U.S. SoccerÆs Training Camp Update: Monday, July 10, 2000 from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The USA is preparing for its first qualifier for World Cup 2002, July 16 in Guatemala. The USA took to the field late this morning for the first time since arriving in South Florida to begin preparations for the upcoming Group “E” semifinal qualifying matches that will begin this weekend in Mazatenango, Guatemala. With all the talk about the conditions we are likely to face in Guatemala, the baseball fields across from Lockhart Stadium provided a telling glimpse into our ability to withstand humidity and the need for copious amounts of fluids. Most players had already wiped the first beads of sweat from their brows before having ever set foot onto the field. Training itself was typical of the first day of camp, relatively short considering the distance some of the team traveled to get to Ft. Lauderdale. Assistant coach Dave Sarachan led the players in a few warm-up laps around the field before breaking the squad into three groups for a series of small-sided possession drills. Several water breaks later, the players concluded with finishing drills, testing the quickness and agility of goalkeepers Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel in sets of rapid-fire shooting exercises. The bags of post-practice ice that were liberally supplied by trainers Jim Hashimoto and Anthony Garcia spoke more of their soothing powers after an energetic training session than any medical need. Though several players reported the usual mid-season bumps and bruises, none of the squad is injured in a way that would prevent them from playing on Sunday. The team will meet with Coach Bruce Arena and the staff tonight before dinner to outline the rest of camp and give everyone a chance to catch up. The 18-player squad will be complete when Tony Sanneh, who will arrive in Ft. Lauderdale tonight, and midfielders Claudio Reyna and Eddie Lewis (who get into town tomorrow morning) arrive at the team hotel. Q & A with Tab Ramos Q: Did you expect the recall to the national team, or did it come out of the blue? A: I didn’t expect it at all. In fact my first contact with Bruce was about six or seven weeks ago when I just started playing again with the MetroStars and he said he was going to watch me this summer. But when I look back three or four months, that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to play as many games as I could for the MetroStars, and I really didn’t have a whole lot of expectations there, either. I just wanted to fit into the team and contribute. I’m happy more than anything because I’m playing there (MetroStars). Getting called to the national team means that I’m doing well with the MetroStars. I’m happy to be called here, but again, I have no real expectations. I just want to contribute. Q: How frustrating was it starting the year off injured and not being able to play from the start of the season? A: It was awful, because I went through the whole preseason and tore my calf two days before the first game. I was devastated, but there was nothing I could do so I just kept working until I got better. Unfortunately, in those first few weeks, we had a lot of Wednesday-Saturday games, so missing a few weeks meant I missed a lot of games. I missed about five or six games before I got back out there and slowly started to get better. Q: Did it take you a while to get your confidence back on the field? A: I’m not tentative about injuries; I know they can happen at any time. I just got whacked this weekend (against Kansas City), and up until that point I was feeling great. I’m not 100% confidant with the ball yet. I think I’m doing some good things, but I also feel like I’m making some mistakes still that I don’t usually make when I’m playing well. It may still be a while before I feel 100% confident. Having said that, if I’m required to play for this team at any point during qualifiers, no matter how much pressure there might be, I know I’m going to do as well as I’ve been doing. I think that may be one of the reasons why I’m here. Q: Do you think the fact that you’ve played so many road qualifiers in Central America was part of Bruce’s decision to select you? A: Absolutely. More than anything else, I thing he wanted a little experience. Certainly, I feel the team can do fine without me. They’re playing well. I’ve seen all their games, and they’re playing fine, but it can never hurt to have a little depth and experience in the games that really matter. That might be the most important reason I’m here. Q: What makes playing World Cup qualifiers on the road so difficult? A: The environment makes the difference. It has nothing to do with what happens between the lines on the field, because both teams want to win and it’s going to be a tough game. It’s everything else around you, the things that get thrown at you; the way people treat you the whole time you’re there, whether they’re yelling at you at the airport. Those are the types of situations that are uncommon, that you usually don’t see at friendly games. Games in Central America are even more difficult because of all the politics involved with representing the United States. Q: Some of the best games you’ve ever played in a national team uniform have come against Costa Rica. How can you explain this? A:Have they? Q: You scored your first international goal against them, and then had that fantastic goal in the World Cup qualifier in Portland. A: I guess I did. Yeah, we won 1-0 in 1989 in St. Louis, and then 1-0 again in Portland in ’97. I don’t know. I guess I’m good against teams that begin with a “C” because I always do well in MLS against Colorado and Columbus!