Soccer Women

No sooner than I had finished reading Sports Illustrated's article on their "Sportswomen of the Year," the 1999 World Cup Champion U.S. women's soccer team, I picked up the Times Sports section to read that U.S. Soccer has refused to renegotiate the team's player contracts, instead expecting them to continue under the terms of a 1996 contract. That's what I call short-term memory. My advice to U.S. Soccer: Pay the women every penny they are asking for. If money is tight, take it from what you're paying the men's team.

Capistrano Valley has what many coaches say is the best individual talent in the county this season, particularly the juniors and seniors who pack the Cougars' middle. Seniors Megan Abbamonto, Lindsay Greco, Janelle Hillseth and Haleigh Roach and juniors Ashley Casas, Coco D'Angelo and Kristen Moore comprise a group of interchangeable forwards and midfielders in the county's most feared front line.

Villa Park girls' soccer coach Drew Wetzler has resigned, citing personal reasons, Athletic Director Mark McMahon said Saturday. Villa Park was 1-6-1 this season for Wetzler, who was in his second season. The Spartans were 11-10-4 last season. Fidel Alatorre, who coached the Spartans two seasons ago, took over on an interim basis. Alatorre coached at Orange for 11 seasons and was at Villa Park for four years before resigning to spend more time with his family.

There has been an honorary cereal. A hearty bowl of U.S. Soccer's Golden Goals by Quaker Oats, anyone? And don't bite down too hard on one of those Golden Goals! There have been magazine covers and there are books being written. There are enough speaking engagements and ribbon-cuttings, dinner invitations and autograph sessions available, says Tisha Venturini, to keep every woman who has ever worn a U.S. national soccer team jersey busy 24/7.

Coach Bud Dain of Crescenta Valley has the upmost respect for Louisville, after all he coached at the school from the early to mid-1990s before retiring. Dain was pleased to see the direction Louisville is headed after his new team earned a 1-1 draw Wednesday night in his first game back at his former home field since 1995. "This is my home field," Dain said. "To come back and see Louisville do so good is an absolute thrill. They are a very good team and a well-coached team.

Cypress, which narrowly avoided an upset in the semifinals, had no such problem in the women's soccer state title game against El Camino Sunday at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. Freshman Alie Nunez scored two goals as the Chargers beat El Camino, 3-0, to win their second consecutive community college state title. "I'm proud of the way the team played," Cypress Coach Ray Haas said. "It was a complete effort with everyone contributing."

There was something missing at the Rose Bowl when the United States won the Women's World Cup: Latinos. Latinos, the dynamite behind the Los Angeles soccer explosion, were strangely absent Saturday, making up no more than 10% of the crowd--a far cry from the overwhelmingly Latino crowds that usually support Rose Bowl and Coliseum soccer, according to the world soccer federation.

Absent a league of their own where U.S. women's soccer team players could continue to shine, Saturday's dramatic World Cup victory over rival China might very well fade into a warm and fuzzy memory, akin to so many past Olympic moments. The broadcast on ABC drew an estimated 40 million viewers, making the shootout victory the most-watched soccer broadcast in U.S. history.

World Cup organizers will take steps to address parking and traffic congestion concerns Saturday: Parking at the Rose Bowl will open at 5 a.m., and the stadium gates at 8:30. The Parsons Engineering lot, at the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Walnut Street in Pasadena, will be available for parking at $4. Those using it can take free shuttles to the Rose Bowl, beginning at 6 a.m. and picking up passengers every 15 minutes.