Jan. 24, 2002

MILWAUKEE -- Former Panther and US Olympian Manny Lagos, who played at UWM from 1990-91, started and played the first 64 minutes of the opening game of the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Lagos helped the Americans defeat Korea, 2-1, in front of 43,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 19.

Lagos joins former UWM teammate and current US National Team player Tony Sanneh in the running to make the 2002 United States World Cup roster. If both alums make the roster, it would give UWM a total of three former men's soccer players to represent the United States in World Cup Competition.

Former standout Jimmy Banks, who played at UWM from 1985-86, became the first Panther to join the national team when he started for the US squad in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Sanneh, who starred for UWM from 1990-93, has been one of the US National Team's leaders in minutes earned in 2002 World Cup qualifying.

Lagos is a member of the 2001 championship San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer and was selected to play in the MLS All-Star game. He grabbed his second international cap playing for the US in the game against Korea.