When the MLS season kicked off in March, most rookies were hoping just for some playing time. But Chicago's Carlos Bocanegra and Kansas City's Nick Garcia made an immediate impact and didn't let up. In fact, they were key in helping set up their teams' MLS Cup meeting. The cream of the rookie class The lives of Nick Garcia and Carlos Bocanegra were entwined long before they emerged as the top candidates for MLS Rookie of the Year honors in 2000. They were teammates on U.S. U-20 national team that reached the second round at the 1999 …

During the holidays follow headline news and a special Soccer America series that recaps the highlights of Soccer 2000 right here at www.socceramerica.com. The staff of Soccer America wishes all of our readers and online visitors a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Soccer America Magazine is taking its traditional holiday publishing hiatus with the Dec. 25 issue the last of 2000. The first issue of the new year will the Jan. 22, 2001 National Soccer Coaches Association convention edition. And don't forget, Soccer America Magazine makes a wonderful holiday gift for the passionate …

CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONS Canada was one of five continental champions to be crowned in 2000. Every confederation except South America, which crowned Brazil in 1999, held championships in 2000. Here are the other champions: CAMEROON. The Indomitable Lions were the first champions to be crowned, winning the African Nations Cup. They beat host Nigeria on penalty kicks in Lagos in February. A nucleus of that team returned to win the Olympic gold medal in September. AUSTRALIA. The Socceroos gained revenge for their loss to New Zealand in the 1998 Oceania Nations Cup, beating the All Whites, …

The story of Corinthians is symbolic of the state of Brazilian soccer. It also sums up the topsy-turvy year that was 2000. Brazil continues to produce more good players than any other country in the world, but it's plagued by disorganization. The Sao Paulo club was crowned champion of the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in January, but by the fall it had hit bottom. Corinthians lost 10 straight games in the controversial Joao Havelange Cup to finish 24th out of 25 teams in the new Brazilian championship. Its top players all left, one after …

MLS has announced, that at the request of the WUSA and Spartan Stadium, the home for the past five years of the San Jose Earthquakes, it has agreed to waive the exclusivity provision contained in its lease with Spartan. This waiver allows the WUSA to play at the stadium. In return for doing so, MLS agreed with Spartan Stadium on an extension that provides for the Earthquakes future in San Jose. "We have taken the difficult step of agreeing to release the blackout provision in our lease to accommodate the requests of both the WUSA and Spartan Stadium," said MLS …

Socceramerica.com is pleased to present the debut of Kelly SmithÆs monthly column. Smith, an England international who set the NCAA Division I record for goals and points per game at Seton Hall University, is a member of the WUSAÆs Philadelphia Charge. She checks in shortly after playing in front of record crowd for an England womenÆs national team home game and finding out who her WUSA teammates will be: BY KELLY SMITH Over the past few months, I experienced one of the highlights of my soccer career -- helping England qualify for the 2001 European Championships in a two-match playoff …

In the past 20 years ù the modern era of college soccer ù only two conferences have sent more than one representative to the NCAA semifinals in the same year. One is the Atlantic Coast Conference, which has thrice seen two of its teams among the final four. The only other league to accomplish that feat since 1980 is the Missouri Valley Conference. The who? Many may have asked that question before this year, but with SMU and Creighton each giving NCAA champion UConn a formidable challenge at the 2000 College Cup, the MVC will not be …

Mexico, the first U.S. opponent in the final round of World Cup 2002 qualifying, fell to Argentina, 2-0, in its final match of the year before 55,000 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Santiago Solari, who spent one year at NCAA Division III school Richard Stockton, had the first goal for Argentina in the 14th minute. Luciano Galletti added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute. The game marked Mexican defender Caludio Suarez's 149th cap, one short of Lothar Matthaeus' record set in 2000. Dec. 20 in Los Angeles Argentina 2 Mexico 0. Goals: Solari 14, Galletti 82. Argentina -- …

