. Who lead Florida to an NCAA “upset” of UNC women in 1998. Who has scored a “reasonable number” of goals for the national team for the number of […]

Claudio Reyna came on as a second-half substitute for Glasgow Rangers in the four matches between his national team duty against Iran and the Gold Cup. Rangers manager Dick Advocaat has been outspoken about his displeasure with players missing games. SOCCER AMERICA: What did Dick Advocaat say to you when you returned to the club […]

Here are the results of the January socceramerica.com poll, in which 739 online fans picked the Gold Cup 2000 champion. Champion: USA: 376 votes (50.9 percent) Runner-up: Mexico: 264 (35.7 percent) Also-rans: Colombia: 30 (4.1 percent) Peru: 16 (2.2 percent) Jamaica: 14 (1.9 percent) Haiti: 8 (1.1 percent) Trinidad & Tobago: 8 (1.1 percent) Costa […]

Under-17 standout, just a junior, finds ‘perfect situation’ with D.C. United Bobby Convey’s prodigious talents long ago caught the eyes of American soccer’s most influnential coaches, who encouraged the U.S. under-17 standout to take his game to MLS. A few weeks in New Zealand assured him it was the right choice. And so Convey – […]

U.S. women’s national team coach April Heinrichs chose 29 players for a March 2-6 training camp in Orlando, Fla., from which she will choose an 18-player Algarve Cup roster. The USA will depart for the Portugal tournament on March 7. For the second straight time, Heinrichs did not include Women’s World Cup ’99 players Tiffany […]

The collective gasp that filled the room when defender Steve Shak was announced as the first selection in the MLS SuperDraft was probably not so much a reaction to the player as it was to the fact that the MetroStars had managed to avoid trading the pick. In the weeks leading up to the draft, […]

Earthquakes grab best of draft’s foreign legion The mystery surrounding the “youth internationals” finally ended three days before the draft when nine in-ternational players suited up for the MLS Youth Select team at the Umbro Classic. Four members of the Trinidad & Tobago club Joe Public, two players from Bolivia’s Tahuichi Academy, two Mexicans and […]

The USA won its Gold Cup first-round group with a 1-0 win over Peru. Cobi Jones gave the Americans the lead in the 59th minute, heading in an Eddie Lewis cross The USA meets Colombia Saturday Feb. 19 in Miami (3:00 pm ET on Univision). Colombia lost, 2-0, to Honduras earlier in the day (Feb. […]

The U.S. Soccer Federation, in conjunction with Major League Soccer and United Soccer Leagues, has unveiled plans to pioneer experiments with a two- referee system that is currently being tested around the world by FIFA. The system will maintain the two referee’s assistants (linesmen) in addition to two refs on the field. The two-referee system […]