Football: LETTER FROM AMERICA; Chief Sports Writer Mark Currie seeks out more members of the West Coast's Welsh connection.

Byline: Mark Currie 

WALES were due to have between 200 and 300 fans in San Jose's Spartan Stadium when Mark Hughes' side took on the United States in the early hours of this morning.

The last contingent arrived in San Francisco - about 45 miles from the match venue - in the early hours of Sunday, and they included several Wrexham fans led by Geraint Parry, who runs theclub's internet services.

MANY supporters who were here for several days leading up to the friendly international had an early start on Sunday morning when they converged on an internet cafe in the city which was showing live coverage of the Second Division play- off final between Cardiff City and QPR.

Around 60 dedicated followers of football were awake for the 7 am kick-off local time and followed the action on a computer screen just 14 inches square.

Naturally,most of them were Ninian Park regulars, but the South Wales crowd were pleased and delighted that their numbers were swelled by Wrexham and Swansea City fans, who joined in the celebrations after the Bluebirds' extra-time victory. FORMER Aston Villa professional Phil Woosnam, who hails from Caersws but has lived in the United States for more than 30 years, was inivited as the FA of Wales' special guest at this morning's game.

Woosnam, who played for the Birmingham club during the 1960s, was the architect of soccer in America,launching the game here a decade later by signing up a host of famous names,including Pele, George Best and Franz Beckenbauer, who boosted their bank balances with lucrative deals at a time when their careers were on the wane.

Incidentally,former Wrexham winger Brian Tinnion was a beneficiary of the hype that surrounded US soccer in those early days.

Released by then manager John Neal on a free transfer, Tinnion came over to the States, where he still lives,and signed for New York Cosmos to play in the same team as legends such as Pele and Beckenbauer.

WELSH fans apart, there are a lot of British tourists in San Francisco this week and one incident showed the enduring appeal of manager Mark Hughes.

Two teenage boys,both wearing England shirts, were playing pool in the hotel bar as the Wales boss conducted his pre- match press conference.

But they quickly interrupted their game when they realised who was in town to pick up their cameras for an unexpected photo-opportunity with the former Manchester United and Wales legend.

Not your normal holiday snaps for this opportunist pair.