What if MLS forgot to get referees? It seems possible, considering all the time the league has had to dedicate toward finding funding, coaches, players and sponsors -- not to mention debating goal size. So I called Vincent Mauro -- the leader of American referees. He joked that the league almost forgot. But yes, his department at the U.S. Soccer Federation will be appointing the referees. They will earn a pittance but get plenty of TV exposure while having a huge influence on the future of soccer in the country. Have you seen the way referees watch …

March 27 in Vienna Austria 1, Switzerland 0. Goal: Ogris (73). Austria -- Konsel, Schopp, Kartalija, Pfeffer, Feiersinger, Marasek, Pfeifenberger, Wetl, Polster (Ogris 58), Vastic, Stumpf (Haas, 58). Switzerland -- Pascolo, Hottiger, Quentin, Henchoz, Jeanneret, Colombo, Comisetti, Ohrel (Cesa, 61), Knup, Koller (Vogel, 61), Grassi. Att.: 23,800. March 27 in Brussels Belgium 0, France 2. Goals: Own goal (66), Lamouchi (72). Belgium -- De Wilde, Genaux, Medved (Verjans, 45), Renier, Smidts, Albert, Peiremans, Boffin (De Bilde, 69), Scifo, Degryse (Goossens, 45), Oliveira. France -- Lama, Thuram (Angloma, 45), Roche, Blanc, Di …

Select League Cap Cod Crusaders -- Named Roger Thompson head coach. Hampton Roads Mariners -- Named general manager Shawn McDonald head coach. Milwaukee Wave -- Named former U.S. national team head coach Bob Gansler. Reno Rattlers -- Named Pete Petersen head coach. Sacramento Scorpions -- Named Santa Rosa JC coach James Maxey head coach. Pro League Worcester Wildfire -- Named Clark University coach Timothy Buchanan head coach. Women's League Long Island -- Named Jphn Fitzgerald head coach and Dennis McGovern and Ernesto Phan assistant coaches.

The USISL has reached an agreement with Prime Network to do 17 soccer dates in 1996, including a season preview show, delayed broadcasts of 12 regular-season matches, delayed broadcasts of the Premier Six and Pro Six championship games and live broadcasts of the USISL All-Star Game July 17 in Blaine, Minn., and the Select Six final Sept. 1 in Richmond, Va. The following are the TV dates: May 15 -- season preview. May 22 -- New Orleans at El Paso. May 29 -- Richmond at Carolina. June 5 -- Hawaii at Cascade. June 12 -- Chicago at …

All but two of the 16 teams that will compete in the 1996 Olympic men's soccer tournament have qualified. Following victories by France, Spain and Italy in European qualifying March 26 and 27 and Saudi Arabia in the third-place game of the Asian U-23 tournament March 27, these are the teams that have qualified: Host -- USA. South America -- Brazil, Argentina. Africa -- Ghana, Nigeria, Tunisia. Europe -- France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Hungary. Asia -- South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia. The other two finalists will be the winner of the CONCACAF U-23 …

Notre Dame loses two starters from its defending NCAA championship squad, but the Irish will still have plenty of fight next fall. Coach Chris Petrucelli's team adds arguably the top recruit in the nation in U.S. national team defender Jen Grubb as well as possibly the top striker in the country in Jenny Heft. Both are from Region II. Notre Dame loses starters Michelle McCarthy (a striker) and Ashley Scharff (a sweeper). But a recruiting class culled from all corners of the United States should more than make up for their absence. That class is led by …

Saudi Arabia scored on a goal by Hussain Omar Sulaiman in the sixth minute of overtime to beat Iraq 1-0 March 27 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and take third place in the Asian U-23 Championship. The win gave the Saudis a berth in the 1996 Olympic men's soccer tournament. The other two berths went to South Korea and Japan. South Korea beat Japan 2-1 to take the Asian U-23 title.

