Soccer America Archives

The thirteen eligible members of the U.S. Olympic women’s team have agreed to play in the new National Soccer Alliance, the first-ever women’s professional soccer league in the United States. Plans for the league are to be unveiled this weekend at the annual Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Supershow in Atlanta. Committed to playing in the […]

Features Back from injury, and back in Denver By Ridge Mahoney Marcelo Balboa takes a look back Interview by Ridge Mahoney A really bad year for the Good Guy By Duncan Irving Mexico and Costa Rica offer new looks D.C. United loses Gori on first day By Steven Goff Real Madrid opponents playing for second […]

Group 2 Feb. 12 in London England 0 Italy 1. Goal: Zola 20. England — Walker, G. Neville, Pearce, Ince, Campbell, Le Saux, Beckham, Batty (Wright, 89), Shearer, Le Tissier (Ferdinand, 61), McManaman (Merson, 77). Italy — Peruzzi, Ferrara, Maldini, D. Baggio, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Di Livio, Di Matteo, Casiraghi (Ravanelli, 77), Albertini, Zola (Fuser, 90). […]

MetroStars defender Nicola Caricola, 34, announced his retirement. He had joined MLS last season after playing 11 years in Italy, and played 26 regular-season and three playoff matches.

The following are the Argentine and Brazilian players that appaered at the mini-combine in Rio de Janeiro. MLS hopes to bring at least a half a dozen of them for MLS spring training: Goalies — Andre (Brazil, 25), Paulo Sergio (Brazil, 25). Defenders — Ramon Brites (Argentina, 27, Atl. Tucuman), Martin Ferreira (Argentina, 23, Central […]

Estonia and Scotland played to a 0-0 tie Feb. 11 in Monaco in the World Cup qualifier. FIFA moved to the principality after the originally scheduled game in Estonia last fall was not played due to the Estonians’ failure to arrive at the game in time when the kickoff time was changed to the afternoon […]

The Los Angeles Galaxy has signed Guatemalan national team star Martin Machon, GM Danny Villanueva announced today. The 24-year-old midfielder/defender has made 22 appearances for his country, and impressed MLS officials with his play during CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches this past fall. Machon began his professional career in 1991 with Galcasa of the Guatemalan […]

Daniel Goshin East Amherst, N.Y. Soccer America is a huge publication with many readers. I feel that you should take a larger role in encouraging U.S. Soccer fans to go to matches and support their team much like Sam’s Army and other supporters clubs do. Maybe you could consider running some articles on supporters clubs […]

The following are the results of the January, 1997 poll, in which 1,113 fans decided which three countries in the CONCACAF hexagonal would qualify for France ’98. Country Votes *USA 1081 *Mexico 1059 *Costa Rica 540 Canada 282 Jamaica 213 El Salvador 163

MLS has assigned forward/midfielder Chris Sullivan to the San Jose Clash. Sullivan, 31, joins San Jose from Raba ETO of the Hungarian First Division, where he played 11 games on loan from MLS after signing with the league in November. “We’ve been interested in Chris Sullivan since before last season,” said San Jose GM Peter […]

D.C. United left back Mario Gori underwent reconstructive surgery Feb. 6 to repair damage to his right knee. The Argentine was injured in keep-away drills on the MLS champions’ first day of practice in Bradenton, Fla. He suffered a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament. Gori is expected to be out 4-6 months. To shore […]

MLS will make five minor changes to its 1997 schedule, Commissioner Doug Logan announced today. Four of the changes are due to stadium conflicts, while the fifth will allow for the World Cup Qulaifying/MLS doubleheader at Foxboro Stadium April 20. MLS expects to announce more changes after the NFL’s schedule is released in April. Potential […]

Features MLS Combine: Finding Rhinestones In the Rough By Mike Woitalla Carlos Alberto Parreira: Combine Is Good Idea Interview by Mike Woitalla 1997 MLS Draft MLS Extends Its Reach To The A-League By Ridge Mahoney Three Cities, Two Matches, No Wins For U.S. By Ridge Mahoney Dan Calichman: `One Of The Nice Perks’ Interview by […]

Three of the five teams the United States faces in CONCACAF’s Hexagonal will be in action tonight (Feb. 5). Mexico faces Ecaudor in Mexico City, Costa Rica hosts Slovakia in San Jose and El Salvador meets a Salvadoran First Division XI in San Salvador. Mexican national team coach Bora Milutinovic is giving most of his […]

