U.S. Trip to Russia Feels Like First Time

By GRAHAME L. JONES

April 23, 2000 12 AM PT

Memories must be very short at U.S. Soccer headquarters in Chicago, because Wednesday’s Russia-United States game continues to be referred to as a unique event.

“The marquee matchup marks the first time in the history of the U.S. men’s national team program that the USA has traveled to Moscow for a full international,” said the announcement heralding the game.

Technically correct, but misleading.

In August 1991, then-coach Bora Milutinovic took the U.S. team to Moscow, where it lost, 2-1, to the former Soviet Union at Lenin Stadium. The fact that the Soviets chose to field what they called their Olympic team meant the game could not be considered a “full international.”

But that is simply semantics. The U.S. national team has played in Russia before. In the days before the 1991 game, in fact, the American players were eye-catchingly obvious in Red Square, strolling outside the Kremlin in the their red, white and blue warmups.

The Galaxy’s Paul Caligiuri has videotapes of the trip. Goalkeeper Tony Meola was photographed astride a motorcycle. The onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral made a memorable backdrop for a team picture.

Strangely, there is not a single mention of that trip or that match in U.S. Soccer’s record books.

Now, the U.S. is returning. Coach Bruce Arena had intended using Wednesday’s game as a way of checking on his players based overseas.

“This game is important because it gives us an opportunity to take a look at some of the players we’ve been unable to utilize because of their European club team commitments,” he said when he named his original roster.

Since then, however, injuries have taken their toll and the European contingent makes up only half the 16-player roster.

Forwards Joe-Max Moore (Everton, England) and Ernie Stewart (NAC Breda, Netherlands) are out because of knee and hamstring injuries, respectively, and Washington D.C. United defender Eddie Pope underwent left knee surgery last week and will be sidelined for at least two weeks.

In their places, Arena has called in forward Jason Kreis (Dallas Burn), midfielder-forward Brian West (Columbus Crew) and defender Marcelo Balboa (Colorado Rapids).

The team, which includes Galaxy players Robin Fraser and Cobi Jones, will arrive in Moscow on Monday and return Thursday, in time for the players to rejoin their MLS teams for next weekend’s games.

The U.S., 3-0-3 this year, is using the match as an early tuneup for the Nike Cup, in which it plays South Africa on June 3 at Washington; Ireland June 6 at Foxboro, Mass., and Mexico June 11 at East Rutherford, N.J.

GOING DOWN UNDER

The U.S. women’s national team that will travel to Australia in May will look considerably different from the one that went there in January, when interim coach Lauren Gregg took a makeshift squad Down Under and won the Australia Cup.

At the time, the starters were on strike, and Gregg had to improvise. Now, Coach April Heinrichs has everyone back in the fold and will be able to field a full-strength team for the inaugural Pacific Cup.

The eight-nation tournament May 31-June 11 will be played in Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle and will feature the United States, Australia, Japan and Scotland in Group A. China, New Zealand, Canada and North Korea will comprise Group B.

During the Pacific Cup, the draw for the 2000 Olympic soccer tournament will take place at the Sydney Town Hall on June 3 and the defending gold-medal U.S. team will learn who its first-round opponent will be.

WUSA

In what can only be described as a preemptive strike against Major League Soccer’s announced plans to possibly launch a women’s league, the 20 members of the U.S. 1999 Women’s World Cup-winning team have said they will not take part in such a venture.

A statement released last week and signed by all 20 players made their view abundantly clear: They will play in the Women’s United Soccer Assn. (WUSA) and nowhere else.

“Recent press reports indicate that there may be more than one entity interested in establishing a Division 1 women’s professional soccer league,” the statement read in part. “Those same reports imply that the Women’s World Cup champions and other stars might ultimately play in a league other than the WUSA. There seems to be speculation that we are without a choice in determining which league we will play in. Frankly, this speculation concerns us and we are issuing this statement to clarify the situation.

“Thus, we are collectively stating that each member of the 1999 Women’s World Cup championship team will only play professionally for the WUSA.

“Together we are committed to participating in the historic creation of a women’s professional soccer league that is vibrant, strong, independent, and has the singular mission of developing women’s pro soccer into all that it can be. We are steadfast in our resolve because future generations of female soccer players depend on us to make the right decisions now. We embrace this responsibility to these future players, to our fans, to youth players, and to the entire sport of soccer.”

The unwavering stance is commendable in one sense, showing loyalty to those WUSA investors whose interests lie solely in the women’s game. But it does prompt a few questions.

What if U.S. Soccer does not sanction WUSA? What if it sanctions WMLS? Are the women willing to risk their national team careers?

The federation’s decision is due in August. The Olympic Games are in September. The timing is going to be very interesting.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Soccer Schedule

Today

* Olympic qualifying tournament, Hershey, Pa. **

Canada vs. Honduras (10 a.m.)

Mexico vs. Guatemala (12:30 p.m.)

Tuesday

* Olympic qualifying tournament, Hershey, Pa.

Mexico vs. Panama (2:30 p.m.)

United States vs. Canada (5 p.m.)