Sport Today

Last week, USA TODAY reported (sorry if this has been brought up before!)
that US veteran midfielder Thomas Dooley (32) will leave FC Kaiserslautern of
Germany after this season. Dooley cited personal reasons for the move (he
didn't feel playing major league soccer in Germany was "fun" anymore). His
annual salary will  fall from $300,000 at Kaiserslautern to the USSF maximum of
$70,000. He will now be available for all US international games up to and
including the World Cup finals next year. Dooley (whose father was born in the
US but grew up in Germany) speaks little English and wants to get used to his
teammates and the language by training/playing with the rest of the squad.
---
Comments? Great news, I really hope the United States Soccer Federation can
find a way to get back Harkes, Ramos, Wynalda, Wegerle (and perhaps Keller,
Stewart and Klopas as well) for an extended period of time before the World
Cup starts.
Buying out their contracts for the entire 1993-94 shouldn't be a problem - most
of the players are with small, financially troubled teams or quality
reserves/sometime-starters for good clubs (Harkes, Wegerle). The US could
progress far in the WC finals provided their top players are well prepared and
not exhausted from playing club soccer in Europe. The US Olympic teams in ice
hockey (1980) and volleyball (1984,88) were able to upset their rivals by being
better prepared than anybody else. The same thing could happen in soccer.

MARCU$

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. . . Fififinlandssvensk

Computer Science
Abo Akademi University
Finland

I agree with these sentiments entirely. The US proved in '90 that they were
further along than many people thought. They havent a prayer of winning
the WC but they certainly are no longer a easy W for the opposition.
Depending on the draws, they have a legitimate shot at surviving the
opening round, this is a great improvement over '90 when they where
long odds EVEN TO SCORE ONCE! The nay-sayers were wrong in Italia,
I have a feeling that they will be wrong in the US come '94.

--
Rich h.

"Man does not strive for happiness, only the Englishman does that." -Nietzche

While having the foreign-based players here would lead to better
team play, the foreign players have much to gain individually
from playing abroad.  From what I have seen of Harkes, Ramos and
Dooley, they are much better technically than the US-based
players, and I think that playing against better competition has
helped in that regard.

With respect to Dooley, however, he must feel that since he's a
veteran of the Bundesliga that he really doesn't have anymore
(from the standpoint of football skills and training) to gain
from playing another year in Germany, and he's probably right.
However, I'd hate to see the young players miss out on some
valuable experience by buying out their contracts to move them
out to Mission Viejo;  I really think that they'll be more
valuable to the national team staying another year  gain
football experience and becoming better, more complete players.

--

Xerox Corporation  | Tel     : +1 415 813-6869

I don't think Harkes would take kindly to being called a reserve/sometime
starter. He was a key player in his team lineup, even though the
Arsenal beats them on both Cups. Personally I can't see the yanks
getting out the first round.

This, of course, depends on what kind of schedule the US team has. I think that
fielding a full-time, full-strength national team for the US Cup, Copa
America *AND* Gold Cup would've  helped tremendously. These are for the most
part very competitive tournaments, with the US team playing many of the teams
they will face in the World Cup finals next years. As it is, Bora had to rest
the European-based stars for the Copa America and I doubt he's going to include
them for the Gold Cup either - or am I wrong?
---
Sure, Harkes and Wynalda have learned a lot - but surely bringing them back for
eight months or so wouldn't hurt their skills? Most European-based World Cup
players are tired by the time the finals start in June, Premier League teams
play 70 games per season and John Harkes said nobody is 100% fit after that.
Imagine what the US team could do if they were being run as a club team
(already true to some extent - too bad the best players rarely are available
for selection). Have them play a tailor-made 40-game schedule against good
teams from across the world, make sure they are well- prepared and rested when
the World Cup begins and I would be very surprised if they fail to make the
quarterfinals. And it would be of great help to soccer's "image" as well,
a bit like playing six US Cups from Feb.-Nov. on American soil. At least 20
games on ESPN, with one or two matches on national TV like the recent
USA-Germany encounter in Chicago. On paper, the marketing opportunities would
be enormous..."America's Team."

Of course, only the six*** best players would be on the team and guys like
Stewart and Klopas might prefer to play for their respective club teams rather
than sit on the bench for the national team. That's how Wynalda ended up in
Germany, he was disgruntled by lack of playing time and joined Saarbrucken
mainly to show Bora what he was capable of doing. The way the current system is
working, Saarbrucken/Sheffield/Blackburn etc. own the right to the American
star players and only release them for international duty when they're not
needed back home. If I had my way, the system would be reversed.
---
As for the "depth players" unable or unwilling to join foreign clubs, I'd
like to form a "B/C" team based in California or Texas and play a 40-game
home/away schedule against the teams in the Mexican 1st division. This way, as
many as 50 players ("A" national team, foreign-based players, "B" team)
would get the chance to play top-class soccer.

What would be even better of course would be a pro league so that the next
generation of Harkes, Ramos, Wynalda, etc. could have top competition on a
week in, week out basis.

How serious is Rosenberg about a pro league, or is he just blowing smoke for
FIFA's benefit? Any guesses gang?

Best, Chris

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