European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 1, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday Junel 1994 sports the stars and stripes Page 33 can be Best . Soccer player Ever by Usa Dillman los Angeles times headlines on Magazine covers Don t even bother to hedge flatly calling him the future of american soccer. Teammates say he has the Opportunity to be the Best . Player a Ever. Even his taciturn coach at least when it comes to Praise offers a muted opinion on the topic of his potential greatness. Sometimes he wonders if his name has grown longer. Have people simply added a comma and four run together words whenever they talk about him Claudio Reyna . That a the difference Between the United states and other countries. If Reyna was playing in Argentina or Brazil head have lost his last name by now. Head be known simply As Claudio. For Reyna a dazzling play making midfielder it seems everyone wants to talk about the past and the future not the present. But it is the 20-year-old�?Ts impeccable credentials that have people Mak my that leap if you will Back to his future. As one of the most accomplished collegiate players he led Virginia to three consecutive Mcaa titles departing after his Junior year. Reyna twice won College soccer a highest individual Honor the Hermann trophy. A virtual scoring machine he had 21 goals and 22 assists in three seasons with the Cavaliers. At Barcelona he was the youngest member of the . Olympic soccer team in 1992, playing every minute in every game and getting two assists in three games. A the kid has More skit in his Pinky than i have in my entire body a teammate Alexi Lalas said. A a it a very very depressing. But at least he son my . Coach Bora Milutinovic says a a he a mature mature for his the american coaching brain Trust has been intelligently cautious when it comes to Reyna the team s youngest player. There is no peed to weigh Down his psyche with grandiose predictions about his future or to create an egotistical presence in a locker room sprinkled with veterans. A people make a big Deal about his Irvin surgery is successful Dallas apr Dallas cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin underwent surgery monday to properly put his left shoulder Back into the socket. A everything went Well today and we expect Michael will be ready for the opener Quot against Pittsburgh on sept. 4, said cowboys Trainer Kevin of Neill. Quot he will begin a rehabilitation pro. Gram immediately and could be Able to return to football practice in approximately eight to 10 Irvine a shoulder was partially dislocated then popped Back into place last week. The surgery was done to ensure the shoulder heals properly. The operation was performed at Baylor University medical Center by team Orth pudists or. Robert Vande Meeran or. John Baker and renowned orthc�3ist or. James Andrews of Birmingham Irvin 27, will be limited during the teams preseason training which begins july 15 m Austin Texas. Young age but a lot of people make a big Deal about old age too a assistant coach Timo Rickoski said. A How you fit into the program is what in any event Reyna himself would prefer not to dwell on the Ever present topic of his potential greatness. He a a soccer player not a commodities future. And the world cup Competition starting june 17, is about As far into the future As he wants to venture for now a it gets old when people always say the future of the sport a Reyna said. Quot its kind of annoying. It does no to bother me but its annoying when people say the future and in a Here now in the present and doing Well i wish people would get off that subject. Hopefully ill do Well in the future but now is very important to Reyna grew up in new Jersey the son of Miguel Reyna who used to play in the Argentine first division before coming to the United states in the late 1960s. Miguel was Claudio a first coach from his first tentative Steps with a soccer Ball when he was 2 until he started playing for National age group teams As a teen Ager. Unlike most american kids Reyna dreamt of playing in the world cup. But even he did no to anticipate being ready for 1994. A a i Wasny to sure if the world cup was something i could reach now Quot Reyna said. Quot now that i have a Chance i was fortunate. Three years ago people were doing articles and wondering if i could be on the 94 team whether it would be too Early for me. Now that in a Here in a trying to follow Peoples guesses and . The unveiling of Reyna was achieved with deliberate precision. He joined the National team in january and served a Brief apprenticeship on the Bench receiving limited playing time. His first game was against Norway in january when he assisted on a last minute goal by Gobi Jones. A a soon it became apparent that Reyna was appropriately Humble and the time had come to see what he could do from the opening moments. His first Start came on april 20 against Moldova at Davidson colleges Richardson Field where a. I h0 o. Ltd ski a 1 v ? it p i f t i a. T1 d. I a 1 j 1 it s it a v 1 Quot Terry Brooks the. Tangled Box americans Claudio Reyna leaps Over Italy a Rufo Emiliano in 1992 olympics. Reyna had helped Virginia win two of its three titles. Reyna responded with his trademark flair and scored his first goal showing that he could apply his purposeful technique and creative play making to the International game. Assistant coach Sam Sampson said Reyna a explodes into space at the same time he collects the All of the american coaches were in agreement that the team possessed a different look with Reyna in the lineup As the key link from the mid Flold to the front line. Milutinovic said a the impression is that he is not fast but the first five meters he runs with no Reyna said the time on the Bench a nine games As a Reserve a helped him before his International debut. A every phase in be gotten belter just because of the experience in a getting a a he said. A playing each game helps. In a learning More and More playing at this level. Even when watching of Fortt the Bench i learn How to play quicker and think quicker. In a learning a lot a sometimes i done to realize it. Its definitely a stage where in a learning in in the . Teams 1-0 Victory Over Armenia the combination of Reyna and midfielder Hugo Perez started to connect particularly in the second half after a sluggish beginning. The two arc innovative midfielders re lying More on their creative instincts. A we get along Well on the Field Quot Reyna said a a we have to play Well off each other to there to Combine with him. We have to find each other and Wco re the main part of attack so we have to get things going through us and the forwards and the other As a youngster during soccer a first Boom in the United states Reyna attended several of the Cosmos games. He is realistic enough to realize that even the world cup succeeds far beyond everyone a wildest expectations his future lies in an avid fan of the new Jersey devils he thinks that soccer should Lake a Page out of the nil los Book. A soccer should aim for being the fifth-., or sixth most popular sport and not shoot for the top Quot he said. Quot baseball basketball football. Those sports will always be there. 1 think soccer can learn from hockey in the United states How More popular in the last few years. A this is like soccer a second wind. There a a wave of Excil Chient and a lot of Talent a lot of Guys coming he did t include himself in that group. Once again Reyna was thinking about himself in terms of present tense not future or past. A new bestseller from the author of the heritage of Shannara series the tangle Box by Terry Brooks hardcover list $22.00 at stars ail strips a i a magic kingdom of available at most stars and stripes bookstores Del Rey Del Floy Book bailant1ne books
