Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 14, 1993 TAG: 9306140220
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The United States isn't good enough yet to compete with the best in the world. Still, the Americans lost just 4-3 on Sunday to 1990 World Cup champion Germany at the U.S. Cup '93 tournament at Chicago.
"That is definitely the most difficult team I've played against," said U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola, the former University of Virginia star. "I can't see a soccer team getting more difficult than that."
The game wasn't nearly as close as the score. Germany outshot the Americans 28-7, including 18-4 as it took a 3-1 halftime lead. Karlheinz Riedle had Germany's first three-goal game in 11 years and Jurgen Klinsmann scored his third goal of the tournament.
"We made two to three mental mistakes that cost us two goals," Riedle said. "But the real mistakes were made up front, where we could have scored seven or eight."
No one born on U.S. soil scored in the first soccer game ever between the countries. Thomas Dooley, a dual German-American, scored twice for the United States and Dutch-American Ernie Stewart scored once.
"We're lucky to end up 4-3," Stewart said. "Let's put it that way."
Dooley, who obtained U.S. citizenship last year, scored the first goal in the United States' 2-0 upset of England on Wednesday. He played Sunday despite a sprained right ankle.
Stewart lived in the United States from age 2-7 before moving to the Netherlands.
"In the last 20 minutes of competition, the U.S. showed itself fully capable of taking those chances to come forward," said Berti Vogts, Germany's coach. "It showed itself a team to be reckoned with at any time."
Germany had few problems at the start. Klinsmann scored in the 14th minute when a corner kick by Lothar Matthaus bounced off his shoulder past Meola.
Dooley surprisingly tied the score 11 minutes later when he beat goalkeeper Andreas Kopke off a pass from Roy Wegerle, a South African-born Briton who obtained U.S. citizenship last year.
Riedle put Germany ahead in the 34th minute with a diving header off a pass from Christian Ziege, and scored again six minutes later after Jurgen Kohler's shot bounced off the crossbar.
Riedle scored his second diving header 14 minutes into the second half, his 14th goal for Germany. That made it 4-1.
Stewart connected with 18 minutes to go off a long pass by Mike Lapper. Dooley's second goal came with 10 minutes left, a 20-yard header off a restart by John Harkes.
The result left the Americans with a 2-6-9 record this year. But it also left them with confidence.
"They're not a vastly better team," Meola said. "They were a better team, for sure. They can be beaten."
In other soccer:
\ BRAZIL TIES ENGLAND: At Washington, Marcio Santos knocked in a header with 13 minutes remaining to rescue Brazil from a potentially embarrassing loss and give the South American team a 1-1 draw with England in U.S. Cup '93.
For England, the draw was some consolation after its embarrassing 2-0 loss to the United States on Wednesday in Foxboro, Mass., but it still was disappointing after it led 1-0 on a goal by David Platt in the 48th minute.
\ TOUGH TICKETS: Remaining tickets for 1994 World Cup first- and second-round games in Chicago, Washington and New York sold out during the weekend.
by CNB