Moore and Lapper Sit This One Out : Soccer: Even though county natives didn't play in World Cup, they still have fond memories and offers to play elsewhere.

By MIKE DiGIOVANNA

July 14, 1994 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

They didn’t make any “Tonight Show” or “Late Show With David Letterman” appearances. Their pictures didn’t appear in Sports Illustrated or on the cover of Soccer America.

They were part of the U.S. soccer team’s inspiring World Cup run, but they didn’t take part in it, thus many of the spoils that have been heaped upon their more famous and more scraggly haired, goateed teammates have eluded Joe-Max Moore and Mike Lapper, two Orange County natives on the team.

But even though Moore and Lapper didn’t play in four U.S. World Cup games, it’s not as if 1 1/2 years of training with the team, some 50 exhibition games, and dedication to their goal of playing in soccer’s showcase event went for naught.

Lapper, a former Marina and UCLA standout, is weighing an offer from the Salsa that will likely make him one of the American Professional Soccer League’s highest-paid players, while continuing to explore options abroad.

Moore, who played at Mission Viejo and UCLA, attracted enough interest during the team’s pre-World Cup tour to earn what is believed to be a six-figure contract with F.C. Saarbruecken, a second-division team in Germany. He leaves for Europe next week.

“I don’t think this opportunity would have been there if I wasn’t on the World Cup team,” said Moore, 23, a midfielder/forward who scored 10 goals since joining the team in January, 1993.

“I trained hard for a year and a half, and thought I could help the team out in the World Cup but wasn’t given the opportunity. Of course, it bothers me, but I have to go on and prove myself in Europe, and hopefully in 1998 I’ll be on the field (for the World Cup).”

Lapper, a central defender who was beaten out by Alexi Lalas for the starting job, seemed to have a little easier time accepting his role; defense was the U.S. team’s strength, making it hard to criticize Coach Bora Milutinovic’s decisions on the back line. The offense, on the other hand, mustered only three goals--including one kicked in by a Colombian defender.

“It wasn’t that bad,” said Lapper, 24, who led the team in minutes played in 1993 but saw minimal action in 1994. “Obviously I wanted to be in the lineup, but Bora didn’t see that as being best for the team. As a player you have to respect that decision and try to play a role as a substitute.

“I almost had to be a cheerleader during games. You have to play role reversal--what would I want from a guy if he was on the bench and I was playing? You have to swallow your pride and remember it’s a team game, that you’re only as successful as the weakest person on the team.”

The U.S. team’s 2-1 upset of Colombia, a team some predicted would win the World Cup, was the obvious highlight of the tournament, with a hard-fought, 1-0 loss to eventual finalist and world power Brazil in the Round of 16 rating a close second.

But for Lapper and Moore, the lasting memory of this World Cup might be the way Americans have reacted to it. Long considered a third-world nation when it comes to soccer, the United States shattered the World Cup attendance record before Wednesday’s semifinals. Capacity crowds and festive scenes have been the norm at most venues, and U.S. television ratings have been solid.

“The fan craziness has been unreal,” Lapper said. “At the Brazil game (in Palo Alto) we saw people there hours before the game already partying. That was great to see. I never thought it would be like this, but sure enough, the American fans came out.”

The nature of the games has also been a major factor in the tournament’s success. With three points, instead of two, awarded for a victory in the first round, there were more exciting Group play matches than in past World Cups.

There were several thrilling round-of-16 games, including Italy-Nigeria, Romania-Argentina and Mexico-Bulgaria, and each of the quarterfinal and semifinal games have been filled with memorable goals and dramatic moments, with an occasional touch of controversy.

“I think it has been a great World Cup, and to have it happen in the U.S. is unbelievable,” Moore said. “I talked to a lot of people who were not soccer fans before the World Cup, who have seen it on TV, and the way they talk about it, it changed a lot of people’s minds. It ought to do some good for soccer in this country.”

Will soccer finally take root as a legitimate spectator sport in this country, though? That is the question--and challenge--for a U.S. Soccer Federation that hopes to capitalize on World Cup fever by establishing a U.S. pro league.

But tentative plans don’t call for the league to begin play until April, 1995, and the luster of the World Cup will have worn off by then. There are also doubts as to whether the league will ever get off the ground.

“We’re optimistic, but at the same time we’ve all heard this song and dance before,” Lapper said. “We’re definitely going to put forth our best effort, do as much as we can in terms of promoting the league and getting it going.”

The World Cup might also be an albatross to a new league. Now that American fans have seen the best soccer in the world, the caliber of play in any U.S. pro league will inevitably fall short of World Cup standards. And fickle U.S. fans generally don’t like to be associated with anything that’s perceived as second-rate.

For a league to have any chance to succeed, Lapper and Moore believe it’s imperative to sign players from the World Cup team, especially fan favorites such as Lalas, goalie Tony Meola and midfielder Cobi Jones. To do that, a league must be able to compete with the six-figure salaries U.S. players can receive abroad.

“You have to put all the guys on the World Cup team in the limelight so people can say, ‘Hey, let’s go see Alexi, let’s go see Cobi,’ ” Lapper said. “Then they’ll notice the talent of the other players. But you have to get them connected through the better-known guys.”

Added Moore: “The league won’t survive without those players.”

Though several U.S. players will soon return to their European clubs, and others are considering European offers, Lapper said most U.S. players would stay if there was a first division-caliber league, both in play and compensation.

“In talking among the players, if there was a league that could come close to the pay in Europe, I think a lot of guys would play here,” Lapper said. “Guys would love to play here. It would be a dream come true.”