Note: The ten group winners advance to the final round of qualifying, later in 1997, from which three teams will automatically advance to the World Cup Finals, and the fourth-place team will meet the Oceania champion in a two-leg playoff for a berth at France ’98. Group 1 In Malaysia: March 16 Chinese Taipei vs. […]

First Round, First Leg May 31 in Nouakchott Mauritania 0 Burkina Faso 0. Att.: 8,000. June 1 in Blantyre Malawi 0 South Africa 1. Goal: Tinkler 20. Att.: 7,000. June 1 in Banjul Gambia 2 Liberia 1 . Goals: Corr pen. 15, Sillah 62; Debbah pen. 35. Att.: 20,000. June 1 in Kampala Uganda 0 […]

Note: The top four teams join defending champion Brazil as South America’s entrants at France ’98. Results April 24 in Caracas Venezuela 0 Uruguay 2. Goals: Otero 54, Poyet 71. Att.: 12,000. April 24 in Buenos Aires Argentina 3 Bolivia 1. Goals: Ortega 8, 18, Batistuta 49; Baldivieso 42. Att.: 60,000. April 24 in Guayaquil […]

First Round Melanesian Group Sept. 16 in Lae, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea 1 Solon Islands 1. Goals: n/a. Att.: n/a. Sept. 18 in Lae, Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands 1 Vanuatu 1. Goals: n/a. Att.: 1,500. Sept. 20 in Lae, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea 2 Vanuatu 1. Goals: Furigi 88, Karong […]

Note: The nine group winners and the best runner-up automatically advance to France ’98. The eight other runner-ups will be drawn into pairs and play home-and-away series, with the four winners advancing to the World Cup Finals. Group 1 April 24 in Athens Greece 2 Slovenia 0. Goals: Batista 56, Nikolaides 66. Att.: 10,000. Sept. […]

Caribbean Zone First Round, First Leg March 10 in Roseau Dominica 3 Antigua 3. Goals: Dominic 8, Dangler pen. 42, Marshall 90; Clarke 15, Edwards 28, 74. Att.: 5,000. March 24 in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic 3 Aruba 2. Goals: Rodriguez 29, Pena 50, 82; Deelaar 64, Malmberg 86. Att.: 5,000. March 30 in Georgetown […]

In perhaps the biggest trade in the brief history of Major League Soccer, the MetroStars acquired U.S. national team midfielder Mike Sorber from the Kansas City Wizards in exchange for midfielder Damian Silvera and a first-round pick in the 1998 MLS College Draft. Sorber, 25, started 23 games for Kansas City last year, notching four […]

Here is the tentative 1997 MLS/A-League affiliation alignment between the two leagues. Columbus Crew — Charleston Battery, Milwaukee Rampage Colorado Rapids — Atlanta Ruckus, Colorado Foxes Dallas Burn — El Paso Patriots, New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers Kansas City Wizards — Carolina Dynamo, Orlando Sundogs* Los Angeles Galaxy — Minnesota Thunder, Orange County Zodiac MetroStars — […]

Here is a team-by-team recap of the 1997 A-League draft. Note: T is Territorial round Atlanta Ruckus no selections California Jaguars Round/Player Pos. 1996 Team T. Alberto Montoya MF Santa Clara 1. Brian Johnson M Fresno State 2. Brad Davies M Stanford Carolina Dynamo Round/Player Pos. 1996 Team 1. Scott Coufal G Indiana 1. J.T. […]

Just hours after acquiring Mike Sorber from Kansas City, the MetroStars made another trade, sending former U.S. national team star Peter Vermes and a third-round pick in the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft to the Colorado Rapids for midfielder Kerry Zavagnin and future considerations. The Metros are looking to firm up their roster before departing to […]

The following are the results of the 1997 MLS Collegiate Draft First Round No. Team Selection Pos. College 1 Colorado Tahj Jakins D UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Mike Fisher MF Virginia 3 Columbus Rob Jachym MF Hartford 4 San Jose Alberto Montoya MF Santa Clara 5 MetroStars Brian Kelly F Duke 6 Dallas Temoc Suarez […]