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Game Three Blues For U.S. Soccer The history of “Game Three” for the United States in FIFA World Cup finals is not a happy one. Since the 1990 when the U.S. was 0-for-the tournament in Italy, the U.S. has never won a third group game. The 2-1 loss to Ghana on Thursday made the U.S.0-5. In 1990 the U.S. was coming off a 1-0 shutout against host Italy, after falling 5-1 to Czechoslovakia in a match that show just how far behind the rest of the world U.S. soccer really was. In what should have been the group’s least difficult opponent the U.S. was beaten by Austria 2-1. Former Clemson All-America Bruce Murray scored the lone goal. Four years later, playing at home as the host country, the U.S. was 1-0-1 after a 1-1 tie with Switzerland and a 2-1 upset win over Colombia. Needing a victory to win the group, the U.S. was beaten 1-0 by Romania in Pasadena, CA. The U.S. advanced to the second round despite the loss, but faced eventual champion Brazil, dropping a 1-0 decision in Palo Alto, CA. The U.S. lost all three in 1998 in France, and closed out a forgettable
experience with a 1-0 loss to Yugoslavia in the third group game. The run of third-game losses continued in Germany. Despite a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic in the opening game of World Cup 2006, the U.S. would have qualified by beating Ghana in the third game after a second-game 1-1 draw with Italy. Italy’s 2-0 win over the Czech Republic set up that scenerio for the U.S. It’s extremely disappointing,” said U.S. veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller. “We put ourselves in position to be able to advance in the third game. Obviously, we’re disappointed with the decision of the referee (a controversial penalty kick was the game-winner), but at the end of it we didn’t make the plays that we need to make. “It’s as simple as that.” Needing a win over Ghana to advance to the second round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the U.S. came up short. Instead, Ghana advances to play Brazil in the round of 16. The U.S. got the result it needed in the other group game, a 2-0 win by Italy over the Czech Republic, but couldn’t accomplish something it had never before accomplish. Win a World Cup game on European soil. Instead, it was Ghana, playing in its very first World Cup final, advancing with two wins, including a 2-0 win over the Czechs. The U.S. is headed home with a 0-2-1 record and only one point in Group E. That point came on a 1-1 tie against Italy in the second game of group play. The U.S. played for nearly a half with nine players, while Italy played with 10, after three enjections. No one was ejected in Ghana’s win over the U.S., but the critical event in the game was a bogus penalty kick call on a phantom foul in the closing minutes of the first half. U.S. defender Oguchi Oneywu got his head on a ball that popped off of an errant clear by teammate Carlos Bocanegro. He brushed Ghana’s Razak Pimpong in the middle of the penalty box, who went down like he had been shot, and Stephen Appiah connected on the game-winning penalty kick, two minutes into stoppage time. After an embarrassing 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic and the draw with Italy, the U.S. had scored no goals of its own, and had only one shot on goal, a roller that bounced off the post by Claudio Reyna in the opening game. The USA’s goal against Italy was an own goal from an Italian defender. After Reyna was stripped of the ball and Ghana took a 1-0 lead on Haminu Draman’s one-on-one with goalkeeper Kasey Keller, the U.S. got its only goal of the tournament to tie at 1-1. Draman was playing in his very first World Cup match. The U.S. tied the gamein the 43rd minute of the first half. DaMarcus Beasley broke free down the left side of the field and curled a square ball to Clint Dempsey for a one-time blast into the back of the net. The penalty kick was the killer, and in the second half the U.S. could not find the back of the net. U.S. coach Bruce Arena, criticized for a conservative approach in the Czech Republic game, came out with much of the same in the must-win game with Ghana. Down a goal and nothing happening up front with Brian McBride as the lone striker, Arena did not put another player up front until he inserted Eddie Johnson there with ? minutes left in the game. It was basically too-little-too-late. The result was very disappointing for the U.S. national soccer team program, which had advanced the team to the quarterfinals in 2002. Bottom line, the U.S. had a gritty performance in earning the tie against Italy, and had a chance to advance with a win. It turned out to be a game it did not win, nor were they close to winning. Thus ended a World Cup process that started with the early CONCACAF matches
a year and a half ago. In that process the U.S. finished first in the
regional qualifying, on goal differential over Mexico, and was ranked
once #4 in the FIFA world rankings. The U.S. team will leave Germany ranked
#5 in those rankings, but far down the list of teams that competed in
this world cup final. It was a result that kept hopes of advancing to the second round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup alive for the U.S. men’s national team. It wasn’t a win, but it was a draw with a gritty performance that saw the U.S. overcome the loss of two players to tie Italy 1-1 without a single shot on goal. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, the equalizer came when Cristian Zaccardo tried to clear Bobby Convey’s free kick over the end line, but instead cleared it into the back of his own goal. Cards were flying in this game like celebrity poker on television. The first to go with a red card was Daniele de Rossi, who hammered Brian McBride in the face with an elbow, leaving a cut that later required three stitches. The U.S. lost Pablo Mastroeni in the last minute of the first half, and Eddie Pope in the first two minutes of the second half. Mastroeni got a straight red, while Pope’s unnecessary slide tackle earned him his second yellow and an ejection. Playing with nine players for almost a half, the U.S. held on for the draw. In fact, it appears that second-half substitute DaMarcus Beasley had given the U.S. a 2-1 lead, but his goal was called back on an offsides call against McBride. "I can't say enough about the guys in front of me," U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller said after the game. "They're dead (tired) out there, they've given everything. It would have been a shame to concede a goal late, but we stuck in this thing. We're in this tournament and we have a good chance now. Of course, we wanted three points, but the point in these circumstances is phenomenal." "Everything was going against us today. What can you say? This team has the spirit and can come back from a three-nil loss (Monday against the Czech Republic). We showed that today. We were unlucky not to win this game, even with nine guys." While the draw, which was reminiscent of the USA’s 0-0 man-down draw in Mexico City during the 2002 World Cup qualifying, kept the U.S. in the running for a berth in the second round, the opportunity to get a win was not lost on the U.S. players. "It's a nice result, we fought hard with nine men," U.S. right defender Steve Cherundolo. "If we had 10, we could have won it. We stayed close and compact, and communicated well tonight. Italy chose not to challenge on the outside, so it helped for us to stay organized." The U.S. will have neither Pope or Mastroeni against Ghana on Thursday, and that is a must-win match for the U.S. A USA win, coupled with a win by Italy over the Czech Republic, would put the U.S. into the second round. That would mean a matchup with defending world champion Brazil, but nevertheless, the U.S. would get to play again. Getting a win over Ghana will not be an easy task, and the U.S. team will have to come out with the same intensity that it brought to the game with Italy. They have nothing to lose. While U.S. coach Bruce Arena will be forced to make some lineup changes without Pope and Mastroeni, he has a number of options. It is likely that young Jimmy Conrad, who can in as a second-half substitute for Pope, will get the call in the middle with rookie defender Oguchi Oneywu. Not a lot of experience there. Arena could move Claudio Reyna back into Mastroeni’s more defensive midfield spot, and insert John O’Brien, who has not seen any action in this World Cup, in the middle of the field with Landon Donovan. Or he could insert Eddie Johnson, a tall forward with excellent speed, up front with McBride. Should he want to push another forward up wide left, he could move Convey up and insert Eddie Lewis at left midfield. Lewis started at left back against the Czech Republic, but plays left midfield for his club team, Leeds United. A tie against Ghana would be of no value, so the question still remains, “where will the goals come from.” The U.S. has not scored a goal in these games. Ghana will also be missing key players. Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari, who scored the goals in the 2-0 win over the Czech Republic, will sit for yellow-card accumulation after each received their second caution. The U.S. is now 9-3-3 vs. Italy all time, and 0-2-1 in World Cup play
against the two-time world champions. The USA’s overall record in
