Can the league's youngest coach perform a miracle in San Jose? What's worse than being cut on the eve of the World Cup? In 1994, when Bora Milutinovic had to pare his squad down to 22, the rejected players reacted in various ways. One burned his training gear. Another would be unable to watch the games, even on TV. Then there was Brian Quinn. More than 90,000 fans attended the U.S. 1994 World Cup match against Romania at the Rose Bowl. Hundreds wore U.S. replica jerseys, either the faux-denim shirt with white stars, or the red-and-white striped version. One …

Dan Counce, 45, joined the Colorado Rapids in January. A Hermann Award winner with St. Louis University, Counce played in the NASL and MISL and served as general manager with the MSL's St. Louis Steamers, Baltimore Blast and St. Louis Storm before founding Global Link Marketing in 1991. SOCCER AMERICA: Tell us a little about your playing career. You grew up in St. Louis ... DAN COUNCE: I started playing soccer kind of late ù about 10 or 11. Saint Louis University had a good team at the time. They'd play in the public park and whenever they played their …

Bob Sanderman wears many hats for a corporation run by Rapids operator-investor Philip Anschutz, including investment responsibilities and acting as CEO for the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings. He is president of the Colorado Rapids and will oversee the Chicago expansion franchise. SOCCER AMERICA: What was the learning curve for you with the Rapids? BOB SANDERMAN: Starting from ground zero, it's been pretty steep and I'm not sure where we are. I think we're doing a much better job than we were a year ago, but I still think we've got a long way to go. SA: What went …

In the tough Denver market, the team that Mooch built searches for a fan base A sweltering morning in Westminster, 15 miles from downtown Denver. Must be 90-odd degrees in the shade ù if there was any shade to be had. The Colorado Rapids lease their training facility here, a steal at $10,000 a year. Four full-size soccer fields and a handful of trailers sit atop an adjacent hill. Most of the players live nearby and one trailer has a DirecTV satellite on top for the team to watch MLS games. The Rapids sweat away, working ù unsuccessfully ù at …

Antony De Avila says it was all a big misunderstanding. No, the MetroStars striker never denied saying that he dedicated his winning goal in Colombia's win over Ecuador to the jailed Cali cartel cocaine bosses, but he did do some quick backpedaling when he got back to the Meadowlands. "El Pitufo" (The Smurf) says now he believes the two men in question, the Rodriguez brothers, belong in jail and he condemns all drug activity. The fact of the matter is, though, that De Avila's sentiments are shared by many Colombians. In Colombia, drug lords like the late Pablo Escobar …

Record profits, European trophies, FC Hollywood and Berlin returns to First Division I'd rather have turmoil and titles than no turmoil and no titles," says Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who repeatedly watches the movie "Papillon" for inspiration. Germany's biggest, richest club won its record 14th Bundesliga championship last year while bickering between players, the coach and management earned the club the nickname, FC Hollywood. President Franz Beckenbauer criticized players in his newspaper column. Juergen Klinsmann, usually a model sportsman, kicked a huge hole in a sign board when subbed by coach Giovanni Trapattoni. The other seven German national team …

Clubs scramble to fill their rosters as top players bolt to other European countries The defending champion sold its best player. The runner-up lost its star goalie, who was suspended for failing a drug test. The third-place team, which went unbeaten in 30 of its last 31 games, started the season without its veteran coach, who quit one week before its opening game. Less than a year before the start of the World Cup, France's domestic game is in turmoil. Unable to compete on the European market in the post-Bosman era, French clubs are selling their top players before they …

Hector Tobar Los Angeles What's going on with the CONCACAF Champions Cup and why isn't MLS making a bigger deal out of it? It seems to me that given the large number of Latino fans in this country, there would be potentially huge crowds for, say, a D.C. United-Guadalajara match. The Galaxy, for example, isn't doing much to pump up its upcoming match with Santos of Mexico July 30. Paul Kennedy: The Galaxy has never spent lots of money on promotion, preferring instead to rely on word of mouth. They should get a decent crowd for the Santos match, considering …

July 25 in Washington, D.C. D.C. United 1 Columbus 1 (D.C. United wins shootout 3-1). Goals: Etcheverry (Maessner) 88; Marino (McBride, Friedel) 76. SA Report Card D.C. United -- Garlick (5), Peay (6), Pope (7), Agoos (7), Iroha (6), Williams (6), Sanneh (6), Harkes (6), Etcheverry (7), Diaz Arce (5), Moreno (6). Subs: Wegerle (6) for Moreno in 75th minute, Maessner (7) for Peay in 83rd, Kelderman (6) for Williams in 86th. Columbus -- Friedel (8), Clark (4), Dooley (8), Lapper (5), Miguez (4), Maisonneuve (5), Khumalo (5), Salcedo (5), Warzycha (6), Wood (4), McBride (5). Subs: Yeagley (4) for …

