Football: US ready to be World Cup seeds

THE DEFENDING champions, Germany, will open the next World Cup at Soldier Field, Chicago, on Friday 17 June 1994, launching the 52-game tournament to be played at nine venues across the United States.

The organising committee, which announced the schedule for the tournament in New York last night, has also given the Cotton Bowl in Dallas a game on 17 June. Germany, top seeds in Group C, play the group's second-seeded team in their opening game.

The 24 finalists will be placed into six groups of four at the World Cup finals draw in Las Vegas in December 1993. The United States, hosting their first World Cup, are expected to be top seeds in Group A, in keeping with recent practice, and would thus play their first game on 18 June in the Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit - the first World Cup match to be played indoors.

All games, except the final, will begin at either 1730, 2100 or 0030 BST. The final, to be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Sunday 17 July will commence at 2030 BST.

WORLD CUP SCHEDULE: Group matches: Fri 17 June 1994: C1 (Germany) v C2 (Chicago); C3 v C4 (Dallas). Sat 18 June: A1 v A2 (Detroit); A3 v A4 (Los Angeles); E1 v E2 (New York). Sun 19 June: F1 v F2 (Orlando); B3 v B4 (Los Angeles); E3 v E4 (Washington DC). Mon 20 June: B1 v B2 (San Francisco); F3 v F4 (Wash). Tue 21 June: C1 v C3 (Chicago); D1 v D2 (Boston); D3 v D4 (Dallas). Wed 22 June: A1 v A3 (LA); A4 v A2 (Detroit). Thur 23 June: E1 v E3 (NY); C4 v C2 (Boston). Fri 24 June: B1 v B3 (San F): B4 v B2 (Detroit); E4 v E2 (Orlando). Sat 25 June: D1 v D3 (Boston); F1 v F3 (Orlando); F4 v F2 (NY). Sun 26 June: A1 v A4 (LA); A2 v A3 (San F); D4 v D2 (Chicago). Mon 27 June: C1 v C4 (Dallas); C2 v C3 (Chicago). Tue 28 June: E1 v E4 (Wash); B1 v B4 (Detroit); B2 v B3 (San F); E2 v E3 (NY). Wed 29 June: F1 v F4 (Wash); F2 v F3 (Orlando). Thur 30 June: D1 v D4 (Dallas); D2 v D3 (Boston). Second stage: Sat 2 July: Chicago, Wash. Sun 3 July: LA, Dallas. Mon 4 July: San F, Orlando. Tue 5 July: Boston, NY. Quarter-finals: Sat 9 July: Boston, Dallas. Sun 10 July: San Francisco, New York. Semi-finals: Wed 13 July: Los Angeles, New York. Third/fourth play-off: Sat 16 July: Los Angeles. Final: Sun 17 July: Los Angeles.