the World Cup is 6-15-3 and 0-8-1 in games played in Europe. Under Arena,
the Americans are 2-3-2 in the Cup. It wasn’t a win and it didn’t feel like one, but the 1-1 draw against Italy was a victory in the way the game played out and for the one World Cup point that was earned. After an opening 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic, the U.S. men faced a daunting task in their second World Cup group game, facing one of the Cup favorites, two-time world champion Italy. The U.S. had never before beaten Italy. The Americans still don’t have a win over the Azzura, but the tie keeps their hopes alive of advancing to the second round of this World Cup. They now must beat Ghana in the third group game, and then pull for Italy to rebound with a victory over the Czech Republic. If that happens the U.S. will advance to a second-round matchup against Brazil. It wasn’t so much a surprise that the U.S. earned the draw with Italy, but that they accomplished that with only nine players on the field for the last 43 minutes. Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni was red carded after a hard tackle late in the first half. Eddie Pope received his second yellow card of the match, which led to his ejection, after a slide tackle two minutes into the second. Italy had also lost a player when Daniele de Rossi hit Brian McBride in the face with an elbow in the 28th minute of the first half. The U.S. was a man-up until Mastroeni was shown red, just seconds before the halftime whistle. “We thought from the beginning, we told our team, that this group would go down to the last day," U.S. Manager Bruce Arena said. "Our challenge is to try to get four points and see where that takes us. I thought our effort today was fantastic. I’m proud of the way my team kept their composure and got the one point. Despite playing down a player, the U.S. had several chances to win the match. DaMarcus Beasley, coming on as a second-half sub, actually put a ball past the Italian goalkeeper in what appeared to be the tie-breaking goal, but it was called back because McBride was standing offsides. Italy struck first in the 22nd minute after Pablo Mastroeni fouled Francesco Totti about 30 yards from goal. Christian Zaccardo served an in-swinger into the box that Alberto Gilardino headed home. Eddie Pope, Gilardino’s marker, stopped following his run immediately and raised his arm calling for offside, but several U.S. players kept the goal scorer in legal position. The U.S. equalized in the 27th minute when a Bobby Convey free kick from the right sideline was awkwardly touched by Zaccardo at the back post and went in for an own goal. The play was set up as Claudio Reyna made something out of nothing. The U.S. captain won a free kick on the right side, getting fouled after a slow dribbling run up the right wing had him forward with little help. "I thought we were the better team on the night. We had a fantastic first half and certainly to get two red cards within a span of, probably, five minutes was very difficult. Not many teams would hold their composure. I thought we did a great job there and I’m really proud of the team. That’s the kind of team the U.S. should be putting on the field and the kind of effort we should have.” Both Group E finales will be played on Thursday, June 22 with 4 p.m. local time kickoffs (10 a.m. ET). U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller came up big in the second half, making several outstanding saves, including stopping two point-blank shots. In the 73rd minute, Keller kept the U.S. alive with one of his trademark saves, sprawling to his right to deny a flick-on after a chip found Alessandro del Piero behind the U.S. backline. He would again make a big save in the 79th minute, punching out a long range attempt from del Piero. Italians continued their push for the go-ahead goal in the game's dying moments, but the U.S. held the fort despite several sets of tired legs. "I can’t say enough about the guys in front of me," said Keller, who was named Sierra Mist Man of the Match. "They’re dead (tired) out there, they’ve given everything. It would have been a shame to concede a goal late but we stuck in this thing. We’re in this tournament, and we have a good chance now. Of course we wanted three points but the point in these circumstances is phenomenal.” Notes: U.S. Men’s National Team Game Report --
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F ITA – Alberto Giardino (Christian Zaccardo) 22nd minute. Lineups: ITA: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 2-Cristian Zaccardo (7-Alessandro
del Piero, 54), 5-Fabio Cannavaro (capt), 13-Alessandro Nesta, 19-Gianluca
Zambrotto; 4-Daniele de Rossi, 20-Simone Perrotta, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 10-Francesco
Totti (8-Gennaro Gattuso, 35); 11-Alberto Gilardino, 9-Luca Toni (15-Vincenzo
Iaquinta, 61) Stats Summary: USA ITA Misconduct Summary: Officials: Group E Standings U.S. Falls to Czech Republic, 3-0, in World Cup Opener GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (June 12, 2006) – The U.S. fell 3-0 to the Czech Republic in the opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup on June 12 at FIFA World Cup Stadium in Gelsekirchen, Germany. The Czech Republic struck early when 6-foot, 7-inch forward
Jan Koller scored on a fifth-minute header. Tomas
Rosicky added a 35-yard rocket before the end of the half and
later added a second on a breakaway late in the game. The U.S. almost leveled the score in the 28th minute when captain Claudio
Reyna hit the post. On a counter attack, Bobby Convey
played the ball into the center to Landon Donovan, who
quickly played the ball square to Reyna. After taking a settling touch,
Reyna hit a drive past a diving Petr Cech and off the
inside of the left post. USA Edges Latvia, Leaves For Germany All of the preparations, including training camp in North Carolina and three exhibition games on a “Send Off Tour” are over. The U.S. Men’s National Team has departed for Germany, and the next time you see them on television will be June 12 in their World Cup opener against the Czech Republic. A 1-0 win over Latvia in West Hartford, CT, completed the three game tour, which the U.S. opened in Nashville earlier in the week with a 1-0 loss to Morocco. Coach Bruce Arena’s club shutout Venezeula 2-0 in Cleveland in the other friendly. Three games and only three goals is not an impressive offensive output, but there were some positive signs, especially in the two wins. Captain Claudio Reyna, who pulled a hamstring in the game with Morocco, is back in training and is expected to be ready for the June 12 opener. Oft-injuried midfielder John O’Brien, who has been a question mark, showed some of his brillance in the friendlies, and appears to be getting fitter, but is still not ready to go the full 90 in an international match. He has 12 more days to improve his fitness. Brian McBride had the game-winner over Latvia. Brian Ching and Clint Dempsey got the goals over Venezeula. The most pleasant surprise of the training camp was Bobby Convey, who has had a great season in helping Reading to the English Premier League for next season. He was a dominate player down the left side of the field in the exhibition games, and could force DaMarcus Beasley, who is somewhat off his game, to move from the left to the right side of the field. McBride suffered a golf-ball size knot on the right side of his forehead early in the contest with Latvia, but drove in a header in the 43rd minute for the only goal of the game. He is the all-time #2 goalscorer in U.S. men’s soccer history, and a key to the offense in Germany. After suffering a large knot of the right side of his forehead early in the contest, striker Brian McBride became the one American to convert -- his header in the 43rd minute proving decisive for the U.S. in its final tuneup before departing for the World Cup in Germany. "Our three opponents this past week played quite well," Arena said after the Latvia game. "They all pushed us physically. Tonight, we had a pretty tired group, but we created a bunch of good chances. But we were a bit sloppy in the second half and gave them some opportunities, but overall we played well. O'Brien has suffered numerous injuries since his standout performance in the 2002 World Cup and has been mostly inactive for the last year, but now seems ready to resume his role for the Americans "I feel fine," he said smiling. "I took some knocks, but I gave them out too. I think I am ready to go full out." Arena expressed satisfaction with O'Brien's progress. "He still has a ways to go," he said. "He has not reached complete match fitness and probably will not be ready to go 90 minutes against the Czech Republic, but he starting to look like the John of old." While the U.S. was not overly impressive in those final exhibition games, they were just that….exhibitions. By contrast, the Czech Republic, which has suffered a number of injuries to key players this spring, only defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in one of its final tuneup matches. The U.S. was scheduled to play Angola in a closed door scrimmage in Hamberg on June 5 after arriving in Germany. "This has been quite a grind," Arena said. "We all need
a few days off. We've run them into the ground over the last three weeks.
