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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mls Offers Kicks For Generation X

George Vecsey New York Times

Tom Liner was born in California, went to school in California, lives in California - and now he plays professional soccer in California. He stood on the green, green grass of San Jose Stadium and watched 31,683 celebrants, and did not mind admitting he was thrilled.

“People have been waiting for a league; it’s wonderful,” said Liner, the winning goalkeeper in the first game of Major League Soccer, in which San Jose defeated D.C. United, 1-0, Saturday night on a goal by Eric Wynalda in the 88th minute.

Tom Liner is 25. Some very prudent business people, who are also passionate soccer fans, are betting that Generation X will support the league with booming goals and diving saves from players, as well as functional credit cards from fans.

It’s a youth thing. Most older, native-born Americans mutter “soccer, schmoccer,” because the game was not there when they were in their formative stages, but millions - and millions - of younger people appreciate the difficulty of controlling a ball with your instep while running full tilt with some assassin whacking at your ankle.

“I’m the first generation to play soccer,” Liner said. “It just wasn’t there for the baby boomers, but it was for the 30-year-olds. With baseball having some problems, I think soccer is ready to take off.”

Liner is typical of the excellent young players America has produced. Born in Redwood City, he played at Sequoia High, then, at 17, was the youngest collegiate goalkeeper in the country while playing for Chico State. After four years of college, he was forced to pursue his trade far from home, because the North American Soccer League had suffered a gigantic meltdown in the early ‘80s.

Generation X became the Wandering Generation, not that it was all so terrible. John Harkes became the first American to score a goal at hallowed Wembley Stadium. Alexi Lalas became the first American to play in the Italian league, the best in the world.

Wynalda was the first American to play in the formidable German Bundesliga. And Tom Liner pursued his craft in 1992 as the regular with S.K. Kallein and in 1995 with PSV-Schwartz Weiss in the Austrian Third Division.

There was no league in place to capitalize on the eye-opening success of the 1994 World Cup, but now, belatedly, there are 10 teams spread around the United States, none in authentic soccer stadiums.

The fans seemed starved for new heroes, cheering the announcement that this was the largest crowd ever to attend a sporting event in San Jose.

The crowd was a delightful mix of generations and nationalities - “You Want Us Back? Get a Mexican Player!” one banner proclaimed in English. In fact, Commissioner Doug Logan and the national team coach, Steve Sampson, are both bilingual, and every team has good players of Hispanic origin.

But the investors in this single-entity ownership, which shares the costs and keeps salaries manageable, are making their big pitch for young fans.

The skill level of the home-grown players is vastly greater than in the old NASL. Wynalda, who saved a tie for the United States with a booming free kick against Switzerland in the opener of the 1994 World Cup, saved the new league from having to endure all the jibes about scoreless ties. He put a made-in-the-Bundesliga move on his national-team buddy, Jeff Agoos, faking left, putting the ball through Agoos’ legs and then drilling the ball into the far corner.

The most effective player on the field was Jeff Baicher, 26, a local from San Jose. Tom Liner, had an uneventful night in goal, which gave him time to gaze out at the 31,683 fans, and hope that Generation X, the soccer generation, had finally arrived - with money in its pockets.