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NOMINEE |
THE SKINNY |
| Overrated |
Italy |
The Azzurri may have reached the Euro 2000 final, but they did it by playing appallingly cynical soccer to "beat" Holland on penalty kicks after the teams played to a scoreless draw in the semifinals. Despite their best efforts, however, the Italians failed to ruin the most gloriously offensive-minded tournament in years. |
| Underrated |
Tiffeny Milbrett |
For some reason her own shoe sponsor (Nike) doesn't sell a jersey with her name on it, but Milbrett is the best female American goal-scorer when it counts. Witness World Cup '95 (co-led the team with three goals), Olympics '96 (kicked gold medal-winning goal), World Cup '99 (led the team with three goals) and Olympics 2000 (another team-leading three). Now that's production. |
| Annoying |
Media who slam the U.S. men's team |
It's odd, the Americans played marvelously in the Olympics, outlasting Brazil and Italy to reach the semifinals for the first time in history. Then they got ripped by columnists for losing to a fine Spanish team. Or for not being the U.S. women's team. Or both. |
| Breakthrough |
Portugal |
By reaching the Euro 2000 semis, the Little Country That Could proved that swashbuckling, fan-friendly soccer can actually win games. If every nation had a wizard the caliber of Luis Figo, the world would be a happier place. |
| Uplifting |
Tony Meola |
In less than a year, the 31-year-old keeper has transformed himself from a gimpy has-been into the MLS MVP, a league champion and (most remarkably) a major player in the U.S. World Cup qualifying effort. |
| MVP |
Zinedine Zidane |
One of the few athletes in any sport who deserves to be called a genius, the unflappable Frenchman turns every midfield into a personal canvas with his brand of stunning minimalism. With Zidane, no move is wasted. No idea is ordinary. The transcendent player on one of soccer's all-time best teams.
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| Storyline to follow in 2001 |
Can professional club soccer make inroads in the United States? |
MLS commissioner Don Garber has staked his job on increasing the league's attendance in 2001 after four years of stagnation. WUSA, meanwhile, faces the daunting challenge of proving there's a market for a pro women's soccer circuit when it launches in April. Can the leagues co-exist? Will only one survive? Or perhaps neither? We'll see. |
