MLS
Reed Miller
Boston, Mass.
thought I read that the MLS will NOT change the size of the goals, yet everything I’ve read on-line says that it is still under discussion. What was the decision? I hope negative.
RM: FIFA shot this down March 9. Regulation-size goals will be in place. Hooray!
Bob Reiner
Port Orchard, Wash.
I don’t see how the MLS will make it in the long run without flat, grass, soccer only (or multi-purpose that are wide enough) fields. I have not read much about the cities’ or the league’s plan to build them?
RM: Only one in the works so far — in Columbus. San Jose’s Spartan Stadium (capacity 31,000) is too narrow (62 yards), but it might be widened in the second or third MLS season. Don’t be surprised to see teams start working with communities and local agencies for new facilities if things go well. This isn’t the NFL — you need teams and a league before the stadium, not the other way round.
Alex Tunstall
Arlington, Va.
I find the whole MLS-Paul Caligiuri situation highly unusual – the league says it wants to allocate a fifth player per team and is trying to assemble a group of 10 worthy players – suddenly Caligiuri is signed and then exposed to the draft. Is MLS still allocating a fifth player? If so, are all ten higher in either caliber or skill than Caligiuri, and if not, how far has his star fallen?
RM: Some teams have requested a fifth allocation, due to their own needs and room under the salary cap. The Hunts long ago expressed interest in Caligiuri; by the time he decided to sign with MLS, teams had filled rosters and/or spent too much money. Columbus had been assured no team would draft him, much as Nicola Caricola had been promised he’d go to New York. Not every team will receive a fifth allocated player, but Colorado is trying to sign a foreign goalkeeper, New York has been scouting Colombian players and New England still hopes for a Portuguese midfielder.
Angelo DeAngelis
Honolulu, Hawaii
Why is the MLS so hell bent on making rule changes to “improve” the game. Isn’t anybody out there listening to the “real” fans. I’m 35 years old, American born and bred, and I have many friends that are also born and raised here who love the game as much as I do. We were there in the beginning, before Pele arrived and now with the U.S. playing so well and a new respect from internationals; are we going to throw it away with laughingstock rule changes? Larger goals? Kick ins? Give us a break! We need to use what we have now, and let the game speak for itself. There are approximately 16,000,000 people playing soccer in this country. If we are patient, we just might live to see the day where ESPN sportcasters have to start the show with “Let’s not waste any time. In the MLS today…” Otherwise the league is going to have a whole lot of disgruntled fans WHO won’t show up to the games. That includes myself, a person who would love nothing more than to see this game soar. Thank you for taking the time to hear me out. It’s up to media types such as yourselves that will make a difference in whether or not we get to voice our opinions. I’ve read and enjoyed your magazine for a few years now. Good work and good luck!
RM: The problem is there are precious few “true soccer fans” willing to plunge tens of millions of dollars into a sport that has historically failed in this country. And it is not only up to us, the media; it’s up to the fans, too. There will not be kick-ins and bigger goals, so relax and enjoy the games on TV.
Neil Beck
Gettysburg, Penn.
Why does MLS have to start with “gimmicks” like increasing goal size? The rarity of a goal makes it a diamond, something valued, a prize. Increased goals makes them cheaper and the league suffers from this cheap, or not real FIFA rules play.
RM: No worry about bigger goals. Fans should be more concerned about conservative coaching, inconsistent refereeing and brutish defenders belting creative players — Ramos, Wynalda, Valderrama, Etcheverry, et. al. — at every opportunity.
Sam Register
Hoboken, N.J.
I’ve heard that Andrew Shue (of “Melrose Place” fame) is trying out for MLS’ LA Galaxy. What’s the scoop- does he really have the talent or the time?
RM: We’ll see. He played at Dartmouth and in Zimbabwe before launching his TV career. But he wants special treatment and, at this point, is pondering doing both MLS and Melrose, which isn’t really feasible. In training with the Galaxy and the U.S. Olympic team, he hasn’t embarassed himself. He’s certainly fit enough, and he might be good enough. Don’t know if he’s tough enough, though.
Ben Newton
Ann Arbor, Mich.
FIFA has just released a statement saying that due to overwhelming negative reaction, it will not experiment with larger goals. Does this mean that the MLS, as a FIFA-approved league, will no longer toy with the idea of increasing goal size when it starts up this spring?
