The return of key U.S. national team players Brian McBride, Eddie Pope and Frankie Hejduk highlight the 27-player Confederations Cup training camp roster announced today by U.S. coach Bruce Arena. The squad will train in Denver from July 11-18 in order to prepare for the altitude it will face in Mexico during the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, July 24-Aug. 4 in Guadalajara and Mexico City. A final 20-player squad for the Confederations Cup will be announced the week prior to departure into Mexico. The trio of McBride, Pope and Hejduk were the notable absentees from the stellar 1-0 U.S. victory …

Goalkeeper Joe Cannon (1) San Jose Defenders Mauricio Wright (6) San Jose Alexi Lalas (3) Kansas City Marcelo Balboa (3) Colorado Midfielders Mauricio Cienfuegos (3) Los Angeles Clint Mathis (3) Los Angeles Leonel Alvarez (2) Dallas Ben Olsen (3) D.C. United Joe-Max Moore (3) New England Forwards Jorge Dely Valdes (2) Colorado Roy Lassiter (3) D.C. United * In parentheses is the number of times a player has been named to the Team of the Week.

Two decades ago, she followed her mom to the soccer field. Two years ago, her goal won an Olympic gold medal for the United States. Now, Tiffeny Milbrett aims for World Cup stardom. The U.S. women's national team ù and all the publicity this World Cup has brought it ù has been celebrated for providing girls with the female-athlete role models they've been lacking in the past. But U.S. forward Tiffeny Milbrett always had a sports-playing woman to emulate ù her mother. Elsie Milbrett-Parham went to an Oregon high school that didn't even offer girls varsity sports, but …

June 30 in San Jose, Calif. China 2 Russia 0. Goals: Pu Wei 37, Jin Yan 56. China -- Gao Hong, Wang Liping, Fan Yunjie, Wen Lirong, Bai Jie, Pu Wei (Qiu Haiyan, 80), Liu Ying, Liu Ailing, Zhao Lihong, Sun Wen, Jin Yan (Zhang Ouying, 89). Russia -- Petko, Tcheverda, Bourakova, Filippova, N.Karasseva, Komarova (Svetlitzkaia, 88), Grigorieva, Egorova (Fomina, 46), O.Karasseva, Barbachina (Savina, 68), Letuchova. Yellow cards: China -- Qiu Haiyan 90; Russia -- Tcheverda 35. Referee: Nicole Mouidi-Petitgnat. Norway 3 Sweden 1. Goals: Aarones 51, Pettersen 58, Riise (pen.) 72; Mostrom 90. Norway -- Nordby, Jorgensen, Kringen, Medalen, …

Host California-South won eight of the 16 age-group titles at the Region IV (West) finals in Snickers U.S. Youth Soccer championships June 20-26 at the Kern County Soccer Park in Bakersfield (under-16 through under-19) and the San Bernardino CYSA-South Soccer Complex in San Bernardino (under-12 through under-15). Champions in the U-16 through U-19 divisions advance to the Snickers US Youth Soccer National Championships July 20-25 at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The La Jolla Nomads led the California-South effort, winning three boys titles (U-13, U-14 and U-19). The U-19 Nomads will attempt to win …

REGION IV CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (June 20-26 in Bakserfield, Calif., and San Bernardino, Calif.) Under-19 Boys Quarterfinals Colorado Rush Nike 3 Chivas USA (Cal. N.) 2 Claremont (Cal. S.) Stars 8 Mining City (Mon.) Marauders 0 Cisco (Ariz.) 2 Rio Conquest (N.M.) 1 La Jolla (Cal. S.) Nomads 1 MVLA Fireballs (Cal. N.) 0 Semifinals Colorado Rush Nike 2 Claremont (Cal. S.) Stars 1 La Jolla (Cal. S.) Nomads 3 Cisco (Ariz.) 0 Final La Jolla (Cal. S.) Nomads 2 Colorado Rush Nike 1 Under-18 Boys Quarterfinals Colorado Rush Nike 8 Tucson (Ariz.) Utd. Premier 2 FC United (Wash.) 3 Firebirds …

Here's a look at MLS action on TV this week: Date Matchup Kickoff (ET) Television June 30 Tampa Bay at MetroStars 7:00 p.m. MSG network; Sunshine network June 30 San Jose at Columbus 7:30 p.m. Fox Sports Bay Area July 2 Dallas at Chicago 8:30 p.m. Fox Sports Southwest July 3 Kansas City at Tampa Bay 7:00 p.m. *espn2 July 4 MetroStars at New England 4:30 p.m. Fox Sports New England; MSG network July 4 D.C. United at San Jose 7:00 p.m. Fox Sports Bay Area; NewsChannel 8 July 4 Chicago at Dallas 8:30 p.m. Fox Sports …

