A Meeting of the Minds to Chart Sport’s Future
Sometime toward the middle of the week, they will begin arriving in Maui to talk soccer between courses of mahi-mahi, Kahlua pig and, yes, another mai tai would be fine, thank you.
Joao Havelange, the former president of FIFA, is expected to fly in from Brazil. Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, his successor as the head of soccer’s ruling body, will be coming in from Switzerland.
Arriving from Trinidad & Tobago will be Jack Warner, the president of CONCACAF, and Chuck Blazer, its general secretary, will swap New York for Lahaina in a heartbeat. They and others will be on hand to mark a special occasion.
“It’s frankly just to celebrate the end of my term,” said Alan Rothenberg, whose eight years in office as U.S. Soccer’s president will end Saturday, when a new president and board of directors is elected at the federation’s annual general meeting.
But no matter which candidate, Larry Monaco or Bob Contiguglia, takes over as USSF president, there is sure to be one item--not on the formal agenda--that almost certainly will be discussed:
When to bring the World Cup back to the United States.
Is 2010 feasible or is 2014 more realistic?
“We want it,” Rothenberg said. “We want it at the earliest possible time. We’ll yell 2010 long and hard, but realistically 2014 is probably the earliest we can get it.
“2002 is obviously spoken for [the tournament will be shared by Japan and South Korea]. 2006, if it goes to one of the European countries [England and Germany are the front-runners], then 2010, I expect, would be in Africa or Australia, although we’d certainly get a look-see.
“And vice versa. If they go to South Africa or Australia in 2006, I can’t see them not going to Europe in 2010.
“So we’ll lob our bid in and we’ll take it any time they’ll give it to us, but I think realistically our place in line is 2014.”
For the U.S., the World Cup offers a twist on the old if-you-can’t beat-’em, join-’em adage: If you can’t win it, host it.
BORA BACKERS
Now that much of the rest of the world has sorted out its coaching situation--Brazil has a new coach, Argentina has a new coach, Italy has a new coach, France has a new coach--perhaps the U.S. can follow suit.
And if the choice turns out to be Bora Milutinovic, at least two of his former players will not be upset.
“I think it would be a good thing,” said Galaxy forward Cobi Jones. “I think it’s necessary for us to get a coach back as soon as possible, to get some confidence among the players and to give us an idea of what kind of system we’re going to be playing.
“Everyone is probably expecting that with Bora back, we’re going to have a very defensive style. But I think it’s going to be different from what we saw in the past if Bora is the coach.
“If he does come back, I think he realizes that the players are more experienced and have a lot more ability than we did in ‘94, so I think you’d see a more offensive team.
” . . . I’ve heard a lot of the candidates and I don’t think I’d have any problems with any of them.”
Marcelo Balboa, midfielder-defender for the Colorado Rapids, agreed.
“Bora’s a good friend,” he said. “If he comes back, great. If he doesn’t come back, the bottom line is, we need to go forward after what happened in the World Cup. Whoever the next coach is, the important thing is that we move forward and that what happened in ’98 is just something that happened.
“Bora always lands on his feet. It’s either going to be with the U.S. or it’s going to be in Spain, Bolivia, I don’t know. Like I said, the important thing is, we need somebody to come in and help this program and to get it--not back on its feet, because it’s still on its feet. We have the right team, we have the right players, it was just one thing that went wrong.
“Let’s just hope that the next coach is somebody who can teach us all.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Whether it is Milutinovic who takes charge or Washington D.C. United’s Bruce Arena or Brazil’s Carlos Alberto Parreira, the chance for immediate success is slim.
The only game left on the U.S. schedule this year is against Australia in the fall, but in January there is a major challenge, the Confederations’ Cup in Mexico.
The eight-nation tournament in Mexico City and Monterrey, features World Cup champion France, former world champion Brazil, African champion Egypt and CONCACAF champion Mexico, along with Australia, Bolivia, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
Word is that France and Brazil will be in the same group as the U.S. and will play in Monterrey. The fourth team in the group would be either Egypt or Saudi Arabia.
If true, it will represent quite a baptism for the new coach and it will take an astonishing effort for the Americans to advance to the final four.
