U.S. Loses Heartbreaker To Brazil

MIAMI -- It was a game the United States could have won. In fact, the U.S. en's National Team, leading 1-0 with two minutes to go, should have won.

Brazil got the equalizer in the 89th minute and then won the game on a penalty kick from Diego 10 minutes into overtime to eliminate the U.S. from the CONCACAF Gold Cup at the Orange Bowl.

The U.S. had taken a 1-0 lead on Carlos Bocanegra's header off a Claudio Reyna free kick in the 62nd minute.

In the last 15 minutes of the game the U.S. began to wilt under the 84 degree Miami heat and 80 percent humidity. They began to lose possession of the midfield, generated little pressure on Brazil's defensive third of the field, and the Brazilians began to run through gaps in the U.S. defense.

Second-half substitute Ewerthon dribbled into the penalty area and fired a shot that was saved by goalkeeper Kasey Keller, but Kaka--the only player on Brazil's roster with World Cup experience--tapped in the rebound in the 89th minute and forced overtime.

"You can't give up a goal with two minutes to go," said U.S. forward Landon Donovan. "You just can't do that."

The United States, which has beaten Brazil just once in 12 games. In this competition Brazil sent its Under-23 team, but it was still Brazil.

"I made the save, and it bounced right to him,'' said Keller, who insisted the play was offsides. Replays appeared to back him up.

"It's a shame, and I think we pretty much knew at that point we were done,'' Keller said.

Brazil, which plays Mexico or Costa Rica in Sunday's final, was awarded the penalty kick by Guatemalan referee Carlos Batres when Cory Gibbs used a hand to deflect away what would have been a certain goal by Diego, who had open net to shoot at after Keller came off his line.

With a pro-Brazil crowd of 35,211 cheering, Diego sent the shot into the corner of the net, with Keller having no chance to stop it. He had been 18-0-4 over the last five years in U.S. home games.

U.S. coach Bruce Arena used his first substitution in the 30th minute, when Clint Mathis came in for Brian McBride, who left with a cut over his left eye. Arena used his other two replacements late in the second half, and several American players were cramping in the final minutes.

"We debated whether to use the last change, because we thought that if we went into overtime, we'd have a problem,'' Arena said. "The decision was made because it was a 1-0 game, to give us some fresh legs and have a chance to finish the game.''

Damarcus Beasley, who sprained his right ankle in training before the Gold Cup began, replaced Earnie Stewart in the 83rd minute for his first action in the tournament.

Kaka's goal was the first allowed by the Americans in 600 minutes since Brazil's Adriano scored in a 1-0 win on June 21 at the Confederations Cup. It also stopped an 800-minute shutout streak for Keller in the Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

"We were playing with three attackers and playing for the tie,'' Kaka said. "But fundamentally, the United States was determined to win.''

The United States next plays in Saturday's third-place game in Miami, probably the last time most top American players will be together before the start of World Cup qualifying in January.

Because Brazil is an invited guest to the tournament, the winner of Thursday's semifinal in Mexico City earns CONCACAF's berth in the 2005 Confederations Cup in Germany.

"It's disappointing to lose it so late,'' Bocanegra said. "You have to give credit to Brazil. They kept coming at us.''

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Donovan Scores Four Against Cuba

The U.S. MNT defeated Cuba, 5-0, on four goals by Landon Donovan this afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Donovan's four goal outing is just the fourth such performance for the U.S. Men's National Team, the last coming in 1993 when Joe-Max Moore tallied four goals in a 7-0 victory over El Salvador. The others were by Archie Stark (1925) and Aldo Donelli (1934).

The U.S. advances to resume defense of their Gold Cup title in a semifinal on Wednesday in Miami, with their opponent to be determined by the result of the quarterfinal between Brazil and Colombia. The semifinal winner will advance to Azteca Stadium in Mexico City for the Gold Cup championship game next Sunday.

Colombia was the last team to eliminate the U.S. in Gold Cup play, advancing on PKs in the 2000 tournament. Brazil is the last team to score on the U.S. in any competition, their 1-0 victory over the U.S. in the Confederations Cup in June followed by five consecutive shutouts by the U.S. defense.

With the shutout, the U.S. has not surrendered a goal in their last seven Gold Cup matches, dating back to their opener in the 2002 tournament. Kasey Keller's 33rd career shutout, coming in his 65th international appearance, moves him into sole possession of first place on the U.S. Men's National Team's list of all-time leaders in shutouts, passing Tony Meola, whom Keller had tied at 32 on Monday.

Coach Bruce Arena's team had reached the quarterfinals with 2-0 group wins over El Salvador and Martinique. Brian McBride, who had a goal in the win over El Salvador, had both goals against Martinique.

Donovan got his first goal in the 28th minute of play and had two in the first half. Steve Ralston added the third just before halftime for a 3-0 lead.

The U.S. outshot Cuba 13-2 and dominated play throughout.

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U.S. Opens Gold Cup Defense With 2-0 Win

In the recent Confederations Cup the U.S. Men's National Team found out how much it needed Brian McBride in the starting lineup. In the Gold Cup opener McBride was back.

The Columbus Crew striker assisted midfielder Eddie Lewis' first-half goal and found net himself after intermission to lead the United States to a 2-0 decision over El Salvador in the Gold Cup Group C opener before 33,652 at Gillette Stadium tonight.

The game was not televised live in the United States. The defending champion U.S. will advance to the quarterfinals with a victory or draw when it closes group play against Martinique Monday night at 8:30 p.m., a match that will be broadcast by Spanish-language Galavision.

"Overall, I think it was a good team effort," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who improved his all-time Gold Cup record to 7-0-2. "We probably made the game a little bit more difficult than we needed to. I give El Salvador a lot of credit. They are a much-improved team over the one we saw in last year's tournament. Again, another good experience for us.

"It was good to get Claudio Reyna back on the field and some of our other veteran players. Hopefully we can continue to improve in each game of the tournament."
The U.S. enjoyed the majority of possession in the first half, with El Salvador rarely venturing into the U.S. end of the field. With El Salvador sweeper Marvin Gonzalez playing several yards deep, the U.S. was able to take advantage of the space and continually send balls in behind the marking backs.

The Americans' first quality chance came in the sixth minute with a long looping ball played behind the Salvadorean defense. As midfielder Earnie Stewart raced toward the penalty area to play it, goalkeeper Juan Gomez hesitated before coming off his line. Stewart was the first to arrive, but his point-blank shot was well-stopped by Gomez.

The U.S. continued to press the attack, nearly getting on the scoreboard two minutes later. Lewis' cross from the left flank was poorly cleared by the Salvadoran defense, leaving midfielder Pablo Mastroeni open at the top of the box. Mastroeni banged a first-time volley that smacked flush off the crossbar and bounded away.

Lewis finally put the U.S. ahead 1-0 in the 28th minute, working a give-and-go with McBride. Playing a pass into the feet of McBride, who was stationed at the top of the box, Lewis ran past the Salvadoran defense to collect the return pass. With only the keeper to beat, Lewis struck a right-footed blast that found the far side netting.
Lewis's fifth international goal -- and second of 2003 -- came in his 50th cap.

Lewis had one more dangerous chance before halftime. Receiving the ball 25 yards out and dead center from goal, he cleverly tried to chip the ball over Gomez, who had wandered several yards off his goal line. The dipping shot sailed just over the crossbar, giving the U.S. six shots for the half to one for El Salvador.

Starting for the first time for the U.S. since the 2002 World Cup, captain and midfielder Claudio Reyna turned in 60 solid minutes for the U.S., demonstrating his trademark passing touch and ability to dictate the pace of a game.

Reyna was replaced by Clint Mathis who made an impact just seconds after entering the game. His first touch came on another long ball over the top of the defense. Twelve yards from goal, Mathis unleashed a first-time, dipping volley that skimmed the top of bar.

In the 76th minute, midfielder Steve Ralston, who came on for Earnie Stewart five minutes earlier, raced down the right flank and turned the corner just inside the penalty area. He whipped a perfect cross onto the head of the advancing McBride who hammered home a header to give the Americans a 2-0 advantage.
With his 21st career international goal, McBride is now tied for third place on the all-time U.S. scoring list with Bruce Murray.

