<a href=www.socceramerica.com>Source3/26/2003 12:19:00 AM

Venezuela coach Richard Paez has named four foreign-based players to his 17-man roster for Saturday's friendly against the USA (4 pm ET/1 pm PT in Seattle, live on ESPN2).

Three foreign-based players -- Alejandro Cichero (Cerro/Uruguay), Juan Arango (Pachuca/Mexico), Hector Gonzalez (Olimpo/Argentina) -- will not travel to Seattle but will join Venezuela for its April 2 home game against Jamaica in Caracas.

Also not in the squad is Ruberth Moran, Venezuela's leading scoring during its unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup with four goals.

The four foreign-based players on the roster are defenders Jose Manuel Rey and Jorge Rojas of Emelec (Ecuador), goalkeeper Manuel Sanhouse (Club Espoli/Ecuador) and Gabriel Urdaneta (Lugano/Switzerland).

GOALKEEPERS Gilberto Angelucci (Deportivo Tachira) Manuel Sanhouse (Club Espoli/Ecuador)

DEFENDERS Wilfredo Alvarado (ItalChacao) Luis Vallenilla Pacheco (Caracas FC) Jose Manuel Rey (Emelec/Ecuador) Jorge Rojas (Emelec/Ecuador) Leonel Vielma (Maracaibo) Javier Villafraz (Estudiantes)

MIDFIELDERS Leopoldo Jimenez (ItalChacao) Ricardo David Paez (Caracas FC) Giovanny Perez (Estudiantes) Gabriel Urdaneta (Lugano/Switzerland) Luis Vera (Caracas FC)

FORWARDS Cristian Casseres (Deportivo ItalChacao) Juan Garcia (Mineros) Wilfredo Moreno (Mineros) Daniel Noriega (Deportivo ItalChacao)

Read source 25/03/03

The 18-man U.S. roster for the March 29 match traveled to Portland on Monday for a week-long training camp, reuniting ten players from the U.S. squad that made an historic run to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.

"Over the past two or three years, the Venezuelan national team has made great strides, and I think they are perhaps the most improved team in South America," Arena told US Soccer. "We are certainly looking forward to the challenge."

Included in the roster is Washington native Kasey Keller, second on the USA's all-time goalkeeping list for wins (31) and shutouts (28), who has collected an astonishing 13-0-4 record on home soil since 1998.

Also returning is the striker tandem of Brian McBride and Landon Donovan, who together scored four of the USA's seven goals in Korea/Japan.

The camp also marks the reunion of the midfield corps of Pablo Mastroeni, John O'Brien, DaMarcus Beasley and Earnie Stewart, who last took the field together as starters in the 3-2 upset victory against Portugal in the USA's opening match.

Once again, MLS players dominate the roster, with 14 of the 18 now playing domestically.

The following is the U.S. roster for the March 29 match:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Tim Howard (MetroStars), Kasey Keller (Tottenham Hotspur)

DEFENDERS (5): Carlos Bocanegra (Chicago Fire), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Nick Garcia (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Eddie Pope (MetroStars)

MIDFIELDERS (7): DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire), Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Chris Klein (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John O'Brien (Ajax Amsterdam), Earnie Stewart (D.C. United)

FORWARDS (4): Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew), Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes), Jovan Kirovski (Birmingham City), Brian McBride (Columbus Crew).

Source By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff, 3/25/2003

Among the first sporting victims of the war in Iraq was the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Now the April 5 Iraq-Vietnam Olympic qualifier, previously announced as being relocated from Baghdad to Damascus, is in doubt. The Japanese called off a trip to the US to meet Uruguay in San Diego tomorrow (instead, they will meet in Tokyo Friday) and the US in Seattle Saturday (instead, the US will meet Venezuela).

Even the European Championship 2004 qualifiers are being affected.

England's visit to the Principality of Liechtenstein was on the verge of being postponed, but the Union des Associations Europeennes de Football (UEFA) yesterday confirmed the match. The English team was considered a possible target for protesters and/or terrorists. And there is little chance security will be sophisticated at the 3,548-capacity Rheinparkstadion in Vaduz.

More than 1,500 England supporters are expected in Vaduz, and only 950 have been issued tickets. These numbers indicate this is a small-scale problem compared with the crowd violence of England's visit to Slovakia last October.

But Liechtenstein has only 70 full-time law enforcement officers. Plans have been made to recruit 1,100 officers from neighboring Austria and Switzerland, but those countries' enforcement resources have been stretched because of anti-war protests. And authorities are concerned about what could be a volatile combination of football fans and anti-war demontrators.

France is going to a neutral site, playing qualifiers this week in Palermo, Italy, against Malta and Israel.

And next week's Serbia-Montenegro vs. Wales game in Belgrade could change venues in response to the high-security alert following the assasination of premier Zoran Djindjic.

Most of the Middle East soccer schedule has been unaffected by war. Kuwait suspended its league games in anticipation of war and Lebanon announced a suspension yesterday. But Bahrein, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates continue league play.