Now we'll back off and concentrate on getting ready for June 12." Convey Out To Prove That He Can Play Bobby Convey was one of those Under-17 National Team players who headed for Bradenton, FL when U.S. Soccer first opened the Residency Program. He was on the U.S. team that included Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley. Like Donovan and Beasley skipped college and headed straight for the pros. They were teenagers and had a lot to learn about life, but life for them included a future in professional soccer. Convey was the last of the three to go to Europe. After beginning his pro career in Major League Soccer with D.C. United, he was signed to play in England and this past season helped Reading earn promotion to the English Permier League for the first-time ever. He was a starter at left outside midfield for Reading. In and out of the U.S. full national team over the last several years, Convey made the World Cup 2006 roster of 23 players. He has matured as a player and in a sendoff friendly against Venezuela at Cleveland Browns Stadium (May 16) he made a very positive statement about how he might help the team in Germany next month. Turns out that Convey was the man-of-the-match, assisting on the first goal in a 2-0 win, and terrorizing Venezuela down the left side of the field. He was the game’s most effective player. He had not played in the USA’s 1-0 loss three days earlier in Nashville to Morocco. U.S. coach Bruce arena only started two players, forward Josh Wolff and defender Oguchi Onyewu, who started against Morocco. He chose the rest the others. “We played a different formation. I think a lot of the guys were hungry, wanted to play and wanted to prove that they should be on the team,” said Convey about the game in Cleveland. “It just worked out well. Guys felt a little bit more comfortable in different positions today than in the last game. It’s a process and it’s good to win in this game, obviously, after the loss in the last game.” Arena had positive comments about Convey’s play, particularly with regards to his ability to get the ball across and in from of Venezuela’s goal. "The other night in particular, there was no crossing on our part,” said Arena. “For the game, we told our guys in the first half the other night we had three crosses. I think Bobby Convey probably had five or six on his own in the first half tonight. Being a left-sided player and getting behind the other team, whipping in some good crosses, I thought he also did well on the defensive end of the field and brought a lot of energy to the game." When asked if Arena had challenge his team to raise their level against Venezuela, Convey said, “Yeah. He’s the coach and obviously we needed to improve and we need to do better than that. It’s all preparation for the first game of the World Cup. Obviously these games are really preparation to see what works and we just needed to tweak a few things. I think we did that today.” And was Arena angry with the loss? Convey replied, “I wouldn’t say angry. He was obviously disappointed that we lost. Everyone’s disappointed when you lose and you just try to come out the next game and do better. I think it was a good thing that we played so quickly. Now everyone will remember this and how well we did instead of a loss.” When asked if he had tried to impress Arena with his play against Venzuela, Convey was honest in how he approached the opportunity he had in Cleveland. Much like he had to prove himself with Reading last season. “Yeah, of course. I go out and I want to play” said Convey, “and I’ve tried to bring it the whole season forward. When you win games and you don’t know what it’s like to lose, you just grow in confidence and you get better. “You try to get better every week and you get better all the time. Obviously, playing with the National Team, you have better players and it’s a lot easier to play when you play with good players. That’s what I want to do. Nobody likes sitting on the bench and I want to just try and play as much as I can. A win is a win, especially when the U.S. men’s national team has suffered through back-to-back shutouts. In front of a big crowd of 29,745 at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the U.S., using mostly reserves from its World Cup roster, defeated a very average Venezuela team 2-0. The win came against a South American team that has never qualified for a World Cup final, and it came in the second of three games before the U.S. departys for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Coming off a 1-0 loss to Morocco three nights earlier in Nashville, the win gets the U.S. back on track with a meeting with Latvia set for Sunday night in East Hartford, CT. U.S. manager Bruce Arena rested most of his players from the Morocco game, only starting forward Josh Wolff and defender Oguchi Onyewu from the Morocco starters. Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley were late second-half substitutions. Arena challenged his team to step up after the disappointing loss to Morocco and for the players to prove they were worthy of a spot on the roster. They responded with a high intensity level and pressured Venezuela from the opening whistle. While Morocco jammed up the middle of the field and dropped 8-9 players back behind the ball, the U.S. players were able to find more space against Venezuela, especially down the flanks where they almost ran at will. Bobby Convey at outside left midfield was especially effective, and play in the ball that striker Brian Ching finished for the first goal and a 1-0 halftime lead. Venezuela, better known for baseball and for soccer, was not as good a team as Morocco and did not provide the U.S. with the same defensive problems. This allowed the U.S. to dominate play throughout most of the game. Both U.S. goals were quite similar, first with Ching in the 38th minute and then Clint Dempsey in the 73rd minute running from the midfield and scoring off crosses. A solid defensive team probably would have easily cleared the ball away before goals were scored, but Venezuela was far from solid in back and Ching and Dempsey were able to exploit that. Convey and Carlos Bocanegra played well enough to enhance their chances of playing more in Germany. Convey, who plays for Reading, newly promoted into the English Premier League, was a terror on the left side of the field, getting in time after time. Bocanegra, who plays for Fulham in the English Premiership, showed that he could play on the outside left defensive position, in addition to his normal central defender slot. The final minutes, and stoppage time, was played by the U.S. with 10 players aftyer Bocanegra was sent off with a second yellow card. Mexico’s Mauricio Morales, the referee, struggled to control the game as it got chippy in the second half. He handed out a total of nine yellow cards, five going to Venezuela. Against Morocco there were few scoring opportunities for the U.S., and against Venezuela there were many, and it would be fair to say that the U.S. must capitalize on opportunities like those in a meaningful game, and the U.S. did not in a game that mean very little. However, Arena got what the team needed, a win, and got what he needed, an opportunity to see some players he will need to call on at some point in the World Cup. Two weeks from opening the World Cup against the Czech Republic, and
the clock is counting! Berhalter Replaces Gibbs On U.S. Roster The U.S. men’s World Cup team took its second hit when Cory Gibbs was removed from the roster after suffering a knee injury in Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to Morocco in Nashville. Gibbs, 26, played the entire game and the severity of his injury was not determined until Thursday, the day before the U.S. was scheduled to play Venezuela in Cleveland. He has been replaced on the roster by 32-year-old central defender Gregg Berhalter, a veteran of the USA’s successful 2002 World Cup effort. “Naturally we are very sorry for Cory," manager Bruce Arena said in a U.S. Soccer Federation press release. "We know he was looking forward to playing in his first World Cup. I believe strongly in him as a player. We are going to miss him. In Gregg, we are fortunate to have a player of his experience ready to step in to his second World Cup. I'm confident that Gregg will be able to contribute immediately to our team." All news from the U.S. camp was not negative, as it was determined that midfielder and captain Claudio Reyna’s MRI exam showed no muscle damage from the right hamstring he strained in the 11th minute of the 1-0 loss to Morocco. He is doubtful for Sunday night's World Cup sendoff match against Latvia in East Hartford, Conn. (also on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.). "I am relieved that there is no serious damage," Reyna said in a USSF release. "I'll be working with the trainers on a daily basis and will be focused on getting back on the field as quickly as possible." Gibbs, who missed most of his 2005-06 club season with a knee injury, was expected to provide experienced depth for Eddie Lewis at left back. Had he been available, it would have given Arena an option of moving Lewis up to the midfield spot on the left flank. With Berhalter a central back, it would seem Lewis' backups will be reserve right defender Chris Albright and possibly midfielder John O'Brien, who has played the left back position in the past. On May 2, Gibbs was named to his first World Cup team and six days later signed with Charlton Athletic of the English Premier League. The injury throws a cloud over his future with Charlton. The deal was contingent on Gibbs receiving a work permit. Only time will tell if Charlton can or would reconsider its contract offer or whether being dropped from the World Cup might jeopardize Gibbs' ability to obtain a work permit, which is closely tied to how much a player has represented his nation in major competitions. Berhalter, who played collegiate soccer on the same UNC Chapel Hill team will fellow U.S. veteran Eddie Pope, has represented the U.S. 44 times since first representing his nation in 1994. In the 2002 World Cup, he did not play in the three group matches, but started both games in the knockout round. He etched his placed in World Cup lore when his shot in the 50th minute appeared destined to tie Germany 1-1, but was kept out of the net by defender Torsten Frings' hand. Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn gathered the ball, Scottish referee Hugh Dallas did not award the Americans a penalty kick and Germany held on for a 1-0 victory and a berth in the semifinals. "I don't want to be a sore loser, but that was a clear hand-ball and the referee should have given Frings) a red card," Berhalter told Associated Press after the match. Berhalter has served as captain for the last two seasons for Energie
Cottbus, which recently finished third in Germany's 2.Bundesliga, good
enough for promotion to the first Bundesliga. He has spent his entire
professional career, beginning in 1994, in Europe with stops in the Netherlands,
England and Germany. A Disappointing Loss In Nashville NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 23, 2006) — In their first match of the three-game Send-Off Series before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Men’s National Team fell to Morocco, 1-0, on a last-minute goal in front of 26,141 fans at the Coliseum in Nashville, Tenn. The U.S., now 4-2-2 in 2006, will continue the Send-Off Series this Friday, May 26, at 7 p.m. ET, as Sierra Mist presents U.S. vs. Venezuela at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio (tickets The final send-off match before departing for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany on June 1 will be on May 28 at 7 p.m. ET at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., vs. Latvia. Both matches will be televised live on ESPN2, and taped delay on Telemundo. "First of all I think our opponents played a better game than us tonight. They had a definite game plan and the objective was to keep the U.S. team off the scoreboard and they certainly accomplished that,” said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena. “They shortened the game with fouling, delaying and both are fair and within the rules of the game. They did a very solid job. They caught us at the end of the game with a mistake and got a goal. I think they would have been very, very happy with zero-zero.” "On the other end, we weren't sharp. We were a little leg weary, a little over-trained at this point. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything we've done. Our objective is still to look ahead to June 12 and not necessarily these games, although we certainly would have liked to have a positive result tonight.” The U.S. had the better of play throughout the match and managed 13 shots, but struggled to breakdown Morocco in the final third. On the other end, the U.S. stifled Morocco’s attack for almost the entire match by only allowing four shots before a quick counter provided the African nation with the game-winner After subduing a U.S. free-kick opportunity in the 90th minute, Morocco knocked the ball up the field. U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo was able to stay in front of Moroccan forward Bouchaib El Moubarki and reached the ball first along the right edge of the penalty area, but his touch to his right was a bit too far in front and Moubarki was able to steal it away. With numbers joining in the attack, Moubarki quickly dribbled toward the middle of the field before slotting the ball to a wide-open Mohamed Madihi on the left side. At the top of the box, Madihi took a touch toward goal before finishing past the charging Kasey Keller into the top netting. The U.S. has lost to Morocco all three times the two countries have met. Before tonight’s match, the two previous meetings took place on Moroccan soil, the U.S. falling 3-1 on March 18, 1992, in Casablanca and 2-1 seven years later on Nov. 17, 1999, in Marrakech. The loss was the first for the U.S. on American soil since a 2-1 defeat on May 28, 2005, at the hands of England. Bobby Convey paced the U.S. early in the second half,
getting two shots in the first seven minutes. On his first attempt, Convey
got free on the left side of the penalty area and unleashed a shot from
a tight angle, but Jarmouni had the near post covered. His second attempt
came when Beasley dropped the ball back to him at the top of the area,
but once again Jarmouni was in position. After Morocco took the lead, the U.S. had one final chance to pull even during injury time off a 25-yard free kick. Convey’s left-footed strike cleared the wall, but was just wide right, hitting the outside of the side netting. "I've been working on that all year, and it has gotten better for me,” said Convey. “It was a little disappointing obviously to miss by a couple of inches. Hopefully next time I will be in the same position and it will go in. It would have been a good ending, but that is how it goes sometimes." Match-up: USA vs. Morocco Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA 0 0 0 MOR – Mohamed Madihi 90th minute Hejduk To Miss World Cup With ACL Injury Chris Albright has been added to the USA’s 23-man roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, replacing defender Frankie Hejduk who today was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee. Albright will join the U.S. training camp on May 10 in Cary, N.C. Hejduk, a two-time World Cup veteran, suffered the injury during the Crew’s 1-0 loss to Kansas City on April 29 in Columbus. Despite the injury, Hejduk completed the match as well as a full training session Tuesday before experiencing pain in his knee. An MRI taken this afternoon confirmed the ACL injury. Albright, who was named to the 13-player alternate list for the World Cup during the official announcement on the May 2 edition of SportsCenter, has appeared in 19 matches for the United States. He scored his lone goal in his debut match, a 2-2 draw against Jamaica on Sept. 8, 1999 in Kingston. Capable of playing on the right or left side of defense, he played in six final round qualifying matches in 2005, starting five. Albright posted his first career assist in 2005, setting up the game-winning goal in the United States' 2-0 qualifying win against Panama on Oct. 12 in Foxborough, Mass. "I deeply regret having to replace Frankie Hejduk on the roster. Frankie has been a great member of the national team program for many years. Unfortunately this last minute injury has forced us to make a change," said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena. "I'm delighted to be able to offer Chris Albright an opportunity to be a member of our team. As the case with all of our alternates, they need to be prepared in case a situation like this occurs." Albright started all six of the U.S. matches at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, registering two goals and an assist. The Los Angeles Galaxy defender has won two MLS Cup titles with the Galaxy (2002 & 2005), assisting on Carlos Ruiz's game-winning goal to give the Galaxy their first title. The USA was drawn into Group E <http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_280529.html>
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup along with the Czech Republic, Ghana, and
Italy. The U.S. plays their opening match against the Czechs on June 12
in Gelsenkirchen before meeting Italy on June 17 in Kaiserslautern and
then finishing off group play against Ghana on June 22 in Nuremberg. The
U.S. has chosen the northern port city of Hamburg <http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_252191.html>