U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller recorded his five consecutive Gold Cup shutout, dating back to January 21, 2002, and the U.S. is 16-0-4 in his last 20 appearances. With 31 career clean sheets, Keller is one shy of the all-time U.S. mark held by Tony Meola.

The Americans are 10-1-4 all-time against El Salvador and 15-0 all-time Gold Cup group play.

United States 2, El Salvador 0
Lineups: United States - Kasey Keller, Greg Vanney, Carlos Bocanegra, Danny Califf, Frankie Hejduk, Pablo Mastroeni, Claudio Reyna - captain (Clint Mathis 60), Eddie Lewis (Bobby Convey 83), Earnie Stewart (Steve Ralston 71), Landon Donovan, Brian McBride. El Salvador - Juan Gomez (captain), Victor Velasquez, Marvin Gonzalez (Julio Castro 90), Alfredo Pacheco, Gilberto Murgas, William Torres, Guillermo Moran, William Torres Alegria (Ramon Sanchez 44), Rudis Corrales, Juan Campos (Santos Cabrera 74), Diego Mejia.
Scoring:
United States - Lewis (McBride) 28.
United States - McBride (Ralston) 76.

Shots: United States 10, El Salvador 4.
Saves: United States 2, El Salvador 3. Corner kicks: United States 2, El Salvador 6. Fouls: United States 16, El Salvador 13. Offside: United States 1, El Salvador 2 Yellow card cautions: United States - Califf 90; El Salvador - Cabrera 78.

Referee: Felipe Ramos (Mexico). Assistant referees: Vladimir Bertiaga (Panama), Rafael Herrera (Mexico). Attendance: 33,652 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Weather: 82 degrees, clear.

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U.S. Men #1 In CONCACAF For First Time

The United States men are the top-rated team in CONCACAF for the first time since the FIFA World Rankings began in August of 1993.

The rankings included games played through yesterday. The previous ratings were issued June 3.

The U.S. moved up one spot to ninth in the world rankings, slipping past Mexico which fell to 11th. Until today, Mexico had always been the top team in CONCACAF, the region that includes North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The U.S. broke into the Top 10 last August at #9 and has not dropped out since, achieving a top rating of #8. Mexico fell out of the Top 10 for the first time since October 2001.

The U.S. held solid in the rankings even though two nations rated below it advanced to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup while the Americans went 0-2-1 and were eliminated in Group B.

Cameroon, ranked 16th, defeated #22 Colombia in one semifinal today in France. In the other semi, #2 France defeated seventh-ranked Turkey 3-2.
The next rankings will be issued July 30.

FIFA World Rankings
Complete rankings
Ranking by nation
1. Brazil, 834 points (last ranking: 1)
2. France 814 (2 tie)
3. Spain 762 (2 tie)
4. Argentina 754 (5)
5. Netherlands (6)
6. Germany 745 (4)
7. Turkey 733 (8)
8. England 727 (9)
9. United States 717 (10)
10. Czech Republic 712 (13)

CONCACAF Top 10
9. United States 717 (10)
11. (tie) Mexico 711 (9)
18. Costa Rica 663 (17)
42. Honduras 596 (37)
48. Jamaica 571 (48)
54. Trinidad & Tobago 549 (52)
63. Cuba 532 (56)
65. Guatemala 529 (58)
78. Canada 482 (77)
84. Haiti 473 (80)

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USA Draws 0-0 With Cameroon

At least is wasn't three-and-out for the USA. After losing one-goal games to Turkey and Brazil in the first two games of the Confederations Cup, Coach Bruce Arena's U.S. men's national team had little to play for except pride and experience in the third group game against Cameroon.

When the final whistle was blowen, the U.S. completed play without a win, but with valuable experience. The Americans played the African champions to a scoreless tie. Cameroon advances to the next round as the top team in the group.

A U.S. lineup with seven starters 24 and younger dominated play against a second-string Cameroon lineup. The Americans thought it was their best effort of the tournament.

"It's good experience,'' forward Landon Donovan said. "We still have a ways to go.''

Last year's advance to the World Cup quarterfinals gained respect for American soccer globally, but this tournament got them only education, not results. The U.S. team lost to World Cup semifinalist Turkey 2-1 in its opener and 1-0 to World Cup champion Brazil, getting outplayed both times.

"Our big opportunity was in game one, and we let it slip away,'' midfielder Chris Armas said. "Here, at this level, in tournament play, there's no room for that.''

In its last trip to France, the United States went 0-3 at the 1998 World Cup. This time, the Americans got a point in France for the first time since a 1-0 win over Estonia in the 1924 Olympics and ended their nine-game, five-year losing streak in Europe.

Cameroon (2-0-1) advanced to a semifinal Thursday with South American champion Colombia (2-1), while defending tournament champion France (3-0) meets Turkey (1-1-1). The Turks played to a 2-2 tie Monday with Brazil (1-1-1), advancing over the World Cup champions on goal difference.

"Our plan was to use these three games or whatever it was going to be as a method of evaluating players, as well as giving them experience. I think we got exactly that,'' Arena said. "Naturally, we're disappointed we're going home, but I'm not disappointed with the experiences we had here in France.''

Because advancement wasn't at stake for either team, there was a less intense pace than the first two American games. Arena didn't start Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Gregg Berhalter, who played most of the first two games. Cameroon changed nine starters from Saturday. Donovan and Beasley entered as second-half substitutes.

Eddie Lewis created two good chances to score in the first half. In the 14th minute, he pushed the ball in front of the goal only to have Lucien Mettomo clear it. Lewis pushed it back in front, but again no American attacker was there and Ngassam Falemi cleared the ball.

In the 24th minute, Lewis took a flick by Jovan Kirovski near the endline and redirected the ball back to Clint Mathis, but he could only get off a weak shot from about 10 yards, and the ball was cleared off the line by Pierre Njanka. It was the second time in the tournament a shot by Mathis was stopped by a defender at the line.

"That's the way it goes,'' he said.

Joseph-Desire Job had Cameroon's best chance, outjumping Danny Califf in the 17th minute. But with half the net open and goalkeeper Tim Howard beaten, Job sent a header wide from about 6 yards.

Howard made an excellent right-handed save on Job in the 25th, then fell on the rebound. He nearly got in trouble in the 33rd when he missed a punchout of a corner kick and the ball bounced in front of the American goal.

Howard stopped Job again in the 68th minute, coming out to make a leg save when the forward had only the goalkeeper to beat from 16 yards. Howard dived to his left to parry a shot by Valery Mezague in the 74th.

"He was a little tired tonight but again made a big-time save,'' Arena said. "Overall, he had an outstanding tournament. I think it's one that will give him a lot of confidence as he moves forward.''

Notes: U.S. MF Kyle Martino had an excellent curling shot from 30 yards in the 51st minute that was knocked away when GK Eric Kwekeu dived to his right. Two minutes later, Martino was taken down by Thimothee Atouba and left the field with a severely sprained left ankle. X-rays at Lyon South Hospital Center were negative. ... There was whistling during "The Star-Spangled Banner'' for the third straight game. "I'm not very happy with that,'' Cameroon coach Winnie Schaefer said.

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U.S. Men Lose 2-1 to Turkey

ST. ETIENNE, France (Thursday, June 19, 2003) - The U.S. Men's National Team fell to Turkey, 2-1, today in their 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup opener in front of more than 16,000 fans at Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint Etienne, France.

The U.S. grabbed a short-lived 1-0 lead when midfielder DaMarcus Beasley headed home a cross from Landon Donovan in the 36th minute, but Turkey equlized just three minutes later after defender Frankie Hejduk brought down forward Tuncay Sanli in the box.

Forward Okan Yilmaz stepped up to drill it past goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was starting in his first major competition at the senior level.

Turkey broke open an even second half when Sanli scored in the 70th minute after a receiving a pass that beat Howard off the rebound of an initial shot. The U.S. pushed for the equalizer and owned possesion for the final 20 minutes, but couldn't even the score.
The U.S. next takes on World Champion Brazil in the next group game on Saturday and will conclude pool play on Monday against Cameroon.