France, Spain and Italy all earned berths to the 1996 Olympic men's soccer tournament with wins in the quarterfinals of European U-21 Championship. France crushed Germany 4-1 before 25,000 fans in Metz to win their series 4-1 on aggregate. Hometown star Robert Pires and Florian Maurice of Lyon both had two goals. The French led 3-0 at halftime. Spain recovered from an early 1-0 deficit to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 on a pair of late goals from Real Madrid teenager Raul and go through 4-2 on aggregate. The game was watched by 12,000 fans in Prague. …

The United States will face Scotland in an international friendly May 26 in New Britain, Conn. It will be the first U.S. match since its third-place finish at the Gold Cup and its only match before U.S. Cup '96 in June. Scotland, which is preparing for the European Championship, has won all three meetings between the two teams: 4-0 in 1949, 6-0 in 1952 and 1-0 in 1992. Tickets ($20-50 in price) can be purchased by calling the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (860 826-4406).

Two USISL teams will face the U.S. under-23 men's team preparing for the Olympics. The U.S. Olympic team meets the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers March 31 in New Orleans, and the Hampton Roads Mariners April 27 in Virginia Beach. It finished with two wins and a tie in three scrimmages against MLS opposition at MLS spring training in Del Mar, Calif.

Japan and South Korea have claimed two of the three Asian spots for the Olympic men's soccer tournament after semifinal victories in the Asian qualifying group March 24. The two countries will meet March 27 to decide the Asian U-23 champion, while semifinal losers Saudi Arabia and Iraq will play to see who will win the final Olympic berth. Captain Maezono Masakiyo scored in the fourth and 57th minute in Japan's 2-1 victory over the Saudis. Obied Al Dossary's 77th-minute reply was not enough. In the other semifinal, Choi Yong-Su scored in the 19th and 38th …

The MLS training camps in Boca Raton, Fla., and Del Mar, Calif. are winding down. All of the Del Mar teams are heading for home, as are Columbus, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay. New England and the MetroStars will remain in Boca Raton for another week. The MetroStars earned their first victory of the spring when they edged New England 2-1 March 20 in Boca Raton. Giovanni Savarrese, the MetroStars Venezuelan striker, opened the scoring in the 35th minute, but the Revolution drew even in the second half, when Alexi Lalas headed home a cross from Brazilian …

The following were the players placed on waivers to get MLS rosters down to 22 players by March 24 (players training with the U.S. U-23 team don't count against 22-man limit): Colorado -- Brian Hurley, Eric Puls, Joel Shanker. Columbus -- Manny Catano, Michael Robles. Dallas -- Brandon Cavitt, Vagner. Kansas City -- Ken Snow, Phil Wellington, Terry Woodberry. Los Angeles -- Chugger Adair, David Beall, Carlos Jaguande, Joey Leonetti, David vaudreuil, Adan Villalvazo. MetroStars -- Walter Bustamante, Juninho, Eddie Soto, Khary Stockton. New England -- Yari Allnutt, Derk Droze, Jorge Olamendi, Antonio …

FEATURES Del Mar Diary MLS opened its Southern California training camp, which included, finally, some games. By Ridge Mahoney The Start Of Something Big? Players opened MLS's first Florida training camp with a clear sense of what is at stake. By David Brousseau Chastain Works Way Back She was a striker in an earlier incarnation with the national team, but Brandi Chastain now makes her mark on defense. By Doug Cress Two Of Five European Spots Taken Portugal and Hungary have qualified for the 1996 Olympics, leaving five teams fighting for the …

The talent pool might be down, but coaches still seem happy. While some college coaches say the talent level of the recruiting pool is down this year as compared to years past, Wisconsin's NCAA champion coach Jim Launder is of a different opinion. "I had a discussion with [another college coach] who told me talent is down this year," Launder said. "I told him talent is up and it makes it more difficult to single out the top players. The water has become muddier." Sifting through the murk of the Region II recruiting pool Launder came up …