World notes: Romario latest Brazilian on sidelines.

(Tuesday, June 2, 1998) -- Brazil, already beset by problems, will go into the World Cup without one of its starting strikers, Romario, out with an ailing left calf.

Coach Mario Zagallo made the announcement today. He said the 1994 FIFA Player of the Year had been unable to recover from the injury suffered in a Brazilian club match last month.

Brazil already has lost midfielder Juninho, recovering from a broken leg, and two reserves, midfielder Flavio Conceicao and defender Marcio Santos, also due to injury. It no longer is rated by some as the team to beat in the World Cup, where no one stands out at the moment.

The veteran Bebeto, who paired with Romario in the 1994 World Cup, is one option to link with superstar Ronaldo up front. Another is Edmundo, a talented scorer who frequently has temper problems on the field.

Zagallo surprised observers by not recalling a striker to replace Romario, instead going with defensive midfielder Emerson. The coach, asked why Sonny Anderson (Barcelona, Spain) wasn't chosen, said midfielders Rivaldo and Denilson were both capable of moving to forward.

Brazil has been floundering on offense in recent weeks, with play particularly ineffective in the midfield, normally a team strength.

Japan dropped veteran striker Kazuyoshi Miura from its 22-man squad for the World Cup, announced Tuesday by Coach Takeshi Okada.

For years he was the international face and soul of Japanese soccer, helping Japan win the Asian Cup in 1992. He played for Brazil's Santos and Italy's Genoa in an international career that started in 1990.

Miura has scored 90 goals in 137 J League appearances for Verdy Kawasaki and 54 goals in 86 internationals for Japan. He had lost his starting spot on the national team, but many observers figured he'd be named to the squad.

Goalkeeper Jorge Campos (Chicago Fire, MLS) will be in the lineup for Mexico in its final World Cup tune-up Wednesday against Saudi Arabia in Paris.

He is expected to join defenders Pavel Pardo, Joel Sanchez, Duilio Davino, and Braulio Luna, midfielders Claudio Suarez, Jaime Ordiales, Alberto Garcia Aspe, and Ramon Ramirez, and strikers Luis Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco as likely World Cup starters.

"This is what (Coach Manuel) Lapuente calls his base team but that does not mean that players like (strikers) Luis Garcia or Francisco Palencia cannot snatch a place," team spokesman Ricardo Martinez said.

Iran's soccer federation announced the final 22-man squad for the World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Ahmadreza Abedzadeh, Nima Nakisa, Parviz Boroumand.
Defenders: Mohammad Khakpour, Ali Akbar Ostad Asadi, Mehdi Pashazadeh, Mohammad Ali (Afshin) Peyrovani, Javad Zarrincheh, Nader Mohammadkhani.
Midfielders: Naeem Saadavi, Karim Bagheri, Hamid Estili, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Sirous Deenmohammadi, Mehrdad Minavand, Alireza Mansourian, Reza Shahroudi.
Forwards: ®MDNM¯Khodadad Azizi, Ali Daei, Ali Latifi, Sattar Hamedani, Behnam Seraj.

Romania's coach Anghel Iordanescu left out injured Daniel Prodan, the mainstay of his defense, when he announced a 22-man squad for the World Cup. "(He) was not able to recover in time after knee surgery in a Bucharest hospital three weeks ago," Iordanescu said.

Among those not picked were strikers Florin Raducioiu (Stuttgart, Germany), Ioan Vladoiu (Cologne, Germany) and midfielder Ionut Lupescu, who repeatedly refused his calls to join the squad last year.

Italy lost 1-0 in a World Cup tune-up Tuesday at non-qualifier Sweden, yielding a goal to Kennet Andersson in the 90th minute. It was announced after that key forward Alessandro Del Piero, who has been troubled by a groin injury, will be on the squad. "Our medical experts have told us he has a good chance of recovering before the tournament (begins)," Coach Cesare Maldini said.

World Cup qualifiers Austria routed visiting Liechtenstein 6-0 led by two goals apiece from Toni Polster and Peter Stoeger. The losers were down one man after a penalty in the eighth minute.

Former Major League Soccer forward Shaun Bartlett (Colorado Rapids, New York New Jersey MetroStars) scored the first three goals to lead South Africa to a 5-0 practice win against Stuttgart reserves in Baiersbronn, Germany. Ex-MLS (Columbus Crew) midfielder Doctor Khumalo played 60 minutes as a reserve.

Two Major League Soccer players (one present, one former) were named as defenders on the World Cup team for Nigeria.

The pair are Uche Okafor of the Kansas City Wizards, a reserve in the 1994 World Cup, and Ben Iroha, formerly of D.C. United and the San Jose Clash, who started the first game of the 1994 World Cup. Neither is expected to start.

Iroha was dropped by D.C. United in the offseason, played in the Spain second division this spring, and was trying out for a spot on the injury-riddled Washington roster late in May when he received a call-up from Nigerian coach Bora Milutinovic.