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Brazil 1, USA 0

LYON, France -- Even after last year's World Cup, there's still a big gap between the United States and the soccer powers.

World Cup champion Brazil dominated the Americans on Saturday night, winning 1-0 and ending the U.S. team's chance to advance in the Confederations Cup.

Adriano scored the only goal in the 22nd minute, stripping the ball from defender Gregg Berhalter and coming in alone on goalkeeper Tim Howard, who made the initial save but had no chance to stop Adriano's shot off the rebound.

"They're the best team in the world,'' American midfielder Earnie Stewart said. "We're not near as close to where they are.''

The United States was outshot 6-1, with Brazilian goalkeeper Dida diving to his right in the 61st minute to push aside Landon Donovan's shot. Donovan also had a chance in first-half injury time, taking a pass from Stewart about 8 yards out. Donovan's shot went wide as he was tripped up by Brazilian defender Kleberson, but only after the shot had been taken.

Brazil so thoroughly controlled the match that it often seemed as if the field was titled toward Howard, who made several outstanding saves, including a leaping stop on Ronaldinho in the 76th. The U.S. team used just one player at forward in the first half, at first Donovan, then Clint Mathis, who was just wide with a curled free kick in the 43rd minute.

While the Americans advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals last year, their best showing since 1930, they weren't close to matching Brazil in speed or craftiness and dropped to 1-10 against the soccer's premier nation. They cannot advance, even if they beat African champion Cameroon on Monday.

"I was very pleased,'' U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "We played a number of young players in this game, and they did well. These are the type of experiences we need to get better. These games are invaluable for us, and if we can show improved performance in each and every game, then it's been a successful tournament for us. I don't worry about the wins right now. Our objective is to prepare a new team for (World Cup) qualifying next year.''

The United States, beaten 2-1 by Turkey on Thursday, has lost nine straight games in Europe and 14 of 15 over the past decade. The loss came exactly one year after Germany beat the Americans 1-0 in the World Cup quarterfinals in South Korea and on the fifth anniversary of the previous U.S. game in Stade de Gerland _ a 2-1 defeat to Iran that eliminated the United States from the 1998 World Cup.

For the second straight game, the crowd whistled during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner.'' Several Brazilian fans in the crowd of 20,306 played their samba drums throughout the game.

"I think it's disrespectful,'' Arena said. "We respect the national anthem of every country, so I was disappointed with that.''

Adriano scored after he stole the ball outside the penalty area from Berhalter, who at first was going to pass to Cory Gibbs, then decided to send the ball back to his goalkeeper. While Berhalter was changing his mind, Adriano picked up the ball.

"It was clearly just an amateur mistake,'' Berhalter said. "Against Argentina, Brazil, Germany, any of these teams, when you make a mistake like that, you get penalized.''

Adriano's intial left-footed shot bounced off the onrushing Howard, but Adriano collected the rebound and put another left-footed shot into the net from 15 yards out.

"They were giving their all in defense,'' Adriano said. "It was hard.''

Arena praised the 24-year-old Howard, who plays for Major League Soccer's MetroStars but may move to Manchester United next month. "I think Tim has proven he's an outstanding goalkeeper,'' the coach said. "Tim came up with a big save, made a couple of big ones tonight and has played well. I've really been pleased with his performance in this tournament.''

Notes: Arena changed seven starters from Thursday, leaving in only Howard, Berhalter, Donovan and MF DaMarcus Beasley. Brazil made just one change, starting Alex instead of Gil. ... Berhalter was among just five players in the U.S. starting lineup who played in last year's loss to Germany. Brazil was missing Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos, key players who helped win the nation's fifth World Cup title. ... The only American win against Brazil was 1-0 on Feb. 10, 1998, at Rose Bowl in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Preki Radosavljevic's goal in the 65th minute. ... Cameroon (2-0) won 1-0 against Turkey (1-1) in the other Group B game and plays the United States on Monday. Brazil (1-1) lost its opener 1-0 to the Indomitable Lions.

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USA Wins 2-1 In Richmond

In their final tune-up before the prestigious 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, the U.S. Men's National Team defeated New Zealand, 2-1, in front of 9,116 fans at the University of Richmond Stadium as part of a doubleheader with the A-League’s Richmond Kickers.

Coming off Chevrolet Man of the Match honors in the last U.S. game, a 2-0 win over Wales, Eddie Lewis provided both assists to lead the U.S. to victory. Midfielder Chris Klein scored his team-leading third goal of the year in the 20th minute after dribbling around the keeper and cutting a shot at a difficult angle into an open net. The visitors equalized minutes later in the 23rd on a goal from New Zealand leading scorer Vaughan Coveny. Forward Jovan Kirovski scored the game-winner in the 65th minute, marking his second goal in his last three appearances, to earn Chevrolet Man of the Match honors.

U.S. goalkeeper Joe Cannon and defender Cory Gibbs came on as second-half substitutes to earn their first caps, while starting goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann made his first appearance for the MNT since 1994.

U.S. enjoyed control of the possession for most of the first half, creating several early opportunities. The best came in the ninth minute with a flurry of three shots, all saved by New Zealand's Michael Utting. The U.S chance began with Klein putting Taylor Twellman through with a ball to the right side of the box. Twellman launched a hard shot at the far post, with Utting cutting down the angle with a kick save. Kirovski heads the ball on goal, but it is deflected back to his feet by a defender. His low shot from point-blank is saved, but the rebound rolls to Earnie Stewart whose low, skipping shot is again put back by Utting.

In the 20th minute, Chris Armas won a 50-50 challenge in the midfield that squirted to Lewis. Lewis' pass found Klein racing behind the New Zealand defense. Klein pushed the ball past Utting toward the end line, and slotted a deep angle shot across the goal line and past two sliding New Zealand defenders. This was his third career goal with the U.S., all coming in 2003.

Just three minutes later, New Zealand equalized to snap the U.S.'s 331-minute shutout streak. Coveny took a pass from Ivan Vicelich at the top of the 18, and moves the ball to the right side of the box with U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo marking him tightly. Moving to his right, he held off the defender and rifled a 12-yard shot that left Hahnemann with no chance to make the save.

The U.S. continued with more chances in the half. In the 30th minute, Armas tries a centering pass to Kirovski that forced New Zealand's Duncan Oughton to clear the ball out over his own goal. Just one minute later, a corner kick by defender Greg Vanney bounced around the box before U.S. captain Stewart left it for Gregg Berhalter at the top of the box for a shot that whistled just wide of right post.

The second half marked the debuts for Cannon (46th minute) and Gibbs (63rd minute) and more chances for the U.S. Kirovski often drifted wide right early in the half, and it paid off in the 65th minute after Lewis sent the ball wide to the forward. Kirovski attempted to send a cross far post, but it deflected of a New Zealand defender's shoulder and sailed over Utting's head into the far side netting.

The goal returns the momentum to the U.S., who continued to hold the ball and did not allow New Zealand a second-half shot until the 90th minute. Lewis, Twellman and Kirovski as well as second-half subs in the midfield Bobby Convey and Kyle Martino continued to spark the U.S. The U.S. had two scoring chances in the 79th minute. The first was Kirovski finding Lewis for a header in the six-yard box that was saved, and the second was Lewis serving Kirovski from the left side for a diving header that missed just to the right of the goal.

The game marked the introduction and one-time wearing of Nike retro jerseys that were styled after the jersey worn when the U.S. beat England 1-0 in a landmark upset at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. The one-of-a-kind jerseys are now available at ussoccerstore.com.

From June 18-29, the U.S. joins the champions of the six regional confederations around the world and two guest teams in the FIFA Confederations Cup in France. The U.S. will face World Cup champions Brazil, third-place finisher Turkey, and African champion Cameroon in the opening round of the tournament.

The U.S. qualified for the event by capturing the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a title which they will defend from July 12-23 in Boston, Miami and Mexico City. Playing at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, the Americans will face El Salvador and Martinique in Group B action.

