By Ridge Mahoney
Senior Editor, Soccer America Magazine
The USA is better, the task is tougher. Matching the quarterfinal appearance of 2002 is a longshot, but none of the U.S. players believe itÆs out of their reach.
For defender Eddie Pope it serves no purpose to compare past World Cup groups to this one or split hairs as to which match might be the toughest or most important.
''In all honesty, since IÆve been involved, we get a powerhouse, a team thatÆs sort of a crapshoot, and an Eastern bloc country,'' says Pope, who has played in seven of the eight U.S. games during the 1998 and 2002 competitions.
The USAÆs first-round opponents in 1998 were Germany, Iran and Yugoslavia. It opened against Portugal, South Korea and Poland four years ago.
''ItÆs the same thing this time,'' Pope says. ''WeÆre not getting any breaks, obviously, and we know itÆs going to be difficult. Italy is Italy, the Czech Republic is No. 2 in the world, and Ghana, how they do show up? African countries are always dangerous. They prove it every World Cup.''
Consensus among U.S. players and coaches is they need to beat the Czechs in the opener to have a chance of advancing. Otherwise, they would probably need to at least tie the Czechs and Italy, then beat Ghana.
Beating the Czechs wonÆt be easy. Aside from a pair of 1-0 wins in Poland, the USA hasnÆt been able to beat a European opponent in Europe since Arena took over in November 1998.
The USA has to contain driving midfielder Pavel Nedved and neutralize towering striker Jan Koller, all 6-feet-8 of him. He sat out more than seven months with torn ligaments in his left knee, but is healthy and ready. He scored twice for Borussia Dortmund in a 3-3 tie with Bayern Munich to conclude the Bundesliga season. Not even the massive Oguchi Onyewu (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) can match Koller in size.
Koller doesnÆt so much shield the ball as wall it off with his massive frame. Laybacks to midfielders Tomas Rosicky and Nedved and clipped balls to forward mate Milan Baros create many of the CzechsÆ chances.
What it means is that the Americans must tackle and track more stoutly than they did in 2002, when a pair of Brad Friedel penalty stops and several other big saves bailed out slack defending. Kasey Keller is excellent but heÆs not Superman.
THE WEAPONS. Shortly after training camp opened in January, Arena stated that his decisions on the 23-man roster wouldnÆt be swayed by the opposition in Group E.
By the time that final roster came out, heÆd altered that stance somewhat.
''Portugal, Korea and Poland were very different teams, I think, than Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana,'' said Arena. ''They are teams that are physically big, and they bring a component of speed to the game, so we were well aware of that fact in putting together the roster.''
The USAÆs speed contingent of DaMarcus Beasley, Josh Wolff, Bobby Convey, Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan ù in whatever combination ù reflects ArenaÆs boldness, his reliance on pressure and pace to create clean chances through combination play or to force mistakes and turnovers that yield opportunities.
''Teams know if theyÆre not defending well, weÆll run by them,'' says Keller. ''WeÆre multifaceted. WeÆve got size, weÆre decent in the air, weÆve got good team speed. We can beat you in different ways.''
From the size and power of Brian McBride, Onyewu, Pope, and others, Arena expects goals from set pieces as well as open play. When possible, outside backs Eddie Lewis and Steve Cherundolo must push forward to threaten from the flanks. And from the creativity of Beasley, Donovan, Wolff and Claudio Reyna, he wants precision and guile.
In the clinching qualifier against Mexico, both goals came from set plays, one borne of power, the other of shrewdness. Onyewu overpowered his marker to head a free kick onto the post and Steve Ralston knocked in the rebound; Reyna and Donovan relayed a corner kick back to Beasley, who stuck a shot inside the far post.
ArenaÆs philosophy can be seen in the selections to fill the last few spots: Brian Ching, a strong forward in the McBride mold; Chris Albright, rugged and good in the air; Ben Olsen, smaller but quicker and busier than Kerry Zavagnin, younger and more experienced than Chris Armas; Jimmy Conrad, an inch taller than Gregg Berhalter, and younger and faster.
Critics doubt that any of these selections will play, but Arena knows their physical qualities could be vital late in a match. With the three central midfielders, Pablo Mastroeni, John OÆBrien and Reyna, having sat out during the past year because of injuries, Olsen could get a call if Donovan is needed elsewhere. McBride turns 34 at the World Cup and replacing him with Ching maintains the status quo. Need more height and bulk on set plays? Swap Albright for Cherundolo.