International: Copa America results and standings (June 29) Group A June 29 in Asuncion Peru 3 Japan 2. Goals: Jorge Soto 70, Holsen 74, 81; Lopes 6, A.Miura 77. Peru -- Ibanez, Jose Soto, Reynoso, Rebosio, Jorge Soto, pereda (Ciurlizza, 81), Palacios (Holsen, 46), Jayo, Solano, Maestri (Velasquez, 89), Pizarro. Japan -- Narazaki, Mochizuki (A.Miura, 62), Ihara, Akihita, Hattori, Tasaka (Fukinishi, 30), Ito, Nanami, Fujita, Lopes (Oku, 72), Jo. Yellow cards: Peru -- Reynoso 6, Jayo 71. Referee: Byron Moreno (Ecuador). Att.: 43,000. Paraguay 0 Bolivia 0. Paraguay -- Tavarelli, Arce, Ayala, Gamarra, Toledo, Cuevas (Caballero, 46), Gavilan, Enciso, Acuna, …

Chicago Fire -- F Josh Wolff (bruised ankle) is probable; D Chris Armas (strained groin) and M Peter Nowak (bruised calf) are questionable. Colorado Rapids -- D Marcelo Balboa (strained hamstring) and D Jason Bent (turf toe) are probable. Columbus Crew -- G Juergen Sommer (torn ACL) is on injured reserve. Dallas Burn -- F Dante Washington (sprained MCL) is on injured reserve. D.C. United -- G Mark Simpson (lower back nerve injury), D Eddie Pope (broken foot) and M Ben Olsen (athletic pubalgia) are probable; D Curt Onalfo (strained hamstring) is questionable. Kansas City Wizards -- D Sean Bowers …

FEATURES U.S. Second String Looks First Class By Dean Caparaz Counting On Kristine Lilly By Dean Caparaz Nigeria's Falcons Crest Early By Dean Caparaz German Defender Hopes For Reunion By Ridge Mahoney Inside WWC '99: Femme Fatales In Black By Scott French Limpar Proves To Be Right Fit In Colorado By Poul Swain Boston-Miami Trade Shuttle Continues By Frank Dell'Apa COLUMNS My View -- Amazing Press Coverage By Paul Kennedy Soccer Talk -- Old World Invades Copa America By Paul Gardner From the Field -- Women's Pro League In Planning Stage By Marianne Bhonslay DEPARTMENTS Up Front …

STANDINGS Eastern Conference Northeast GP W L GF GA P C. Jersey 8 5 3 24 15 27 New York 9 4 5 22 18 22 Brooklyn 8 4 4 16 23 18 Westchester 9 4 5 12 18 16 Vermont 8 1 7 12 27 6 NY Capital 7 1 6 8 25 5 Southeast GP W L GF GA P Jackson 8 7 1 32 7 33 C. Florida 7 5 2 22 5 24 Cocoa 8 5 3 18 11 20 Miami B. 7 4 3 9 7 15 Bradenton 7 4 3 12 …

With demand outreaching supply for this Thursday's Quarterfinal doubleheader at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Organizing Committee announced today that it will decrease its downsizing and put additional $30 Category III tickets on sale immediately. Tickets for the doubleheader featuring the United States vs. Germany and Brazil against Nigeria are available by calling (202) 432-7328, or through any TicketMaster outlet. The first match between the defending Olympic gold medalists and European champions begins at 7 p.m. EDT. "Based on the increased interest in the tournament matches in Washington, D.C., we felt we needed to respond …

U-15 RESULTS June 23 Calif. Central Elite 12 Sacramento Elite 1 June 25 Miami Breakers 1 Miami Tango 3 San Fern. Valley 1 SCYSO 0 June 26 Ironbound 3 Brooklyn 1 June 27 Staten Island 1 Westchester 3 Calif. Jaguars 0 Calif. Central Elite 3 U-14 RESULTS June 26 Almaden Clash 0 Calif. Central Elite 0 June 27 Brooklyn 2 Westchester 1 Almaden Clash 1 Central Coast 3 U-15 STANDINGS Northeast Division -- Central Jersey, Brooklyn, Westchester 5 points; No. Virginia, Staten Island, Ironbound 0. Southeast Division -- Miami T. 5 points; Bradenton, Pinellas Utd., Stone Mountain, Tampa Wanderers, Miami …

Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos are reunited to defend Brazil's title in 39th Copa America The 39th Copa America will bring together a significant number of the world's biggest stars ù even though the tournament is limited to South America's 10 national teams and special guests Japan and Mexico. South American's top players have become fixtures in the European leagues, and a good amount of them have been called back for the tournament that kicks off in Paraguay June 29. Ronaldo, together with eight survivors from last year's World Cup, will be in Paraguay to defend the trophy Brazil captured …

The following are quotes from the June 29 MLS media teleconference, which featured MLS commissioner Doug Logan, MLS VP Ivan Gazidis, Los Angeles coach Sigi Schmid and Colorado forward Jorge Dely Valdes. Doug Logan Opening Remarks "I had the opportunity of being in Denver on Saturday night too see a game between our defending champion, the Chicago Fire, and the current Western Conference first-place team for a very entertaining game ... [Colorado forward] Jorge Dely Valdes, one of today's guests and our current MLS Player of the Week, has now scored the Rapids' game-winning goal in three consecutive games." "We …