U.S. Agenda Laden With Big Challenges
An ambitious and challenging year awaits the United States national team, now that it has advanced to the final round of qualifying for the 1998 World Cup.
After tonight’s game against Guatemala in El Salvador, the players get a much-needed break, but only a brief one. They report back to camp in Chula Vista on Jan. 8 to start preparing for U.S. Cup ’97.
That four-nation tournament will be played at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium on Jan. 17 and the Rose Bowl on Jan. 19 and 22, with three doubleheaders involving the U.S., Mexico, Peru and Denmark.
After that, the Americans leave on a two-game tour of the People’s Republic of China, including a game against the Chinese national team, before returning to the United States to set out again on the road to France ’98.
Six countries are left in the hunt for three places in the World Cup: the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Canada, Jamaica and Costa Rica. On Jan. 6, at a meeting in New York, officials from the six nations will determine dates and venues for the 10 qualifying games each must play.
The likelihood is that the first game for the Americans will be in mid-to-late February.
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On paper, the U.S. and Mexico are the strength of the CONCACAF group, with the third berth for France ’98 up for grabs. Jamaica is the only one of the six that has not reached the World Cup. Canada defeated El Salvador twice in the earlier round and would be favored to finish ahead of the Salvadorans, but it may not be able to match Costa Rica.
Mexico’s chances improved immeasurably earlier this week when the battle between Coach Bora Milutinovic and Enrique Borja, president of the Mexican Football Federation, ended with Borja resigning.
Borja, a former national team player, had sought Milutinovic’s ouster in the wake of losses at Honduras and Jamaica. He had even gone so far as to fly to Argentina and offer Carlos Bilardo, Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning coach, the position as Mexico’s coach.
Milutinovic won a temporary reprieve three weeks ago, but in a conversation with The Times a few days later he said he was considering stepping down in light of the intense criticism directed his way, especially by certain sectors in the Mexican media.
As it turned out, it was Borja, not Bora, who was forced out, and Milutinovic, who coached Mexico to the quarterfinals in 1986, Costa Rica to the second round in 1990 and the United States to the second round in 1994, is now free to pursue a fourth consecutive World Cup campaign.
For Mexico, no matter what the critics say, that is good news.
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The U.S. national team that traveled to San Salvador for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Guatemala included Los Angeles Galaxy defender Gregg Vanney of UCLA among its newcomers.
Also called in to bolster a squad beset by injuries and with several starters rested were midfielder Miles Joseph (New York/New Jersey MetroStars), former UCLA goalkeeper Chris Snitko (Kansas City Wizards) and forward Chris Sullivan (MLS, unassigned).
Coach Steve Sampson, whose U.S. defense has looked anything but comfortable in the current round of qualifying play, despite having given up only three goals, could do worse than give Vanney his first national team appearance tonight.
After the solid year the Galaxy player had, it would be a fitting reward.
If Vanney plays, he will have the opportunity to assess Guatemala’s Martin Machon firsthand. The exciting midfielder-defender has caught the eye of MLS and is likely to be playing in the league next season.
Soccer Notes
Costa Rica has replaced the United States as one of CONCACAF’s two participants in the Copa America tournament, to be played June 11-29 in Bolivia. Mexico is the other team from this region taking part. The U.S. finished fourth in the 1995 Copa America in Uruguay, losing to Brazil in the semifinals. Coach Steve Sampson said the U.S. elected not to compete this time because of the players’ MLS and World Cup qualifying commitments.
John Craven, former captain and defender of the California Surf in the North American Soccer League and husband of American Youth Soccer Organization national public-affairs manager Lolly Keys, died of what appeared to be a heart attack Monday at his home in Aliso Viejo at 49. . . . Goalkeeper Kasey Keller and strikers Eric Wynalda and Roy Lassiter have been selected as finalists for the Futbol de Primera/Honda player-of-the-year award, to be presented Jan. 20 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles during U.S. Cup ’97. Wynalda won the award in 1992.
University of Virginia defender Mike Fisher has won the men’s Hermann Award, college soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, for the second year in a row. The senior is the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in goals and assists. . . . The National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America (NSCAA) has awarded All-American honors to Staci Wilson, Cindy Parlow and Debbie Keller, all of national champion North Carolina; Jen Grubb, Holly Manthei and Jen Streffer, all of runner-up Notre Dame; Justi Baumgarten of Portland, Jennifer Lalor of Santa Clara, and Danielle Fotopoulos of Florida. . . . In another example of non-planning, the NSCAA will hold its 50th annual national convention Jan. 15-19 in Nashville, while U.S. Cup ’97 is being played in Southern California.
