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BBC News, Monday, October 23, 2006 4:41 PM
New England manager Steve Nicol, whose Revs just lost the opening leg of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference semis 1-0 to the Chicago Fire, sat down with BBC News to discuss life as an MLS
coach-and the possibility of becoming coach of the U.S. National Team. BBC Sport claims he's on Sunil Gulati's shortlist to replace Arena, although Nicol downplayed his chances: "I'd be crazy not to
be interested, but I think it's done and dusted," the 44-year-old former Liverpool legend said in an interview. "Hopefully my time will come, but I won't sit up worrying about it." Nicol attributes a
large part of his success to making training enjoyable for his players. "We're all a bunch of kids who want to play football, though obviously it becomes a bit more serious at this level," he said,
adding that the structure of America's robust education system keeps U.S. soccer from developing world-class players. "In America, the kids don't leave school until they are 22, so they lose out on a
couple years of development. Back home between the ages of 18 and 22 is when you see who is going to make it and who is not." Nicol has brought the Revs to the post-season five successive times, but
his side will have to pick up the intensity at home this weekend if it wants to overcome its 1-0 deficit to Chicago. The late knee injury sustained by midfielder Clint Dempsey added salt to the Revs
wounds, although x-ray's were negative. It's unclear whether Dempsey will be available for this weekend's return leg.
Read the whole story at BBC News »
