MLS Teams Coping Just Fine

May 7, 2002 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release

NEW YORK (Tuesday, May 7, 2002) - With three of his star players (DaMarcus Beasley, Chris Armas and Josh Wolff) called up to the U.S. World Cup Team's training camp in Cary, North Carolina last week, Chicago Fire Head Coach Bob Bradley was fielding more and more questions about how his team would fare in their absence. His team responded with a 3-0 road win over D.C. United last weekend, seemingly not missing a beat.

"As the League goes through this period where players are missing, every team has young guys they can get on the field - it's their chance," Bradley said after the game. "I was very pleased. Some of our young guys played very well. Kelly Gray continues to be a player who can play different positions and he seems to play well beyond his years."

The 21-year-old Gray played in central midfield alongside veteran Jesse Marsch as the two dominated their sector of the field with midfielder Peter Nowak supporting lone forward Ante Razov in attack. The Marsch & Gray combination contributed assists on the two Fire goals scored in the run of play. As expected, Bradley also started Jason Moore in place of left midfielder DaMarcus Beasley.

The Fire's opponents, D.C. United, were without U.S. central defender Eddie Pope, which Head Coach Ray Hudson called "a cornerstone of the team." Pope's place in the middle of the backfield was taken by Brandon Prideaux, as 24-year-old Ryan Nelsen operated on the left side, Prideaux's natural position. But the three-man defensive set-up, which also featured Milton Reyes on the right, was occasionally exposed by the midfield runs made by the Fire down the flanks.

Another team making a defensive adjustment was the San Jose Earthquakes. Without Jeff Agoos to team up with Troy Dayak in the middle, Head Coach Frank Yallop moved right-back Jimmy Conrad to a central position and brought in Zak Ibsen in his place. Ibsen, however, was burned on the two Columbus Crew goals which put the Quakes in a 2-0 hole. But even missing the offensive prowess of Landon Donovan, the Earthquakes scrapped for their first come-from-behind win since June of 2000, emerging victorious 3-2. Despite their defensive misgivings, the Crew were still capable of generating an efficient attack without forward Brian McBride, as Kyle Martino created opportunities for the forward tandem of Dante Washington and Jeff Cunningham.

"We have good players up and down our roster and I'm not surprised at all that we would play this well together," said a bubbly Yallop after the game. "I am proud and privileged to be their coach. This was the best performance as a team since I've been here - a great comeback ... I am grateful to the guys that waited for their chance. We had three MLS all-stars missing (from the starting lineup) and still got a great result."

McBride's forward partner at the World Cup is expected to be the MetroStars' Clint Mathis. The MetroStars have been hounded by doubts about whether the club can win without Mathis. While his game-breaking abilities may have helped the Metros' cause, no one sector of the field was particularly deficient in the 2-1 home loss to the Dallas Burn. However, the setback has prompted the club to re-think its formation as it reverts to a three-man back line after experimenting with a four-man unit on defense for most of 2002.

The two other clubs in action on Saturday, missing one player each to the World Cup cause, were the Los Angeles Galaxy and Kansas City Wizards. There were no surprises in the personnel used by the two coaches to supplement their U.S. stars who were preparing for the trip to Korea/Japan: veterans Cobi Jones (L.A. Galaxy) and Tony Meola (Wizards). Reserve goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi was rock solid in goal with both Galaxy goals coming on unstoppable shots. For the Galaxy, rookie Gavin Glinton had been expected to replace Cobi Jones on the left side of midfield but a rib injury meant that Winston Griffiths would start the game. However, Glinton would later enter the game and score the overtime game-winner, as the 23-year-old continues to emerge as one of the best newcomers to the League.

