U.S. Ranking Is All-Time Best
Still basking in the afterglow of its best-ever World Cup showing, the United States moved up a spot in the FIFA World rankings, which were released Wednesday. The U.S. is at an all-time high No. 8, ahead of traditional powers England (No. 9) and Italy (No. 10).
The U.S. began the year ranked 24th and had moved to 11th in July after reaching the World Cup quarterfinals, where it lost to Germany, 1-0. The U.S. then broke into the top 10 for the first time in August when it was tied with Italy for ninth.
Turkey also made a significant jump in the latest rankings, moving four places to No. 7, the first time the Turks have been in the top 10.
Brazil, which won its fifth World Cup this summer, remained No. 1 and was followed by France, Spain, Germany, Argentina and Mexico.
Coaching Search
Pumas President Luis Reueiro is voicing his displeasure with Argentine Coach Carlos Bianchi being mentioned as a possible candidate to take over the Mexican national team because, in Reueiro’s words, Bianchi does not know Mexican soccer.
Reueiro is campaigning for his club’s coach, Hugo Sanchez, to get the job while complaining that club team presidents’ viewpoints are not being taken into consideration by the federation while the coaching search goes on.
Mexican Federation President Alberto de la Torre has acknowledged that he has already spoken with Sanchez as well as Ricardo Lavolpe and Ricardo Ferreti and hopes to talk with Brazil Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari next week.
Javier Aguirre led Mexico to the second round of the World Cup, where it lost to the United States, before accepting a job with Osasuna in Spain.
Guti Serves Notice
Many see Real Madrid striker Guti as only keeping the seat warm for high-priced Brazilian acquisition Ronaldo, who has yet to play for the team because he is sidelined with a leg injury.
But after scoring two goals in Real Madrid’s 3-0 Champions Cup victory over AS Roma, Guti said he’s ready to challenge the two-time FIFA player of the year for the spot.
“I know that Ronaldo will soon be fit to play, but I’m ready to compete with him,” Guit told the Italian daily, Corriere dello Sport. “With these two goals I think I’ve demonstrated that I have all the qualities to play in a great team like Real Madrid.”
Ronaldo, who left Inter Millan before the transfer deadline earlier this month in a $44.5-million transaction, watched the match from Spain.
“Guti amazed me again,” Ronaldo told Corriere dello Sport. “I don’t know him very well, but it seems he has remarkable technical ability.”
No Pitch, No Play
The lone field in the British Virgin Islands is unavailable so it was forced to cancel its 2002 season despite expanding its league to 12 teams.
British Virgin Islands Football Assn. President Andy Bickerton told Reuters that the decision was made because with an expanded league, three months were needed to play the season and that the field at the Valley Recreation Ground is being renovated and will not be available until November. Plus, the field’s first priority is to play host to cricket’s Busta Cup in late January.
Ranked No. 160 in the world by FIFA, the British Virgin Islands was beaten, 14-1, in aggregate goals by Bermuda in World Cup qualifying.
Earthquakes Hurting
As if it wasn’t enough of a distraction for defending Major League Soccer champion San Jose to play a meaningless exhibition three days before its biggest match of the season, the Earthquakes also found out they will be without All-Star defensive midfielder Richard Mulrooney for the season-ending, conference-deciding match against the Galaxy.
Mulrooney, who suffered the season-ending injury in the Earthquakes’ 1-0 loss to the Galaxy Saturday, underwent X-rays that revealed a fracture in his right ankle. He will have surgery today.
The Earthquakes played host to Mexico’s defending champion, Club America, Wednesday night in San Francisco.
