The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 53

SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1996 C7 2LOS ANGELES TIMES GALAXY TONIGHT SOCCER i Opponent Tampa Bay Mutiny. SKa Tampa Stadium. Tonight's (ante 4:30 PDT. TV Channel 5. Radio KTNQ (1020, Spanish).

Records Galaxy 7-0, Mutiny 6-2. Record vs. Mutiny First meeting. Galaxy update Midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos, injured last Sunday by a late tackle, is listed as probable for the first game between Major League Soccer division leaders. The Galaxy will be without its leading scorer, Eduardo Hurtado, who has been recalled by Ecuador's national team for a World Cup "98 qualifying game against Argentina in Quito on Sunday.

Coach Lothar Osiander has brought in Guillermo Jara and Ante Razov. Mutiny update Under the coaching of Thomas Rongen, who played for the Los Angeles Aztecs in North American Soccer League days, the Mutiny has compiled the second-best record in the league. Tampa Bay will be missing midfield playmaker Carlos Valderrama, who has been called up by Colombia for its World Cup '98 qualifying game against Peru in Lima on Sunday. The Mutiny has outscored opponents, 17-11, while building a nine-point lead in the Eastern Conference. Roy Lassiter is the leading scorer with five goals and one assist GRAHAME L.

JONES i I r- CD AnodatedPrcai Within hours of South Korea becoming a co-host of the event six years from now, building owners in Seoul showed their World Cup spirit. immense parabolic screens, 100 feet high and 250 feet wide, on either side of the field can show the game live. This concept of "turning entire grounds into three-dimensional theaters" is likely to bring a new phrase into the sporting lexicon, virtual spectators. "It would take no more than five years to have such a system fully functional," said Junji Ogura, general secretary and chief executive of Japan's bid committee. Ogura estimated that total "attendance" In 2002 could thereby exceed 4 million fans.

The USA '94 World Cup drew 3.58 million. "This would mean more spectators and more revenues for FIFA," Ogura said. The question is, will the Japanese go ahead with the plan, expanding it to cover games on both sides of the Sea of Japan? No answer was immediately forthcoming. FIFA Vice President and Korean Football Assn. President Chung Mong-Joon, the man who spearheaded South Korea's campaign, once scoffed at the plan.

"Given our ability, we could do the same thing by 2002," he said. Now, South Korea may be forced to do so. Along with the "virtual stadiums," the Japanese also proposed establishing a whole new electronic infrastructure for the sport worldwide. Sort of a World Wide Soccer Web. It calls for Internet servers at each of the six continental confederation headquarters, including New York, as well as at FIFA headquarters in Switzerland and at World1 Cup 2002 headquarters in Japan.

"The user could thus access information about football any time, anywhere," according to Japanese bid documents. "It would provide people with yet another way to enjoy the World Cup, one that cannot be experienced via television, the newspaper or other mass media." And in response to South Korea's idea for turning over all profits, Japan's bid stated that "should the virtual stadium proposal be approved, profit incurred would be put forward to set up the 21st Century World Cup Memorial Fund. The fund would be used for the development and popularization of worldwide football in the 21st Century under the guidance of FIFA." It all made for a very difficult choice for FIFA, which wants soccer to succeed in both countries. Japan had the economic clout and the technology to spur the sport into the next century. South Korea had the tradition of success on the field and a fanatical soccer populace.

It was too close to call, and FIFA chose the easy way out Whether it was the correct way, only time will tell. Women's Soccer Championship Is Coming to America in 1999 The United States on Friday was awarded the right to stage the third FIFA Women's World Championship, the soccer tournament to be played in five East Coast cities in June and July of 1999. The first championship was held in China in 1991 and won by the U.S. team, which finished third at the next championship, in Sweden in 1995. Australia and Chile also initially expressed interest in staging the 1999 tournament, but backed out once the United States' bid was announced.

Unlike World Cup '94, the women's championship will be limited to a single time zone, at FIFA's request Sixteen teams, including the United States as host and Norway as defending champion, will take part Cities that are being considered include Allentown, Boston; Buffalo, N.Y.; Davidson, N.C.; Greensboro, N.C.; Newark, New Britain, New Brunswick, N.J., and Richmond, Va. The championship final is expected to be played at RFK Stadium in Washington. -GRAHAME L. JONES It became no longer merely a matter of sport, or even of economics. Winning meant saving face.

National pride was on the line. Which is why the promises made by both sides were so enormous. The Koreans, for example, said that if they won the vote they would turn over all profits from the tournament to FIFA and its regional confederations to be used for the development of the sport "This pledge is made with the intention of providing a significant source of funds to ensure an auspicious start to football's new century," said Song Young-Shik, secretary-general of the Korean bid committee. "In particular, we hope that this financial contribution will hasten the progress of the game in developing football nations as well as rewarding the world's leading football nations for their roles in promoting the sport" The profits will not be mere kimchi. Conservative estimates put them at about (78 million.