U.S. Men's National Team Game Report

Match-up: USA vs. New Zealand
Date: June 8, 2003
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: University of Richmond Stadium - Richmond, Virginia
Kickoff: 1 p.m. (ET)
Attendance: 9,116
Weather: 76 degrees; overcast

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 1 2
New Zealand 1 0 1

Scoring:
USA - Chris Klein (Eddie Lewis) 20th minute.
NZL - Vaughan Coveny (Ivan Vicevich) 23.
USA - Jovan Kirovski (Eddie Lewis) 65.

Lineups:
USA: 19-Marcus Hahnemann (1-Joe Cannon, 46); 5-Greg Vanney, 12-Carlos Bocanegra (24-Cory Gibbs, 63), 3-Gregg Berhalter, 6-Steve Cherundolo; 14-Chris Armas, 7-Eddie Lewis, 22-Chris Klein (15-Bobby Convey, 76), 8-Earnie Stewart (capt.; 13-Kyle Martino, 67); 20-Taylor Twellman (17-DaMarcus Beasley, 88), 9-Jovan Kirovski.
Subs not used: 10-Claudio Reyna

NZL: 19-Michael Utting; 2-Duncan Oughton, 4-Chris Zoricich (Capt.), 7-Ivan Vicelich, 14-Ryan Nelsen (5-Danny Hay, 75); 12-Simon Elliott (17-Raf de Gregorio, 85), 20-Gerard Davis (3-David Mulligan, 80), 21-Noah Hickey, 9-Mark Burton; 11-Chris Killen (15-Shane Smeltz, 75), 16-Vaughan Coveny.
Subs not used: 1-Jason Batty, 6-Gavin Wilkinson, 13-Chris Bouckenooghe, 22-Michael Wilson, 23-Mark Patson.

Stats Summary: USA NZL
Shots 18 6
Saves 2 6
Corner Kicks 4 1
Fouls 12 23
Offside 4 2

Misconduct Summary:
NZL - Simon Elliott (caution) 35th minute.
USA - Jovan Kirovski (caution) 37.
USA - Taylor Twellman (caution) 47.
USA - Eddie Lewis (caution) 54.
USA - Steve Cherundolo (caution) 72.
USA - Gregg Berhalter (caution) 91+.

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USA and Mexico Draw 0-0 In Houston

HOUSTON (Thursday, May 8, 2003) --- The United States men and Mexico battled to a 0-0 draw before a Texas record crowd of 69,582 fans at Reliant Stadium.

The meeting was the first between the nations since the U.S. defeated Mexico 2-0 in the World Cup Round of 16 last June. The U.S. Is 5-1-1 in its last seven meetings with Mexico.

"These things go in cycles," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "Every time that Mexico and U.S. play it is going to be a low scoring game. It just happens to be that we defend well enough to keep them from scoring goals."

The attendance was the 11th largest in U.S. men's history and the third largest crowd ever for an American international friendly. The shutout was the sixth clean sheet for the U.S. in its last seven matches against Mexico. The U.S. also extended its home shutout streak over Mexico to 483 minutes, stretched across six games, dating back to 1999.

"I thought that the Mexican team played very well tonight and in the first half we were very poor," Arena said. "In the second half, we made some adjustments and I think we played better. Our team's match fitness is not where it needs to be for international play. That is a good result, considering the fact that (our players) are in the first month of their club season.

"I think that it was a good week for us. The Houston community and elsewhere did a good job of supporting the game. Who can complain about 69,000 people that are friendly? We were very pleased being here this week and I think it was a great opportunity for our team and hopefully we'll be here again."

Neither team created many dangerous scorong opportunities. There were only 11 shots in the match, seven by Mexico which put five shots on frame to only one for the Americans.

In the first half, the U.S. had a dangerous counterattack in the 16th minute when Landon Donovan streaked down the right flank before sending a perfect pass across the length of the field to fellow midfielder DaMarcus Beasley. Beasley hit the U.S.'s first shot of the match, just missing the goal frame with a first-time rocket from the top of the penalty area.

U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard was stellar throughout the match. In the 24th minute, Mexico midfielder Jesus Arellano finished off a nice give-and-go with a brilliant shot from 18 yards that was parried by Howard with two hands over the crossbar.

The Americans had a solid chance in the 39th minute when defender Carlos Bocanegra hit striker Clint Mathis in the area with a perfect pass. Mathis passed up a chance at goal and played the ball back across the goal mouth to an unmarked Beasley, but he lost control of the ball six yards from the net and was unable to get off a shot.

Two minutes later, Mathis sprang forward Brian McBride in on goal and a brilliant side-step through the legs of Mexican defender Duilio Davino freed him for a quick shot that just missed the left post.

The best American chance came in the 67th minute on a cross from McBride. The ball skimmed off the thigh of Donovan, who had made a run through the heart of the box.

Second-half substitute defender Bobby Convey helped thwart an excellent chance for Mexico in the 72nd minute, crashing into the area to tap a ball away from Arellano as he was about to shoot from close range. Moments later, crafty Mexican forward Adolfo Bautista hit a bicycle on target from 12 yards that Howard easily snared.

U.S. midfielder Chris Klein's header of a pass from reserve attacker Cobi Jones sailed just over the crossbar in the 84th minute.

The U.S. next faces Wales on May 26 in San Jose, Calif., a 10 p.m. encounter to be televised on ESPN2, After that, the Americans will host Paraguay July 6 at Columbus (Ohio) Crew Stadium.

United States 0, Mexico 0
Lineups: United States - Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Eddie Pope, Dan Califf, Pablo Mastroeni (Bobby Convey 66), Chris Armas, DaMarcus Beasley, Frankie Hejduk (Chris Klein 75), Clint Mathis (Earnie Stewart 46), Brian McBride - captain (Cobi Jones 79), Landon Donovan. Mexico - Oswaldo Sanchez, Salvador Carmona (captain), Duilio Davino, Omar Briseno, Luis Perez (Israel Lopez 66), Hector Altamirano, Jesus Arellano (Irving Rubirosa 75), Octavio Valdez (Carlos Morales 66), Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Adolfo Bautista (Fernando Arce 82), Omar Bravo (Alberto Medina 59).
Scoring: None.
Shots: United States 4, Mexico 7. Saves: United States 5, Mexico 1. Corner kicks: United States 2, Mexico 7. Fouls: United States 15, Mexico 19. Offside: United States 4, Mexico 2. Yellow card cautions: United States - Hejduk 41; Mexico - Davino 34, Bravo 53.
Referee: Peter Prendergast (Jamaica). Assistant referees: Michael Mitchell (Jamaica), Johan Thobourne (Jamaica). Attendance: 69,582 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Weather: 83 degrees, humid, sunny.

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Japan Out, Venezuela In

Japan cancelled next week's two-game tour of the United States today, but the U.S. Soccer Federation quickly booked Venezuela to be the opponent in a March 29 match at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle.

Japan was supposed to play Uruguay Wednesday in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and the U.S. three days later, but in a meeting today, the Japanese Football Association decided to pull out of the trip because of security concerns due to of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Instead, the Americans will face Venezuela on March 29 in Seattle at 4 p.m. (ET), a game that will be broadcast on ESPN2.

"It's unfortunate, but we feel this is in the best interests of our players," JFA chairman Saburo Kawabuchi told Associated Press, citing the worries of some of the players as an important factor in his federation's decision.

The JFA originally cancelled the trip last month, but reconsidered after assurances from U.S. Soccer officials.

About 16,000 tickets have been sold for the new 67,000-seat Seahawks Stadium which served as the venue once for the A-League's Seattle Sounders, but never an international soccer match. The Japan tickets will be good for the game against Venezuela without exchange while fans wishing refunds were directed to return tickets to the point of purchase.

"We are certainly disappointed by the decision of the Japanese Football Association," U.S. Soccer president Bob Contiguglia said in a press release. "We provided their federation with ample evidence of the extensive security measures in place. We continue to have every confidence that Seattle will provide a safe environment for the players and fans to enjoy an outstanding display of soccer. Sporting events around the country remain on schedule, and we look forward to welcoming Venezuela to Seattle."

