From: andy@rocky.ndhm.gtegsc.com (Andrew Busa)
Subject: US Soccer News and Thoughts
Organization: GTE Contel Federal Systems
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 23:29:18 GMT

Old friend Frankie Klopas has finnaly made it back from his injury last spring
in which he hurt his knee.  He returned to action Dec 2 for AEK Athens of the
Greek first division.  He started in the midfield.

Dario Brose is still playing fantastic for St. Brieuc of the French Third
Division.  Dario has been named player of the game in five of the eight that
he has played in.  St.  Brieuc is in first in their division with about half
the year gone.

Marcelo Balboa has started theorpy following surgery on Nov.21.  He should be
ready by the time that camp opens in January.  Marcelo won US Soccer's 1992
Player of the Year.

Foxboro has replaced Doud Arnot, who moved up to Senior Vice President of
Venues for WC 1994, with Reider Tryggestad.  I got some information from
my boss who has known Reider for 25 years.  Redier was a young electrical
engineer  who got a golden opportunity to join a brand new company called
MPM in 1974.  The rest is history.  MPM is listed among the top 500 privately
held companines.  My boss was not sure how he got put in this position though
because he doesn't have any experience in this area.  I have a feeling that
Redier relizes his shortcomings, as all great business men do, and has taken
an extrodinary step in that he will take the 100,000 salary that goes with the
job of Venue head and distribute it among asssistants.  Of course this is
much easier for him to do than others because he is so financially sound. 
Should be interesting.

Local player, from Marlboro MA, Mike Burns has been given a ungaruneteed
contract by USSF.  I have a feeling that this must be one of the contracts
for the new training site which mekes me also believe that the whole list
has been made for the 20 man roster that will be kept on full time at the 
training site.  I'll post a complete list as soon as I can get my hands on
it.

Here is a quote I read in soccer America from FIFA president Joao Havelange
on the success of the new backpass rule,  "Before the new rule, the ball was
out of play for 20 minutes a match.  Thats a sizeable percentage of time
wasted.  Today we only lose around 14 percent.  I think the change was good
for the spectators"

My opinion is that I also like this rule.  There have been a few threads 
talking about the fact that their should be a time keeper.  At first I think
I was in favor of this.  But I selfishly view all soccer issues from an
American perspective.  I believe that if and when soccer gets more play on
english speaking channels, one of the reasons will be that it is the only
sport that fits into a nice neat two hour time frame.  If a time keeper is
used, the games might spill over the two hour time limit and then have nothing
extra to offer the networks than any of our other sports.  I'de like to hear
some peoples opinion about my point.  I could be way off base, but I read a
ton about tv, and everything I have read about sports is that most of the
networks say that they take to long.

Soccer America is reporting that Claudio Reyna will not leave school to pursue
a carreer overseas.  This is exactly oppostite to what Sports Illustrated
reported last week. Although, SI talked to Claudio's dad, who definately thinks
its time for Claudio to get overseas, but SA talked to Claudio himself and he
says he will only leave when the time is right, whatever that means.  That
could very well be one of the most overused and useless statements in sports.
I guess as you can tell, I myself think he is ready.

Virginia's 2-0 winver San Diego will be shown Jan 16 on CBS.

Here are the standings for the NPSL:
American Division
Baltimore	6-1
Cleveland	5-2
Canton		5-2
Buffalo		4-3
Dayton		4-6
Detroit		3-5
Harrisburg	2-5

National Division
Wichita		7-2
Kansas City	4-3
Chicago		4-4
ST Louis	4-5
Denver		3-5
Milwaukee	0-8

Boys high school soccer has moved past wrestling into fifth place among the
most popular sports.  In 1979 there were 132,073 boys playing soccer in
high school, in 1991 there were 236,082 players.  This is an incredible jump
in just over ten years.  This number should only go up with the youth programs
expanding out of sight.

Thats all for now.  See you when I get some more info.

Andy