Q&A with the SA Editors: March 13, 1998

Corey

Ceres, Calif.

Mike In N.C. mentioned some Americans playing abroad that are age eligible for the U-23 olympics. Just Thought I’d add a couple of names: 1) Paul Rachubka (Manchester United…only 16 years old, worth a U-20 look) 2) Andy Harris (Southend United…not eligible now, but could be with proper paperwork; I believe his father is American) Also, Ian Joy and Ben Stimpson are no longer on their respective former team’s books. Speaking of Americans abroad, do you have any word on if David Regis (who scored in Karlsruhe’s loss at Moenchengladbach) received his U.S. passport?

Pete Bailey: Thanks for the update, Corey. There is no word yet on Regis, other than that he very much wants to play for the U.S. and the Federation hopes things can be worked out in time. We’ll post something on the site once there is any official word from U.S. Soccer.

Pensacola, Fla.

What is going to happen to the remaining CISL teams? Will any of them go outdoors to the A-League or D-3 Pro League? Will some move to the NPSL?

Paul Kennedy: The Indiana Twisters have applied to play in the NPSL. From what we hear, some clubs regret having folded the CISL. They had hoped to form a new league with new management, but that has proven easier said than done.

College Park, Md.

My question involves the goalkeeper on the world market now. For a while we only heard of foreign goalkeepers in England, Scotland, and Portugal. Now it seems the rest of Europe has caught on to acquiring goalkeepers from other parts of the world. For instance Bodo Illgner at Real Madrid, Ruud Hesp at Barcelona, and Andreas Koepke at Marsielles. Now there is word that three foreign clubs are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund keeper Stefan Klos. Do you think this is something that will increase in the future as many clubs seek to find the best players in world, or are the clubs not too confident in the skills of their own domestic goalkeepers?

Duncan Irving: I don’t see why the trend shouldn’t continue, or why keepers should be any different from field players these days. I’ve seen English pundits go from boasting that their keepers are the best in the world and the league being the best in the world to the Premier League being the toughest in the world. I don’t think any one country has a monopoly on good goalkeepers and I doubt that anyone ever really did. The interesting case is Hesp, who was signed as an unknown and has broken into the Barca lineup. The same is true of Alex Manninger of Austria, who is David Seaman’s backup at Arsenal. The rule of thumb seems to be that if a player is good enough, young enough to develop and cheap enough, clubs will sign a foreign keeper as quickly as a field player.

Winnemucca, Nev.

As an AYSO & USYSA youth coach, I would like some other opinions on the best approach into professional soccer. Steve Sampson has mentioned that he looks closely at the ODP. Is the ODP the best route? It has been mentioned that Jovan Kirovski played in England with the Manchester United youth squad. How did he get there? How can young players today find out about youth team possibilities overseas? What are the different options for a hard working, aspiring youth player?

Dan Woog: The best approach to professional soccer is a realistic one. A player — and his parents — must realize that the chances of reaching the pinnacle are infinitesimally small, and that for many people it is not even a goal they should aspire to. Playing professionally demands single-minded concentration, lots of money, sacrifices that range from leaving friends and family to foregoing education, and of course a tremendous amount of luck. There is no right path to the pros. Obviously, playing ODP is a good way — if the program in your state is good, and coaching and training come before everything else. Some people do choose to go overseas — the best way to do that is to network, make contacts, talk to people who have done it, and don’t jump at the first opportunity. If a player is good enough, he’ll have more than one chance. A good coach can help a good player by presenting various options, and spurring him to do what is best for HIM — not for the coach. Chances are a player will NOT become a pro if he hasn’t done a lot of thinking about why and how he wants to get there. Duncan Irving: Kirovski was spotted at the Glasgow Rangers Cup, and went to England nominally to study. He played for Manchester United’s reserves but never had a contract so to speak of. His parents footed the bill for his study and living expenses.

Aberdeen, N.J.

I understand that MLS is the only soccer league in a country that has qualified for the World Cup whose schedule coincides with that of France ’98. As an analogy, I think the NHL did the right thing when they took a break during the Winter Olympic Games. I think this may hurt the MLS, particularly when the better players will be in France. What’s your opinion?

Paul Kennedy: Unlike the NHL, which can extend its season as its pleases, MLS is doomed because of the weather, and also because of other stadium commitments (i.e. football). It cannot realistically start much earlier or end much later than it does now. To drop any weeks means doubling up games another week, and MLS is not strong enough to afford a lot of weeknight games.

Philadelphia, Pa.

How far can a field player go in challenging a goalie? On corner or angle shoots I play the center of the field. Can I try and head ball these shoots? I’m afraid of getting a red card if I knock over the goalie. My dad believes that all balls are an equal opportunity for all players. What is the official rule?

Mike Woitalla: Billy, I don’t want to get you in trouble by drawing the line on how far you can go in an encounter with a goalkeeper. I think you should go to the source — the FIFA rulebook. And I would also ask the referee before the game, because sometimes referees use their discretion to be extra protective of goalkeepers. So besides concentrating on getting to the ball — rather than obstructing the opponent — read the rules closely. You can find them on the FIFA website, for which we have a link in our links section. Also, U.S. Soccer publishes the official rules and you can probably buy a copy. U.S. Soccer: phone: 312-808-1300. fax: 312 808 9566. I think it’s very important that all players, coaches and journalists own a copy of the rules. (I’m assuming all refs already have them.)