Ron King Arlington, Texas. Please explain the "fitness test" that is sometimes referred to on telecasts (particularly from European leagues). Is it only for recently injured players? Is there a standard test? How about specific tests for certain injuries? Scott French: "Fitness test" is just a phrase for "medical exam"; basically, it's when the team doctor or trainer checks an injured or ill player to see if they've healed enough to play. If a player had a sprained ankle, for instance, they would test its flexibility, how well the player can run and cut, whether there's any lingering pain, things …

Rule interpretations skewed toward league directives The night was warm, the drinks were cold, and the hot topic was officiating in MLS. It was All-Star week, a few hours after the game, and those at this table were concerned with referees: Their consistency, their expertise, and their demeanor. Since among those gathered were two head coaches, one general manager, and zero referees, the general tone seldom skewed far from scathing. No coach or GM alive has a call he can't forgive or a disallowed goal he can forget. Yet I had to agree with many of their contentions, based on …

STANDINGS Eastern Conference Northeast GP W L GF GA P *Rochester 26 21 5 44 19 87 *Staten Island 26 19 7 52 26 82 *Long Island 26 17 9 56 40 70 *Pittsburgh 27 15 12 58 40 67 Lehigh Vly. 26 14 12 39 41 60 Boston 27 12 15 46 31 60 Toronto 26 10 16 25 37 42 Connecticut 28 7 21 32 68 34 Atlantic GP W L GF GA P *Hershey 26 16 10 49 31 70 *Richmond 26 17 9 49 38 68 Charleston 26 14 12 48 31 64 …

The following are quotes from the Aug. 31 MLS media teleconference, which featured MLS Executive Vice President Ivan Gazidis, Dallas Burn Forward and MLS Leading Scorer Jason Kreis, Miami Fusion Forward Eric Wynalda. Ivan Gazidis' Opening Comments "It's nice to have two very positive pieces of news to talk about today ... There are probably some questions regarding our Competition Committee meeting and still has not happened yet ... There has not been a date set ... I suspect it will happen in the next two weeks and then we will turn some of those issues over to the full …

Northern Conference Final Aug. 28 Western Mass. 1 New Hampshire 0 (OT). Goal: Jachym 98. Atlantic Conference Final Aug. 28 Charlotte 3 Wilmington 2. Goals: Leib 18, 37, Mott 51; Walker 79, Panos 86. Western Conference Final Aug. 28 Chico 2 Texas 2 (Chico wins shootout, 2-1). Goals: Munoz 54, Freeman 90; Gentile 41, Bazan 70. SCHEDULE Semifinals Sept. 3 Chico at Western Mass. Sept. 4 South Jersey at Charlotte

METROSTARS 1 NEW ENGLAND 2 (SO) Aug. 25 Att.: 9,143. Goals MetroStars: Duhaney (Zambrano, Curcic) 14. New England: Moore (Chronopoulos, Harkes) 46. (New England wins shootout, 3-1.) SA Report Card MetroStars: Howard 7, Kalonji 5, Semioli 4, Walsh 5, Corrales 4, Kelly 5 (Villegas, 85th, NR), Sorber 5, Duhaney 6 (Chung, 17th, 5), Curcic 6, Zambrano 6, Hurtado 4. New England: Causey 7, Dunseth 5, Calichman 5, Burns 6, Chronopoulos 7, Harkes 6, McKinley 6 (Kelderman, 82nd, NR), Alvarez 5 (Dos Santos, 39th, 5), Baicher 6, Savarese 5, Moore 6. Yellow cards MetroStars: Kalonji 65. New England: Baicher 66, McKinley …

Goalkeeper Sarah Wilson (1) Navy 12 saves to shut out George Mason, 2-0 Defenders Emily Janss (1) Maryland Senior scores winner in 2-0 victory over GW Danielle Slaton (1) Santa Clara Left back gets 2 assists in win over Cal Midfielders Meghan Anderson (1) Nebraska Beats Baylor with 36-minute free kick Cameron Chorn (1) Texas A&M Sets up 3 goals in win over Oklahoma Brittany Kirk (1) Cal Sets Cal marks in goals (4), points (8) vs. USF Kris Phillips (1) Penn State N.C. State transfer hits winner vs. Seton Hall Forwards Heather Beem (1) Clemson Freshman gets goal, assist …