The only meeting between the U.S. and Venezuela ended in a 3-3 draw in the 1993 Copa America. The Venezuelans won four of their last five matches in South American qualifying, but did not make it to the 2002 World Cup.

"We're excited that Venezuela has accepted the invitation to play us," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who called in 10 players from his 2002 World Cup team for a training camp, beginning Monday in Portland, Ore.

"Over the past two or three years, the Venezuelan national team has made great strides, and I think they are perhaps the most improved team in South America. We are certainly looking forward to the challenge."

The U.S. is preparing for two major tournaments this summer. First, the U.S. heads to France for the Confederations Cup with Brazil, Cameroon and Turkey the group opponents in the competition that runs from June 18-29. Then, the Americans will play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup July 12-23, a tournament that will be competed in Boston, Miami, Fla., and Mexico City.

The U.S. will face Mexico May 8 at Reliant Field in Houston and Paraguay July 6 at Columbus (Ohio) Crew Stadium before those major events.

Among the U.S. players called in for next weekend's match are Kasey Keller, the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper who hails from the state of Washington and will be returning home to play in front of friends and family.

Arena's apparent intent is to start a front line of Brian McBride and Landon Donovan, and a midfield of Pablo Mastroeni, John O'Brien, DaMarcus Beasley and Earnie Stewart. This was the same group that took the field together as starters for the Americans' World Cup opening 3-2 upset of Portugal.

O'Brien's participation is up in the air after leaving Ajax of Amsterdam's match last weekend with an apparent groin injury. There is no word from Ajax as to the severity of the injury.

Others coming back from Europe for the match will be defender Steve Cherundolo from Hannover 96 in Germany and striker Jovan Kirovski, from Birmingham City in England. The match will also mark the first time this year that two former European-based U.S. players, -- forward Earnie Stewart and defender Frankie Hedjuk-- both now in MLS -- will be dressed, as is the case with defender Eddie Pope still coming back from injury.

"This is our first opportunity since the World Cup to have mix of our foreign and domestic-based players," Arena said. "These matches are an important part of the process as we begin to develop a new team that will be prepared to compete in World Cup qualifying in 2004."

The U.S. roster for the March 29 match against Venezuala with the players' clubs in parentheses. All teams are from Major League Soccer unless otherwise noted:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (MetroStars), Kasey Keller (Tottenham Hotspur, England).
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Chicago Fire), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96, Germany), Nick Garcia (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Eddie Pope (MetroStars).
Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire), Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Chris Klein (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John O'Brien (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Earnie Stewart (D.C. United).
Forwards: Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew), Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes), Jovan Kirovski (Birmingham City, England), Brian McBride (Columbus Crew).

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Americans Earn 2-1 Win Over Jamaica

Early in the first half, defender Carlos Bocanegra scored and assisted midfielder Chris Klein's tally a minute later, powering the United States to a 2-1 decision over Jamaica, Feb. 12, before an estimated 27,000 at National Stadium.
The U.S. has never lost to Jamaica with an overall 8-0-5 record, 2-0-4 at National Stadium.

"It was a good result and a good experience for our young players," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena. "This is a long process and winning is not the bottom line, but to get a result in Kingston certainly gives the team confidence. This game looked a lot like a World Cup qualifier."

In his first starting performance in the U.S. midfield, Bobby Convey made an immediate impact early, winning a corner kick in the 11th minute. He sent the left-side corner into the middle of the penalty area with defender Nick Garcia flying in, barely missing getting his head on the ball before it went to Bocanegra who knocked his header through sprawling Jamaica goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence for a 1-0 lead.

"We've been working on corners in training," Bocanegra said. "Either myself or Danny Califf goes to the near post, and the other goes to the far post, and the others make room. It was my turn to go to the near post and Bobby Convey hit a great ball. I think it froze the keeper and went through his legs."

The goal was Bocanegra's second in 10 full international appearances with Convey recording his second assist in six caps.

"It was a good win for team morale and it was important to leave a good impression on Bruce as we all depart for our club teams," said Bocanegra about the 17 players on the U.S. roster set to join their Major League Soccer teams for preseason training. "The effort tonight showed that we can bounce back and play hard after a tough result."

Soon after, Bocanegra was at it again, earning his first national-team assist from the left flank by finding Klein free at the top of the box with a long, lofted lead pass. Collecting the ball, Klein approached the right corner of the six-yard box before rifling a powerful shot into the left side netting for his second tally in 10 appearances and a 2-0 advantage.

"Carlos has been asking me for the last six weeks that if he plays that ball over to me, will I be there?," Klein said. "It was a wonderful ball behind the defense and I was fortunate to get on the end of it."

Arena said, "Carlos had a good solid performance tonight, not only defensively, but he was able to get forward and contribute offensively. . . Chris Klein had an absolute blinder. We only pulled him out because Stevie Ralston has done well in practice and I felt we needed to get him a game."

Jamaica narrowed its deficit to 2-1 in the 52nd minute when forward Onandi Lowe nailed a 30-yard free kick into the top left corner past diving goalkeeper Tim Howard.

U.S. midfielder DaMarcus Beasley left the match in the 83rd minute with a deep bruise on his right shin.

United States 2, Jamaica 1
Lineups: Jamaica - Aaron Lawrence, Claude Davis (Damien Francis 76), Ian Goodison, Tyrone Marshall, Craig Ziadie, Robert Scarlett (Shane Crawford 76), Omar Daley (Jermaine Johnson 73), Ricardo Gardner (Fabian Taylor 89), Theodore Whitmore, Deon Burton (Andrew Williams 82), Onandi Lowe. United States - Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Nick Garcia, Dan Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Pablo Mastroeni, DaMarcus Beasley (Pete Vagenas 83), Chris Klein (Steve Ralston 46), Bobby Convey, Landon Donovan (Jeff Cunningham 79), Clint Mathis (captain).
Scoring:
United States - Bocanegra (Convey) 11.
United States - Klein (Bocanegra) 12.
Jamaica - Lowe (unassisted) 52.
Shots: Jamaica 10, United States 7. Saves: Jamaica 3, United States 5. Corner kicks: Jamaica 2, United States 4. Fouls: Jamaica 16, United States 11. Offside: Jamaica 0, United States 1. Yellow card cautions: Jamaica - Burton 57, Ziadie 61; United States - Mastroeni 51.
Referee: Godfrey Bowen (Cayman Islands). Attendance: 27,000 (estimated) at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Weather: 84 degrees, partly cloudy, humid.

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Argentina Blanks U.S. 1-0 In Orange Bowl

Most of the time you learn more about your team from your losses than you do from your victories. That may have been the way U.S. coach Bruce Arena felt after his team dropped a 1-0 decision to Argentina at the Orange Bowl.

The visitors were cheered on by a crowd of 27,196, that appeared to be mostly fans were wearing the light blue and white of Argentina. Argentina came out strong in the first half and put up the game's only goal in the nineth minute of play.

"Obviously, that was the difference in the game," said Landon Donovan, the 20-year-old midfielder who played in his 31st game for the United States. "When they scored, that was it. Especially in international matches against good teams like that, we have to be ready to play or else it's all over."

Arena used only players from Major League Soccer in this exhibition game. Argentina also used a roster filled with young players who do not play professionally outside of the country.

It was the second game of the year for the U.S., and far from the 4-0 victory achieved in January against Canada. Arena was using the game to see some of the younger members of his player pool, and Donovan, with only 31 international caps, was the veteran on the field. The U.S. coach was apprehensive about his young team being intimidated, and that may have been the case in the early going.

"The way we came out and started the game, I thought we demonstrated a lack of confidence," Arena said. "It took us 20 minutes to get into the game."

The U.S. had beaten Argentina the last two times the teams had met, but never really threatened to score. A brillant save by U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard in the second half, diving to his left and pushing a shot away from the goal, kept the margin at one goal, but the U.S. could not equalize.

Argentina scored off a basic give-and-go without pressure in the midfield, and Luis Gonzalaz chipped a bending ball up and over Howard. It was the first goal he had ever allowed in international competition.

