Championship Feb. 28 in Ouagadougou Egypt 2 South Africa 0. Goals: A.Hassan 5, Mostafa 13. Egypt -- El Sayed, Omara, Ibrahim, Ramzy, Abdelhadi, El Sakka, Radwan, Imam (Sabry, 55), Mostafa (Nabih, 80), A.Hassan, H.Hassan. South Africa -- Baloyi, Rabutla, Jackson, Fish, Radebe, Makhalele, Moshoeu, Augustine (Fortune, 49), Moeti, McCarthy, Masinga (Ndlanya, 82). Att.: 30,000. Third-Place Match Feb. 27 in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso 4 DR Congo 4 (DR Congo wins 4-1 on penalties). Goals: A.Ouedraogo 6, Barro 52, Napon 56, Talle 86; Mungongo 76, 89, Kasongo 86, Tondelua 88. Burkina Faso -- Diarra, F.Sanou, Talle, Liade, Diabate, B.Traore, Kambou (S.Traore, 57), …

The Columbus Crew has signed 21-year-old striker Stern John, the Trinidad & Tobago international who has been a standout at spring training, while the New England Revolution added T&T midfielder David Nakhin. John, whose two goals led T&T to a 3-1 win over Honduras at the recent Gold Cup, starred last season for New Orleans of the A-League, where he was named Rookie of the Year, after being acquired from the Carolina Dynamo. He had been in the New England Revolution's training camp before the '97 season. John, who also played for Trinidad & Tobago in World Cup qualifying, played …

Armando Mascorro Visalia, Calif. Watching the USA lose to Mexico in Los Angeles was very hard, but it was even harder watching how the U.S. was treated while they were there. I watched a water balloon sail pass Eric Wynalda's head and saw trash and other objects thrown at the the U.S. team as they left the field. I understand that there was a huge Mexican contingent there, but I don't ever remember this kind of treatment when they played in Mexico or any of the other qualifiers or U.S. Cup games. Does the USSF have …

Colorado ended its preseason training in Mexico with a tough 3-2 loss to Atlas of the Mexican First Division on Feb. 25 The Rapids were playing their fifth game in nine days and their second in fourteen hours, but still battled to a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by first-round draft pick Tyrone Marshall. However, Atlas rallied to score three times in the final 15 minutes and snatch victory. Colorado returns to Denver Feb. 26. Feb. 25 in Guadalajara Atlas (Mexico) 3 Colorado (MLS) 2. Rapids Goals: Marshall 2 (time n/a). Colorado lineup: Grafer (Latronica, 70), Nunely, Trittschuh …

MLS Director of Player Development Tim Hankinson has been named the first head coach of the U.S. Pro 40 Select team, and longtime MLS consultant Jan Osborne will oversee the team's logistics as GM. The Pro 40 Select team will consist of players from Project-40, the joint venture between MLS and U.S. Soccer designed to develop America's best youth players in a professional environment. The Pro 40 Select team will compete in the A-League's Pacific Division this summer. Hankinson brings more than 20 years of coaching and managment experience at both the collegiate and professional levels. He led Alabama A&M …

Here are the starting lineups for the USA vs. Belgium friendly in Brussels: USA -- Keller, Burns, Lalas, Balboa, Agoos, Jones, Reyna, Harkes, Stewart, Lassiter, Wynalda. Belgium -- De Wilde, Boffin, Deflandre, Staelens, Vidovic, Leonard, Van Der Elst, Van Kerckhoven, Wilmots, Mpenza, Nilis.

Feb. 25 in Brussels Belgium 2 USA 0. Goals: Van Kerckhoven 23, 60. Belgium -- De Wilde, Boffin, Deflandre, Staelens, Vidovic, Leonard (Borkelmans, 68), Van Der Elst (Karagiannis, 55), Van Kerckhoven, Wilmots (Walem, 46), Mpenza (Verheyen, 55), Nilis (Peeters, 85). USA -- Keller, Burns, Lalas, Balboa, Agoos, Jones (Henderson, 64), Reyna, Harkes, Stewart, Lassiter (Radosavljevic, 57), Wynalda (McBride, 64). Yellow cards: USA -- Burns 25, Reyna 80. Referee: Philippe Khalt (France). Att.: 15,894.

