World Cup Puts U.S., Costa Rica Together; Same For Bosnia, Croatia
Fifteen months after soccer crowned its champion in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, the United States drew tough regional rival Costa Rica in its qualifying group for the 1998 tournament.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, divided 172 nations into qualifying groups during Tuesday night’s ceremony in the Louvre. Bosnia and Croatia, which have spent four years fighting in the Balkan civil war, were drawn into the same European qualifying section.
Italy, which lost to Brazil in last year’s final, was picked for the same group as England, the perennial soccer power which failed to qualify for last year’s tournament.
The Americans qualified automatically last time as the host nation. This time, they have a bye until the fourth round of games in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. They will be joined by the Costa Ricans, the top CONCACAF team during qualifying for the 1990 World Cup, either Guatemala or Nicaragua, and a Caribbean team to be determined later.
“It is the most difficult group,” said American defender Alexi Lalas, one of the soccer stars who took part in the 90-minute draw. “In our region, there isn’t a whole lot of confusion. It’s pretty simple who the big teams are. And the big teams will eventually have to play the other big teams.”
Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona and his former personal manager were acquitted of drug trafficking.
A Rome court ruled that the accusations were unfounded, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The case dated to 1989, when Maradona played in Italy with the Naples team in Italy’s first division. Maradona did not attend the trial.
The pay dispute between the U.S. Soccer Federation and its women players, which is threatening to keep the top Americans out of the Olympics, may be nearing a solution.
“It’s resolving. It’s not resolved, but all sides are talking,” said Hank Steinbrecher, the USSF’s executive director.
He said a solution would be found rather “sooner than later,” but refused to elaborate.
The dispute centers on the women’s demand that they get bonuses for a bronze or silver medal, not just a gold.
In addition to salaries of $3,000-to-$4,000 a month, the USSF has offered a bonus pool of $250,000 to the 16 women who play on the Olympic team, provided they win the gold.