Garrick Roegner
Tallinn, Estonia
I felt that Preki’s performance on the national team, as well as his great MLS season, professional experience in England and his superb skills, warranted a regular spot (as a reserve) on the national squad. Yet Sampson has not called him up for Jamaica, Canada, Costa Rica, or Mexico. Why, and do you think that Preki will be used at all later on in qualification?
Duncan Irving: Preki’s tenure with the national team was frustrating for all concerned. The player was upset at his lack of playing time — all players think they should be in the starting lineup — and the coach was bothered by Preki’s lack of match fitness.
His fleeting chance came at U.S. Cup `97, where the U.S. performed poorly and Sampson promised the dreaded “wholesale changes.”
So we haven’t seen him again. Nor are we likely to in the forseeable future — he’s 32, but given that there are 22 roster spots to fill on a World Cup squad, he may resurface.
Jon Lake
Geneseo, Ill.
Does Steve Sampson have any plans for a possible friendly during World Cup qualifying? I realize they have 10 very important matches in CONCACAF, but there are almost two months during the middle of summer that the U.S. team won’t play together against a national team. Playing MLS is one thing, but they need to play TOGETHER! Getting some continuity prior to the World Cup, and that big match down at Azteca should be a big priority for Steve Sampson. Why not bring a European-style team in to a MLS city that could use a boost in the attendance department and play a match? Denver? Tampa? Is this a decent idea?
Ridge Mahoney: Keep in mind that most European countries have their own World Cup qualifying schedule, as well as extensive league programs. Many prefer to let their players rest during the summer, and a lot of players will be required by their clubs to play offseason tours. Finding a national team to play isn’t always that easy, and keep in mind many countries have their schedules set a year in advance.
The few U.S. cities that want to host the national team prefer a qualifying game instead of a friendly, and many stadiums are not suitable for soccer. A lot of cities are reluctant to host a game unless a big-name opponent can be lined up, and as I said, most South American and European countries are hard to schedule. Plus, U.S. Soccer can’t realistically pay the big money to get the top teams unless a sponsor or network kicks in. Nike is paying big money to bring Brazil here at the end of April to play Mexico.
The U.S. has provisionally scheduled a friendly against Poland in August in Baltimore, and might play South Africa earlier in the summer.
Bill Hamm
Austin, Texas
I have heard that the U.S. Women will host the U.S. Cup once again this summer. I have also heard that U.S. Soccer has, once again, deferred to the Northeast region on field selection. For the past two years, international teams have been forced to play on ill-prepared high school fields, bypassing junior college or college fields in the interest of saving money. Besides adversely affecting the play of the games, these rough fields also pose serious health/injury threats to our and other nations’ top-rate players. Why can’t U.S. Soccer request a certain acceptable level of field for these matches — not fields that are not liked by players and staff?
U.S. Soccer needs to take control of the situation and stop paying lip service to the women’s national team. Would the men’s team play on surfaces that are filled with bumps, weeds and holes? I doubt it. Perhaps some pressure from outside siurces would force them to have the northeast region provide venues that are safe.
Dean Caparaz: While U.S. Soccer has again scheduled the U.S. Cup ’97 games at small venues (with the exception of RFK Stadium), it wants to stage the games of the 1999 Women’s World Cup in big stadiums, or at venues more befitting national team matches. U.S. Soccer has said it wants to make the ’99 tournament the biggest women’s sports tournament ever. So far 22 cities have bid to host matches in 1999 (see story in the news briefs section of SA Online).
Jeff Moore
Tampa, Fla.
OK, what has happened to the U.S. offense? Scoring one goal in China, one goal in the whole of U.S. Cup ’97, and none against that “prominent” defensive giant Jamaica!
Why do we not shift to the 3-4-3 alignment? We will always have some defensive weakness, so why not play to where we are strongest (i.e. midfield and striking)? That alignment, while again facing the problem of a flanker having to defend, should at least give us more chances to put the ball in the net and pressure the opponent.
Duncan Irving: Sampson chops and changes his lineups around to suit his opponent, which I don’t agree with.
He made a big deal before the Jamaica game about how “now the A-team is here we’ll start winning matches.” Then he produced the most tedious and timid lineup for the Jamaica game.
