Bermuda's Olympic soccer programme -- on life support as a result of a deepening financial crisis -- was revived yesterday when Government pledged to help out, thus guaranteeing that qualifying ties against Costa Rica will proceed as planned.

Almost two weeks after Under-23 players were informed that Bermuda was on the verge of pulling out of Olympic qualifying -- and just four weeks before the first game against Costa Rica was to be played at National Stadium -- Bermuda Football Association president Richard Thompson made a dramatic, 11th hour plea for funds to save the beleaguered team from going under.

Thompson yesterday emerged from a 50-minute session at Sports Minister Pam Gordon's office looking relieved, but would not speak to The Royal Gazette .

Prior to the meeting, however, he said that the BFA would launch an immediate appeal for funds to keep the team afloat during the first round of qualifying.

Thompson said that at least $50,000 was required before the first round of qualifying would be completed. "It's not going to be easy,'' he said. "I'm optimistic, very confident.'' Gordon would not reveal how much money Government would provide to bail out the team.

She appeared agitated that Thompson had waited so long before officially telling her of the cash crunch.

"I feel that this whole thing was gone about the wrong way,'' Gordon said after her meeting with Thompson.

"We learned about this problem through the newspaper,'' she said. "There was no approach made to our ministry to say, you know, `here's the direction we'd like to go' or `we want to do it on our own' or `we don't want your help' or `we want you to be aware of this in case we fail'. That approach was only made today.'' Gordon said she made Thompson completely aware of her displeasure during the meeting.

"I told him that, yes,'' she said. "That's one of the reasons I have now backed off of the feeling of having my hand forced.

"His argument was the reason he went to the media was because he had no intention of coming to Government in the first place. He thought the BFA would be able to raise the funds in the business community, but now they're backing away.'' Gordon said it was now her job to convince the public that they support the team "because the bigger the gates, the less public funds they're going to need to help to support them.

"It was my understanding they've committed to (playing the matches) because the first leg was in Bermuda. So what we'd do as a government is encourage as many Bermudians as possible to come out and financially support them by going to the games and giving gate receipts -- don't stand up on the hill at National Stadium to try to watch the game for free. They're going to have to go in because those dollars are very sorely needed in order to maintain this financial requirement of the BFA.'' Gordon is convinced the public will rally behind the team.

"I can't see why the country would not,'' she said. "Yes, we had that problem last year.. .and it has highlighted some concerns in our community. But the world doesn't stop because we had a problem. And we have to support the game whether we like it or not. It's a difficult time for football right now.'' Government's vow to help comes when time was clearly running out on the Olympic squad.

Today is the final deadline for the BFA to inform the South Americans whether the two games -- July 29 in Bermuda and August 6 in Costa Rica -- will go ahead as planned.

Even before Thompson's meeting with Gordon, Jorge Zagada, a spokesperson for the Costa Rican Football Federation, confirmed yesterday that tickets for the game would go on sale this morning.

But looming large in the background was the spectre of a financial backlash from FIFA, soccer's governing body, which would heave the BFA into further cash chaos.

If the matches had been suspended the BFA would have faced fines of up to $8,000 and they could have been responsible for expenses incurred by the Costa Ricans.

"They would definitely get a fine,'' FIFA competitions official Javier Otero said yesterday in a telephone interview from Zurich, Switzerland.

"This is not good,'' he added. "FIFA would prefer, of course, if (Bermuda) would go on that's for sure.

"If (Costa Rica) lose money because of this withdrawal the Bermuda national association can be made responsible.'' Said Thompson: "We're aware that if we withdraw there would be penalties.'' The latest soccer crisis mushroomed when corporate contributions steadily declined in the aftermath of the arrests of seven players in Miami on drug charges last December.

The Bank of Bermuda -- one of soccer's principal sponsors -- said recently that it would not lend support to an Under-23 qualifying bid at this time.

But executive vice president Louis Mowbray didn't rule out the possibility of assisting the team in the future.

The BFA were given a $100,000 grant from Government at the beginning of the year, but these funds were not earmarked for Olympic qualifying ties.

A large bulk of the $50,000 for the ties was needed to cover hotel, transportation and meals while the Costa Ricans were in Bermuda. Although Costa Rica would cover those same costs when Bermuda played there, the BFA would still have to pay for airfare.

"We're going to need funding for the entire bit,'' a BFA insider who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday. "We need $50,000 minimum.'' Scott Gleba, a spokesperson for CONCACAF in New York said that a pull-out by the the Bermuda team would have far-reaching consequences.

"Anytime that you start something and you don't finish it, it's going to hurt,'' said Gleba. "I think in order for Bermuda to move ahead soccer-wise you have to participate in these type of tournaments. And just for Bermuda's sake, never mind what the rest of the world may say, I just want to see them do well in anything they do.'' PAM GORDON -- `I feel that this whole thing was gone about the wrong way.' RICHARD THOMPSON -- `It's not going to be easy.'