Preki Stars for U.S. in Abbreviated Role
OAKLAND — That jumble of letters across the back of his U.S. national team jersey--R-A-D-O-S-A-V-L-J-E-V-I-C--is his real name.
When he plays for Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards, he prefers a shorter version. Then, he is known simply as Preki.
But a wizard by any other name is still a magician.
Costa Rica sadly learned that Saturday when Preki came off the bench in the 69th minute and, nine minutes later, scored the goal that earned the United States a 2-1 victory in front of 36,240 at the Oakland Coliseum and a place in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“It was a truly phenomenal goal,” said Steve Sampson, the much-relieved U.S. coach.
It was better even than Eddie Pope’s superb headed goal in the seventh minute off a corner kick by Joe-Max Moore that gave the Americans a lead that held up until Allan Oviedo tied the score in the 56th minute.
It was better even than Tab Ramos’ excellent goal against Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying last November.
It was a goal that just might have clinched the 34-year-old, Yugoslav-born Preki a place on the U.S. roster for France ’98.
The ball was passed diagonally across the field from left to right by Jeff Agoos, with Preki collecting it and finding three defenders closing in. But the trio gave him a little too much time and a fraction too much space.
Seconds later, they had realized their error.
Preki curled away from the three, positioned the ball and let fly with a left-foot shot from at least 20 yards that flashed into the net at the angle of the right post and crossbar.
Costa Rican goalkeeper Erick Lonnis had no chance of stopping it.
“This is exactly why he’s on this team,” Sampson said of Preki, whose role, like it or not, is supposed to be that of the player who comes off the bench to add an offensive spark.
Had the game ended in a tie, the U.S. would have been eliminated from the 10-nation tournament it last won in 1991. Preki’s goal gave it a chance to win a second championship.
“When you come off the bench,” he said, “everybody expects you to do something special, score a goal, help the team win the game. Fortunately, I did that today.”
Preki, the MLS scoring leader in 1997, would prefer to play the full 90 minutes, but accepts his role as a substitute in order to make it to France for the World Cup.
“I’m fit. I’ve been fit for a while,” he said. “But it’s up to Steve. I can’t be worried about those things. Hopefully, my chance [to be a starter] will come.”
Sampson, meanwhile, was satisfied with the team’s third victory in as many games this year, after a 1-0 victory against Sweden and a 3-0 shutout of Cuba.
“I was very happy with the result,” he said. “I think we have shown growth over the last two games. We’re still not where we want to be. There were periods where Costa Rica began dominating the game, but overall I’m very pleased with the performance.
“I think the attitude of the players was excellent throughout the 90 minutes. We didn’t give up. No one stopped working. The crowd got its money’s worth.”
There were several near-misses in the entertaining, wide-open match. Eric Wynalda slammed a shot off the crossbar for the U.S. and Paulo Wanchope’s shot rebounded off the left post.
Costa Rica’s goal was scored when the U.S. defense, which featured the return of veterans Alexi Lalas and Marcelo Balboa, found itself of two minds early in the second half.
Some players were trying to play the offside trap, others didn’t read the play and Oviedo took advantage. He fired a low shot from close range that U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel dived full length to stop but narrowly failed to reach.
“I’d have to see it again,” Lalas said. “I know the ball was played in and cleared out, and as we were going out there was just a big mix-up.”
In the second game of the doubleheader played under gray skies on a rain-slick field, Mexico defeated Honduras, 2-0, to also advance to the semifinals, which are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday at the Los Angeles Coliseum, weather permitting.
Mexico’s goals were scored by forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the 22nd and 87th minutes.
Today at the L.A. Coliseum, assuming it is not flooded as it was Friday night, Jamaica plays Guatemala at 2 p.m. and Brazil plays El Salvador at 4. Each team still has a chance to reach the semifinals.
Preki, meanwhile, is looking ahead to France and the U.S. game against Yugoslavia. His opponents will know who he is and, better yet, will even be able to pronounce Radosavljevic.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
CONCACAF
Gold Cup
*--*
Team W L T GF GA Pts Group One Brazil 0 0 2 1 1 2 Guatemala 0 0 2 1 1 2 El Salvador 0 0 1 0 0 1 Jamaica 0 0 1 0 0 1 Group Two Mexico 2 0 0 6 2 6 Trinidad 1 1 0 5 5 3 Honduras 0 1 1 1 5 0 Group Three United States 2 0 0 5 1 6 Costa Rica 1 1 0 8 4 3 Cuba 0 2 0 2 10 0
*--*
* Feb. 1: Trinidad and Tobago 3, Honduras 1; United States 3, Cuba 0; El Salvador 0, Guatemala 0
* Feb. 3: Brazil 0, Jamaica 0
* Feb. 4: Costa Rica 7, Cuba 2; Mexico 4, Trinidad and Tobago 2
* Feb. 5: Brazil 1, Guatemala 1
* Feb. 6: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, ppd.
* Saturday: United States 2, Costa Rica 1; Mexico 2, Honduras 0
* Today : Guatemala vs. Jamaica, 2 p.m.; Brazil vs. El Salvador, 4 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum). Channel 52
* Monday: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Tuesday: Semifinal, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Thursday: Semifinal, 7 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Feb. 15: Third-place game, 3 p.m. and final, 5 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* All times Pacific.
