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World Cup Round-Up

Thursday 14 May 1998

News 10

WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN
Still 27 Days To Go...

McCOIST LEFT OUT OF SCOTLAND SQUAD
ALLY McCOIST is facing up to a summer as a spectator or possibly commentator - after being left out of Scotland's squad to face Colombia and the United States at the end of this month.
The Rangers striker, 35, enjoyed a brilliant run of end-of-season form that nearly pushed the Ibrox side to a record tenth successive domestic title but now, barring injuries, will not make it to France as part of the team. McCoist has, however, made it clear he will be there in some capacity.
Scotland boss Craig Brown avoided explaining why he had been left out: I would rather talk about the players I have picked. I believe I have chosen the appropriate squad for the tournament, but I'm also looking forward to the Euro 2000 championship. While, obviously, we'd like to win the World Cup, realistically we are looking at playing four or five games, in which case our squad would be a generous one. So those players who aren't in the starting line-up should be those who will benefit from the experience.
However, McCoist's omission, along with Duncan Ferguson's retirement from international football, leaves Scotland short of obvious goalscoring ability, their traditional weakness in tournaments, and puts the burden on Blackburn striker Kevin Gallacher, Celtic's Darren Jackson and McCoist's Ibrox teammate Gordon Durie.
Brown, who also left out Aberdeen's Eoin Jess, has called up seven Celtic players - Tom Boyd, Craig Burley, Simon Donnelly, Paul Lambert, Jackie McNamara, Tosh McKinlay and Jackson - after they clinched the Scottish title on Saturday. One Celt who missed out was goalkeeper Jonathan Gould. Wimbledon's Neil Sullivan is the third-choice keeper. Brown said: I took the advice of goalkeeping coach Alan Hodgkinson, who felt Neil should go. He has never let us down.
Brown has also kept faith with Leicester central half Matt Elliott, who since making his debut at the end of last year, still hasn't finished on the winning side.
The squad leave for America next Wednesday for two warm-up games against fellow-qualifiers. They meet England's Group G opponents Colombia in New York on 23 May, then the USA in Washington a week later.
Meanwhile, the Scotland Under-21 squad for the tournament against Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the Republic next week includes a number of players looking for more experience ahead of the autumn's European Championship qualifiers. Gavin Strachan, son of Coventry manager Gordon, keeps his place with the only other English-based player being Leicester midfielder Stuart Campbell.

THE SENIOR SQUAD
Goram (Rangers), Leighton (Aberdeen), Sullivan (Wimbledon), Boyd (Celtic), Calderwood (Tottenham), Dailly (Derby), Elliott (Leicester), Hendry (Blackburn), Weir (Hearts), Whyte (Aberdeen), T McKinlay (Celtic), Burley (Celtic), Collins (Monaco), Gemmill (Forest), Lambert (Celtic), W McKinlay (Blackburn), McNamara (Celtic), Booth (Borussia Dortmund), Donnelly (Celtic), Durie (Rangers), Gallacher (Blackburn), Jackson (Celtic).

THE UNDER-21 SQUAD
Alexander (Stenhousemuir), Mathieson (Queen of the South), Robertson (St Johnstone), Naysmith (Hearts), Anderson (Aberdeen), Archibald (Partick), McCluskey (St Johnstone), McEwan (Raith), Seaton (Falkirk), Campbell (Leicester), Easton (Dundee United), Ferguson (Rangers), McBride (Celtic), Strachan (Coventry), Anderson (Dundee), Burke (Kilmarnock), Dargo (Raith), Elliot (Celtic), Graham (Rangers), McCulloch (Motherwell).

ANDERTON AIMS TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME
'Sicknote' Thought Chance Was Gone

DARREN ANDERTON, one of the surprise choices in the 30-man England squad named on Tuesday, has admitted that he feared his World Cup hopes were dead. The Tottenham midfielder, nicknamed Sicknote because of his appalling run of injuries over the last two years, now believes he could still make it into the 22-man squad for the finals next month.
Coach Glenn Hoddle has to trim his squad by eight players after the friendlies against Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Belgium, but Anderton is determined to make it to France, despite playing only 11 full games in the last two seasons.
He said: A month ago, I thought I had no chance. I couldn't get in the Spurs team, let alone play for England. So it is great to be in the position where I have a chance to be involved. I have been surprised by how fit I feel, I have been working hard at it and it has paid off.
Counting in Anderton's favour were his good performances in Euro 96 and he has pledged to make up for all the time lost through his injuries: If I can make it into the squad and be involved in the World Cup, it will go a long way to making up for what has happened in the last two years. It was a bit of a shock when I heard the news that I was in the squad of 30, although I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping it would happen.

NIGERIA DELETE DELE
But Fingers Crossed
For The Future
DELE ADEBOLA has seen his outside chance of playing in the World Cup for Nigeria come to nothing after being told he is not wanted for the finals but he may still have a future with his native country. The 22-year-old Birmingham striker was born in Lagos and his hopes of playing in France were raised when national coach Bora Milutinovic travelled to watch him in April.
Adebola had pulled out of a Northern Ireland squad in March to keep his Nigeria options open, but Blues boss Trevor Francis said: I have spoken to Bora and he has told me that he is not going to select Dele. It is not that he doesn't rate him, it is that he has had his squad together for a while and he sees Dele as a player for the future.
Adebola scored seven goals for Birmingham in 17 games after his £1m transfer from Crewe in February but that was not quite enough to get City into the play-offs or Milutinovic to disrupt his current squad.

REGIS HOPING TO
PASS CITIZEN TEST
USA Recruit Frenchman
USA manager Steve Sampson is putting his World Cup faith in a player who can barely speak English but will at least know about American history before the tournament. Midfielder David Regis is hoping to play for the USA but the Martinique-born Frenchman must face immigration officials and correctly answer a series of questions on America later this month to gain citizenship.
Regis married an American woman three years ago and is now hurriedly trying to become a US citizen so he can play in France. Regis, who played in the Bundesliga last season for relegated Karlsruhe, was picked up by national team scouts and Sampson has set his heart on him being ready for the World Cup.
And if he gets enough of the questions right, he could be ready to play as early as next week's friendly with Scotland. Team USA's general manager Tom King said: He is a special player, no question. He's worth the effort and the attention and we're going to try to get this thing done.
Regis was yesterday asked who the first President was and correctly replied, in broken English, George Washington. When Sampson was told the player had got it right, he said: I can sleep easy now.

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