"One important aspect of MLS has been the development of young players," Bradley said last week. "When you are missing some of the experienced players from your roster, it's opportunities for young players. You have to try to be positive with this. If those players can take advantage of their situations and game experience then it helps your team and the League get better as time goes on. We have been fortunate that some of the young players that we have had in recent years have really done well in these situations and moved up the ladder." MLS CLUBS TO CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL FOES:

A number of top clubs from around the world are scheduled to play exhibitions matches against MLS teams during the month of May. That schedule kicks off this week as the Los Angeles Galaxy host Guatemala's CSD Municipal at the Rose Bowl (10:00 p.m. ET). Municipal is the former club of Galaxy striker and MLS Budweiser Scoring Leader Carlos Ruiz, who joined Municipal as a 16-year old in 1995. The "Rojos" are currently running away with Guatemala's Torneo Clausura (Closing Tournament). Municipal is undefeated in 14 matches and currently holds a 12-point lead over second place Communicaciones.

The Columbus Crew and the MetroStars will welcome European opponents the following week. Columbus will host FC Nurnberg of the German Bundesliga on Wednesday, May 15 while the MetroStars will tangle with AC Milan of Italy's Serie A on Thursday, May 16 in the second half of a doubleheader featuring the U.S. World Cup team's clash with Jamaica.

Upcoming international matches:

Wednesday, May 8, 2002 Los Angeles Galaxy vs. CSD Municipal (Guatemala) - 10:00 p.m. (ET) Rose Bowl - Pasadena, CA

Wednesday, May 15, 2002 Columbus Crew vs. FC Nurnberg (Germany) - 7:30 p.m. (ET) Crew Stadium - Columbus, OH

Thursday, May 16, 2002 MetroStars vs. AC Milan (Italy) - 9:30 p.m. (ET) Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Match follows the Nike Road to the World Cup match between the United States and Jamaica (7:30 p.m. ET)

Wednesday, August 4, 2002 MetroStars vs. Chivas de Guadalajara (Mexico) - 8:00 p.m. (ET) Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ FIFA WORLD ALL-STARS TO COMMEMORATE SEPT. 11 VICTIMS AT GIANTS STADIUM:

Paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the tragedies of September 11, Major League Soccer has arranged for a benefit match at Giants Stadium the week of September 11, 2002. Approval of MLS' application to the United States Soccer Federation for the benefit match was approved early this week by FIFA, soccer's world governing body. Specifics of the event have not been finalized, but MLS is hoping to feature the 2002 World Cup Champions versus a group of FIFA World All-Stars from around the globe. This will not be the first time the World Cup champions will kick off against a group of FIFA All-Stars at Giants Stadium. In 1996, reigning world champion Brazil faced a FIFA All-Star lineup in a doubleheader that also featured the inaugural MLS All-Star Game on a magical day for soccer at Giants Stadium. The July 14, 1996 event was a sell-out at Giants Stadium with an attendance of 78,416.

2002 WORLD CUP - UPDATE ON U.S. GROUP D OPPONENTS: While the U.S. National Team plays its final three matches in the coming weeks before departing for Korea/Japan, its Group D opponents are still in the midst of organizing their preparatory phase. While the U.S. is ahead of the game with respect to all the other squads in its group, the Portuguese, the Americans' first opponents on June 5, are yet to even name their squad:

PORTUGAL: Head Coach Antonio Oliveira is expect to name his World Cup squad this week and the team will leave Portugal to Macau in China on May 17 for a 12-day training camp through May 29. The squad will play China in a World Cup tuneup match on May 25. Portugal's last exhibition match came against Brazil, a 1-1 tie in Lisbon. That result followed a shocking 4-1 defeat at the hands of Finland in Oporto, Portugal.

The main injury concerns in the Portuguese camp surround reigning FIFA World Player of the Year Figo of Real Madrid, who has been hampered by a right ankle injury suffered in a UEFA Champions League match against Porto on February 19. The injury kept him out of action for six weeks. An operation to repair ruptured ligaments would have meant missing several months, including the World Cup so treatment has helped him get by thus far. Renowned playmaker Rui Costa of A.C. Milan has also been in and out of the Italian club's lineup with nagging injuries. Both, however, are expected to be ready for the first match on June 5 against the U.S.

