Belgium Athletics

BELGIUM * World Cup Record: Played 29, won nine, lost 16, tied four, goals for 37, goals against 53. * Best Finish: Fourth place, 1986. * 1994 Showing: Eliminated by Germany in the second round. * Coach: Georges Leekens. Trying to make the jump from club coach to national coach in a hurry. * Players to Watch: Luis Oliveira, Nico Van Kerckhoven, Luc Nilis, Enzo Scifo.

The X-factor slowed the U.S. Davis Cup team Saturday, but the Americans rolled into the semifinals by clinching a victory over Belgium just the same. The first twist came when Jim Courier was pressed into doubles duty for the first time in his Davis Cup career, because Richey Reneberg needs knee surgery. The second? It turns out Belgium's Xavier Malisse--who was making his Davis Cup debut the day before his 18th birthday--is a terrific young player.

Jeff Herdman, UC Irvine's leading scorer last season, has signed a contract to play professional basketball in Belgium this fall, his uncle, Jeff Anderson, said Thursday. A forward who excelled in shooting three-point field goals, Herdman will play for St. Louis in Liege, Belgium. St. Louis competes in a 14-team league that begins play Sept. 5. Herdman, who also played at Mission Viejo High School, averaged 18.1 points for Irvine.

BELGIUM * World Cup Record: Played 29, won nine, lost 16, tied four, goals for 37, goals against 53. * Best Finish: Fourth place, 1986. * 1994 Showing: Eliminated by Germany in the second round. * Coach: Georges Leekens. Trying to make the jump from club coach to national coach in a hurry. * Players to Watch: Luis Oliveira, Nico Van Kerckhoven, Luc Nilis, Enzo Scifo.

On the day after Greg LeMond won the 23-day, 2,030-mile Tour de France, he went cycling. He rode in a 37-mile criterium Monday at Lisieux in Normandy, about 100 miles west of Paris. He has more exhibitions scheduled for this week in the Netherlands before returning to the World Cup circuit. Rumors have LeMond returning with a team other than Belgium's ADR, which signed him this year after he left the strong PDM team of the Netherlands in a contract dispute.

The X-factor slowed the U.S. Davis Cup team Saturday, but the Americans rolled into the semifinals by clinching a victory over Belgium just the same. The first twist came when Jim Courier was pressed into doubles duty for the first time in his Davis Cup career, because Richey Reneberg needs knee surgery. The second? It turns out Belgium's Xavier Malisse--who was making his Davis Cup debut the day before his 18th birthday--is a terrific young player.

A Belgian judge walked out of the courtroom Monday after clashing with a lawyer for British soccer fans who were charged with manslaughter in a Brussels stadium riot that killed 39 people. Judge Pierre Verlynden later suspended the trial until today. Lawyers launched an aggressive defense for the 26 Britons charged in connection with the deaths in May, 1985. They disputed the validity of a police video film and sought to call new witnesses.

Just as Argentina stole a game from Brazil on Sunday in Turin, so England stole one from Belgium here Tuesday night. The final score showed the English winning, 1-0, on a goal by David Platt in the next-to-last minute of overtime, but the winners were booed off the field by many in the crowd of 34,520. The reason was not hard to understand: Belgium played far more creative, imaginative and positive soccer.

Belgium's Diables Rouges--Red Devils--have never had a colorful style to match their name. Typically solid in goal, tough on defense and steady at midfield, Belgium has performed respectably in international competitions but lacked the dash of its neighbor, the Netherlands. The Red Devils made it to the second round of the 1982 World Cup, the semifinals in 1986 and the second round again in 1990, but they lacked the finisher who could ignite their offense.

For 89 minutes he had held them at bay, flinging his body this way and that, expending every ounce of energy and courage in a valiant effort to keep the Netherlands off the scoreboard. And now the Dutch were moving in on him again, weaving their mesmerizing patterns in front of the net, stringing together an intricate series of passes until everything seemed an orange blur.

For 89 minutes he had held them at bay, flinging his body this way and that, expending every ounce of energy and courage in a valiant effort to keep the Netherlands off the scoreboard. And now the Dutch were moving in on him again, weaving their mesmerizing patterns in front of the net, stringing together an intricate series of passes until everything seemed an orange blur.

Belgium's Diables Rouges--Red Devils--have never had a colorful style to match their name. Typically solid in goal, tough on defense and steady at midfield, Belgium has performed respectably in international competitions but lacked the dash of its neighbor, the Netherlands. The Red Devils made it to the second round of the 1982 World Cup, the semifinals in 1986 and the second round again in 1990, but they lacked the finisher who could ignite their offense.

* COACH: Paul Van Himst. * KEY PLAYERS: Enzo Scifo, Marc Degryse, Josip Weber. * STRENGTHS: Solid but unspectacular best describes the Belgians. Forward Degryse is an intelligent and experienced player, but all eyes will be on Croatian-born striker Weber, the top scorer in the Belgian League each of the past two seasons but a newcomer to the national team. Scifo is the midfield general and the team's finest playmaker.

Jeff Herdman, UC Irvine's leading scorer last season, has signed a contract to play professional basketball in Belgium this fall, his uncle, Jeff Anderson, said Thursday. A forward who excelled in shooting three-point field goals, Herdman will play for St. Louis in Liege, Belgium. St. Louis competes in a 14-team league that begins play Sept. 5. Herdman, who also played at Mission Viejo High School, averaged 18.1 points for Irvine.

Just as Argentina stole a game from Brazil on Sunday in Turin, so England stole one from Belgium here Tuesday night. The final score showed the English winning, 1-0, on a goal by David Platt in the next-to-last minute of overtime, but the winners were booed off the field by many in the crowd of 34,520. The reason was not hard to understand: Belgium played far more creative, imaginative and positive soccer.

On the day after Greg LeMond won the 23-day, 2,030-mile Tour de France, he went cycling. He rode in a 37-mile criterium Monday at Lisieux in Normandy, about 100 miles west of Paris. He has more exhibitions scheduled for this week in the Netherlands before returning to the World Cup circuit. Rumors have LeMond returning with a team other than Belgium's ADR, which signed him this year after he left the strong PDM team of the Netherlands in a contract dispute.

* COACH: Paul Van Himst. * KEY PLAYERS: Enzo Scifo, Marc Degryse, Josip Weber. * STRENGTHS: Solid but unspectacular best describes the Belgians. Forward Degryse is an intelligent and experienced player, but all eyes will be on Croatian-born striker Weber, the top scorer in the Belgian League each of the past two seasons but a newcomer to the national team. Scifo is the midfield general and the team's finest playmaker.

A Belgian judge walked out of the courtroom Monday after clashing with a lawyer for British soccer fans who were charged with manslaughter in a Brussels stadium riot that killed 39 people. Judge Pierre Verlynden later suspended the trial until today. Lawyers launched an aggressive defense for the 26 Britons charged in connection with the deaths in May, 1985. They disputed the validity of a police video film and sought to call new witnesses.