Rothenberg Puts Bora in Top 3 on Coach List

Carlos Alberto Parreira, Carlos Queiroz and Bora Milutinovic are at the top of the list to become the next coach of the U.S. soccer team, U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg said Wednesday.

Rothenberg called Steve Sampson’s resignation “appropriate” and said he’s not interested in hiring an American. He had dinner in Paris on Wednesday night with Milutinovic, the U.S. coach from 1991-95 and the coach of Nigeria in this year’s tournament.

“Bora, Queiroz and Parreira would be the three international coaches who obviously have the most knowledge of our players, our structure, the country. There’s no question about that,” Rothenberg said. “They’re on the list automatically. After that, we start talking with people we know less about. I think the single-most important thing is a record of success.”

The decision to consider Milutinovic is somewhat surprising, given that Rothenberg fired him three years ago. “He has a unique personality,” Rothenberg said. “It’s obvious he’s a special coach.”

Sampson, the first American-born coach to lead the United States in the World Cup, got the job in 1995 after Rothenberg fired Milutinovic and Parreira and Queiroz turned it down. Rothenberg was unsure whether to keep Sampson on after World Cup qualifying, extending the coach’s contract just before the World Cup draw. “Of course I second-guess myself, but at the time we thought it was the right decision,” Rothenberg said.

Now Rothenberg says he will not impose any fines against players who spoke out against Sampson’s decisions. “We have to look ahead and not behind,” Rothenberg said.

Among other coaching jobs, Parreira has coached Brazil and Saudi Arabia, and Queiroz has coached Portugal and is a current advisor to the USSF.

*

David Beckham, ejected for kicking an opponent in England’s penalty shootout loss to Argentina, was banned for two games by FIFA. The suspension, double the automatic minimum for an ejection, means Beckham will miss England’s next two competitive matches--the first two qualifying games for the 2000 European Championships. He also was fined the minimum $3,300.

*

There’s one downside to making the quarterfinals at the World Cup: All the referees from your country get sent home.

On Friday, Scotland’s Hugh Dallas will work Italy-France, and Egypt’s Gamal Ghandour will handle Brazil-Denmark. On Saturday, Norway’s Rune Pedersen will have Germany-Croatia, and Mexico’s Arturo Brizio Carter will get the Netherlands-Argentina.