SOCCER / JULIE CART : One Loss Does Not Detract From All of Bolivia’s Gains
Bolivia’s 6-0 loss to Brazil on Sunday, although emphatic, does little to diminish the South American nation’s remarkable run through World Cup qualifying.
Until Sunday, Bolivia had not lost in qualifying, and that included a victory over Brazil, that nation’s first-ever loss in World Cup qualifying. The team, whose star striker Marco Antonio Etcheverry is called ‘El Diablo,’ had outscored opponents, 20-2, and rekindled a national fire and pride in its soccer team.
The poorest nation in Latin America celebrated with gusto the team’s recent 3-1 victory over Uruguay. So much so, in fact, that in Ixiamas in Bolivia’s northern jungle, villagers set off fireworks. In the ensuing fiesta no one noticed some of the fireworks landed on the roof of a thatched hut. It caused a fire that burned down 40 homes.
Bolivia has hardly been a power broker in South American soccer. Only twice before has it participated in the finals--1930 and 1950, and those were by invitation of the host countries, Uruguay in 1930 and Brazil in 1950.
Politicians and others in the Andean nation are linking the soccer team’s success to an emerging economy that has benefited from a decade of democracy. Participation in the 1994 World Cup, they say, is a metaphor for full participation in South American commerce and tourism.
While Bolivia’s fortunes seem on the rise, Brazil’s soccer stock has been slipping.
Sunday’s six-goal pasting accomplished several objectives--it avenged last month’s 2-0 loss to Bolivia, it took some of the heat off Brazilian Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and it solidified Brazil’s position in second place in Group B.
Bolivia leads the five-team group--from which two advance to next year’s World Cup final--with 10 points, Brazil has eight and Uruguay six.
Bolivia has made the most of its home advantage, playing at La Paz, 13,000 feet above sea level.
The rest of the schedule does not favor Bolivia, which plays its next two difficult games away--Sept. 12 at Uruguay and Sept. 19 at Ecuador. Bolivia must gain at least a tie in its final two games to advance.
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The national team signed its second foreign-based player last week. Hugo Sanchez agreed to a contract last Friday after having spent the last year playing in Saudi Arabia.
The midfielder joins Thomas Dooley as the only national team players to leave professional overseas teams to play with the national team full time.
Sanchez and his family are living in Torrance but are expected to relocate to Mission Viejo, near the team’s training base, according to his agent, Michael Hogue.
Sanchez has joined the national team as it plays two international matches, the first against Iceland on Tuesday at Reykjavik. Next week the team takes on Norway in Oslo.
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John Harkes allowed his contract to expire with Sheffield Wednesday of the English Premier League and is now with Derby County, a team in the ‘lower’ First Division.
Harkes told Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America that the decision to step down was made easier by a raise in salary and a better relationship with the coach, who is expected to release Harkes to join the national team with more frequency.
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Faced with resolving the messy matter of the Olympique Marseille game-fixing scandal, French soccer officials chose to postpone a hearing for eight officials and players.
The hearing, which had been scheduled to be held over the weekend, has been set for Sept. 4. The rescheduling came in defiance of the deadline set by European soccer officials, who wanted the matter resolved by today. The new hearing will be held five days after the deadline for French soccer officials to name the team that will replace Marseille in the European Cup competition.
Marseille was the European champion but along the way the coach and a player admitted paying bribes to players of Valenciennes to take it easy on Marseille so the team would be fresh for a the European Champion’s Cup game against AC Milan.
The team faces demotion to the second division.
If French League officials fail to name a team by the deadline, the country will not be represented in the European championship competition.
Soccer Notes
The U.S. national team will play Mexico, Oct. 13 at RFK Stadium at Washington, D.C. . . . U.S. forward Roy Wegerle had two assists in his first four games for Coventry City, in the just-begun Premier League season. . . . Goalkeeper Kasey Keller won his first game of the season at Millwall, in the English first division. Bruce Murray, who left the national team and has joined Millwall, scored the game-winning goal in his first start. . . . Goalkeeper Tony Meola married Colleen Silvers on Sunday in Kearny, N.J. In his absence, Scoop Stanisic has joined the team as second goalkeeper.
FIFA upheld the suspension of Argentine star Claudio Caniggia for cocaine use. The one-year suspension expires next May 8, and would allow Caniggia to play in the World Cup, should Argentina qualify. . . . Contrary to a report from Maradona that he was denied an entry visa to the United States, the U.S. Consulate in Buenos Aires said it “neither gave nor denied the visa.” Maradona said he was seeking entry to the United States for a medical checkup but was denied entry because of pending drug trials in Argentina and Italy. . . . Two key World Cup qualifying matches will be televised on Prime Network in the fall--Netherlands-England on Oct. 13 and Italy-Portugal on Nov. 17.
In other South American qualifiers Sunday: Uruguay defeated Venezuela, 4-0, in Group B as Fernando Kanapkis scored twice on headers; Colombia beat Peru, 4-0, to move to the top of Group A with a 3-0-2 record, and Argentina (3-1-1) tied Paraguay, 0-0, at Buenas Aires. Colombia leads Argentina by one point in the race for Group A’s only sure berth. The runner-up plays Australia for another spot.
