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| Tuesday, April 23, 2002 16:44 EST |
Arena picks right mix
By Marc Connolly
[ABC Sports Online]
There stood Bruce Arena, smiling as though he just made off with the winning ticket in the Big Game, going back and forth with the witty Kenny Mayne on “SportsCenter,” the most important daily stop in the minds of most every Joe Fan in the nation. It’s not often that: A. soccer gets mentioned on the nation’s premier nightly stop for the sports junkie or B. Arena smiles.
So it must have been the grandest of occasions. And it was.
Bruce Arena sees DaMarcus Beasley as his late-match spark off the bench. |
After seeing 93 players – from Tab Ramos and John Harkes to Imad Baba and Kerry Zavagnin -- throughout 57 games, countless camps and training sessions, the final 23 was selected to represent the United States this summer in Japan/Korea. All the headaches that the grainy, late-night film sessions of overseas players and questioning by overanxious media members (“I know it’s only June of ’99, Bruce, but do you have a starting 11 in mind for the World Cup?), the 50-year-old head coach had reason to beam.
He had finally completed the arduous task of telling the 11 alternates that they would not be in the Far East with his squad unless an injury took place over the next month. Not the easiest phone calls to make.
Not when you’re calling Steve Cherundolo in Germany to tell him that he won’t be needed after just a year ago he looked like the definitive option at right back.
Not when you dial the number for 23-year old goalkeeper Tim Howard to tell him, more or less, that despite his age he still was born at the wrong time to be a keeper in this nation with the world-class talents of Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel, not to mention the rejuvenation of 33-year-old Tony Meola, who was all but written off in stone three years ago.
And certainly not when you’re calling Richie Williams, any coach’s dream at defensive center midfield, and one who called you “Coach” on many occasions at every level, to tell him that he’d be missing out on yet another World Cup after leading Arena’s University of Virginia team to a pair of national championships in 1989 and 1991.
Yet, as bad as the “Listen (blank), I think you know why I’m calling” phone calls are to make, there has got to be nothing better in coaching than the joy of letting a young man know that he’s accomplished his lifelong dream when he started doubting it might have to be put on hold another four years.
That was what happened when Arena talked to 19-year-old DaMarcus Beasley, the youngest player on the squad and certainly one of the last few to survive the cut, earlier on Monday.
“He was the only person I told who made the team,” said Arena, during a conference call with the media after the roster was announced at 6 p.m. on U. S. Soccer’s website. I was talking to his coach (Chicago Fire head coach and close friend Bob Bradley) and he was there, and I told him. I had talked to him by e-mail over the weekend and told him I had not yet made a decision. I just had the chance today to let him know he was selected. He was, actually, the only player I told that to, because I didn’t have time to track the rest of our players on the roster. I had other things I was doing.
“He was certainly elated and looks forward to being able to help us in any way he can.”
Arena kept mentioning how the tough decisions came down to those last five to seven players. Starting with Beasley, here’s a look at what each of the former members of “the bubble” can bring to the team:
Beasley – And a nation rejoices.
Wildly popular among Sam’s Army and the ever-growing Big Soccer brigade, this 19-year-old was a perfect choice by Arena. Beasley will not start for the U.S., that’s for sure, but he is the type of player who could find himself on the field in all three matches as a late-game sub. His sprinter-like speed down the left flank and all-out willingness to attack the goal either when the ball is in his control or with a darting run to space, the Chicago Fire midfielder is someone who Arena may look to when/if the U.S. is down a goal.
“He’s an option, obviously, in a late game,” said Arena. “I don’t anticipate him being in our (starting) eleven. The way we can possibly use DaMarcus is at the end of games. That’s certainly the reason why he was selected.”
Sound familiar? Hmmm. Remember that perfectly-struck ball Beasley volleyed with vengeance into the back of the net in extra time to win the first-round game of the Gold Cup for the U.S.? Well, not only was it as a late-game substitution (for Eddie Lewis in the 79th minute), but it also against the same South Korean team that will take on the Yanks on its home turf in the second match of the World Cup at the Daegu Sports Complex Stadium on June 10.
“Those qualities of quickness and speed and a guy being able to get behind an opponent late in the game,” said Arena, “was a factor in selecting DaMarcus.”
Only Pablo Mastroeni, with eight caps, has less experience than Beasley, but the Ft. Wayne, Ind., native is confident he can add more to this team than speed and hustle in training sessions.
"I have nine caps and I only played one game in qualifying - after we had already qualified (at Trinidad & Tobago in Nov. 2001),” said Beasley, who was named one of World Soccer Magazine’s “Top 100 Rising Stars” in the world in 2000 after standout performances for the U17s in the Youth Championship. “But all the games I did play I played well. I tried to go out there and play the best I can to contribute by crossing, scoring or doing my part defensively. I know I'm young and probably have the fewest caps on the team but I know I can use my skills to help out the team."
Carlos Llamosa – A solid man-marker adds savvy and calmness to the backline in the central defense. What really helped the New England Revolution defender is his experience playing next to Eddie Pope and Jeff Agoos, which extends from beyond the National Team to their glory days with the Arena-coached D.C. United. If called upon to pair with either player (most likely Pope since an Agoos-Llamosa duo simply gives up too much speed), Llamosa can step right in without a problem, and orchestrate defensive traps and switches very naturally.
“Carlos has proven that he’s one of our best pure defenders,” said Arena. “He has a passion to defend, and he’s a good one-on-one player. Positions himself quite well off the ball. Has a lot of experience and is pretty composed. He’s a guy we think we can count on in almost any game.”