Here is the Soccer America women's Top 20, taking into account games played through Aug. 29,1999. Rank/Team Record Last Week 1. Santa Clara 1-0-0 1 2. North Carolina 0-0-0 2 3. Notre Dame 0-0-0 3 4. Portland 1-0-0 4 5. Connecticut 0-0-0 5 6. Nebraska 2-0-0 6 7. Florida 2-0-0 7 8. Penn State 1-0-0 8 9. Hartford 0-0-0 9 10. Clemson 2-0-0 10 11. Dartmouth 0-0-0 11 12. San Diego St. 1-0-0 12 13. Stanford 1-0-0 13 14. Virginia 0-0-0 14 15. William & Mary 0-1-0 15 16. Michigan 1-0-0 16 17. Northwestern 1-0-0 18 18. …

With a full-international match versus CONCACAF foe Jamaica set for Sept. 8, U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena today named the 18-player roster that will travel to Kingston for the match. The roster features several of the top young MLS players, and includes four members of the U.S. U-23 national team, which in April will compete in CONCACAF Qualifying for the right to play in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The USA-Jamaica match in Kingston will actually be part of a unique doubleheader, featuring the two nations' Under-17 National Teams in the preliminary match. The USA and Jamaican …

Bob Carmona Stratford, Conn. Where can I get a book, or listing, of college women's soccer Division I All-Americans from say 1977 to 1985 as well as national tournament results for the same years? Mike Woitalla: Bob, don't waste your time hunting for NCAA women's soccer information before 1982, because that's the first year that the NCAA sponsored a women's championship. For information since 1982, when the North Carolina Tar Heels carried off the first NCAA trophy, contact the NCAA itself. The organization creates several publications, including "The Official 1999 NCAA Soccer Records Book." You can reach the NCAA at …

The stars of the 1999 Women's World Cup champion U.S. Women's national team will return to Foxboro Stadium this weekend as U.S. coach Tony DiCicco puts his troops back on the field for the first time since winning the world championship. The USA will take on the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by the New England Revolution playing the Tampa Bay Mutiny at 7:30 p.m. ET. The USA last appeared at Foxboro on June 27 in its final first-round match of the Women's World Cup, defeating North Korea, 3-0, to win its group, …

While Commissioner Don Garber was hired to handle MLS's business affairs, he will ultimately succeed or fail based on how he handles soccer questions. Case in point: What does he do about Stern John? The Crew striker, whom our Columbus correspondent, Craig Merz, features on page 8 [Sept. 6, 1999 issue of SA], is the best pure striker MLS has developed, but the Crew is now in danger of losing him after only two years. Nottingham Forest manager David Platt flew to Columbus to watch John against Tampa Bay Aug. 22. Given the success of another Trinidad & Tobago player, …

UCLA's Todd Saldana inherits plenty of talent and championship hopes from Sigi Schmid Todd Saldana's primary job this autumn, and in the next few to follow, is to convince that this new era in UCLA soccer isn't all that much different than the one that has passed. The immediate task might be simple ù he inherits a squad with a distinct U.S. flavor, one with nine starters back from fizzled campaign in defense of its '97 title ù but the new Bruin coach's test is just beginning. "I haven't come here thinking I'm here to replace Sigi [Schmid], or to …

Note: matches will be played over two legs Sept. 16 and 30, with the first team hosting the first leg. Aris (Greece) vs. Servette (Switzerland) Red Star Belgrade (Yugoslavia) vs. Montpellier (France) Inter Bratislava (Slovakia) vs. Rapid Vienna (Austria) Juventus (Italy) vs. Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) vs. Dukla (Slovakia) Leeds Utd. (England) vs. Partizan Belgrade (Yugoslavia) Bodoe/Glimt (Norway) vs. Werder Bremen (Germany) Helsingborg (Sweden) vs. Karpaty Lviv (Ukraine) Lausanne (Switzerland) vs. Celta Vigo (Spain) Skonto Riga (Latvia) vs. Widzew Lodz (Poland) Parma (Italy) vs. Kryvbas KR (Ukraine) Wolfsburg (Germany) vs. Debrecen (Hungary) Teplice (Czech Rep.) …

Ray Sadr Storrs, Conn. I have been looking for the book "Pele, My life and the Beautiful Game," which is Pele's autobiography. No one seems to have it and they say it is out of print, since it was published in the late 1970s. Do you know of any source that would help me buy this book? Mike Woitalla The book you are referring to, Ray, was published in 1977 and co-authored by Robert L. Fish. My colleague, senior editor Scott French, said he read it when he was 16 and considered it his favorite book at that time. Indeed, …