NOTEBOOK: SAMPSON SAYS HE WASN'T FORCED OUT.Byline: Daily News Wire Services Steve Sampson Steve Sampson (born January 19, 1957 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is a soccer coach and the former head coach of the United States men's national team and the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. says it might be best for the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. to have different coaches lead the team in World Cup qualifying and the tournament. And Sampson, who quit Monday, said he wasn't pressured to leave by U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg Alan I. Rothenberg (born April 10, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan) is a graduate of the University of Michigan's law school, and an influential administrative figure in the history of North American soccer who is credited with greatly contributing to the growth of the game in the United . ``This was my decision, my decision only,'' Sampson said Tuesday in Paris before heading home to California. ``My mind was made up when I met with him. I felt it was best I reacquaint reacquaint Verb reacquaint oneself with or become reacquainted with to get to know (someone) again Verb 1. myself with my family and allow Alan Rothenberg the freedom to select someone else that could give this national team a fresh start.'' On Friday, Sampson said he had no intention of resigning following the Americans' 0-3 record and last-place finish at the World Cup. After talking with his wife Sheri, he isn't sure what he wants to do next. Meanwhile, in Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. , four members of the U.S. team distanced themselves from teammates who have ripped Sampson. ``I look at it as a whole. It was everybody's fault, not one person,'' said Brian McBride For other people of the same name, see . Brian McBride (born June 19, 1972) is a football striker who has appeared in three World Cups for the United States national team and is currently captain of Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League. , who scored the U.S. team's lone goal in a quick three-game, three-loss exit from the biggest stage in soccer. Troubled home front: Ethnic problems back home may have contributed to Yugoslavia's second-round elimination from the World Cup. Players said they were hounded by the latest strife, in Kosovo province. More than 300 people have died in fighting there since March, and NATO NATO: see North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO in full North Atlantic Treaty Organization International military alliance created to defend western Europe against a possible Soviet invasion. has threatened air strikes against Serbian forces if they don't stop their crackdown against Kosovo Albanians This is a list of notable Albanian Kosovars:
``Of course we were distressed by the troubles back home,'' midfielder Vladimir Jugovic said after Monday night's 2-1 loss to the Netherlands. ``Reporters were asking all those political questions, and we were here only to play soccer and not deal with politics.'' That's cricket, mate: The World Cup's top scorer has a special present on its way - a cricket bat from one of that sport's all-time greats. Allan Border Allan Robert Border AO (born 27 July 1955 in Sydney, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricket captain. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Tests in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh. , the former captain of Australia's cricket team, sent the bat to Christian Vieri
Christian "Bobo" Vieri (born July 12, 1973 in Bologna, Italy) is an Italian football striker who plays for ACF Fiorentina. after the Italian striker listed Border as one of his sports heroes. Cricket is not an Italian favorite, but Vieri grew up in Sydney and knows about wickets, googlies and leg-befores. Staying power: Lothar Matthaeus of Germany keeps setting World Cup records for longevity. Already leading the list with 24 Cup games played, the 37-year-old defender set the record Monday for minutes played at 1,958 - eight more than another German, Uwe Seeler, who played 1,950 minutes in 21 matches in the 1960s and '70s. Matthaeus now stands third in the number of international matches played, 128, behind the record 147 for Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Majed Abdullah and 143 for another goalie, Sweden's Thomas Ravelli. On the rebound: Saudi Arabia's new coach is an old name. Otto Pfister was picked to succeed the fired Carlos Alberto Parriera as the Saudi's national soccer coach, returning to a job he held before Parriera was hired. Pfister coached the Saudi team to the second round of the World Cup in 1994, when Parriera was coach of title-winning Brazil. Parriera was fired from the Saudi job when the team was eliminated after the first two games in France. The Saudi national team has gone through eight coaches in three years. Travel troubles: The German team had trouble getting out of Montpellier after its second-round victory over Mexico. The Air France jetliner taking the team back to Nice aborted its takeoff for unexplained mechanical reasons, team spokesman Wolfgang Niersbach said. The second takeoff went without problems. No injuries were reported. Maradona remembered: Glenn Hoddle hears the word in England - ``vendetta vendetta (vĕndĕt`ə) [Ital.,=vengeance], feud between members of two kinship groups to avenge a wrong done to a relative. Although the term originated in Corsica, the custom has also been practiced in other parts of Italy, in other .'' He calls it ``a horrible expression.'' The English coach has had to live 12 years with the emotion of being on the field when Diego Maradona punched the ball into the net for the cynical ``hand of God'' goal that still haunts England, unabated. ``More than revenge, I dream of turning the score back to zero,'' Hoddle said the other day. ``That was the most bitter defeat in my career.'' Now England has another ghastly memory, the penalty-kick shootout Shootout Venture capital jargon. Refers to two or more venture capital firms fighting for the startup. that ended with Argentina on top 4-3 after a 2-2 tie in the World Cup. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO From left, Thomas Dooley, Brian McBride and Brian Maisonneuve distanced themselves from the criticism of ex-coach Steve Sampson. Mike Elicson/Associated Press |
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