It Is Now Sampson’s Job To Lose : Soccer: Recent success overshadows inexperience, as national team gets new coach.

Steve Sampson’s wish has been granted.

The 38-year-old coach from Westlake Village who staked his future on the willingness of Americans to play attacking soccer is the new coach of the U.S. national team.

The formal announcement will be made at a news conference at Giants Stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday.

The selection of Sampson, who had served as interim coach since April, when Bora Milutinovic departed, was not unexpected, given the team’s recent string of positive results.

Under Sampson, the United States won U.S. Cup ’95 in June over Nigeria, Mexico and Colombia, then reached the semifinals of the America Cup in Uruguay last month, defeating Chile and Argentina along the way.

“If this is the result of some successful results, all the better,” Sampson told the Associated Press on Monday. “I’ve been given an opportunity now and I’m going to continue to do my best.”

Milutinovic accepted the decision in good grace, given that he had wanted to keep the job.

“He is a friend,” Milutinovic said from his home in Laguna Niguel. “My best wishes are for him and for the team. I think he knows the players. For two years, he was part of the staff. This is important.”

Milutinovic, who was unceremoniously dropped as coach by U.S. Soccer after having been promised a new contract, said he would support Sampson in any way he could, adding: “If he needs something, no problem. I am here.”

It is possible that Sampson could be coaching against Milutinovic by the time World Cup ’98 qualifying starts late next year. Since being fired by the USSF, Milutinovic has been linked to the national team jobs in Mexico and Costa Rica, both potential U.S. opponents.

Milutinovic declined comment on his future, however, saying only that he hoped Sampson’s appointment would help resolve his own contractual squabbles with the federation.

Sampson was not U.S. Soccer’s first choice. The federation initially tried to sign Carlos Queiroz of Portugal and then Carlos Alberto Parreira of Brazil, but both turned down the job.

“I think the federation [leaders] really want the most experienced man they can possibly get for the money,” Sampson said while the search for a coach was in progress. “I think first and foremost, they want someone who’s going to get the results for them. This time around, we have to qualify [for World Cup ’98 in France].”

The national team players strongly supported Sampson and campaigned for him. Their success on the field clinched the decision.

Most of the players probably will still be on the team when qualifying begins next year.

In an interview with The Times before leaving for Uruguay, Sampson said he could not foresee major changes in the national team roster before then.

“I think the vast majority of this team will be there because we’re going to need every bit of experience going through qualifying,” he said.

The draw for the qualifying phase of World Cup ’98 takes place in Paris on Dec. 12, when the United States will learn who its opponents will be. The team will play up to 18 qualifying games, nine at home and nine throughout the Central and North American and Caribbean region.

Sampson’s fluency in Spanish and his knowledge of the region’s teams and styles of play were an important factor in the decision to name him coach.

Milutinovic, of course, also possessed that experience, having taken Mexico to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1986 and Costa Rica and the United States to the second round in 1990 and 1994, respectively.

But as Milutinovic remarked Monday, that was yesterday, and Sampson’s concern is tomorrow.

“Now, we have to see what the team is going to do in the future,” Milutinovic said.