A-LEAGUE
Rochester Rhinos
Doug Miller and
Henry Gutierrez will add a local flavor to the 1997 All-Star Game, which will be played at Rochester’s Frontier Field July 15. The game will highlight a doubleheader that also features an international match between the Rhinos and 1997 Turkish champion Galatasaray…. Miller, the A-League’s leading scorer (27 points) at the time the selections were announced, and Montreal’s
Paolo Ceccarelli, the top goalie (0.29 goals-against average) head the Eastern Conference roster. Also picked: goalie
Pat Onstad (Toron to); defenders
Peter Lewis (Charleston),
Shawn Boney (Connecticut),
Travis Rinker (Long Island),
Gary Crompton (Worcester),
John Limniatis (Montreal); mid fielders
Oswaldo Ortiz (Jacksonville),
Brent Longenecker (Hershey),
Yari Allnutt (Carolina),
Alberto Montoya (Raleigh),
Dian Anguelov (Richmond); strikers
Don D’Ambra (Hershey) and
Darren Tilley (Toronto)…. California’s
Mark Baena (23 points) and Seattle’s
Michael Gailey (22 points), the A-League’s No. 2 and 3 scorers, head the Western Conference all-stars. Other selections: goalies
Randy Dedini (Nashville) and
Kevin Rueda (California); defenders
Steve Freeman (Orlando),
Don Gramenz (Minnesota),
Dino Lopez (Milwaukee),
Rogerio Rivoiro (El Paso),
Colin Rocke (New Orleans); midfielders
Marcos Roberto (Atlanta),
Mickey Trotman (New Orleans),
Jose Vasquez (Orange County),
Chad Ashton (Colorado); strikers
Sebastian Barnes (Orlando),
Garret Kusch (Vancouver),
Dominic Mobilio (Vancouver)…. The four coaches at the All-Star Game will be the head coaches of last year’s A-League champion and runner-up and the USISL Select and Pro League champions.
Nuno Piteira (Charleston) and
Pat Ercoli (Rochester) will work with the Eastern Conference.
Neil Megson (Seattle) and
Gaspar Da Silva (California) will coach the Western all-stars….
Darci Monteiro, who had been suspended for six games in the recent Rochester-Carolina brawl, has left the Rhinos to return to his native Brazil. Rochester picked up midfielders
Bo Vuckovic, who led the NPSL’s Baltimore Spirit in scoring this past winter, and
Mike Kirmse, a former all-America at Clarkson who spent the last two years in the German minor leagues…. The Orange County Zodiac drew the biggest crowd in its short history when 5,000 watched popular Mexican club UNAM beat the Zodiac 3-0 at the Santa Ana Bowl July 1. The Zodiac just signed
Tayt Ianni, who spent the last two seasons in MLS with Tampa Bay and San Jose… Seattle has had a special guest at training: U.S. women’s gold-medalist
Michelle Akers. The 31-year-old striker, who isn’t expected to make any appearances for the Sounders, is preparing to return to the women’s national team…. The Sounders relinquished its rights to Canadian forward
Niall Thompson after the U.S. Office of Immigration and Naturalization declined his work visa. Thompson had played with the Sounders last season after being acquired from Montreal…. Montreal and Toronto drew 3,865 fans in Ottawa on Canada Day in a battle of Northeast Division leaders.
Mauro Biello’s early goal held up for the Impact, who won 1-0…. Milwaukee picked up
Eddie Berdusco from Montreal in exchange for fellow Canadian
Tony Capasso, a rookie out of Notre Dame. Berdusco scored the winning goal in Canada’s 1-0 win over Jamaica in World Cup qualifying…. The Minnesota Thunder signed midfielders
Billy Baumhoff and
Tod Herskovitz. Baumhoff, who was released by the Colorado Rapids in March, spent a short spell with the Thunder in 1996. Herskovitz, a St. Paul native, comes to Minnesota from rival Milwaukee.
