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Just For Kicks

By Al Chase

Thursday, May 4, 2000

Trigg-Smith will
play for U.S. team

ROMY Trigg-Smith, who is on the Olympic Development Program's National Under-16 girls' soccer team, now has her first chance to represent the United States.

Along with several of her teammates, Trigg-Smith will step up and play for one of two U.S. Under-17 teams entered in the US Youth Soccer/adidas Cup in Houston from May 25 to June 3.

Teams from China, Japan and Australia also are entered.

Trigg-Smith, a Kailua resident, received a letter last Thursday telling of her selection, and a telephone call Saturday to find out if she was available.

Yes, she was.

"Because I've never played international, I'm taking the same approach I did when I went to the national trials," Trigg Smith said.

"I'll just play as hard as I can. It may be nerve-racking because a lot of people will be there, but I'll be excited."

"Her strong points are her attitude, work ethic and she shows a lot of leadership," said her Leahi Soccer Club coach, Scott Keopuhiwa.

"Romy has always challenged herself by playing with older players or on boys' teams."

SINCE the end of the prep season, Trigg-Smith has played for Leahi's U-16 team, but she trained with the U-17 team.

She will arrive in Houston May 25 and will have five days of practice before the first match.

Even though the tournament is Memorial Day weekend, school is still in session. Study halls are mandatory for the American players and they can arrange to take tests there.

Trigg-Smith worked this out with her teachers at Punahou.

"I'm missing finals so I had to arrange with my teaches to do them before or after," Trigg-Smith said.

Also, her Leahi team is going to the Snickers Region IV tournament in California in June.

And, she may get another call from the national team.

"Because I haven't been able to play with my national age group team, it's quite possible I'll be playing with them later this summer or next fall," Trigg-Smith said.

The US Youth Soccer/adidas Cup begins the identification process for American female players for the first FIFA Under 18 World Cup.

The United States is hosting that event in two years.

Congratulations to the United States Men's Under-23 team which qualified for the 2000 Olympics last week.

It is the sixth consecutive time the American men have qualified for the Olympics.

Next up is the pre-Olympic training camp in San Diego and two friendly matches in August.

The first leg of the European Champions League semifinal round were played yesterday.

Spain's Real Madrid defeated Germany's Bayern Munich, 2-0, at home and, in an all-Spanish match, Valencia beat visiting FC Barcelona, 4-1.

The second leg of the home-and-home total-goals series is Tuesday.

In 1993, the United States Soccer Foundation was created to manage the expected profits from the 1994 FIFA Men's World Cup played in the United States.

The 1994 Cup enjoyed the most financial success in the history of the event. That portion of the profits available to the Foundation were generous.

The Foundation completed its fifth grant cycle this week in which it awarded more than $2.3 million to 46 individual groups and soccer organizations.

The first grants were made in 1996 and more than $11 million has been awarded to help foster the growth of the sport in the United States.