Though he certainly was one of the last players to make the squad, Llamosa stayed confident throughout.
“I never feared not making the final cut,” he said. “The only thing I did fear was not getting the chance to play prior to the World Cup to demonstrate what I can bring to the team.”
Pablo Mastroeni – By taking this relatively inexperienced newcomer to the National Team, Arena filled several roles. For one, it meant that he didn’t have to take Richie Williams just to have a true defensive midfielder to serve as the backup to Chris Armas. The choice of Mastro also made Steve Cherundolo expendable, since the Colorado Rapids defender can fill-in at right back for Tony Sanneh (the probable starter) and Frankie Hejduk (the backup).
“All things being equal I felt that Pablo deserved to be on our roster, really, for the outstanding showing he’s had in 2002 with the National Team,” said Arena. “It validates the process. I think for Pablo to go through the seven or eight games he played with us and for him to not be recognized for his efforts would be wrong.”
Included in those games was a very strong showing against Mexico back on April 3 in Denver when he and Eddie Pope paired very well in the central defense before Mastro moved to the left back spot in a 3-5-2 in the second half when Greg Vanney was substituted. That sort of versatility only helped him.
“He’s proven that he’s a good, solid defender with good quickness, and he’s comfortable on the ball,” said Arena. “Also, he can play a number of positions. He can play as a centerback. He can play as a right back. He can play as a holding midfielder. So he compliments our roster. He’s one player you can clearly state that earned his way onto this roster.”
Gregg Berhalter -- Arena would have had a lot of explaining to do had he left this central defender off the roster after the performances he’s turned in this year alone. Along with Eddie Lewis and Frankie Hejduk, Berhalter is one of those overseas players who doesn’t play first-team ball that the U.S. coach believes he can get the most out of after a full month of camp and three friendlies.
The 28-year-old who plays for Crystal Palace in England was a regular for Arena in the team’s qualifying efforts in 2000 (started in five of six matches), but then only appeared four times in 2001. It was his strong match against Italy in February taking on Christian Vieri, one of the best strikers in the world, that helped the Tenafly, N.J., native not only push to the strong side of the bubble, but make a case for a starting job in the World Cup.
“He has great qualities of a centerback – he’s a good leader, he’s a very aggressive defender, is outstanding in the air, and is a good passer of the ball,” said Arena. “Certainly he will have the opportunity to make a challenge for a starting position.”
Frankie Hejduk -- After taking time off from the National Team last summer -- what was deemed a questionable move since an injury-riddled U.S. squad had three World Cup qualifiers in one months’ time -- to spend time with his son, Frankie Nesta, and then not seeing any time for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, some thought they saw the last of the SoCal surfer. But a last-gasp call to National Team camp in Claremont, Calif., this past January for the Gold Cup put his name back into the mix as the team continued/continues to find a right back.
It was there that he reminded Arena of his non-stop work rate and tremendous speed, as he finished at the top of the heap in nearly every fitness test before turning in a few solid performances in the Gold Cup. His two starts and three appearances for Steve Sampson in World Cup ’98, where he was one of the better Americans, also weighed heavily with Arena.
“He’s one of the few players from ’98 that I think walked away from the World Cup feeling he did well,” said the former D.C. United coach. “Additionally, he can play a few positions, which helps.
As a likely backup to Sanneh at right back, Hejduk also can be used on the right flank, particularly against a side (hello, Portugal) that has exceptional quickness along the touchline.
What also helped Hejduk make this team is his character.
“He’s a guy that I think will fit in very well with the team in terms of team spirit and helping make us successful.”
Tony Meola – It’s hard not to be happy for this guy. After self-admittedly doubting himself and believing the media’s eulogies of his once excellent soccer career in this country, Meola turned his goalkeeping career around when he hit the age of 30 and played so well between the posts that Arena had no choice but to bring him back into the National Team picture. If Keller and Friedel were to ever go down, Arena feels most comfortable with his former college goalie in the net. It’s that plain and simple. That’s why he made the team over Howard and Zach Thornton.
“Meola knows his role will be the No. 3 keeper,” said Arena.
Anyone would. Even Meola, a guy whose ego hasn’t always been checked at the front door.
Another reason why Meola got the edge over Howard is because his development won’t be hurt by missing so many MLS matches between May 1 and mid- to late-June.
“Tim will benefit a lot more over the next two months playing games than he would filling the role of the third goalkeeper,” said Arena. “I think he has so much promise, and we know goalkeepers need a lot of games. I think his development will improve if he’s playing games in MLS as opposed to watching Friedel and Keller play in the World Cup.”
Overall, Bruce Arena deserves high marks for the work he did in getting the right 23 players. He left no stones unturned. Though the average age of the U.S. squad (28.7) will certainly be lowered when the 2006 World Cup rolls around, this collection of players is the right mix, and a very versatile one at that.
But, as Bruce knows better than anyone, his toughest decisions are ahead of him. Forget making out a starting 11 for the Portugal match. That’ll be a lazy pass to the keeper compared to the Beckham free kick he’ll be staring at soon enough when it’s time to decide between Keller and Friedel. That decision can not only destroy the makeup of the team’s chemistry, depending on how the second-string keeper reacts, but also define Arena’s tenure in the way he moves on from that move and keeps the team together when they depart for the Far East.
Either way, the only way Arena will find himself smiling for Kenny Mayne again will come with an advancement out of Group D to face what could very well be Italy in the Round of 16 on June 17.
Marc Connolly is a senior writer for ABC Sports Online. He can be reached at marc.connolly@abc.com.
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