Harkes’ Cup Runneth Out

The United States, which seldom surprises anyone when it comes to soccer, surprised almost everyone Tuesday.

Steve Sampson, the U.S. national team coach, announced that John Harkes, the team’s captain and a veteran of two World Cup tournaments, would not be adding a third World Cup to his resume.

Harkes, 31, will not lead his country onto the field against Germany in Paris on June 15, as he had expected to do. He won’t be playing in that politically explosive game against Iran in Lyon on June 21. He can’t be blamed if the U.S. fails to make the second round by beating Yugoslavia in Nantes on June 25.

He will be back home in Washington, playing for Major League Soccer’s D.C. United, which he has captained to consecutive MLS championships.

“John Harkes and I had a conversation about a month ago,” Sampson said Tuesday on a conference call with U.S. reporters. “I informed John in a half-hour meeting with him that I am not intending to take him to France. I spent 15 minutes explaining to him exactly why I was making that decision.”

Sampson said it was because of “player performance and leadership issues,” but he declined to elaborate.

“Out of respect for an individual who over the years has performed so very well and contributed so much to the U.S. national team and who has had the honor of being the team’s captain, he deserves that those conversations remain private,” Sampson said.

Harkes has played 90 games for the U.S. since his debut against Canada in 1987 and has always been an automatic starter unless injured or suspended.

He is the first American player officially excluded from consideration for the June 10-July 12 World Cup and, given his experience and background, is likely to remain the most surprising exclusion.

Sampson had to reveal his decision Tuesday when Harkes was not included on the U.S. team that will play Austria in Vienna on April 22 in its final warmup game against a European opponent.

No other players have been told they are not going to France, but nine have been told they will be going. Sampson said he will reveal the names of 18 players on his 22-man World Cup roster a week to 10 days after the Austria game.

Harkes’ reaction “was enormous disappointment,” Sampson said. “If he had reacted in any other way, I would have been very surprised. I don’t know if ‘shocked’ is the word.”

But the decision was not a snap judgment.

Sampson and Harkes had fallen out in recent months over Sampson’s desire to play Harkes in a more defensive role. Harkes, by inclination, is an attacking midfielder, even though he spent much of his career in England as a defender.

With a wealth of midfielders and a somewhat shaky back line, Sampson wanted Harkes to convert from a central midfield role to a position on the left flank or in the defense, specifically as a left back.

Harkes rebelled. He played the positions asked, but without noticeable enthusiasm or success. That did not sit well with Sampson.

“The issue of players respecting the decision of the coaching staff, and particularly when I make a decision about where a player is going to be played, that has to be respected and embraced,” Sampson said.

Harkes’ comments Tuesday were low key.

“[Sampson] has his reasons,” Harkes told the Associated Press. “I’ll just have to go with that at the moment. I support the team and I hope the team does well. I’m friends with every single one of them and always here for them.”