"We gave them too much time and respect on the ball in the first 15-to-20 minutes," said U.S. midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, who was born in Argentina and lived there until he was 4. "We started playing after they scored the goal."

"We did better in the second half, but there was too much of a feeling that we needed to prove something," Mastroeni said. "You lose focus on what your job is at times when you are going against a great team."

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Arena Signs New Contract

What has been rumored is now in fact a reality. U.S. men's coach Bruce Arena, 51, has signed a four-team extension on his contract that will keep him with the team through the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Since he took over at the U.S. National coach in October 1998, the U.S. has put together a 34-18-14 record, finished first in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament and made a surprising run to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. It was the best World Cup finish for a men's team since the U.S. reached the semifinals in the first tournament in 1930.

"We learned that our team can perform at the big stage," Arena said. "We have players that are talented and have experience, and with the right preparation, we can be successful in the future."

Over the last year Arena has been mentioned for a number of other coaching jobs, but with the success of the team in 2002, the strongest rumor was that he would sign another US Soccer contract and remain the men's national coach.

"There's no question Bruce was the only candidate we considered," U.S. Soccer Federation president Bob Contiguglia said in a conference phone call. "He was the right man for the job when we hired him in 1998, and he is the right man for the job today. Obviously, his success on the field has been well-documented, but perhaps more important than those triumphs is the blue-print for the future development of the American player and the American professional game which he has imbedded into our National Team program."

"There's only going to be one goal the next four years, to qualify for (the 2006 World Cup in) Germany," Arena said during the phone conference. "I sure learned a lot. I'm hopeful these experiences will benefit our team as we move forward. I'm much more prepared this time around.''

The road to the 2006 Cup begins January 18 against Canada in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with a trip to Jamaica for a friendly the following week. There U.S. will participate in two major competitions next summer -- traveling to France for the FIFA Confederations Cup from June 18-29, followed by the CONCACAF Gold Cup July 12-27 at multiple American sites.

Qualifying for the World Cup would seem to be easier for 2006 with CONCACAF, the region that includes North America, Central America and the Caribbean being awarded an extra "half" berth. That means in addition to the three finishers qualifying for the Cup, the fourth-place nation will face a team from Asia for the fourth spot.

Considering the improvement in some teams in CONCACAF, the qualifying process could become additionally difficult.

"If you've followed this process you know it's always difficult," said Arena who thinks CONCACF should have been awarded a full fourth slot because of its members' success in the 2002 World Cup. "It's nice to have the additional half slot, but will it make it any easier? I don't think so."

Under Arena, the U.S. went 7-4-2 in 1999 and surprised the world with a third place finish in the Confederations Cup in Mexico. The Americans went 9-2-6 in 2000 and outscored opponents by a team-record 23 goals while also posting a new best of nine shutouts.

The U.S. was 8-4-4 record in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

"As I reflect back on the last four years, I sure learned a lot and I'm hopeful that these experiences will benefit our team as we move forward," Arena said. "I'm excited about the next four years, and I'm excited about the fact that I think I'm much more prepared this time around. I really look forward to what is really going to be a difficult challenge."

During the 2002 World Cup cycle, Arena brought 92 players into at least one training camp with 70 players used in at least one international match. Thirty-six players earned their first cap.

"As you can tell from the last four-year cycle, sometimes there isn't any rhyme or reason for some of those roster changes," Arena said. "At some point, I need to make a decision and decide no more experimentation and that is likely not going to happen until next summer, the summer of 2004. But over the next year-and-a-half, I think we have the freedom to look at as many players as we think makes sense."

One of Arena's top priorities will be to replace top assistant Dave Sarachan who took over as coach of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire.
"I think that in the next month we will announce it," Arena said.

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Young U.S. Team Blanks El Salvador

The U.S. Men's National Team concluded its historic 2002 season with a 2-0 shutout of El Salvador in the cold and steady rain at RFK Stadium in front of 13,590 boisterous fans. Ben Olsen celebrated his return to the national team with the game-winning goal in the 31st minute, and Sasha Victorine added his first tally for the senior national team.

With the victory, the United States elevated its final 2002 record to 12-6-2, boasting ten shutouts and impressive 10-1-1 record on home soil. The USA improved its lifetime record to 9-1-4 against El Salvador, and now holds a 9-3-3 record at RFK Stadium.

"I thought we had a good performance today. For the first time out for a number of guys I thought they did well under difficult conditions," said U.S. head coach Bruce Arena. "We played some good soccer at times and created some good chances. We had a good week of training. It was a good to get to know a new group and get this process started all over again."

The game got off to a blistering pace, with each side trying to settle early nerves and adjust to the slippery field conditions. U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard made the game's first big save, shutting down a two-on-one breakaway in the 4th minute. As the half progressed, the U.S. team started to develop a comfort level with and began to dictate terms.

The team's persistent attacks down the flanks paid dividends in the 31st minute. Chris Klein strode down the right flank and spotted Olsen streaking to center of the goal. His perfectly place cross hit Olsen in stride, snapping a powerful header to the back post. Olsen, the Chevrolet Man of the Match, notched his fourth career international strike, and his first for the United States since March 12, 2000.

"I closed my eyes;" said Olsen. The ball hit me in the head and it went back post. Seriously, Chris Klein hit an outstanding ball. It seemed like when we crossed the early balls we were dangerous."

The U.S. continued to apply pressure as the half came to a close, with Clint Mathis nearly adding a second goal just before halftime. A Wade Barrett cross found Mathis alone 15 yards from goal, and Mathis' clever side-footed volley was turned aside by a diving Juan Gomez.

The United States made two substitutions at the break, goalkeeper Nick Rimando getting his first cap in replacement of Howard, and Leo Cullen replacing Pablo Mastroeni, who left the match with a minor groin strain. Once again, the USA were able to grab the better ball possession and continued to make forays into the Salvadoran defensive end.

The U.S. added an insurance goal in the 60th minute, as forward Mathis displayed his trademark poise and ball control. With his back to the goal and hounded by a Salvadoran defender, Mathis managed to create a window of space, turned and slipped a beautifully weighted ball behind a defender to an onrushing Victorine. Victorine calmly slipped the ball through the legs of Gomez, recording a goal in only his second match for the USA.

The team is expected to regroup in early January 2003 at a site to be determined.

- U.S. Men's National Team Game Report -

Match-up: USA vs. El Salvador
Date: November 17, 2002
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: RFK Stadium - Washington, D.C.
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET
Attendance: 13,590
Weather: 43 degrees; cold, rainy
Scoring Summary: 1 - 2 = F
USA 1 - 1 = 2
El Salvador 0 - 0 = 0
Scoring:
USA - Ben Olsen (Chris Klein) 31st minute.
USA - Sasha Victorine (Clint Mathis) 60.
Lineups:
USA - 18-Tim Howard (1-Nick Rimando, 46); 3-Wade Barrett, 4-Carlos Bocanegra, 23-Dan Califf, 12-Sasha Victorine; 25-Pablo Mastroeni (2-Leo Cullen, 46), 14-Ben Olsen (16-Kyle Martino, 76), 17-Chris Klein, 21-Landon Donovan; 11-Clint Mathis (Capt.), 20-Taylor Twellman (9-Jeff Cunningham, 84).
Subs not used: 6-Ryan Suarez, 13-Brian Dunseth, 22-Eddie Robinson
SLV - 1-Juan Gomez; 5-Victor Velasquez, 3-Marvin Gonzalez, 6-Ramiro Carballo, 19-Alfredo Pacheco (12-Jose Mejia, 76); 16-Mauricio Quintanilla (7-Carlos Menjivar, Jr., 46), 20-William Torres, 18-Gilberto Murgas, 14-Rudi Corrales; 9-Diego Mejia (11-Francisco Fuentes, 82), 17-Josue Galdamez (Capt.).
Subs not used: 25-Fidel Mondragon, 4-Julio Castro, 8-Selvin Gonzalez, 21-Roberto Vasquez
Stats Summary: USA - SLV
Shots 15 - 11
Saves 6 - 3
Corner Kicks 1 - 2
Fouls 16 - 11
Offside 2 - 2

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U.S. Under-20s Qualify For World Youth Championship

The win did not come easy for the U.S., who played 71 minutes with 10
men, and were rewarded in the 85th minute with a bizarre own goal.
Moments after Bobby Convey nearly put the U.S. on the board with a
beautiful left-footed free kick, El Salvador's Alexander Escobar
inadvertently headed the ensuing corner kick into his own net from four
yards out.

