Soccer Turmoil Rooted in Money

Less than three weeks before its first World Cup ’98 qualifying game, the United States men’s national soccer team is, if not on strike, then certainly in turmoil.

Tonight, the American team plays Peru in Lima in what was intended to be the last warmup game before its first France ’98 qualifying game, against Guatemala at RFK Stadium in Washington on Nov. 3.

But no starting player boarded the plane in Miami when the team left for Peru on Monday. Instead, the United States tonight will field a team of second- and third-string players.

The controversy is about money--specifically, the amount of bonus money paid to players for national team appearances.

Negotiations, which have been going on for more than a year between the U.S. Soccer Federation and its players--via their agents--are at an apparent impasse, with neither side willing to yield.

The U.S. women’s national team was involved in a similar dispute with the federation before the Olympic Games. That was eventually solved and the American team went on to win the gold medal.

In a strongly worded statement issued from its headquarters in Chicago last Friday, the federation said “the time for negotiating is over.” It then went ahead and named a 21-player team to travel to Peru for tonight’s game.

Eleven of the 21 have never played for the national team before. The remaining 10 are either former national team players or 1996 Olympic team players. None has played in a World Cup game.

It is considered unlikely that more than two or three of them would make the 1998 U.S. World Cup roster should the United States qualify.

But that has not deterred the federation from holding its ground.

“The USSF has been negotiating honestly and vigorously with numerous player agents for more than a year in an earnest effort to reach agreement with its national team players,” the statement from Chicago said. “Now, with 23 days to go before World Cup 1998 qualification matches begin, the agents have rejected our efforts which would have produced national team soccer players who would have been among the most highly compensated in the world.”

All of which leaves U.S. Coach Steve Sampson in a bind. Since his first-choice players have not signed contracts with the federation, they are ineligible to represent the United States. His second team would not be likely to progress far, given its inexperience.

“This could have implications for one game or many games,” Sampson told the Associated Press before leaving for Peru. “I hope things are resolved quickly, so that it doesn’t impact our game against Guatemala.”

Sampson is not part of the negotiations.

No details of what the players are seeking or what USSF has offered have been made public.

“It’s not something we care to discuss in public,” USSF press officer Tom Lange said.