Two weeks after the United States won the Women's World Cup, reality has set in. A few players are heading back to school either as students or coaches. Others are playing out the W-League season. There are camp appearances to make. And for some, it's simply time to rest. The reality is that U.S. Soccer will fight tooth and nails to block the U.S. players' principal money-making opportunity, their proposed indoor tour this fall. As we went to press, our Tampa correspondent, Bill Ward, reported in the Tampa Tribune that U.S. Soccer could file an injunction any day to block …

Ben Olsen and Joe-Max Moore each scored as the U.S. national team battled to an inspirational 2-0 victory over Germany in the FIFA Confederations Cup. The win propels the Americans into the tournament's semifinals, where they will play host Mexico on Sunday (Aug. 1) at the famous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The U.S. took the field against Germany with a starting lineup that included one player (Matt McKeon) who had never before played for the United States and a further three (Brad Friedel, Marcelo Balboa and Paul Bravo) who had not appeared since before or during the 1998 World …

Three of U.S. Soccer's top youth national teams -- the U-18 boys, U-17 boys and U-16 girls -- will compete in the United States Amateur Soccer Association's "U.S. Soccer Festival '99" next week in Portland, Oregon. The fourth annual tournament, which includes men's and women's teams from all four USASA regions, will be staged from August 2- 7, with all games played at the Tualatin Hills Recreation Center. Each U.S. national team will play a total of four games. The U.S. U-18 boys' national team, which holds a 10-3-4 record on the year, is led by midfielder and captain Ian …

The U.S. U-18 Women's national team improved their record 2-1-0 in the 1999 Pan Am Games with a big 9-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago July 29. The match comes on the heels of a surpring 1-1 draw with Mexico earlier in the week. The U.S. will close out opening round play on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT against Canada in Winnipeg. The top four teams in the group continue to the semifinals. July 29 in Winnipeg, Man. USA 9 Trinidad & Tobago 1. Goals: Kraus 1, Wallis 12, 22, 59, Lewis 44, Patrick 48, 73, 82, Molinaro 85; Champs …

The United States got a world-class performance from goalkeeper Adin Brown, and Taylor Twellman came off the bench to score the game-winner in a 2-1 victory against Jamaica in the 1999 Pan American Games at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex. A Jamaica win would have eliminated the Americans and sent the Jamaicans into the medal round. The top two teams in each group advance and now both teams will have to wait until Saturday to decide who advances into the medal round. The U.S. (six points) plays winless Uruguay at 7:00 p.m.at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex, and Jamaica (six points) faces …

Group A FINAL STANDINGS TEAM GP W T L GF GA P *Mexico 3 2 1 0 8 3 7 *S. Arabia 3 1 1 1 6 6 4 Bolivia 3 0 2 1 2 3 2 Egypt 3 0 2 1 5 9 2 *-advances to semifinals. Group B July 30 in Guadalajara USA 2 Germany 0. Goals: Olsen 24, Moore 50. USA -- Friedel, Agoos, Balboa, Brown, Hejduk, McKeon, Williams, Lewis, Olsen (Stewart, 65), Moore (Kirovski, 83), Bravo (McBride, 77). Germany -- Lehmann, Linke, Woerns, Matthaeus, Heinrich (Dogan, 42), Gerber (Maul, 75), Wosz, Schneider, …

Mark Hill Columbus, Ohio In your last Q&A session [July 23], Ridge Mahoney answered a question about pay-per-view television broadcasts of the Copa America and Confederations Cup. In his response Mahoney said: "I, too, find it disappointing that ESPN, which shows most U.S. matches, did not pick up the Confederations Cup, but U.S. Soccer has certainly dropped the ball in the past and has done so again." My understanding is that U.S. Soccer had no control of TV rights of this tournament. I have read that the rights were sold exclusively to a pay-per-view through a bidding process that included …

