Costa Rica has named Argentine Horacio Cordero as its new head coach, replacing Valdeir "Badu" Vieira. Cordero knows the Costa Rican team well, having coached Guatemala in CONCACAF's Group 1, where the Chapines finished third behind the United States and Costa Rica. The Costa Rican federation was in a hurry to find a replacement for Vieira since the national team training camp was scheduled to open Feb. 3. Costa Rica's first friendly is scheduled two days later against Slovakia. It will play Venezuela Feb. 19 and has been talking with Chile, Peru and Ecuador …

The following are the players Canadian national team coach Bob Lenarduzzi called up for training camp beginning Jan. 30 in Santa Barbara, Calif.: Goalkeepers -- Paul Dolan (Vancouver, A-League), Pat Onstad (Edmonton, NPSL). Defenders -- Frank Yallop (Tampa Bay, MLS), Randy Samuel (Harstad, Norwegian Division I), Mark Watson (New England, MLS), Iain Fraser (New England, MLS), Carl Fletcher (Montreal, A-League). Midfielders -- Geoff Aunger (New England, MLS), Lyndon Hooper (Montreal, A-League), John Limniatis (Montreal, A-League), Nick DeSantis (Edmonton, NPSL), Kevin Holness (Edmonton, NPSL), Tom Kouzmanis (free agent). Strikers -- Eddy Berdusco (Toronto, NPSL), Domenic Mobilio …

Less than a week after the death of Mexican Guillermo Canedo, CONCACAF president Jack Warner filled Canedo's spot as the FIFA vice president from the CONCACAF region and general secretary Chuck Blazer was elected to fill the vacant North American position on the executive committee. Blazer is the first American to serve on the FIFA executive committee since James McGuire, the former president of what is now known as U.S. Soccer. McGuire, after whom the under-19 boys youth championship cup is named, died in 1974. Blazer's election by a 5-2 vote of the CONCACAF …

Feb. 2 -- Teams are allowed to carry a maximum of 25 players on preseason roster. Feb. 3 -- *Discovery period opens. March 14 -- Rosters cut to 22 players. March 28 -- Rosters cut to 20 players. April 30 -- Discovery period ends. June 15 -- Transfer deadline. Aug. 15 -- Trade deadline. Sept. 28 -- Roster freeze (final day of regular season). * Discovery player is one not drafted, allocated, or called up from USISL. If transfer fee is required, fee counts against team's salary cap. …

The United States-Mexico World Cup '98 qualifying game April 20 will be played at Foxboro (Mass.) Stadium as part of a doubleheader with the New England Revolution's home opener against the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The USA-Mexico game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET, while the MLS game will follow at 5:15 pm. Tickets for the doubleheader can be purchased by calling (508) 384-9164.

Mexico, coming off its second straight U.S. Cup triumph, isn't taking a rest before World Cup qualifying begins March 2 against Canada at Canedo Stadium (the old Azteca Stadium). The Mexican federation (FMF) has tentativey scheduled two friendly games Feb. 5 against Ecuador in Mexico City and Guatemala Feb. 19 in Fresno, Calif. According to press reports out of Mexico City, the FMF received $450,000 for Mexico's participation at U.S. Cup '97.

MLS has altered the definition of an American player to exclude a resident alien (green-card holder) or player under asylum protection who is ineligible to play for the United States. Players who are U.S. citizens or all other players resident who are aliens or here under asylum protection count as Americans. By law, MLS or other soccer leagues can't prevent resident aliens from working and therefore can't use them in quotas. Three green-card holders ineligible to play for the United States have been "grandfathered" in: Iain Fraser, Khalil Azmi and Evans Wise. …

The following are the players scheduled to appear at the MLS Player Combine at Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 28-Feb. 2. Goalkeepers -- Khalil Azmi (New Hampshire, USISL), Manuel Carou (Real Valladolid, Spain), Reggie Pierre-Jerome (Charleston, A-League), Quinn O'Sullivan (La Loretana, Peru), Mark Peters, Doug Petras (Harrisburg, NPSL), Jim St. Andre (New England, MLS). Defenders -- David Banks (Buffalo, NPSL), Mike Britton (Houston, CISL), Steve Cadet (Long Island, A-League), Billy Clifford (South Carolina, USISL), Ed Edemba (U.S. Armed Forces), Tim Hardy (Richmond, A-League), Bill Harte (Baltimore, NPSL), Ezra Henrickson (New Orleans, A-League; St. …