THE FITNESS. So devoted to physical prowess is Arena that five years ago he hired a fitness coach, Frenchman Pierre Barrieu, to oversee conditioning and increase athleticism.
An example is Donovan, who outjumped a taller opponent to set up the first Galaxy goal in one of its two wins prior to his leaving for national-team camp, a 2-1 victory over Chivas USA.
''A few years ago that wouldnÆt have happened,ö said Barrieu. ''The game is definitely becoming faster and with the same skill level, coaches will pick a big guy because heÆs a better target on set pieces and whatever. The demands of the game are such that you have to be fast and be able to run, youÆve got to be strong and be able to jump, and so forth. If you have all these tools, chances are youÆre going to be a decent player.
''I think speed is an asset of our team and one of the things weÆre counting on. Overall, are we faster than the German team? Overall, probably. Are we faster than Ghana? Probably not.''
Another asset is size, as Pope attests in the case of Onyewu, his probable partner in central defense.
''Someone like him is a player weÆve never seen before, a player with size and the strength and the speed and the power,'' says Pope. ''He fits right in in Europe in a lot of respects.''
THE VETERANS. Onyewu is the only player not on the 2002 squad likely to start in the opener in 2006. Cherundolo, the right back, was on the 2002 team but didnÆt play. In 2002, nine World Cup rookies saw a lot of action, and six of them are back.
''We have a solid core of a lot of players who have played in a lot of games,'' says McBride, scorer of 29 goals in 90 internationals prior to arriving in training camp. ''We have a group of extremely talented young players, who in the right situations and the right mental preparedness, could do some things that no one would expect.''
None of the veterans will be more important than Reyna. HeÆs the sane hand on the throttle, adept at regulating the turbocharged dynamos up front, and finding the right times to play balls to McBride or Clint Dempsey.
If Reyna is tackling surely and playing smart passes, the other nine field players can fulfill their roles. Yet health concerns over Reyna, OÆBrien, his central midfield partner, and to a lesser extent Mastroeni mitigate the advantage of their experience.
Less heralded, in fact much maligned, is Wolff, and when finishing is the topic, the criticism sticks. His propensity to blaze balls over the bar is baffling. But with the speed to breach a back line or turn a corner, a slick touch by which he can draw and keep the ball in tight traffic, and his knack for drawing fouls, heÆll be valuable, either playing forward or on the right wing, a position at which Arena has few natural options.
''Wolffie gives us a dimension that I donÆt think the other three forwards do in his ability to get a ball, turn someone quickly, and run at people,'' says Donovan.
World Cup experience is prevalent in many positions. A zealous offseason training program has transformed Pope, who will lead the defense. McBride, elected FulhamÆs Player of the Year after scoring nine EPL goals (the most ever by an American) in the 2005-06 season, heads the attack.
If those two falter, regardless of whatever else happens in the rest of the field, the U.S. will lose control of the goalmouths, and probably the games. They donÆt have to be great, but they canÆt be mediocre.
''When BrianÆs healthy and in form, thereÆs no doubt in my mind heÆs a guy whoÆs going to be on the field,'' says Arena. ''HeÆs a good enough player to occupy two defenders. ItÆs not perfect for him but he can do that. Maybe five years ago I wouldnÆt say that, but heÆs certainly capable of doing that now.''
If Lewis hadnÆt played in the 2002 tournament as a midfielder, he wouldnÆt be the projected starter at left back. Mastroeni didnÆt play in any 2002 qualifiers yet never buckled against Portugal, Mexico and Germany. Donovan and Beasley, now 24, were the young upstarts four years ago; they are carrying a lot of the burden this time around, off the field as well as on it.
THE CONFIDENCE. If that means bringing confidence to the brink of cockiness, so be it. This team may not succeed, but fear wonÆt do them in.
''I donÆt think people, still, respect us the way they should,'' says Donovan, mindful of the bulls-eye on his back for scurrying back to a Southern California beach rather than toughing it out in Leverkusen. ''Sometimes I think we donÆt realize how good we are.
''In Korea, we were very, very good. We got lucky and then we had a bad game against Poland, but against Mexico and Germany, we were very, very good. ItÆs hard to say there were better teams playing at that moment. ThatÆs the way I approach it.
''Clearly, weÆre good enough, not just lucky enough or fit enough or athletic enough, but weÆre good enough to make things happen, and that includes advancing.ö
(This article originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Soccer America Magazine.)