U.S. cup team in strife

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 25

U.S. cup team in strife

NZPA-AFP Port of Spain United States preparations for their crucial World Cup soccer qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago today have been hit by internal bickering over a previous bad performance. Reports said that defenders in the American squad were blaming attackers for the disappointing nil-all draw against El Salvador earlier this month. Attackers blamed other team members and the whole confidence crisis could lead to a new lacklustre performance that would put Trinidad into their first World Cup finals, in Italy next year. Costa Rica have already taken one place from the Concacaf group but the second is between Trinidad and Tobago and the Americans who both have nine points going into their final game.

The home side have a better goal difference and so need only draw to qualify. Win or lose, the Trinidad Government has declared a national holiday to celebrate the event The Americans were in the finals in 1950 but are desperate to qualify this time to boost their credibility before the 1994 finals are held in the United States. U.S. . assistant coach John McNick refused to comment on the team’s interha! troubles or give a prediction on the outcome of Sunday’s game.