Hector Castro
Jersey City. N.J.
Is it true that the USSF declined an invitation to participate in the 1997 Copa America? If it’s true, don’t you think that it would be a bad decision considering the amount of experience players could gain? Why would they do this? Few World Cup qualifiers are being played in the summer, and MLS would only be slightly inconvenienced. Is there something I don’t know?
Mike Woitalla: Indeed, the U.S. will not participate in the Copa America. A pity, I believe, since I had the pleasure of attending the last two tournaments and saw that they gave U.S. players valuable experiences.
The decision not to attend is probably a combination of MLS conflicts, the fact that the U.S. does have a good number of games this year — qualifying, a tour of China, the U.S. Cup and several friendlies — and the limited ability to make money at the Copa America.
Kenya Brown
College Park, Md.
Over the past couple of weeks I have been hearing news that UEFA will be working closely with the African Football Confederation with regard to financial support. Has USSF or any other federations made an approach in working with African fooball? Would there be a possibility for a U.S./South Africa friendly in the future?
Ridge Mahoney: MLS has already signed several African players, and deputy commissioner Sunil Gulati was in Africa last month looking at players. Nigeria came to the U.S. in 1995 to play in U.S. Cup, and other countries have been contacted, but a heavy World Cup qualifying schedule this year will probably rule out any matches in 1997. U.S. Soccer and the South African federation have been talking about a match for years, and one will probably happen either late this year or in 1998.
Jay Ziminsky
Middletown, Del.
My wife and I will be in London next March for a 9 day vacation and I am looking to attend my share of matches. Other than Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and QPR, what are the other London-based clubs in the Premier League and the First Division?
Pete Bailey: In addition to the clubs you’ve mentioned, Wimbledon and West Ham United of the Premier League, and Charlton Athletic of the First Division are also in London. Also in the First Division, Oxford United, Ipswich, and Reading are within striking distance. Second Division club Millwall (former stomping ground of Kasey Keller) is London-based as well, and Luton Town (where American Ian Feuer is the starting keeper) is nearby. If you’re willing to make a bit of a trip, American Mike Lapper’s First Division club Southend is on the Essex coast, a little over an hour away.
Is the 1996-97 European Guide advertised as part of your gift subscription promotion going to be available to subscribers such as myself, who likely will not participate in this promotion?
PB: Yes, it is. Call 1-510-559-2200 to request a copy. The cost is $5.
Oscar Nova
San Francisco
Will FOX Sports’ takeover of Prime Deportiva help us soccer fanatics get better TV coverage? I haven’t seen FOX’s web site mention anything about it. Any information will be greatly appreciated.
Dean Caparaz: I don’t know that FOX Sports’ takeover of Prime Deportiva (now called FOX Sports Americas) will do that. However, the channel should be available in more and more markets as time goes by. It is now available in the San Francisco Bay Area in Foster City (on channel 71), Fremont (channel 26, part time), Half Moon Bay (channel 71), Hayward (channel 71), San Jose (channel 23B), San Mateo (channel 43) and South San Francisco (channel 0, part time)
For more information, call Fox Sports. Try Max Bretos in Programming at (310) 286-6321.
Kai Roberts
Portland, Ore.
Have you guys heard anything about MLS expansion maybe to Portland? If we could get some natural grass in our Civic Stadium — maybe Nike could take care of things in their own backyard. Money for some grass would be pocket change compared to $220 million for Brazil to wear the swoosh.
Ridge Mahoney: No place to play, Kai, and Portland is a relatively small market. Nike is a multi-billion dollar, global company with its eyes on world conquest. It is based in Beaverton because the trees are pretty and the rent is cheap. In the MLS expansion plans, Portland is way down the list, unless it gets a grass field. I remember the good old days of the Timbers, and another West Coast team would be great.
Jim Shoopack
Stroudsburg, Pa.
I am curious at your assessment of U.S. defender Alexi Lalas. My father believes that he is too slow (which I must admit, he is) and many times allows his player to get by him and get too many good looks at the goal. In your opinion, is Lalas being used as an icon? To me, Marcelo Balboa is a much more consistent and better defender.
Mike Woitalla: Alexi Lalas has had a blessed career. Even in games where he makes mistakes defensively — e.g. the win over Saudi Arabia in 1995 — he bounces back with a goal or some other contribution.
But Jim, I do agree with you that Marcelo Balboa is a better defender. He has more skill, is also good in the air, tackles well and scores plenty. Lalas will have to improve on his 1996 performance if he can legitimize his starting spot in the U.S. defense. I wonder if he can really handle marking quick, skillful strikers who aren’t intimidated by him.
Alejandro Moriera
Santiago, Chile
What do you know about Chilean soccer and the 1996 champion Colo-Colo?