RM: MLS has said it will abide by FIFA’s directive — but if some of the powers that be, who run the league, don’t see enough goals this season, they’ll try to ramrod bigger goals next year regardless of what FIFA says
Fred He
Los Angeles, Calif.
Could you tell me anything about Yari Allnutt of New England Revolution?
RM: Allnutt grew up in San Diego, and played for the prestigious La Jolla Nomads club team (U-19 national champions in 1989). He had a good college career at Portland (All-America in ’92), and played all three games for the U.S. at the 1992 Olympics as well as for the gold-medal squad at the 1991 PanAmerican Games. He spent the past three seasons with Inter-Tijuana in the Mexican B (Second) Division. He is a very fast flank player, with decent skills, and a strong tackler.
U.S. Olympic Team and Atlanta ’96
Travis McCorkle
Grand Junction, Colo.
After the recent U-23 match versus Mexico…don’t you think either Kasey Keller or Juergen Sommer need to be on the Olympic team?
MW: In my opinion, Kasey Keller is the best American goalkeeper, and would certainly be a valuable addition to the Olympic team. However, that means only 2 overage players would be available as “field players.” This difficult decision will hinge on whether the U-23 goalies Chris Snitko, Jeff Cassar, and Zach Thornton show improvement by July.
Carlos Hidalgo
Metairie, La.
What countries have qualified for the Olympics in Atlanta?
PB: At present, only three countries have qualified. The U.S. as host, and Brazil and Argentina from South America (see the March 18 issue of SA for full coverage of South American qualifying). A total of 16 teams will qualify for Atlanta: five from Europe (European two-leg quarterfinals are presently under way), as well as three African nations, three Asian nations, one from CONCACAF, and the winner of a playoff between the CONCACAF runner-up and the Oceania champion.
College
William D. Metcalf
Hopewell, N.J.
Is there a listing of college coaches for womens soccer? My daughter is sending out imformation about herself and the list would be helpful. Thank you.
PB: Our College Choice issue features men’s and women’s listings of hundreds of colleges in the U.S. and Canada, Most listings include addresses, phone numbers, coaches names, affiliations, cost, and scholarship information. This year’s College Choice will appear in our May 6 issue.
Richard E. Lorenz, M.D.
Phoenix, Ariz.
Will you be having a conference-by conference college preseason prediction this summer?
PB: The September 2, 1996 issue will be SA’s annual College Preview. We’ll have coach and player features, as well as previews of every men’s and women’s Division I conference, Divisions II and III, and the NAIA.
Colin Larrick
Cortez Colo.
How can I go about finding about soccer scholarships on the Internet. Are there any special home pages that I should be aware of? I am now a sophmore in High School.
PB: We’re not aware of any sites at the moment, although Chris Brenner’s NCAA Soccer Page/College Soccer Web (http://teton.ucs.indiana.edu/cbrenner/ncaa/) has links to the home pages of some major men’s and women’s programs. Many schools in our College Choice issue list the number of total soccer scholarships they offer.
Noelle Maxwell
Issaquah, Wash.
Should High School soccer players put together a soccer resume? How do you get noticed by colleges?
PS & PB: It certainly can’t hurt. After you’ve done some research and figured out what schools meet your academic and athletic goals, sending a resume to the coaches at these schools is a good way to show them you’re interested. A short videotape showing you in action might also be helpful.
Phil Brusn
Stevensville, Mich.
I am looking for a list of collegiate soccer coaches for universities in the mid-west.
PB: Again, see our May 6 College Choice issue.
U.S. National Team
Oren Netter
Vancouver, B.C.
Great web site!!! Any chance of getting regular updates on the European based players such as Reyna, Harkes, Stewart, Keller, Wynalda, Lalas etc.. Why are these players struggling so much this season??? They play exceptionally well with the national team.
