MUNICH: West Germany: The Netherlands newly crowned European champions, have two years to show if their inventive brand of soccer can make them the World Cup winners their predecessors so nearly became twice in the 1970s.

The Dutch National Team, out of th e picture since the second of their successive World Cup finals in 1978, proved themselves worthy European champions with their handsome 20 win over the Soviet Union.

The two week tournament was a celebration of the strengths of European soccer, climaxed by a final between two teams who rose above the rest in tactical imagination and technical virtuosity.

The brilliance of the Dutch, the zest and athleticism of the Soviet Union and the attacking promise of beaten semifinalists Italy fanned European hopes of reclaiming World Cup supremacy from the Latin Americans in 1990.

The Dutch face their World Cup campaign without 60yearold coach Rinus’ Michels, architect of the great Ajax Amsterdam and national sides graced by Johan Cruyff in the early 1970s. He now moves to the West German league with Bayer Leverkusen.

Edberg New Champion

LONDON: Sweden s Stefan Edberg finally beat Boris Becker by West German men’s three sets to one in the singles final at Wimbledon on Monday. The Swede won 46, 76, 64, 62 as Becker could find no answer to Edbera’s volley’s and returns of serve.

 Becker took the first set after play resumed following heavy rain overnight and during the early stages of the match on Monday. But 22yearold Edberg fought back to take the second and third as Becker seemed to lose the will to win, Edberg broke Becker’s serve in the first game of the fourth set, then again in the fifth to go 41 up. He held his serve easily and although Becker also held serve to make it 52, Edberg served out to win his first Wimbledon title, shaking his head in disbelief as he left the center court to tumultuous applause.

ZURIGH: The United States won the right to host the 1994 World Cup finals, beating out two other candidate nations the International Football Federation (FIFA) announced in Zurich on’ Monday, Taking the tournament away from the «traditional. Soccer centers. of South America and Europe? FIFA’s ‘senior Vice President Harry, Cavan said that the U.S. won 10 votes, Morocco seven votes and Brazil two votes.

The vote in favour of the U:S. had been widely expected as all sides acknowledged they had a strong case in terms of economic strength needed to stage a 24nation, month long tournament involving anything up to 18 {cities or stadiums. The U.S. Soccer: Federation President Werner Fricker said he was pleased 15 months of hard work, lobbying and preparing the bid had paid off. He added that the US. Did not rule out the possibility of ale ling on foreign experts with experience in World Soccer in the run up to the tournament shows.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 8, 1988