John Terry loses England captaincy, Ferdinand gets it

[KaKa]

Harkes dropped due to allegations

February 3, 2010

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Associated Press

 

NEW YORK -- Breaking more than a decade of silence, former U.S. soccer coach Steve Sampson said Tuesday he dropped John Harkes from the national team roster two months before the 1998 World Cup because the American captain was having an affair with the wife of teammate Eric Wynalda.

 

Harkes has long denied having an affair with Amy Wynalda.

 

Wynalda brought up the situation Monday night during a discussion on "Fox Football Fone-In" about a scandal in England over an alleged relationship between current English captain John Terry and the former partner of Wayne Bridge, his teammate on the national squad.

 

Sampson told The Associated Press on Tuesday he was glad the story was coming out now because "maybe people will have a little better of an understanding of what happened in the final months leading up to the World Cup."

 

After advancing to the second round of the 1994 World Cup at home, the U.S. finished last in the 32-nation field at the 1998 tournament in France, getting shut out by Germany, then losing 2-1 to Iran and 1-0 to Yugoslavia.

 

"It wasn't about losing 2-0 to Germany or losing to Iran," Sampson said. "There was more to it than that that impacted I believe the outcome of this team."

 

Wynalda said he spoke out during the program he co-hosts on Fox Soccer Channel because he was asked about Terry, who has been front-page news since Saturday in British newspapers.

 

"There's a lot of similarities between what happened to us in '98 and what's happening now to England," Wynalda told the AP. "It's an unfortunate time for England, because I know how that can affect a team firsthand. Obviously, we all know how we did in the World Cup in '98."

 

Sampson was replaced by Bruce Arena after the tournament.

 

Harkes was a member of the 1990 and 1994 U.S. World Cup teams and became the regular captain before he was dropped by Sampson in a surprise move on April 14, 1998. He made 90 international appearances from 1987-90.

 

"I am not going to rehash the things that have happened in the past," Harkes said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "1998 was devastating to me and my family. It was hard enough not to play in the World Cup, but it was even difficult to go through that time period, the most difficult time period of my life."

 

Sampson said Tuesday that Roy Wegerle, another U.S. player, came to him and assistant coach Clive Charles between the Feb. 25 game at Belgium and the March 14 match against Paraguay in San Diego and said he had personal knowledge of the affair. Charles died in 2003 and Wegerle, now retired, did not return a phone call Tuesday

 

In 1998, Sampson said Harkes, then 31, was dropped because the midfielder refused to play a more defensive role. Sampson also cited "leadership issues" but didn't elaborate.

 

Sampson, much criticized by players during the World Cup and fired after the U.S. was eliminated, defended his decision to hide the truth. He said he discussed his decision at the time with then-U.S. Soccer Federation president Alan Rothenberg, secretary general Hank Steinbrecher and current president Sunil Gulati, a longtime member of the leadership.

 

"I felt that these are the kinds of issues that need to stay in the locker room and within the team and not [be] exposed to the public," Sampson said. "The private issues for me were the most serious issues. I think I could have lived with everything else and kept John on the team if it had not been for the private issues. It's one thing to have an affair outside the team. It's another to have one inside. ... There are just certain lines that one cannot cross."

 

Rothenberg said Tuesday he had no memory of any discussion of the matter, Gulati declined comment and Steinbrecher did not return a telephone message.

 

Wynalda, however, insists an affair did take place.

 

"I'm calling it an inappropriate relationship. It was a major contributor to why I'm no longer married," said Wynalda, a father of three who separated from his wife in 2003 and then divorced.

 

Wynalda said that when Sampson informed him in the spring of 1998 that he was dropping Harkes, Wynalda tried to persuade the coach to change his mind. Sampson didn't recall such a conversation, but said that doesn't mean it didn't take place.

 

"At that time, I felt that he was still a player that could help our cause and he was still one of the best 22 players in our country," Wynalda said.

 

Wynalda and Harkes played together just once after that, when called in by Arena for a January 2000 exhibition at Chile.

 

"At that point, it was still manageable," Wynalda said.

 

Harkes, the U.S. college player of the year in 1987 at Virginia, was one of the first Americans to make the move overseas, playing for Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, West Ham and Nottingham Forest in England during the 1990s. He also was among the early players in Major League Soccer, playing with D.C. United, New England and Columbus before his retirement in 2002.

 

Like Harkes, Wynalda was among the early U.S. players in Europe, playing for Saarbruecken and Bochum in Germany before appearing for San Jose, Miami, New England and Chicago in MLS. Wynalda was an analyst for ESPN's soccer coverage in 2006 and 2007, and joined Fox last year. He was appointed last month as a part-time assistant coach of the U.S. under-20 team.

 

Harkes also worked for ESPN's 2006 World Cup coverage and replaced Wynalda as a lead analyst for ESPN two years ago.

 

Now working for different networks, both are preparing for this year's World Cup. Wynalda also is writing a book.

 

"I've suffered quite a bit through this whole process. My healing is over, so I'm OK to talk about it," Wynalda said.

