It's a Game of Chess for U.S., Costa Rica

By GRAHAME L. JONES

Sept. 7, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

PORTLAND, Ore. — In his hotel suite here, Steve Sampson paces the floor and asks himself the same questions over and over: Should he start Eric Wynalda? What will the absence of John Harkes mean? Is Tab Ramos really fit?

In his hotel room across town, Juan Luis Hernandez asks himself remarkably similar questions: How can he make up for the loss of Paulo Wanchope? What will the absence of Ronald Gonzalez mean? Is Wilmer Lopez fully recovered?

These are not idle questions.

Today, in front of a sellout crowd at Civic Stadium and a national television audience on ABC, the United States plays Costa Rica in a crucial World Cup ’98 qualifying match for both nations.

But the North Americans and the Central Americans are beset by similar problems, which is what has their coaches, Sampson and Hernandez, worried.

For example:

* Wynalda, U.S. soccer’s all-time leading scorer, underwent groin surgery in July and has not played a competitive game for two months. Wanchope, Costa Rica’s top scoring threat, is injured and probably won’t play.

* Harkes, the U.S. captain and midfield workhorse, has to sit out the match because of two yellow cards in earlier games. Gonzalez, the Costa Rican captain and defensive inspiration, sits out because of a red card picked up against El Salvador in the last game.

* Ramos, the U.S. playmaker, is returning to World Cup play after being sidelined since November when he suffered a torn knee ligament in a qualifying game against Trinidad and Tobago. Lopez, the Costa Rican midfield general through whom most of the team’s play flows, was injured early in the El Salvador game and is a questionable starter.

* Both teams really need to win. Mexico leads the six-nation qualifying group with 11 points, Costa Rica is second with eight, the United States and El Salvador have six each, and Canada and Jamaica have five each. Only the top three teams qualify for France ’98.

The all-time series between the countries is 7-7-4, with each nation having scored 20 goals. But Costa Rica has won two of the previous three qualifying games against the United States.

Sampson does not reveal his lineup until game time, but Wynalda’s wife, Amy, said Friday she believes he will play. Sampson can also throw speed at the Costa Ricans in Cobi Jones, Ernie Stewart, Michael Mason and Roy Lassiter. Or he can use the guile and technical skill of Ramos, Preki, Mark Chung and Claudio Reyna.

Choosing a starting lineup will be no easy task.

Defensively, the United States will be anchored by goalkeeper Kasey Keller, returning to the area where he played for the University of Portland under U.S. assistant coach Clive Charles.

Charles will be performing a unique doubleheader today. He will be on the U.S. bench for the World Cup qualifier, then will switch to the college game to coach the No. 3-ranked Portland women’s team against No. 2 Notre Dame in a sold-out NCAA game.

But it is the first match that matters most. A victory by the U.S. team would move it into second place in the group with four games remaining. A loss would be a serious blow to its World Cup hopes.

Similarly, a Costa Rican victory would leave it in an excellent position to qualify for France. But a loss could be devastating, with two of its final three games on the road.

“I think this is going to be a game that’s going to be a little bit of cat and mouse,” Sampson said. “Hopefully, they’ll be doing the adjusting to us and not the other way around.”

The U.S. team is 4-0-1 at home in qualifying play so far, but could it lose?

“We’re not thinking in those terms,” Sampson said.

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World Cup ’98 CONCACAF Table

*--*

Country W L T GF GA Pts Mexico 3 0 2 13 2 11 Costa Rica 2 2 2 7 6 8 U.S. 1 1 3 8 6 6 El Salvador 1 2 3 3 4 6 Canada 1 2 2 1 7 5 Jamaica 1 2 2 2 9 5

*--*

The top three finishers qualify for France ’98.

U.S. games remaining

Today: Costa Rica-U.S. at Portland, Ore.

Oct. 3: Jamaica at U.S.

Nov. 2: U.S. at Mexico.