as their base of operations throughout the tournament. CHICAGO (May 2, 2006) —After a nearly four-year process in which the United States has used 85 players in 59 overall matches, there were very few surprises when U.S. Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena named his team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Arena picked a veteran team, headed by goalkeeper Kasey Keller and midfielder Claudio Reyna, headed to their fourth World Cup, on the roster of 23 players who head to Cary, NC to begin final preparations for the team’s fifth consecutive World Cup. The official roster must be submitted to FIFA no later than May 15. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the inclusion of forward Brian Ching, who has not been effective in international friendlies for the U.S. this year. The fourth forward spot on the team probably came down between Ching and Taylor Twellman, who was not included, but was named as an alternate Since the 2002 World Cup, 85 players made at least one international appearance for the U.S. which compiled a 36-9-14 (.729) record in that period. Forty-six players appeared in at least one of the 18 World Cup qualifiers in 2004 and 2005. Twelve players play for teams in Europe, with the other 11 are based in MLS. "I'm comfortable in saying that over these 59 games, I've been able to observe and evaluate a pool of very talented players," Arena said. "It is unfortunate that I am not able to bring all these players to Germany. "With the right mental approach, our team will be one that challenges any team.". The team will begin their pre-World Cup training camp May 10 in Cary, N.C., when 20 players are expected to report. Both Steve Cherundolo and Keller will join camp after the German Bundesliga season ends on May 13. Additionally, Eddie Lewis may still be competing in the promotion playoffs in the English League Championship. The United States will play matches in the Send-Off Series on May 23 in Nashville, May 26 in Cleveland and May 28 in East Hartford, Conn., with all three games airing live on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET. The team is scheduled to depart for Germany on June 1 from Newark, N.J., arriving into Hamburg the following day. During the four-year cycle, 85 players have earned at least one cap for the U.S. as the team collected a 36-9-14 record. Additionally, 46 players appeared in at least one of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, giving Arena an extremely thorough opportunity to evaluate players based both domestically and abroad. "The naming of this 23-man roster is the end of a long and arduous process that has carried the U.S. National Team throughout the CONCACAF region and the world over the last 3 1/2 years," said Arena in making the announcement. "I'm comfortable in saying that over these 59 games, I've been able to observe and evaluate a pool of very talented players. It is unfortunate that I am not able to bring all these players to Germany. I am extremely grateful for the effort and professionalism that all our players exhibited throughout the process. "Today, a new journey begins as we start final preparations for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. As usual, we will not make any bold statements or predictions. However, I can assure everyone that the team that steps on the field on June 12 against the Czech Republic will be a team that all Americans will be proud of. We look forward to preparing for an exciting and demanding challenge, and we appreciate the support of all Americans." Twelve players return from the 2002 World Cup roster, led by Reyna, the team captain. The New Jersey native became the first U.S. Men’s National Team player to be named to the FIFA All-World Cup Team in 2002. Reyna and 2005 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year Kasey Keller are set to become the only players in U.S. Soccer history to appear on four World Cup rosters. Reyna, Frankie Hejduk, Brian McBride and Eddie Pope boast the most appearances in World Cup matches on the roster, each having appeared in seven contests. The team is nearly evenly balanced between those playing professionally abroad and those plying their trade in Major League Soccer. In 2006, 12 players will come from Europe while 11 play in MLS, the same ratio as the 2002 team. The Kansas Wizards contribute the most players to the roster, sending 2002 World Cup veteran Josh Wolff along with Jimmy Conrad and Johnson. In total, nine MLS teams are represented on the roster, with an additional 10 teams sending at least one player from clubs in Belgium (1), England (7), Germany (2) and Holland (2). The U.S. team also features seven players who have played professionally in Germany (Cherundolo, Landon Donovan, Cory Gibbs, Hejduk, Keller, McBride and Reyna). Keller leads the goalkeeping trio as the USA’s all-time leader for goalkeepers in wins (51), shutouts (44) and World Cup qualifying appearances (31). Both Hahnemann and Tim Howard have collected PFA Goalkeeper of the Year honors in England. Hahnemann earned his trophy with Reading FC in the English League Championship this year as his side gained promotion to the English Premier League for the first time in the 135-year history of the club while setting a league record for points. Howard grabbed the EPL Goalkeeper of the Year award in his debut season at Manchester United in 2003. The backline unit boasts a pair of players appearing in their third World Cup finals, with Pope the elder statesmen at 78 caps overall and Hejduk just behind with 72 appearances. Cherundolo goes to his second straight World Cup after being unable to participate in games during the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan because of an injury suffered the day before the USA’s first match against Portugal. Lewis played in 11 of 18 World Cup qualifiers, scoring two goals and delivering two assists. Carlos Bocanegra, Conrad, Gibbs and Onyewu are all making their World Cup debuts. Reyna marshals a midfield that includes two-time U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year Landon Donovan. The 24-year-old is already the leading assist man in U.S history (23), and has led the team in points the last three years running. DaMarcus Beasley, who had a breakout performance in Korea as a 20-year-old four years ago, is coming off two consecutive four-goal years for the U.S., appearing in 13 of 18 World Cup qualifiers and tallying the insurance goal in the 2-0 win against Mexico that secured the USA’s ticket to Germany. Both Pablo Mastroeni and John O’Brien return to reprise their role in the middle of the park from 2002, O’Brien having recorded the USA’s first goal in Korea just four minutes past the opening whistle in the 3-2 victory against Portugal and one of only three players to play every minute of every match. Ben Olsen is the only player on the 23-man roster not to play in a single World Cup qualifier in the 2006 campaign, assuming the mantle occupied by Mastroeni in 2002. (Olsen did, however, play in a qualifying game back in 2001.) Bobby Convey and Clint Dempsey round out the midfield group, also making their World Cup debuts. McBride is the only player in U.S. history to score goals in multiple World Cups, his three career goals include the game-winners in the 3-2 opening match victory against Portugal in the 2002 World Cup and the 2-0 win against Mexico in the Round of 16. Just one shy of the USA’s all-time leader in World Cup goals, his 29 international strikes also put him in second place on the all-time U.S. list. Wolff makes his second World Cup appearance, having set up McBride for the game-winner against Mexico four years ago. While the youngest player on the roster, Johnson already holds a U.S. Soccer record as the only player to score a goal in his first four matches for the senior team, all of which were 2006 World Cup qualifiers. Brian Ching made his World Cup qualifying debut in style, scoring the equalizer in the 88th minute to deliver the U.S. a valuable road point in the 1-1 draw against Jamaica on Aug. 18, 2004 in Kingston. Arena has also nominated 13 alternates to the squad, who will be available for selection should any injuries occur. In 2002, the U.S. twice had to make roster changes after both Chris Armas and his replacement Greg Vanney were ruled out through injury. After the official 23-man roster is submitted on May 15 to FIFA, a player may only be replaced on the roster as a result of an injury. - 2006 FIFA World Cup U.S. Men’s National Team Roster -