July 27 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Central Coast Roadrunners (Premier) 2 San Jose Clash (MLS) 5. Goals: Schultz (Tomlinson, Munoz) 2, Gutierrez (Tomlinson) 74; Lozzano 28, Zico (pen.) 44; Baicher (Zico) 75, Lozzano (Corrales, Cerritos) 81, Cerritos 83. Central Coast -- Beille, Ramirez, Bedrosian, Sanchez, Oetman, Munoz, Warley, Schultz, Gutierrez, Harty, Tomlinson. San Jose -- Kramer, Cruz, Martin, Doyle, Dayak, Emenalo, Medved (Kinnear, 67), Zico (Cerritos, 76), Lewis (Corrales, 56), Baicher, Lozzano. Yellow cards: Central Coast -- Sanchez 20, Tomlinson 62; San Jose -- Baicher 57. Red card: San Jose -- Baicher 77. Referee: Arturo Angeles. Att.: 7,112. Previous …

The following is the USA's 18-man roster for the World University Games in Sicily. The U.S. will face China, Russia, and the Czech Republic in the first round, with all three games taking place in Palermo. USA -- Lazo Alavanja (Indiana), Matt Chulis (Virginia), Cesidio Colasante (LaSalle), Leo Cullen (Maryland), Andrew Gregor (Portland), Chris Houser (So. Connecticut), Matt Jordan (Clemson), Andy Kirk (Maryland), Chris Klein (Indiana), Richard Kotschau (George Mason), Clint Mathis (South Carolina), Ben Olsen (Virginia), Caleb Porter (Indiana), Tanner Rupp (Saint Louis), Johnny Torres (Creighton), Scott Vermillion (Virginia), Brian West (Virginia), Josh Wolff (South Carolina). Coach: John Ellinger.

July 27 in Chicago Atletico Junior (Colombia) 2 (Sacramento, Mendez) Borussia Moenchengladbach (Germany) 0. Necaxa (Mexico) 4 (Montes, Aguinaga, Blanco 2) Palmeiras (Brazil) 1 (Zinho). Final Standings TEAM GP W T L GF GA P Atl. Junior 2 1 1 0 4 2 4 Necaxa 2 1 0 1 5 3 3 Bor. Moen. 2 1 0 1 2 3 3 Palmeiras 2 0 1 1 3 6 1

Results

• Colorado 1 Los Angeles 2
• Columbus 0 Tampa Bay 1 (SO)
• D.C. United 1 MetroStars 2

Standings EASTERN GP W L P GF GA D.C. United 21 14 7 36 44 34 Tampa Bay 22 12 10 30 38 39 New England 21 12 9 28 26 27 Columbus 20 8 12 20 24 27 MetroStars 19 7 12 19 22 32 Shootout records: Tampa Bay 3-1, New England 4-2, D.C. United 3-3, MetroStars 1-1, Columbus 2-3. WESTERN GP W L P GF GA Kansas City 21 14 7 32 …

Results

• Kansas City 1 New England 0 (SO)

Standings EASTERN GP W L P GF GA D.C. United 20 14 6 36 43 32 Tampa Bay 21 11 10 29 38 39 New England 21 12 9 28 26 27 Columbus 19 8 11 20 24 27 MetroStars 18 6 12 16 20 31 Shootout records: New England 4-2, Tampa Bay 2-1, D.C. United 3-3, Columbus 2-2, MetroStars 1-1. WESTERN GP W L P GF GA Kansas City 21 14 7 32 40 34 Dallas 22 12 10 30 40 35 …

CONCACAF will crown its 1997 Champions Cup champion at the final four, which will be held at Washington's RFK Stadium Aug. 22-24. Defending MLS champion D.C. United and runner-up Los Angeles Galaxy are both entered in the tournament. The eight quarterfinal berths will go to: the 1996 CONCACAF champion, three teams from North America, three teams from Central America, and the Caribbean champion. Here's a look at how the tournament has progressed so far: 1996 Champion Cruz Azul (Mexico) won the just-completed 1996 quadrangular final in Guatemala City and receives a bye directly into the 1997 quarterfinals. North America 1 …