MW: CLAUDIO REYNA played the full 90 minutes and performed well on March 8 after struggling to break into a Bayer Leverkusen lineup with a surplus of foreign players. (3 Brazilians and a Romanian in addition to the young American midfielder). JOHN HARKES hasn’t been able to find his best form since moving to West Ham. He is also one of a number of foreign midfielders at Upton Park (including Ilie Dumitrescu, Slaven Bilic and teen Portuguese prospect Dani) and is probably looking forward to coming home and joning MLS’ Washington D.C. United. Willem II’s ERNIE STEWART has been hurt since January and may undergo knee surgery soon (The March 25 issue features a story on Stewart). KASEY KELLER continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in England’s First Division, but Millwall has slipped in the standings because of its deficiencies in attack. (Keller is featured in the March 18 issue of SA). ERIC WYNALDA signed with the San Jose Clash of MLS after 3 1/2 up and down seasons in Germany, where at times he was one of the league’s best finishers, but also struggled through injuries and some dry spells. ALEXI LALAS, after being instrumental in keeping Padova in the Italian Serie A last year, fell out of favor when Padova struggled after selling many of its best players. He returned to the U.S. in late February to concentrate full time on training with the New England Revolution. JOE-MAX MOORE remains the key player for FC Nuremberg in the German Second Division.
Jennifer Camacho
Westminster, Calif.
The US National team was playing in the CONCACAF gold cup just a few miles away and I heard nothing about it. I just happened to look in the paper and got tickets to the game against Brazil at the LA Coliseum. Was there a reason for the lack of advertisement; and, does the MSL plan to put a lot of money into advertising?
MW: The promotions for the Gold Cup focused on the spanish-speaking community, while ignoring english speaking soccer fans. Gold Cup promoters got away with this because there was a large turnout of hispanic soccer fans. (This situation was discussed in greater detail in the Jan. 29 and Feb. 5 issues of SA).
MLS will probably advertise to the enitre American soccer community but its impact may be somewhat limited because of budget constraints.
Youth Soccer
Paul M Owens Sr
Rougemont, N.C.
I am working in a rural county in NC trying to improve soccer at the youth level. I would like to encourage the local Parks and Recreation Dept. to adopt small sided soccer for the youth age groups. It is difficult to convince them to change from 80 x 40 yd fields and 11 a side for all age groups (U-6 through U-12). Is there some information out there that will help me make my case to the Department, coaches, and parents (videos, studies, etc.)? Any help would be appreciated!
DW: This is a battle being fought all over the U.S. Three good sources of information are: 1) USYSA Address: 899 Presidential Dr., Suite 117; Richardson, TX 75081. Phone: (800) 476-2237. Fax: (214) 235-4480. 2) AYSO Address: 5403 W. 138th St.; Hawthorne, CA 90250 Phone: (800) 872-2976. 3) Tony Waiters, a former Canadian national team coach who has made this issue a personal crusade. Address: World of Soccer 545 Clyde Ave. Suite 220; W. Vancouver, B.C. V7T 1C5 Canada. Phone: (604) 921-8963.
Burton C. English
Knoxville, Tenn.
Dan Woog wrote in the Feb. 12 issue of Soccer America that USYSA and AYSO are set for a showdown. I do not understand the issues. Why is it important that AYSO belong to USYSA? It is important that AYSO belong to FIFA. Therefore, am I correct in assuming that if AYSO does not belong to USYSA then they can not be in FIFA? Also, as an AYSO coach and trainer of coaches, I do not understand how USYSA can say that we do not compete. Competition occurs as soon as the kids step onto the field.
DW: Those are issues the two organizations have been fighting about for a long time. First, AYSO does not belong to USYSA, AYSO belongs to USSF. The question revolves around whether USYSA and USSF have a different relationship than AYSO and USSF. As an affiliate member of USSF, AYSO automatically becomes a part of FIFA. Don’t worry — AYSO/USYSA/USSF questions have confused soccer people for years.
International
Rick Liston
San Jose, Calif.
I am interested in playing professional soccer in Europe, but I have no idea who to contact or where to write for information. I know that I have the skills to play with the “Big Boys” in Europe and in England. Could you please send some info that might be helpful? Thanks a bunch.
DI: The best information I can give you is: write to the clubs themselves, asking them for information. Books such as Rothman’s, the Annuario Del Calcio Mondiale, and the European Football Yearbook all have comprehensive names and addresses of clubs. Don’t forget, you’ll be competing with home-grown players and yes, most of them would want to play for Liverpool too, given half the chance. Good luck!
Peter Higgins
Durham, N.C.
I was wondering about the number of young American players opting out of the traditional US high school-to-college development and going for a (traditional in the rest of the world) semi-pro to pro development track. I think more top youngsters will consider this in the future. Can you update us on how many kids are doing this, whether the numbers are increasing, where these kids are (Europe, S America, USISL), and how they’re doing? I haven’t heard much about the top high school player last year who considered going to Duke, but went to a pro club in the Netherlands (Ajax?) instead.