The U.S. wraps up the CONCACAF qualifying tournament against Canada on
Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

"We came to this tournament with one goal, and tonight we accomplished
that," said U.S.head coach Thomas Rongen. "We knew coming into the game
that three points would get us into the World Championship, and although
we didn't do it in a way I thought it would happen, we still did what we
had to do. I am very proud of our guys, because tonight we battled
against adversity and showed a tremendous amount of heart in a difficult
situation."

The U.S. did not make qualification easy on themselves, going down to
ten men in the 19th minute when Santino Quaranta was shown a red card
for a violent foul on Escobar. Quaranta, as well as head coach Thomas
Rongen, who was shown a red card for entering the field of play in the
87th minute, will both miss Sunday's clash against Canada.

For the second straight match, the U.S. defense posted a shutout and
proved to be difference. The U.S. backline of goalkeeper Steve Cronin and defenders Chad Marshall, Ryan Cochrane, C.J. Klaas and Jordan Harvey held El Salvador to only eight shots in the game, despite playing down a man for well over and hour.

U.S. goalkeeper Steve Cronin produced five saves in the match, including
three difficult saves in the final 11 minutes to preserve his fourth
international shutout of the year. Cronin's biggest save of the match
came in the 79th minute, when Roberto Ochoa broke into the penalty area
all alone, but the Santa Clara goalkeeper pounced off his line to snuff
Ochoa's point-blank effort.

The USA had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 40th minute,
when Devin Barclay's first time shot was just saved by a sliding Henry
Hernandez. Justin Mapp's cross skidded across the face of the goal,
just inches in front of a sliding Convey, and found Barclay all
alone at the back post. Barclay's first time shot from 10 yards hit
Hernandez, who is able to smother the loose ball.

Convey almost single-handedly produced the goal of the tournament late
in the first half, weaving his way on a 40-yard run through the
Salvadoran defense and then misfiring with an off-balance shot as he
approached the penalty area.

In the evening's first match, Haiti played Canada to a 0-0 draw. The
result left both teams in the hunt for Group B's second spot in the
World Youth Championship. Haiti will open Sunday's action against the
already eliminate Salvadoran squad, with the border clash between the
U.S. and Canada to follow at 2:30 p.m. ET. Canada can secure a spot in
the world championship with a draw on Sunday.

Game Notes: The U.S. wore white jerseys with blue shorts and white
socks … El Salvador wore their traditional blue jerseys with white
shorts and blue socks…….Santino Quaranta played with a splint wrapped in
soft foam on his left pinky finger, which he broke in Wednesday's 2-0
win over Haiti … Prior to the game both teams honored a moment of
silence for Fritz Marth, who worked as an USASA Administrator from
1981-2002 … The referee for the match was Armando Archundia of Mexico …
Canada can clinch a spot in the final with a draw against the U.S. on
Sunday, but a Canada loss and a Haiti win over El Salvador will land
each team on four points ... The tiebreakers for this tournament are:
head-to-head, total points between them, total goal differential, total
goals scored ... Seven of the players who started the match for El
Salvador also started the Under-17 qualifier against the U.S. on April
22, 2001 ... Guatemala's Henry Hernandez was named the goalkeeper of the
tournament at the Under-17 qualifying tournament in St. Louis in April
2001.

- U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team Game Report -

Competition: CONCACAF Under-20 Qualifying Tournament
Location: Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.
Date: November 15, 2002
Weather: 51 degrees; clear, crisp
Attendance: 1346

Scoring Summary: 1st 2nd Final
United States 0 1 1
El Salvador 0 0 0

USA - Own goal (Alexander Escobar) 85th minute.

Lineups:
USA - 1-Steve Cronin; 2-Jordan Harvey, 4-Chad Marshall, 5-Ryan
Cochrane, 8-C.J. Klaas; 3-Justin Mapp, 11-Ricardo Clark (6-Jordan Stone,
78), 10-Bobby Convey (captain) (15-David Johnson, 90), 13-Devin Barclay;
7-Ed Johnson, 9-Santino Quaranta.
Subs not used: 14-Chris Lancos, 16-Frank Simek. 17-Knox Cameron,
18-Clint Baumstark, 19-Ned Grabavoy.

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U.S. Beats Haiti In Charleston

An hour before game time, Bobby Convey, the USA's most experienced player, was ruled ineligible because he did not have a passport in his possession. It was back at his house in Washington, DC. CONCACAF requires players to have a passport to prove their age.

Convey had originally been told that a birth certificate would be acceptable, but that changed just before game time.

"It was sent last Wednesday and it just isn't here yet," said the three-year D.C. United veteran.

Backup goalkeeper Clint Baumstark, who had replaced UNC's Ford Williams during training camp, is also trying to sort out a passport problem.

Eddie Johnson, who plays for the Dallas Burn, provided the offense for the U.S., scoring one goal and assisting on another, to lead the U.S. to a 2-0 win over Haiti before a crowd of 1,144 at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, SC.

Santino Quaranta, who did not play in a single game with the U-20s before the training camp in Charleston, assumed the captain's responsibilities and scored the second U.S. goal.

The U.S. will move on to a matchup with El Salvador on Friday Nov. 15, and will play Canada on Sunday, Nov. 17 in the final qualifying game. Two of the four teams advance to the worlds in the United Arab Emirates next year.

Canada beat El Salvador 2-0 in its first-round match, and if the U.S. beats El Salvador and Canada beats Haiti, both will qualify and the third game will be for national pride.

Johnson had three goals for the U.S. U-17 team in the deciding match of the 2001 U-17 qualifying tournament. His goal against Haiti was spectacular, as he jumped over two Haitian defenders, used his chest to stop a crossing pass from Justin Mapp, quickly set his feet and blasted a shot past goalkeeper Rolen St. Louis.

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Arena Names Roster for El Salvador in D.C.

CHICAGO (Tuesday, October 29, 2002) - U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bruce Arena has chosen a 23-man roster that will train in preparation for the international friendly against El Salvador on Sunday, November 17 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.

The United States has not faced an international opponent since the team's historic quarterfinal finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in June. The team will train in the Washington, D.C. area beginning Nov. 10.

Youth is the theme in the U.S. training camp, with the average player age coming in just under 24 years old. During the 2002 World Cup, the team's average age was 28. Eleven players will be in search of their first international cap against El Salvador, including high-scoring Revolution forward Taylor Twellman, who lit up MLS with 23 goals this year.

During the previous four-year cycle under Bruce Arena, 93 different players were given an opportunity to play with the national team, and the trend resumes again as 2006 World Cup qualifying begins in about 18 months.

"The challenge of building a team capable of qualifying for the World Cup begins again," said Arena. "There are a lot of talented young players with great potential in MLS, and over the next two years we plan to provide them with quality international experience in order to evaluate who can compete at the international level."

Four players from the U.S. World Cup side return to the nation's capital, led by the strike force tandem of San Jose Earthquakes forward Landon Donovan and MetroStars forward Clint Mathis. Donovan scored two goals during the USA's historic quarterfinal finish in Korea, including the second goal in the team's 2-0 victory against Mexico in the Round of 16. Mathis netted one of the best goals of the tournament when he stunned the home crowd by giving the U.S. a lead against Korea in Daegu. The pair are joined by Chicago Fire midfielder DaMarcus Beasley and Colorado Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, both of whom played in three games each during the World Cup.

All ten MLS teams are represented on the training camp roster, with the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution each contributing four players. The 2002 U.S. Open Cup champion Crew are led by forward Jeff Cunningham, who returns to the national team after helping the U.S. capture the 2002 Gold Cup in January, and MLS Rookie of the Year Kyle Martino.

