MLS's Revolution Name Coach

Fernando Clavijo, an assistant coach on the worst team in the MLS, was hired Monday as coach of the New England Revolution, which has made the playoffs once in the league's four seasons.

Clavijo left the New York/New Jersey MetroStars to become the fifth coach in the Revolution's short history. He succeeds interim coach Steve Nicol, who took over after Walter Zenga was dismissed Oct. 1 with two games left.

"I have been a winner most of my life," Clavijo said. "I'm not willing to give that up yet."

He didn't win much with the Metrostars, who finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 7-25. The Revolution came in fifth at 12-20.

That was Clavijo's only season in the MLS. But the native of Uruguay played 61 games for the U.S. National team between 1990 and 1994, including three games in the 1994 World Cup.

Sunil Gulati, the Revolution's managing director, said Clavijo met his criteria for a coach: "Someone with experience of American players, someone whose got professional experience and someone who has MLS experience."

Clavijo had been head coach of Seattle of the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1995 through 1997 and Florida of the National Professional Soccer League in 1998 and 1999.

As assistant with the MetroStars, he ran the team after head coach Bora Milutinovic resigned following the season. Octavio Zambrano was hired Monday as the MetroStars coach.

In New England, "we have (some) of the greatest fans in the MLS," Clavijo said, "we have one of the greatest organizations in the MLS and we have to make sure the performance on the field matches" those standards.

"It's critical to look at the long term to see where this team wants to go," he added, "but it's also crucial for myself and the team to start winning right away."

He could get some help from two stars to be allocated to the team by the MLS as a result of the loss of Zenga, its goalkeeper, and forward Joe-Max Moore, who plans to play with Everton of England's Premier League if he gets his work permit.

The Revolution can sign two stars or send one of the allocations to another team in a trade.

Clavijo acknowledged the irony of expecting a coach coming from the worst team in MLS to lead a winning team. But, he said, it can happen.

"Many coaches in the league have been with one team and moved to another team and done very well," he said.

One is Thomas Rongen, who replaced New England's first coach, Frank Stapleton. Rongen led the Revolution to the 1997 playoffs, then was fired late in the 1998 season. In 1999, he led D.C. United to the MLS championship.

Clavijo takes control of a much weaker team than D.C. But he said his experience of making the World Cup team at age 37 was a sign that he can overcome the odds.

"I'm looking at that as an example it can be done with hard work and dedication," he said.

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