SOCCER : World Cup Officials Like the Coliseum

A two-week inspection tour of potential World Cup soccer sites ended Thursday with international soccer officials speaking highly of the Coliseum and critically of the Rose Bowl as sites for the 1994 tournament.

Hermann Neuberger, vice president of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, spoke at a news conference after touring both the Coliseum and the Rose Bowl. Neuberger said the Coliseum, based on proposed renovation, would make an excellent venue.

“The other is, let’s face it, rather old,” he said of the Rose Bowl. “Quite a few things would have to be done for it to be raised to our standards.”

Asked what specifically needed to be upgraded, Neuberger said: “Just about everything.”

The Rose Bowl had been considered a front-runner for the World Cup finals.

FIFA officials said they will announce the 12 host cities early in December.