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Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber today issued the following statement regarding the status of the San Jose Earthquakes: "At the recent MLS Board of Governors meeting in Frisco, Texas, the Anschutz Entertainment Group was granted approval by the Board to move the San Jose Earthquakes to a number of potential cities, including Houston, Texas. "In order to ensure that the team will have the appropriate time to prepare for the 2006 season, a final decision on the location of the team will be reached within the next 30 days." The 10th season of Major League Soccer concluded on Sunday, November
13 with the Los Angeles Galaxy capturing a dramatic 1-0 victory over the
New England Revolution in MLS Cup 2005. MLS clubs will now begin preparations
for the League's 11th season, which kicks off on April 1, 2006. The first
Waiver Draft of the offseason takes place this Wednesday, November 16,
2005. Top of PageD.C. United Wins MLS Reserve Title D.C. United won the first Major League Soccer Reserve Division championship by defeating the Columbus Crew 2-1 on the RFK Stadium auxiliary field before a raucous capacity crowd of 350. United, the defending MLS Cup champion, took home a $20,000 prize for winning the reserve league. "These guys worked hard all season," United Reserve coach Tommy Soehn said. "They deserve this." United received an early goal from striker Jamil Walker, went ahead 2-0 on another from forward Jason Thompson after intermission, and then withstood a Crew rally ignited by a tally from striker Knox Cameron midway through the second half. United finished in first place in the Reserve Division with an 8-4 record for 24 points. The MetroStars (5-3-3), New England Revolution (5-3-4) and FC Dallas (6-5-1) each had 19 points, followed by four teams -- the Colorado Rapids, Chicago Fire, Kansas City Wizards and San Jose Earthquakes -- who were all 5-4-3 with 18 points. With his tally, Walker won the Reserve Division goal-scoring crown with nine, one ahead of Chad Barrett of the Chicago Fire and Dante Washington of Real Salt Lake (4-6-2, 14). "It was a good season. It was a bit up-and-down, but we felt we were the best team out there," Walker said. "The support from the fans was great -- I don't think we lost at home. This shows what we can do. We knew we had to win or draw and we got the result we wanted." "The reserve division was great, because it allowed players who wouldn't normally get games to further develop themselves," United assistant coach Mark Simpson said. "Throughout the league, it's important for guys to get time on the field." Teenager Freddy Adu, who started the game, and Walker
had to be replaced in the second half because they had played the previous
night for United's first team in the 2-2 draw with the Crew. League rules
do not allow players to total more than 90 minutes in the league game
and then the reserve match, which is played the next day. Lineups: D.C. United - Troy Perkins, Stephen deRoux, Bobby Boswell, John Wilson, Jason Thompson Shawn Kuykendall, Clyde Simms, Freddy Adu (Roland Aguilara 70), Nick Van Sicklen, Nana Kuffour, Jamil Walker (Tim Merritt 46). Columbus - Bill Gaudette, Derek Smith, Glen Sullivan, Chris Brunt, Steve Armstrong (Jonah Long 65), Freddy Juarez, Jeff Matteo, Luis Gallardo, Marcus Storey (Noah Braun 77), Knox Cameron, John Wolyniec. Scoring: Top of PageReal Salt Lake striker and Major League Soccer's all-time leading scorer will miss the remainder of the MLS season after partially tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament. Kreis, who played collegiate soccer at Duke University, originally tore his left ACL on August 13, 2003, when he was a member of the Dallas Burn, now FC Dallas. He re-injured the knee last week in a Real practice session. RSL placed Kreis, 32, on the season-ending injury reserve list. Kreis, who played during MLS's first nine seasons in Dallas, became this year the first player in league history to reach the milestone of scoring 100 goals. After finding net a team-leading nine times this season and adding four assists, Kreis has career totals of 100 goals and 69 assists for 238 points "I fully expect to come back for the 2006 MLS season quicker and stronger than ever," Kreis was quoted in a RSL press release. "I expect to meet with (the) U.S. Soccer (Federation's) top surgeon, Dr. Bert Mandelbaum the week of September 26 to determine my medical course of action." Mandelbaum is a world-renowned surgeon based in Los Angeles who has operated on a many top professional male and female U.S. soccer players. "Jason's injury is an unfortunate setback to our captain and leading scorer," said RSL general manager Steve Pastorino in the club's release. "But if anyone can find the strength within himself to come back stronger in 2006 from an injury like this, it's Jason." Kreis' record 100th and last goal came August 13 in a 402 home loss to
the Kansas City Wizards. Top of PageFreddy Adu Nominated For Award Washington, D.C. (August 23, 2005) - D.C. United’s Freddy Adu, has been nominated for the highly prestigious FIFPro “Young Player of the Year” award. Adu, the only American player nominated, will join such big names as Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Arjen Robben (Chelsea FC), Christiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), and Brazilian star, Robinho, who plays for Real Madrid. The remaining seven players nominated include: Javier Alejandro Mascherano (Sport Club Corinthians), Bastian Schweinsteiger (F.C. Bayern Munchen), Dong Fangzou (Manchester United), Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Rio Antonio Mavuba (Bordeaux), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), and Obafemi Martins (Inter). “This is a tremendous honor for Freddy,” said United Technical Director Dave Kasper. “As a young player, we are proud of his development and continued determination to be a great player. Freddy and D.C. United both aspire to succeed on the world stage and this is another step toward that goal.” Adu is likely to return to action tomorrow night having recovered from an MCL sprain to his right knee, an injury that has left him sidelined for two weeks. The injury occurred in the first half of United’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday, August 6. Adu practiced with the team both today and yesterday and is listed as probable for United’s Open Cup match against FC Dallas on Wednesday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Maryland Soccerplex in Germantown, Md. The FIFPro World Players XI Awards will take place on September 19, 2005 at London’s Wembley Conference and Exhibition Center. The award ceremony will also announce prestigious awards such as World Player of the Year and the World XI Legend. The winner of the “Young Player of the Year” award will be chosen by fans from all over the world and announced in front of a global audience of over 150 million viewers. FIFPro, the International Federation of Professional Footballers’ Assocations, is the world’s first and only international player-voted football awards ever staged and broadcasted globally. Scottish, French, Italian, Dutch, and English players’ associations, for the purpose of representing players and associations and uniting soccer on the world stage, established the international organization in 1965. Today, FIFPro includes 40 players’ associations throughout the world. Top of PageMLS Select Fall 5-0 To Real Madrid When given the opportunity to send a select team to play Real Madrid, Major League Soccer jumped at the chance to take another step on the world stage. It might have actually been a misstep. The collection of MLS players, certainly not the best the league had to offer, made the mid-week trip to Spain and came away with a 5-0 loss in the 16th Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu. The game was Real Madrid’s final tuneup before opening league play. Whatever respect MLS gained with a 4-1 win over England’s Fulham
FC of the Premier League, was compromised with the overwhelming loss in
this meaningless exhibition game. David Beckham opened the scoring with a freekick 22 minutes into the game. Ronaldo had two goals and Buti and Raúl added to the rout in front of a crowd of 60,000, who saw just about what they expected from the MLS side. Moreno, injured on the play that gave Beckham the free kick, would go out of the game two minutes later. The selection of the MLS squad was somewhat based on the mid-week U.S. Open Cup schedule back home. Only one player was selected from each of the six MLS teams still in that competition, while two were taken from each team that had already been eliminated. Thus, the best 18 were not selected. One, Chad Marshall of the Columbus Crew, missed the trip when he couldn’t locate his passport, leaving the team with a 17-man roster. For a number of the MLS players, particularly Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. MNT forward Landon Donovan, the game was just another in a long season that has included World Cup qualifiers, exhibition games, MLS regular season games, and U.S. Open Cup matches. Only this trip to Spain took these players halfway around the world for yet another exhibition. At least one news report from Madrid cited the MLS team as “not a real threat, and when they got close to the penalty area, there was Ivan Helguera to clear any danger.” The score actually could have been greater had goalkeeper Matt Reis not made several outstanding saves.
Scoring Summary: REAL MADRID: Diego López; Michel Salgado (Carlos Diogo 85), Iván Helguera (Jonathan Woodgate 86) , Francisco Pavón (Álvaro Mejía 87), Roberto Carlos (Raúl Bravo 87); Thomas Gravesen (Pablo García 68), Zinedine Zidane (Guti 63), David Beckham, Baptista (Michael Owen 80); Raúl, Ronaldo (Javier Portillo 87). MLS SELECT: Matt Reis (Nick Rimando 88); Frankie Hejduk,
Pablo Mastroeni (Douglas Sequeira 74), Jimmy Conrad, Jose Burciaga (Ricardo
Clark 86); Shalrie Joseph, Ronnie O'Brien, Justin Mapp (Jeff Cunningham
45), Clint Dempsey (Jason Kreis 69); Landon Donovan (Youri Djorkaeff 61),
Jaime Moreno (Amado Guevara 24). Top of PageHammerheads Go Up 1-0 In Playoffs The Wilmington Hammerheads passed its first test on the road to a second United Soccer Leagues Second Division championship by defeating the Western Mass Pioneers 1-0 in front of 1,237 soggy fans at Legion Stadium. The Hammers travel to Western Mass Saturday and must tie or win to move on to the championship game, to be played at Legion Stadium August 27 if the Hammers advance. On May 6, Wilmington tied the Pioneers 2-2 at Western Mass. In a foul-plagued game played on a sticky evening after a major downpour, it was the physical play on both sides that suggested that the regular season is over. In all, the referee handed out seven yellow cards, four to Wilmington. It was the ejection of Pioneer goalkeeper David Mahoney in the 41st minute that turned the game in favor of the Hammers. Mahoney was tossed after swatting Hammerhead forward Ryan Miller when both battled for a loose ball. Miller received a caution on the play. “They’re a big, physical side,” said Wilmington Coach David Irving, who was incensed in the first 10 minutes after several flagrant fouls. Still, Irving is happy with the result. “The first part of our leg is done. It’ll be a hostile crowd up there, but we’re playing to win.” The Hammers scored in the 57th minute when Kenny Bundy executed a pretty lead pass to striker Chris Bagley, who calmly turned and kicked a roller past substitute Western Mass keeper Bryan O’Quinn. While Wilmington played more than half the game with a man advantage, the Pioneers did not roll over and in fact had several decent chances to tie. A free kick from 25 yards out by forward Everson Maciel hit the crossbar and was corralled by Hammerhead keeper Bart Creasman, who earlier saved a point blank shot by speedy left-winger Omar McFarlane. Creasman made a nifty diving save on another free kick 5 minutes before the final whistle. Wilmington had 11 shots to Western Mass’s seven. “From their standpoint, this is not a bad result,” admitted Coach Irving. “It was a weird night. I think we could’ve had a few more goals.” HAMMERHEADS-UP: Defensive MVP Brady Bryant sat out the game after a bout with food poisoning landed him in the hospital. Top of PageReddick, Horton Honored By W-League The United Soccer Leagues have announced the selection of former UNC All-America Catherine Reddick as the W-League’s Defender of the Year, and Charlotte Lady Eagles head coach Lee Horton as its Coach of the Year. Melissa Dobbyn, who played for the Detroit Jaguars this summer, was the league’s MVP as well as the U19 Player of the Year. Defender of the Year – Cat Reddick (New Jersey Wildcats)
Coach of the Year - Lee Horton (Charlotte Lady Eagles) Top of PageHe was hard to miss. At first glance, it was a short bleached blond hair, but then you appreciated the quick and skillful touches on the ball. And the kid had confidence. You had to give him that. Ross Paule was a junior midfielder at Creighton and when his team was eliminated from the 1996 NCAA Division I College Cup semifinals in Richmond, the Cordova native had played his last collegiate game for the Blue Jays. He was headed to Major League Soccer. He played in MLS for eight seasons, making the all-star game 2 times. He played for three teams, the last of which was the Columbus Crew. He took his last jog around the field with his teammates in Crew practice gear for the last time on April 26. His teammates were getting ready for the upcoming game with the Chicago Fire, Paule, the Crew’s MVP in 2003, was getting ready to retire at the age of 29! When the others began other exercises, Paule stepped aside. It was a symbolic jesture and the end of a career cut short by a series of concussions. He is being forced to retire because of post-concussion syndrome. It was a decision that had been in the making for several weeks, ever since he sustained the latests injury during the Carolinas Cup preseason tournament in Charleston, S.C. “I’m very disappointed for Ross,” coach Greg Andrulis said. “He’s in the prime of his career. He’s such a great person and player.” Paule, who began his pro career in Denver with the Colorado Rapids,
had been examined twice this season by Dr. Jim Kelly
in Denver. Neither Kelly or Crew team physician Pete Edwards
would clear Paule to return to the field. “This is not what I want but it is what it is,” Paule said. “I am doing everything I can do to take care of my health and well-being of my family by obtaining the best medical advice from the best to make sure the decision is right for me. “This is all very hard for me because I love to play but most of all I love to play and make a difference and I know I still could for many more years.” His problems began last summer. On Aug. 7, after taking a free kick in the face during a match at New England, he suffered his third concussion of the season. He was back on the field for the next match wearing protective headgear. However, a blow to the head in a game on Sept. 25 sidelined him again and he sat out the final four games of the regular season with post-concussion syndrome. He returned for two playoff games. He had been cleared to play during the preseason without headgear and was doing well until being knocked woozy during a March 19 exhibition in Charleston, Paule was cleared to play this preseason without headgear and was OK until being knocked woozy during a match March 19 in Charleston, S.C., when he simultaneously was elbowed in the back of the head and hit in the face with the ball. He had not played since. His retirment brought to a close an eight-yer career with 31 goals and 41 assists in 192 regular-season games. finishes an eight-year career with 31 goals and 41 assists in 192 regular-season matches. He was drafted by Colorado in 1997 and had a career-high 10 goals in ‘98. He had 10 assists, a career high, in 2001 before being traded to the MetroStars late in the season. He went to Columbus in 2003. In 25 starts with the Crew, Paule had 15 points (four goals and seven assists). He had seven goals and two assists in 25 games last season. He’s not totally stepping away from soccer and from the Crew.
