WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FINALS : Spotlight : CUB REPORTER

Sabino Molinar, 18, will visit Jefferson High today to present the soccer team there with new uniforms and equipment.

Sabino is a high school senior from Albuquerque, originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, who recently won an essay-writing contest sponsored by the National Assn. of Bilingual Education.

His prize included not only a $5,000 scholarship and a computer, but a chance to be a World Cup “Junior News Team” reporter at the first and final stages of the tournament. He arrived Thursday in Los Angeles with his high school teacher and chaperon, Robert Cineros, for this weekend’s games.

“I’ve been to Orlando, to Washington--a wonderful trip,” said Sabino, who has lived in this country for five years and will enroll at the University of New Mexico this fall.

“The one thing I will never forget is the big celebration after the Mexico-Ireland game. I saw Irish and Mexican people singing and dancing together in the streets. No fighting. All friendship.”

Yes, a wonderful trip.

Except earlier in the week, while Sabino was still in Washington, the trip was interrupted when he received a telephone call. His best friend, Jose, had committed suicide.

He hurriedly made arrangements, with help from Junior News Team sponsors from Coca-Cola and World Cup. But his plane sat on a runway at Washington National and was unable to leave.

“I finally got to Albuquerque at 10 o’clock in the morning and went straight from the airport to the cemetery,” Sabino said. “He was like a brother to me and I got there just in time to say goodby.”

Sabino flew directly to Los Angeles. He will write articles on his experiences that will appear in a number of bilingual publications, sponsored by the National Hispanic Newspaper Assn., including the final game.

Which will be won by . . . ?

“Brazil,” he said. “Don’t you think?”