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On Wednesday the UEFA Champions League crowned a new champion, Manchester United, in a display of some of the world’s finest soccer players. The American game has always strived to match that level of play, but how far has it really come? Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo talked about soccer’s position in this country with Denver Post staff writer Chris Dempsey.
Q: What are your thoughts on the state of American soccer?
A: I think the U.S. Soccer Federation is doing extremely well in recognizing that they were doing a poor job at the time and recognizing that they needed to change. The professional teams have preached for the last 10 years about having a developmental system that we can work with players, and we can have a U16 and U18 teams, and that we can invite people who are doing well to train with a pro team. And we are.
Q: What about the level of players?
A: When this country discovers the best athletes going into soccer, nobody can stop us. It will definitely be the year the United States starts to beat everybody on a regular basis. My biggest concern is that with a country the size of the United States that we’re not doing enough. Again, we have to be happy with what we have, but there should be more: the volume of players should be much better, the quality of the player that we are bringing along should be better, and we’re not there yet.
Q: When do you think player identification will turn the corner?
A: We always keep saying “the next day,” but I’ve been here for the last 30 years and yes, it’s going in the right direction. But we are used to having winners here. At the World Cup level, we’re not there yet. And the number of players is not that many. We need to identify more. We need to do a better job in the development of kids.

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Through the week.Architecture. If the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver is David Adjaye’s first major public building to be completed in the United States, it is hardly the first such project in his career. The fast-rising London architect is showcased in “David Adjaye: Making Public Buildings,” an internationally touring show that runs through May 25 at the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver, 1485 Delgany St. The show was organized by the Whitechapel Gallery in London and has been shown at the Netherlands Architecture Institute and The Studio Museum in Harlem. $10, $5 seniors and students. 303-298-7554 or mcadenver.org.
Today.Photography. China has become a focal point for contemporary art of all kinds, and photography is no exception. A new exhibition, “Body Art: New Photography from China,” explores the work of six of the country’s most prominent artists working in the medium — Huang Yan, Li Wei, Cang Xin, Liu Ren, Ma Yanling and Wu Yuren. The show, organized in conjunction with the Asian Art Coordinating Council, opens today at the Foothills Art Center, 809 15th St., in Golden, with a public reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. $3, $2 seniors and free for students. 303-279-3922 or foothillsartcenter.org.
Through the week.Photography. In conjunction with the national conference of the Society for Photographic Education taking place this weekend in Denver, more than 50 photo exhibitions are taking place around the metro area. Among them is “Out of Place,” a selection of photo-based works by 11 international artists. It runs through April 26 at the Robischon Gallery, 1740 Wazee St. Free. 303-298-7788 or robischongallery.com.
Through the week.Comedy classic. If a colleague stops you in the hall to recount the dialogue of “The Princess Bride,” you’d be a dope not to celebrate the film’s run this weekend. Long before Amy Adams enchanted, Robin Wright was fracturing fairy tales. Ages before Puss in Boots purred in “Shrek,” Mandy Patinkin declared in a deliciously silly accent, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Friday and Saturday, midnight, Esquire Theatre, East Sixth Avenue and Downing Street. $7. 303-352-1992.

denverpost.com

The disruption of flows for fish in the Arkansas River and on the Western Slope may not be fully accounted for in a draft environmental impact statement for the Southern Delivery System.
“Our real focus is on the impacts that affect coldwater reaches,” Drew Peternell, director of Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project, told local Trout Unlimited members this week.
The state water project may decide to oppose SDS if mitigation can’t be agreed upon, Peternell said. He added that he has not read all of the technical documents associated with the report and has met only once with Colorado Springs Utilities officials to iron out his concerns.
Peternell also came to Pueblo to answer questions about how SDS could affect fisheries and to begin collecting local concerns about the project.
“The Colorado Water Project wants local input and wants ideas to propose,” Peternell said. “If they can’t incorporate those ideas, we may be compelled to be a thorn in their side and oppose the project.”
Southern Delivery System is a $1.1 billion proposal by Colorado Springs to build a 66-inch-diameter pipeline from Pueblo Dam 43 miles north, as well as two reservoirs on tributaries of Fountain Creek. Partners in the project include Fountain, Security and Pueblo West. The Bureau of Reclamation is evaluating the proposed route along with six alternative routes in the draft EIS.

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