Andrulis said Paule would assist the coaching staff for the rest of the
season, paying particular attention to the reserve team. Top of PageBalboa, Harkes, and Ramos Elected to Hall Of Fame Three U.S. Men's National Team stars and Major League Soccer pioneers, Tab Ramos, Marcelo Balboa and John Harkes have been elected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The official induction will take place on August 29 in Oneonta, NY. “What a glorious Class of 2005!” President/CEO Will Lunn said. “These are players who have truly made a difference to soccer in America, most notably on the field, but they have been so very important in the growth of the game on all levels. We look forward to welcoming them to their new home in Oneonta.” All three began their professional careers outside of the United States, including stints in Europe, before returning to careers in Major League Soccer. Ramos and Balboa led the balloting, each receiving 108 votes, while Harkes was only one behind with 107. The next highest total was 72, earned by Thomas Dooley, followed by Hugo Perez (62), Peter Vermes (57), Carlos Valderrama (54), Bruce Murray (42), Peter Nowak (32) and Roy Wegerle (31). Ramos and Harkes played their collegiate soccer in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Ramos at N.C. State and Harkes at the University of Virginia. Balboa played at San Diego State. "Major League Soccer is proud to congratulate three of the League's founders on their election to the National Soccer Hall of Fame," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "Hall of Fames are built for players like Tab, Marcelo and John. As members of the first Hall of Fame class comprised entirely of former MLS players, they have left a lasting legacy for our League and the sport of soccer in our country.” Upon being notified of his selection, Balboa remarked,”This (was) the best telephone call of my professional life. This is something yo8u dream about, beginning as a young player, but when the call comes, your first reaction is ‘Holy Cow!’” Ramos said his reaction was “Oh God! I have to sit down!” “You can never be prepared for a moment like this. I am extremely honored to be one of the soccer names that will live forever and I say that with great respect for the Hall of Famers who preceded me,” said Ramos. “I received the call on my cell phone while driving and I had to pull the car over,” remarked Harkes. “I am overwhelmed with the honor. It is not an everyday event that you get to be honored by the people that are knowledgeable in the game. I could not be more proud.” Bob Gansler, coach of the U.S. National Team in 1990 when all three made their first appearnce in the World Cup, offered that “these are truly deserving players. They have at every level, youth, Olympic, World Cup and in the professional leagues, at home and overseas, showed their quality. “These players set a high standard for the players to follow. Tab by going to Spain and showing the confidence and perseverance to go through the second division and on to LaLiga; John in his play in England, and certainly, Celo making his mark in Mexico.” All three players were clear choices in their first year of eligibility for election to the Hall of Fame and form the first all-MLS Hall of Fame class ever. A total of 123 votes were cast, and increase of 51 votes over the 2004 election. Election rules state that the top three will be elected if each receives more than 80% of the votes cast, as each one did. Top of PageTiger Leaves Atlanta For Salt Lake Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick, one of the Atlanta Silverbacks’ top players, has been signed to a Major League Soccer contract by Real Salt Lake. He will join fellow Trinidad & Tobago national teammate Marlon Rojas with that club. He had been with the Silverbacks for one season. National midfielder Leslie "Tiger" Fitzpatrick has moved up the professional ranks, having signed a contract with American Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. He is expected to be available to play this weekend against the Colorado Rapids at Rice Eccles Stadium. "It's a good move for me, particularly at this stage of my career. It's a step up for me from the A-League, but it's not one where I should have much adjustments to make because I've played here since my days at Columbia University and then at Atlanta. It's a challenge that I'm really looking forward to," the 26-year-old Fitzpatrick told Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) media officer Shaun Fuentes yesterday. The New York/New Jersey MetroStars had also been eyeing "Tiger", who they invited to train with them during their recent visit to Trinidad and Tobago. But the former St Mary's College standout said he was comfortable with the move to Salt Lake, whose roster also includes Jamaican captain Andy Williams, Americans Clint Mathis, Jason Kreis and Eddie Pope, and Botswana international Dipsy Selolwane. "In the end I think the deal was the right one. With Marlon also being here makes it good because it gives us a chance to play and train together on a regular basis, which should serve well for when we have to play for the national team in the rest of qualifying matches to come," said Fitzpatrick. He also expressed keen anticipation about working under recently-appointed T&T coach Leo Beenhakker. "I was able to meet him briefly last week and I think it's obviously a step in the right direction to have a coach of his caliber in charge of the team now. We know that our chances of making it through are still very good, despite the fact we have only one point to show from three games, but I'm pretty confident we can pick up a momentum and go through with it, starting from the next game against Panama." Stilian Shishkov, Executive Director of the Atlanta Silverbacks, pointed out that while it was a difficult decision to lose such an impact player, the deal was viewed as a good decision by all parties. "Real Salt Lake approached us about Leslie, we had no intentions
of moving him, but we reached an agreement that I believe was in the best
interest of everyone concerned,” said Shishkov. “He was an
important part of our organization, we appreciate his contributions to
the Club and we wish him every success both in the MLS and on the international
stage." He scored two goals in 28 games for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the A
League last season. Top of PageUnited Knocked Out Of Champion’s Cup D.C. United’s quest for a CONCACAF Champion’s Cup title disappeared in Mexico City as the MLS team was shutout by Mexico’s UNAM Pumas in the second leg of their semifinal matchup. The two teams had drawn 1-1 last week in Washington, D.C. Bolivian Joaquin Botero scored twice to lead the Pumas in the win, and the game was never close as they broke the game open with a four-goal second half. Pumas will now meet Saprissa of Costa Rica in the final. Saprissa, which eliminated the Kansas City Wizards in the quarterfinals, won 5-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 semifinal tie at Monterrey. Argentine Bruno Marioni headed a rebound past United goaltender Nick Rimando in the 12th minute. Botero stretched the lead to two goals three minutes after halftime when he broke free from the left side, drew Rimando out of the net and easily knocked the ball home. United defender Mike Petke was expelled after being earning his second yellow card and the hosts used the man advantage to turn the game into a mismatch. Botero made it 3-0 in the 73rd minute, controlling the ball at midfield before launching a long shot from the right that got past Rimando. David Toledo put a shot in from the left 13 minutes later and Jaime Lozano got the fifth goal by heading in a pass from Botero in the 88th. Top of PageLandon Donovan Headed Back To MLS Landon Donovan’s professional soccer journey to Germany lasted only about 10 weeks. The 23-year-old forward is apparently headed back to Major League Soccer after playing very little with Bayer Leverkusen. He had expressed frustration over a lack of playing time and made the decision while with the U.S. National Team in Mexico over the weekend. "I think several things came together," Bayer Leverkusen spokesman Uli Dost said in an Associated Press article on Tuesday. "He had the possibility built into his contract to leave if he wanted. This is the logical consequence. He will join a MLS team, whichever one." The Los Angeles Times has reported that the Los Angeles Galaxy were close to sending Guatemalan forward Carlos Ruiz to Dallas so they could acquire Donovan. Galaxy general manager Doug Hamilton has refused comment. Donovan, according to Dost, told Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler that he didn't want to return during a telephone call from Mexico City, where the United States lost to Mexico 2-1 Sunday in a World Cup qualifier. "The coach said, `OK, you can leave,'" Dost said. MLS officials have not commented on Donovan’s return to the league, but it is widely known that he would be welcomed back with open arms. Donovan left MLS and the San Jose Earthquakes in January. He had signed a contract with Leverkusen in 1999 when he was 17 years old, but didn’t get in a game, became homesick and returned home to play with the Earthquakes. He was a standout for the U.S. in the 2002 World Cup, and his Germany club expressed interest at that time in his return to fulfill that contract. Donovan said Monday he wouldn't make a decision on his club future until after Wednesday night's World Cup qualifier against Guatemala at Birmingham, Ala. He has made just two starts since rejoining Bayer Leverkusen in January. While he got into another seven games as a substitute, it was mostly in the waning minutes. He was criticized for not playing well in a Champions League game against Liverpool on March 7, when he was taken out after 52 minutes in a 3-1 loss, and he hasn't played since. Donovan signed with Leverkusen in 1999, when he was 17, but didn't get
into a game and was sent to the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS two years
later. Donovan starred for the United States at the 2002 World Cup. Top of Page2005 MLS Opener Set For Home Depot The 2005 Major League Soccer season gets underway on Saturday, April 2 when expansion Club Deportivo Chivas USA plays host to MLS Cup champion D.C. United at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m., ET and the game will be televised live on ABC. Chivas USA is one of two expansion franchises this season, the other being Real Salt Lake. The addition of those two teams brings the league to 12 teams for 2005. D.C. United will return a veteran lineup that includes Alecko Escandarian, Jaimie Moreno and teenager Freddy Adu. The defending champions will be looking to fill some gaps in the starting lineup created when Earnie Stewart returns to Holland at the end of last season, and defender Ryan Nelsen signed with the Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League. ABC’s telecase of Major League Soccer this year will feature several
new production elements, including the first ever use of SkyCam in a MLS
telecast, as well as “Side-by-Side”, a split screen of the
game and commercials that allows viewers to see uninterrupted game action. Top of PageD.C. United got the game-winner in the 64th minute from Joshua Gros to beat Harbour View FC from Jamaica in the first leg of the 2005 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup quarterfinals. Alecko Eskandarian opening the scoring for D.C. United in the fifth minute, but the Jamaicans equalized in the 23rd minute of play on a goal by Luton Shelton. D.C. United played its game at the SoccerPlex in Germanton, MD. The Kansas City Wizards, the other Major League Soccer tewam in the tournament, played to a scoreless tie against visiting Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica in the QF 4 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. CF Monterrey (Mex) beat CSD Municipal 2-1 in QF 3, while Pumas UNAM (Mex) held the host CD Olimpia (Hon) to a 1-1 draw in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The second leg in each matchup will take place on March 16-17 at the reverse venues. CD Olímpia visits Pumas UNAM at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Ciudad de México on 16 March, while Harbour View FC greets D.C. United at the Harbour View Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica and then CSD Municipal host CF Monterrey at the Estadio Mateo Flores in Ciudad de Guatemala. Quarterfinals conclude on 17 March with Kansas City Wizards traveling to face Deportivo Saprissa at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José, Costa Rica. All the matches of the 2005 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup will be broadcast on television by one of the FoxSports International regional programming channels (Fox Soccer Channel – USA; FoxSports Español – USA; Fox North Cone – Caribbean, Central America & Mexico). The winner of the 2005 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup will qualify to the FIFA Club World Championship to be held in Japan from 11-18 December. The CONCACAF Champions’ Cup is the longest running international
club competition in the region and has crowned the champion club of the
Confederation since its inception in 1962. Top of Page It had been rumored that the MLS MetroStars were shopping
veteran centerback Eddie Pope, High Point, NC native
and former standout with UNC and D.C. United, to other MLS clubs. Top of Page30 PDL players taken in MLS 2005 SuperDraft BALTIMORE, MD – At the Major League Soccer 2005 SuperDraft in Baltimore, Maryland Friday, 30 players with Premier Development League experience, including eight players from the unbeaten 2004 Chicago Fire Reserves were selected. The Fire Reserves have become a leader in player development in the PDL by doubling last year’s four draft picks with eight in 2005, including three in the First Round. The first three PDL players selected in the First Round all hailed from the Fire Reserves with six PDL players in total going in the First Round. The Fire Reserves’ Brad Guzan, the 2004 PDL Goalkeeper of the Year, was the first PDL player taken in the draft, going as the second pick to expansion Chivas USA out of Los Angeles. Two selections later, Fire Reserves midfielder Danny O’Rourke was taken as the fourth overall pick by the San Jose Earthquakes. FC Dallas jumped into the mix with the sixth pick by taking defender Drew Moor, who helped lead Guzan to a league-low seven goals allowed in the 18-game season. Former Texas Spur Hunter Freeman (7th, Colorado Rapids), Bradenton Academic Michael Parkhurst (9th, New England Revolution) and Indiana Invader Jack Stewart (10th, Chicago Fire) were also taken in the First Round. Other Fire Reserve selections were Chris Rolfe (29th, Chicago), CJ Klaas (32nd, San Jose), Thabiso Khumalo (36th, Chicago), Luke Kreamalmeyer (37th, Real Salt Lake) and Julian Nash (40th, DC United), who led the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in scoring in 2004 with four goals and two assists. PDL 2004 semifinalist Carolina Dynamo saw four players taken in the draft with Marcus Storey and James Riley going back-to-back as the 20th and 21st selections to the Columbus Crew and Revolution, respectively, in the Second Round. Amir Lowery and Tim Merritt were drafted 45th and 48th by Colorado and DC in the Fourth Round. Storey finished tied for eighth in the PDL goal scoring (15) in 2004 with forward Cameron Knox, who was one of three former Michigan Bucks taken in the draft. He was joined by John Minigawa-Webster (47th, Kansas City Wizards) and Khumalo, who played three seasons with the Bucks before joining the Fire Reserves last year. Twenty of the players drafted played more than one season in the PDL with the 30 draftees averaging just over two seasons worth of experience. Top of PageSampson Named Galaxy Head Coach Former United States Men's National Team Coach Steve Sampson has been named the new head coach of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy. He replaces Sigi Schmid, who was the coach for three of the Galaxy's four MLS Cup appearances. Schmid was fired after going winless in his team's last five games. "To finally be here as the head coach of what I consider the best
club in the country is a privilege," he said. "I don't take
the responsibility lightly. We obviously have an enormous responsibility
here, and that is to win the MLS championship." Top of PageThe Los Angeles Galaxy has fired coach Sigi Schmid
although the club had the best record in Major League Soccer. He is expected
to be replaced by former U.S. Men's National Coach Steve Sampson. Top of PageBattery To Meet Chicago Fire In U. S. Open Cup Semifinals The defending champion Chicago Fire are two wins away from the September 22 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship game for the fifth time in the team’s seven year history as they topped the Richmond Kickers 1-0 on Wednesday night in Richmond, Va. Forward Dipsy Selowane scored the game’s only goal in the 56th minute on a cross from Orlando Perez. The Fire (MLS) will now host the Charleston Battery (A-League) on Aug. 25 at Benedetti-Wehrle (formerly Cardinal) Stadium in Naperville, Ill. at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Battery upset the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League) 1-0 at Frontier Field in Rochester, N.Y. on a seventh minute goal by Gabe Valencia. Although they are the defending A-League Champion, Charleston is the most unlikely team to appear in this foursome. The Battery’s win tonight gave them three wins in the 2004 Open Cup, matching their total of three wins in 21 A-League matches as they sit in last place in the Eastern Conference. In the other semifinal bracket, the Minnesota Thunder (A-League) took the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) to overtime, before falling 5-4 in penalty kicks. Melvin Tarley scored for the Thunder in the first five minutes, but San Jose would eventually go ahead on goals by Brian Ching (24th minute) and Landon Donovan (64th minute). Minnesota forced overtime with a Dustin Branan goal in the 77th minute, but were denied as the match went to spot kicks after 30 minutes of scoreless overtime. The Earthquakes will now face the Kansas City Wizards, who blew out MLS rival Dallas Burn 4-0 on Wednesday. Chris Klein, Davy Arnaud, Justin Detter and Alex Zotinca all tallied for the Wizards. The Wizards will host their semifinal at the Blue Valley Athletic Complex in Overland Park, Kan., on Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Both San Jose and Kansas City are seeking their first apperance in the U.S. Open Cup final. With the win tonight, the Chicago Fire now have 17 wins in U.S. Open Cup play, more than any other team since 1996 when MLS teams first participated. Second to the Fire since 1999 are the Rochester Raging Rhinos and Columbus Crew with 14 wins each. The Rhinos and Crew have been eligible to compete in the Open Cup for each of the last nine years, while the Fire were not founded until 1998. In addition to their 2003 crown, the Fire also had their name engraved on the Dewar Trophy in 1998 and 2000. The Battery are the first A-League team in the semifinals since 1999, when Charleston and their opponent Wednesday night, the Rhinos, both qualified for the semifinals. That year was also the last time and the only time since MLS joined the competition that an A-League team won the Open Cup when Rochester took the crown. At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team which advances deepest in the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. U.S. Open Cup Schedule/Results Semifinals Top of PageKickers Celebrate Upset Of D.C. United The Richmond Kickers treated a home crowd of 8,776, believed to the the largest in team history, to a 2-1 victory over D.C. United in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup. The Kickers pulled off the upset with back-to-back goals by rookie McColm Cephas. The Kickers now advance to the quarterfinals against defending Cup champion MLS Chicago Fire on Aug. 4 at University of Richmond Stadium The first year striker from Virginia Commonwealth University, who didn't get a look from Major League Soccer before signing with the A-League Kickers, got his first goal in the 33rd minute, and then stretched the advantage to 2-0 in the 64th minute with an assist from Joey Worthan. In the 33rd minute, Cephas outmaneuvered veteran defender Mike Petke - 6-2 to Cephas' 5-5 - on a booming kick by Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale. Petke tried to use his size advantage to shield the ball from the Liberian national and was made to look foolish when Cephas darted around him, collected the ball and knocked it by onrushing United goalie Nick Rimando. Freddy Adu, expected to start the game for D.C. United, came into the game in the second half and helped lift the MLS club's intensity. The 15-year old fired a shot off the crossbar in the 68th minute, then beat the defense to put teammate Dema Kovalenko through for a shot that was deflected by Pascale. Adu gave United much-needed energy, not to mention a consistent threat. His work ethic finally paid off in the 82nd minute, sending a ball into the box that was headed in by 19-year-old - and fellow native of Ghana - Nana Kuffour, making his first appearance for the red and black. "This was a huge win because they're in a league above us," said Worthen, the former USC Gamecock, "but we have so many players capable of being there, and I think we could beat these guys on a regular basis." Also advancing to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals from the A-League were Charleston, Rochester and Minnesota. D.C. United ------------------------- 0 1 - 1 Richmond ------------------------- 1 1 - 2 Scoring: 1, Richmond, Cephas, 33rd minute; 2, Richmond, Cephas (Worthen), 64th; 3, United, Kuffour (Adu), 82nd. Shots: United 8-7 Saves: Rimando (United), 1; Pascale (Rich), 2 Corner kicks: United 6-4 Offsides: United 4-2 Fouls: Richmond 14-11 Yellow cards: Kovalenko, United, 42nd; R. Williams, Rich, 42nd; Prideaux, United, 45th; Jeffrey, Rich, 45th; Gros, United, 45th; Adu, United, 90th Referee: Hector Tobon Attendance: 8,776 Top of PageCharleston Beats MetroStars, Atlanta Loses To Wizards CHICAGO (July 20, 2004) - The A-League rolled through the
fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night with three
wins in four matches against Major League Soccer that saw the Charleston
Battery, Minnesota Thunder and Rochester Raging Rhinos advance to the
tournament quarterfinals. Those three join four MLS teams in the final
eight, with the Chicago Fire, Dallas Burn and Kansas City Wizards all
advancing with wins on Tuesday (joining the San Jose Earthquakes, who
advanced with a win last week). The eighth and final quarterfinal spot
will be settled Wednesday night in another MLS vs. A-League showdown with
the Richmond Kickers hosting D.C. United. Their last loss was a 3-2 setback against New England on June 2. The
Wizards' next challenge in the U.S. Open Cup is against Dallas in the
Aug. 4 quarterfinals. The Silverbacks had an 11-game unbeaten streak going
into the game against the Wizards In the night's most thrilling match-up, the 1999 Open Cup champion Rochester
Raging Rhinos scored a second-half goal on the road in Massachusetts,
and eventually eliminated New England on penalty kicks with a 3-1 advantage
following their 1-1 draw. In the one of two MLS match-ups on the night, the Dallas Burn easily dispatched the Colorado Rapids with a 3-0 win at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The Burn were led by two goals from Eddie Johnson and a Ronnie O'Brien strike. In the other MLS vs. MLS meeting, the Chicago Fire came from behind on the road to down the Columbus Crew 2-1 in overtime on the strength of two Damani Ralph goals. At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team which advances deepest in the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition dating back to 1914 that is open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. Round 4 Results Round 4 Schedule Log on to ussoccer.com for a complete schedule, news,
results and statistics. Top of PageMAJOR
LEAGUE SOCCER AWARDS UTAH Checketts-operated, Salt Lake-based Organization Chosen for League’s 12th Team NEW YORK / SALT LAKE CITY (Wednesday, July 14, 2004) – Utah's professional sports landscape changed forever today, with the historic announcement by Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber that Salt Lake City is home to the nine-year old League’s 12th team, becoming the second major league organization in state history. Utah Soccer LLC will be owned and operated by long-time sports entrepreneur David W. Checketts and associates, representing Sports Capital Partners. Salt Lake City’s MLS team will begin play in 2005, along with the already announced “Chivas USA” organization owned and operated by Mexican businessman Jorge Vergara, who will soon unveil the location of that team. The 2005 MLS regular season, the League’s tenth campaign, kicks off next Spring. “The Salt Lake City bid for a 2005 kickoff emerged from a crowded
pack due to the experience and savvy of Dave Checketts and his group,“
said Commissioner Garber today at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles
Stadium, where the team will play its first few seasons. “The Checketts-run
team will make an immediate impact in this diverse and emerging soccer
community and in the League. We are proud to now call Salt Lake City home
to Major League Soccer.” The dramatic news further establishes Salt Lake City in particular and Utah in general as a progressive, growing climate for major league sports and similar events. The state has been home to the Utah Jazz of the NBA since 1979, and has played host to multiple NBA playoffs and an NBA All-Star game during that period. Utah was also the host of the enormously successful 2002 Olympic Winter Games, which brought it positive attention from sponsors, athletes and media around the world. "I truly believe that Major League Soccer is the sports league of the future, and I want more than anything for Utah to be a part of it," said Checketts at today’s event, attended by many of Utah’s top government, youth soccer, business and community leaders. "Salt Lake's success on the international stage with the Olympics was part of what went into making this decision. We fought long and hard to bring this team to Utah. We faced serious competition from other cities and people who desperately wanted this team, including Seattle. We showed MLS that Salt Lake City was the place for the League’s next team.” “This team will become much more than just another team to root for,” Checketts continued. “Soccer, the great unifier, ensures that our team will become a rallying point for every different segment of the community and bridge divides between our ever-diversified communities." Utah’s unique demographics make it particularly appealing to MLS. Boasting a significant soccer fan base already, Utah has the highest per-capita participation in organized soccer (estimated at more than 200,000 players), a rapidly growing Hispanic and Latino population, as well as a significant Eastern European population. Beyond just the sports entertainment value, Salt Lake’s MLS team will bring significant socio-economic benefits to the state. Figures on the team’s estimated economic benefit to the state are currently being studied and will be released soon. "This is a great day for MLS as we are adding a world class person in Dave Checketts to the ownership of the League and a world-class sports city in Salt Lake City," said New England Revolution Investor-Operator Jonathan Kraft. “Dave and his group have done an incredible thing for Utah,”
said Rocky Anderson, Mayor of Salt Lake City. “This
team will bring immeasurable benefits to our city and state for years
to come.” Dean Howes, a partner in Sports Capital Partners, will serve as the Chief Executive of Utah Soccer LLC. Howes began his career with Bristol-Myers Squibb, spending 19 years in key executive positions in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In 1997, he became CEO, President, and Founding Executive of Professional Teams Physicians, a company that aggregated physicians representing professional teams in the NBA, MLB, NFL, MLS and NHL. The last two years, Dean has focused his efforts with Checketts looking at sports teams and media investments. Salt Lake's team name, logo and colors will be unveiled in August. A general manager, coaching staff and additional key staff will be added in early fall in preparation for the MLS Expansion Draft in November, following MLS Cup 2004, and the annual MLS SuperDraft in January, 2005. Fans desiring more information on the new Salt Lake City Major League Soccer team or season ticket availability should visit www.iloveutahsoccer.com or the League’s Official Website, www.MLSnet.com. About Major League Soccer: About Sports Capital Partners: -- www.MLSnet.com -- Top of PageIt was no surprise that 14-year old Freddy Adu was taken #1 in the MLS Superdraft by D.C. United. That was the deal he signed with MLS, which will allow him to live at home in Potomac, MD, with his mother and brother. Adu, a member of the U.S. Under-17 Residential Program in Bradenton, FL, has already signed a $1 million contract with Nike and is reportedly getting. According to a list of MLS salaries released in early January by Soccer America, Adu will receive a half million dollars for signing with MLS, including a base salary of $300,000. He will be the youngest, and highest-paid, player in the league. Chad Marshall, a defender from Stanford, was the #2 pick, taken by the Columbus Crew. The Los Angeles Galaxy took Coastal Carolina forward Joseph Ngwenya with the third pick. A native of Zimbabwe, Ngwenya is young enough to qualify as a junior international, and not count against the roster limite of international players. Defender Clarence Goodson was the first of four University of Maryland players drafted. Goodson went to Dallas with the #7 pick of the first round. Teammates Scott Buete, chosen by Chicago in the first round (#9 overall) and Seth Stammler, another defender, were taken by the MetroStars in the second round with the #18 overall pick. Midfielder Sumed Ibrahim was chosen by Chicago with the #20 pick. Two Wake Forest players were drafted. Senior goalkeeper William Hesmer send to Kansas City in the second round (#17 overall) and forward Jeremiah White, the ACC Player of the Year, was chosen in the third round by New England (#23 overall). Furman midfielder Clint Dempsey, who left school early as a Project-40 player, went in the first round to New England with the #8 overall selection. It marked the second consecutive year that Furman had a player leave early for the draft. Ricardo Clark was taken in the 2003 first round by the MetroStars. William & Mary defender Phil Hucles was selected in the fourth round by Chicago and FIU midfielder John Pulido went to Colorado in the sixth round. An interesting selection was Michael Bradley in the fourth round by the MetroStars, who took him with the #36 overall pick. Bradley, 16, is a member of the U.S. U-17 Residential Program, and is the son of MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley. FIRST ROUND SECOND ROUND THIRD ROUND FOURTH ROUND FIFTH ROUND SIXTH ROUND Top of PageEight Collegiates Turn Professional Major League Soccer has unveiled eight Nike Project-40 signings
ahead of the League's 2004 season. Announced by MLS Senior Vice President
Todd Durbin, the signings bring some of the brightest
young stars in college and U.S. National Team soccer to MLS. All eight
players will be available for selection in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft presented
by adidas on January 16 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention
Center.
