ESPN Soccernet’s Jeff Carlisle offers his take on the U.S. in Venezuela, expressing his disappointment that the 2007 Copa America turned into an experiment. In an interview with the Associated Press, CONMEBOL (the South American soccer federation) general secretary Eduardo Deluca also said he was displeased with the weak roster (although he said nothing about Brazil’s under-strength squad) the U.S. brought to Venezuela.
Should the U.S. have even bothered going? Carlisle responds with an “unequivocal yes,” calling the 2007 Copa America a missed opportunity, especially for a country that’s always complaining about a lack of international respect. In fact, the South American championship was the perfect opportunity for the U.S. to prove itself against tougher opposition in a tough environment.
Even with the likes of Landon Donovan and Brian Ching, Carlisle says the U.S. would not have fared much better than it did, but the experience of playing “pressure-cooker” games abroad against the likes of Argentina and Paraguay would have paid off down the road. Understandably, MLS clubs don’t want to release their players when they don’t have to, and in this case they didn’t — which means they could refuse Bradley’s request to release players. “This is not how the coach of a national team should have to operate,” Carlisle says, adding that MLS should adjust its schedule for international tournaments like the Copa America, because its players, unlike Europe’s over-extended players, need that kind of international experience. The league should help and not hinder that progress, because it’s good for the growth of the league.