UNITED STATES 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (3): Marcus Hahnemann (2006), Tim Howard (2006), Kasey Keller (1990, 1998, 2002, 2006) Defenders (8): Carlos Bocanegra (2006), Steve Cherundolo (2002, 2006), Jimmy Conrad (2006), Cory Gibbs (2006), Frankie Hejduk (1998, 2002, 2006), Eddie Lewis (2002, 2006), Oguchi Onyewu (2006), Eddie Pope (1998, 2002, 2006) Midfielders (8): DaMarcus Beasley (2002, 2006), Bobby Convey (2006), Clint Dempsey (2006), Landon Donovan (2002, 2006), Pablo Mastroeni (2002, 2006) John O’Brien (2002, 2006), Ben Olsen (2006), Claudio Reyna (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006) Forwards (4): Brian Ching (2006), Eddie Johnson (2006), Brian McBride (1998, 2002, 2006), Josh Wolff (2002, 2006) ALTERNATES Goalkeepers (2): Tony Meola (New York Red Bulls), Matt Reis (New England Revolution) Defenders (3): Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Gregg Berhalter (Energie Cottbus), Todd Dunivant (Los Angeles Galaxy) Midfielders (5): Chris Armas (Chicago Fire), Chris Klein (Real Salt Lake), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution), Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards) Forwards (3): Conor Casey (FSV Mainz), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution) As the saying goes, if you snooze you lose. It only took 90 minutes for SAS Stadium in Cary to sellout for the April 11 game between the United States men and Jamaica. It is the final pre-World Cup game for the U.S. before manager Bruce Arena selects his World Cup team. The 7 p.m. (ET) match will be broadcast by ESPN2 with Spanish-language Telemudo showing it on tape delay at 11:30 p.m. (ET and PT). SAS is listed as having a capacity of 7,000, but more than 8,000 tickets were sold since they went on sale Friday morning at 10 a.m. Reserved seats were gone after 90 minutes with the game selling out by Sunday night. A limited number of premium ticket packages are still available through the U.S. Soccer Federation. The U.S. will return to Cary May 9 for two weeks of training before departing for the World Cup in Germany. First, the U.S. visits Germany for a March 22 friendly at Westfalenstadion in Dortmund. The Americans are 4-0-1 in 2006 and are in a tie for sixth in world governing body FIFA' rankings. The U.S. has played five times in North Carolina -- all between 1990 and 1994 -- and compiled a 3-1-1 record, but none of those games was played in Cary. The team did scrimmage the second-division Richmond Kickers at SAS during preparations for the 2002 World Cup. The U.S. is coming off a 1-0 defeat of Poland in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The Americans begin World Cup Group E play June 12 against the Czech
Republic in Gelsenkirchen, followed by facing Italy June 17 in Kaiserslautern
and Ghana June 22 in Nürnberg. Dempsey’s Goal Gives U.S. 1-0 Win Over Poland KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (Wednesday, March 1, 2006) -- Midfielder Clint Dempsey was in the right place at the right time. As a deflection of Eddie Lewis's free kick came bouncing his way, Dempsey put it away with a diving header from point-blank range shortly after intermission to send the United States men to their fourth straight victory, a 1-0 decision over Poland in a friendly before 13,395 at Fritz-Walter-Stadion tonight. With American service members from the nearby Ramstein Air Base comprising much of those in attendance, the game started with a light snow and a temperature of 28 degrees. Conditions only worsened from there, with the snow so heavy in the final 20 minutes or so that it was difficult to see the players. German referee Thorston Kinhofer replaced the white game ball with a yellow, "high-resolution" ball in the 80th minute. Playing at the same stadium where it will face Italy June 17 in the second of its three World Cup Group E matches, the Americans ran their record for 2006 to 4-0-1. "I was pleased with the win for our team," said U.S. manager Bruce Arena, whose record against European opponents on their soil increased to 2-7-1. "It was not an easy game for either team. The field conditions were very difficult. I thought our team was a little unsteady in the first 30 minutes. but in the last 15 minutes of the first half we settled in." The game turned on an error by Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc, who had just entered to play the second half, and Dempsey's timely far-post run. Striker Eddie Johnson received a throw-in from the right, carried left before sending a ball to Lewis on the left side. Lewis surveyed the situation before lifting a cross to within eight yards of the center of the goal. Boruc probably should have been able to catch the ball or, at worst knock it away safely, Meanwhile, Twellman was battling with defenders Mariusz Jop and Jacek Bak in an effort to head the ball on goal from just ahead of the penalty spot. Boruc lunged forward and used his left fist to punch the ball away, but it hit Twellman in the right side of his head and caromed toward the right post. Dempsey had a step on Poland defender Michal Zewlakow and dove forward to head two yards into the top of the net while Boruc helplessly retreated. Twellman jumped into the arms of Dempsey, his teammate with Major League Soccer's New England revolution, while the pair and several other U.S. players saluted the American service personnel in the stands. "It was one of those games where someone had to take an opportunity and we were the team today," arena said. "We did well to hold on to the lead. A number of our young players really gained from this game tonight. It was an important experience for our young guys and hopefully we can continue to build as we move forward towards the World Cup." Dempsey's fourth international strike was his first game-winner for the U.S. men. Twellman now has four goals and three assists in his last three U.S. appearances. Not much happened during the first half with neither team establishing any consistent rhythm. Poland registered four shots compared to just one for the U.S., but that lone attempt from defender Steve Cherundolo's nearly gave the Americans the lead. After Bak sent Dempsey sprawling with a hip check about 30 yards from the center of the goal, Cherundolo curled the free kick over the defensive wall and appeared to have keeper Jerzy Dudek beaten, but the shot veered inches wide of the left post. Kasey Keller was lightly tested in goal before giving way to Tim Howard who started the second half. After a relatively easy save on forward Tomasz Frankowski's header off a free kick in the 19th minute, Keller aggressiveness squelched a couple of Poland chances eight minutes later. Jacek Krzynowek dropped in a nice lead ball at the top of the penalty area for his midfield partner Euzebiuz Smolarek, but Keller came off his line to clear the ball away before the attacker could get to it. Soon after, Zewlakow ripped a low drive toward the lower left corner, but Keller dropped to his right to make the save. Poland had a good chance to pull even in the 66th minute, when Kryzynowek eluded the wall with a free kick, but Howard was there for the save. Howard caused U.S. supporters some anxiety in the 85th minute when he came out of his box to the top of the penalty arc. While the slippery footing could have caused disaster, Howard calmly booted the ball safely away as opponents approached. "I think the goal was a big relief for us," Cherundolo said. "I think we played a little nervous in the first half. The field conditions were very bad. Believe it or not, with the snow, it played a little better. It wasn't as bumpy and it went a little slower so it went to our advantage. We kept the ball on the floor and, like I said, with the score, it gave us a lot of confidence and we took the game home from there." There were only five shots on frame in the game with Poland taking three. In overall shots, Poland led 6-4. The U.S. has two more matches before Arena selects his 23-man World Cup roster. The U.S. again travel for a match against Germany March 22 in Dortmund, then faced Jamaica April 11 at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Prior to the Jamaica game, the U.S. will use Cary as its base for training. Starting May 9, the Americans will spend their final two weeks of preparations there before departing for Germany and ten World Cup, which runs from June 9-July 9. In the World Cup Group E, The U.S. faces the Czech Republic June 12, Italy June 17 and Ghana June 22. The Americans will reside and train in Hamburg. Notes: In four consecutive victories, the U.S, has outscored the opposition 13-2 and recorded three shutouts. * The U.S. wore new white Nike uniforms for the first time, opting for
the long sleeves in the sub-freezing conditions Lineups: United States - Kasey Keller - captain (Tim Howard 46), Eddie Lewis, Gregg Berhalter (Carlos Bocanegra 46), Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, DaMarcus Beasley (Bobby Convey 71), Kerry Zavagnin (Pablo Mastroeni 55), Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey (Chris Klein 89), Taylor Twellman, Eddie Johnson (Josh Wolff 79). Poland - Jerzy Dudek (Artur Boruc 46), Mariusz Jop (20-Tomasz Klos 83), Marcin Baszczynski, Jacek Bak (captain), Michal Zewlakow (Tomasz Rzasa 72), Arkadiusz Radomski (Radoslaw Sobolewski 80), Euzebiuz Smolarek, Jacek Krzynowek, Miroslaw Szymkowiak, Grzegorz Rasiak (Kamil Kosowski 61), Tomasz Frankowski (Andrzej Niedzielan 61). Scoring: Shots: United States 4, Poland 6. Saves: United States 3, Poland 1. Corner kicks: United States 3, Poland 2. Fouls: United States 15, Poland 21. Offside: United States 3, Poland 4. Yellow card cautions: United States - Bocanegra 58; Poland - Jop 79. Referee: Thorston Kinhofer (Germany). Assistant referees: Mark Seemann (Germany), Rainer Werthmann (Germany). Fourth official: Jochen Drees (Germany). Attendance: 13,395 at Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Weather: Cold, snow, 30 degrees. U.S. Men’s National Team Manager Bruce Arena has selected 20 players to face fellow FIFA World Cup finalists Poland on March 1 in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Kickoff at Fritz-Walter-Stadion, the site of the USA’s highly anticipated FIFA World Cup match against Italy on June 17, is set for 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also follow the action live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. The match falls on the lone international fixture date set aside by FIFA prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, allowing