NIKE PROJECT-40 ROSTER - January
8, 2004 Top of PageDonovan Leads San Jose To MLS Cup Title Midfielder Ronnie Ekelund nailed an early free kick
while striker Landon Donovan scored (Reprinted From www.soccertimes.com
) Top of PageAdu's Arrival Signals Departure of Etcheverry The arrival of teen sensation Freddy Adu in Washington,
D.C., apparently means the end of Top of PageThe Associated Press is reporting that Freddy Adu,
the 14-year old soccer phenom, has signed a Adu, currently a member of the United States Under-17 National Team,
was being courted by a His contract with MLS guarantees that he will be drafted by D.C. United
so that he can live at He gained U.S. citizenship within the last year when his mother earned
her citizenship papers. Top of PageBattery Wins First A-League Championship Charleston, SC.The Charleston Battery defeated the Minnesota Thunder tonight by a score of three goals to none to win its first A-League National Championship. A record oversold-out crowd of 5,711 at Blackbaud Stadium witnessed a stunning first-half onslaught from the Battery led by man-of-the-match Steve Klein who finished off the scoring with a headed goal in the 37th minute, The first goal came in the 13th minute. Forward, Josh Henderson fired a shot from just inside the box. It was blocked by a Minnesota defender but it squirted out to Ted Chronopoulos on the left side. Chronopoulos took a touch then drove the ball left-footed past Thunder goalkeeper, Joe Warren. Thunder defender Adam Eyre forced a reaction-save from Dusty Hudock in the 16th minute. Eyre drilled a hard shot on-target from outside the 18-yard box that Hudock turned around the post. In the 21st minute Charleston doubled its lead as Paul Conway curled a free-kick past Warren into the top right-hand corner of the goal from just outside the box. In the 24th minute former Battery midfielder Marco Feruzzi hit a vicious shot at the goal from 20 yards out. The ball was worked out to him from corner but his first-time effort was saved by Hudock. Klein capped off the scoring in the 37th minute. The ball was crossed from the right-side to the center. Henderson headed it at the goal but it cannoned back off the crossbar. Klein jumped for the deflection and snapped a header down and into the goal. After the break Minnesota rarely threatened as the Battery romped home
for its first A-League title. The final score, Charleston Battery 3 -
Minnesota Thunder 0. Top of PageBattery Beats Rhinos In A-League Semifinals Charleston SC. The Charleston Battery defeated
the Rochester Raging Rhinos by a score of 1-0 in front of 2,571 at Blackbaud
Stadium. The win clinches Charleston the Eastern Conference Championship
for the first time in its history. The Battery now advances to host the
Western Conference Champions, the Minnesota Thunder Saturday night, Sept.
20 at Blackbaud Stadium in the A-League National Championship; kick off
is set for 7:00 pm.
The match was a tight, hard-fought affair. Rochester had the first chance of the game in the 13th minute. The ball was swung into the Battery box from a corner-kick. It deflected out to Rhinos defender Craig Demmin who fired a shot wide of the right-hand post. Rochester was unlucky not to take the lead in the 27th minute. Defender Bill Sedgwick received the ball just outside the box on the near side. He drilled a shot at the goal but it cannoned back into play off the crossbar. Battery leading goalscorer Josh Henderson scored the decisive goal in the 41st minute. The Ball was played forward into the Rhinos' box. Rochester failed to clear the ball properly and Henderson slid in and poked the ball into the goal from inside the 6-yard box. It was Henderson's 13th goal of the season. After the break Rochester pushed on looking for an equalizer. Midfielder, Lenin Steenkamp blasted a shot over the bar from 12 yards out in the 37th minute. Steenkamp had a second chance moments later but turned a glancing header wide of the goal. In the 61st minute Henderson came close to scoring a second. Reserve midfielder Ryan Trout whipped in a cross from the far side. Henderson snapped a header on-target but Rhinos goalkeeper, Billy Andracki reacted well tipping the ball around the post for a corner. Rochester continued to press late in the game but the Battery defense withstood the assault and Charleston held on to win the match. A-League Championship Tickets For More Information, Contact: Scoring Summary Charleston Battery Team Summary Players Players Not Used - Chris Doyle, Linval Dixon, Blair Scoullar SHOTS: 6 (Henderson 3); SAVES: 5 (Hudock 5); FOULS: 5 (Chronopoulos 2); CORNER KICKS: 6; OFFSIDES: 0; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: (NONE); EJECTIONS: (NONE) Team Summary Players Players Not Used - Soren Johnson, Ryan Dinunzio SHOTS: 7 (Wilson 2); SAVES: 2 (Andracki 2); FOULS:
11 (Shweitzer 2); CORNER KICKS: 4; OFFSIDES: 4; PENALTY
KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: Fuller 41; EJECTIONS: (NONE)
Top of PageHammerheads Win National Title A year ago the Wilmington Hammerheads reached the Pro Select League national championship game and came away without the title, losing to the Long Island Rough Riders. Twelve months later Wilmington defeated the Westchester Flames 2-1 in overtime, to capture the first national championship in their eight-year history. After waiting out a torrential rain storm with a Legion Stadium crowd
of 3,982, and starting the championship game an hour late, the Hammerheads
found themselves down 1-0 after 75 minutes. Moments later the game was
tied on an own goal by Westchester midfielder, Freddy Nava-Mendez. The championship victory extended the Hammerheads' unbeaten streak to 17 games, including a 4-1 U.S. Open Cup win over the MLS Dallas Burn. Even though their Pro Select League season is over, the Hammerheads are still playing soccer, and will host D.C. United on Wednesday, Aug. 27, in s U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals match. Wilmington finished the season with a 15-6-4 record. "I'm just so happy for the organizationk the boys and Wilmington,
because it's been a long time coming and we deserve it," said David
Irving, who is completing his fifth year as Hammerheads head coach. Top of PageDefender Kevin Nylen scored the decisive goal early
in the second half and reserve striker Glenn Murray added two more
tallies, lifting the Wilmington Hammerheads to a shocking 4-1 upset of
Major League Soccer's Dallas Burn in the U.S. Open Cup fourth round. Top of PageMemphis Express Moves to PDL Semifinals United Soccer Leagues have announced the schedule for the Premier Development League Semifinals being played on Saturday, August 2. The Central Conference champion Chicago Fire Reserves will be playing host to the Western Conference champion Orange County Blue Star at Pontiac Township High School at 8:30 pm ET. The match will be webcast LIVE on www.soccerfanaticsradio.com. The Eastern Conference and defending league champion Cape Cod Crusaders will play host to the Southern Conference champion Memphis Express at Dennis Yarmouth High School at 7:30 pm ET. The two winners will meet for the PDL Championship August 9 at a site to be determined. The match will be broadcast on Fox Sports World at 10:00 pm ET on August 9 with a replay Sunday, August 10 at 2:00 pm ET followed by the W-League Championship live at 5:00 pm ET. A year after all four top seeds were eliminated in the conference tournaments, the second-seeded Chicago Fire Reserves were the lone top seed to survive the conference tournaments in the Premier Development League this weekend with the sixth-seeded Orange County Blue Star, 11th-seeded Memphis Express and defending champion Cape Cod Crusaders, seeded ninth, advancing to the league semifinals. In addition, the Northeast, Mid South and Southwest Divisions all swept their semifinal matches in their respective conference tournaments. CENTRAL CONFERENCE The Fire Reserves opened with an 8-0 drubbing of the Indiana Invaders in the first semifinal Saturday night in Berkley, Michigan. The second semifinal of the night was a thriller that saw the Mid Michigan Bucks down the Des Moines Menace for the second straight year in the first round. The Bucks moved onto the conference final, 1-0, on an 11th minute tally from Michael Turpin and a stoppage time penalty kick save from goalkeeper Jeff Weise against last season's PDL MVP Tomas Boltnar. Semifinals Indiana Invaders 0 :: 8 Chicago Fire Reserves Des Moines Menace 0 :: 1 Mid Michigan Bucks Weise, however, was not able to stop two consecutive from the spot as the Fire Reserves took the early lead Sunday night in the conference final en route to a 2-0 win. Midfielder Kevin Wickert converted the penalty kick for Chicago in the 15th minute. The Fire Reserves defense stood strong for the remainder of the match, holding off wave after wave of Mid Michigan attacks as goalkeeper Matt Pickens made 11 saves on the night. In the 74th minute, second half substitute Rob Mouw provided the insurance goal for Chicago. Final Chicago Fire Reserves 2 :: 0 Mid Michigan Bucks EASTERN CONFERENCE The Northeast Division swept the Eastern Conference semifinals with the defending champion Cape Cod Crusaders surprising the league's top defense in the Richmond Kickers Future with a 4-0 win and the Vermont Voltage downing the Williamsburg Legacy 5-2 in St. Albans, Vermont Saturday night. The first match was a stalemate until Cape Cod's David Bulow found the back of the net in the 68th minute, opening a late flurry of scoring. Bulow would add a second four minutes later and set up the third goal of the match to Joseph Ngwenya in the 77th. Luke Vercollone, who assisted on both Bulow tallies, finished the match with a goal in the 89th. With memories of a first-round loss at home last year, Vermont erased two one-goal deficits in the second semifinal, scoring four unanswered in the second half for the 5-2 win. Four different players found the back of the net for Vermont along with one Williamsburg own goal. Carlos Garcia scored both Legacy strikes. Semifinals Cape Cod Crusaders 4 :: 0 Richmond Kickers Future Williamsburg Legacy 2 :: 5 Vermont Voltage Goals in the first and last minutes of the match were not enough for the home side as Vermont fell to rival Cape Cod 4-2 on four straight second half tallies by the Crusaders Sunday night. For the second straight night David Bulow scored twice. He provided the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute and the final tally for Cape Cod in teh 88th. Final Cape Cod Crusaders 4 :: 2 Vermont Voltage SOUTHERN CONFERENCE The Mid South division swept the conference semifinals with the Memphis Express downing Southeast Division champion Cocoa Expos 5-2 and the host New Orleans Shell Shockers picking up a 4-1 win over the Central Florida Kraze 4-1 at Tulane University. The Expos got on the board first with a 13th minute strike from Itayi Pondwa only to see Memphis score three straight and go on to the win with goals from five different players. Tony Kuhn, Mariano Ilari and Dayton O'Brien each had a goal and an assist for Memphis. The regular season league champion Shell Shockers won in similar fashion, scoring four unanswered after a 23rd minute strike from Central Florida's Clifton Philip-Wales. Steven Pate equalized for New Orleans three minutes from halftime and the club went on to score three in the second half, two from substitute Jeremy Judice. Semifinals Cocoa Expos 2 :: 5 Memphis Express The Shell Shockers became the third regular season conference champion to fall Sunday night as the Express recorded a 2-0 win. O'Brien and Ilari scored for the second straight night with tallies in the 14th and 56th minutes for the win as goalkeeper Sebastian Vecchio recorded six saves for the shutout. Ilari also assisted on O'Brien's goal. Final Memphis Express 2 :: 0 New Orleans Shell Shockers WESTERN CONFERENCE The Southwest Division swept the conference semifinals with the Orange County Blue Star downing the Cascade Surge 2-1 in the opening match and the host and regular season conference champion Spokane Shadow falling 1-0 to the Fresno Fuego. Midfielder John Spencer scored unassisted in the 27th minute to give Blue Star the lead. Two minutes later, however, Cascade's Taylor McCool pulled the Surge level on an assist from former Ezzy Ihekoronye. Second half Orange County substitute Drew McCarthy proved the difference with his game-winning goal in the 74th minute on an assist from Ryan Coiner. The Shadow become the second top seed to fall Saturday night as the Fresno Fuego, who are lone amateur club remaining in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, registering the upset on a 38th minute strike from Jose Espindola on an assist from Fabricio Codeceira. Semifinals Cascade Surge 1 :: 2 Orange County Blue Star Fresno Fuego 1 :: 0 Spokane Shadow In the battle of division rivals in the conference final, the Blue Star once again came out on top after claiming the division title. Two goals three minutes apart early in the first half propelled Orange County to the 2-0 win. Defender scored just his second goal of the year for the lead in the 20th minute and Nick Theslof provided an insurance goal in the 23rd, converting a penalty kick. Final Fresno Fuego 0 :: 2 Orange County Blue Star Overall PDL Playoff Seeding (Season Record) Top of PageUnited Soccer Leagues has announced the dates for the five matches of the first round of the W-League playoffs to be held July 30 to August 2. Hosting matches after clinching the top seed in their respective division or conference are the Boston Renegades, Charlotte Lady Eagles, Chicago Cobras, New Jersey Lady Stallions and Vancouver Whitecaps Women. The W-League postseason will open Wednesday, July 30 at 7:30 pm ET at De Paul Catholic High School with the Northeast Division regular season champion New Jersey Lady Stallions playing host to either the New York Magic or Long Island Lady Riders, who are vying for the second berth from the division. The two clubs will meet in their regular season finale Saturday at Long Island. Three matches are slated for the following night. In the other Eastern Conference match, the defending two-time W-League champion Boston Renegades play host to the Ottawa Fury in the Northern Division championship match. The regular season division champion Renegades won the season series with a 1-0 win in Ottawa and a 1-1 draw at home. The match will be played at Thursday, July 31 at 7:30 pm ET at Bowditch Stadium. In the Central Conference's Atlantic Division, the Charlotte Lady Eagles clinched the right to host by locking up second in the division. The regular season division champion Hampton Roads Piranhas received an automatic bye to the league semifinals as the championship tournament host. Charlotte will play host to the division's third place club Thursday, July 31 at 7:30 pm ET. All three of the other members in the division are still alive for the berth. Later that night, the Chicago Cobras will play host to the Central Conference's Midwest Division championship. The Cobras will face either the Northern Kentucky TC Stars or the Columbus Lady Shooting Stars. Columbus trails by four points with two matches against Chicago remaining while Northern Kentucky has completed its season. The division final is set for 8 pm ET at Mooseheart Memorial Stadium. The Western Conference final will pit Northwest rivals Vancouver and Seattle against one another as the regular season conference champion Whitecaps play host to the Sounders Saturday, August 2 at 10 pm ET at Swangard Stadium. Vancouver has not lost since its season opening defeat at home to the Sounders, whom they went on to defeat in the season series 3-1 with all three wins coming by just one goal. The winner of the Central and Eastern divisional championships will advance
to the conference finals to be held by the higher-seeded club August 2-3.
The three conference champions move on to join the Hampton Roads Piranhas
in Virginia Beach, Virginia for the W-League Championship August 8-10.