 

Sampson, who plans to broadcast for Futbol de Primera radio at this year's World Cup, said he wanted people to know that he and Harkes mended their relationship in 2005 and exchanged a handshake.

 

"Maybe now people will have a little bit more of an understanding as to why I made such a critical decision back in 1998," Sampson said. "The last thing I wanted to do was drop John Harkes from the team because I really did believe that he was an outstanding leader on the field."

 

 

 

Interesting to see how things play out for England, but it could get ugly.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

Am i late?

 

To the tune dance dance wherever you may be!

 

Chelsea wherever you may be

Don't leave your wife with John Terry

His Dad deals coke

And his Mum steals tea

He cried when he missed a penalty.

 

Chelsea wherever you may be

Don't leave your wife with John Terry

He cannot shoot

And he can't f***ing pass (cockney parse)

But he'll take your missus up the arse.

[Guest toonlass]

Chelsea wherever you may be

Don't leave your wife with John Terry

His Dad deals coke

And his Mum steals tea

He cried when he missed a penalty.

 

Chelsea wherever you may be

Don't leave your wife with John Terry

He cannot shoot

And he can't fucking pass

But he'll take your missus up the arse.

 

[Guest kingdawson]

No.

[CaliMag]

Thanks for posting that KaKa - I had no idea. That article explains a huge amount.

He called Harkes "Captain for Life" only a couple weeks before the debacle that was WC '98 then drops him, team spirit goes out the door and makes puzzling selections.

[Thespence]

Ashley Cole was caught doing 104mph in a 50mph zone. When questioned by police as to why he was speeding he said, "l've just heard John Terry is parked outside my house."

[Guest Stephen927]

Capello saying Terry is not going to offer to resign.

[Guest Stephen927]

You're just a Terry, a filthy Terry,

You're only happy when you're playing away,

Your mum's a stealer, your dad's a dealer,

They're gonna take your armband away.

 

 

 

 

 

To the tune of the Addams Family

 

His mother is a stealer,

his father is a dealer,

John Terry is a cheater,

the Terry family!

 

Take all your money, she's gonna take all your money

[macca888]

According to the Sun, Vanessa (the undresser) has shagged half the Chelsea squad. I expect Terry's ego will have taken a huge stumble after this has got out.

[dustynrg]

According to the Sun, Vanessa (the undresser) has shagged half the Chelsea squad. I expect Terry's ego will have taken a huge stumble after this has got out.

 

OMG, I just had a mental picture there of Vanessa Feltz, I forgot the ex MS Bridges was called Vanessa.

[M4]

On SSN now: Terry has lost the England armband.

 

 

... apparently they called Bridge to tell him to put SSN on because it's true!

[madras]

On SSN now: Terry has lost the England armband.

 

 

... apparently they called Bridge to tell him to put SSN on because it's true!

rumoured...nowt official yet. but i hope so.

[Ishmael]

Confirmed

 

Fabio knows http://www.otf2.com/forums/images/smilies/xnod.gif

[Shearergol]

On SSN now: Terry has lost the England armband.

 

 

... apparently they called Bridge to tell him to put SSN on because it's true!

 

http://i47.tinypic.com/66z05h.jpg

[M4]

Fabio knows http://www.otf2.com/forums/images/smilies/xnod.gif

 

Indeed. Any resolution was good news. I trust Capello to make the best decision either way.

 

The fact he's lost the captaincy is the rather more amusing outcome though

[OzzieMandias]

I think it's probably the right decision.

[FrenchWilliam]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5920189,00.html

 

Sky News sources understands John Terry has been stripped of the England captaincy following allegations over his private life.

 

Terry's future as skipper of his country has been the subject of intense speculation ever since allegations he had an affair with England team-mate Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend.

 

The Chelsea star met with England coach Fabio Capello at Wembley on Friday afternoon to discuss his future as captain in the wake of the allegations.

 

The Football Association made it clear Capello alone will decide the Terry's fate and the Italian has decided to take the armband off the 29-year-old.

 

The news throws England's plans for the World Cup into disarray with Capello now forced to look for a new captain for this summer's tournament in South Africa.

 

More to follow..

[Dokko]

Well done the press, nicely interfering in Englands WC campaign before it even gets underway. Hopefully they can piss off Fabio before then and a May injury to Rooney and were on for the usual tripe in the summer, at least they can pick the carcass clean for several months after wondering what went wrong.

 

Fuking vultures.

 

 

 

 

[TRon]

Sensible decision IMO. He's still in the team, so he won't be captain officially. Big deal.

[La Parka]

Rooney as captain?

[nobby_solano]

Sensible decision IMO. He's still in the team, so he won't be captain officially. Big deal.

 

yeah, he'll still be important. 11 captains and all that bollocks. we've got some good leaders in terry, ferdinand, gerrard, beckham, lampard .... along with rooney's fire.

[Gash]

Gerrard.

[Ishmael]

DB7

[Village Idiot]

Gotta love the English press doing our job for us before the WC. Thanks fellas 

 

 

[quayside]

Rooney as captain?

 

He's got a better track record than Terry. With him it was only shagging grannies and, to be fair to the lad, he always paid good money for it.