KOREA REPUBLIC: Guus Hiddink, the Head Coach of the Korea Republic National Team recently issued his list of 23 players who will represent the co-hosts at the 2002 World Cup. Barring injury, the list is expected to be the one submitted to FIFA on May 21. The team is currently in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, in a training camp which revolves around three upcoming friendly matches against Scotland, England and France.

Hiddink has attempted to mix experience with youth players. While the majority of players are in their early to mid-20s, the defenders will carry the most international experience with Hong Myung-bo, Kim Tae-young and Lee Min-sung expected to start Korea's first World Cup match against Poland as part of a three-man back line.

Of his group of 23, the former Dutch National Team coach selected nine midfielders including attacking players Ahn Jung-hwan and Yoon Jong-hwan, and other more defensively inclined players like Kim Nam-il and Song Chong-gug.

While Lee Woon-jae is expected to start in goal for Korea, Hwang Sun-hong, Choi Yong-soo and Seol Ki-hyeon are expected to compete for the two main striker roles. The role of substitutes will be held by the speedy Cha Doo-ri, Choi Tae-uk and Lee Chun-soo. The following are the names on the list of players selected:

Goalkeepers: Choi Eun-sung (Taejon Citizen), Kim Byung-ji (Pohang Steelers), Lee Woon-jae (Suwon Blue Wings) Defenders: Choi Jin-chul (Chonbuk Hyundai), Hong Myung-bo (Pohang Steelers), Kim Tae-young (Chunnam Dragons), Lee Min-sung (Pusan I.cons), Hyun Young-min (Ulsan Hyundai) Midfielders: Ahn Jung-hwan (AC Perugia), Choi Sung-yong (Suwon Blue Wings), Kim Nam-il (Chunnam Dragons), Lee Eul-yong (Bucheon SK), Lee Young-pyo (Anyang LG), Park Ji-sung (Kyoto Purple Sanga), Song Chong-gug (Pusan I.cons), Yoo Sang-chul (Kashiwa Reysol), Yoon Jong-hwan (Cerezo Osaka) Forwards: Cha Doo-ri (Korea Univ.), Choi Tae-uk (Anyang LG), Choi Yong-soo (JEF United Ichihara), Hwang Sun-hong (Kashiwa Reysol), Lee Chun-soo (Ulsan Hyundai), Seol Ki-hyeon (RSC Anderlecht)

POLAND: Polish Head Coach Jerzy Engel also recently named a 24-man squad for Poland's last warm-up match before the World Cup finals (the country's first participation in 16 years) on May 18 against Estonia in Warsaw, Poland. Engel will select his 23-man World Cup roster from the group which heads to Germany for a training camp on May 12-17 for what the coach has termed a "punishing" training program.

The team has been in the middle of a firestorm after exhibition defeats against Japan (0-2) and Romania (1-2) in which the back line was particularly exposed. But Engel has not been perturbed by the criticism, pointing out that the friendly matches are purposely designed for experimentation and that the tactical tests will continue against Estonia.

Engel tabbed most of the recognized names among Polish players, including goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek of Liverpool, defenders Tomasz Hajto and Tomasz Waldoch of Schalke 04, captain Piotr Swierczewski of Olympique Marseille and Panathinaikos goal-scorer Emmanuel Olisadebe. Four players from recent Polish league champions Legia Warsaw were also selected. One of the regulars from the qualifying campaign not called on was Austria Vienna midfielder Tomasz Iwan.