"We believe we are the rightful choice," Koo Pyong-Hwoi, chairman of the Korean bid committee said before the vote was announced. "We believe we have earned this honor." He meant on the field of play, not in political corridors. In 1954, South Korea became the first Asian country to reach the World Cup finals. It also qualified in 1986, 1990 and 1994, and its performances against Argentina and Italy in Mexico '86 and against Germany in USA "94 were especially noteworthy. Also, South Korea's professional league is 10 years older than Japan's.

"If the World Cup hosting was to be decided on football issues alone, we feel we would be almost certain ment's willingness to spend 15.5 billion on refurbishing or building state-of-the-art stadiums for the event seemed to make Japan a lock. But during the last year. South Korea's campaign kicked into high gear. Its bid promised $1.3 billion in new and remodeled stadiums. The Koreans also scored points by emphasizing their on-field success compared to the Japanese.

South Korea has qualified for and competed in the World Cup on four occasions. Japan has never qualified. The rivalry was intense from the beginning. The Japanese called in World Cup winners Pele of Brazil and Sir Bobby Charlton of England as their official spokesmen. The Koreans countered with World Cup winner Diego Maradona of Argentina.

Japan put billboards up at every significant game around the world. So did South Korea. Japanese delegations were present at all major tournaments, dispensing goodwill and gifts. Korean delegations matched them stride for stride. On the surface, there was nothing to choose between the two bids.

Both countries had proven in their handling of the Olympic Games Tokyo in 1964 and Sapporo in 1972, and Seoul in 1988-that they can stage an international event of this magnitude. Both countries can assure modern stadiums, filled with fans, supported by all the technology and infrastructure necessary to produce a successful tournament Both have the firm support of their respective governments and of numerous deep-pocket sponsors. The fact that little love is lost between Japan and South Korea-Japan colonized Korea from 1910-1945-gave the race for 2002 an added edge. promises a legacy of a different kind. The country was ready to spend $5.5 billion on its 15 World Cup stadiums, 11 of them of new and futuristic design, the remaining four renovated.

They are in Sapporo, Aomori, Miyagi, Niigata, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, Yokohama, Shizuoka, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima and Oita. Their capacity was to range from 41,716 in Aomori to 70,336 at Yokohama International Stadium, candidate for the 2002 final. Now, Japan has to pare that list considerably. But it was Japan's concept of the "virtual stadium" that excited neutral observers. The idea is to televise sold-out games to other stadiums, where Continued from Cl prevail, especially after comments by Havelange earlier in the week.

"FIFA rules do not allow co-hosting of the World Cup." he had said. "As long as I am FIFA president, that will not change." It changed Friday, the charge led Lennart Johansson, a 66-year-old Swede who is president of UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, and a declared candidate for the FIFA presidency at the next election in 1998. Johansson cast his weight behind South Korea's bid, and although that was not enough to win the day completely, it did bring about the historic compromise. "The decision was made between the two countries last night Thursday," Johansson said. "Officials met and agreed on a compromise.

It is good for soccer and the Japanese have every right to be happy. The Koreans are also pleased with the decision." In fact, the sharing arrangement was greeted far more enthusiastically in Seoul than in Tokyo. South Korean President Kim Young-Sam sent a congratulatory i message to his country's delegation in Zurich. "The co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup between South Korea and Japan will be an opportunity to further solidify friendly relations," 1 Kim said. That will be a first, given the countries' history.

The two-year battle for the World Cup was marked by heated exchanges between the rivals, but those were I only a prelude to the clashes ahead. In its announcement, FIFA made no mention of exactly how the tournament will be shared. Obvi-; ously, both countries will automati-; cally qualify, but which country will get the showpiece final? What about the opening ceremony? How will such things as finances, security and ticketing be handled between nations with different languages, cur- rencies and economies? A logistic nightmare looms. In addition, there are the inter-; nal problems in each country i. caused by the vote.

For example, the number of cities that will have games will have to be cut in half. The fights to be one of the survi-; vors will be fierce. And just as divisive, no doubt, as the battles of the last two years. Early in the contest, the Japanese were viewed as a shoo-in. Japan's economic might, World Cup spon-.

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Or $699 per month lease. to be chosen," Koo said. It was a point the Japanese found difficult to argue against South Korea had 16 candidate cities in mind for the World Cup: Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Inchon, Kwangju, Taejon, Suwon, Kang-nung, Chongwon, Chonan, Chonju, Mogpo, Pohang, Changwon, Ulsan and Sogwipo. In 11 of the cities, a new stadium was planned. In each of the five others, an existing stadium was to be expanded and upgraded to international standards.

Capacity was to range from 43,000 in Taejon to 67363 in Seoul. Now, the Koreans have to chop that list in half. Japan's bid took the high-tech road. Whereas South Korea promised a financial windfall, Japan SANTA MONICA Hornburg Jaguar 1601 Wilshire Blvd. (310)315-7213 Dealers.

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