WORLD CUP USA ‘94: SEMIFINALS : Spotlight : WE WERE BETTER

In a guest column:

“That this Cup is not showing quality football is evident. . . . Italy is not even worth discussing, because its game is like an anti-show. But the fact that Bulgaria is in the semifinals is enough to believe that this sport is beginning to require revision. I’m happy for (Bulgarian forward Hristo) Stoitchkov, who now must be wildly happy. But, in fact, neither he nor any of his teammates can actually believe they are in the semifinals, because they’re the first ones to recognize their own limitations as a team.

“Bulgaria’s style is football-chaos, with two good organizers--(Krasimir) Balakov and (Yordan) Lechkov--and two forwards--Stoitchkov and (Emil) Kostadinov--on the front line, but that’s it. And as if this weren’t bad enough, they don’t play as a team. It’s every man for himself.”