WYNALDA FUELS RIVALRY VS. MEXICO.

Byline: Associated Press 

U.S. soccer star Eric Wynalda says he was misquoted: He doesn't hate Mexico. He just hates to lose to Mexico.

The two countries play an important World Cup qualifier in Foxboro, Mass., on Sunday, and a matchup that was once a cakewalk for Mexico is now shaping up as a genuine rivalry.

``At the moment you have a rivalry - this is not friendly,'' Mexico coach Bora Milutinovic said after the team's first practice at Brandeis University. ``You want to win.''

Milutinovic is responsible for some of the drama leading to this game at Foxboro Stadium. As U.S. coach for four years, the Yugoslav oversaw an improvement that culminated in a respectable U.S. showing in the 1994 World Cup. Before that, he coached Mexico and Costa Rica.

The United States and Mexico are bidding for spots in next year's World Cup in France. Three nations will advance from the six-team group from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

``There's a lot of qualifying games left to play. But this is a home game and we have got to win our home games,'' U.S. defender Alexi Lalas said. ``As you get farther along in the process, the margin of error decreases.''

The game will be the fourth of 10 qualifiers for both the United States and Mexico.

Undefeated Mexico (2-0-1) leads the group with seven points. The Americans (1-1-1) follow with four points. Costa Rica, with a win and a tie, has four. Canada, Jamaica and El Salvador all have a single point, though the latter two have played only one game.

U.S. coach Steve Sampson closed this week's practices at Brown University in Providence, R.I.

The expected crowd of nearly 60,000 at Foxboro Stadium will be decidedly pro American. This will be something of a change for the United States. Many of its home games against Latin American opponents have seemed as if they were being played on the road.

Wynalda's remarks, published Monday in a U.S. Soccer Federation publication, are the stuff of controversies in countries where soccer is more religion than sport.

``When you look at us and Mexico, I have no problem at all with saying I hate them. I hate and love to play them. Mexico's always been our biggest rival,'' the Westlake Village native was quoted as saying. ``. . . Once I step on the field, I hate 'em. Nowhere is it written that I have to say I like them. That's just the way it is.''

Though Mexico holds a 24-5-7 edge over the United States going back to the 1930s, the United States has done better in recent years. Since 1990, the teams have each won three games and tied four.

On Wednesday, Wynalda noted he had said something very different and that his remarks were more than 6 months old.

``My comment was `I hate to lose against Mexico and love to beat them,' '' he said.