Game Gets in the Way of Some Good Stories

Distractions, distractions.

It wasn’t easy paying attention to Major League Soccer’s third All-Star game Sunday, even if seven goals were scored. There were too many other stories to pursue.

For instance, the belief grows stronger each day that Bora Milutinovic will return as the United States’ national team coach.

For instance, the imminent trade of marquee midfielder Carlos Valderrama from Miami to New England after the mop-topped Colombian’s $10,000 feud with new Fusion Coach Ivo Wortmann.

For instance, the fact that Sunday afternoon’s game was virtually an audition of sorts for Bruce Arena, one of Milutinovic’s rivals for the U.S. coaching position.

For instance, the inclusion of Washington D.C. United players John Harkes and Roy Lassiter in what MLS called its USA All-Stars. Harkes and Lassiter were controversially omitted from the United States World Cup team by former coach Steve Sampson.

Somehow, however, the All-Star game managed to overcome the pursuit of more substantive news as the USA team overwhelmed the league’s World All-Stars, 6-1, at the Citrus Bowl.

Tab Ramos, Alexi Lalas, Brian McBride and Preki Radosavljevik scored for the USA in the first half, with Tony Meola shutting out the World team.

In the second half, the USA, fielding almost a totally different lineup, got goals from Lassiter and the Galaxy’s Cobi Jones, before Mauricio Ramos of the Tampa Bay Mutiny prevented the World team from being shut out with a goal in the 89th minute.

By then, Florida’s evening rains had arrived, and many in the crowd of 34,416 had drifted away.

It was a comprehensive victory for the American players, one that all-star most valuable player McBride, of the Columbus Crew, found especially satisfying.

“It allowed us to show that Americans can play,” he said of the new format that pitted the best U.S. players in MLS against the best foreigners. “Not to bring up the World Cup, but a few bounces a different way in the World Cup and we’re 2-1 instead of 0-3. But again, that’s soccer. We’ve got to take our licks and deal with them.”

The 6-1 victory should not be viewed as particularly significant, however.

“I wouldn’t read a whole lot into it, to be honest with you,” said Arena, who has led the D.C. United to back-to-back MLS championships. “It’s a no-win situation, these kinds of games.

“The World team winning today, 6-1, you’d probably write that the Americans can’t play. I’m hoping you don’t write that the World team players can’t play, because our [MLS] international players are very good players.

“The big advantage the USA team had was that our guys have played together a lot. They’re a lot more comfortable with each other and know each other’s styles.

“The World team was really a pickup team of 11 individuals going out there and not having a whole lot in common.”

Although no announcement is immediately forthcoming, it appears that the D.C. United coach will not be getting the U.S. national team post. Instead, Milutinovic appears to be close to reclaiming the position he held for four years until 1995.

Meanwhile, Valderrama, who was fined $10,000 by the MLS after refusing to show up for practice after a dispute with Wortmann, who last week became Miami’s coach, is about to be shipped to the New England Revolution in a four-player trade.

Former UCLA and current U.S. national team midfielder Joe-Max Moore of Irvine will make the journey in the opposite direction. The trade, held up by a squabble over the two lesser players involved, will be completed this week, MLS Commissioner Doug Logan said.

Next year’s All-Star game will be played in San Diego.