Germans Plan to Mine Talent
Germany’s soccer federation Tuesday unveiled an ambitious and costly plan aimed at producing a constant stream of talented players to help Bundesliga clubs and, more important, the various national teams remain competitive internationally.
The program, announced in Frankfurt by Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, president of the Deutsche Fusbal Bund, will establish 390 centers of excellence nationwide where more than 1,200 coaches would provide extra coaching for as many as 20,000 promising players aged 11 to 17.
The emphasis would be on developing the players’ individual skills, not on teamwork or competition.
The plan will cost $10 million annually, but will keep Germany at the forefront of the world’s game, according to Mayer-Vorfelder.
“This will give the DFB youth program a dimension that does not exist in any other football association worldwide,” he said. “We can’t just sit back after our success in the World Cup.”
Germany finished second behind Brazil at the Korea/Japan ’02 tournament.
The centers are expected to open by the end of August.
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Arena Names Veteran Roster
Coach Bruce Arena called on veterans from the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cup tournaments when he named 18 players to the U.S. team that will play a Major League Soccer selection in the annual MLS All-Star game Aug. 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington.
Among the old guard who will don U.S. colors one more time are John Harkes, Alexi Lalas, Mike Burns, Preki, Chris Henderson, Chad Deering and Juergen Sommer.
The full roster features goalkeepers Sommer and Tony Meola; defenders Burns, Lalas, Jeff Agoos, Carlos Llamosa and Eddie Pope; midfielders Deering, Harkes, Henderson, Preki, DaMarcus Beasley, Cobi Jones, Pablo Mastroeni and Brian Maisonneuve, and forwards Landon Donovan, Brian McBride and Josh Wolff.
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Colombia Needs Foreign Coach
Hernan Dario Gomez, who coached Colombia in the France ’98 World Cup and Ecuador in the 2002 tournament, has declined an offer from the Colombian soccer federation to return as coach.
Gomez said in Bogota that he believes Colombia, which failed to qualify for Korea/Japan ‘02, should bring in a foreign coach, and suggested Brazilian Paulo Cesar Carpegiani as an ideal candidate.
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Scolari Future Undecided
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to its fifth World Cup triumph, said in Santiago, Chile, that he has yet to make up his mind whether to remain Brazil’s coach.
Scolari, who is on holiday with his family in Chile, said he will meet with Brazilian soccer federation leaders July 29 and 30 and decide then about his future.
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Senegal’s Diouf Signs
Senegal World Cup striker El-Hadji Diouf has signed a five-year contract with Liverpool, which bought the player from Lens in France for $15.75 million. Liverpool also has acquired Diouf’s Senegal teammate, Salif Diao, from Sedan in France for $7.88 million, but Diao will not join the English Premier League team until December.
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Japan Makes Plans
The Japanese soccer federation said that it is trying to arrange a game against Argentina at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Nov. 20 and added that the annual Toyota/Intercontinental Cup, normally played at that stadium, will be moved to a new venue this year.
The Cup will be played at Yokohama International Stadium, site of the World Cup final, on Dec. 3 and will feature European champion Real Madrid against the winner of South America’s Copa Libertadores.