Group A July 29 in Mexico City Saudi Arabia 5 Egypt 1. Goals: Al Otaibi 8, 34, 78, 85, I.Al Shahrani 64; Ibrahim (pen.) 70. Saudi Arabia -- Al Deayea, Al Jahani (Gahwji, 83), Harthi, Zubromawi, Al Dawod, Al Harbi (A.Al Shahrani, 65), I.Al Shahrani, Al Subaie, Al Temyat (Bin Shehan, 46), Sulimani, Al Otaibi. Egypt -- El Hadary, Hassan, Ramzy, Ibrahim, Emam, El Saka (Basyouny, 43), Medhat, Youssef, Rayyan (Walid, 65), Sabry, Ahmed (Al Amin, 55). Red cards: Egypt -- Sabry 28, Emam 37, Ibrahim 80. Mexico 1 Bolivia 0. Goal: Palencia 52. Mexico -- Campos, Suarez, Pardo, Marquez, …

The following are quotes from the July 29 media teleconference with U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena: On playing for a draw in a tournament of this type (with a draw against Germany advancing the U.S. on Friday): "First of all, even if Joe-Max scores that penalty kick last night we are in the same position. This is the challenge to achieve a draw at a minimum on Friday. Before the tournament, I had three challenges for our team. One, to get three points against New Zealand. Two, to keep the result close against Brazil, so we can go into …

Besides awarding the winning teams, U.S. Youth Soccer and its sponsors honored the best sports, the most productive goal scorers and the best goalkeepers at the 1999 USYSA national championship at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Following are the winners in each age group, along with a brief description of the award: SNICKERS Fair Play Award Teams displaying exemplary conduct on and off the field are considered for this award. The winners are selected by referees, state representatives and the National Championship Committee. SNICKERS also sponsors the Fair Play program at the state and …

On the heels of the historic victory for the U.S. Women's national team in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. U-21 women's national team will travel to Iceland to compete in the Nordic Cup from Aug. 2-8. Held annually in Northern Europe, the Nordic Cup brings together the world's top U-21 women's national teams for the most important women's youth tournament for this age group. The grueling schedule features four matches in seven days for all eight teams, with the group winners meeting for the championship on Aug. 8 at the National Stadium in Laugardalsvollur. "Although this is …

Strengths and shortcomings revealed at All-Star break Judging the future of MLS from the action on the field at the fourth annual All-Star Game would conjure images of matches filled with spectacular goals, razor-sharp passes and besieged goalkeepers flailing about their penalty areas. The East and West stars did their part and played their roles perfectly. The first goal hit the net in the first 30 seconds, and nine more shots flashed past the gloved guardians in a 6-4 Western win. Judging by what transpired off the field, MLS would be staring at a bleak picture marred …

The U.S. national team gave up a goal in the first half, yet attacked exceptionally well and controlled much of the second half in a 1-0 loss to Brazil July 28 in the opening round of the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico. Despite the narrow loss, the U.S. will advance to the semifinals of the tournament with a win or a draw on Friday against Germany, who topped New Zealand 2-0 in the first match today. "I think it was a very good game, tactically, by both teams," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena. "We got our opportunities in this …

With one third round game still to play, U.S. Soccer has announced the pairings and schedule for the quarterfinals of the 1999 U.S. Open Cup. The four matches will take place from August 10-18, with two of the four games being hosted by A-League teams. The final third-round game will be played Aug. 4 when the two-time MLS and '96 Open Cup champion D.C. United battles the A-League's Charlston Battery at the newly built Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C. The two A-League host teams, the Rochester Raging Rhinos and Staten Island Vipers, will be looking to further their role of …

Lapuente: A Rebel at Heart Shortly after taking over MexicoÆs helm, Manuel Lapuente won the 1998 Gold Cup in Los Angeles. He took Mexico to the second round of France æ98 and to third place at the 1999 Copa America in Paraguay. Now, the Confederations Cup offers him his first major test on home soil. SOCCER AMERICA: Is it true that, as a player, you didnÆt get along with coaches? MANUEL LAPUENTE: It was really hard to succeed in pro soccer. You need a lot of faith and strength to get to the top. Coaches were my obstacles. I had …