Foreign Stars Face Tough MLS Starts
They are the three most significant foreign players signed by Major League Soccer this season, the three who are supposed to make the biggest impact: Khodadad Azizi of Iran, Lothar Matthaeus of Germany and Hristo Stoitchkov of Bulgaria.
So what links them five games into the 2000 season?
Azizi has yet to score a goal, but has been red-carded--and suspended for three games and fined $7,500 for an altercation that involved physical contact with a referee Saturday against Kansas City. His San Jose Earthquakes are 1-2-1 and in last place in the Western Division.
Stoitchkov has scored three goals but also has been tossed out of a game. His Chicago Fire team is 2-3 and in last place in the Central Division.
Matthaeus hasn’t scored a goal or been red-carded, but his New York/New Jersey MetroStars are 1-4 after Wednesday night’s 2-1 home loss to the Kansas City Wizards and in last place in the Eastern Division.
The German star was so frustrated by the officiating in the latest debacle that he ripped off his captain’s armband and tossed it at assistant referee Chip Reed, who tossed it back. Matthaeus then got into a lengthy argument in German with Wizard Coach Bob Gansler on the sideline while the game continued behind him.
“It was not fair play by the referee [Marcel Yonan],” Matthaeus said afterward. “I am the captain. Before the game he wished me good luck and have a fair game. That wasn’t the case.”
LOTHAR SPEAKS OUT
Matthaeus has not taken long to tell the world just what ails the MetroStars. In his view, it’s inexperience, a mistaken approach to how the game should be played and a lack of communication.
Matthaeus’ English is fractured, but the message rings true.
“We have a lot of young players now on this team,” he said. “We miss Tom Dooley. We miss Tab Ramos. These two players [both injured] are very important for the MetroStars, and now [in their place] we have a couple of young players.
“I remember 20 years ago I was learning every day. I hope these players can learn and learn quickly, but we must play with these players now. For us, it’s a situation very, very difficult.
“I hope I can help these players, but the soccer in Europe and the soccer in America is very different. I see it last Saturday [during the MetroStars’ 1-0 loss at home to the Columbus Crew]. We play with big heart, but many times we play without head. This is a big problem.”
AND SPEAKS EASY
It takes a German to tell an American not to speak Spanish. Matthaeus says the MetroStars are not helped by the team’s multilingual roster.
“We speak a lot of Spanish in the field when we practice and in the game,” he said. “But . . . it’s good when all players understand one language.
“We live in America and we must speak English. This is normal. We must learn it. It’s the same for me and for [non-English-speaking Colombians Adolfo] Valencia and [Alex] Comas.
“When I like to play a good ball and I say, ‘Comas, go right!’ and he goes left, I lose the ball. This is a little thing, but with a lot of little things you lose the game.”
RHINO FEVER
The defending U.S. Open Cup champion Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League stand a better-than- even chance of stepping up a level and joining MLS as an expansion team in 2002 now that the New York state legislature has agreed to kick in $15 million toward the construction of a $47-million soccer stadium.
QUICK PASSES
Defending champion Washington D.C. United is off to a 1-3 start, which might have prompted this comment from Coach Thomas Rongen to the Providence (R.I.) Journal: “There are not too many people outside our locker room that want to see us succeed.” . . . Andy Swift, 32, was named president and general manager of the Dallas Burn, replacing Billy Hicks, who left to become a vice president with the XFL. . . . Home teams have a 19-5-5 edge in MLS games through Wednesday. . . . Former MetroStar and U.S. national team midfielder Mike Sorber was picked up on waivers by the New England Revolution and traded to the Chicago Fire for a fourth-round draft pick in 2001. . . . Goals by Seth George and Greg Vanney gave the Galaxy a 2-1 victory over the El Paso Patriots in an exhibition in El Paso Tuesday night. . . . For the first time in the league’s five-year history, all 12 teams will compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament this season. . . . Alexi Lalas retired as a player last season but hasn’t disappeared. Lalas will sing the national anthem at Saturday’s San Jose-Dallas game and then do the color commentary on the game for Fox Sports Net.