The semifinals will be played Friday, August 8 with the league championship
being played LIVE on Fox Sports World Sunday, August 10 at 5 pm ET. Top of PageCarolina Courage General Manager Scott Travasos announced the hiring of Jay Entlich as Head Coach of the WUSA Champion Carolina Courage today. Entlich, 31, replaces Marcia McDermott, the club's Assistant General Manager, who stepped down as coach on November 15th. "Jay has had an almost meteoric rise through the ranks of women's soccer," said Travasos. "He has been a difference maker and winner at every step along his path." Entlich enjoyed tremendous success at the University of Tampa, where
he was A U.S. Women's National Team staff coach, Entlich has scouted and "With this hire, the Courage has secured an individual with tremendous
Entlich, a Fairfax, VA native, currently resides in Tampa, FL with his
wife The Courage begins preparations for its defense of the Founders Cup on
March Top of PageSanta Clara midfielder Aly Wagner and Penn State
striker Christie Welsh were the top two picks in the WUSA draft
at the league's headquarters at Cox Central Park. San Diego engineered a trade soon after the 2002 season concluded to keep Wagner on the West Coast. The Spirit dealt midfielders Shannon Boxx and Sherrill Kester, defender Margaret Tietjen and the second overall pick to New York for the top selection, midfielder Jen Lalor and forward Wynne McIntosh in the largest WUSA trade ever. "Aly is the most talented player coming out of college and is the player we have been focusing on since we traded for the number one pick," said Spirit coach Omid Namazi. "Aly possesses unique qualities in her game that make her teammates better and will complement our team very well. She has an amazing feel for the game and where the ball should go to create the most danger for the opponent. You can't coach that. It's just something innate. I know her style will provide great entertainment for the San Diego fans will contribute to winning games." Wagner has worked her way into the United States women's starting lineup and has made 36 overall appearances, recording eight goals and 16 assists for the Americans. It's the second straight year a Santa Clara player went first in the WUSA draft. Defender Danielle Slaton, Wagner's college and high school teammate, was the top choice in 2001 by the Carolina Courage. "I'm extremely excited to be given this opportunity," said Wagner, the 2002 MAC Hermann Trophy winner. "Since the league's inception, my heart has been set on playing for the Spirit. It's a perfect place to play and I'm going to a team where I think I'll fit right in. My brother lives in nearby San Clemente and I'm looking forward to him being my neighbor. . . I think my style will work well with the likes of Mac (Shannon MacMillan), Julie Fleeting and the other forwards. . . Players like Julie (Foudy) and Joy (Fawcett) are people I can learn from every day. These are players who will make my transition that much easier." Welsh, the 2001 Hermann Trophy winner and MAC "Player of the Year" before the awards were merged, has 20 appearances with the U.S. women, notching 12 goals. She had 82 goals, 52 assists, 216 points and 27 game-winning goals in four seasons at PSU. "I'm so excited," said Welsh, a native of Massapequa Park, N.Y. "It's just great. I'm really excited to go back home. "Hopefully, I can get a bunch of family and friends out there. Maybe I can help the league's attendance rise a little bit. Who knows?" Hawkins, who operates best as a defensive midfielder, recorded 21 goals and 23 assists in 93 career games for SCU. She scored her first career international goal in a U.S. 1-0 victory over Germany Wednesday in China. "I knew I was coming to the East Coast, but didn't think it would be Boston,'' said Hawkins whose parents both attended Boston University, the campus which houses the Breakers' home, Nickerson Field. "Boston was my first choice. My relatives are here and we spent many summers in Boston.'' Washington goalkeeper Hope Solo was selected fourth overall by the Philadelphia Charge. The 2001 Pac-10 "Player of the Year" finished her collegiate career as the Huskies' all-time leader in every goalkeeping category, including shutouts (18), saves (325) and goal-against average (1.02). "I am so excited, I don't even want to go back to school," Solo said. "I just want to start training with the team." The Atlanta Beat then selected Stanford midfielder Callie Withers from Stanford. Withers orchestrated a Cardinal offense which outscored opponents 163-13 in 2002. "We are jacked up to add Callie Withers to our midfield," Atlanta coach Tom Stone said. "She had a fantastic senior season at Stanford and we are very happy that she was available with our selection. She's a very powerful player, a great ball winner with great aerial ability. She's also a very intelligent player, and I think that's something we can always use in our central midfield." Philadelphia followed with the sixth and seventh picks, taking Clemson forward Deliah Arrington and Dartmouth midfielder Mary McVeigh. The eighth and final pick of the first round went to the champion Carolina Courage which took Nebraska defender Breanna Boyd who has 37 caps with the Canadian national team. Santa Clara and North Carolina reach had three player selected among the 32 draft picks. In the WUSA's three drafts, UNC has had 20 players taken.
(Story from www.soccertimes.com
) Top of PageMcDermott Rejoins Courage as Assistant GM Courage General Manager Scott Travasos has announced the
appointment of Marcia "Marcia's contributions to this organization during our first two
seasons A native of McLean, Virginia, McDermott, 37, graduated from the University
"When I made the decision to step away from coaching, I was looking
for an McDermott will assist Travasos in the daily supervision of all function
"Marcia has demonstrated the ability to put the important puzzle
pieces The Courage will begin its defense of the WUSA Founders Cup trophy on
April Top of PageThe Women's United Soccer Association announced the promotion of Scott Travasos to the position of General Manager of the WUSA champion Carolina Courage today. Travasos, 31, has served as Assistant General Manager and Director of Business Affairs for the Courage for its first two seasons. "Scott Travasos is the right person to lead the Carolina Courage," said WUSA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Crow. "His familiarity with the organization will be invaluable in maintaining the team's high level of performance both on and off the field. We are confident in Scott's ability to step up and lead the defending Founders Cup champions in the right direction." A 1993 graduate of Wheaton College (IL), Travasos received a MBA with a specialization in sports marketing from Wake Forest's Babcock School of Management in 1995. Travasos brings with him a wide range of sports business experience. As a member of the South Florida Organizing Committee for the 1996 Olympics, he was responsible for promotion and sales efforts for Olympic events at the Orange Bowl. He served as Head Men's Soccer Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he brokered a department-wide sponsorship deal with Nike. Prior to joining the WUSA, Travasos was the Vice-President of Operations for The Beacon Group, an insurance firm based in Boca Raton, Florida. As the Assistant GM, Travasos has overseen all aspects of the day-to-day administration of the Carolina Courage organization. As Finance Director, he forecasted, monitored and achieved League budgetary goals. As Director of Sales in 2002, Travasos supervised the WUSA's greatest percentage increase in ticket sales from year one to year two. Travasos also served as Director of Player Personnel during the first two years. He was responsible for the acquisition of international stars Birgit Prinz and Unni Lehn, and he was a member of the draft team that acquired WUSA Defender of the Year Danielle Slaton. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to build upon a tremendous 2002 campaign," said Travasos, "and to lead a great organization to continued success both on and off the field." Travasos replaces Jerome Ramsey who vacated the General Manager position last month to accept another assignment within the Time Warner Cable organization. Travasos, who has been spearheading the coaching search since Marcia
McDermott's resignation on November 15, will turn his immediate attention
to the selection of a head coach. He is headed out of town to interview
final candidates this weekend and anticipates making an announcement by
the end of next week. Top of PageFirst Five MLS Picks Are Pro-40 Youth was served in the Major League Soccer draft with the first five players selected being college underclassmen who gave up their remaining NCAA eligibility to join the league's Project-40. Despite speculation D.C. United would trade the first overall pick to the MetroStars who coveted striker Alecko Eskandarian, the MAC Hermann Trophy winner went to Washington, the first of four picks United had in the top 14 selections. Eskandarian's selection was followed by Furman midfielder Ricardo Clark (MetroStars), All four players United took came from the Atlantic Coast Conference with Eskandarian (Virginia) followed by North Carolina defender David Stokes (fifth), Wake Forest midfielder Brian Carroll (11th) and Clemson goalkeeper Doug Warren (14th). "You get drafted once in your life. I didn't know how to react or how to feel," Eskandarian said. "I was hoping I would go No. 1 but obviously there are no guarantees. I had a lot of butterflies and I was as nervous as anyone else. I'm happy." In all, 58 players were drafted in six rounds. Eskandarian's selection was followed by Furman's Clark (MetroStars), Portland forward Nate Jaqua (Chicago Fire), United States under-20 men's striker Mike Magee (MetroStars) and North Carolina defender David Stokes (D.C. United). The MetroStars traded midfielder Brad Davis to the Dallas Burn to obtain the fourth overall pick to get Magee. The San Jose Earthquakes followed by picking Stanford defender Todd Dunivant sixth. The Columbus Crew then took Southern Methodist defender Diego Walsh. The Los Angeles Galaxy went for U.S. under-17 men's midfielder Guillermo Gonzalez eighth, with Indiana forward Pat Noonan going to the New England Revolution Connecticut defender Shavar Thomas being picked by Dallas to complete the first round. In a trade not involving draft picks, Los Angeles acquired the rights to unsigned forward Alex Pineda Chacon, MLS's leading scorer and "Most Valuable Player" in 2001, by sending goalkeeper Matt Reis to New England. Teams must cut their rosters to 29 -- 23 senior players and six on the developmental squad -- by Tuesday, Jan. 21. On Thursday, a draft will be held, if necessary, for players waived on Tuesday. Teams have until March 17 to reduce their roster to 24 -- 18 senior and six developmental players. The 2003 MLS draft Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6
Top of PageThe U.S. Men's National Team jumped all over Canada for three goals in the first half, and defeated their northern neighbors 4-0 before a crowd of 6,549 in Ft. Lauderedale's Lockhart Stadium. Three Americans recorded their first international goals. Defender Carlos Bocanegra, and midfielders Chris Klein and Steve Ralston found net for the first time in a U.S. uniform. Both nations were playing without their European-based players and the American program proved to be much richer in young talent. The U.S. is 6-0-4 in the last 10 meeting with Canada over the last 10 years. The Americans are 10-8-8 all-time against Canada, dating back to 1925, recording the most goals against their northern neighbor since back-to-back 6-1 victories in 1925 and 1926. "We took them out of the game early and that is what you want to do," said midfielder Landon Donovan who turned in a dominating effort and assisted two goals. "We have a lot of good young players on this team and they did well. Ben Olsen is back and playing very well, so that helps us, and Bobby (Convey) did a great job doing what he had to, to be on the field and contribute." The U.S. jumped out to a 3-0 lead by intermission, starting with Bocanegra's header and later increased by tallies from striker Clint Mathis and Klein, 51 seconds apart, erasing any doubt about the outcome. Bocanegra headed home a corner kick from defender Convey in the seventh minute for a 1-0 lead. "It was a great start to a new year. We're moving on to the next year," Mathis said. "We're going to have a busy year playing some big times, and this is a good way to get the younger guys a new taste who haven't had that much experience. It's a good win." Convey lined up as left back, beside Danny Califf, Bocanegra and Sasha Victorine, marking the first time that the recently anointed 2002 Chevy "Young Male Athlete of the Year" had started a professional or international game on defense. The Americans resume training in Bradenton, Fla., in preparation for a pair of upcoming friendlies. The U.S. will host two-time World Cup champion Argentina February 8 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla., at 12 noon (ET), a game broadcast on ESPN2, before traveling to face Jamaica for a match four days later at the National Stadium in Kingston at 2:30 p.m. (ET) United States 4, Canada 0
Top of PageThe Chicago Fire has traded Josh Wolff, one of the U.S. National Teams more prolific scorers, to the Kansas City Wizards for the third overall pick in the Jan. 17 Major League Soccer draft. It is the Fire's third trade in two weeks. Wolff, a Georgia native who played collegiate soccer at the University of South Carolina, signed a four-year contract extension before the World Cup, reportedly for more than $1 million with league options through 2008. That may have been too much for Chicago's salary cap. Each MLS teams has approximately $1.7 million in salary cap. Earlier Chicago sent starting midfielder Dema Kovalenk to D.C. United for Justin Mapp, a seldom used Pro-40 player. Following that the Fire sent captain Peter Nowak to the New England Revolution for a conditional 2004 draft pick. Wolff scored five goals and added five assists for 15 points in 14 appearances during the 2002 season. An abbreviated campaign because of his participation with the United States in the World Cup, ended August 14 when he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in a game against Kansas City. Overall, Wolff made 84 regular-season appearances for the Fire, recording 32 goals and 15 assists for 79 points. He was held scoreless in six playoff matches. He was a part of the Fire 1998 MLS championship team and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titlists of 1998 and 2000, registering six goals and two assists in the 2000 Open Cup. Wolff appeared in two 2002 World Cup games, contributing the assist on Brian McBride's decisive goal June 17 in the 2-0 second-round victory over Mexico. "I enjoyed my five years in Chicago," Wolff was quoted in the press release. "I was able to play in the Olympics and in the World Cup, and I know that would not have been possible if I wasn't in Chicago. . . I'm looking forward to this new era." In other league news New England striker Taylor Twellman, the MLS scoring leader as a rookie, has signed a new contract, said to be for five years. He received a significant adjustment in his base salary, which was the league minimum of $24,000 last year, and has some incentive bonuses, including for goals scores, total points, becoming a league All-Star, etc. Twellman, 23, a St. Louis native, played one season at the University of Maryland. In a significant international signing, defender Gilles Grimandi, 32,
became the first Frenchman to sign with MLS, after inking a two year contract
to play for the Colorado Rapids. He comes from Arsenal of England's Premier
League.
Top of PageFor many North Carolina soccer fans seeing the New York/New Jersey MetroStars behind Eddie Pope's name is going to be very strange. His entire professional career he has been the anchor on defense for D.C. United of Major League Soccer. That all changed when Pope, striker Jaime Moreno and midfielder Richie Williams were traded to the MetroStars for defender Mike Petke. D.C. United also received a league player allocation and the fifth overall selection in January's MLS draft. The trade was the first for the MetroStars' new head coach Bob Bradley. D.C. United is now in possession of two 2003 major player allocations as well as four of the top 14 picks in the draft, including the first overall selection in the draft scheduled for January 17 in Kansas City, Mo. In addition, the Black-and-Red created room for two new senior internationals on its 2003 roster. Pope, 29, is a veteran of the last two United States World Cup efforts and was named MLS "Defender of the Year" in 1997. The University of North Carolina graduate gave United the first MLS Cup title with his header in sudden death to give D.C. a 3-2 triumph over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the rain at Foxboro Stadium. "The decision to conclude this deal with the MetroStars, for three players who served (United) on and off the field with class, was a very difficult one to make," the club's technical director Dave Kasper said. "But these changes will enable D.C. United to revamp our roster after three losing seasons and no playoff appearances. We are excited to bring Mike Petke into our side and we have the necessary tools, with tremendous placement in the college draft and two major allocations, to add high caliber players." In terms of the upcoming MLS draft, the trade may now play a role in which club drafts Uva's Alecko Escandarian, the MAC Hermann Trophy winner, who has left school to make himself available for the draft. He had hoped to be taken by the MetroStars and play in his home state of New Jeresey. He may now be taken with the first pick of the draft by D.C. United. The trade brings three players to the MetroStars who each was part of
United's MLS championships in 1996, 1997 and 1999. Bradley served as an
assistant to United coach Bruce Arena for the 1996 and 1997 titles. "I think in some ways it marks the end of an era," United coach Ray Hudson said. "In some ways, it's a sad day for the club, but major changes needed to be implemented and that fork in the road could not be ignored. These players leave big boots to fill, but also leave ample salary cap room to get quality, skilled, energetic footballers who are hungry for success." Moreno, 28, departs as United's all-time leader with 69 goals and 190 points, his 52 assists second only to Etcheverry's 94. His 401 shots and 15 game-winning goals are tops for United and his 13 game-winning assists are second to Etcheverry's 23. He played 150 games for the Black-and-Red, but he appeared in only 16 -- 14 starts -- in an injury-plagued 2002 in which he scored three goals and added four assists. Williams, 32, who grew up in Middletown, N.J., about 30 miles from the MetroStars' Giants Stadium home in East Rutherford, was an alternate for the 2002 U.S. World Cup team and was called up for key games against Honduras and Costa Rica during the United States' qualifying run. Williams, who has 17 with the national team, spent his first five years in MLS with United, spending 2001 with the MetroStars before returning to D.C. last season. Petke, 26, joins United after five seasons with the MetroStars where he was a fan favorite. Petke, the MetroStars' all-time regular-season leader in games (134) and minutes played (11,520), was selected by the club in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1998 draft. "It's a very sad day for me, one I hoped would never come but realistically knew would one day," Petke said. "I'll miss the fans and all the support they've given me over the years, and I'll never forget my time with the MetroStars. It's interesting for me, and I'm sure for the fans, to be crossing over enemy lines after all these years, but I want the fans to know that I'm ready to give them everything I've got. I'm excited to get started in my new career as a member of D.C. United." Hudson said, "I've always admired Mike Petke's tremendous defensive
authority. He's a vocal organizer, underrated technically and is a tremendous,
inspiring leader. He'll be an inspiration to our team defensively."
