U.S. Has Reason to Dance After Earning Trip to France
I was in Trinidad on that unforgettable Sunday afternoon eight years ago when Paul Caligiuri scored the most important goal in U.S. soccer history.
The 1-0 victory ignited a celebration not only among the youthful Americans and their fans at home but also world soccer officials. They recognized that the U.S. qualification for the 1990 World Cup in Italy was important for establishing the sport in the last, most lucrative frontier.
There was another celebration in Vancouver on Sunday, when the United States qualified for its third consecutive World Cup with a 3-0 rout of Canada. But this one was relatively subdued, inspired more by relief than joy.
I can think of no better illustration of how much soccer has grown in the United States in the past decade.
The U.S. players expected to go to France in 1998.
One reason was FIFA’s rule change increasing the World Cup field from 24 to 32 teams, including three from this region. It would have been embarrassing if the United States hadn’t been one of them.
More pertinent, the United States has firmly established itself as a power in this region. The Americans are still second to Mexico, but, as they proved during the 0-0 tie eight days ago in Mexico City, the gap continues to decrease.
No one is more relieved than U.S. Soccer Federation officials, who gambled when they rejected Bora Milutinovic’s demands after the 1994 World Cup and replaced him with untested Steve Sampson.
Sampson was criticized when the team struggled offensively, to the point that USSF President Alan Rothenberg said the coach’s status would be evaluated in January.
In retrospect, perhaps that had more to do with injuries to forwards Eric Wynalda and Joe-Max Moore.
With Roy Wegerle providing two goals and an assist Sunday, the team proved it is capable of playing aggressive, attractive soccer against a team that, while undermanned, hadn’t lost at home.
The question now is whether the United States can take another step forward by advancing past the second round in France. Sampson has earned the opportunity to provide the answer.
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USC obviously was better Saturday with weapons such as Chad Morton and Daylon McCutcheon running with the ball instead of after it. . . .
But there was a time, before current scholarship limits, when Trojan coaches didn’t have to make such difficult choices. . . .
On the 11-0-1 team in 1979, John Robinson was perfectly content to leave two superior athletes, Ronnie Lott and Dennis Smith, in the secondary. . . .
His running backs were Charles White and Marcus Allen. . . .
Now that we’re interested in seeing the Trojans on television again, they’re not on it. . . .
USC at Oregon State on Saturday won’t be televised, ending a nine-year Trojan streak at 111 games. . . .
Weather report: It was 49 degrees and overcast in Pullman, Wash., on Saturday. . . .
That’s not as dismal as it has been on the second Saturday in November in some years, but UCLA doesn’t regret changing its game at Washington State this season to Aug. 30. . . .
The Bruins were happy to have an open date, giving them an extra week to prepare for their final two conference games against Washington and USC. . . .
Now that Jenine Sahadi has won Breeders’ Cup races in two consecutive years, it’s time for everyone to start recognizing her as an outstanding trainer--not an outstanding woman trainer. . . .
She doesn’t expect that to happen. . . .
“This is a bunch of back-stabbers, basically,” she told The Times’ Pete Thomas, referring to her world on the track’s backside. . . .
“Being a young woman, there are a lot of people that are jealous, that don’t like me and think that I’ve been handed this on a silver platter by my father and this and that.” . . .
“You’re not going to change their minds, so I don’t even try. I do have some friends here, but, more importantly, I love the horses.” . . .
Sahadi gives each of them a little red wine each night. . . .
“To take the edge off,” she says. . . .
I don’t care if he raced exclusively against 2-year-olds, Favorite Trick is the horse of the year. . . .
Winning eight times in eight races is no trick. . . .
That doesn’t mean he’ll be a big factor in the Triple Crown races. . . .
Horsemen, and horsewomen, still consider him more of a sprinter.
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While wondering how a thinking man like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could have nothing better to occupy his time, I was thinking: Karim Abdul-Jabbar seems very worried, those sailors who got their San Diego Charger tickets from the city were overcharged, the Raiders’ win over Denver was the springboard to an empty pool.
