Griffin Dies in Car Crash; 3 Others Hurt
Defender Gray Griffin, captain of the United States under-17 national team that took part in last year’s FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Trinidad and Tobago, was killed and three other Furman University players were injured Friday in an early morning car crash in Spartanburg County, S.C.
According to highway patrol officers, Griffin, 18, was driving southbound on Interstate 85 at about 2:50 a.m. when his sports utility vehicle swerved to the left and overturned. The vehicle was then struck by an oncoming tractor-trailer rig.
Injured in the accident were Chefik Simo, who suffered a broken pelvis and is listed in stable condition, and Josh Villalobos and Sean Murray, who suffered less serious injuries.
“This has been a devastating blow to our team,” Furman Coach Doug Allison told the Associated Press. “You just can’t imagine something like this would happen. It is a life gone too soon.”
Simo, 18, and Villalobos, 16, also played for the U.S. under-17 team and are part of the U.S. under-20 and under-18 national teams, respectively.
“To lose one of our own under such tragic circumstances affects each and every one of us, and our thoughts and prayers are with each player’s family at this difficult time,” Robert Contiguglia, the president of U.S. Soccer, said Friday in a statement released by the federation.
Twellman Sidelined
The New England Revolution, which needs only a tie today against the Columbus Crew to secure a place in Major League Soccer’s Oct. 20 championship game against the Galaxy in Foxboro, Mass., will be without striker Taylor Twellman, who has sprained his right knee.
Twellman, the top goal scorer in MLS during the regular season, is likely to be replaced by Alex Pineda Chacon, last year’s MLS league-leading scorer.
Bosnia Ties Germany
German nerves, calmed somewhat by the country’s second-place finish at the World Cup, were set jangling again Friday when Coach Rudi Voeller’s team was held to a 1-1 tie by Bosnia in Sarajevo.
Bosnia held the lead for more than half an hour, with Elvir Baljic scoring in the 21st minute after German defender Carsten Ramelow had failed to clear the ball properly. Another miscue by Germany came 14 minutes later when Torsten Frings fired a penalty kick over the crossbar.
Bosnia’s Hasan Salihamdidzic and Germany’s Christian Woerns were ejected four minutes into the second half, after which the Germans picked up the pace and finally tied the score on Carsten Jancker’s goal in the 56th minute.
Gold for North Korea
North Korea won the gold medal at the Asian Games women’s tournament Friday when it shut out Vietnam, 4-0, with Jin Pyol Hui scoring twice in the first half in Busan, South Korea.
“We are delighted with the gold medal,” said Coach Ri Song Gun. “It is our first since 1990. We are grateful for the support we have had from the South Koreans.”
China, the tournament favorite, was sidetracked early by a 0-0 tie with North Korea and a 2-2 tie with Japan. It won the silver medal instead after beating South Korea, 4-0, Friday. Japan took the bronze with a 2-0 victory over Taiwan.
Liverpool on the Move
Liverpool, the English Premier League team that has called Anfield its home since 1892, will move to a new stadium nearby in time for the 2005-2006 season, Rick Parry, the club’s chief executive, said Friday.
Gorosito Named Coach
Former Argentina national team midfielder Nestor Gorosito, 38, has been named coach of Nueva Chicago, struggling in 18th place in the Argentine league. He replaced Francisco Ferraro, who resigned two weeks ago.
Libyan Soccer Fan
Al Saadi Kadafi, son of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi, Friday agreed to buy a one-third share of the Italian second-division team Triestina for $4 million.
