I hate to present any smidgen of rationale for the despised shootout, but it is working in one regard -- it punishes teams that can't win in regulation. This is a good thing. Both Chicago and San Jose have four wins. Yet Chicago sits atop the Western Conference with 12 points; San Jose languishes far back with just four points. Why? The Clash can't win in regulation. That's fair. Many writers and fans are clamoring for a revised MLS point system of four points to a team winning in regulation, two to a shootout winner, and one to a shootout …

A major portion of the latest distribution of 1994 World Cup profits will fund the construction of soccer fields around the nation -- and help save one of the nation's oldest fields. In its fourth full grant cycle, the U.S. Soccer Foundation approved $2,244,575 in grants to 38 different groups in 25 states. The Foundation has made almost $9 million in grants since 1995, when it began distributing profits made on the investment income of more than $50 million in World Cup '94 revenue. In addition to the 38 grants, the Foundation approved special grants of more than a half-million …

The Colorado Rapids game versus the Chicago Fire, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 24, will be made up on Wednesday, October 6 at Mile High Stadium. Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m. (MT). The game was postponed in the wake of the recent tragedy that took place at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Tickets for the April 24 game will be honored at the October 6 make-up date. Tickets for the April 24 game may also be exchanged for tickets to any other Rapids home game this season. This may be done at the Mile High Stadium box office …

Qualifying is underway to determine the 32 teams that will compete in the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, which begins in June. The format will be similar to last year, with eight D3 Pro League teams squaring off against four PDL and four USASA teams in the first round, which is set for June 9-13. The eight winners will face eight A-League teams in the second round, to be played June 23-27. Eight MLS clubs will enter in the third round, meeting the eight second-round winners over the weekend of July 12-14. Quarterfinals are set for Aug. 11-12, with the semifinals …

The U.S. women's national team dominated from start to finish, getting goals and assists from ten different players to defeat Japan, 9-0, in front of 10,119 rain-swept fans at Ericsson Stadium. Tiffeny Milbrett became the second player in U.S. women's national team history to score four goals in a game, all in the second half, as the USA pounded Japan with 35 shots. Milbrett also added two assists, tying Mia Hamm, who has scored four goals twice, for the U.S. record of points in a game at 10. With the resounding victory, the Americans equaled their goal total from the …

The A-League will televise a package of 10 games on a local and regional basis during the season. Nine regular-season games, plus the championship, will be shown, featuring Eastern Conference teams. Games will be seen in each team's local market, as well as the Empire Sports Network, CTV Sportsnet in Canada and the USL Soccer Network, which includes independent stations in various parts of the country. The league is in ongoing negotiations with other regional networks and independent stations to carry games on a live or tape-delay basis. The defending champion Rochester Rhinos will appear in six of the nine …

Goalkeeper Matt Jordan (3) Dallas Defenders Leo Cullen (1) Miami Paul Caligiuri (1) Los Angeles Jan Eriksson (1) Tampa Bay Midfielders Ivan McKinley (1) New England Oscar Pareja (1) Dallas Carlos Valderrama (2) Tampa Bay Mauricio Cienfuegos (1) Los Angeles Forwards Musa Shannon (1) Tampa Bay Jason Kreis (3) Dallas Giovanni Savarese (2) New England ò In parentheses is the number of times a player has been named to the Team of the Week.

Kansas City Wizards GM Doug Newman has announced that Bob Gansler will be named head coach of the Wizards. Gansler will replace Ken Fogarty, who stepped in as interim head coach after former Head Coach Ron Newman's resignation on April 14. "Bob Gansler brings a wealth of experience to our organization," said Newman. "He has played and coached at every level of the game in this country, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will instill the confidence our team needs to be successful." Gansler was the head coach for the A-League's Milwaukee Rampage from 1996-98, where …