DI: The rule of thumb is that we tend to hear from these players — or more often their parents — when they do well overseas, and unless their progress has been closely monitored by, say US Soccer and its numerous youth programs, we don’t tend to hear about them.
Of the current crop, Jovan Kirovski is still with Manchester United’s reserve team as a walk-on, although Alex Ferguson and co. would probably field him if they could get the work permit sorted out.
John O’Brien is still with the Ajax youth program for at least until the summer, when the club will decide if it wants to keep him or O’Brien elects to stay.
Ajax still plans to bring two teenagers a year from Florida and/or California (O’Brien is from Pasadena, Calif.), but expressed disappointment at the progress of last year’s intake.
Goalkeeper Espen Baardsen, who attended Acalanes (Calif.) High School, signed a three-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur after being discovered by the club’s backup keeper Erik Thorstvedt. He participated in as Norway’s keeper in the two U-23 friendlies against the U.S. ast month.
Aaron Resnick
Los Angeles, Calif.
How do the FIFA Coca-Cola rankings work? Who decides the rankings?
DI: The FIFA rankings are always a matter of intense debate, whenever they’re issued. How, for example, can Norway be so highly placed, when their on-field exploits are normally greeted with derision from the soccer world at large?
The system is based on a series of weightings to particular games, which go back over a number of years. The rankings are the result of a complex set of mathematical formulae that give added importance to competitive international matches.
So far, so good. But what if you don’t play any international matches over a set period of time? England, host of Euro ’96, hasn’t played a big “weighted” (ie World Cup qualifier, Euro Champ qualifier or World Cup) game since the fall of ’93 and its rating has nosedived. The U.S., on the other hand, is now the darling of the competitive circuit (USA ’94, Gold Cup, and Copa America) and thanks to their performances, their stock has risen.
Is one better than the other? The FIFA rankings show this to be the case, but until you match them up against each other, you’re not going to get a definitive answer — that’s why we have World Cups.
FIFA officials will admit the system has its shortcomings, but say that given time, the coefficients and variables will all make sense and we’ll have a definitive system.
I’m not so sure, but suggest that you look at them, enjoy them, and draw your own conclusions.
Joon Kang
Spokane, Wash.
Being an avid fan of Fernando Redondo, I was wondering if you could tell me how he was doing for Real Madrid, and what his situation was with the Argentina national team, as he hasn’t gotten his hair cut. Also can you tell me if there are any SA articles on him?
MW: Redondo has yet to be welcomed back by Argentina coach Daniel Passarella; but he is still a key midfielder for Real Madrid. He played well in their 1-0 win over Juventus last week in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. His omission from the national team continues to be the most controversial issue in Argentinian soccer. Few countries could get away with leaving such a talented player off of their squad, but the depth of talent has allowed Passarella to do so. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any recent articles on Redondo in SA, but perhaps there will be in the future.
DIRedondo is still overlooked by Passarella in the Argentine setup because of the length of his locks, and his season at the Bernabeu has had its share of ups and downs. Redondo was booed by the Bernabeu faithful at the start of the season after a series of dismal performances in midfield and found little sympathy in compatriot and then coach Jorge Valdano.
His form picked up in the New Year after Valdano was fired and replaced by Arsenio Iglesias, who has set about sealing up a porous Real defense.
But in truth, this hasn’t been Real’s year — injuries, boardroom and backroom squabbling, not to mention a $100 million debt that the Real sporting empire has to reconcile — have seen Real struggle in the league and despite a 1-0 win over Juve, in which Ivan Zamorano and Raul squandered a ton of chances. it may not be enough to see them through to the semifinals .
Todd LaPlante
Methuen, Mass.
What is the Bosman Ruling?
DI: Good question but one that doesn’t have a terrifically easy answer.
The Bosman ruling is the European Court’s decision on a case brought by journeyman soccer pro, Jean-Marc Bosman against UEFA, which he alleged had effectively blacklisted him from playing overseas for five years.
That’s the history part . The court ruled in favor of Bosman, but the verdict has wide-ranging implications for the future of European soccer.
Put in its simplest terms, the Bosman Ruling forces soccer into line with the rest of the European Community. It is illegal to restrict the movement of EC workers within the Community as a whole, by the implementation of levies and quota systems.
