Soccer Watch

A strike deadline nears for the U.S. National Team in advance of its Feb. 9 World Cup qualifier at Trinidad and Tobago. The U.S. Soccer Federation and the players union, at odds over pay and without an agreement since December 2002, are wrangling over details of a last-minute mediation. Meanwhile, the USSF said it will use replacement players in Trinidad unless an agreement is reached by Feb. 1. To that end, a group of 22 minor leaguers from the United Soccer Leagues and Major Indoor Soccer League started training camp on Monday. U.S. coach Bruce Arena wouldn't identify the players but stressed, somewhat unconvincingly, that "these are all outdoor players. Some may be playing indoors right now, but they're all outdoor players. They're a good bunch. We'll move forward and try to field a competitive team for Feb. 9."

The U.S. Under-20 team looked dominant this weekend in qualifying for the 2005 U-20 World Cup, being played this summer in Holland. The U.S. went 3-0, outscoring opponents 10-1, to win its qualifying group for the first time ever.