Top of PageKickers Lose A-League Title To Milwaukee FRANKLIN, Wis. - TheRichmond Kickers, going for their first-ever A-League national championship, came up a goal short against the Milwaukee Rampage.There was no justice in the way the game ended for the Kickers, who lost 2-1 when Sinisa Angelovski scored from about 19 yards out in the 106th minute. Richmond played short-handed for much of the extra time. Khary Stockton picked up a red card and was ejected in the 94th minute when he slammed into midfielder Jason Russell. "Milwaukee played a great game," Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw said. "It was a very even game. Neither team had many chances to score. We just didn't score when we had our chances." The last A-League final to go extra time was in 1997, when Milwaukee won 2-1 in a shootout over the Carolina Dynamo. It was the second straight game in which the Kickers had to play at least two extra 15-minute periods. Richmond had to go to penalty kicks Sept. 21 to beat Rochester in winning the Eastern Conference championship. The Kickers' best chance in overtime came on a hard header by forward Kevin Jeffrey that was stopped by goalkeeper Dan Popik. "I thought I was going to get it in on that one," Jeffrey said. "I didn't expect the goalkeeper to make a save on that one, but he did." For Richmond, Jeffrey missed a low shot in the 71st minute from about 12 yards out to the right of the net off a pass from midfielder Bryan Namoff. Milwaukee nearly scored three minutes later when Matt Bobo pushed a header from 16 yards in front of the net that was stopped Ronnie Pascale, who caught the ball while diving to his left. Bobo was denied on another header during stoppage time at the end of regulation. Richmond trailed 1-0 after a slow-paced first half and opened after intermission with a more offensive thrust. Josh Henderson, the league's leading scorer in the playoffs with seven points (three goals, one assist), moved to forward along with Jeffery, and it didn't take long for that strategy to pay off. The Kickers were able to put pressure on the Milwaukee defenders and eventually drew a foul to force a penalty kick when Jeff Bilyk tackled Henderson in the box. Popik guessed wrong on the shot and dove to his left to leave the middle of the net wide open as Marco Ferruzzi tied the game 1-1. Minutes later, Milwaukee had its chance on a penalty kick when forward John Wolyniec was brought down to the right of the net by Peter Luzak. Angel Rivillo's shot glanced off the crossbar and bounced about 30 feet in the air and was deflected out of bounds. Milwaukee played without leading scorer Digital Takawira, who suffered a broken ankle in a late-season loss to Minnesota and did not play in the postseason. The Kickers were in control for many of the final minutes of a closely
contested first half but failed to score. Top of Page
WUSA Prepares For First All-Star Game PGE Park in Portland, Oregon will be the site of the first-ever WUSA All-Star Game, presented by Hyundai, on Saturday, September 21. The game will be broadcast live nationally on PAX at 1 p.m. PT. WUSA play-by-play broadcaster Beth Mowins will be joined in the booth with color analyst Michelle Akers, while Eric Frede will serve as the sideline reporter.Carolina Courage Head Coach Marcia McDermott and Philadelphia Charge Head Coach Mark Krikorian will serve as the head coaches of the two WUSA All-Star teams. Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra will serve as McDermott's assistant coach for the South All-Stars while San Jose CyberRays Head Coach Ian Sawyers will serve as Krikorian's assistant on the North team. The South All-Stars - Comprised of the top players from the Atlanta Beat, Carolina Courage, San Diego Spirit and Washington Freedom, the South All-Stars will take the field versus the North All-Stars in Portland. Of the 16 players suiting up for the South All-Stars, nine took part in Founders Cup II on August 24 in Atlanta, GA. Founders Cup II champion Carolina has a large presence on the South team with five players on the roster. Washington and Atlanta each have four representatives on the South All-Star squad, while San Diego (three) rounds out the lineup. The South All-Stars will be led offensively by Mia Hamm (8g, 6a, 22 pts.), Abby Wambach (10g, 9a, 29 pts.) and Shannon MacMillan (5g, 8a, 18 pts.). Washington's Hamm finished 12th in scoring in the WUSA despite playing in only 506 minutes. Wambach, the 2002 WUSA Rookie of the Year, led the Freedom in scoring during her first season in the league. MacMillan will start in place of Carolina's Birgit Prinz (playing in the UEFA Cup with her German club). The San Diego forward led her squad in scoring for the second straight season. Carolina's Hege Riise (6g, 13 a, 25 pts.) will direct the midfield for the South All-Stars. One of the world's best playmakers, Riise will look to set the tone of the match by taking control of possession in the midfield. Atlanta midfielder Homare Sawa (7g, 6a, 20 pts.) became a major part of the Beat's attack in 2002. San Diego's Julie Foudy (5g, 4a, 14 pts.) will bring an added offensive threat, following a breakout season with the Spirit. Considered to be the WUSA's top defensive midfielder, Carolina's Tiffany Roberts (1g, 4a, 6 pts.) rounds out the midfield for the South All-Stars. Comprised of Carolina's Danielle Slaton (4g, 8 pts.), Washington's Jennifer Grubb (2g, 4 pts.), and San Diego's Joy Fawcett (1g, 1a, 3 pts.), the back line for the South will look to shut down the high-scoring attack of the North. Slaton, the 2002 WUSA Defensive Player of the Year, made an immediate impact on the Carolina defense in 2002. A longtime U.S. national team veteran, San Diego's Fawcett brings an instant confidence and dominance to her team's back line. Grubb, the Freedom's ironwoman (played every minute of every match, including the playoffs for Washington), is a fearless and strong defender. In net for the South All-Stars is Carolina's Kristin Luckenbill (12-5-4, 1.43 GAA), the 2002 WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year. "Lucks," who played every minute in goal for Carolina in 2002, led all WUSA goalkeepers in wins (12) and saves (114). Backing up Luckenbill in goal is Atlanta's Briana Scurry (9-8-1, 1.3 GAA), one of the stars of the World Cup '99 championship team. The South's bench adds depth to the defensive position with Carolina's Nel Fettig (3a, 3 pts.), Washington's Carrie Moore and Atlanta's Kylie Bivens (1g, 4a, 6 pts.). A star on the Canadian national team, Atlanta's Charmaine Hooper (11g, 3a, 25 pts.) rounds out the South All-Star reserves. She is one of only four players to record a hat trick in WUSA action and is second all-time in WUSA goal scoring (23). The Charge leads the way with six players placed on the North Squad. In a close second is the San Jose CyberRays which had five players selected. Boston (4) and New York (1) round out the roster. Five members of the North All-Stars recorded 28 points or more in the 2002 season, ranking among the league's top eight scorers. Led by the WUSA's scoring leader in 2002 (Katia - 15 g, 5a, 35 pts.), the 2002 WUSA Most Valuable Player (Marinette Pichon - 14g, 1a, 29 pts.) and the 2001 WUSA MVP (Tiffeny Milbrett - 10g, 8a, 28 pts.), the North is loaded with offensive firepower up top. The starting three forwards combined for a total of 225 shots and 123 shots on goal during the 2002 season. Boston's Kristine Lilly (8g, 13a, 29 pts.) will give the North All-Stars a fourth attacking presence coming out of the midfield. Lilly ended the season riding a WUSA-record 10-game point-scoring streak. San Jose's Sissi (1g, 9a, 11 pts.) and Tisha Venturini-Hoch (6g, 1a, 13 pts.) will look to create problems for the opposing defense by creating scoring chances and unleashing shots on goal. Philadelphia's Lorrie Fair (5a, 5 pts.) rounds out the North All-Star's midfield. The Charge's midfield engine was instrumental in connecting with Pichon to help the French forward finish second in the WUSA with 14 goals in 2002. The defense for the North is comprised of two members from the league's best back line (Jenny Benson - 3a, 3 pts. - and Jennifer Tietjen - 1g, 3a, 5 pts.) and one of the WUSA's most versatile players (Brandi Chastain - 4g, 3a, 11 pts.). The Philadelphia Charge finished the 2002 season allowing a league-low 1.00 goals per game due to the play of both Benson and Tietjen and North reserve Erica Iverson. Chastain has been used as both a defender and a forward during the 2002 campaign, giving coach Sawyers an additional offensive weapon from the back line. In net for the North All-Stars is Philadelphia's Melissa Moore (11-3-6, 1.00 GAA), the WUSA leader in goals against average (1.00) and winning percentage (70.0) in 2002. Moore has the comfort of two familiar faces in front of her at the start of the match - Philadelphia teammates Tietjen and Benson. The North reserves are led by U.S. national team goalkeeper and the 2001
WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year LaKeysia Beene (8-7-5, 1.35 GAA). The San
Jose 'keeper ranks second all-time in WUSA shutouts after recording four
during the 2002 season. Boston's Kate Sobrero (1a, 1 pt.) is an experienced
veteran with the ability to play both central defender and outside back.
Along with Philadelphia's Iverson (2g, 4 pts.), the North squad should
have more than enough depth defensively to face the South. A pair of Boston
Breakers round out the North reserves, as Boston's Angela Hucles (3g,
4a, 10 pts.) and Maren Meinert (7g, 16a, 30 pts.) will provide a spark
off the bench. Top of PageMcDermott To Coach WUSA South All-Stars Carolina Courage coach Marcia McDermott will lead the South team in the WUSA's first All-Star Game in Portland, Ore., on September 21.The WUSA has also announced the starting lineups for the North and South teams, and five reserve players for each team will be announced next week. The game will played at PGE Park at 4 p.m. (ET) and televised by PAX. McDermott will have five players from her Courage team in the starting lineup, including Kristin Luckenbill, the league's Goalkeeper of the Year. Defender Danielle Slaton, midfielders Hege Riise and Tiffany Roberts and Birgit Prinz will also start from the WUSA national championship Courage. Atlanta's Homare Sawa was named as a starting midfielder, while defender Jennifer Grubb and forwards Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach from the WUSA runnerup Washington Freedom will start for the South. The starters: Top of PageCourage Beats Freedom 3-2 For WUSA Title Birgit Prinz's unassisted goal in the 58th minute proved to be the game winner as the Carolina Courage captured Founders Cup II, 3-2 over the Washington Freedom. Prinz, the game's MVP, added an assist on Carolina's go-ahead goal five minutes earlier, and was named Most Valuable Player of the match. Freedom super-sub Mia Hamm scored the game's final, and most spectacular goal, but her effectiveness was limited when the Courage struck twice in five minutes to open up a 3-1 lead."It was a great game for the fans," said Courage coach Marcia McDermott, the architect of the club's worst to first ascent. "Congratulations to Washington. What a great game they played today." The match began at a physical but acceptable pace, and neither team developed any remarkable, early chances. The best of the early chances, a poor angle shot by Unni Lehn, was knocked to safety by Siri Mullinix in the 12th minute. Carolina never trailed in the match, first taking the lead through all-WUSA
midfielder Hege Riise. Right back Staci Burt took advantage of an acre
of space on the right flank and served the ball to the top of the penalty
area. "I know that whenever Danielle Fotopoulos gets the ball on her head for a flick, I better be there," Riise said. "She's going to win it nine out of every 10 times." The Courage had the better of the soccer over the first 45 minutes. Center backs Nel Fettig and Erin Baxter anchored a defense that held the Freedom to a single shot on goal in the first half. Unfortunately for the Courage, the Freedom equalized without shooting when Fotopoulos accidentally deflected a serve beyond Kristin Luckenbill for the first own goal in Founders Cup history. "Of course I planned it," deadpanned Jen Grubb, who drove a free kick from near the midstripe that Fotopoulos redirected while trying to mark Abby Wambach. "That's our target area," said head coach Jim Gabarra. "You have to serve the ball in there and we've been getting great service from Jen all season." Hamm came on for Ann Cook in the second half, but it was the Courage that stole the show at the other side of the break. The play started when Hamm lost the ball to a slide tackling Lehn. In the end, Prinz was able to shoot from inside the 18-yard box. Mullinix made the save, but Fotopoulos controlled the rebound and buried the goal that put the Courage on top for good. "I know when Birgit is going to shoot, something is going to happen," said Fotopoulos, giving Prinz similar praise that she was given by Riise. "I followed up the shot and ended up in the right place at the right time. And it went in." Fotopoulos' goal was scored in the 53rd minute, and five minutes later, a rare defensive miscue by Grubb allowed Prinz to walk in on Mullinix for an easy goal. "It was a bad decision," Grubb said of a play that saw Prinz swoop in and intercept what should have been a basic serve into the midfield. "At the spot I was on the field, 20, 23 yards out, it's not really a good time to settle the ball and try to play it out. But, it happened. That's how it goes." The Freedom offered credit to the Courage for the flurry that put it
into a lead it would never relinquish. I just have to give a round of applause to those two players. They had
their two chances and they finished them." The Freedom never stopped pressing ahead in search of the equalizer, coming tantalizingly close on a few occasions. In the 77th minute, Luckenbill's punt went directly to Wambach, who just as quickly tried to thread the needle to Jacqui Little. Luckenbill rushed out to bother Little enough that her shot rolled wide of its mark. "A defensive adjustment we made," offered McDermott, "was to put Staci Wilson in as a second defensive mid, and ask her to always make sure we provide cover against (Hamm) on the flank. She did a great job." McDermott praised her entire defense, and was particularly fond of the game played by center back Fettig. "Nel Fettig from the beginning of the game to the end of the game was notable," McDermott said. "We had some lapses, but she had no lapses, and she held us together through some tough spots. But our entire defense was organized." Gabarra and the Freedom refused to hang their heads in defeat, the club's first in 63 days. "I'm extremely proud of what the Washington Freedom put on the field
this season, and especially today," he said. "It was a very
exciting game, and my hat goes off to Carolina. I think it was a statement
for what this league can put on the field." Top of PageCourage Headed To WUSA Founder's Cup CARY, NC - A "golden goal" by second half substitute Carla Overbeck gave Carolina a berth in Founders Cup II as the Courage defeated the Atlanta Beat 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at SAS Stadium. With the win, the Courage advance to the WUSA Founders Cup II versus the Washington Freedom on August 24 in Atlanta."We just came through a terrific game with Atlanta," said Carolina Head Coach Marcia McDermott. "Now, we need to focus our attention on Washington. They are the hottest team in the league. They are playing great soccer and are completely confident. This is going to be a great game between two teams that know how to score goals." Carolina will now head to Atlanta to face Washington in Founders Cup II at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on PAX TV. The Freedom defeated the Philadelphia Charge 1-0 earlier in the day at Villanova Stadium. Two minutes into overtime, Overbeck, who came in during the 74th minute, scored the game-winning "golden goal" to clinch the victory for the Courage. Danielle Fotopoulos began the play with a pass to Birgit Prinz down the right side. As the German striker was entering Atlanta's penalty area, she ripped a shot toward the far post. Atlanta goalkeeper Briana Scurry got her right hand on it to deflect the shot to the far edge of the six-yard box. An unmarked Overbeck ran onto the ball and buried a shot into the back of the net for the win. "For these two teams (Carolina and Washington) to go to the Founders Cup after a not so good year last year is just a credit to the whole organization," said Overbeck. "It was definitely special. We've been working hard all year. Marcia (McDermott) and the staff have done a great job. I glad we're going to the Founders Cup championship." Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute on a penalty kick by Nikki Serlenga. The Beat midfielder ripped a shot from the penalty spot to beat Carolina goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill to her right. The penalty kick was the result of Carolina's Fotopoulos fouling Atlanta's Cindy Parlow during a corner kick by Serlenga in the 27th minute. Following the Atlanta goal, the game was suspended in the 29th minute for 29 minutes due to lighting. The Beat was forced to play a person down for the remainder of the match after Julie Augustyniak received her second yellow card of the match and was sent off in the 57th minute. Carolina tied the match with penalty kick goal by Fotopoulos in the 89th minute. Burying the ball into the exact spot as her counterpart did earlier in the match, Fotopoulos beat Scurry to her right. The penalty kick was the result of Carolina's Hege Riise being taken down by Atlanta's Marci Miller in the area. "I think we just kept fighting," said Fotopoulos. "We kept wanting it more than they did and came up with the win. But, I can tell you that when the whistle blew I was in tears." With neither team able to claim the lead during regulation, the match went into overtime. Top of PageFreedom Beats Charge To Advance Monica Gerardo's 80th-minute goal was the difference as the Washington Freedom defeated the Philadelphia Charge 1-0 Saturday afternoon in the WUSA Playoff Semifinals. Gerardo's goal occurred when Washington midfielder Pu Wei dumped a pass into Jacqui Little in the penalty area. With her back to the goal, Little collected the ball, spun around, and dribbled down the right side to the endline before slotting a pass to Gerardo. The Mexican national team standout hammered the ball into the back of the net from seven yards past a helpless Melissa Moore. Gerardo and Little were both second-half substitutes brought in to spark the offense in the 90-degree heat at Villanova Stadium. "We know that coming in we have 30-35 minutes to make an impact," said Gerardo, who entered the game for Ann Cook in the 59th minute. "I think we both did that today." Although it was a scoreless first half, both teams had solid scoring chances in the first 45 minutes. Washington's Steffi Jones skimmed the crossbar in the 11th minute from 21 yards out, while teammate Ann Cook cracked a 23-yard shot that smacked off the crossbar in the 33rd minute. Philadelphia's best chance came when the Charge worked it in from the right flank and Kerry Connors cracked a 12-yard shot that Siri Mullinix pushed away in the 32nd minute. Washington's Mia Hamm entered the match at halftime, and the world's all-time scoring leader's first shot - a save by Moore -- came just 2:51 into the second half. Hamm finished with two shots on the day. Philadelphia's best scoring chance in the second half came in the 75th minute when the Charge produced a nice combination play at the top of the penalty area. But Washington's defense closed the play down and Marinette Pichon was unable to generate a shot. Pichon, whose 14 goals ranked second in the WUSA during the regular season, had four shots on the day, but only one was on goal as Freedom defender Carrie Moore shadowed the French national team star throughout the game. "I did everything I could to not let her get the ball," Moore said. "Even if she did get the ball, I wanted to make sure it wasn't dangerous. It was tough." Heading into Founders Cup II, Washington is the hottest team in the WUSA,
as the Freedom has gone 8-0-2 in its last 11 games. Top of PageWashington Freedom 5, Carolina Courage 2
Mia Hamm had two goals and an assist and Abby Wambach
registered a goal and three assists as the Washington Freedom scored four
second-half goals to defeat the Carolina Courage 5-2 Wednesday evening in
front of an overflow crowd of 7,214 at SAS Stadium. With the victory,
Washington (9-5-5, 32 pts.) moves within one point of second place
Carolina (10-5-3, 33 pts.). Carolina suffered its third consecutive defeat
following a 10-2-3 start. Top of PageBeat Finally Beats Courage 1-0 ATLANTA, GA - Charmaine Hooper's league-leading sixth
game-winning goal in the 68th minute gave the Atlanta Beat (9-7-1, 28
pts.) 1-0 over the Carolina Courage (10-4-3, 33 pts.) on Saturday evening
at Herndon Stadium. Top of PageMLS Commissioner Don Garber and San Jose Earthquakes Head Coach Frank Yallop have made their reserve selections for the roster of the MLS All-Star Team that will face the U.S. Team at the 2002 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game in Washington, D.C., on August 3 (3:30 p.m. ET - ABC Sports). "We are truly excited to finalize the rosters for the 2002 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game," said Commissioner Garber. "We expect to provide fans across America with an incredibly entertaining, competitive game, along with various elements celebrating the history of soccer in the United States. We've come a long way in a short period of time, both as a League and as a soccer-playing nation on the world stage. The 2002 Pepsi MLS All-Star Weekend in Washington, D.C. will pay tribute to those accomplishments." Yallop, who will coach the MLS All-Stars, selected three members of his League-leading San Jose squad - forward Ariel Graziani, defender/midfielder Wade Barrett and goalkeeper Joe Cannon - and rounded out the 18-man roster by inviting Dallas striker Jason Kreis and Kansas City Wizards midfielder Chris Klein. Currently tied for third in individual scoring, Kreis and Graziani were teammates on the Burn from 1999-2001, prior to the February trade that sent forward Ronald Cerritos to Dallas for Graziani. "I wanted to be fair to our team and to all the players in the League," said Yallop. "It was a difficult decision, because there are a lot of players having great seasons both on our team and around the League. I wanted to make sure that we had a player from every area (defender, midfielder, and forward). I think that we have had strong play in all of those areas this season." Despite the extended World Cup absence of veteran defender Jeff Agoos, Cannon and Barrett have endured to fortify a San Jose defense that currently posts a League-low .95 goals against average. Klein's outstanding play on the right wing for Kansas City this season belies his recent recovery from an offseason ACL tear. Both Barrett and Klein will make their All-Star debuts in 2002 while Graziani, Kreis and Cannon own a combined 10 MLS All-Star selections. Added to the team as Commissioner's picks were Bolivian playmakers Marco Etcheverry of D.C. United and Joselito Vaca of the Dallas Burn. Etcheverry, United's captain and an RFK Stadium fan-favorite, is the League's No.3 all-time assist leader and led D.C. United to four consecutive appearances in the MLS Cup title game, where the Black-and-Red emerged victorious in 1996, '97 and '99. Known as "El Diablo", Etcheverry's midfield magic also helped the United dynasty to a U.S. Open Cup title in 1996 and the InterAmerican Cup in 1998. Viewed by many as the heir to Etcheverry's #10 shirt with the Bolivian National Team, Vaca has been a key player in the Burn's surprising surge to the top of the MLS standings in 2002. Named the Bolivian First Division's Player of the Year prior to joining the Burn for the 2001 MLS season, Vaca, like Etcheverry, is a product of the famed Bolivian soccer school, Tahuichi Academy. A complete 2002 Pepsi MLS All-Star roster overview follows. Check out www.MLSnet.com for more detailed information:
