SOCCER AIMS FOR SUCCESS : MLS PLAY BEGINS WITH HIGH HOPES.

Byline: Barry Wilner Associated Press

Nearly two years after the World Cup temporarily brought soccer to the forefront of American sports, a premier professional league begins play next Saturday. With the momentum from the world's most popular sporting event faded, does Major League Soccer have any chance of succeeding?

If it does, it will need to be carried by homegrown stars such as Tab Ramos, John Harkes and Alexi Lalas. It must avoid the overspending and short-term planning that doomed its predecessor, the NASL. And it must turn all of those youngsters who play the game - soccer is the No. 2 team sport in participation, behind only basketball, in the United States - into spectators.

``I'm looking forward to being a pioneer, to getting this thing going,'' says Ramos, a midfielder for the New York-New Jersey Metro Stars. ``This is what I've been waiting for.''

Waiting too long, perhaps?

Had the MLS gotten going soon after the World Cup, when soccer was at its zenith in the American public eye, it probably would have made a stronger impact. But now, with baseball intending to play a full season, and the NBA and NHL playoffs about to start, how much room is there for soccer, particularly on a level well below what U.S. fans saw in 1994?

``I even had my doubts,'' said San Jose Clash general manager Peter Bridgwater. ``Not any longer. Everything is falling into place.''

Maybe. The Columbus Crew and the Metro Stars have surpassed 10,000 in season ticket sales. But the Dallas Burn and Tampa Bay Mutiny are lagging well behind, with just over 2,000 tickets sold. Most of the teams play in major stadiums, albeit downsized by closing the upper decks or other areas.

Each team is either partly or totally owned by the league and has a salary cap of $1.13 million, with the minimum salary just below $30,000. There are some substantial investors in the 10 teams, including the Kraft family (New England Revolution) and the Hunt Family (Columbus and Kansas City).

``It's six figures for the stars, and that's not including endorsements,'' says Kansas City Wiz coach Ron Newman, a longtime fixture in American soccer leagues. ``They're making millions, big, powerful money. We haven't seen this type of money in soccer in many years.''

The MLS is getting decent money from ESPN and ESPN2, which will televise up to 36 games. Saturday's season opener, the Washington D.C. United at San Jose, will be on ESPN, as will the All-Star game. ESPN2 will have a Thursday night game of the week.

The championship game, scheduled for Oct. 20, will be televised by ABC.

League officials had asked FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, to consider use of a bigger net to stimulate scoring. But that suggestion was heavily criticized, with even Steve Sampson, the U.S. national team coach, voicing disapproval.

The idea was shot down by FIFA earlier this month.

But the MLS will feature shootouts to decide tie games, borrowing the method used in the NASL: A shooter attacks a goalkeeper on a breakaway from 35 yards and must score in five seconds.

That should please Eric Wynalda, one of the most dangerous threats on the U.S. World Cup team.