Put into soccer terms, you can’t charge transfer fees for players moving from one country to another. Nor can you impose limits on the number of EC players a team can field. For UEFA and most European clubs, this has been standard practice. No longer.
What this means for the players is that in future a move from one club to another will no longer focus on the size of the transfer fee that two clubs agree upon, but on the player and agent negotiating personal terms.
The clubs complain that they will lose income and collateral because the players they now have are without future value. Small clubs believe that they will go to the wall, while Players’ Unions, particularly in Italy, are scared of the market being flooded with EC talent at the expense of Italian pros.
An important point is that for all the talk of free agency, transfer fees willstill apply for moves between clubs in the same country, although the Netherlands will scrap its domestic transfer policy July 1.
David Spillers
Tulsa, Okla.
Two local papers have differed in the final score of the recent Newcastle United/Manchester United game. One says 1-1 tie. The other says Manchester 1-0. Which was it?
PB: Newcastle 0, Manchester United 1. Eric Cantona scored a brilliant one-touch goal off of a cross from Ryan Giggs for the winner. Man. Utd. is now just one point back of the Magpies, although Newcastle has a game in hand.
Soccer Rules and Strategy
Bryce Anderson
Omaha, Neb.
My team is going to incorporate a 3-5-2 formation this spring. Do you have any information that will help me to do it right? Thanks!
MW: You might check your local library for books on soccer strategy, but the most effective way to learn is by watching games featuring teams which use that formation. The 3-5-2 , in which the two wide midfielders are usually required to cover the entire flank, is quite common among German clubs.
Fred Gramlich
Alexandria, Va.
To resolve games in a more soccerlike way (rather than with shootouts), don’t you think it would be interesting to experiment with a smaller area in which the goalkeeper could legally use his hands?.
RM: This has been suggested by some observers, but not specifically for shootouts. Do you mean marking a smaller penalty area that would only be used during extra time or limiting a keeper’s use of hands to the six-yard box during overtime? That’s less soccer-like than a shootout, which does have its faults, but recreates one of the game’s most dramatic moments — the breakaway.
World Cup ’98 Tickets
Johnny Owens
Galveston, Texas
How,when, and where can I purchase World Cup 98 tickets? I would also like some info on hotels, means of travel, etc.
DI: Ticket and hotel information should be coming out late this year or early next year.
My experience of France ’98 thus far has been fairly positive. Like most European countries, France has a highly developed set of road, rail and air links, with the average travel time between games being set at one hour.
Hotels and the cost of living on the other hand, are extremely high, and you can expect to pay a huge markup when the World Cup rolls around.
For further information at this point, consult your travel agent.
Soccer’s Popularity in the U.S.
Sam Valle > Grand Rapids, Mich.
I would like to know your opinions about why soccer is not as popular in the USA as it is in Latin America & Europe.
MW: Major pro soccer was first introduced to the U.S.in the late 1960s, at a time when a number of successful and popular major league sports were already in existence. In Latin America and Europe, soccer was popularized at the turn of the century..
PS: I think one of the main reasons is that, whereas in other countries soccer is a part of the culture, here in America our “big three” sports have been baseball, football and basketball. I think soccer has had a hard time breaking through because there has been a stigma that soccer is un-American. This is changing now that second and third generation American-born soccer players are arriving on the scene.
PB: Soccer requires a great deal more patience than the other “American” sports, where near-misses are viewed as failures rather than excellent efforts worthy of applause. It may be difficult for an American audience that is used to the constant scoring in a 100-98 basketball game or a 42-28 football game to adjust to a 1-0 soccer match, however well-played it may be.
Soccer-America Related
V. F. Stevenson
Indianapolis, Ind.
When is the SA Yellow Pages issue due out?
PB: The Yellow Pages will be our Sept. 9 issue this year.
Bob Smith
Clarksboro N.J.:
Which issue will contain the Summer Camp list?
PB: The March 18, 1996 issue features SA’s Annual Camp Directory.
Freeman Carmack
Worthington, Ohio
Not a question, but a comment. I’ve subscribed to SA for 2 years now and I want to thank you for all the great reporting, the pictures, the forum for this great sport, and for the great pleasure it’s brought me. Good luck and keep it up.
Thanks! We appreciate the feedback and hope you’ll continue to enjoy SA.