Top of PageA-League Battery Signs Eric Wynalda The Charleston Battery has signed the US Men's National Team all time leading goal scorer, Eric Wynalda. Wynalda, 32, spent the 2001 season with Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire; previous Clubs include the San Francisco Blackhawks, F.C. Saarbrücken, VfL Bochum, the San Jose Clash, the Miami Fusion and the New England Revolution. Wynalda is a veteran of three World Cup Finals (1990, 1994 and 1998) and in 2000 was voted the Honda Player of the Decade. Charleston Battery Head Coach, Chris Ramsey, "Eric is a strategic piece of our jigsaw puzzle as we continue to improve the level of soccer, not only in Charleston but throughout the A-League. The fact that Eric Wynalda has chosen to come and play in Charleston shows the quality of the Club and the improving strength of the league as a whole. This is great news for fans of the Charleston Battery who will have the opportunity to see one of the all time US players right here at Blackbaud Stadium. " Wynalda said, "I'm very excited about the upcoming season, the Charleston Battery has been able to build a very strong team and I'm looking forward to being a part of it." A native of Westlake California, Wynalda began his National Team career in 1990, playing in 18 games including 2 in the World Cup Finals in Italy. In 1994 he was a key member of the US side that famously advanced to the second stage of the tournament. Wynalda started in all four of the US's matches and scored one of the goals of the tournament, a superb curling free kick in the 1-1 tie with Switzerland. At France 1998 he played in two of the US's three games. In all Wynalda played 106 matches for the US Men's National Team and scored 34 goals, an all time record; he is also the all time record holder in points (84). He is tied with Joe-Max Moore as the player to score the most goals in a season (9), and holds the record for most consecutive games scoring a goal after hitting the target in three consecutive National Team matches in 1991. Wynalda began his professional career with the APSL, San Francisco Blackhawks in 1990. In 1992 he became one of the first US players to break into the German Bundesliga when he joined F.C. Saarbrücken and scored nine goals in his first 10 games. After two years with F.C. Saarbrücken, he joined VfL Bochum, in 1994 for $850,000. In 1996 Wynalda returned to the US to play in MLS's inaugural year, for the San Jose Clash. He scored the first ever goal in Major League Soccer, lifting the Clash to a 1-0 victory over DC United. Wynalda played three seasons with the Clash appearing 58 times, scoring 21 goals and adding 30 assists. After spending the 1999 season with the Miami Fusion Wynalda joined the New England Revolution in 2000. Both spells were marred by a combination of injury and National Team duty. With the Chicago Fire in 2001, Wynalda played 26 games, scoring 11 goals and adding 6 assists, his most productive year in Major League Soccer since 1996. He finished the year as the Fire's leading goal scorer and also led the team in points. In total Wynalda played 110 MLS matches scoring 36 goals, contributing 39 assists for a combined total of 111 points. Prior to turning pro Wynalda played three years for San Diego State University, where as a freshman his team advanced to the NCAA Final Four and he was named San Diego State's Freshman Athlete of the Year. Charleston Battery players signed so far; Pre-season MLS Exhibitions The Charleston Battery will face two Major League Soccer opponents as it prepares for it's 2002 A-League campaign. First up is the Western Conference Dallas Burn who will play the Battery, Saturday, March 30th at Blackbaud Stadium. Kick off is set for 7:30 PM. Then, on Saturday April 13th the Eastern Conference New England Revolution arrive for the second MLS pre-season exhibition, kick off is also set for 7:30 PM, again the match will be played at Blackbaud Stadium. Fan's who purchase Charleston Battery 2002 season tickets before March 25th will receive complimentary tickets to both games ($24 value). Top of PageAnschutz Increases MLS Ownership To 5.5 Teams Philip Anschutz’s stake in Major League Soccer grew by a half team this afternoon when commissioner Don Garber announced that Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment would partner with Anschutz Entertainment Group to acquire the defending MLS champion San Jose Earthquakes. AEG already operates the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Colorado Rapids and New Jersey’s MetroStars in the 10-team league. "We are pleased to have finalized many months of discussions with SVS&E and are enormously excited about formally welcoming them to the MLS family," said Garber in a press release. "The Earthquakes' worst-to-first run last season is now bolstered by the long-term vision and commitment to soccer by SVS&E and its new partner in Bay Area soccer, AEG." SVS&E, which operated the Earthquakes last season, will serve as the managing partner in the relationship, with it president Greg Jamison joining the MLS board of governors. Former North American Soccer League Earthquakes star and local business executive Johnny Moore recently was named general manager. He will handle day-to-day management, leaving coach Frank Yallop in charge of all competitive soccer duties. In the summer of 2000, Jamison established a new business division of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks known as Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment. It manages all business operations, including the marketing, sponsorship sales, broadcast, and other endeavors of the San Jose Earthquakes, Compaq Center at San Jose and select Compaq Center events, Logitech Ice at San Jose, the Sharks, the Siebel Open tennis tournament and the Siebel Classic Senior PGA Tour tournament. AEG holds ownership in 10.5 North American sports teams including 5.5 MLS squads and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. AEG also owns and operates seven professional soccer and hockey teams in Europe. AEG recently broke ground on an 85-acre sports complex that will include a 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium for the Galaxy. The stadium, on the campus of California State University-Dominguez Hills in Carson, will also serve as the National Training Center for the United States men's and women's national team programs. Current plans call for the Galaxy to begin play in the $75 million stadium in the June of the 2003 MLS season. The stadium will also host MLS Cup 2003, Major League Soccer's eighth championship game. The Carson complex also will include major facilities for tennis, track and field, and cycling. AEG is also developing soccer stadium initiatives in metropolitan New York and Washington, D.C. Top of PagePHILADELPHIA (Jan. 18) -- Ten National Championship coaches were named NSCAA/Adidas National Coach of the Year in their respective divisions at the NSCAA Awards Dinner Friday, Jan. 18, during the 55th Annual NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia. In all, 11 collegiate, six high school and two youth coaches were recognized for their outstanding achievements in 2001. Among those from the South that earned national Coach of the Year honors was UNC men’s coach Elmar Bolowich, University of Tampa men’s coach Keith Fulk; Nick Coulter, Brookwood (GA) HS boys coach; and Swansboro HS boys coach Bob Vroom (NC). The pool for National Coach of the Year selection includes all Regional Coaches of the Year, as well as senior college coaches whose teams advanced to the national semifinals. Three coaches were honored under this provision. Jerry Smith of Santa Clara (NCAA DI), Bob Barnes of Ohio Wesleyan (NCAA DIII) and Mike Giuliano from Westmont College (NAIA) each guided his respective women's program to a national title in 2001 on the road to National Coach of the Year honors. A complete roster of the recipients and their achievements follows: 2001 NSCAA/Adidas Coaches of the Year NCAA Division I Men -- Elmar Bolowich, University of North Carolina Bolowich guided the Tarheels to the 2001 NCAA title and the top spot in the NSCAA/Adidas Division I men’s poll with a 21-4-0 record. Bolowich was the ACC Coach of the Year and the South Region Coach of the Year in 2000 and received the NSCAA National Merit Award in 1999. Women -- Jerry Smith, Santa Clara University Smith’s Santa Clara team won the 2001 NCAA Division I Women’s title and finished as the top-ranked team in the NSCAA/Adidas National Rankings. Smith guided the Broncos to a 23-2-0 record and its first NCAA championship after eight semifinal appearances. His career mark stands at 219-58-15 in 15 years, making him the winningest coach in Santa Clara history. NCAA Division II Men -- Keith Fulk, University of Tampa Fulk led Tampa to the 2001 NCAA Division II National Championship and the No. 1 ranking in the final NSCAA/Adidas National Poll with a record of 19-0-2. The 1985 Tampa graduate’s five-year school and career coaching record stands at 81-24-7. In 1996, he coached the U.S. Sports Festival South Squad to a Gold Medal and in 1998, was on staff of the Adidas Summer League featuring the 100 top collegiate players in the country. Women -- Brian McManus, University of California-San Diego McManus, a three-time NSCAA/Adidas NCAA Division III Coach of the Year, adds Division II Coach of the Year honors to his resume after leading UC San Diego to its third-straight NCAA title, and seventh overall, in 2001. The Tritons finished 21-2-0 as the No. 1 team in the NSCAA/Adidas Division II women’s poll. McManus, 258-29-8 during his head coaching career, also earned CCAA conference coach of the year recognition for the second-straight year and was the West Region Coach of the Year. NCAA Division III Men -- Jeff Haines, Richard Stockton College Haines guided Richard Stockton to the 2001 NCAA Division III National Title after seeing his squad to the No. 4 ranking in the final regular season NSCAA/Adidas Division III Men’s poll. In the championship match, the Ospreys defeated the University of Redlands 3-2 after advancing past Ohio Wesleyan on penalties in the semifinal. Women -- Bob Barnes, Ohio Wesleyan University Barnes led Ohio Wesleyan to its first national title in women’s soccer in 2001 and the No. 1 ranking in the final NSCAA/Adidas Division III Women’s poll. Barnes’ squad finished 22-1-0 this season after defeating Amherst College in the NCAA finals. Barnes is 60-13 in four years as head coach at OWU. NAIA Men -- Scott Morrissey, University of Rio Grande Morrissey guided Rio Grande to a record of 24-1-1 and a berth in the NAIA semifinals where it fell to eventual national champion Lindsey Wilson 2-1. Rio Grande was ranked fourth in the NSCAA/Adidas NAIA Men’s final regular season poll. Women -- Mike Giuliano, Westmont College Giuliano coached Westmont to the 2001 NAIA Women’s National Championship with a 19-4-0 record. Westmont was ranked fourth in the final regular season NSCAA/Adidas NAIA Women’s poll. Giuliano also won an NAIA title for Westmont in 1999. Named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1999, he has also been Coach of the Year in the Golden State Athletic Conference (1993, 1994, 1995) and the Far West Region of the NAIA (1994, 1996). Junior College Men’s Division I -- Nick Dimitrievski, Bryant & Stratton Business Institute (N.Y.) Dimitrievski guided his side to the 2001 NJCAA Division I National title with a 17-0-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the NSCAA/Adidas Junior College Division I final poll. The University of San Francisco grad has a 71-11-0 career record in four years at Bryant & Stratton. Men’s Division III -- Christopher Corteg, Macomb Community College (Mich.) A five-time NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year, Corteg led Macomb CC to the NJCAA Division III national championship and a Region XII title in 2001. Macomb finished with a 12-7-1 record, winning the championship match versus Herkimer County CC on penalties. Corteg has seen Macomb through to the national semifinals on four other occasions. Women -- Tracey Britton, Monroe Community College (N.Y.) Under Britton's leadership, Monroe CC won the NJCAA national championship and finished atop the NSCAA/Adidas Junior College Women’s poll with a 23-0-0 record in 2001. Britton led the side to national runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2000 before taking the title this season. She is a three-time Regional Coach of the Year and was named Outstanding Coach of the National Tournament this year. In three years, Britton owns a 62-2-2 record at the helm of the Monroe women’s program. High School Boys Division I -- Michael Coulter, Brookwood High School (Snellville, Ga.) Coulter guided Brookwood to the 2001 Georgia State Championship and the No. 6 ranking in the NSCAA/Adidas Spring Poll with a 21-1-1 mark. Coulter is a 6-time County Coach of the Year and has coached in the Georgia Senior All-Star game on six occasions. Boys Division II -- Bob Vroom, Swansboro (N.C.) High School Vroom led Swansboro High to a 24-0-2 record this season, running his career mark to 413-67-23. In its last 102 matches, Swansboro lost just once and has a 53-game unbeaten streak. Vrooms’s team also peaked at No. 14 in the NSCAA/Adidas High School rankings. Named North Carolina Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1990, Vroom is a 20-year NSCAA member. Boys Private/Parochial -- Don Ridall, Manlius Pebble Hill (DeWitt, N.Y.) Ridall coached Manlius Pebble Hill to the No. 1 ranking in New York Class D with 19-0-0 record. He also led the school to its ninth league title in the last 17 seasons. The four-time NSCAA Section III Coach of the Year and two-time N.Y. State Coach of the Year has a 357-91-15 record in 26 years at Manlius Pebble Hill. Girls Division I -- Bob Bigelow, South Side High School (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) Bigelow guided South Side High School to a 20-0-0 record and its second consecutive New York Class A state championship in 2001. Bigelow's side also completed the fall season as the No. 1 team in the NSCAA/Adidas Fall High School rankings. The National Coach of the Year honor is the second for Bigelow, as he claimed High School Girls Division II accolades in 1994. His career record stands at 330-43-21. Girls Division II -- Hank Tenney, Hanover (N.H.) High School Tenney's Hanover High School squad captured the 2001 New Hampshire state championship with a 19-0-1 record and was ranked 21st in the final NSCAA/Adidas Fall High School rankings. The New Hampshire Soccer Hall of Famer has a career mark of 299-50-10, which includes two state titles and eight New Hampshire Class I Coach of the Year awards. Girls Private/Parochial -- John A. Burke, Catholic Memorial High School(Waukesha, Wis.) Burke coached Catholic Memorial High School to a regional title and the Laura Moynihan Tournament championship in 2001. The team boasted a mark of 18-1-3 and earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award. Burke was named Wisconsin High School Coach of the Year for the third-consecutive year, and fourth time overall, in 2001. He is also a two-time Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Coach of the Year. Burke has a 138-8-13 mark in seven years at the high school level with his squad completing the 2000 season as the No. 1 team in the NSCAA/Adidas Spring High School rankings. Youth Boys -- Patrick Vignona (Manorville, N.Y.) Vignona is a founder and an active coach with several teams of the Manorville Soccer Club in the Long Island Junior Soccer League. He currently coaches four Manorville S.C. teams including a U-11 Girls Developmental team, U-12 Girls, U-14 Girls Select and U-15 Boys. He has taken the U-15 Boys to England and Italy and introduced a successful program for four-year olds in Spring 2001. Vignona holds a National Diploma from NSCAA and several licenses from LIJSL. Perhaps the most telling indicator of his success in soccer are the numerous "thank yous" he receives from former players. Sixteen of his former players are currently playing with NCAA Division I programs. Girls -- John Poch (Sunnyvale, Calif.) Poch is the coach of the Central Valley Scorpions in San Jose, Calif. Poch has coached at the youth level for 18 years guiding his teams to the1994 and 1995 CYSA state championships, the 1994 U-17 National Championship and a U-18 national runner-up finish in 1995. In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Poch was Director of the NCAA Women’s College Cup in 1999 and 2000 in San Jose, Calif., and is the Executive Director for the Inner City Games in the greater San Jose area. Top of PageIt's
a Revolution in New England (Friday, January 11, 2001) -- On Monday, the New England Revolution rewarded coach Fernando Clavijo with a long-term contract after producing modest results for two years with one of Major League Soccer’s least talented rosters. Today, the Revolution bestowed Clavijo, the club's fifth coach in six seasons, with five perennial MLS All-Stars as the league’s 10 teams picked over the remains of the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, teams eliminated by the MLS board of governors Tuesday to cut operating costs. The Revolution’s bounty included a pair of strikers who led MLS in scoring the last two seasons -- Alex Pineda Chacon, who topped MLS with 19 goals and 47 points en route to be named "Most Valuable Player" for Miami in 2001 and Mamadou (Big Mama) Diallo who found net 26 times in 28 Mutiny outings in 2000. New England, which finished 7-14-6 and well out of the playoffs in 2001, also picked up veteran United States national team defender Carlos Llamosa, midfielder Steve Ralston who has played more minutes than any player in MLS history and striker Jim Rooney from the pool of former All-Stars. "We filled up our needs," Clavijo said. "If you look at my roster, we needed someone to score goals, we needed a central defender, a defensive midfielder and an outside player. We looked at the needs and we tried to fill them with players in the draft. Other teams were restricted by the amount of money they had." Said Los Angeles coach Sigi Schmid, "They've rebuilt themselves with established MLS talent which is different from going outside MLS and hoping the talent understands our league. These players have proven themselves in this league already and the Revolution went about rebuilding themselves in the quickest way to do it. They positioned themselves well with a series of moves to take advantage of an unfortunate situation." Two separate drafts were held to allow teams to acquire former Miami and Tampa Bay players. Until today, player allocations were a process negotiated between a team and the MLS office. Suddenly, the seven teams that were due a total of nine allocations were to use them in a first draft of the Fusionpool. After that, teams drafted in reverse order of their 2001 finish for the players remaining for the Miami and Tampa Bay rosters. The Colorado Rapids opened the day’s proceedings by taking up-and-coming attack-minded defender Pablo Mastroeni, a move that possibly presaged a post-draft trade of Marcelo Balboa, an original member of the Rapids, to the MetroStars for a third-round draft pick. "Twenty-four hours ago we had no cap room and we were an 11th-placed team with two great picks," Rapids coach Tim Hankinson said. "So we really had to make drastic moves with the moving of Balboa to free up money. I think the weaknesses on the flank that have been evident for a few years with the club, to come up with Chung and Henderson, two of the best wingers in the game and that opens up the field. "We have not been strong in the tackle behind (playmaker Carlos) Valderrama. We need a ball-winner there who is also a skillful player who can interplay with a player like Valderrama and his touches. Pablo's the best guy in the entire league for that and from that standpoint I think it's been a great draft for us." After the Revs took Diallo, D.C. United selected 22-year-old keeper Nick Rimando who had blossomed under new United coach Ray Hudson in Miami in 2001. United also gained young midfielder Lazo Alavanja from the dispersal. "It was an extraordinarily tough day at the office. Today was full of emotional and professional challenges," said Hudson, who became United's coach within an hour after the Fusion folding on Tuesday. "It's an enormous challenge to draft a number of players especially when you have a team like D.C. United that is stretched for salary cap as it is. It's extremely frustrating. But the rules are the same for everybody. We tried to make enough room to get what we got. We got two very, very good reasonably priced players." The MetroStars then traded veteran midfielder Mark Chung and a couple regular draft picks for the fourth allocation selection to take former Miami midfielder Diego Serna. "When we always played against (Serna), he's been a menace to our defense. It's going to be great having him play for us as opposed to against us," MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano said. "He brings firepower to combine with what we have in Rodrigo Faria and Clint Mathis. We did come with the idea to get him. We were presented with many scenarios and in the end, the one that we chose (one that) proved to be the very best one for us. There is no secret Chung is contemplating the end and he's moving his family to Florida. And so if there was ever a time to cash that chip it was now and we feel very good about it." The San Jose Earthquakes won MLS Cup 2001, counting greatly on the offensive output of teenaged sensation Landon Donovan. Today they added. 18-year-old Devin Barclay from Tampa. "Nothing really caught our eye (from the dispersal pool, except) Devin Barclay," Quakes coach Frank Yallop said. "I feel he is a diamond. I think he is a very good player and will be a star in the league. I'm looking forward to working with him. I think Devin is a good young player and he's proven himself in the league already. So I'm really happy to have him on board. We'll probably shake something up in that area (and) see how it goes." The Galaxy expended the final allocation to gain former attacking midfielder turn defender Tyrone Marshall whose blazing speed is an asset that many league coach have craved. "We picked up an international player who can play a variety of positions for us," Schmid said. "The move gives us an impact player who can help during international call-ups for the World Cup when we're going to be losing players and he can fill in a number of spots." Today was just the start of a complex series of player transactions. That 22 players were added today only means at least that many need to be waived by Tuesday. Fans might finds some of their favorite players become victim of new acquisitions, as was the case in Colorado with Balboa. All those waived, plus the 15 from the dispersal pool who were not selected today will be made available in a waiver draft Thursday, but few if any will be selected. With two teams eliminated, 40-50 jobs have disappeared depending on how many injured players the Fusion and Mutiny might have carried had they played in 2002. Allocation Draft
