Costa Rica Stands in Way for U.S.
The United States women’s national team, which won the gold medal in Atlanta in 1996 and the silver medal in Sydney in 2000, now has only Costa Rica standing between it and a trip to Athens in August.
The Americans can secure a place in the Olympics with a victory Wednesday in the semifinals of the CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying tournament at San Jose, Costa Rica.
Mexico will play Canada in the other semifinal, with another Olympic berth at stake.
The Canadians edged Costa Rica, 2-1, Monday night to win Group A and thus avoided having to play the Americans in the semifinals.
Christine Latham scored in the sixth minute for Coach Even Pellerud’s team, and 16-year-old Aysha Jamani of Calgary doubled Canada’s advantage after 20 minutes.
Shirley Cruz scored for Costa Rica in the 63rd minute.
In an earlier game involving teams already eliminated from contention, Panama shut out Jamaica, 3-0, behind two goals by Raiza Gutierrez and one by Maritzenia Bedoya.
Galaxy Wins in France
The Galaxy earned the first victory of its European training camp Monday when Coach Sigi Schmid’s team edged St. Raphael of the French fourth division, 2-1, at Saint Maxime, France.
Alejandro Moreno scored in the first minute off a Ned Grabavoy pass, and Arturo Torres got the Galaxy’s second goal in the 66th minute off a pass from 2004 draft pick Joseph Ngwenya.
MLS Update
Major League Soccer’s New York/New Jersey MetroStars advanced to Friday’s championship game of the La Manga Cup in Spain with a 3-2 victory over Dinamo Kiev of Ukraine.
The MetroStars, who will play the winner of today’s other semifinal involving the San Jose Earthquakes and Viking of Norway, got goals from Honduran international Amado Guevara on a penalty kick and Olivier Occean, before Dinamo Kiev tied the score, only to lose it on a late own goal by Goran Sablic.
In the consolation bracket of the same tournament, the Dallas Burn defeated Stabaek of Norway, 2-1, with Eddie Johnson and Ty Maurin scoring Dallas’ goals.
WUSA Festivals
The Women’s United Soccer Assn. announced that it will stage two weekend soccer festivals at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., June 17-20 and at the Home Depot Center in Carson, June 24-27.
The events, featuring clinics, autograph sessions and matches involving players from the eight-team league that suspended operations last fall but hopes to revive in 2005, is intended to keep WUSA in the public eye as it regroups.
“Although we have not decided 100% which teams will play in Carson or Blaine, it is our goal to have the San Diego Spirit and San Jose CyberRays participate at the Home Depot Center and the Atlanta Beat at the National Sports Center,” said Tony DiCicco, WUSA’s former commissioner.
Meanwhile, U.S. Soccer announced that its newly formed under-15 girls national developmental team will hold its first camp March 6-13 at the Home Depot Center under Coach Stephanie Gabbert.
Quick Passes
World Cup winner Roberto Carlos of Real Madrid was suspended for two games by UEFA’s disciplinary committee for “an act of assault” when he retaliated against Bayern Munich’s Martin Demichelis, who had fouled him during a 1-1 Champions League tie in Munich.
The Brazilian will sit out the second game of the two-game knockout series in Madrid on March 10 and also the first leg of the quarterfinal if Real advances.
Nigeria’s Sunday Oliseh, a 1996 Olympic gold medal winner, was released by his German club, VfL Bochum, after he allegedly head-butted Iranian teammate Vahid Hashemian, breaking his nose, in a locker room argument over the way Hashemian was playing.
England’s Leeds United has renamed the West Stand at its Elland Road stadium the John Charles Stand in honor of the former Welsh international who died last week at age 72.
Chelsea confirmed that it is negotiating to buy 20-year-old Dutch winger Arjen Robben from PSV Eindhoven for a reported $25 million.
-- Compiled by Grahame L. Jones