Results April 28 Kansas City 0 Columbus 1 Standings EASTERN GP W L P GF GA Columbus 6 4 2 8 5 6 D.C. United 5 3 2 7 11 8 New England 5 2 3 6 7 5 MetroStars 5 3 2 5 4 5 Miami 6 3 3 5 7 12 Tampa Bay 5 1 4 3 7 11 Shootout records: Columbus 2-0, MetroStars 2-0, Miami 2-1, D.C. United 1-1, Tampa Bay 0-1, New England 0-3. WESTERN GP W L P GF GA Chicago 5 4 1 …

Chicago Fire -- G Zach Thornton (sprained finger), M Diego Gutierrez (back spasms) and F Ante Razov (bruised ankle) are probable. Colorado Rapids -- G Ian Feuer (bruised hip) is probable; M Anders Limpar (strained calf) is questionable. Columbus Crew -- G Juergen Sommer (torn ACL) is on injured reserve. Dallas Burn -- G Mark Dodd (knee tendonitis) and M Mark Santel (sprained MCL) are probable; D Chad Deering (sprained MCL) is out. D.C. United -- D Eddie Pope (turf toe) and M Marco Etcheverry (strained lower back) are probable; M Ben Olsen (strained lower back) is questionable; M Richie …

Group 1 TEAM GP W T L GF GA P Italy 4 3 1 0 7 2 10 Switzerland 4 2 1 1 4 3 7 Wales 4 2 0 2 5 7 6 Belarus 4 0 2 2 3 5 2 Denmark 4 0 2 2 3 5 2 SCHEDULE June 5 -- Italy vs. Wales, Denmark vs. Belarus. Group 2 April 28 in Riga Latvia 0 Albania 0. Att.: 2,700. April 28 in Tbilisi Georgia 1 (Dzhanashia 58) Norway 4 (Iversen 16, T.A. Flo 27, 38 Solskjaer 35). Half: 0-4. Att.: 20,000.

FEATURES MLS Beat: Carlos Caper Highlights Foreign Forays By Ridge Mahoney MLS Makes A Costa Rican Connection By Amparo Simon Schmid Finally Makes Way To Galaxy Bench By Fred J. Robledo Bruce Arena: '[U-20s] A Pretty Solid Team' Interview by Scott French Spain Overcomes Japan's Magic By Scott French U.S. U-20s Weigh Their Options By Scott French Majestic Manchester United Celebrates Kate Sobrero Rebounds To Emerge As Starter By Dean Caparaz COLUMNS Soccer Talk -- Blaming it on the weather By Paul Gardner Short Passes By Lynn Berling-Manuel DEPARTMENTS

• Up Front
• MLS Roundup
• Q&A: Musa Shannon
• MLS Closeup: Mike …

STANDINGS North GP W L GF GA P Cape Cod 0 0 0 0 0 0 Delaware 0 0 0 0 0 0 N. Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 New Jersey 0 0 0 0 0 0 North Jersey 0 0 0 0 0 0 Reading 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rhode Island 0 0 0 0 0 0 South Jersey 0 0 0 0 0 0 Western Mass. 0 0 0 0 0 0 Atlantic GP W L GF GA P Carolina 0 0 0 0 0 0 Charlotte 0 0 0 0 …

The U.S. national team will play France '98 quarterfinalist Argentina in a full-international match on June 13 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The match will be televised to a live ABC audience at 1 p.m. ET. As part of the agreement struck between U.S. Soccer and the Argentine Football Association, the two teams will meet for a second time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at a date to be determined. The match marks a homecoming of sorts for U.S. head coach Bruce Arena, who currently resides in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Fairfax, Virginia. Arena, who guided D.C. United to …

The following are quotes from the April 27 MLS media teleconference, which featured MLS Commissioner Doug Logan, MLS Executive Vice President Ivan Gazidis, Los Angeles Galaxy Head Coach Sigi Schmid and New England Revolution Head Coach Walter Zenga. Doug Logan Opening Remarks "I'd like to welcome Sigi Schmid to the MLS coaching fraternity ... He did such a great job at UCLA and with the United States U-20 national team in Nigeria ... "We thought last week given what had occurred in Littleton, and given the fact that other Denver-area teams had similarly elected not to play, that it was …