Notes: The MetroStars acquired the fourth allocation pick from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for midfielder Mark Chung and the MetroStars' 16th (second round) and 29th (third round) overall picks in the 2002 draft. San Jose acquired the eighth allocation pick from the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for the ninth allocation pick and the Earthquakes' 12th overall (first round) pick in the 2002 draft. Dispersal Draft First round
Note: Columbus acquired the ninth overall dispersal draft pick from the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for the Crew's 38th (third round) overall pick in the 2002 MLS draft. Second round
Third round
Fourth round
Reprinted With Permission From www.soccertimes.com Top of PageD.C. United has announced the hiring of Ray Hudson as the team's head coach. Hudson joins United after serving as the head coach of Fusion F.C. for the past two seasons, leading the club to the Supporters Shield as MLS' best team during the regular season last year (16-5-5). He had a 27-17-6 MLS record with Fusion F.C. United also announced the re-signing of Curt Onalfo as assistant coach and that former goalkeeper Mark Simpson will retire and join the technical staff as the goalkeeping coach. "We're excited to have Ray join D.C. United as the new head coach," said Kevin Payne, Anschutz Entertainment Group Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Soccer Operations. "He has an enormous enthusiasm for the game and appreciates and respects the tradition that has already been established here at United. I am confident that our team and Ray Hudson will prove to be a great marriage and that we can all look forward to an exciting and winning style of play." "I am looking forward to working very closely with Ray in the further development of D.C. United," added United Technical Director Dave Kasper. "His passion for the game is unparalleled. It is exactly what we need to help elevate our club to the playing level that our supporters expect and deserve." Hudson has long been known for his knowledge and passion for the game of soccer as well as for his humorous and insightful thoughts. He served as the color analyst for Fusion broadcasts from the club's 1998 inception until taking over as head coach nine games into the 2000 MLS campaign. His passionate insight and memorable quotes have made him a popular fixture among players, fans and media alike. "It's an immense honor to be given this opportunity with the most storied soccer team in the United States," said Hudson. "I'm salivating to work with such a talented group of players before the league's greatest fans. I'm relishing this challenge, and it is my intention to help bring United back to the pinnacle of soccer where it belongs." At the age of 17, Hudson began his professional playing career with Newcastle United of the English Premier League. He made 40 appearances for the club from 1973-77 before signing with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL. The five-time All-Star midfielder led the Strikers to the 1980 Soccer Bowl. He continued to be a fixture on the American soccer scene until his 1992 retirement. Simpson, 35, has spent his entire six-year MLS playing career with United, winning six championships with the club: three MLS Cups (1996, 1997, 1999), one U.S. Open Cup (1996), one CONCACAF Champions Cup (1998) and one Interamerican Cup (1998). A steady, sure-handed keeper, he was the comeback story of the year in 1999 after a series of devastating knee injuries limited his productivity in 1997 and 1998. For his MLS career, Simpson appeared in 53 games and posted a 26-18-4 record with a 1.49 GAA. In 2001, his last season backstopping the nets, he made seven appearances, registering a 5-2-0 record and a 1.71 GAA. "My playing years at D.C. United have been the best in my career," said Simpson. "The staff, players and the fans have made this the best organization in MLS. This has been a dream come true. I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to play here and now look forward to helping out on a different level. It's an honor to stay with D.C. United and AEG as a coach. I'm excited about the direction the club is going and hope to help out for years to come." With the hiring of the technical staff complete, Payne assumes formal responsibility as Anschutz Entertainment Group Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Soccer Operations. D.C. United Senior Vice President Stephen Zack will oversee all business operations for the club. "With the technical staff now in place, we are ready to proceed with the season," said Zack. "I have high hopes for this club in 2002." United's technical staff will depart for New York tomorrow afternoon in preparation for Friday's MLS dispersal draft. Hudson and his staff will hold a series of voluntary workouts for United players beginning Monday, January 14 before beginning a full-time preseason training schedule on Monday, January 21. Top of PageMLS Eliminates Miami, Tampa Bay NEW YORK (Tuesday, January 8, 2002) - - Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion will immediately cease operations. The decision to close both teams was made unanimously by the MLS Board of Governors, after a comprehensive strategic review of the League's operations. The League also announced that it is in continuing negotiations with several entities to invest in MLS and acquire the operating rights of the Dallas Burn and San Jose Earthquakes. An announcement is intended in both markets prior to the beginning of the season. Additionally, the League announced that the Anschutz Entertainment Group has exercised its option to become the Investor-Operator of D.C. United. When these transactions are completed, the League will for the first time have an Investor-Operator for every MLS team. Finally, the League has made significant changes to its operating relationship with its teams. These adjustments will provide enhanced revenue opportunities at the local level by allowing teams to retain a greater share of revenue from ticket sales, local sponsorship and television. These changes follow the announcement on December 6, 2001 that MLS investors committed to funding and operating the league for the next five years, through the 2006 season. The six-year old League also announced last week a five-year extension of its broadcast agreement with ABC and ESPN to televise a significant schedule of MLS games. At the same time, the League announced the formation of a new marketing and production company which purchased the rights to the 2002 World Cup, 2003 Women's World Cup and the 2006 World Cup. It also announced an agreement with ABC and ESPN to broadcast all three of these World Cup tournaments in the United States (English language). "Our investors have made a number of strategic decisions that will better position MLS in the short and long term," Commissioner Garber said. "These decisions took many months to finalize and were enormously complex and involved, but are necessary to ensure the future success of the League. While we are reducing the number of teams by two for now, the long-term funding commitment, media commitments, new investment and the fact that all teams will have Investor-Operators will make MLS a stronger and more viable league going forward." The MLS Board of Governors has determined that all teams must have an Investor-Operator to manage and fund local operations. The League and Board of Governors thoroughly evaluated all teams and markets, based on their ability to provide value to the league and the sport overall for the long-term. Factors that were considered in the decision-making process included ownership status, past market performance, market potential, and the soccer appropriateness of the local stadium. "The decision to leave both cities for the 2002 MLS season was extremely difficult," said MLS Commissioner Garber. "I can assure all of our fans that we worked tirelessly to find a plan that would have allowed us to remain in both markets. We simply could not find a solution that was economically feasible at this time and we hope to return to the State of Florida when the League expands in future years." Major League Soccer's investors include Philip Anschutz of Denver, the Hunt family of Dallas, the Kraft family of Boston, Kenneth Horowitz, Alan Rothenberg and the global advertising agency, Dentsu. The Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is the Investor-Operator of the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, D.C. United, Los Angeles Galaxy, and the MetroStars. The Hunt family is the Investor-Operator of the Columbus Crew and Kansas City Wizards. The Kraft family is the Investor-Operator of the New England Revolution. The additional shareholders are investors in the entire League, but do not have operating rights to a specific team. The deciding factor for not continuing operations of the Tampa Bay Mutiny is the fact that the team has not had an investor-operator since it began play in 1996. The Mutiny has been operated and funded by the League Office since its inception. In Miami, the MLS Board of Governors, along with Investor-Operator Ken Horowitz, who founded the Miami Fusion as an expansion team in 1998, have determined that the local market is not capable at this time of providing the support necessary to effectively sustain a Major League Soccer team. Both the League and the team worked throughout the 2001 season to bolster the team's support from the local community. Even with an Eastern Conference Championship and increases at the gate, the team remained among the lowest in League average attendance, corporate support and overall revenues. Horowitz will remain an investor in the League, with an option of returning as an operator in South Florida or an expansion market. "There are few owners in professional sports who dedicated themselves to their team as Ken Horowitz did the Fusion," said MLS Investor-Operator, Lamar Hunt. "He tried so hard to make it work in South Florida and all of us in Major League Soccer greatly appreciate his passion and commitment to the game." "Ken Horowitz contributed so much to the League and the sport in South Florida," added MLS Commissioner Garber. "I know the pain and sorrow he feels to no longer be associated with the Fusion. He gave every effort over the past years to create a team that represented the community with pride, personality and public service." MLS will feature a 10-team, two conference alignment for the 2002 season. The Eastern Conference will consist of the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, the MetroStars and the New England Revolution. The Western Conference makeup will consist of the Colorado Rapids, Dallas Burn, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy and defending MLS Cup champion San Jose Earthquakes. In conjunction with this announcement, MLS will conduct a Dispersal Draft of the Tampa Bay and Miami rosters on Friday, January, 11. All former Fusion and Mutiny players will be placed into a Dispersal Draft pool, along with all first round picks in the 2002 SuperDraft held by Miami and Tampa Bay. All lower 2002 SuperDraft picks held by these teams (other than picks they may have previously traded away) will be eliminated, including any picks for which the teams had traded. Immediately prior to the Dispersal Draft, teams due allocations for the 2002 season will participate in an Allocation Draft and may select any one player/pick on the Dispersal Draft list per allocation. The MLS Competition Committee has approved the allocations and selection order for those allocations as follows: Colorado (failure to make the 2001 MLS Cup Playoffs); New England (failure to make the MLS Playoffs); DC United (failure to make the MLS Playoffs); Colorado (Unused 2001 allocation); New England (loss of Leonel Alvarez and Mauricio Wright); New England (loss of William Sunsing); Dallas (retirement of Lubos Kubik); Los Angeles (loss of Luis Hernandez); and San Jose (unused 2001 allocation). The natural SuperDraft order based on final 2001 standings:
Further details of the Allocation/Dispersal Draft and the 2002 Rules of Competition will be released later this week. Top of PageMLS
Fans In Several Cities For Major League Soccer fans on both coasts of Florida, and in Denver, Kansas City, Dallas, San Jose and even Chicago, 2001 is ending on a nervous note. Rumors abound that the 12-team league is about to "contract", probably to 10 clubs, either by folding franchises or allowing them to go on "hiatus." An announcement had been expected before Christmas, but MLS commissioner Don Garber has twice issued terse written statements saying no final decisions would be reached until the new year. The roots of the current situation trace back two or more years when the league's owner-operators or investors, whichever term you prefer, aligned themselves into two camps. One camp, represented by multi-team investors, Philip Anschutz and the Lamar Hunt family, believed that considerably more money, intelligently spent, must be invested in the league to guarantee long-term viability. The other group, represented by New England’s Kraft family, the MetroStars' Stuart Subotnick in New Jersey, and the Miami Fusion’s Ken Horowitz, believed the league needed to move strongly to, at minimum, eliminate operating losses, and at least some teams needed to start showing a profit. The two sides entered into a somewhat uneasy truce prior to the 2001 season, reaching a compromise to freeze team budgets with the single-entity league, which negotiates all player contracts and acquisitions, abstaining from buying new, expensive players. At the same time, some additional funds would be devoted to marketing in an attempt to improve attendance and television ratings. Still, 2001 turned out to be a rather flat year for MLS with, at most, modest gains at the gate and even lesser in TV viewership. So at meetings after the season ended, the investors started to talk seriously about making significant changes. A particularly great drain on MLS resources have been the league-operated teams in Tampa, Fla., and Dallas, given the league's financial structure where the investors are both partners in the league as a whole and individually operate franchises. The league champion San Jose Earthquakes are also owned by the league as a whole, but operated individually by a group without an ownership stake in MLS. The individual operators of each of the other nine franchises assume half of the operating costs (read losses) with Major League Soccer LLC taking on the other half. For the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Dallas Burn, the MLS partnership as a whole is responsible for 100 percent of the operating cost. It is important to note that these costs do not include player contracts which all are the property and responsibility of MLS LLC. All attempts to find owners for Tampa and Dallas have failed, so the initial focus this offseason was eliminating or possibly moving one or both of these teams. These discussions apparently opened the floodgates to a number of issues, triggering a chain reaction of events. Subotnick, and his MLS and Metromedia International Group partner John Kluge, lost their enthusiasm for a long-term commitment to the MetroStars and building a new stadium in northern New Jersey, not to mention starting an expansion franchise with a new facility in New York -- probably Queens. So they accepted a standing offer from Anschutz via his Anschutz Entertainment Group which lusted to add the MLS trophy club to teams in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Denver. Then there is Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, owner of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks which has been operating the Earthquakes without being a partner in league ownership. The current dire economic conditions in Silicon Valley provoked SVS&E to having severe second thoughts about renewing its operating agreement with MLS. At the same time Horowitz, who was introduced to MLS by Subotnick as a minority investor in the MetroStars, told the other MLS principals he was no longer willing to lose money operating the Fusion in Fort Lauderdale and would shutter the team while remaining a partner in MLS LLC. Add to this the major stadium problems of the AEG teams in Chicago and Denver. The Colorado Rapids, who have coexisted with the National Football League’s Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium, have been unable to negotiate a lease to Anschutz’s liking a the Broncos’ new Invesco Field. Demolition of the old Mile High could begin as soon as January 10. The Chicago Fire has been stymied in trying to find a temporary home for two years while Soldier Field is being rebuilt, leading to speculation, however faulty, that the team might have to leave town temporarily, playing someplace such as Milwaukee or St. Louis. With nothing but denials from MLS officials, rumors began to fly. According to several well-placed league sources, this is the direction of the current talks. A reduction of teams is a strong possibility, but of no more than two teams lest the league lose credibility. For a time, a popular option was to shut down Tampa Bay and current Dallas Burn, but move the Kansas City Wizards team and operation to Dallas and rename it the Burn. This would leave the Hunt family, with strong ties to Dallas, running the Burn which would be the beneficiary of a new stadium which is part of a new massive soccer complex to be built in McKinney, a northern suburb. Family patriarch Lamar Hunt announced that the Wizards would stay in Kansas City, even though some of his fellow owners chafe at the terms by which his NFL Kansas City Chiefs rent Arrowhead Stadium to MLS. In San Jose, it appears that AEG is investigating a rescue of SVS&E and a partnership to run the Earthquakes. Where the Fire will play remains a major problem. AEG has league permission to relocate the team for two years in Milwaukee or St. Louis, but now a deal appears close for Cardinal Stadium at North Central College in Naperville, Ill., to become the temporary home. It’s current capacity is 5,500. Horowitz reportedly has rejected at least one offer, probably from AEG, of $18-20 million, to buy him out, He says he has invested about $40 million in MLS in the form of about $20 million for his expansion fee in 1998, $5 million to renovate Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and about $15 million in operating losses. With MLS ready to throw in the towel, the city of Miami stepped forward, with negotiations that are ongoing, trying to find a way to bring the Fusion to the Orange Bowl where the league originally wanted to place a team in the first place. In Tampa, one last -- and probably futile -- attempt is being made to interest Malcolm Glazer, owner of the NFL Bucs in taking over the Mutiny. In Denver, AEG is edging closer to a deal to play at Invesco. Meanwhile, the future in Dallas might rest with the what happens in Miami. If the Fusion folds, the league might decide to keep the Burn intact to keep the league at 10 teams. The Hunt family has apparently pledged to work diligently to bring in local investors. So as New Year’s Day approaches, it is not yet clear what form MLS will take in 2002. On the other hand, a new television deal with ESPN, brokered by Anschutz, has Garber pledging the league’s future is solid for at least five more years. Still, in addition to the contraction of teams, it does seem certain that budgets will be tighter than ever with a number of big-name players being asked to accept salary cuts, no new expensive new players being added and rosters frozen at 18 players. This should not have a particularly negative effect on the quality of play, however, because surviving teams whould be strengthened in the case of a dispersal draft, each picking up a couple good players, possibly even a star, already on the league payroll. Many of these questions need to be answered soon considering the league must finalize its schedule, secure stadium dates, put the finishing touches on the TV deal, hold its "Superdraft" and prepare for a particularly early start in March considering a month=long slow period during the World Cup. Managing editor Gary Davidson contributed to this column. Top of PageAtlanta Beat Waives Five and One Retires The Atlanta Beat today waived Laurie Black, Kerry Gragg, Charry Korgel Morris, Mary Pitera and Maite Zabala to meet the league's 18-player roster limit deadline of 5pm today. All five waived players will enter the WUSA waiver draft taking place this Wednesday and could potentially be picked up by another WUSA team. Simultaneously, the team announced the retirement of midfielder Bryn Blalack.
