Head coach Steve Sampson received another reminder of international soccer’s pitfalls Aug. 16 when the U.S. played Sweden in Norrkoeping.
After piecing together a squad at the last minute from those players whose club releases could be secured, Sampson watched his team hold out for 85 scoreless minutes, only to be beaten on a dubious penalty kick.
Defender Mike Lapper was judged to have fouled Martin Dahlin in the box, and Tomas Brolin converted the penalty for a 1-0 victory the host team desperately needed with a crucial Euro ’96 qualifier against Switzerland coming Sept. 9.
“We really needed this one for our confidence,” said Swedish coach Tommy Svensson, whose team has won only two of six qualifiers and trails both Turkey and Switzerland in the Group 3 standings.
Said Sampson, “After the game, Dahlin came up to us and told us he’d taken a dive, that he wasn’t even touched. But those things happen in international soccer.”
Sweden dominated the first half, raining shots at goalkeeper Brad Friedel as a four-man U.S. backline supported by sweeper Paul Caligiuri scrambled to defend.
“There was a flurry where Brad Friedel had three or four outstanding saves,” said Sampson. “We made some adjustments at halftime, and the second half was even.”
Sampson pushed outside backs Steve Pittman and Mike Burns forward into midfield, and moved Jeff Agoos to defensive midfielder in support of Claudio Reyna and attacking midfielder Joe-Max Moore.
U.S. Soccer couldn’t secure releases for many of its players, and several players arrived the night before the match. Sampson forsees the same problems for the team’s three autumn internationals.
“We won’t have our best players until we play in the Gold Cup next January,” he said.
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney