Akwari Signs to Play in MLS
Nelson Ndukwe Akwari, former UCLA and current U.S. under-23 national team defender, Monday cast his lot with Major League Soccer, agreeing to join the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, who acquired him in a lottery draft.
The Houston-born Akwari, 20, is one of the most promising central defenders in the U.S. national team program. He co-captained the American team that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA under-17 World Championship in New Zealand, where his teammates included U.S. World Cup 2002 players Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley.
Akwari also played for the U.S. under-20 national team that competed in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina and is a starter on the under-23 team that is preparing for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
“It’s late in the MLS season, but I think it was a good opportunity for me to sign now,” Akwari said. “Teams know what they need right now, and as the games get bigger and more important, it’s an opportunity for me to step in and play in high-intensity games.”
The U.S. performance in reaching the quarterfinals of this year’s World Cup was the deciding factor for Akwari, who was a starter for two years at UCLA, although his father, Bill, had played for USC.
“The World Cup was a key in making my decision, with the players from MLS competing so well,” he said. “It tells me that if I come to this league and work hard, I can maybe someday be where those players are at.”
Turkish Prank
Turkey might have finished a surprising third in the World Cup, but its domestic season has not taken long to produce its first bizarre incident.
According to reports out of Istanbul, a knife-carrying Fenerbahce fan nicknamed “Rambo” hid behind the advertising boards at Galatasaray’s Ali Sami Yen Stadium, ran out onto the field before the game and planted the yellow-and-blue flag of rival Fenerbahce.
When police moved to arrest him, Rambo briefly held them at bay with the pocket knife before being hauled away to the jeers and taunts of the fans.
Keane Explains
Ireland midfielder Roy Keane, who was sent home from the World Cup in disgrace after a run-in with Coach Mick McCarthy, explained that what caused his banishment was an accusation by McCarthy that Keane was faking injuries.
Keane told the Times of London in an interview published Monday that he had been “set up” by McCarthy, who wanted to rid the team of a disruptive influence.
“I would have played in the World Cup despite all that [the name-calling between the two] if McCarthy hadn’t accused me of faking injuries,” he said. “They dangled a carrot for me and I had a good nibble.”
Romario Still Scoring
The new Brazilian league season began over the weekend and, not surprisingly, Romario, the hero of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning team, was the focus of attention.
A crowd of 67,000 came to Maracana Stadium, where Romario, 36, made his debut for Fluminense and scored twice in a 5-1 victory over Cruzeiro.
Rising From the Ruins
When former Italian power Fiorentina folded last month amid a mountain of debt, it left Florence without a soccer team, but only briefly.
City officials found a savior in businessman Diego Della Valle, who agreed to finance a new team, Fiorentina 1926, which will begin in the Italian fourth division.
Della Valle hired 1982 World Cup-winning defender Pietro Vierchowod as the team’s coach.
South Koreans Play On
It has been almost a month since the Galaxy announced that it was going to acquire a Korean player, and on Monday the MLS team watched another 2002 World Cup star sign elsewhere.
Defensive midfielder Song Chong-Gug was acquired by Feyenoord of the Dutch league for $4 million from the Busan I-cons of the K-League.
One of Song’s World Cup teammates, forward Cha Doo-Ri, 22, has signed a five-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga.