Brazilian striker Romario, who last month signed a three-month, $1.5 million contract with Al Sadd of Qatar, said he is staying in Doha. ''The war is really sad and doesn't resolve anything, but if God decides it, nothing will happen to me,'' Romario said in a Planet Football interview.

Iraq was heavily favored to defeat Vietnam, which would set up a second-round matchup with North Korea May 3 and June 7. But coach Bernd Stange, a German, left Iraq in February, citing security concerns. Stange said he also was told he would lose several players to military duty, but Iraqi officials dispute that.

''I was playing during the war against Iran and not one day did I wear a [military] uniform,'' Rahim Hamed, who played for Iraq in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, told the Football Asia magazine Web site.

Finished from the start Since their founding in 1995, the Revolution have been learning most of their lessons the hard way. Their opening match in international tournament play seems to have been another example of that tendency. LD Alajuelense virtually eliminated the Revolution from the Champions Cup with a 4-0 victory Sunday in Costa Rica. The rematch is scheduled for Alajuela tomorrow. The Revolution, who had established their credibility with simplified tactics and solid defending, had not surrendered more than two goals in a game since a 3-2 loss to Colorado July 24. Even during their preseason trip to Brazil, though the Revolution were winless, they were able to take the lead in three of four contests and were able to score against the likes of Sao Paulo powers Guarani and Palmeiras.

Joe Franchino and Rusty Pierce were the top-rated Revolution players by the San Jose daily La Nacion. Since both are defenders, this raises questions about the rest of the team. The Revolution apparently neither attacked nor defended effectively. And they neglected to realize that in total-goal competition, the visiting team simply must limit the goals against in the opening match.

The first round of the Champions Cup, featuring the 16 most successful teams in the region, is a two-game, total-goal competition. Defender Carlos Llamosa and striker Joe-Max Moore are expected to return for the second game against Alajuelense. Llamosa suffered a leg bruise in practice and Moore was in Miami for a magnetic resonance imaging of his ankle.

Further help could be on the way before the MLS season starts with a Revolution visit to Chicago April 13.

Johannes Ngodzo, a 22-year-old midfielder, is expected to arrive for a tryout when the Revolution return to Boston next week. Ngodzo, who plays for Highlanders, was a finalist for Zimbabwe player of the year last year. Ngodzo was recommended by Bruce Grobelaar, Revolution coach Steve Nicol's former Liverpool teammate.

Nicol has been searching for an attacking midfielder since Peter Nowak announced his retirement last month. But the Revolution are less than $100,000 under the MLS salary cap, limiting their chances of finding a Nowak clone.

A match for each other Manchester United vs. Real Madrid is the matchup of the year, the most marketable clubs in the world meeting in the Euro Champions Cup April 8 and 23. The winner advances to the semifinals against either Barcelona or Juventus.

Real Madrid, shooting for the DECIMA (its 10th title), is apparently satisfied with the draw.

''For us, a quarterfinal against Barcelona or Valencia would have been more difficult,'' Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos said. ''It is easier for us to play an English team.''

<a href=www.dailyherald.com>Carlos Zambrano By Bruce Miles Daily Herald Sports Writer Posted March 25, 2003

MESA, Ariz. - At 6-feet-5 and 245 pounds, Carlos Zambrano is a bear of a young man.

He's a hungry bear, too. So don't tell him that spring training is meaningless.

Zambrano felt the full meaning of spring training last year when he was sent to Class AAA Iowa just as the Cubs were breaking camp.

Even Zambrano had to admit the demotion was well earned. He had a horrific spring, going 0-1 with a 14.18 ERA, having given up 23 hits and 21 earned runs in 13º innings pitched.

"It was my fault; I understand that," said the 21-year-old right-hander. "I didn't pitch well. They see all the pitchers, and if they see somebody is not ready for the big leagues, they have the last choice."

This year, Zambrano is part of the Cubs' starting rotation, but he's not counting on a thing. It shows in his pitching, too.

Entering tonight's start against the San Diego Padres, Zambrano is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA, pretty respectable numbers in the hitter-happy Cactus League. The strikeouts (12) are going up, and the walks (7) are coming down.

"I'm just a little more experienced," said Zambrano, a native of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. "I just came in my mind that I have to make the team and that I don't have anything for sure. That's why I'm working so hard, to make the team."

As is the case with so many young players on the Cubs, a dose of perspective comes in handy when talking about Zambrano.

The Cubs signed him as a nondrafted free agent in 1997, right after his 16th birthday. When he made his major-league debut in August 2001, he became the first player born during the 1980s to appear in a game for the Cubs.

On Opening Day, he will be the youngest player to start the season with the Cubs since Greg Maddux (20) in 1987.

Like all major-leaguers, Zambrano remembers his debut well. How he uses the memory says a lot about how far he has come.

