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| Monday, August 26, 2002 23:32 EST |
Tatu says the fire no longer there
[Associated Press]
DALLAS -- Tatu, in his 18th season as a player for the
Dallas Sidekicks and his fifth as a coach, said Monday that the
2002-2003 season will be his last as a player and perhaps as a
coach.
"Things are not as easy as they used to be and sometimes
they're not as fun,'' Tatu said. "There's not as high of a
motivational factor as there was when I was younger, and I'm
realizing my body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to.''
When the Sidekicks moved from the World Indoor Soccer League to
the Major Indoor Soccer League, he noticed a glaring difference
between the two leagues -- the speed, The Dallas Morning News
reported in its online edition Monday night.
The Sidekicks' finesse play from the WISL is being challenged by
MISL run-and-gun offenses stocked with younger, faster players, he
said.
Tatu said he has often thought about the time when he would
eventually retire.
"I didn't want to do it too early, and then again I didn't want
to do it too late and end up embarrassing myself for the last years
of my career. I'm not sure I'm ready for this, but I know it's
time,'' he said.
Tatu has played for the Sidekicks since their inaugural season
in 1984-85. He is indoor soccer's second all-time in goals scored
and in assists. He has been named league MVP six times.
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