THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507160195
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
When A.J. Wood got to the field Saturday for the U.S National Under-23 soccer team's match against the national team of Trinidad and Tobago, he received a bit of bad news.
He wasn't starting.
The U.S. team's leading scorer with nine goals, Wood, a forward from the University of Virginia, had legions of friends, family and fans in the stands and was looking forward to putting on a show.
Wood didn't get a chance to perform until midway through the second half, but when he did he made it count, scoring the winning goal with 8:19 left to propel the U.S. team to its first win in four tries, 1-0, in front of 1,700 at Old Dominion University.
``I was upset about (not starting), and that was in the back of my mind,'' Wood said of coach Timo Liekoski's decision to play forward Ante Razov. ``(Scoring) was the best way to tell him I'm ready. That's my job, but I hadn't been doing it.''
The U-23 team, the bulk of which will make up the 1996 Olympic Team, had been shut out in its last three games, a concern for a squad with so much offensive firepower. Trinidad and Tobago, with its full national team, figured to be the U.S. team's biggest challenge.
``They have a lot of experience on their team . . . players with a very very high number of national team appearances,'' Liekoski said. ``For us it's important to play teams like this.''
The U.S. team started slowly, using a passing game to get the ball close but failing to put it on goal.
Razov, a forward out of UCLA, had one of the United States' best scoring chances in the 21st minute when goalie Hayden Thomas lost track of the ball at the top of the penalty box and took a close-in shot from Razov off the chest.
Substitute Mac Cozier nearly put the United States ahead with 4:19 left in the opening period, but his shot hit the crossbar and the teams were scoreless at the half.
Wood entered the game in the 73rd minute for midfielder Jason Moore. With the U.S. team on the attack, Cozier ran the ball down in the left corner and sent a cross over to Wood, who was 15 yards in front of the goal. Wood shook off his defender and drilled a shot at Thomas, who got a hand on the ball but couldn't fully stop it.
``We played better defensively tonight . . . sometimes you get offensive chances off your defense. We had a lot of opportunities and could have had a couple more (goals),'' Liekoski said. ``It's kind of crazy, you know? Sometimes it goes, sometimes it doesn't.''
The game against Trinidad and Tobago was the U.S. team's last together on this stretch of their summer tour. The players have three days off before heading out to Denver for the Olympic Festival.
Trinidad and Tobago 0 0 - 0
United States 0 1 - 1
Total shots-Trin.: 4-9-13. U.S.: 7-8-15. Shots on goal-Trin.: 2-2-4. U.S.: 2-3-5. Saves- Trin.: H. Thomas 4. U.S.: Snitko 4. Corner kicks-Trin.: 3-4-7. U.S.: 4-3-7. Fouls-Trin.: 2-2-4. U.S.: 2-2-4. ILLUSTRATION: VICKI CRONIS
Staff
Frankie Hejduk defends against Trinidad and Tobago's David Nakhid in
the second half.
by CNB