Yes, the field was lousy and yes, they won a point. However, the manner in which it was achieved was terribly disappointing, especially considering that Jamaica was pretty awful.
Ernie Stewart, who was supposed to be a deep-lying center forward, was absolutely wasted in that game. He showed some promise — and picked up a suspension — against Canada, a team even more lamentable than Jamaica.
Against Costa Rica, another alignment. Two goals scored, but three conceded. Disastrous `D’ and subbing there and you can bet we’ll get a fresh formation against Mexico.
This (a) has all the hallmarks of a panic-stricken coach and (b) doesn’t show much faith in the players he’s putting out there (although in some cases, putting them out there in the first place is a sign of blind faith!).
That said, I do believe the U.S. will qualify for France — I just wish they looked better doing it.
Brad Homer
Oklahoma City
Do you feel the MLS is doing all it could to bring more publicity to its league? I just cannot believe that the Dallas Burn has not come to Oklahoma for a youth clinic or an exhibition game to help sell their product. Dallas is only a three-hour drive from Oklahoma City. It seems to me it would be a great public relations move for all MLS teams to go to neighboring states and do something of this nature. What do you think?
Ridge Mahoney: The Burn is having a very difficult time selling itself to the Dallas market. There are only so many players who can make a certain number of visits, and I’m sure their first priority is the 250,000 or so youth players registered in the North Texas and South Texas state associations.
I suggest you take the initiative. Call general manager Billy Hicks and ask for a special day — maybe Oklahoma City Day — for your teams and leagues. I’m sure if you can arrange for several hundred tickets to be sold as a group, he can help organize a session where your group can meet the players, get autographs, etc., either at a Burn game or in your local area.
Shawn Edelman
Tacoma, Wash.
Why is it that teams such as Mexico (in the recent U.S. Cup) can take the U.S. out of its game fairly easily just by being physical? Is it the younger players, who just aren’t used to professional fouls, or is it that we expect everyone not to foul us? It looks like the team is very tentative, and I hope they get their confidence back.
Mike Woitalla: I saw the U.S.-Mexico game and thought the main difference between the two teams was skill — Mexico had it, the U.S. was lacking. Mexico would have won that game even if Lalas didn’t get kicked in the groin.
I also saw the U.S. try to get physical against Costa Rica in last December’s game in San Jose. Lalas elbowed Rolando Fonseca viciously a few minutes after kickoff. (It’s on viedotape.) But that sort of “physical” play didn’t help the U.S., which once again fell to a team of superior skill.
Iriq Asobad
Washington, D.C.
I was wondering if MLS had many overtures regarding banned Saudi Arabian Saeed Al-Owarain, the “Desert Pele”? I saw him play at RFK during the ’94 World Cup, and he was very impressive. I understand he is living in the USA in exile because he broke Muslim law by drinking and flirting. He would help the league tap into another demographic other than the Latino market. And, if he’s here as a refugee, would he count as a foreign player even though he is capped by Saudi Arabia?
Ridge Mahoney: I believe he would count as a foreign player, but since he has been banned by his national association, MLS would have to petition FIFA for permission to sign him.
Chris Johnson
West Springfield, Mass.
What is Jovan Kirovski’s position with Steve Sampson and the national team? I know he is on board with Dortmund in Germany, but does he get any playing time? Does Sampson want him to get more playing time in the Bundesliga before he gets a starting role for the U.S.? He’s only 21 so I think he needs more pro experience. What position do you see him filling on the U.S. roster in the future?
Duncan Irving: I don’t know. I don’t think Sampson has any idea of how to properly use Kirovski. He’s not an out-and-out goalscorer, he’s not and out-and-out link man between midfield and attack and he’s not a rock `em, sock `em all-rounder that Sampson seems to want to use.
He’s not getting much playing time with Dortmund (just one stint as a second-half sub last week in a 3-2 loss to Duisburg). The German champs are now almost back to full strength, so he could, and in my opinion should be in camp, but given Steve Sampson’s current propensity to call in the old guard — Peter Vermes? Let’s be serious — I don’t think we’ll see him again any time soon.