The following is the squad selected for the training camp in Germany and the friendly against Estonia:

Goalkeepers: Jerzy Dudek (Liverpool), Radoslaw Majdan (Goeztepe Izmir), Adam Matysek (RKS Radomsko)
Defenders: Michal Zewlakow (Excelsior Mouscron), Marek Kozminski (Ancona), Tomasz Waldoch (Schalke 04), Jacek Zielinski (Legia Warsaw), Jacek Bak (Lens), Tomasz Hajto (Schalke 04), Tomasz Klos (FC Kaiserlsautern), Arkadiusz Glowacki (Wisla Krakow)
Midfielders:Tomasz Rzasa (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Jacek Krzynowek (FC Nuremberg), Rodoslaw Kaluzny (Energie Cottbus), Arkadiusz Bak (Widzew Lodz), Piotr Swierczewski (Olympique Marseille), Bartosz Karwan (Legia Warsaw), Maciej Murawski (Legia Warsaw), Pawel Sibik (Odra Wodzislaw)
Forwards: Emmanuel Olisadebe (Panathinaikos Athens), Pawel Kryszalowicz (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maciej Zurawski (Wisla Krakow), Marcin Zewlakow (Excelsior Mouscron), Cezary Kucharski (Legia Warsaw)

REVOLUTION OPEN NEW HOME THIS WEEKEND IN FRONT OF SELLOUT CROWD: The New England Revolution will host the first sporting event in state-of-the-art CMGI Field in Foxboro, Massachusetts this Saturday, May 11, when they host the Dallas Burn. The high demand for tickets from soccer fans in New England has in fact eclipsed the stadium's soccer capacity of 21,000 for Revolution stand-alone games, as tickets are already sold out.

The Revolution are no strangers to bringing soccer to new venues for the first time. In 1996, the Revs debuted in Houlihan's Stadium (the Big Sombrero) in Tampa, Florida on April 13 where 26,473 witnessed New England fall to the Mutiny 3-2. The next week (April 20, 1996) the Revs opened up Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey where the Revolution defeated the MetroStars 1-0 in front of 46,826 fans. The Revs home debut in Foxboro Stadium drew 32,864 fans to watch New England defeat D.C. United 2-1 on April 27th in a shootout (3-2). In 1999, New England helped the Crew christen their new facility, Crew Stadium, on May 15th when 24,741 people saw Columbus emerge victorious 2-0. Going into this weekend, the Revolution are 2-2 all-time in stadium openers.

CMGI Field, directly adjacent to Foxboro Stadium (the first home of the Revolution), will be the 17th facility that has welcomed MLS action since the League's inception in 1996. Los Angeles, San Jose, Kansas City, Dallas, Miami, D.C., and the MetroStars have all played in the same stadium since opening their inaugural home MLS schedules. Tampa Bay called Houlihan's Stadium and Raymond James Stadium home. Chicago has played in front of home crowds at Soldier Field and as of last week in Cardinal Stadium on the campus of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. The Crew has seen their fans fill Ohio Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University and Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium in MLS. Colorado recently opened INVESCO Field after calling Mile High Stadium home for six seasons.

OFF TO A SHATTERING START - NEW MILESTONES SET IN MLS: As MLS' seventh season rolls on, numerous benchmarks continue to be set by some of MLS' most recognized players, who are all in their seventh year with the League.

Kansas City Wizards midfielder Preki recently formed a new one-man group, becoming the only member of the 60 goal/60 assist club when he scored a penalty kick goal on May 4 in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy. For his career, Preki now has 206 points on 60 goals and 86 assists, joining teammate Roy Lassiter and Dallas Burn forward Jason Kreis as the only players to amass 200 or more points. Kreis reached the 200-point plateau last weekend by scoring his 71st career goal on May 4 in a 2-1 victory over the MetroStars.

Kreis is also set to join Preki in the 60/60 club as he continues to score points for the Burn. The veteran Burn striker recently tallied his 58th career assist to go along with his 71 career goals. Currently in the midst of a torrid stretch that has seen him tie his club record five-game goal-scoring streak, Kreis seems to have recaptured the form that earned him Honda League MVP honors in 1999.

Colorado Rapids midfielder and one of MLS' all-time greats, Carlos Valderrama, is one assist shy of becoming the first player to accrue 100 assists. His next chance to reach the mark will be May 11 against Kansas City at INVESCO Field.

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton (10,542) joined Tony Meola (11,675), Scott Garlick (11,735), Mike Amman (11,555) and Mark Dougherty (11,666) in the 10,000 minute club for goalkeepers. Meanwhile, Kreis (15,277), Columbus Crew defender Mike Clark (15,065), Preki (15,013) and Colorado Rapids midfielder Chris Henderson (15,019) joined Steve Ralston (15,870), Peter Vermes (15,679) and Mark Chung (15,489) in the 15,000-minute club. Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos will join this elite group when he completes another 96 minutes of duty for Head Coach Sigi Schmid, who is two wins shy of becoming the ninth coach in MLS history to amass 50 career victories. Colorado Head Coach Tim Hankinson will also join the 50-win club with three more victories at the helm of the Rapids.

U.S. SOCCER ANNOUNCES DATES FOR 2002 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP: On Monday U.S. Soccer announced the tentative fixtures for the 2002 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the nation's oldest soccer tournament that dates back to 1914. The Los Angeles Galaxy, the 2001 U.S. Open Cup champions, will officially begin their title defense when MLS teams join the tournament in the third round on July 17. 2002. The tentative schedule follows:

Qualifying (amateur): Ends May 27 (Finalists from PDL & USASA determined)

Qualifying (pro): Ends June 2 (Finalists from MLS, A-League & D3 Pro League determined)

First Round: Ends June 7-12 (D3 Pro League teams, five PDL teams & four USASA teams meet)

Second Round: June 26 (A-League teams vs. eight first round winners)

Third Round: July 17 (MLS teams vs. eight second round winners)

Quarterfinals: Aug. 7 (Third round winners)

Semifinals: Sept. 3-4 or 10-11 (Four quarter-final winners)

Finals: Oct. 26-27 (Two semi-final winners) SOCCER SATURDAY GAME OF THE WEEK - GALAXY vs. FIRE ON ESPN2: No Cobi Jones, no Chris Armas, and so far, no problems for the Los Angeles Galaxy (3-1-2, 11pts) and Chicago Fire (3-2-1, 10pts), who will face off this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the Soccer Saturday Game of the Week. Coming off impressive road victories last weekend, both clubs seem to have hit stride in advance of Saturday's rekindling of this heated rivalry.

Using a balanced attack, the Fire blistered D.C. United 3-0 last weekend as three different players found the back of the net. Meanwhile, the Galaxy finally found a way to complement the Carlos Ruiz goal-scoring show. Youngsters Brian Mullan and Gavin Glinton tallied for the Galaxy, ending Ruiz's streak of six straight goals for the defending U.S. Open Cup Champions.

After a slow start, the Fire has now taken its customary position atop the standings, as Bob Bradley's squad leads the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles, which has actually compiled more standings points than Chicago, sits two points behind San Jose in the Western Conference standings.

All signs point to an overtime thriller for this match, as Los Angeles rides an MLS record streak of six straight regular season overtime matches into Saturday's contest. Including last year's playoffs, the Galaxy have now needed the extra session to decide each of their last 10 matches during MLS competition. The streak includes three overtime matches against the Fire in last year's MLS Cup Playoff Semifinals. Two of those three games were won by Los Angeles, each by the score of 2-1.

ACE/TRU-FIT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER INJURY REPORT

The following is a brief team-by-team injury overview entering Week 8 of the 2002 MLS Regular Season:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: F Aleksey Korol (bursitis-left knee), D Evan Whitfield (ACL tear-L); QUESTIONABLE: M Dema Kovalenko (hamstring strain-R); PROBABLE: D C.J. Brown (hamstring strain-L)
COLUMBUS CREW - QUESTIONABLE: F Brian West (foot sprain-R)
D.C. UNITED - OUT: GK Mike Amman (elbow surgery), M Ben Olsen (ankle surgery)
METROSTARS - OUT: D Marcelo Balboa (knee bone bruise-R), F Martin Klinger (lower back pain); QUESTIONABLE: D Orlando Perez (knee bruise-L)
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: GK Adin Brown (foot stress fracture-R)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
COLORADO RAPIDS - PROBABLE: M Mark Chung (hamstring strain-R)
DALLAS BURN - OUT: F Eddie Johnson (ankle sprain-L)
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: D Jose Burciaga (torn ACL-L)
LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: F Chris Albright (broken foot-R), F Isaias Bardales (knee sprain-R), M Peter Vagenas (lower back strain); PROBABLE: M Simon Elliott (ankle sprain-L), F Gavin Glinton (rib strain/contusion-R), D Ezra Hendrickson (strained hamstring-R), F Carlos Ruiz (mild concussion)
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: M Scott Bower (partial peroneal nerve palsy-R); PROBABLE: F Devin Barclay (dislocated shoulder-R), D Troy Dayak (calf contusion-L), M Manny Lagos (calf strain-L)