Arena the opportunity to call upon a full complement of European-based players for the only time prior to naming a roster for Germany. "With only one international fixture date prior to the World Cup, this is an important opportunity for our players based in Europe to demonstrate their form and fitness,” said Arena. “The match is extremely valuable as we continue to evaluate players with an eye towards finalizing our 23-man roster for Germany.” The roster boasts a wealth of experience, led by Fulham forward Brian McBride. With 90 caps to his credit, the USA’s second all-time leading scorer (29 goals) is just five shy of the team record. At the other end, veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller (Borussia Mönchengladbach) has collected an amazing 44 shutouts in 89 career matches, an average of nearly one shutout for every two games played. PSV Eindhoven midfielder DaMarcus Beasley had a banner year for both club and country in 2005, posting career highs in goals (4) and assists (4) for the national team while becoming the first American ever to play in the semifinals of the prestigious UEFA Champions League. Eddie Lewis (Leeds United) sits third on the all-time U.S. assist list with 16 total, while Bobby Convey enjoys regular starting time on a Reading FC side sitting atop the League Championship table. The U.S. backline looks to have a largely European flavor as well, with 2002 World Cup veterans Gregg Berhalter (Energie Cottbus) and Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96) being called upon along with Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham) and Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege). Landon Donovan heads the domestic-based contingent. The two-time U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year now sits tied with Cobi Jones for the all-time U.S. assist lead (22) after setting up the final U.S. goal in the 5-0 win against Norway on Jan. 29 in Carson. Calif. The 2005 MLS MVP, Taylor Twellman, has scored four goals and tallied two assists in his last two matches for the U.S., recording the USA’s ninth-ever hat trick in the Norway victory. Kansas City Wizards striker Josh Wolff is the only player on the roster to start all four of the USA’s matches in 2006, while teammate Kerry Zavagnin has appeared in every match as either a starter or a reserve. The U.S. has begun 2006 in solid form, going 3-0-1 and netting 12 goals while surrendering only two. After drawing with Canada on Jan. 22 in San Diego, the U.S. has produced three straight comprehensive wins against Norway, Japan (another FIFA World Cup finalist) and Guatemala, including two by shutout. Against Poland, the United States has an all-time record of 5-7-2 in 14 meetings. The teams have met once before on neutral soil, a 3-1 victory for Poland in the teams’ final Group D match at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Daejeon, Korea Republic. The USA was drawn into Group E the 2006 FIFA World Cup along with the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana. The U.S. plays their opening match against the Czechs on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen before meeting Italy and then finishing off group play against Ghana on June 22 in Nuremberg. U.S. Men’s National Team Roster v. Poland March 1, 2006 - Kaiserslautern, Germany Goalkeepers (2) – Tim Howard (Manchester United), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach) Defenders (7) – Gregg Berhalter (Energie Cottbus), Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Todd Dunivant (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Lewis (Leeds United), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Jonathan Spector (Charlton Athletic) Midfielders (6) – DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven), Bobby Convey (Reading FC), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards) Forwards (5) – Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards),
Brian McBride (Fulham FC), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution), Taylor
Twellman (New England Revolution), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards) U.S. Men To Play April 11 In Cary U.S. MNT manager Bruce Arena will have a pretty good idea what his World Cup roster will look like when the his team takes on Jamaica on Tuesday, April 11, at SAS Park in Cary, N.C. The game, which is expected to be the final match in the USA’s World Cup preparations, is set for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff and will be televised live on ESPN2. The match will occur just under a month before the team begins to use the Cary facility as their base training camp prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The team will begin final preparations for Germany on May 9 in Cary, and will train for approximately two weeks at the facility. For a number of domestic-based professionals, the game in Cary will be the final opportunity for them to make their case for a spot on the roster. "The match in Cary is our last game before we make our final decisions on the World Cup roster, so it is obviously an important one for us," said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena. "With our World Cup training camp scheduled here in May and the great success that we had in Cary in advance of the 2002 World Cup, it is great to schedule an actual international game for the fans in the area. We are very comfortable with facilities at SAS Soccer Park and are looking forward to the match." Tickets for the game go on sale starting Friday, March 3, at 10 a.m. ET online at ussoccer.com, at all Cary and Raleigh Ticketmaster outlets (including Hechts, FYE, and Publix Stores) and by phone at 919-834-4000. Groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets by calling 312-528-1290. The U.S. MNT has played five games in three different locations in North Carolina, amassing a 3-1-1 record (all between 1990-94), but has never played an international match at SAS Soccer Park. However, Arena and the players are familiar with the facility at Cary, as it was the USA’s base of operations prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan when the team played a friendly at SAS Soccer Park against the Richmond Kickers. The U.S. is undefeated in 15 meetings with Jamaica, holding an 8-0-7 record against the Reggae Boyz. The team’s last two meetings were in 2004 during the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying, both home and away matches ending in 1-1 draws. While never dropping a match to Jamaica, there have been a number of close match-ups with five of the eight victories coming by just one goal. Currently ranked sixth in the FIFA World Rankings, the U.S. opened their
2006 campaign with a 0-0 draw against Canada in San Diego, before snagging
victories over Norway (5-0) in Carson, Japan (3-2) in San Francisco and
Guatemala (4-0) in Frisco, Texas. The U.S. will return three weeks later to face Germany on Wednesday, March 22, at Westfalenstadion in Dortmund. Kickoff for the match is at 2:25 p.m. ET and will be televised live on ESPN2 and delayed on Telemundo. Fans can also follow both matches in Germany live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. The USA was drawn into Group E for the 2006 FIFA World Cup along with
the Czech Republic, Ghana, and Italy. The U.S. plays their opening match
against the Czechs on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen before meeting Italy and
then finishing off group play against Ghana on June 22 in Nuremberg. The
U.S. has chosen the northern port city of Hamburg as their base of operations
throughout the tournament. U.S. Rolls To 4-0 Win Over Guatemala With his team up 2-0, U.S. manager Bruce Arena’s message to his team was score another goal in the first 15 minutes of the second half. It took Ed Johnson just over 67 seconds to get that done. He came in as a second-half sub during intermission and finished the first touches he had on the ball. It was ventage Johnson, who got his first U.S. goal in 11 months. Johnson’s goal removed any doubt in the 4-0 win over Guatemala and brought a huge smile to Arena’s face. Midfielder Chris Klein contributed a goal and two assists, leading the U.S. to its third win over the year before 14,453 who braved surprising chilly conditions at Pizza Hut Park. With temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, the U.S. also received other goals from midfielder Ben Olsen and Brian Ching in raising its record to 3-0-1 in 2006. The Americans have scored 12 goals in the last three games, following a scoreless draw with Canada by burying Norway 5-0 and edging Japan 3-2. "I thought it was a good performance today by our team," U.S. manager Bruce Arena said. "Obviously, the conditions weren't perfect, but I thought the field was great. It's a terrific facility here to play in. I think the Guatemalan team gave us a really good game. They were tough to break down and they defended well in the early going. We had some goal-scoring opportunities that we failed on early in the game and we struggled a bit." After testing 20-year-old Guatemalan goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez, who