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SV Scottish soccer team manager, Alistair MacLeod talking to interviewer
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SCU MacLeod speaking in English to reporter (4 shots)
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TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 2: MACLEOD: "Initially there was 40 players, as you know, they had to be registered in April the 14th, and now we cut to 22. Well, we have the Home Championships coming up in the late, the early May and on May the 20th I think you have to register your 22 players. I'm announcing mine on May the their and that will ease all the strain and it will let the players who are going to the World Cup know they've been selected and at the moment I would think I'm almost sure of 18 of the 22. There's the other four, which they're all great players, and making up my mind which ones will fit into the squad."



REPORTER: "Do you think Scotland have got a chance to win the World Cup?"



MACLEOD: "Oh yea. I wouldn't have taken the job. I've only been a year in the job come next week. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe that I could win the World Cup for Scotland. Believing you'll win it and doing it is two different things. You know there is the 15 team (indistinct) between you and winning the World Cup. But if you don't believe you're going to climb Everest, you'll never climb it, and I believe that Scotland will get a medal."



REPORTER: "Who do you fear most?"



MACLEOD: "In the World Cup?"



REPORTER: "In the World Cup."



MACLEOD: "Oh, I was hoping that I didn't draw either Hungary or Austria. The reason why, Austria play very similar to Scotland. They play a very, what will we say, physical type of game without being dirty, they play hard, they do not like losing. Hungary have always had a reputation of being very skilful players and I think football comes in cycles, and I think Hungary are now about to re-emerge as a power. Unfortunately for them they've been drawn in a very difficult section. But it wouldn't surprise me if Hungary came through and was a force to be reckoned with."



REPORTER: (Indistinct).



MACLEOD: "Oh yea. There'll be shocks. Italy lost to Korea when they were over here. There'll be tremendous shocks. I'm hoping that it's Iran versus Holland. No one thinks that Holland will lose to Iran. I hope that is the shock."




Initials BB/1630


SPORT: SOCCER

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The manager of Scotland's national soccer team says he believes Scotland will get a medal at least in the World Cup finals that are due to start in Argentina in just over one month's time, on June 1. Scotland have been drawn to play against Iran, the Netherlands and Peru in group four, a grouping that the Scottish manager Alistair MacLeod termed as "wonderful" at the time. He says he has almost finished selecting his squad of 22 players and will announce his final decision on May the third.

SYNOPSIS: Mr. MacLeod was asked how his team selection was going and what Scotland's chances were of winning the World Cup.