Federation Withdraws Offer to Caligiuri : Soccer: But star midfielder is expected to be available to U.S. World Cup team.

The U.S. Soccer Federation withdrew its contract offer Monday to Paul Caligiuri, the midfielder from Santa Monica who became the country’s most celebrated player last November by scoring the goal that put the United States into the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.

But federation officials, who announced that 14 of the 16 players who were offered contracts had agreed to terms before the Jan. 14 deadline, said Caligiuri’s decision not to sign will not necessarily affect his status with the national team as it prepares for this summer’s World Cup in Italy.

Coach Bob Gansler said Caligiuri, 25, told him he will remain with the team in La Jolla for the rest of its two-week training camp, which ends Thursday. Gansler also said that Caligiuri will be invited to join the team when it regroups Jan. 26 in Miami to train for its first competition of the year, the Marlboro Cup at the Orange Bowl Feb. 2 and 4.

“In the short term, he’s with us,” Gansler said. “In the long term, it’s a little difficult to speculate now. Paul’s going to need to do some things in order to keep himself fit, as far as the game is concerned, and afloat, as far as finances are concerned.

“But once a player comes to camp, he’s just a player. It doesn’t matter to me whether he’s under contract or not. The only thing that matters is whether he’s going to help us. I want the best players available to us.”

Caligiuri was unavailable for comment Monday, but he said last week that he was considering offers from European teams. A former second division player in West Germany, his value internationally increased with his spectacular goal at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Nov. 19 that gave the United States a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago and a World Cup berth.

He also became the best-known player on a relatively anonymous national team. During the training camp at La Jolla, he has been by far the most requested player for interviews by national and international reporters.

If Caligiuri signs with a European team, he will be in the same position as two other players the United States expects to have for the World Cup, which is scheduled for June 8-July 8. Midfielder Hugo Perez plays for a French second division team, and forward Peter Vermes plays in the Dutch first division. They will be available to the national team in late April or early May.

“It wouldn’t make sense not to use them just because they’re not under contract to us,” Gansler said. “The players have to do what’s best for themselves and their families. As long as they have a place to play and stay fit, they will remain as members of the national team pool.”

Two other players--goalkeeper Tony Meola and midfielder John Harkes--tried out this week for an English first division team, Sheffield Wednesday. But they informed the USSF Monday that they will not remain in England. They are expected to join the national team next week in Miami and sign their contracts with the federation.

The USSF earlier withdrew its contract offer to reserve goalkeeper David Vanole of Manhattan Beach. Although none of the 16 players who were offered contracts had signed when the La Jolla training camp opened on Jan. 5, Vanole was the only one who held out. He met with Gansler five days later to explain his position, but the coach said Monday he has no plans to invite the veteran goalkeeper to return to the team.

“They said the ball was in my court, so I bounced it back to their court,” Vanole said. “That’s where it is now. Obviously, they’re not going to contact me until they need me.”

Vanole, 26, was the starting goalkeeper for the national team in the 1988 Summer Olympics and in three of the eight World Cup qualifying games last year before he lost the job to Meola.

“This is depressing,” Vanole said. “I was very loyal for three years. I played for nothing. I sacrificed a lot, giving up chances to play in Europe so that I could stay with the national team. But the moment I cause a controversy, I’m gone. I thought I meant more than that to the team. If you make waves, I guess they’ll drown you.”

The federation gave the 16 players who were offered contracts in December an initial signing deadline of Jan. 4. That was extended by 10 days when the players objected to the terms and retained a Los Angeles attorney, Howard Weitzman, to negotiate on their behalf. He said the four major areas of contention were salaries, per diem pay during training camps, insurance and freedom to sign individual endorsement contracts.

But Sunil Gulati, chairman of the USSF’s international games committee, said an agreement was reached before negotiations with Weitzman.

“We resolved some of the issues,” Gulati said. “I think the players realized that we put our best offer on the table. We couldn’t have gone any further without jeopardizing the financial stability of the federation.”

Forward Bruce Murray of Germantown, Md. said, however, that the federation made only minor concessions. He said most of the players agreed to terms because they were told their contract offers would be withdrawn if they did not sign before the deadline.

“They put a shotgun to our heads at 11:30 Sunday night and told us to sign it or leave it,” he said, referring to telephone conversations with Gulati and Art Walls, chairman of the national team management group. “We were not given the right to negotiate.

“I signed under duress. I think everyone feels like I do.”

Gansler said the players have not allowed their contract problems to affect them on the field.

“Like in any negotiation, I’m sure the players didn’t get everything they wanted. But that’s just the way it is,” he said.

“To their credit, they haven’t been distracted from their work. The focus of this training camp has been fitness and conditioning. We want the players to collapse with smiles on their faces. Because of the contract situation, the smiles have not been that frequent.”