(From the Feb. 14/21 issue of Soccer America Magazine) MLS isn't a year-round job, but that doesn't mean the league's players didn't keep busy in the offseason. By Mike Woitalla Troy Dayak (San Jose) Farmer, store owner, coach On a cold January evening in the California's Central Valley, Troy Dayak bucks 75 bales of hay. That's life on the 40-acre ranch where the 34-year-old defender lives with his wife and two children, five horses, two ponies, four billy goats, 25 chickens, 10 rabbits and about 25 peacocks. Dairy farmers in …

U.S. U-17 national team head coach John Hackworth selected 20 players for the team's trip to Guatemala City, Guatemala, where it will take on Municipal on Tuesday (Feb. 22), Comunicaciones on Thursday (Feb. 24) and Aurora on Saturday (Feb. 26). Goalkeepers: Bryant Rueckner (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Brian Perk (Santa Margarita, Calif.).Defenders: Michael Balogun (Houston, Texas), Eric Lichaj (Downers Grove, Ill.), Ofori Sarkodie (Huber Heights, Ohio), Carlos Borja (Anaheim, Calif.), Jeremy Hall (Tampa, Fla.), Neven Subotic (Bradenton, Fla.), Richard Edgar (Mechanicsville, Md.).Midfielders: Kevin Alston (Silver Spring, Md.), Kyle Nakazawa (Palos Verdes Est, Calif.), Ryan Soroka (Langhorne, Pa.), Blake Wagner (Tampa, Fla.), …

The U.S. under-18 boys national team coach Bob Jenkins called up the following players for the second camp of the year, beginning Feb. 26 in Bradenton, Fla:Goalkeepers: Chay Cain (Aurora, Ill.), Steve Sandbo (SMU).Defenders: Pavelid Castenada (Babylon, N.Y.), Greg Folk (UCLA), Aaron Pinckney (Corona, Calif.), David Rodriguez (Dallas, Texas), Chris Schuler (Aurora, Ill.), William Swetra (Egg Harbor City, N.J.), Mark Wiltse (Belle Mead, N.J.).Midfielders: Eric Avila (San Diego, Calif.), Anthony Beltran (Claremont, Calif.), Jeff Cosgriff (San Bruno, Calif.), Paul Gerstenberger (Albany, N.Y.), Sonny Guadarrama (Cedar Park, Texas), Rodrigo Lopez (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Dax McCarty (Univ. of North Carolina), Mike Pezza …

In the latest chapter of the Spanish league's battle with racist behavior by fans, Alfonso Perez Burrull became the first La Liga referee to stop a game because of racist chants.When Malaga fans made monkey noises as Espanyol goalkeeper, Carlos Kameni of Cameroon, got the ball, Perez Burrull halted the game and asked club officials to make a public address announcement before restarting play.The Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) does not take action against clubs for its fans' racist behavior unless it is noted in the referee's report. Perez Burrull is one of the few La Liga refs who makes notes …

American John O'Brien, 27, is leaving Ajax Amsterdam, whose youth system he joined in 1994 at age 16, for Dutch Eredivise club ADO Den Haag on a free transfer. O'Brien, who has played only 19 games in the last three seasons because of recurring injuries, has played in 85 Eredivisie games since 1998. In 2003 he became the first American to play in the European Champions League quarterfinals. Den Haag is in 14th place; Ajax is in third. The Los Angeles Galaxy acquired Costa Rican central defender Michael Umana, 22, from Club Sport Herediano of Costa Rica. Umana …

Winners: DaMARCUS BEASLEY scored his sixth league goal in PSV EINDHOVEN's 4-1 win over NEC Nijmegen with a low 14-yard shot after entering the game in the 27th minute. Eindhoven is in first-place, four points ahead of second-place AZ. FEYENOORD and American defender CORY GIBBS celebrated a 2-0 win over Utrecht. Feyenoord is in fourth place. A 4-2 win over Nuremberg gave BAYER LEVERKUSEN its fourth win in five games since the winter break, but Landon Donovan, who got his first start last week, was back on the bench until the 85th minute because of Robson Ponte's …

Twenty players were called up for the U.S. women's national team's trip to the12th annual Algarve Cup, to be played in Portugal March 9-15.The USA will play France on March 9, Finland on March 11 and Denmark on March 13 in group play. The placement matches will be played March 15. The U.S. team will leave for Europe on March 1.This will be the 10th U.S. trip to the Algarve Cup, where all the games are played at small venues spread out over the Algarve region on the southern coast of the countryWith the resignation of April Heinrichs, U.S. interim …