"I'm not afraid," he said. "The last time I was afraid in the big leagues was when I first came up. When I came off the bench, I saw 40,000 people. That was amazing. Anybody can be scared. People who told me they weren't scared when they came up to the big leagues, I don't believe that.

"Always with your first something, you're scared. But you have to be in control. You have to think, 'That's your game,' and you're there.

"That was one game. It was the beginning of my career. Just throw the ball and enjoy the game. That's what I was thinking when I was in the bullpen warming up that day."

Zambrano had a rough go of it that day, losing 10-2 to the Brewers after not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. He worked in relief the rest of his time in Chicago that year and thought he might have a job last spring.

It didn't work that way, and that bitter memory has fueled his desire this year, making him one of the Cubs' more pleasant surprises of the spring.

"He's looked good most of the days," manager Dusty Baker said. "I like his attitude, the way he works and the fact that he wants it. There's something to that. He wants it badly."

That work ethic has been noticed by pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who is seeing Zambrano for the second year.

"I think he's more confident in what he's doing," Rothschild said. "He's a year down the road, too, so he's matured as a pitcher. His delivery has been pretty consistent. He works. He works in between (starts). He works at everything."

Zambrano worked his way back to the Cubs by mid-April last year. After a stint on the disabled list, he ended up in the rotation, gaining his first victory as a starter July 6 against the Braves' Tom Glavine for the first of two straight victories over Atlanta.

Overall, he went 4-8 with a 3.66 ERA, but he threw the ball well enough in the second half of the season to get himself penciled into the rotation.

Working with new catchers Damian Miller and Paul Bako this spring, Zambrano has seen his confidence grow - but not to the point of cockiness.

"One thing about this spring training, when I want to throw something, Miller calls the same pitch," Zambrano said. "That's being on the same page. It makes me feel good because it makes me feel that I'm smart, because those catchers are smart.

"I like the competition. I like to be in the position of having to fight somebody for a job. It's makes me feel like I can do it. It pushes me to be better than anybody else."

Building friendships... Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler Story Identification Number: 2003324183353 Story by Sgt. John Sayas

CAMP KINSER, Okinawa, Japan(March 25, 2003) -- In the United States, a baseball fan's desire to meet their favorite Major League Baseball players is not always easy. To get an autograph from "big name" players like Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter or Ken Griffey, Jr., fans might have to fight through hordes of people.

For fans of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, it is equally hard to meet their favorite players.

But for Lt. Col. Brent A. Norris, assistant chief of staff, Comptroller, 3rd Force Service Support Group, getting an autograph is no big deal because he knows some of the players firsthand.

Norris has always been a big baseball fan, and since he grew up in Lexington, Ky., he became a Cincinnati Reds fan. That love for baseball followed him here, and eventually took him to a spring training game here in Okinawa. His only introduction to Japanese baseball at the time was through a movie called "Mr. Baseball" which featured the Chunichi Dragons.

"I love the game. Baseball has always been my favorite sport so I certainly love catching a good baseball game," Norris said.

Norris, who began his tour here in 1998, initially didn't follow any particular team until he met Yakult Swallows outfielder Alex Ramirez during one of the team's spring training sessions on Okinawa two years ago.

As an ordinary baseball fan in the stands, Norris and his two children were watching players as they warmed up when Ramirez, a former player of the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates, looked up at the stands and gestured at the crowd.

"He looked up at us and waved to us," Norris recalled. "My daughter asked who that was, and I said I think its Alex Ramirez. He waved to us and said how are you doing, and we just started talking."

Later that day after the game, Norris and Ramirez met again when Yakult Swallows players visited the base to get a taste of Marine life. Norris was one of the Marines hosting the players when they visited, and immediately recognized Ramirez from their earlier conversation in the stands.

Eventually, Norris invited Ramirez to his home for dinner.

"We struck up a conversation and have developed a relationship ever since," Norris said.

Ramirez doesn't know too much about military, but has developed a good friendship with the Norris family while learning more about each other's lives.

This year was their third time meeting at the Norris' home. During his latest visit, Ramirez brought his wife, Liz, and two international players, Kevin Hodges and Todd Betts, to enjoy the occasion. Hodges, a Houston native, is a former Seattle Mariners pitcher and Betts, a Toronto, Canada native, is beginning his first season after playing in the minor leagues the last few years.

"It's a cool thing for me," Norris said. "Anytime he is here, and wants to unwind, he has a place to stay."

Although the two have different careers, they have shared a lot in common. Their careers sometimes take them away from their families, and have taken them to many places far from home.

One thing the players have realized is that one cannot do without the other as baseball provides the entertainment for the millions of fans around the world, while the military fights for the freedoms and liberty that America has today.

"Baseball is just a game," said Ramirez, who is a Miranda, Venezuela native who came to the Yakult Swallows in search of expanding his career opportunities.

Commenting on the thought of war and the service that the military provided to the U.S. he said, "You sometimes don't know when you are coming back--it is not a game."