Belgium has defeated the USA 2-0 in their friendly match in Brussels. Nico Van Kerckhoven struck again for the Belgians in the 59th minute. Luc Nilis took a 30-yard free kick that deflected off of the American wall and bounced off of the crossbar near the far post. Jeff Agoos was unable to clear the ball, which bounced to Van Kerckhoven, and his volley skimmed off the inside of the opposite post for the goal. The U.S. created opportunities throughout the second half, but were never able to break through the Belgian defense or beat keeper Filip De Wilde. A …

Belgium leads the USA 1-0 at halftime of their friendly match in Brussels. The Belgian goal was scored by Nico Van Kerckhoven in the 23rd minute. The Lierse midfielder took the ball on the left wing, pushed the ball past Mike Burns and ran around the U.S. defender. He eluded Alexi Lalas and his soft shot from a narrow angle trickled past a wrong-footed Kasey Keller into the goal. The U.S. had a pair of scoring opportunities through Eric Wynalda. On one occasion he tapped a volley straight at keeper Filip De Wilde, and later in the half, Wynalda shot …

Feb. 25 in Ouagadougou South Africa 2 DR Congo 1 (OT). Goals: McCarthy 60, 112; Bembuana 48. South Africa -- Baloyi, Nyathi (Fortune, 46), Jackson, Fish, Moshoeu, Ndlanya, Moeti, Radebe (Ngobe, 120), Silent (Mooki, 77), Mnguni, McCarthy. DR Congo -- Mayala, Kimoto, Makenga (Mungongo, 58), Mutamba, Hitoto, Selenge, Simba, Bazamba (1Mbayo, 91), Emeka, Tondelwa (Bembuana, 46), Kanokene. Att.: n/a. Feb. 25 in Bobo Dioulasso Burkina Faso 0 Egypt 2. Goals: H.Hassan 40, 71. Burkina Faso -- Diarra, Doumbia, Talle, Sanou, Nana, A.Traore (A.Ouedraogo, 52, Kambou, 81), Koudou, Diabate, Zongo, S.Traore, K.Ouedraogo. Egypt -- Al-Sayed, Hady, Kamouna, Ramzy, Omara, Radwaod, A.Hassan, …

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Format for CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup Changed CONCACAF announced Feb. 25 that changes have been made to the format of the 1998 CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup tournament. "Scheduling and techncial issues make the change of format necessary," said CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer. "But we can now guarantee good competition and games in all of the competing nations." The six teams qualified for the finals have been split into two groups. The North Group consists of the Dallas Burn (MLS), Cruz Azul (Mexico) and Necaxa (Mexico), while the South Group contains Olimpia (Honduras), Platense (Honduras) and Municipal (Guatemala). Each group …

Feb. 24 in Miami Netherlands 3 Mexico 2. Goals: Kluivert 17, 19, Jonk 20; Palencia 65, Garcia Aspe (pen.) 76. Netherlands -- De Goey, Winter, Bogarde (Faber, 58), F. De Boer, Numan, Jonk (Reiziger, 46), Seedorf, Cocu, R. De Boer (Van Hooijdonk, 46), Mols (Overmars, 46), Kluivert (Zenden, 73). Mexico -- Martinez, Mercado (Zarate, 63), Gabriel, Villa, Terrazas, Lopez, Bernal (Palencia, 63), Abundis, Garcia Aspe, Alfaro, Lozano (Blanco, 43). Referee: Brian Hall (USA). Att.: 7,077.

The South American Women's Championship, which will determine one and possibly two of the competing countries in the 1999 Women's World Cup, will take place in Mar Del Plata, Argentina from March 1-15. The champion of the ten-team tournament will automatically advance to USA '99, while the runner-up will meet the second-place team from CONCACAF in a two-leg playoff for a berth at the World Cup. Brazil, which finished fourth at the 1996 Olympics and recorded its first-ever win over the USA in December, is the heavy favorite, although host Argentina is expected to challenge as well. Here is the …

MLS has signed Indiana high school senior Jamar Beasley as the newest member of Project-40. Beasley, who attends South Side HS in Fort Wayne, Ind., will be assigned to the New England Revolution. The 18-year-old Beasley will be the youngest player in the development program. He scored 28 goals during his senior season at South Side, and his career total of 107 is an Indiana state record. He is a member of the U-20 national team, making his first appearance in a December, 1997 friendly against Pateadores. He opted for Project-40 as an alternative to college soccer. "I visited UCLA …