(All times ET unless noted. Consult your regular television listings guides for availability in your area. Schedules are subject to change.) FRIDAY, Feb. 25 GALAVISION UNCAF Cup Semifinal HONDURAS-PANAMA (live), 7 pm ET. (east feed) UNCAF Cup Semifinal HONDURAS-PANAMA  (delay), 7 pm PT. (west feed, cable only) UNCAF Cup Semifinal GUATEMALA-COSTA RICA (live), 9 pm ET. (east feed) UNCAF Cup Semifinal GUATEMALA-COSTA RICA (delay), midnight  PT. (west feed, cable only) SATURDAY, Feb. 26 FOX SOCCER CHANNEL English Premier League SOUTHAMPTON-ARSENAL (live), 7:30 am. German Bundesliga ARMINIA …

In February, the final round of 2006 World Cup qualifying will begin in the CONCACAF region. The top three teams will advance to Germany 06, and the fourth-place team will meet Asias No. 5 team in a playoff with a berth at stake. Heres your chance to tell us how you think the six CONCACAF contenders will finish in the Hexagonal. You have until February 1, 2004, to make your pick. Top three teams (advance to World Cup finals): USA = 32% Mexico  = 31% Costa Rica = 21% Guatemala …

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America Magazine A year and a half ago, Tiffeny Milbrett quit the U.S. women's national team, citing philosophical differences between her and then-coach April Heinrichs.The news of Heinrichs' resignation surprised Milbrett, as it did many people, and she's making no assumptions that simply because Heinrichs is out it means that Milbrett, 32, is in.''I had no idea, honestly,'' said Milbrett on Wednesday of the resignation that ends Heinrich's five-year run as national-team coach. ''I had heard every rumor imaginable, but I learned a long time ago that nothing is done until it's announced, and …

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America Magazine The trial of ex-Quake Dwayne DeRosario at English club Blackburn has been extended.DeRosario arrived in Blackburn Feb. 11, attended the clubÆs 3-0 win over Norwich the following day and began training with Blackburn Monday. In a full-field scrimmage Tuesday he scored a pair of goals, according to his agent, Lyle Yorks.ôTheyÆve asked him to stay,ö said Yorks. ôObviously, weÆll have to see what happens, but thatÆs encouraging.öThe 3-0 win over Norwich notwithstanding, Blackburn has been plagued with scoring problems. Only last-place West Bromwich Albion (23 goals) has scored fewer than BlackburnÆs 24.DeRosario …

Referee Lee Probert, who red-carded Preston North End's American midfielder Eddie Lewis for fouls during Preston's 2-1 win over Queens Park Saturday, also sent QPR mascot Jude the Cat to the stands for dissent.The ejection of Jude the Cat, who had protested an offside call, prompted QPR coach Ian Holloway to say, ''The ref is from my neck of the woods and down there people say 'there's one in every village.'''Jude, as one would expect from a cat, showed little contrition:''I'm very upset,'' he told the BBC. ''Nothing like this has ever happened before. How can I be mistaken for …

The USA, which had canceled two friendlies in Janaury because of the labor dispute, has scheduled two exhibitions before its next World Cup qualifying games (March 27 at Mexico & March 30 vs. Guatemala in Birmingham, Ala.).Coach Bruce Arena's team will face Colombia Wednesday, March 9 in Fullerton, Calif., at Titan Stadium and Honduras Saturday, March 19, in Albuquerque, N.M. at University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico.

April Heinrichs, who last year guided the U.S. women's national team to the Olympic title, has resigned after five years as head coach.Heinrichs, 40, succeeded Tony DiCicco after the USA's 1999 World Cup win. Under Heinrichs, the U.S. women finished runner-up at the 2000 Olympics in Australia and third at the U.S.-hosted 2003 Women's World Cup. She compiled an 87-17-20 record during her tenure.Current U.S. women's national team assistant coaches Greg Ryan and Phil Wheddon will coach the team in the interim as U.S. Soccer seeks a successor to Heinrichs.

NSCAA/adidas Boys W-L-T1 Miami (Fla.) Sunset 26-0-22 Plano (Texas) West 10-0-13 Damien (Calif.) 21-0-24 New Orleans Jesuit 27-0-25 American Heritage (Fla.) 25-0-36 Saddleback (Calif.) 20-0-27 Klein (Texas) 15-1-08 Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Aquinas 23-1-39 Allen (Texas) 8-0-310 St. Joseph's (Miss.) 18-2-0NSCAA/adidas Girls W-L-T1 American Heritage (Fla.) 22-2-12 La Costa Canyon (Calif.) 16-2-03 Ursuline (Texas) 17-3-14 Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Aquinas 27-2-05 Los Alamitos (Calif.) 17-2-56 Corona del Sol (Ariz.) 27-1-17 Satellite (Fla.) 26-2-08 Mt. Carmel (La.) 32-1-19 Plano (Texas) West 8-2-110 Santa Margarita Cath. (Calif.) 17-2-3ò Rankings are as of Feb. 14.