NO BOMBSHELLS FROM USSF PREZ.

Byline: SCOTT FRENCH SOCCER

Sunil Gulati knew what was wanted -- Andres Cantor, the Telemundo announcer with the famed ``Gooooooooooaaaaal!'' call had made it clear.

``I'm going to announce a coach, that we're going to Copa America and that we're standing in for South Africa (as World Cup host) in 2010,'' U.S. Soccer's president teased before his presentation at Monday's Honda Symposium at the Biltmore in downtown L.A. ``And we're getting 2014, so the next two World Cups will be in the U.S.

``Our coach will be (Brazilian Luiz Felipe) Scolari, (Dutchman Guus) Hiddink or (Italian Marcello) Lippi. ... So (Juergen) Klinsmann is out!''

Alas, there would be no such bombshells from Gulati, the featured speaker at the annual confab staged by syndicated Spanish-language radio show ``Futbol de Primera.'' (It concludes today with the Honda Player of the Year Award ceremony; Clint Dempsey, Kasey Keller and Brian McBride are the finalists.)

Instead, he addressed the need to increase Hispanic involvement in the U.S. Soccer Federation and African-American exposure to the sport, the hope being that both communities will provide players who can help the U.S. contend for, and someday win, a World Cup title.

Federico Addiechi, FIFA's ``head of corporate social responsibility,'' opened his segment Monday with a stirring highlight video from the World Cup in Germany. Gulati, an India-born Columbia University economics professor, followed by introducing a highlight video of the U.S.'s World Cup campaign.

All stared at a blank screen a few seconds before realizing nothing was coming. ``There weren't enough highlights,'' Gulati noted. ``That's the bad news.''

The good news? U.S. Soccer is a perennial World Cup competitor with a growing budget, $45 million in assets, the world's finest women's program (with expectations for a new pro league, as early as 2008) and it is prepared to spend $100 million on player development, targeting the African-American and, especially, Hispanic communities.

And soccer is growing in popularity, with record numbers of fans traveling to Germany for the Cup, watching on television, even contacting Gulati by e-mail to demand Arena's dismissal after the Americans' first- round exit. ``The fact that they cared,'' he said, ``that was a change.''

Those that care, he knows, want to know who's going to guide the U.S. toward the 2010 World Cup, if the Americans will play in Copa America (South America's nations championship) and whether the World Cup will be returning to these shores soon.

The scoop?

The pool of coaching candidates has been narrowed to ``single digits, probably four or five serious candidates, some abroad, some domestic.'' Don't count on Scolari, still in charge of Portugal, or Hiddink, who took over Russia's team after guiding Australia to the round of 16. Lippi's available, but Klinsmann, who led his native Germany to the Cup semis, remains a popular choice. Others rumored include Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, Argentine Jose Pekerman, Portuguese Carlos Queiroz and several MLS coaches. Gulati said a hire could be made this month, more likely next month, but certainly before the year is over.

An invitation to play in Copa America next year, for the first time since 1995, is expected today. The proximity to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, this region's championship, is worrisome, but the strength of competition can only help the U.S. squad. Gulati is gathering potential coaches' thoughts before a decision, due before a coach is hired, will be made.

Questions about South Africa's infrastructure and ability to stage the World Cup have led to speculation the 2010 tournament will be moved to the U.S. Gulati says he ``believes South Africa will host a spectacular World Cup, and we want to be there. ... We want to host events, but we're not looking to host anyone else's events.'' The U.S. has interest in the 2014 Cup, but FIFA President Sepp Blatter wants it in South America, with Brazil the likely host.

MLS figures, no surprise, are fiction

Major League Soccer's dirty little secret since its 1996 inception has been how it fudges attendance figures. The 27,000 the Galaxy customarily announces is fiction, no surprise to those peering at the empty seats inside Home Depot Center.

Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who obtained an internal MLS document, ``Game Attendance Summary,'' last week, confirmed what we already knew: The league fibs about its figures. Last year's average official attendance, 15,118, is almost a third above actual paid attendance of 10,746.

More than 3,000 free tickets were distributed, on average, for each match, with Chivas USA providing a league-high 4,891 per game. Adding paid attendance and freebies doesn't equal the announced crowd. Last year's average combined attendance was 13,836. The announced figure, 15,118.

At one game Zeigler cited, expansion club Real Salt Lake sold 6,443 tickets and gave away 9,391. The announced crowd was 17,896.

MLS President Mark Abbott declined to comment to the Union-Tribune on specific figures, but he told the newspaper last spring that the league isn't ``faking the numbers.'' The ``Game Attendance Summary'' suggests he was lying.

The Galaxy had the largest paid attendance (19,940), total distribution (23,155) and announced attendance (24,329) among the league's 12 teams. Chivas was third in paid attendance (12,121), second in distribution (16,942) and fourth in announced crowd (17,080).

No Dutch treat

Real Madrid forward Ruud van Nistelrooy and Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel are refusing play for the Netherlands' national team as long as Marco van Basten is in charge.

Van Bommel, who clashed with the coach -- one of greatest strikers ever to play for the Oranje -- during the World Cup, declined an invitation to join the team for Euro 2008 qualifiers Saturday against Bulgaria and the following Wednesday against Albania.

Van Nistelrooy, enjoying a superb start to the season after a move from Manchester United, had been left off the roster after criticizing van Basten last week in Dutch sports magazine Sportweek. He was asked back as a replacement for injured Ajax Amsterdam star Klaus-Jan Huntelaar but said no.

``If you don't want certain personalities in the team, just say it,'' van Nistelrooy told Sportweek. ``He always only says it has to do with footballing qualities, but that is not a plausible explanation.''

His Real teammate, Raul, also was left behind, for the first time in 10 years, for Spain's qualifier against Sweden and ``friendly'' with Argentina.

The Spanish captain ended an 11-month goal drought in Real's 5-1 UEFA Champions League romp over Dynamo Kiev.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati hopes to hire a national team coach within 60 days.

Howard C. Smith/International Sports Images

(2) Van Nisterlrooy

Box:

(1) HONDA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

(2) Etc.