International women

DiCicco is reported close to becoming coach of China.

Tony DiCicco is close to signing a deal to become women's national-team coach for China, a team that has fallen on hard time.

BEIJING (Tuesday, November 9, 2004) -- Tony DiCicco, who led the United States to the 1999 Women's World Cup championship and the 1996 Summer Olympics women's gold medal, is close to becoming coach of China's women's national team.

As reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhuanet, DiCicco 56, is in China negotiating a contract which would pay him $300,000 annually. DiCicco would start next month as China prepares to host the 2007 Women's World Cup and 2008 Summer Olympics with its soccer tournament.

DiCicco, who resides in Wethersfield, Conn., could not be reached for comment.

DiCicco, who was instrumental in the creation of the American Women's United Soccer Association in 2001 and was the league's commissioner when it folded after the 2003 season, was reported in talks with officials of the Chinese Football Association before he headed to Thailand for the Women's Under-19 World Championship which starts tomorrow.

DiCicco played an important role in the WUSA signing many of China's top players to its eight teams.

The U.S. under-19 women start defense of their 2002 inaugural world championship with a match against South Korea Thursday in Phuket.

China was one of the first powers of women's international soccer, starting in the late 1980s, and it hosted the first women's world championship, a tournament the Americans won in 1991. China's best finish in world competition came in the 1999 Women's World Cup, losing to the U.S. 5-4 in penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw July 10 in the title match before 90,185 at a sold-out Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

A television audience of 41 million watched that game. On November 3, 1999, DiCicco resigned to spend more time with his wife Diane and four sons, then aged 8 to 17.

DiCicco began his career with the U.S. women in 1990 as the goalkeepers coach and was an assistant to Anson Dorrance when the U.S. won the first world championship in 1991. DiCicco assumed the head job from Dorrance in 1995.

DiCicco compiled a 103-8-8 (.899) as the U.S. head coach, including a 7-2-4 (.692) mark against China. Leading his team to third place in the 1995 Women's World Cup is Sweden, DiCicco is also credited with being a force behind the building of a strong American youth program.

China has fallen on hard times in women's soccer recently. It was eliminated 1-0 by Canada in the 2003 Women's World Cup quarterfinals and then suffered humiliation in the 2004 Olympics. The Chinese failed to advance from the first round in the Athens Games, losing one of its two group matches 8-0 to Germany.

DiCicco would be the first foreigner to coach the Chinese women, it is believed.