Players waived from all eight teams will enter the WUSA’s waiver draft taking place Wednesday, December 5, at 5:00 p.m. The draft will span a maximum of four rounds and those players waived, who are not selected in the waiver draft, will become unrestricted players and are free to sign with anyone in the league at the minimum salary. Teams may draft a 19th player, but must waive a player from their active roster within 24 hours of the conclusion of the draft, to reach the maximum 18-player limit. The Atlanta Beat holds the seventh position in the waiver draft. Currently, with the maximum allowable of 18 players, The Beat will be limited to only one selection in the waiver draft. The draft order was determined by the WUSA final standings for the 2001 season and will be held in reverse of those standings. Top of PageOne
Of America’s Most For many younger American soccer fans, Paul Caligiuri was simply a journeyman defender who recently retired from the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. But, of course, he was far more than that. Quite simply, he was one of the most influential American soccer players of his generation, a group which saw soccer rebound from the disastrous failure of the North American Soccer League to once again begin to stake its claim in the nation’s professional sports universe. It would not be at all far-fetched to say soccer would not be where it is today were it not for a single moment, provided courtesy of Paul Caligiuri. That moment came November 19, 1989. In those days, only two nations from CONCACAF, the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, qualified for the World Cup. Mexico was barred for its illegal use of youth players in international competition, and Costa Rica, under coach Bora Milutinovic had already qualified. The United States faced Trinidad & Tobago in Port-of-Spain on the final day of qualifying, needing a victory to advance to Italy ’90. The home side, fully expecting to manage at least a draw was preparing for a national celebration its qualification. With Trinidad defending with all its energy, a scoreless draw loomed when Caligiuri let fly from 30 yards, finding net with what was probably the most important goal in American soccer history. Dubbed the "Goal Heard Round The World," Caligiuri’s rocket qualified the U.S. for the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, setting the table for its role as host of the 1994 Cup and thrusting soccer into the U.S. national consciousness for the first time in a decade. "That goal put professional soccer in the U.S. in motion," long-time U.S. defender Jeff Agoos remarked recently. "It propelled the sport into the American mainstream. It was, if not the genesis, the catalyst for a lot of the things that have happened since then." Capped 110 times for the U.S. between 1984 and 1998, Caligiuri was a fixture for the U.S., playing 8,272 minutes, and starting every match for the U.S. in both the 1990 and 1994 Cups. In Italy, it was fitting that he scored against Czechoslovakia, the first U.S. goal in World Cup competition in four decades. It was also fitting that he led the host U.S. into the second round in 1994. He played for UCLA from 1982-86 and captained the Bruins to a national title in 1985 when he was named U.S. soccer athlete of the year. He was the first American to go to Europe and play at the highest level, for St. Pauli in Germany Bundesliga and also SV Hamburg, SC Feiburg and Hansa Rostock in Germany. In 1989, when he scored his memorable goal in Trinidad & Tobago, he was a midfielder at SV Meppen in the German second division. "He really opened the door for others," said Sigi Schmid who coached Caligiuri at UCLA and with the Galaxy. "He went to Europe at a time when nobody had gone. He was the first one to go and he ended up making it." In 1996, he was one of the American stars who returned to help launch MLS. He was the 10th player taken in the start-up draft and played a year for the Columbus Crew before being traded home to Los Angeles where he has played since. The 37 year-old Caligiuri played his last match Saturday when the Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 for the U.S. Open Cup. Having earned his "A" coaching license in 2000, he will become at college coach of both the men and women at California Poly Pomona. One who saw Caligiuri play his final match on Saturday was Bob Contiguglia, president of the United States Soccer Federation. He clearly lingered a moment when he handed the Galaxy defender his winning medal after the match. "I was privileged to be in Trinidad & Tobago when Paul scored his historic goal," Contiguglia said. "At that time we celebrated our first modern qualification and could not anticipate its impact. Since then, soccer in the U.S. has been on the rise. Paul's goal launched U.S. credibility on the field and laid the groundwork for the successes of the decade of the 90s. Looking back the goal becomes more and more momentous. "In his career as an athlete, Paul Caligiuri has been a class act. He was talented on the field and off the field he fought for his beliefs. I know U.S. Soccer joins me in wishing Paul more success in his coaching career." Another who puts Caligiuri’s accomplishments into perspective is U.S. men’s coach Bruce Arena. "Paul Caligiuri will always be remembered for his goal against Trinidad. To his peers, he will be remembered as a great pioneer for American players. He tested the waters in Europe and then returned to be a part of a new challenge- MLS. American coaches are appreciative of Paul contributions to the game and how he conducted himself both on and off the field of play. We all wish him the very best in his future endeavors". After last week’s MLS Cup final, in which the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Galaxy 2-1 in overtime, Caligiuri walked up to his long-time friend Agoos, the San Jose captain to offer congratulations. "This is your moment," Caligiuri said, shaking Agoos' hand. "No, no," Agoos replied, "This is all possible because of you." Truer words were never spoken. Like many U.S. fans I will miss seeing Paul Caligiuri on the playing field. But unless I miss my guess, I will be seeing him on an MLS bench again, as a head coach, in the not too distant future. Top of PageThe 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be held in the United States, with the championship of the North and Central America and Caribbean region to begin play in Miami. The tournament will kick off on January 18 in the Orange Bowl. Six teams in the 12-team tournament will play in the Orange Bowl. While a final announcement has not yet been made, it is expected that the other six teams will play on the West Coast in the Rose Bowl. The semifinals will be played in the Rose Bowl on January 31 with the championship match held there on February 2. The 12 teams will be split into four groups of three teams with each group playing a round robin. The winners advance to the semifinal round. The Gold Cup champion will represent the CONCACAF in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Canada, as the defending champion, receives an automatic berth. Mexico and the United States will get the remaining North Zone berths. Other teams to qualify include Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Martinique, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Cuba. Two spots in the 12-team draw are reserved for guest invitations. South Korea has accepted one of those guest spots. Top of PageUnited States Men’s National Team head coach Bruce Arena has named a 21-man squad that will train for the team’s final qualifier of the 2002 campaign against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, November 11 at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Matchday 10 of the Hexagonal will kickoff at 2 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ABC. "With the task of qualifying completed, we look at this match as game one of our preparation for World Cup 2002," said Arena. We are pleased to have the opportunity to give some newer players a chance to get experience at this level; at the same time, we are heading to Trinidad with the idea of continuing to build upon our success and make ourselves a better team." The squad features seven starters from the USA’s historic 2-1 win against Jamaica on Oct. 7, including Chevrolet Man of the Match Joe-Max Moore. Seven European-based players will join the camp in Ft. Lauderdale, led by U.S. captain Claudio Reyna. Two players on the roster have been in the first team for all of the USA’s final round qualifying matches: Jeff Agoos and Earnie Stewart, who is the all-time leading scorer for the United States in World Cup qualifying play with nine goals. Arena has called upon the services of goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who has recorded five shutouts in the 2002 qualifying tournament. The U.S. will welcome the return to training of fellow Georgia natives Josh Wolff and Clint Mathis, both key members of the USA’s qualification campaign who have been sidelined for several months due to injury. Wolff has been sidelined since April, but has been involved in full training with the Chicago Fire for several weeks. Mathis, who tore the ACL in his right knee in the U.S. camp prior to the friendly against Ecuador on June 7, has recently returned to fitness training. Arena has called on a total of 14 players from MLS squads with the Chicago Fire make the biggest contribution, sending five players. Joining Wolff will be strike partner Ante Razov, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra and goalkeeper Zach Thornton. Arena has called on the services of three players from the 2001 MLS Cup Champion San Jose Earthquakes, including: MLS Defender of the Year Jeff Agoos; forward Landon Donovan, who earned the crucial penalty in the USA’s 2-1 win against Jamaica; and Richard Mulrooney, making his first appearance in a U.S. camp since October 2000. Miami Fusion FC defender Carlos Llamosa returns to the squad after serving a one-match ban due to yellow card accumulation. The United States hold a 5-3-1 record in final round qualifying play, and the second of three CONCACAF berths in World Cup 2002. The final berth will be determined when Mexico hosts Honduras at the Estadio Azteca on Nov.11, the Mexicans needing only a draw to advance to finals. Trinidad and Tobago sit in the bottom of the Hexagonal table, earning just one win and one draw after nine matches. The USA holds a 10-1-2 all-time record against the Soca Warriors, and is currently enjoying a four-match unbeaten run. In the previous meeting, forward Ante Razov scored the fastest goal in U.S. World Cup qualifying history just 74 seconds into the contest en route to a 2-0 victory on June 20, 2001 at Foxboro Stadium. Trinidad and Tobago holds a special place in the USA’s World Cup qualifying history. On the final matchday of 1990 World Cup qualifying, the United States needed an away victory against T&T to secure a berth. Paul Caliguiri’s "shot heard around the world" goal on November 19, 1989 gave the USA a 1-0 win and marked its emergence onto the world soccer stage. Now 12 years later, the Soca Warriors improbable 1-0 victory away to Honduras on Matchday 9 has handed the United States its fourth consecutive place in the World Cup finals. The Soca Warriors have called upon a 24-man pool to train for the match, recalling eight overseas-based players, four of whom are based in the United States. Technical Director Rene Simoes will look to West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop to anchor the defense, while posting former Columbus Crew forward Stern John at the helm of the attack. John has tallied three goals in final round qualifying play, including the game-winning goal against Honduras on October 7 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The match will be broadcast live on ABC beginning at 2 p.m. ET, meaning that fans of the U.S. men will have seen 7 of 8 road qualifiers broadcast on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, with the eighth going to fans live on pay-per-view. In the past two years, 15 of 16 total U.S. qualifying matches will have been broadcast on the networks, the most in U.S. Soccer history.
Top of PageDeRosario
Comes Through In Clutch COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sunday, October 21, 2001) -- As far as San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop is concerned, Dwayne DeRosario is a coach's dream, and the Canadian international rewarded his mentor in a big way today. Entering in the 85th-minute, DeRosario laced home a 17-yarder six minutes in sudden death to give the San Jose Earthquakes a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy before an announced crowd of 21,626 for the MLS Cup 2001 title at Columbus Crew Stadium. Thus ended the Earthquakes worst-to-first season, taking the league's poorest record in 2000 to the club's first playoff spot in five years and ultimately the Major League Soccer championship. DeRosario started 11 of the 21 games he played in the regular season, but Yallop only used him in three of six playoff games for a total of 54 minutes. In the regular season, he had five goals and four assists, and he added a previous tally in the postseason. "Dwayne is such an impact player, he has to get on the field at some point," said Yallop who was named "Coach of the Year" in his first year as a head coach. "It was fitting for him to get the winning goal . He didn't sulk (when he wasn't playing). He got on with his job." Just when the match seemed to be settling into a long overtime session, San Jose struck quickly, Midfielder Ronnie Ekelund took a quick touch from Zak Ibsen and located DeRosario at the top left of the penalty area with a precise long ball. DeRosario cut to his right and drilled a 17 yard shot that deflected off defender Danny Califf's shin and stretched the right side of the net after deflecting off goalkeeper Kevin Hartman's fingertips. "I'm like a blank," DeRosario said. "I just saw the one-on-one opportunity. My objective was just to get that ball in the back of the net. That was a beautiful ball played over the top (by Ekelund). He made it a lot easier by playing that ball to me. "Before I went into the game, Frank said to me to go out there and win it." San Jose outshot the Galaxy 17-10, but there were only five shots on frame combined with the Earthquakes accounting for three San Jose controlled the early-going as well as large portions of the game, pressing the attack and exhibiting superior quickness on both ends of the field. The Galaxy, however, struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. Defender Greg Vanney took a quick distribution from Hartman and launched a ling ball from the defensive third that went over the head of L.A. striker Luis Hernandez and Earthquakes defender Jeff Agoos. Hernandez slipped behind Agoos to get the ball first, went in alone on advancing keeper Joe Cannon and hammered an unstoppable shot into the right center of the net. "They got one today. That was one too many," Agoos said. A quick combination between midfielders Ian Russell and Richard Mulrooney helped set up striker Landon Donovan for a playoff high fifth goal and a 1-1 tie in the 43rd minute. Mulrooney's pass sent Russell free into the right corner for a cross that Ronald Cerritos let go through in the middle to an open Donovan in the right side of the box. "The ball was in the corner and I was trying to get to the opposite side of the 18," Donovan said. " I wasn't really expecting the ball to get across, but I figured, as it happens so many times, if you make an effort and you make an opportunistic move, you get rewarded. I decided I should get into the box and I got into the opposite side of the box and the ball got through. (Cerritos) made a very clever little move, the ball took a glorious bounce. It was just one of those things." While San Jose won in its first final, the Galaxy came up empty for the third time in a MLS title game. "Everybody loves to beat L.A. It's the national passtime.," said Sigi Schmid, the Galaxy coach for two of those runnerup finishes. "It hurts. Overtime hurts a little more. It's a really empty feeling." San Jose completed a four-game sweep of the Galaxy in 2001 with two regular-season victories and a decision in penalty kicks in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals San Jose had better chances than we did," said L.A. defender Paul Caligiuri. "That typified our matches this year. They's had our numbers." San Jose 2, Los Angeles 1 (OT) Lineups: Los Angeles - Kevin Hartman, Ezra Hendrickson, Danny Califf, Greg Vanney, Paul Caligiuri (Adam Frye 53), Simon Elliott, Mauricio Ciienfuegos, Peter Vagenas, Sasha Victorine (Brian Mullan 75), Luis Hernandez, Cobi Jones. San Jose - Joe Cannon, Jimmy Conrad, Troy Dayak, Jeff Agoos, Wade Barrett, Ian Russell (Zak Ibsen 82), Richard Mulrooney, Ronnie Ekelund, Ramiro Corrales, Ronald Cerritos, Landon Donovan. Scoring: Total shots: Los Angeles 10 (Jones 3), San Jose 17 (Mulrooney 4). Shots on goal: Los Angeles 2 (Hernandez 1, Jones 1), San Jose 3 (Ekelund 1, Donovan 1, DeRosario 1). Saves: Los Angeles - Hartman 1; San Jose - Cannon 1. Fouls: Los Angeles 14 (Califf 3), San Jose 13 (Conrad 3, Ekelund 3). Offside: Los Angeles 2, San Jose 3. Corner kicks: Los Angeles 5, San Jose 13. Referee: Kevinn Stott. Referee's assistants: Roger Itaya, Daniel wilson. Attendance: 21,626 at Columbus (Ohio) Crew Stadium. Weather: Partly cloudy, 68 degrees. Top of PageToo many losses and too many Major League Soccer playoffs without D.C. United cost Thomas Rongen his job as head coach. After leading United to the 1999 MLS Cup championship, Rongen has failed to qualify his team for the playoffs for the past two seasons. Rongen, on the last year of a three-year contract, will not have that contract renewed. He will handle the coaching duties during the fall exhibition season, but D.C. United officials are already putting out feelers for a new head coach. “This has been a very difficult decision, as I believe that Thomas is a fine coach with an outstanding mind for the game,” said United President and General Manager Kevin Payne. “He’s also a fine person, who worked extraordinarily hard in order to deliver success to this organization. Unfortunately, at this level, results are the primary measuring stick. In that regard, we did not accomplish what we had hoped in either of the last two years. Ultimately, I felt that a change was necessary.” John Ellinger, a former Maryland native, has been mentioned in the past as a replacement for Rongen, but it has been reported that Ellinger is on the verge of signing a long-term contract with U.S. Soccer. He currently is the U.S. Under-17 National Men’s Coach. Dave Sarachan, a D.C. United assistant under Bruce Arena, and Arena’s top U.S. National Team Assistant, is one of the frontrunners for the United post. Former Dallas Burn coach Dave Dir is available after sitting out the past MLS season, and former English league players Steve Nichol, Ricky Hill and Richard Gough have been mentioned. All have played or coached in the U.S. Rongen’s teams posted a 16-34-8 record over the last two seasons. D.C. United was 8-16-2 this past season. Rongen was the original MLS coach with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and also coached the New England Revolution. Top of PageMajor League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that MLS has canceled all of the league's 10 remaining regular season matches in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. Play will resume with the MLS Cup Playoffs, which are now scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 20, concluding with MLS Cup 2001 at Columbus Crew Stadium on Sunday, October 21. The league's final regular season standings will be determined on a points-per-game basis. Calculations based on the current standings affect only the position of the seventh-place Kansas City Wizards (now the eighth seed) and the eighth-place Dallas Burn (now the seventh seed). In observance of the victims and heroes associated with Tuesday's tragic events, all teams involved in the MLS Cup Playoffs will wear Statue of Liberty patches (as a global symbol of freedom) and black armbands on their jerseys. In addition, all MLS Cup Playoff Games will feature a moment of a silence. None of the league's 12 teams are scheduled to practice tomorrow and all offices will be officially closed in recognition of the tomorrow's national day of prayer.
* - Game Three, if necessary. All games scheduled for Saturday, September 29 are subject to change for ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Source: www.mlsnet.com Top of PageWUSA Pronounces First Season A Success On the heels of a championship game that was decided on penalty kicks, the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) has dubbed it’s first season a success and said it expects year two to be even stronger. “The WUSA absolutely hit the mark this year, particularly in terms of attendance and sponsorships, and we showed that there is strong and growing support for women’s pro soccer in this country,” said WUSA Board Chairman John Hendricks. “I think we did a good job of tapping into the youth and family markets, and building a solid foundation for the league. In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll turn our attention to refining our operations so that 2002 is even stronger.” Some WUSA highlights from the inaugural season include:
"In every team city, the fans embraced this league," said Tony DiCicco, the WUSA's Chief Operating Officer. "We have proven there is a market for women's soccer. Now we have to build on that by expanding grassroots marketing efforts, leveraging investor resources and learning from this year's overall experience." Looking ahead, the WUSA is currently evaluating best practices across all eight teams to finalize an action plan for year two and beyond. The WUSA Board of Governors met in Boston last weekend, in conjunction with the Championship game at Foxboro, to review results of the first season and develop a plan to dramatically strengthen the league's long term operations. Details of that plan are expected to be announced later this week. The WUSA Investor Group includes media giants AOL Time Warner, Comcast Corporation, Cox Enterprises, Inc. and Cox Communications as well as individual investors John Hendricks and Amos Hostetter. The eight WUSA teams include the Atlanta Beat, Bay Area CyberRays, Boston Breakers, Carolina Courage, New York Power, Philadelphia Charge, San Diego Spirit and the Washington Freedom. League expansion is currently slated for 2003. |
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