Paul Kennedy: Colo Colo won the 1996 title with a four-point margin. Its leading scorer was Chilean Ivo Basay, who is well known to Mexican soccer fans. The other Chilean team in the 1997 Libertadores Cup will be Santiago rival Universidad Catolica, which beat Cobreloa on penalty kicks to win the “Liguilla,” the four-team playoff involving the three runners-up in the Chilean League and the Chilean Cup winner.
John Alvin Spillman
Baton Rouge, La.
According to recent issues of SA, MLS paid ABC for broadcast time for MLS Cup ’96 and at least one local affiliate (Charlotte), refused to screen the match. Did this affiliate (and any others) refund MLS for their paid air time, and if not, could you please explain why not (sounds like theft to me)?
Ridge Mahoney: Nothing fishy about it. MLS made a time buy, and had no real say in how many ABC stations cleared air time to broadcast the match. For the next final, MLS will certainly push for as many stations as possible to carry the game and there might be a cost adjustment for the ’97 and ’98 finals. But since the match only drew a 1.4 national rating (the league and network had hoped for a rating in the range of 2.0-2.5) MLS can’t really squawk. In the same time slot, NBC’s NFL telecast hit a 14.9, and there was no competing NFL game on Fox that afternoon. Ouch. But squelching MLS Cup ’96 for “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” is inexcusable.
Stephen Dunivan
San Leandro, Calif.
I have read a couple of articles in SA mentioning that MLS paid to show games on ESPN and ESPN2. I found it perplexing that they have to do this. Can you confirm that this is true? If so, do you have a guess as to how long they would need to do this before it would be shown at no cost to MLS? How about the contracts with the local stations, are they charging also?
Ridge Mahoney: They are buying air time for the first three seasons on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC (for the final). For the local packages, the teams are splitting the production costs with the league. They recoup the costs by selling advertising, sponsorships and commercial time. If they hadn’t bought time, there would have been little or no TV, and no league, because…
MLS needs TV time to sell its sponsorship and advertising packages, so it committed millions of dollars to buy broadcast time. Without guarantees of television coverage, the league would have had great difficulty attracting the investors and sponsors that are paying for the league’s operations. The league also needs as much exposure as it can get, so TV is critical.
Obviously, the league can’t do this indefinitely. It hopes to begin selling TV rights after this three-year package expires. Fox has already expressed an interest, and reportedly ESPN wants to exercise a one-year option on the existing contract. This competitive bidding is what the league needs to tap into the TV revenue stream, without which it cannot pay off its massive debts.
Ron Apollon
Atlanta
Why is the SA coverage of the NPSL so minimal? Now that the MLS season is over, the NPSL is the only form of professional U.S. soccer games available (other than the World Cup Qualifying games).
The collegiate games seemed to get all the publicity. One of the main reasons that I subscribe to SA is to read about the NPSL, since I have a lot friends playing in the league. Is there any plan to increase the coverage?
Paul Kennedy: Indoor coverage represents the interest level our readers have in it. There is far greater interest in outdoor soccer, whether U.S.-related (MLS or college) or international, than indoor soccer. Despite local interest in NPSL teams, the big problem indoor soccer has always had is a lack of national appeal. You represent one of a handful of people who have asked for more indoor coverage. On the other hand, we get, for example, letters and e-mails every day from people wanting more coverage of U.S. players abroad, which is why we added U.S. Abroad section, with box scores, this fall.
We have expanded out notes sections related to all non-MLS leagues, as well as continued the box scores. These are very popular with readers such as yourself who want to follow particular players.
Brooke Malkovsky
Allentown, Pa.
I am a senior in high school and in the spring of 1997 will be entering my fourth year of varsity. My high school coach and coaches of our competition have told me I have all the physical talents, the knowledge of the game, the determination, and the strength to play for Division I colleges. I have been accepted to several universities and have met the coaches. Unfortunately, our high school season is in the spring, our club team was not in the major tournaments, and when a coach was to visit one of our club games a cancellation (weather, holiday, scheduling conflict) resulted. I placed my future in these schools and now it is getting closer to selecting a college and I have no offers from the coaches. I know I can be a contributing member to a college team. How do I continue with these colleges and new ones? I send letters, telephone the coach, etc. Maybe you have a suggestion on how to interest a coach?
Dean Caparaz: It sounds like you’ve done a lot so far to interest college coaches. Along with the letters and phone calls, you should (if possible) send video tapes of your games to them. If coaches can’t see you play in person, then video is the next best thing. Ask your high school and/or club coaches for any contacts they have with college coaches and if they can lobby on your behalf.
Don’t despair if some schools don’t make an offer. There are more than 200 Division I schools out there, not to mention all the Division II, III and NAIA schools. Good luck in your search.