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 Tuesday, February 27, 2001
U.S. faces a wild ride in World Cup Qualifying
By Marc Connolly
ABC Sports Online
Whoever said getting there is half the fun surely never had to go through World Cup Qualifying.
|  | | Bruce Arena has had much success with the National team since taking the helm in October, 1998. |
For someone in United States coach Bruce Arena's ever-expanding pool of National Team players, that means must-win games against nothing-to-lose sides like Honduras and Jamaica. It means batteries whizzing by your head at some strange pitch in the depths of Costa Rica. It means putting your precious starting spot on your overseas club team on the line to help ensure your country's fate for June 2002. It means playing 10 excruciatingly pressure-filled matches against five dangerous teams in North and Central America (CONCACAF) knowing full well that the American sporting public believes inclusion in an international event is their birthright. Failure to do so would be considered an embarrassment.
As the U.S. heads into year-long, round-robin matches against Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico to see which three teams move on to World Cup 2002 in Japan and Korea, a reality check might be in store for any American soccer fan who believes this will be a mere formality. There is no Canada or El Salvador to beat up on as the U.S. did in 1997.
In other words, the U.S. is in for the fight of its life as it embarks on a nine-month journey starting Wednesday night (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET) in Columbus, Ohio, against Mexico, the team's top rival and most difficult obstacle to overcome in the wide-open CONCACAF region.
"Mexico is an outstanding team, they have been a team well-known for their attacking style of play," said Arena, whose squad has split a pair of friendlies this year after going 3-1-2 in 2000 to win Group E CONCACAF semifinal qualifying. "Mexico is very good at set pieces, a number of goals they score are from set pieces and we are going to have to be ready to defend those.
"I expect it to be a tough game and very low-scoring."
A low-scoring game would benefit the U.S., as it does not have the type of strike force that inspires fear in the opposition's defenders. What it does have is exceptional depth, versatility, speed and a perfect mix of young talent and veterans who have survived the rigors of World Cup qualifying from their experiences under Steve Sampson in 1996 and '97.
Another positive for the U.S. is its continued good fortune on home soil in such matches. It hasn't lost a domestic World Cup qualifier since May 31, 1985 to Costa Rica in Torrance, Calif. That includes a hard-fought 2-2 tie with Mexico on April 20, 1997, which fit perfectly into the team's "hold fort" philosophy in World Cup qualification.
"Obviously, we have to do well at home and winning at home is very important," said defender Eddie Pope, a mainstay in Arena's backfield when healthy. "Winning on the road is a bonus. Home games are the most important and getting off to a good start is extremely important to us."
With three points earned for each win and one for a tie, Arena believes between 13 and 15 points could be enough to move on due to the competitiveness of the group. In a perfect world, the U.S. would gain 15 points by winning each of its home games, but that is quite a task considering each team's goal on the road is to come away with a single point. Unless Brian McBride, Joe-Max Moore or some other weapon steps up in a way that the U.S. is not used to getting on its attack, pinning Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica's back to the wall in must-win affairs on home turf will not come easy.
Who will step up as the team's indisputable sniper throughout qualifying is one of many facing Arena's squad.
Who will partner up top with McBride?
Moore seems to the best candidate since he's in match shape playing with Everton in the English Premier League. His quickness and darting runs nicely offset McBride, who is much more stagnant in a target-man role of one- and two-touch soccer. Another possibility is Ante Razov, who has been playing well for Racing de Ferrol (Spain). He's not the dynamic type of front-runner that would ideally suit a powerful player like McBride, but his scoring prowess makes him a viable option for Arena whether at the outset of the match or sometime past the 65th minute of play.
Of course, Landon Donovan waits in the wings as well. Anyone who saw the replay of the 18-year-old's brilliant flick-on assist to McBride against China last month knows they can play together. The question is will Arena turn to his future star so soon, and in such a pressure-packed game? It may suit him better to bring him in off the bench should he see action against Mexico. The same theory applies for Olympic star Josh Wolff. Before qualification is over, the Chicago Fire striker will leave his imprint on this team.
Which formation will be utilized?
It would be shocking to see the U.S. in anything but a 4-4-2 against Mexico on Wednesday, but this may not be the main option Arena will go to later. A 3-5-2 set could be effective with either John O'Brien (if he ever gets healthy) lining up as a defensive midfielder next to Chris Armas or with Moore or Donovan playing in a withdrawn striker/offensive center midfielder role next to Claudio Reyna. Arena certainly has enough midfielders to pull off a 3-5-2. It'll come down to whether Eddie Pope, Carlos Llamosa or Gregg Berhalter can correctly command a three-line defense.
|  | | Midfielder Ben Olsen has excelled with Nottingham Forest in England while on loan from D.C. United. |
Where does Cobi Jones fit?
Just last spring, it looked like the Jones-McBride partnership was the right one when Jones scored four goals in the team's first eight games. He has since moved back to a wide midfield role he has been in off and on since he burst onto the scene in 1992. With Ben Olsen's emergence, Jones' starting status is in serious question these days as well. One of the reasons for this is that Jones is one of those players who can define an entire match one day and then go unnoticed the next. Ultimately, the best role for Jones may very well be as the first man off the bench in either position. The energy and versatility he brings to the field would be a valuable second-half spark, especially if he's positioned on the same side of the offense as Earnie Stewart, who play off of each other as well as any two in the national team pool.
Kasey or Brad?
Kasey Keller has been the team's number one goalie for five years now. Yet, Brad Friedel has never been so close to being the de facto keeper choice than at the moment due to his stellar play for Blackburn (England's First Division) and strong showings in recent camps. He'll be in net against Mexico since Keller's inclusion was not possible because of club commitments. A strong outing in Columbus could finally cement him top status no matter what Keller's whereabouts are for the Honduras match on March 28 in San Pedro Sula. At the moment, Tony Meola's No. 3 status is safe.
Who are the wildcards for the U.S.?
Frankie Hejduk has to be considered a main one. Riding the pine for mighty Bayer Leverkusen in Germany has not helped his standing with the National Team at all. A move to another German side or even back to MLS would certainly boost his standing. In a 4-4-2, Hejduk's man-marking, overlapping skills and speed up the flanks certainly adds a dimension to the lineup that fails to exist at the moment.
That leads to David Regis. Now that he's seeing the field with FC Metz (France), perhaps he will continue to develop into the player Sampson envisioned when he discovered him three years ago. He needs to show Arena more than the flashes of brilliance he brings from the left back position. If he finishes more of his runs up the flank, improves on his long balls to start the attack and develops into the dead-ball specialist he was supposed to be, Regis could be a difference-maker in one of these crucial games ahead.
After using 31 players in semifinal qualifying, Arena plans to narrow the group down as 2002 approaches. But as players fall in and out of favor and injuries set in as they always do, do not be surprised if three or four players pop up down the line who aren't even listed on Arena's 24-player pool for Mexico. This was the case in '98 with Chad Deering and Brian Maisonneuve. That could be a Jay Heaps or a Conor Casey down the line. On the flip side, expect to see one or two of his present main cogs fall by the wayside a la John Harkes and Mike Sorber, who were regulars throughout qualifying four years ago.
Whether a trip to Asia is locked up by late summer or it comes down to the goal differential wire in Port of Spain, Trinidad during late November, it'll be quite a ride.
Marc Connolly is a senior writer for ABC Sports Online.
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