SUSPENSION SUMMARY

Player/Coach Team Suspension Reason
Mike Petke MetroStars 5/11 vs. SJ Red card
Milton Reyes D.C. United 5/12 vs. CLB 11 pts in three games
Jorge Rodriguez Dallas Burn 5/11 vs. NE Red card
Jim Rooney New England Revolution 5/11 vs. DAL Red Card

WARNING SUMMARY

Player/Coach Team Reason
Danny Califf Los Angeles Galaxy 11 pts in three games WORLD CUP CALL-UPS

Player Team Position
Tony Meola Kansas City Wizards GK
Jeff Agoos San Jose Earthquakes D
Carlos Llamosa New England Revolution D
Pablo Mastroeni Colorado Rapids D
Eddie Pope D.C. United D
Chris Armas Chicago Fire M
DaMarcus Beasley Chicago Fire M
Landon Donovan San Jose Earthquakes M
Cobi Jones Los Angeles Galaxy M
Clint Mathis MetroStars F
Brian McBride Columbus Crew F
Josh Wolff Chicago Fire F

MLS QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"The U.S. is no longer a team that can be pushed over. The sport is booming at youth level, and constantly improving at all levels." - Jurgen Klinsmann, a former German National Team member, on the U.S. National Team (from Teamtalk)

"All I need is a cigarette and a blindfold. These promising players, these sweet little footballers, aren't going to get it done." - D.C. United coach Ray Hudson said of his team's performance in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire (The Washington Times)

"I like Mike Petke. To be honest, I'd like to say that I'm sorry for riling him up the way I did. It wasn't intentional. ... But I feel that from the beginning of the game he was reacting so harshly toward any tackle and he would come up and [intimidate] our players." - Dallas Burn forward Jason Kreis on his confrontation with MetroStars defender Mike Petke (from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

"It was a very physical game from the start. The mood was set. When Jason came back and shoved me in the face, I just lost my cool, and I'm sorry about that, but I did not head-butt him. Our faces were touching and I shoved him with my head. He did the smart thing and took a dive. Then all hell broke loose. Look at my record. I average one red card a year, and I've never been suspended for multiple yellow cards. I'm not a dirty player, but I play physical soccer." - MetroStars defender Mike Petke on his confrontation with Kreis (from the Star-Ledger)

"If you have the right players, I think you can do the 4-2-2-2. We have good players, but we can't do this. It's making our team look bad. It's not pretty soccer. I'm sure in the stands, it looks ugly. I don't think it fits our team." - MetroStars midfielder Daniel Hernandez on his team's current formation (from the Bergen Record)

"It's (garbage). You can't get any worse than what we did on this homestand. To play as bad as we played, it's an outrage. You can't do that." - MetroStars defender Steve Jolley on a recent homestand that saw the Metros finish 0-2-1 (from the Star-Ledger)

''We are moving into a new stadium and the crowd will be behind us, and I hope that means we will get more wins.'' - New England Revolution forward/midfielder Alex Pineda Chacon on his team's home opener in the new CMGI Field in Foxboro (from the Boston Globe)

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 7, 2002

• MLS Quote Sheet - MLS
• MLS Teams Coping Just Fine - MLS
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