U.S. MEN'S TEAM ADVANCES WITH SOLID SECOND HALF EFFORT IN BARBADOS:  It came down to the last of six semifinal qualifying round matches, but the United States Men's National Team left no doubt that it belonged in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, breaking an intense match wide open in the second half by pouring in four goals to post a huge 4-0 road shutout of Barbados at the National Stadium in Waterford last Wednesday. U.S. forward Clint Mathis was named the Chevrolet "Man of the Match," with his first international goal serving as the game winner in the 63rd minute. Mathis later provided a perfect assist on Cobi Jones' game-clinching goal in the 77th minute to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead.  Midfielder Earnie Stewart and second- half substitute forward Ante Razov also scored to add to the second half blowout. Goalkeeper Tony Meola was forced to make just one save in helping the U.S. establish a new team record for shutouts in a calendar year with nine.  The clean sheet also marked the fifth consecutive match in which the United States did not allow a goal, another record for the Americans. The U.S. men finished the year with an impressive 9-2-6 record and posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1983-84.

USA TO OPEN FINAL QUALIFYING ROUND AGAINST MEXICO IN FEBRUARY: A draw conducted by CONCACAF yesterday in Guatemala determined the United States' World Cup qualifying schedule for 2001, and set the stage for a dramatic opening game in February when the USA will host Mexico.  The six teams which have qualified for the final round - the United States, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago and either Costa Rica or Guatemala - will play each other twice, home and away, in a round-robin format. The top three teams at the conclusion of the final regional qualifying stage will advance to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals in Korea/Japan.  The United States will open play on February 27 or 28 with a home match against Mexico before traveling to Honduras for its first away match of the final qualifying stage, to be played between March 24 and 28.  The USA will alternate home and away games throughout the ten games, and will play its final qualifying game at Trinidad & Tobago on November 10 or 11. Venues and kickoff times have yet to be determined.

� U.S. World Cup Qualifying Final Round Schedule �
Match  Dates                                       USA Opponent (Other Games)
  1    February 27-28(Tue/Wed)        vs. Mexico   (JAM v TRI ,  GUA or CRC v HON)
  2    March 24-28(Sat-Wed)            at Honduras   (MEX v JAM, GUA or CRC v TRI)
  3    April 24-25 (Tue/Wed)             vs. Guatemala or Costa Rica (JAM v HON , TRI v MEX)
  4    June 16-17 (Sat/Sun)              at Jamaica   (TRI v HON , MEX v GUA or CRC)
  5    June 19-20 (Tue/Wed)             vs. Trinidad & Tobago  (HON v MEX, GUA or CRC v JAM)
  6    June 30  - July 4 (Sat-Wed)    at Mexico   (HON v GUA or CRC , TRI v JAM)
  7    September 1-2 (Sat/Sun)        vs. Honduras   (JAM v MEX , TRI v GUA or CRC)
  8    September 4-5 (Tue/Wed)     at Guatemala or Costa Rica (HON v JAM , MEX v TRI)
  9    October 6-7  (Sat/Sun)          vs. Jamaica   (HON v TRI ,GUA or CRC v MEX)
10    November 10-11 (Sat/Sun)    at Trinidad & Tobago  (JAM v GUA or CRC,  MEX v HON)

TAB RAMOS CONCLUDES BRILLIANT INTERNATIONAL CAREER: One of the greatest players to have ever represented the United States Men's National Team, midfielder Tab Ramos, announced his retirement from the international game following Wednesday's World Cup qualifying victory in Barbados.   Ramos, 34, brings down the curtain on an illustrious career that spanned nearly 20 years and three World Cups (1990, 94, 98).  During that time, Ramos appeared 81 times in full international competitions, including an American record nine World Cup Finals matches, and numerous more with the Under-20 and Olympic Teams.  Recognized as possibly the most talented midfielder ever produced by the United States, Ramos possessed a remarkable combination of speed, creativity and vision that enabled him to create and score goals with alarming ease.   One of only three Americans to appear in each of the last three World Cups, Ramos might best be remembered for his goal against Costa Rica on September 7, 1997.  That goal, a spectacular long-range effort in his first qualifying game after returning from knee surgery, helped secure the USA's advancement to World Cup �98.

FRIEDEL EARNS SHUTOUT IN BLACKBURN DEBUT: Goalkeeper Brad Friedel embarked on his Blackburn Rovers career in style Saturday, holding Wolverhampton Wanderers scoreless at Ewood Park and helping Rovers climb toward a Premier League spot.  Friedel, 29, transferred to the storied Lancashire club after helping lead the U.S. Olympic Team to its best-ever showing at the recent Sydney games, and was reunited with Graeme Souness, who coached Friedel at Galatasaray.  Friedel made a flying save to rob Tony Dinning late in the first half, and preserved the lead with a sliding save that kept Adam Proudlock from tying the score in the last seconds of the game.  Blackburn, who celebrated 125 years as an organized club on Saturday, have now gone unbeaten in eight consecutive games, posting seven wins in that time and climbing into fifth place in the tightly packed English First Division.

� CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFYING PICTURE �
� Semifinal Round �
"Group C" Standings
Team  W L D GF GA +/- Pts.
Trin. & Tobago* 5 1 0 14 7 +7 15
Mexico*  4 1 1 17 2 +15 13
Canada^ 1 3 2 1 8 -7 5
Panama^ 0 5 1 1 16 -15 1

"Group D" Standings
Team  W L D GF GA +/- Pts.
Honduras* 5 1 0 25 5 +20 15
Jamaica* 4 2 0 7 4 +3 12
El Salvador^ 3 3 0 13 13 0 9
St. Vinc. & Gren.^ 0 6 0 2 25 -23 0

"Group E" Standings
Team  W L D GF GA +/- Pts.
United States* 3 1 2 14 3 +11 11
Costa Rica# 3 2 1 9 6 +3 10
Guatemala# 3 2 1 9 6 +3 10
Barbados^ 1 5 0 3 20 -17 3

*qualified for final round
^eliminated
#will play in a tiebreaker match at a neutral site and date to be determined

"Group E" Results
July 16
United States 1, Guatemala 1 (Mazatenango, GUA)
Barbados 2, Costa Rica 1 (Bridgetown, BRB)

July 23
Guatemala 2, Barbados 0 (Quetzaltenango, GUA)
Costa Rica 2, United States 1 (San Jose, CRC)

Aug. 15
Costa Rica 2, Guatemala 1 (Alajuela, CRC)

Aug. 16
United States 7, Barbados 0 (Foxboro, MA)

Sept. 3
Costa Rica 3, Barbados 0 (San Jose, CRC)
United States 1, Guatemala 0 (Washington, D.C.)

Oct. 8
Barbados 1, Guatemala 3 (St. Michael, BRB)

Oct. 11
United States 0, Costa Rica 0 (Columbus, Ohio)

Nov. 15
Quatemala 2, Costa Rica 1 (Quetzaltenango, GUA)
USA 4, Barbados 0 (St. Michael, BRB)

� U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM �

MIA AND CO. SERVE AS MODELS FOR NEW "CHARLIE'S ANGELS" CHARACTERS: The U.S. Women's National Team is inspiring more than just youth soccer players. According to a recent Associated Press article, the director of the "Charlie Angels" movie didn't look to Farrah Fawcett for inspiration, he used Mia Hamm.  McG, directing his first feature film after being known for his success with music videos, used members of the U.S. Women's National Team as models for the modern Charlie's Angels.  He stated that he "wanted them to be women who could skin their knees, but rinse off, put on an evening gown and still be sexy--and then run a corporation the next day."  McG also stated "that's what it takes to be a sexy woman these days."

U.S. WOMEN WILL CONCLUDE "GLORY TOUR" IN ARIZONA AGAINST JAPAN ON DEC. 17: A marathon season of games never likely to be repeated will end on Dec. 17 as the U.S. Women's National Team plays its final match of 2000 against Japan at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona, when the three-game "Glory Tour" comes to a close.  The match will kick off at 3 p.m. MT and air live on ESPN (5 p.m. ET).  Tickets are priced at $18-$45 and are available through TicketMaster (480-784-4444 in Phoenix, 520-321-1000 in Tucson), and at other outlets, including Robinson's-May, Wherehouse Music, Tower Records and the Bank One Ballpark ticket office.  Tickets are also available via the Internet at www.us-soccer.com.  The Japan match will mark the 41st game of 2000 for the U.S. women, by far the most ever in a calendar year and certainly the most ever by a women's national team from any country. Tickets are available at all Houston area TicketMaster outlets (713-629-3700), including Kroger, Fiesta, Foley's and the University of Houston athletics ticket office. The tour kicked off on Saturday (Nov. 11) in Columbus, Ohio, where the U.S. Women fell to Canada 3-1 at Columbus Crew Stadium.  Both of the upcoming matches will air live on ESPN2.
Date USA Opponent Venue Kickoff / Television  Tickets
Dec. 10 Mexico Robertson Stadium; Univ. of Houston, Texas 6 p.m. CT / ESPN2 713-629-3700
Dec. 17 Japan Bank One Ballpark; Phoenix, Arizona 3 p.m. MT/ ESPN2 480-784-4444

