SOCCER / JULIE CART : Rose Bowl to Stage World Cup Without a Dress Rehearsal
Just as the pace of competition is increasing in preparation for next summer’s World Cup, so too is the preparation of the nine venues.
But the Rose Bowl, which will play host to eight matches, including the third-place game and the final, has not staged an international game since August of 1992. Other venues have prepared for next summer’s World Cup by hosting any number of exhibition matches or tournaments. The venue staff for the Rose Bowl, however, will have to learn by observing.
Venue executive director David Simmons has been dispatching his staff off to observe any soccer event available but has not had a chance to put the lessons to the test at the Rose Bowl.
He has attempted to diffuse a potentially problematic situation by hiring staff intimately familiar with the stadium, including transportation manager John Blanchard, who worked 11 years in the Pasadena Police Department, and director of operations Kevin Ash, who holds similar positions at the Rose Bowl and with USC for football games at the Coliseum.
“I’ve got experienced people who know how to operate the Rose Bowl under a sellout environment,” Simmons said. “We’ve had people observing (soccer) games at the Coliseum and we have six (staff members) here at every football game at the Rose Bowl.”
In other matters, Simmons said he has already presented the World Cup Competition Management Department with five finalists for the four training sites needed for the teams placed in Group A, which will be based in Los Angeles.
The candidates are: Cal State Fullerton, Loyola Marymount, UC Irvine, Irvine Valley College and Oxnard College.
The U.S. national team is expected to use its Mission Viejo training center as its base for the tournament, which runs from June 17 through July 17.
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World Cup Qualifying Update: Battered and bereaved, Zambia needs only a tie against Morocco on Oct. 10 to qualify from Africa’s Group B. If Zambia gets through, it would be one of the most courageous of comebacks.
Eighteen players--most of Zambia’s national team--died when the team’s plane crashed into the sea off West Africa April 28. Their bodies were buried under the field in the national stadium in Lusaka.
Putting together a makeshift team of retired players, players from the nation’s youth team and four national team members who had not made the fateful plane trip, Zambia has come back from tragedy to be on the verge of qualifying.
The soap opera that is South American qualifying is nearly finished, and the region will be represented by some of the world’s most colorful and creative teams.
Bolivia’s draw last week against Ecuador assured the South American nation a place in the 24-team finals for the first time since 1950. The team’s return to La Paz sparked a nationwide celebration that ended days later.
In the pandemonium, several traffic accidents were reported, but no deaths were associated with the celebrations.
All of which is good news, for Bolivia adds a much-needed freshness to the World Cup field. The team was unbeatable in its first five qualifying matches, then seemed to collapse outside the rarefied air of La Paz.
Bolivia’s players, who have suffered with the closure of the nation’s professional league because of financial problems, nevertheless say they are delighted just to be in the big show.
Brazil--whose team has been in its usual state of turmoil--got a big boost from the return of striker Romario, who has been playing for FC Barcelona. Romario scored both goals in Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Uruguay to clinch its qualifying spot.
Colombia has already qualified and has looked strong under the guidance of Coach Francisco Maturana.
Europe’s Group Two is the most watched of the six from the continent. The surprising leader is Norway, which needs only one victory from its last two games, against Poland and Turkey, to qualify.
Norway (6-0-2) has given up only three goals in its eight matches.
The Netherlands helped its cause in last week’s victory over San Marino, 7-0. The Dutch needed to win by five goals to move into a second-place tie with England. The top two teams from each of the European groups qualify.
The two soccer powerhouses have been battling for second during most of the qualifying and they meet for the last time in Rotterdam on Oct. 13.
Italy is climbing back into contention in Group One. A 3-0 victory over Estonia last week helped Italy leapfrog over Portugal into second place.
Italy and Portugal meet on Nov. 17 in a game that may determine the qualifier.
Switzerland leads the group.
Asia’s qualifying will end next month in the heat and sand of Qatar. In what promises to be emotionally charged matches, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, among others, will play for two places.
Teams qualified so far: United States (host), Germany (defending champion), Mexico, Greece, Russia, Colombia, Bolivia and Brazil.
Soccer Notes
Bill Nuttall, U.S. national team general manager, said he’s trying to arrange a schedule that would have the team playing two to three international friendlies each month through December. Nuttall is expected to meet today with the coaching staff and hear a report from assistant Timo Liekoski, who scouted Americans playing on European professional teams. Nuttall said the team will call back Chad Deering, a 23-year-old midfielder playing with Schalke 04 in the German first division. . . . The newly devised FIFA world soccer rankings has Brazil taking over the No. 1 spot from Germany. . . . Maradona was left off Argentina’s roster for its two qualifying matches against Australia, the first at Sydney on Oct. 31. However, the 33-year-old legendary player could still be added to the team. . . . The L.A. Salsa will play host to Colorado for the APSL championship Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.
