Mexico’s Cuellar Is Optimistic
SEATTLE -- Mexico and the United States can secure their places in the fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in 2003 with victories over Canada and Costa Rica, respectively, tonight in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup.
The Americans and Canadians are favored, but Mexico’s Coach Leonardo Cuellar remains optimistic that his team can surprise Canada, coached by Even Pellerud, who led Norway to the 1995 Women’s World Cup title.
The Canadians have outscored their opponents, 23-1, in the Gold Cup.
“We knew coming into this competition that the possibility was there that we would face Canada,” Cuellar said. “Obviously, they have great momentum. They have a great mixture of experienced players and some youth players from [September’s under-19] World Championship.
“I think Canada’s program is growing very, very fast. It’s very obvious also, by the results that they’ve been getting against the United States, that they’re getting a lot closer.
“So we respect them a lot. We know it’s going to be a battle. But it’s not a World Series of seven games, it’s one game. We hope to get them on a bad day and for us a good day.”
Galaxy Cuts Waibel
Clearing salary cap room as well as roster space, the Galaxy waived reserve defender Craig Waibel, paving the way for recently signed South Korean defender Hong Myung Bo.
Waibel, 27, signed with the Galaxy as a discovery pick May 4, 2001, and he started 13 of the 26 matches in which he appeared and had three assists.
McCarthy Steps Down
Mick McCarthy resigned Tuesday as Ireland’s coach, less than five months after leading the team into the second round of the World Cup, where it lost to Spain on penalty kicks.
The future fell into doubt for McCarthy, 43, when he became embroiled in a furious spat with Ireland’s captain, Roy Keane, and sent him home from the tournament in Korea and Japan.
Europe’s longest-serving national coach later came under increased pressure when Ireland, without Keane, lost consecutive games to Russia and Switzerland in qualifying play for the 2004 European Championship in Portugal.
McCarthy compiled a record of 29-19-20.
Basel Prevails
Switzerland’s FC Basel moved to within a point of qualifying for the final 16 of the European Champions League when it defeated Russian champion Spartak Moscow, 2-0, in snow and below-freezing temperatures in Moscow.
Goals by Argentine strikers Hernan Rossi and Christian Jimenez earned the victory.
Basel can advance to the final 16 by beating or tying Liverpool next week.
Brazil’s Roster Is Set
Mario “Lobo” Zagallo, the 71-year-old four-time World Cup winner who Monday was hauled out of retirement to coach Brazil against South Korea, selected 19 European-based players to his roster for the game in Seoul on Nov. 20.
Zagallo selected four players who narrowly failed to make Brazil’s 2002 World Cup team: forwards Amoroso and Franca, midfielders Flavio Conceicao and Juninho Pernambuco, and team captain Emerson, who was injured on the eve of Korea/Japan ’02.
Ronaldo is part of the squad, but Rivaldo asked to be left off for personal reasons. Three Brazilian-based players will be added.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s soccer federation said it will select a foreign coach to lead its team, increasing speculation that the man poised to take over the Euro 2004 host country is Luiz Felipe Scolari, who in June led Brazil to its fifth World Cup title.
Menotti Is Fired
Cesar Luis Menotti, 63, who coached Argentina to victory in the 1978 World Cup, was fired as coach of Rosario Central after a series of bad results that have left the team in danger of being relegated from the Argentine first division.
Staff writer Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.
