The following is the transcript of U.S. Soccer’s teleconference with U.S. media June 4:
Head Coach Steve Sampson:
Asked how he plans to play against Germany: “We are prepared to take calculated risks against Germany. We cannot play a wide open game; that would be dangerous. But at the same time we will not sit back… Three points is an outstanding result and one point is a good result. We are playing for the outstanding result… I think Germany is a team we can play with, most certainly.”
Asked how he expects the American public will receive the team’s results: “The American public is very much a short term audience. They literally get geared up for the Olympics two weeks before they begin. I’m not overly concerned that they will not be interested in the World Cup. I think the excitement level will intensify as we get closer to our first match… We were at a sendoff party last night and had every major network there covering us… Again, soccer is evolving in all aspects of the game… However, we still don’t have the enormous amount of pressure that Glenn Hoddle (England head coach) and Mario Zagallo (Brazil head coach) face.”
On the impact MLS made on the World Cup team: “As the MLS improved so too has the national team. We went through a period when it was difficult to play at a high level of soccer in the United States. This team has learned to play a good brand of soccer and I attribute this in large part to MLS… We are now holding the ball under pressure and creating many more chances to score. Players are understanding their roles, accepting them and playing within them.
Asked about negative comments made by Alan Rothenberg: I don’t think Mr. Rothenberg was stating anything different that what many people are saying… Everyone expects Germany and Yugoslavia to advance out of the group… If you heard Mr. Rothenberg, he also stated that he thinks we can move on in this tournament… I think we will create quality opportunities and give ourselves a legitimate chance to advance to the second round… The players really feel they can do something terrific here.
On midfielder Chad Deering: I think Chad has blossomed into a terrific player at this level… He has the ability to find players over distance with precise passes… At times I would like for him to look to the shot first… He’s filling in the gaps and spaces very well. He’s protecting the players in front of him… His ability to play simply in the midfield is one of the things that earned him a place in the team.
On having an experienced team in France: It’s very important. In the previous World Cups we weren’t on even playing ground with our opponents… This team, given their experience now, truly believes in themselves and believes that they can beat Germany, Iran and Yugoslavia.
Defender Thomas Dooley:
Asked if he thinks the U.S. can hold Germany in the opener: “I hope so. We have now played four games without a goal against. They are one of the best teams in the world but we have a lot of confidence ourselves… Still, we will need a little bit of luck.”
On the U.S. scoring: “The problem is that sometimes as a forward you need a little luck. Our performance in France will be measured by how well we do in the first match. The most important thing is that our forwards score at least one goal and allow our defense to play the way it has over the past four games.”
Midfielder Chad Deering:
On Thomas Dooley: “He brings a certain coolness to the team. He knows when to go forward and when to stay. He’s been around and knows what to do back there to keep us organized and together.”
On his frustrations: “During the qualifications, I was not so much disappointed as I just didn’t know where I stood within the team. Steve told me how I had to play against Paraguay and it worked out… For me I couldn’t have written a better ending as far as making the World Cup team.”
On playing against Germany: “I don’t think there will be any surprises. Lothar Matthaeus and Ulf Kirsten these are players that people know. They are not perfect; they can make the same mistakes that you make and as long as you don’t make stupid mistakes yourself everything will work out… They are not an unbeatable team, but they are a very good team that can’t be taken lightly. We cannot be taken lightly either.”
Asked if it’s a good omen that the team will arrive into Lyon a bit early: “If that’s a good omen, then I hope it starts out that way… The players are all very excited and we’re looking forward to getting to France.”
