THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604190677
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
The Major League Soccer final cut was Wednesday, but Hampton Roads Mariners coach and general manager Shawn McDonald says he is not planning to change his roster.
Throughout the preseason, McDonald has eyed the cut deadline. He held open roster spots for potential high-caliber players that might become available. However, after looking over the candidates, McDonald decided to stick with his current squad, at least for now.
``No, we're not really looking at anybody right now,'' he said. ``Our team is pretty much set. We still may bring in a few players, but they have to be the right ones. The problem with the MLS players is they're all going to want a certain amount of money. If I don't know much about them, I'm not willing to spend a lot.''
McDonald's current team is 1-0 after edging Baltimore last Saturday in its official season opener. Tuesday night, they defeated Old Dominion 3-0 in an exhibition game. Forward Darren Eales netted two goals and Wayne Pratt scored one.
CAN I COME OUT AND PLAY? Exhibition play may be all Eales sees with the Mariners this week. He is still unreleased from his American Professional Soccer League team.
Eales, currently under contract with the A-League New York squad, has been trying to join the Mariners for weeks. As of Thursday afternoon, McDonald said he thought Eales would be eligible to play tonight in the Mariners' match at the Wilmington (N.C.) Hammerheads. But, until his release paperwork reaches U.S. Soccer, Eales must remain sidelined.
``It sounds good,'' McDonald said of the release. ``(New York) sent the release to the league office of the APSL. It wasn't filled out properly, so the guy has to readjust it and send it to U.S. Soccer. It scares me a little bit, but at least it's in their office and the registrar assured me that the commissioner had cleared his release. It has to be faxed to U.S. Soccer before our game. It's out of our hands.''
ROTATING ROLES: The return of the Englishman Eales will affect more than the Mariners' scoring punch. United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues rules limit teams to five foreign players dressed out for a game. The Mariners have the potential of six. Starters Wayne Pratt, Chris Penny, Mark Waite, Tony Velkov and Stilian Shishkov also hail from foreign soil. Tonight Penny will be absent. After that, McDonald says it's game by game.
HEALTHY SQUAD: Velkov missed last week's game with a hamstring pull. Mike Guerrero scored a goal playing with an injured hip flexor. He was unable to play earlier in the week. Each is ready to play, but the Mariners' double-whammy of Wilmington tonight and Washington Saturday may be beyond the players' current level of conditioning.
``I don't know if they can go the whole game,'' McDonald said. ``They haven't trained.''
AROUND THE LEAGUE: The Mariners home crowd of 2,231 last Saturday ranked third in the Select League. El Paso drew the top crowd of 3,000; Raleigh brought in 2,256.
OLYMPIC DREAMS: The Mariners are already preparing to play the United States U-23 National Team, also known as the 1996 Olympic team. The U-23 players will play Hampton Roads April 27 at 7:30 p.m.
``They're good,'' McDonald said. ``They've been training for a full year. Our guys are a little older, but not much. The experience level they have now and the point they are at in their training . . . they're pretty far along. They'll probably be one of the best opponents we'll see, if not the best.'' by CNB