WORLD ALL-STARS SNAPS U.S. WOMEN'S FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK: The 12-city women's indoor soccer tour reached its seventh stop in Atlanta, Ga., and saw the U.S. Women's National Team's five-game winning streak come to an end after dropping a 9-3 decision over the World All-Star squad on Sunday. After losing the opener in Philadelphia on Oct. 20, the U.S. defeated the World All-Stars in the next five stops (D.C., Long Island, Boston, St. Louis, Detroit).  The tour continues on November 30 at the Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif. For more information on the tour, go to: www.discovery.com/soccerchallenge.
Date Result  Location  Date Result Location
10/20 14-5 L   Philadelphia, Pa. 11/03 7-6 W St. Louis, Mo.
10/22 7-3 W  Washington, D.C. 11/05 6-3 W Auburn Hills, Mich.
10/28 3-1 W  Long Island, N.Y. 11/19 9-3 L Atlanta, Ga.
10/29 6-5 W(SO) Boston, Mass.

MACMILLAN TO RIDE WITH SPECIAL OLYMPICS IN PORTLAND'S HOLIDAY PARADE: Continuing to give back to the Portland community where she played college soccer and calls home, U.S. Women's National Team midfielder Shannon MacMillan will ride on the Special Olympics - Oregon float next week as the celebrity chaperone during the Meier & Frank Holiday Parade on Friday, November 24th. "As an Olympian, I know the value of sportsmanship and teamwork," said MacMillan. " These athletes truly represent those same qualities. To ride on the Special Olympics float during this holiday season is a great honor and a  true gift to me to be surrounded by such exceptional people." MacMillan, a two-time U.S. Olympian who recently returned home from her silver-medal winning performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, will ride on the 1926 Model-T float with 30 athletes ranging in ages from 14-30 years old from the Special Olympics - Oregon team.

� AROUND THE U.S. SOCCER NATION �

U.S. PRO-40 CLOSES ARGENTINA TOUR AT 2-2: The U.S. Pro-40 squad closed out the four-game tour of Argentina with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Lanus last Thursday.  The lone Pro-40 strike came in the 65th minute, when U.S. Pro-40's Shaker Asad broke free with an impressive dribbling display across the top of the penalty area. Moving from left to right across the top of the box, Asad unleashed a low blast that eluded the Lanus goalkeeper. The goal capped an excellent tour for Asad, who found the net once in each of P-40's four matches. The squad, coached by Alfonso Mondelo, return home having split their four games, defeating reserve teams of River Plate (3-1) and Huracan (2-1) before falling to the more experienced Estudiantes (4-2) and Lanus.

REFEREE SCOTT GETS ASSIGNMENTS IN AUSTRALIA AS PART OF EXCHANGE: Thirty-three year old U.S. Soccer referee Kevin Scott, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., will head "Down Under" in December after receiving his referee assignments for three matches in the Australian Premier League as part of the U.S. Soccer Referee Exchange Program.  Earlier this year in June, Australian referee Brett Hugo worked three Major League Soccer games as part of the exchange program.  Scott's assignment marks the eighth country to be visited by a United States FIFA referee since the inception of the referee exchange program in 1998.  Previous countries USA referees have worked include Scotland, Bolivia, Japan, China, Korea, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.  The U.S. Soccer Referee Exchange Program , which was initiated to increase international experience for referees, has received praise across the globe with other Federations expressing a strong interest in participating in a referee exchange in the future.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S CUP DOWN TO "ELITE EIGHT": The 2000 NCAA Division I Women's Championship is now down to the "Elite Eight" after 48 teams began first round competition on November 8. Last year's champion North Carolina is still alive in its quest for a 16th national title. The other remaining teams are Notre Dame, Santa Clara, Clemson, Connecticut, Penn State, Portland, UCLA. The tournament continues this weekend with the "Elite Eight" competition and the winners will move one step closer to the Final Four that will take place on December 1 and 3 at Spartan Stadium on the campus of San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif.

NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S COMPLETES FIRST ROUND PLAY: The 2000 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship concluded its tight 32-team first round play last weekend with 15 squads earning shutouts and eight of them winning by one goal. The first round winners advanced to the "Sweet 16" that will be played this coming weekend. Indiana has won the last two NCAA Championships and is looking to become the first school since Virginia (who won four straight NCAA crowns 1991-1994, under U.S. MNT Head Coach Bruce Arena) to win three consecutive titles. The other remaining teams are Brown, Clemson, Creighton, Connecticut, Duke, Ill-Chicago, Kentucky, North Carolina, Rhode Island, San Diego, Stanford, St. John's, Southern Methodist, Virginia and Washington. The Final Four will be held at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on December 8, with the winners playing for the 2000 Championship two days later.

