Defender's Dreams Dashed

By GRAHAME L. JONES

May 28, 2000 12 AM PT

At a time when Olympic hopefuls are keeping their fingers crossed while waiting for U.S. Coach Clive Charles to name his 18-player roster for Sydney 2000, the thoughts of at least two players are on someone who knows he won’t be going to Australia.

Steve Cherundolo, a 21-year-old defender from San Diego, had the misfortune of tearing ligaments in his left knee only two weeks after he had helped the U.S. qualify for the Summer Games.

The injury occurred not in a match but during a training session with Hannover 96, Cherundolo’s second-division club team in Germany.

The former University of Portland player, who was Charles’ first choice at right back, had the knee operated on by Bert Mandelbaum, the U.S. team physician, in Santa Monica on May 19 and will need four to six months of rehabilitation.

“Just the fact that he’s not going to be there with us is probably the worst part,” Galaxy midfielder Peter Vagenas said. “I mean, to hell with Sydney and all that other stuff. Knowing that one of your teammates who battled with you to get to that point got injured in practice makes you thank your lucky stars.

“It couldn’t have happened to a greater guy. That guy was out there every game. There’s no replacing him, not just talent-wise, but as a person. It just makes you think twice about what you’ve got. Sometimes you’re not too happy because you’re not playing, but at least you’re walking.”

Brian Dunseth, the U.S. Olympic team captain from Upland, is equally upset at Cherundolo’s misfortune.

“It’s disgusting,” the New England Revolution defender said. “I’ve been trying to get hold of him and I haven’t been able to. I was shocked. You get a giant pit in your stomach when you hear something like that. You don’t know what to say.

“Thank God we’ve got [Chad] McCarty who can play back there on the right. We can push McCarty out wide [from central defense], or we can push [Playa del Rey’s] Johnny O’Brien back there [from midfield] if we need to. He’s been playing there for Ajax [Amsterdam].

“It’s heartbreaking, especially when you’ve got someone who has that much desire and that much work ethic and is such a good person and a player. It’s a disgusting feeling. It makes you knock on wood that no one else gets injured.”

Charles indicated earlier that he would name his squad in June, but his task has been complicated by Cherundolo’s bad luck.

EQUALLY GOLDEN

Prize money for the first CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, to be played in three U.S. cities June 23-July 3, will be identical to the men’s tournament, said Jack Warner, CONCACAF’s Trinidadian president.

The champion will receive $150,000 and the runner-up $100,000. The winner of the third-place match will get $75,000, the fourth-place team $50,000, and each of the four teams failing to reach the semifinals will earn $37,500.

“The success of the [1999] Women’s World Cup gave us the impetus to further develop women’s football, and by placing the financial rewards on equal footing we hope our members will continue to make efforts in continuing the advance of women’s football,” said Chuck Blazer, CONCACAF’s general secretary.

The inaugural tournament, set for Hershey, Pa.; Louisville, Ky.; and Foxboro, Mass., will feature six CONCACAF teams--the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago--and two invited teams, Brazil and China.

The July 3 final at Foxboro could see the U.S. face China in a rematch of the 1999 Women’s World Cup final at the Rose Bowl.

HE’S A KEEPER

Former UCLA and U.S. national team goalkeeper David Vanole has been named goalkeeper coach for the defending world and Olympic champion U.S. women’s national team.

Vanole, of Manhattan Beach, was a member of UCLA’s 1985 NCAA championship team, played in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, and was backup to Tony Meola at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

A decade later, Meola is still in top form. The Kansas City keeper extended his MLS-record shutout streak to 681 minutes before finally giving up a goal in the Wizards’ 2-1 win Saturday at Tampa Bay.

BETTOR BELIEVE IT

The end of the European soccer season provided a huge financial windfall for one lucky Polish gambler, who with four straight bets relieved English bookmakers William Hill of almost three-quarters of a million dollars.

The unnamed man first bet $70,700 on Lazio to win Italy’s Serie A and an additional $176,700 on Galatasaray to defeat Arsenal in the UEFA Cup Final. Both teams obliged.

He then gambled $353,500 on Chelsea to win the English F.A. Cup and, after he had won that bet, last Wednesday wagered $500,800 on Real Madrid to win the Champions Cup.

It did, and the bettor is now $736,500 richer.

“This is the most astonishing sequence of football bets we’ve ever taken,” a Hill’s spokesman told Reuters news service.

QUICK PASSES

South Africa, whose national team plays the United States in the U.S. Cup on Saturday at RFK Stadium in Washington, qualified for the Sydney Olympics with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in Vosroolus, South Africa, courtesy of an 80th-minute goal by Daniel Matsau. In another international game, England and Brazil tied, 1-1, in front of 73,956 at Wembley Stadium. Michael Owen scored for England and Franca for Brazil.

Europe’s Winners

Champions of the 2000 club season:

European Champions CupReal Madrid (Spain)

UEFA Cup: Galatasaray (Turkey)

Dutch League: PSV Eindhoven

Dutch Cup: Roda JC Kerkrade

English League: Manchester United

English F.A. Cup: Chelsea

French League: AS Monaco

French Cup: Nantes

German League: Bayern Munich

German Cup: Bayern Munich