Taylor Twellman heads the New England contingent. The 22-year old forward tallied 52 points in his debut season to capture the MLS Budweiser scoring championship and lead the Revolution to their first-ever MLS Cup final. Returning to the U.S. fold is D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen, who has missed nearly two years of service with the national team after suffering a series of ankle injuries.

Tickets for the November 17 friendly, which is being presented to fans by Lego, range in price from $22 to $50 and are available now through all Ticketmaster outlets (D.C. 202-432-7328; Baltimore 410-481-7328; Northern Virginia 703-573-7328; out of state 1-800-551-7328). Discount rates for groups of 20 or more are available by calling the D.C. United ticket offices at 703-478-6600. Complete ticket information is available online at ussoccer.com.

The United States holds an 8-1-4 lifetime advantage against El Salvador, and has never lost a meeting on home soil. The Nov. 17 match will mark the first contest between the CONCACAF nations in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. has compiled an 8-3-3 record. RFK last hosted an international friendly May 12 of this year, when the USA beat Uruguay 2-1 during the "Nike Road to Korea."

The teams last met in a 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal earlier this year, with Brian McBride netting a hat trick en route to a 4-0 U.S. victory on January 27 at the Rose Bowl. The United States went on to capture the Gold Cup championship, beginning the impressive form that would carry through to Korea/Japan.

The U.S. has posted an impressive 11-6-2 record in 2002, going unbeaten in the first five matches of the year in capturing the 2002 Gold Cup championship in February. The team's performance reached a pinnacle during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, as the United States advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years.

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Rongen Announces 18-Man Roster for CONCACAF U-20 Qualifying Tournament in Charleston, S.C.

Eleven members of Rongen’s qualifying team came through U.S. Soccer’s full-time residency program, including goalkeeper Steve Cronin and Bobby Convey, who were both members of the U.S. squad that placed fourth at the 1999 FIFA Under-17 World Championship.

The U.S. Under-20s have posted a 14-7-9 record in 2002, scoring more than twice as many goals as their opposition (55 to 27). At the C.O.T.I.F. XIX Torneig Internactional Tournament last month in Spain, the U.S. surprised many by topping Italy, Ukraine and Uruguay to advance to the final, where they fell 1-0 to an older Brazil team.

“This team has put in a lot of hard work over the last 10 months, and they are ready to step out onto the field and fight for a spot in the world championship,” said Rongen. “This group is a very challenging one that will give us three quality matches against three very different opponents, but we are excited and looking forward to meeting these challenges and growing as a team.”

Rongen will have more professional players – eight – on his qualifying roster than any previous U.S. Under-20 MNT. Six of those players compete in Major League Soccer – Devin Barclay (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Ed Johnson (Dallas Burn), Justin Mapp (D.C. United), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United) and Jordan Stone (Dallas Burn) – while Frank Simek (Arsenal – England) and David Johnson (Willem II – Holland) represent the USA’s young yanks abroad.

The majority of the offense will likely come from the MLS contingent, with Ed Johnson and Quaranta expected to reunite the strike partnership that saw them combine for 98 goals at the Under-17 level. Due to injuries and club commitments Quaranta has yet to play an Under-20 match, while Johnson’s play with the Under-20s has been limited to 13 matches and four goals. Joining the duo up top will be Devin Barclay and Knox Cameron, both of whom saw extensive time with the U.S. Under-18s in recent years.

Bobby Convey, who was a mainstay with the Under-20 team in 2000 and 2001, has only played two games with the Under-20s in 2002. In qualifying for the 2001 World Youth Championship, Convey scored three goals in the USA’s first two games to secure a spot for the American side in Argentina ’01. The youngest player on a U.S. Under-20 team that included Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley last year, Convey was one of the team’s most consistent performers and started all four matches at the World Youth Championship in Argentina and led the U.S. with two assists in that tournament.

The midfield will be led by the experienced Convey and the gritty play of defensive midfielder Ricardo Clark. Clark, who has added three goals this year from his holding midfield spot, is a ball-winner in the middle of the field and serves as the link between the defense and the attack. Jordan Stone and Ned Grabavoy give Rongen flexibility in the middle, and Mapp will provide width to the attack from his left midfield spot. David Johnson and Devin Barclay will battle for duties on the right side.

The defense is expected to be led by the center back pairing of Chad Marshall and Ryan Cochrane, and the consistent play of right back C.J. Klaas. Chris Lancos and Frank Simek provide depth in the defense, and Jordan Harvey is expected to move into the starting lineup as a left back. The goalkeeping duties will be handled by Ford Williams and Steve Cronin, who have both posted goals against averages under 1.00 this year. Cronin, who began with the U.S. Under-17s in 1998, has posted a GAA of less than 1.00 for five straight years (1998-2002).

Just two weeks ago the U.S. team was dealt a tragic blow when defender Chefik Simo, a likely starter for the U.S. who has appeared in 15 matches this year, was injured in an auto accident that killed former U.S. Under-17 MNT captain Gray Griffin. The U.S. team will wear commemorative patches on their jerseys in honor of Griffin at the qualifying tournament.

Nine of the U.S. players – in addition to Simo and Griffin - were part of the U.S. team that advanced to the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Trinidad & Tobago. That U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team qualified for the world championship by placing first at the CONCACAF qualifying tournament that U.S. Soccer hosted in St. Louis in April 2001.

The four-team qualifying group in Charleston greatly resembles the group that participated at that Under-17 qualifying tournament in St. Louis. There, the U.S. topped Jamaica, El Salvador and Canada to advance to the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship. Ed Johnson led the way for the U.S., scoring five goals in the final two games to secure the USA’s spot in the world championship.

In Charleston, the U.S. will open against an impressive Haiti team that topped Jamaica earlier this year. Haiti took the longest road to Charleston, beginning in June with a 3-2 aggregate win against the Dominican Republic to qualify for the Caribbean Group B tournament. In Caribbean group play, Haiti topped the Bahamas and St. Kitts & Nevis by a combined 13-1 to advance to the two-legged playoff with the Group C champion, favored Jamaica. Haiti qualified for Charleston after fighting to a scoreless draw against Jamaica on Sept. 29 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, just two weeks after shocking Jamaica 2-1 in Kingston, Jamaica.

El Salvador finished second in the Under-20 Central American qualifying tournament in Guatemala with just one loss in four games and finished ahead of traditional Central American powers Costa Rica and Honduras.

Canada and the United States automatically qualified for the final round of qualifying as members of CONCACAF’s North Zone. Canada and the U.S. have met twice in 2002, splitting a pair of one-goal wins. The U.S. topped Canada 1-0 on January 9 in their first international under Rongen. Canada got revenge on their southern neighbor with a 2-1 win at the U.S. Soccer Festival in Houston, Texas, on August 2.

Rongen has selected goalkeeper Clint Baumstark and the Chicago Fire pairing of Miguel Saavedra and Craig Capano as alternates. Capano and Saavedra will train with the U.S. prior to the tournament, while Baumstark will remain on call as he continues to play with the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

This past weekend Panama and Mexico qualified for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship by finishing at the top of the CONCACAF Group A Qualifying Tournament in Panama. Panama shocked Mexico 2-1 to win the group and advance to a World Championship for the country’s first time. Cuba topped Guatemala to finish in third-place in the group.

Tickets for the qualifying tournament are currently available at all Ticketmaster outlets throughout the Carolinas (including Publix and Cat’s Music Stores), by phone at 843-554-6060, on-line at ussoccer.com and at Blackbaud Stadium (office open Monday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm). Series and group tickets are available through the Charleston Battery at 843-971-4625 or U.S. Soccer at 312-528-1249. Click here for complete ticket information.

U.S. UNDER-20 QUALIFIERS AVAILABLE ON PAY-PER-VIEW: U.S. Soccer and Innovative Sports Marketing have partnered to make the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team’s three matches at the CONCACAF Under-20 qualifying tournament available on pay-per-view. The three U.S. qualifying matches will be shown live and are available for $19.95 each through DirectTV and Time-Warner cable (in New York City). Additional outlets are expected to be announced soon. For more information on the pay-per-view broadcasts, contact ISM at 201-610-0200 or ismsports.com.