The Tampa Bay Mutiny drew 1-1 with SSK Vitkovice of the Czech Second Division in its opening preseason match in Brandon Fla. on Jan. 25. Mutiny forward Giuseppe Galderisi opened the scoring in the third minute, converting a pass from Ivan McKinley. Former Czech national team star Ivo Stas equalized for Vitkovice in the 70th minute on a header off a corner kick. It was the first game for new Mutiny head coach John Kowalski, who was pleased with what he saw. "It was a very good early test for us," he said. "We …

A-League/USISL -- 14497 N. Dale Mabry, Suite 211, Tampa FL 33618. Phone: (813) 963-3909; Fax: (813) 963-3807. Atlanta Ruckus -- 1131 Alpharetta St., Roswell GA 30075. Phone: (770) 645-6655; Fax: (770) 368-7031. California Jaguars -- 12 Clay Street, Salinas CA 93901. Phone: (408) 757-SISL; Fax: (408) 757-2105. Carolina Dynamo -- 3517 W. Wendover Ave., Greensboro NC 27407. Phone: (910) 852-9969; Fax: (910) 855-0106. Charleston Battery -- 4401 Belle Oaks Dr., Suite 450, Charleston SC 29405. Phone: (803) 740-7787; Fax: (803) 740-5415. Colorado Foxes -- 6200 Dahlia St., Commerce City CO 80022. Phone: …

Vance Sharpe Denver What's the process behind these online Q&A sessions? How do you choose the questions? Do you answer every question you get? Pete Bailey: We try to answer as many questions as we can -- I'd say around 95%. For our posted Q&A sessions, we usually select questions that we think will be of interest to a number of people. For questions that we don't use in on-site sessions, we try to send a reply as soon as possible, but reply time varies depending on the difficulty of the question and how much research …

Jan. 22 in Pasadena, Calif. USA 1 Denmark 4. Goals: Moore 45; P. Pedersen 16, 26, 45, 54. USA -- Friedel (Dodd, 46), Calichman, Agoos, Lalas, Burns, Moore, Reyna, Ralston (Kreis, 57), Jones, Kirovski (Radosavljevic, 63), Lassiter (McBride, 31). Denmark -- Krogh, Colding, Hemmingsen, P. Nielsen, Jessen, U. Pedersen (Tofting, 71), Thygesen, Steen Nielsen (Daugaard, 79), Nedergaard, S. Andersen (Molnar, 66), P. Pedersen (Moeller, 87). Yellow card: USA == Agoos 88. Referee: Padilla (Costa Rica). Att.: 17,342.

The Kansas City Wizards have acquired Scottish international defender Richard Gough, in a transfer from Glasgow Rangers of the Scottish Premier Division. Gough will join Kansas City at the conclusion of the 1996-97 Scottish season in May as the Wizards' 1997 MLS player allocation. He has led Rangers to eight straight Scottish titles, and is close to sewing up a ninth this year. He earned Scottish Footballer of the Year honors in 1989, and has made 61 appearances for Scotland. "This is a major, major acquisition for Kansas city and MLS," said Wizards coach Ron …

The San Jose Clash has acquired midfielder Shawn Medved from D.C. United, the team announced Jan. 22. In exchange for Medved, who scored a dramatic, 82nd-minute equalizer to force overtime in MLS Cup '96, San Jose agreed to switch positions with D.C. United in the second round of the MLS Supplemental Draft. San Jose gives the No. 14 pick to D.C., and draft in United's spot, No. 20. This is the second trade the Clash has made this month, as San Jose also acquired midfielder Dominic Kinnear from Colorado. Clash coach Laurie Calloway feels …

Per Pedersen has scored a hat trick in the first half as Denmark leads 3-1 over the U.S. after 45 minutes of play. The U.S. has had plenty of possession, but the Danes have countered well, using the long ball to set up scoring chances. Pedersen hit his first goal in the 14th minute, and then struck again ten minutes later. He hit his final tally before the half. Joe-Max Moore answered for the U.S. in the 44th minute, with a 25-yard free kick from the left side of the field.