Q&A with the SA Editors: Jan. 16, 1998

Lark Howorth

Friendswood, Texas

Can you explain the behind-the-scenes situation with regard to France ’98 tickets not being available through U.S. Soccer? The FIFA home page clearly states interested persons should contact either approved tour operators (Gullivers) or their home football federation (U.S. Soccer). U.S. Soccer has stated that it will not directly make tickets available to regular soccer fans. forcing us to go through an overpriced, overpackaging monopoly. Why isn’t the federation helping American fans get tickets?

Pete Bailey: This is not a situation unique to the United States. We may be a bit spoiled from 1994, when as the host nation tickets were much more readily available for U.S. residents. It is standard procedure for a national federation to give the remaining tickets (after taking care of federation people, sponsors, players’ families, etc.) to a tour operator. Many people from foreign countries experienced similar difficulties in trying to attend USA ’94. Remember that the U.S. ticket allotment for games in France is generally anywhere from three to eight percent of capacity (from 1,200 to 4,000 at the USA’s first-round venues of Paris, Lyons and Nantes). If the Rolling Stones played a 3-date U.S. tour at intimate clubs that held 1,500 people, I’d be calling ticket brokers because TicketMaster wouldn’t be the answer. Anyone who does not want to deal with purchasing tickets in package tours would have to make plans to go to France during the World Cup and hope to buy tickets there — via brokers or bartering. This is how many European fans follow their teams at big European events.

Providence, R.I.

Why is North Carolina’s Tiffany Roberts so underrated by the folks of NSCAA/Umbro? She may not be as flashy as other players but in my opinion she is one of those players who makes everyone around her better. So, for her not to make the NCAA All-Americas, what gives?

Dean Caparaz: As with almost all-America or all-star teams, one can make an argument about why players have not been included, why they have been included or why a certain player is on a third team as opposed to the first team. For example, Santa Clara coach Jerry Smith complained at the final four that NONE of his players were on any of the three NSCAA all-America teams. A final four team without any all-Americas? If you take a look at Soccer America’s MVP list, you’ll see that SA disagrees with that particular point. Perhaps the NSCAA did not want to put too many North Carolina players on its teams. But, if players deserve to be there, they should be there. A lot of coaches will tell you — at least they’ve told me — that they don’t rate Tiffany that highly because, they say, she’s just an athlete who plays soccer. I believe that a lot of college coaches may not cast votes for Tiffany because they also are envious of her quick rise to the national team — she made her first international appearance for the U.S. at the age of 16 against Portugal March 16, 1994. I agree that Tiffany is one of the top players in the country and should have been included on one of the three NSCAA all-America teams. She’s a U.S. national team player, an Olympian with a gold medal to prove it. She’s not at Mia Hamm’s level and the defensive-minded Roberts doesn’t score a lot, but she’s definitely a player with enough talent to merit postseason honors at the collegiate level. Of course, Soccer America does not include her on its MVP list for the 1997 college season, but then SA has just one 11-player team.

Goodlettsville, Tenn.

From what you know about American players success overseas. Is it easier for an American to play in South America or Europe? Which culture is easier to adapt to?

Duncan Irving: Good question. The money, public profile and standard of living are thought to be higher in Europe, so most players’ agents and clubs shop their players or loan them to the Europeans first. As for the second question, it really depends on the player and his ability and desire to adapt to a foreign country. Players have to adapt to the culture, the players and the team and not the other way around. They also have to deal with the occasional bout of residual resentment about their presence in a foreign country — remember, they’re likely taking a roster spot away from a native player. American players have done quite well abroad, learning, or at least making an attempt to fit in and learn the language: Jovan Kirovski, for example, went to England at a young age and adapted well at Manchester United. He’s also done well in Germany at Dortmund where he likes playing for Nevio Scala (his German is as rudimentary as Kirovski’s, so he’s easier to understand than Ottmar Hitzfeld). Claudio Reyna, Dario Brose, John O’Brien and Chad Deering have also fit in well. Cobi Jones spent time in both Brazil and England, and he’s said that he enjoyed both places but enjoyed the English style of play more. Marcelo Balboa, Cle Kooiman, Mike Sorber and Tab Ramos all performed well in Mexico.

Raleigh, N.C.

I understand that Steve Sampson played soccer in the past. Did he ever play professionally?

Pete Bailey: Sampson played collegiately at Foothill College (where he was an all-America and led the team to the state title), UCLA and San Jose State. He did not play professionally. Instead, he earned a master’s degree from Stanford before entering the field of coaching.

Norman, Okla.

I am a professor of architecture doing research on the design and development of small stadia (capacity of 1,000 to 10,000). I am looking for good examples of high quality stadia, either new or old, perhaps on a university or secondary school campus, especially soccer-specific facilities, to analyze as part of my study. Can you suggest any facilities which are exceptionally good small, soccer venues ?

Paul Kennedy: Many schools have built soccer-specific facilities in recent years. A couple that people comment on often are Virginia’s Klockner Stadium and the stadium at UNC Greensboro, which was the site of this past year’s NCAA Women’s Division I final four.

Deer Park, Texas

Can you provide a history of the Hermann Award (who is it named for, how did it come about, what are the qualifications of the recipients, who votes, etc.)?

Mike Woitalla: The Hermann Trophy is named after Bob Hermann, a founding chairman of the North American Soccer League. It was initiated in 1967, when Hermann was given a bronze ball trophy from his fellow team owners in recognition of his work for U.S. pro soccer. This trophy has since been used to honor the best collegiate soccer player — and it is the oldest such honor in the U.S. I know that for a while, both journalists and coaches voted on the winner. I didn’t get a ballot last year — so maybe only coaches get to vote now.