Men's College NCAA Division I New England, Ed Kelly, Boston College New York, Scott Dean, SUNY-Stony Brook South Atlantic, George Gelnovatch, Virginia Mid-Atlantic, Dean Koski, Lehigh South, Elmar Bolowich, North Carolina Great Lakes, John Bluem, Ohio State Midwest, Schellas Hyndman, SMU Far West, Gary St. Clair, San Jose State NCAA Division II New England, John Murphy, Assumption College Northeast, Jerry Sheska, East Stroudsburg Southeast, Murray Hartzler, Francis Marion Great Lakes, Jim Regan, Wheeling Jesuit South, Steve McCrath, Barry Midwest, Frank Kohlenstein, Colorado School of Mines Central, Evan Fiffle, Lewis Far West, Joe Flanagan, Cal State-Dominguez Hills NCAA Division III New …

High School Boys Division I New Eng., Francis Bositis, Franklin HS (Mass.) East, John Butterworth, Penfield HS (N.Y.) South, Ron Benson, Chapel Hill HS (N.C.) Central, Tobey Cook, Strongsville HS (Ohio) Midwest, Bryan Yenor, Brookfield East HS (Wis.) Southwest, Darryl Metcalfe, James E. Taylor HS (Texas) Rocky Mtn, Art Drotar, Horizon HS (Colo.) Far West, Randy Thoreson, SandPoint HS (Idaho) Boys Division II New Eng., Gary Tafton, Monmouth Academy (Maine) East, Michael Danaher, Fabius-Pompey (N.Y.) South, Shelley Blomenthal, Blacksburg H.S. (Va.) Central, Doug Dietrich, Castle High School (Ind.) Midwest, Bruce Mowery, Delavan-Darien HS (Wis.) Southwest, Kenny Catney, Rider HS (Texas) …

Tanya Riedhammer Gainesville, Fla. I am looking for the definition of a bicycle kick. Can you help me? Mike Woitalla: Tanya, IÆm going to refer to the glossary of Paul GardnerÆs book, ôThe Simplest Game.ö The bicycle kick entry reads: ôA volley in which the player kicks the ball over his own head. This is not just a simple overhead kick, which can be accomplished keeping one foot on the ground. In the true bicycle kick, the player has both feet off the ground. With his body æfloatingÆ horizontally he uses a rapid pedaling motion of both legs (hence the …

Former U.S. national team regular is the first American player taken in the leagueÆs Global Draft Thori Bryan has resurrected what had been a promising career in the early 1990s. Back then, as Thori Staples, she was on the fast track to womenÆs soccer stardom. After an all-American college career at North Carolina State, where she annually battled NCAA championship teams from North Carolina, Staples reached the pinnacle of the game ù starting twice for the U.S. national team at the 1995 WomenÆs World Cup in Sweden. But then-coach Tony DiCicco was not impressed with the defenderÆs …

Women's College Cup offensive MVP Meredith Florance won another honor -- the 2000-2001 Honda Sports Award. The senior forward, who led North Carolina to its latest NCAA championship, is the second straight Tar Heel to win the award. Lorrie Fair won the 1999 version after leading UNC to that year's championship. Florance's win automatically qualifies her for the Honda-Broderick Cup to be presented to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year at the Honda Awards Program banquet to be held June 11, 2001, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Florance was chosen from among five finalists for the Honda Soccer Award …

D.C. United D.C. United will mix in many December holiday activities with its preparations for Champions Cup ... The team collected new unwrapped toys and clothing at its headquarters to benefit the Salvation Army's collection services ... For every donation, United gave fans a 2001 autographed played card set ... The players assisted in distributing the items to different families at the Alexandria pick up site ... The Black-and-Red teamed up with the Zany Brainy's in Reston, Virginia this holiday season and on Dec. 20, ten percent of all proceeds from 5 to 9 p.m. were donated to D.C. United's …

The Tampa Bay Mutiny will host Scottish Premier League leader Celtic in an international friendly match on Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Tampa's Pepin-Rood Stadium. Tickets for the contest are $20 for adults and $15 for children (19 and under). The game will mark Alfonso Mondelo's debut as Mutiny coach. The Mutiny received special permission from Major League Soccer to train before the scheduled Feb. 1 official start date in order to prepare for the match with Celtic. The Mutiny players will begin reporting back to Tampa the first week of January and begin training Jan. …