BRAZIL DEFENDS AMPUTEE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 2-1 WIN OVER RUSSIA: Last week in Seattle, Wash., the 2000 Amputee Soccer Championship kicked off with six countries competing for the world amputee championship crown.  After a week of thrilling competition, Brazil and Russia prevailed and would meet in a re-match of the 1999 final that saw Brazil edge by Russia in a 1-0 victory in Kiev, Ukraine. It took overtime but Brazil again walked away as the champion as they defeated Russia 2-1 to repeat as Amputee Soccer World Champions. The tournament featured six teams, including squads from Brazil, England, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and of course the host USA.  Amputee soccer was founded in Seattle in 1980 and the sport is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

U.S. U-16 GIRLS IN FLORIDA FOR DON GURNEY ODP INTERREGIONAL EVENT: The U.S. Under-16 Girls National Team has been invited and will compete in the Don Gurney Olympic Development Program Interregional Event in Boca Raton, Fla., from Nov. 20-25.  Head coach Tracey Leone has invited 18 players from across the country to participate in the ODP Interregional Event, which has the U-16 girls facing Regions I-IV in four games across five days beginning today. The following is the U.S. Under-16 Girls roster:
U.S. U-16 Girl's Roster
Goalkeepers: Kim Bingham (San Ramon, Calif.), Ashlyn Harris (Satellite Beach, Fla.); Defenders: Rachel Beuhler (Del Mar, Calif.), Nikki Lieb (Villanova, Pa.), Stephanie Ebner (Salt Lake City, Utah), Christie Shaner (Ambler, Pa.), Amy Steadman (Brevard, N.C.); Midfielders: Ali Andrzejewski (Lutherville, Md.), Lori Chalupny (Chesterfield, Mo.), Sarah Huffman (Flower Mound, Texas), Noelle Keselica (Gathersburg, Md.), Stacy Lindstrom (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), Shelly Marshall (Arcadia, Calif.), Julie Napolitano (Elicott City, Md.); Forwards: Ayodola Adigun (Friendswood, Texas), Fristi Lefebvre (Colchester, Vt.), Katie Rivera (Mission Viejo, Calif.), Kristin Weiss (Brecksville, Ohio)

SUPER Y-LEAGUE ADDS U-18 GIRLS FOR 2001 SEASON: The United Soccer Leagues announced last week it will add an under-18 girls division from the Super Y-League that will debut in 2001. Over the last two seasons, the Super Y-League has contained the U14, U-15 and U-16 boys' age groups. The inaugural season for the girls' program will contain a U-18 age group in select regions of the United States and Canada. The Super Y- League girls program will feature the top U.S. and Canadian-based youth clubs, as well as youth development teams of W-League organizations. For more information on the league, please check the USL website at: www.unitedsoccerleagues.com.

U.S. SOCCER . . . . . . . . .  SPOTLIGHT  . . . . . . . . . . U.S. SOCCER

PEAK PERFORMANCE: After a nerve-wracking scoreless first half, the U.S. Men's National Team scored four second-half goals and produced the result it needed to advance to the six-team final round of CONCACAF qualifying for World Cup 2002. The trio of Clint Mathis (who scored the game winner as his first international goal), Joe-Max Moore (whose tight-rope, dribbling display down the end line created Mathis' scoring opportunity), and Tony Meola (who earned his 31st career international shutout) were instrumental in the victory.

MARQUEE MATCH-UP: In "Elite Eight" action in the women's NCAA tournament, the most interesting match-up would seem to be the quarterfinal match between Notre Dame and Santa Clara.  The Irish are currently the top ranked women's team in the nation and will put their 23-match unbeaten streak on the line when they take on the Broncos.  Santa Clara will be looking to avenge a 1999 Final Four semifinal loss to Notre Dame, when the number 1-ranked Broncos fell 1-0.
 
SOCCER SHOCKER: Longtime college soccer powers UCLA and Saint Louis University were both knocked out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament last weekend. SLU fell on penalty kicks after a scorless draw with Kentucky and UCLA fell to the University of San Diego 1-0 in overtime.

QUOTABLE: "This is a very tough decision for me because it's been so much fun being part of the development of international soccer in this country.  Watching it grow, and being part of that growth, has been an emotional and important experience for me. But it's the right time for me to do this. I really want to be able to spend more time with my wife and my two young children, and to concentrate on my club career.  I'm glad I was able to finish playing with the national team while I was still healthy and able to contribute."

 --Legendary U.S. midfielder Tab Ramos, who announced his retirement from international soccer after the 4-0 win versus Barbados last Wednesday.
 

� For all the latest information on U.S. Soccer visit www.us-soccer.com �