Soccer America Archives

For more than a decade, I have with great interest followed the U.S. players who make their living abroad. American players in Germany have complained about small refrigerators, boiled eggs for breakfast and grocery stores closed on Sundays. When I visited Ron Dufrene in Reims in 1987, he couldn’t reach for the ketchup bottle without […]

Here are the results of the January, 1999 poll, in which 714 fans selected the twenty players (3 goalkeepers and 17 field players) they felt should be on the U.S. roster for the 1999 Women’s World Cup this summer. GOALKEEPERS *1. Briana Scurry 620 votes (86.8 %) *2. Tracy Ducar 371 (52.0%) *3. Meredith Flaherty […]

The U.S. boys’ U-17 national team made U.S. Soccer history Feb. 4 when they ended an 86-year winless streak against Argentina in Buenos Aires, defeating Argentina’s U-17 team, 4-3. No U.S. national team (men’s or women’s) had ever beaten Argentina in Buenos Aires. “It is moments like this that you will never forget. It’s not […]

It's been a busy offseason for MLS since Chicago captured MLS Cup '98. There have been some big trades and a number of roster moves. As the 1999 season approaches, we want to know which teams you think are moving in the right direction in their offseason dealings, and which teams aren't getting the job […]

U.S. defender Jeff Agoos, who was originally left off the national team roster for its Feb. 6 friendly against Germany due to lower back pains, has been cleared to play by the national team medical staff. Agoos joined the team in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 2 for its early training session. The 30-year-old Agoos is […]

FEATURES Grand Player Station In New York By Ridge Mahoney Alexi Lalas: ‘It All Starts With Winning’ Interview by Ridge Mahoney WWC ’99: Organizers Hope For Breakthrough Event By Dean Caparaz Ranking The USA ’99 Opposition By Dean Caparaz Lehigh Goes Full Steam Ahead By Poul Swain Ronaldo Says Eight Years Will Be Enough Bordeaux […]

The U.S. U-17 men’s national team is set to play Argentina on Feb. 4, after a week of training in Buenos Aires at the Boca Juniors training facilities. The Argentina U-17s, who will begin qualifying for the 1999 U-17 World Championship in March, are coached by Jose Nestor Peckerman. While under his tenure Argentina were […]

Randy Waldrum, women’s soccer coach at Baylor for the past three years who led the Bears to their first Big 12 championship in any sport this past season, has been named women’s soccer coach at the University of Notre Dame. Waldrum replaces Chris Petrucelli, who resigned in December to accept the same position at the […]

U.S. womenÆs national team coach Tony DiCicco named his 18-player roster for the first-ever FIFA Women’s World All-Star Match to be played on Valentine’s Day in San Jose, Calif. The Women’s World Cup Draw will be held during the game’s 25-minute halftime. United States Women’s National Team Roster USA vs. the World All-Stars Feb. 14, […]

Clemson University standout Scott Bower has become the first member of the 1999 Project-40 class, Major League Soccer deputy commissioner and Project 2010 managing director Sunil Gulati announced Feb. 2. The under-23 national team player has been assigned to the San Jose Clash, joining Project-40 midfielder Esmundo Rodriguez. “Being part of Project-40 and the San […]

The New England Revolution acquired midfielder John Harkes for a first- and second-round college draft pick in the year 2000, in a trade with two-time MLS Champion D.C. United Feb. 2. United will also receive a future allocated player contingent upon Harkes’ 1999 performance with New England. Harkes is currently on loan with Nottingham Forest […]

The Tampa Bay Mutiny filled its fourth foreign allocation slot with the acquisition of Bolivian national team forward Jefferson Gottardi Feb. 2. Gottardi, who turned 23 on Jan. 13, will be on loan to the league, from Bolivar of the Bolivian First Division, for one season, after which MLS has an option to buy his […]

Despite a flurry of yellow cards issued and a steady rainfall, the U.S. U-17s managed to edge out a 3-2 win over Boca Juniors youth team in the first of two matches in Buenos Aires. Leading the United States was DaMarcus Beasley and Jordan Cila. Both had a goal and an assist. The United States […]

Two stalwarts of the U.S. defense had to be dropped from the roster for the Feb. 6 game against Germany because of injuries. Eddie Pope suffered a strained right hamstring during the January training camp in Orlando, and re-aggravated the injury during the United States’ 0-0 draw with Bolivia on Jan. 24. Jeff Agoos, the […]

U.S. midfielder Michelle Akers joined one of soccer’s most exclusive clubs today at Lockhart Stadium, scoring her 100th career goal as the USA defeated Portugal, 6-0, in its second match of 1999 on the road to the Women’s World Cup this summer. Akers joins three other players in the Century Club and is the fourth […]

The fourth annual Umbro Select College All-Star Classic will take place Feb. 5-6 at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., as 96 of the nation’s top seniors join 33 all-stars from the USL. Two games will be played each night, with the women competing on Feb.. 5 and the men on Feb. 6. Here are […]

Adam Miller Davison, Mich. I was curious if MLS has merchandise sales figures for each club? Just wondering who’s on top and so on — I know the other sports always release their sales lists each year and wondered where soccer is at in terms of sales. Ridge Mahoney: A good question, Adam. There are […]

The fourth annual Umbro Select College All-Star Classic will take place Feb. 5-6 at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., as 96 of the nation’s top seniors join 33 all-stars from the USL. Two games will be played each night, with the women competing on Feb.. 5 and the men on Feb. 6. Here are […]

The U.S. men’s U-20s fell 3-0 to Portugal in each team’s final match of the 25th Copa de Atlantico tournament in Spain’s Canary Islands. The USA concluded the tournament with a 1-2 record after defeating Denamark, 1-0, and losing by the same margin to Spain. The U.S. team will return to the States Jan. 30, […]

The Milwaukee Rampage has signed former Columbus Crew defender Ricardo Iribarren for the 1999 season. “I think a lot of credit has to go to this organization,” said Milwaukee coach Carlos “Cacho” Cordoba. “It takes a great effort to bring that type of player here from MLS. It shows what kind of commitment the owners […]

U.S. women’s national team coach Tony DiCicco has announced the 20-player roster for the Jan. 30 match against Portugal in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The game kicks off at 2:00 p.m. (ET) and will be shown live on ESPN. The USA defeated Portugal, 7-0, on Jan. 27 in a closed-door match at the U.S. team’s training […]

Two of American soccer’s most recognizable players will play for a new team in 1999, as World Cup veterans and three-time MLS All-Stars Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola of the MetroStars have been traded to the Kansas City Wizards for midfielder Mark Chung and goalkeeper Mike Ammann. In another MLS trade, D.C. United acquired Argentine […]

Everyone who reads Soccer America on a regular basis has probably heard of the Bosman ruling, the case involving the obscure Belgian player who won free agency for players within the European Community. Less well known is the case of Ousmane Dabo and Mickael Silvestre, two young French players who challenged a French law that […]

Here is the schedule for the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, to be held July 24-Aug. 4 in Mexico. First Round Group A July 25 — Bolivia vs. Egypt, Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia in Mexico City. July 27 — Saudi Arabia vs. Bolivia, Mexico vs. Egypt in Mexico City. July 29 — Egypt vs. Saudi Arabia, […]

A 39th-minute goal by Pablo Counego lifted Spain to a 1-0 win over the U.S. U-20 national team on Jan. 26 in the Copa de Atlantico tournament being held in Spain’s Canary Islands. The USA, with a 1-1 record, will face Portugal on Jan. 28 in the third-place match. The U.S. returns home on Jan. […]