World notes: Is CONCACAF-CONMEBOL merger in the works? Leoz hopes so.

(Wednesday, March 18, 1998) -- On the world soccer scene:

South American Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Nicolas Leoz is hopeful for a single soccer confederation for the Americas. He told Reuters he believed his dream of unifying his group with CONCACAF, which runs soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, was close to fruition.

"We have interpreted the wish of United States and Mexican football to be close to us," said the Paraguayan director, who has been president since 1986 and will stay in office until 2002.

CONCACAF officials in New York declined comment.

Leoz spoke after the unveiling in Miami of a new tournament -- Copa Merconorte -- which will feature clubs from the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The inaugural competition will begin in September with Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy and (Washington) D.C. United representing North America.

The brackets:

Group A: Deportivo Cali (Colombia), Emelec (Ecuador), Sporting Cristal (Peru), Gaudalajara (Mexico).
Group B: Atletico Nacional (Colombia), Nacional (Ecuador), Universitario (Peru), Club America (Mexico).
Group C: D.C. United (United States), Millonarios (Colombia), Alianza Lima (Peru), Barcelona (Ecuador).
Group D: Los Angeles Galaxy (United States), The Strongest (Bolivia), Caracas (Venezuela), Cruz Azul (Mexico).

At the same time, a separate competition -- the Copa Mercosul -- will be organized among clubs from Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile.

The two confederations have been steadily moving closer together in the last few years. This year, for the first time, Mexican clubs have been invited to take part in the Libertadores Cup, South America's top club tournament. Guadalajara and America are currently involved in first round matches against Brazilian sides Vasco da Gama and Gremio.

The idea of inviting teams from outside South America to compete in the continent's tournaments began with the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador, when the United States and Mexico were added to the 10 local teams. The two were present in Uruguay two years later, but the United States declined to take part in Bolivia last year -- because of Major League Soccer -- and was replaced by Costa Rica.

Jamaica has left for a pre-World Cup tour of Great Britain, boosted by two more England players. Coach Rene Simoes has called up David Johnson, 21-year-old forward at First Division Ipswich Town, and Daryl Powell, midfielder with Premier League Derby County. They will join six other English-based players with Jamaican ancestry -- Fitzroy Simpson, Paul Hall, Deon Burton, Robbie Earle, Marcus Gayle and Frank Sinclair.

New coach Philippe Troussier of South Africa said veteran players dropped by interim coach Jomo Sono are welcome to compete for berths on the World Cup squad. They include two former Major League Soccer regulars, midfielder Doctor Khumalo and forward Shaun Bartlett. Others are goalkeeper Andre Arendse, defenders Sizwe Motaung and Neil Tovey and midfielder Eric Tinkler. "There are at least 28 names in my head and more may be considered," Troussier said.

Coach Willi Reimann said he had been fired by Wolfsburg and did not resign as stated by the struggling Bundesliga club. He took over as coach in October 1995 and steered Wolfsburg from the bottom of the second division and into the top division for the first time in the club's history. Wolfsburg, led by U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna, started the season strongly but has gone seven matches without a win, dropping from sixth to 13th in the 18-team league.

Iran lost, 1-0, to French first division club En Avant Guingamp in Rennes, France. "Our number one problem is organizing our defense," coach Tomislav Ivic said. Iran had only one of its three German-based forwards, Khodadad Azizi. The two others, Ali Daei and Karim Bagheri, were unavailable.

Despite controlling play, Romania lost, 1-0, to Israel in a match Wednesday in Bucharest. Coach Anghel Iordanescu fielded nine of his overseas-based players although star midfielder Gheorghe Hagi was out of the lineup due to injury.

Veteran Enzo Scifo, 32, has not given up hope to get to his fourth World Cup in a row despite his vow never to play for Belgium coach Georges Leekens again. "In my mind, the gate to the World Cup is not closed yet," Belgium's playmaker in the 1986, 1990 and 1994 World Cup teams said. The coach is upset at Scifo's criticism of him last month: "He should have come to me with his complaints, not gone to the media . . . We'll see what the future will bring.''

Coach Cha Bum-keun of South Korea is scheduled to scout World Cup rival Mexico in a match Thursday against Paraguay in Mexico City.

Former Scotland captain Gary McAllister, out of the World Cup due to a knee injury, urged "retired" striker Duncan Ferguson, to change his mind and rejoin the national team. "His problem is with the Scottish Football Association, not his teammates," McAllister said. "Scotland are very short on strikers, and there are not very many great headers of the ball around. When Ferguson says he really wants to play, not many can match him."