made his first international appearance, with opportunities by forwards Josh Wolff and Chris Rolfe, and midfielder Kerry Zavagnin in the first half, the U.S. finally broke through when Olsen nailed a blistering shot in the 38th minute. Klein served in a cross from the right sideline to Olsen at the top of the penalty area. The midfielder with Major League Soccer's D.C. United took a settling touch with his left foot before unleashing a right-footed blast into the top left corner past the outstretched hands of Jerez. Olsen recorded his fifth international goal and his first since November 17, 2002, a 2-0 victory over El Salvador in Washington. D.C. The U.S. made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time. After a foul along the right sideline, Wolff chipped the ball over a defender to Klein who lofted a high cross into the penalty area for Ching. With a defender blanketing him, Ching did well to bring the ball down and drill his shot from the penalty spot past Jerez into the left side of the goal. "The first goal by Ben Olsen was a terrific individual effort as well as a big goal psychologically in the game," Arena said. "Certainly, the second goal by Ching right at the end of the half basically put the game away." On the other end of the field, Brad Guzan collected his first cap in goal, but he was not busy, needing to make two saves on Guatemala's five shots. After he easily snagged an attempt from Guillermo Ramirez in the third minute, forward Julio Goran had the best effort of the day for Guatemala when his 20-yard drive sailed inches over the top right corner of the net in the 24th minute. Johnson came off the bench at the break and quickly erased any Guatemalan ideas of a comeback. Striker Chris Rolfe flicked a long ball forward to the top of the penalty area where a Guatemalan back whiffed. Johnson streaked through and avoided defender Luis Swisher before lifting the ball high into the net with the outside of his right foot from the six-yard box for a 3-0 lead. The goal was Johnson's ninth in 12 games with the U.S. men and his first since returning from a foot injury that had kept him out of the lineup for most of 2005. Klein put the finishing touches on the match with an unassisted tally in the 71st minute. Olsen served a free kick from the left flank to Rolfe at the back post where his shot was deflected by a Guatemalan defender. The ball caromed to the top of the box where Klein sent a low drive through a crowd and into the net. Eddie Pope anchored a U.S. defense that shut down potent striker Carlos Ruiz and the rest of the Guatemalan attack. Pope's partner in the middle, Jimmy Conrad came up with a number of well-timed tackles, while Frankie Hejduk and Heath Pearce shut down the flanks. Late in the match, Arena added two more names to the long list of players that have received their first cap since he took over as manager in 1998. Defender Bobby Boswell came on in reserve for Hejduk in the 76th minute, while Zach Wells replaced Guzan in the 80th minute. Notes: The U.S. plays its next two matches in Germany, The Americans face Poland March 1 at Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern, the site of the U.S.'s World Cup Group E game against Italy on June 17. That 2 p.m. (ET) match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and on a delayed basis by Spanish-language Telemundo. On March 22, the U.S. takes on Germany at Westfalenstadion in Dortmund,
a 2:25 p.m. start that again will be televised live by ESPN2 and delayed
by Telemundo. Lineups: United States - Brad Guzan (Zach Wells 80), Heath Pearce, Jimmy Conrad, Eddie Pope (captain), Frankie Hejduk (Bobby Boswell 76), Kerry Zavagnin (Brian Carroll 63), Ben Olsen (Santino Quaranta 71), Chris Klein, Josh Wolff (Eddie Johnson 46), Brian Ching, Chris Rolfe (Kyle Martino 80) . Guatemala - Ricardo Jerez, Pablo Melgar, Luis Swisher, Henry Medina, Martin Machon (Juan Carlos Plata 46), Gonzalo Romero (Leonel Noriega 83), Guillermo Ramirez (Marvin Avila), Selvyn Ponciano, Mario Rodriguez (Carlos Figueroa 46), Julio Giron - captain (Patrick Howell 88), Carlos Ruiz (Mario Acevedo 63). Scoring: Shots: United States 20, Guatemala 5. Saves: United States 2, Guatemala 5. Corner kicks: United States 6, Guatemala 4. Fouls: United State 21, Guatemala 12. Offside: United States 0, Guatemala 0. Yellow card cautions: United States - Pearce 40, Rolfe 55; Guatemala - Giron, 62, Romero 69. Referee: Mauricio Navallo (Canada). Assistant referees:
Simon Fearn (Canada), Amado DeLuca (Canada). Fourth official: Michael
Kennedy (United States). Attendance: 14,452 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco,
Texas. Weather: 30 degrees, overcast. Bruce Arena’s U.S. Men’s National Team, which was offensively challenged a week ago in an unimpressive 0-0 draw with Canada, exploded with a 5-0 win over Norway at The Home Depot Center, Jan. 29. Taylor Twellman, Major League Soccer’s MVP this past season, did much to enhance his chances of making the World Cup roster for Germany this summer by scoring three of those goals. It was only the ninth’s all-time hat trick for a U.S. national team player over a span of 93 years. Eddie Pope scored a goal in his 75th international appearance, and Chris Klein capped the scoring in the 87th minute. Twellman's goals came in the fifth, 17th and 76th minutes. The margin of victory was the largest ever by a U.S. team against a European opponent. Only one starter from its World Cup qualifying squad played for Norway, and it showed. While the U.S. squad was a domestic side, filled with players who are battling for seven or eight spots on the final U.S. World Cup roster, Norway’s young players looked as those they came to California on holiday. The U.S. outshot them 24-2 and U.S. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was seldom challenged, having to make only one save. “They have a lot of good players and we knew that,” said Norway’s coach Age Hareide. “Our boys weren’t up to it today. We had a lot of inexperienced players. I let them play just to have a look at them, and it turned out to be a very disastrous experience for them.” Twellman has been on Arena’s radar screen in recent months, and finally showed in a national team jersey what he does best….score goals. He has four goals in his last three U.S. appearances, but had only one in 14 previous appearances. “Obviously, it was a good performance on our part today, certainly improved from last week,” said Arena. “We played quite well for 90 minutes. I am very pleased.” Of Twellman’s effort, Arena said, “He scored three goals, and that’s sometimes how you’re graded as a striker. If that’s the case, he gets an A for today. All three goals were great and he also at one point in the first half made a great play defensively.” In the draw with Canada about the only significant thing that happened was the first full national team apparance by D.C. United teenager Freddy Adu. He became the youngest player to ever earn a full national cap at the age of 16 years and 234 days when he replaced Eddie Johnson in the 81st minute. The appearance locked in Adu to the U.S. national team program. Although a U.S. citizen, Adu was born in Ghana and was still eligible to play for that country’s national team until he made his first full U.S. appearance. Along with Todd Dunivant, who started at left back, forward Nate Jacqua and defender Ugo Ihemelu earned their first caps with the U.S. MNT, coming on in reserve in the second half. Next up for the U.S. will be Japan on Feb. 10 at SBC Park in San Francisco. Arena Calls 30 To January Camp U.S. Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena has named 30 players to the training camp roster that will begin workouts Jan. 4 at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The group will prepare for a series of friendlies to take place in January and February. The U.S. will open 2006 action against Canada on Jan. 22 in San Diego (5 p.m. PT), then host Norway on Jan. 29 at The Home Depot Center (2 p.m. PT, ESPN2). The U.S. will play Japan for only the second time in history when they meet at SBC Park on Feb. 10 in San Francisco. The USA’s first match in the city in 26 years kicks off at 8 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. “We eagerly look forward to seeing our domestic players,” said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena. “We want to do the best job we can of making the roster as competitive as possible over the next six months so we can position our team to be successful in the World Cup. We view this camp and the games in January and February as critical towards our preparation for Germany.” 2005 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year finalist Landon Donovan headlines the group that has 29 of 30 players based in MLS. Donovan was the U.S. leader in scoring in 2005, setting a career high for assists (6) while notching an equal number of goals. With 73 international appearances, he is also the most capped player on the roster alongside Real Salt Lake defender Eddie Pope. Pope and Columbus Crew defender Frankie Hejduk are the only two players in the group who have played in two World Cups. The two MLS Cup finalists |
