U.S. Team Profiles
JEFF AGOOS
* Age: 30.
* Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland.
* Position: Defender.
* College: Virginia.
* Club: Washington D.C. United (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Jan. 10, 1988 vs. Guatemala.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 87/3.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: An intense competitor who has served as team captain on occasion. A very late cut from the 1994 World Cup team, he burned his training gear after learning he had not made the squad. One of the few capable left backs in the U.S., he had virtually made the position his own until recently. He has done well to overcome the bad error he made that led to a goal by Jamaica in qualifying play and cost the U.S. a victory. Hard shot but uses it too infrequently. Winner of two MLS championships with D.C. United. Unlikely to start.
MARCELO BALBOA
* Age: 30.
* Birthplace: Chicago.
* Position: Defender.
* College: San Diego State.
* Club: Colorado Rapids (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Jan. 10, 1988 vs. Guatemala.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 126/13.
* World Cup Experience: 1990, 1994.
* Briefly: The most experienced player on the U.S. team, with a record 126 international games. That ranks him second in the world among male players. Best remembered in World Cup terms for the bicycle kick goal he came within inches of scoring against Colombia in 1994. He did score in that way against Trinidad & Tobago at the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup. A rugged defender capable of playing as a sweeper or as a marking back. The only two-time U.S. male player of the year. His father, Luis, played professionally in Argentina. Unlikely to start, but could get playing time.
MIKE BURNS
* Age: 27.
* Birthplace: Marlboro, Mass.
* Position: Defender.
* College: Hartwick.
* Club: New England Revolution (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Sept. 3, 1992 vs. Canada.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 73/0.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: A hard-working and seemingly tireless right back who also is a more-than-capable marking back, his probable role in France. His fortunes seemed to dip midway through qualifying after a few defensive mistakes, but he revived his game well and regained his starting place. Played on the gold medal-winning U.S. Pan American Games team in 1991 and the Barcelona Olympics team in 1992. Apart from a brief time in Denmark, he has played his entire career within 250 miles of his Marlboro, Mass., home. Can also play as a wide midfielder. Probable starter.
CHAD DEERING
* Age: 27.
* Birthplace: Plano, Texas.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: Indiana.
* Club: VfL Wolfsburg (Germany).
* U.S. Debut: Oct. 13, 1993 vs. Mexico.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 10/1.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: A relative latecomer to the team, Deering owes his good fortune to the fact that he is playing on the same Bundesliga club as U.S. teammate Claudio Reyna. His ability to read Reyna’s moves and to interact with him helped a lot. So did scoring a goal against Paraguay in San Diego in March when given a chance to make the U.S. roster. His duties as a defensive midfielder are to pickup opposing forwards coming through and to stifle opposition attacks early. Eight seasons experience in Germany. Possible starter.
THOMAS DOOLEY
* Age: 37.
* Birthplace: Bechhofen, Germany.
* Position: Defender.
* College: None.
* Club: Columbus Crew (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: May 30, 1992 vs. Ireland.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 77/7.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: The wise old head of the U.S. team, rightly named captain earlier this year. Dooley brings a wealth of experience in the German Bundesliga to the team. He won a national championship and cup with Kaiserslautern and the the UEFA Cup with Schalke 04. A 14-year pro. Now fluent in English, he is the obvious and respected leader on the field and off. He plays as a sweeper--a sort of free safety role just in front of the goalkeeper--but also moves into the attack when the occasion calls for it. Invaluable and a definite starter despite his advanced years.
BRAD FRIEDEL
* Age: 27.
* Birthplace: Bay Village, Ohio.
* Position: Goalkeeper.
* College: UCLA.
* Club: Liverpool (England).
* U.S. Debut: Sept. 3, 1992 vs. Canada.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 56/0.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: Having long harbored the dream of playing in the English Premier League and having achieved that goal only this year after a long struggle, Friedel is not in the least worried at being No. 2 on the U.S. goalkeeping chart. Now establishing himself at Liverpool, one of England’s leading teams, he is every bit as capable as U.S. starter Kasey Keller and could step into the position in a moment. With excellent reflexes and a good sense of positioning, Friedel is an intimidating 6-foot-4, 202-pound presence in the goal area and is not easily shouldered out of the way. College soccer’s player of the year in 1993. Won the Turkish Cup with Galatasaray.
FRANKIE HEJDUK
* Age: 23.
* Birthplace: La Mesa.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: UCLA.
* Club: Tampa Bay Mutiny (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Aug. 30, 1996 vs. El Salvador.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 11/2.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: Catch the right wave and it’s amazing how far it will take you. Surfer-soccer player Hejduk is riding high at the moment, a spectacular performance against Austria in Vienna in April having clinched him a World Cup berth. A subsequent hamstring injury slowed him down temporarily, but if he recovers in time, look for him to be streaking down the right flank at the World Cup, driving opponents to distraction with his speed. And if he scores, watch for that bizarre dance. A starter in the 1996 Olympics. Now, from fringe player to probable starter in six months. Way to go, dude.
COBI JONES
* Age: 27.
* Birthplace: Detroit.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: UCLA.
* Club: Galaxy (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Sept. 3, 1992 vs. Canada.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 107/8.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: While Frankie Hejduk sprints down the right flank, another former Bruin matches him stride for stride down the left wing. Jones more or less blazed the trail for speedy wingers on the U.S. squad, making it fashionable with the gold medal Pan American Games team in 1991 and the Olympic team in ’92. He has been a regular starter for the American side for six years and hopes to use this World Cup to showcase his talents for a possible move to a French club. That would be bad news for the Galaxy, but good for the U.S. He’s a definite starter.
KASEY KELLER
* Age: 28.
* Birthplace: Olympia, Wash.
* Position: Goalkeeper.
* College: Portland.
* Club: Leicester City (England).
* U.S. Debut: Feb. 4, 1990 vs. Colombia.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 33/0.
* World Cup Experience: 1990
* Briefly: Had Keller and then-coach Bora Milutinovic not been at odds in 1994, it is possible the U.S. might have gone even farther than the second round. As it was, the U.S. lost to Brazil, 1-0, and was eliminated. Keller was not on the team. But he shut out Brazil, 1-0, this year, knocking it out of the Gold Cup with the best performance ever by a U.S. keeper. Now solidly entrenched in the English Premier League, Keller is justifiably regarded as one of the world’s topgoalkeepers. His reactions are lightning-fast, his positioning impeccable. A starter without a doubt.
ALEXI LALAS
* Age: 28.
* Birthplace: Birmingham, Mich.
* Position: Defender.
* College: Rutgers.
* Club: New York/New Jersey MetroStars (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: May 6, 1990 vs. Canada.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 98/9.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: The wandering minstrel of U.S. soccer no longer quite looks the part. The flowing red hair has been trimmed to a short back and sides. Fortunately, the red goatee grows longer by the day. Lalas has been the bright face of the national team for so many years that it seems odd to see him no longer in the starting lineup. Time changes. Either way, he will be there on the bench, ready and willing if called upon. And off the field he serves a more-than-useful purpose in attracting reporters like a magnet, the quotes always a little off the wall and always honest.
BRIAN MAISONNEUVE
* Age: 24.
* Birthplace: Detroit.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: Indiana.
* Club: Columbus Crew (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: June 4, 1997 vs. Paraguay.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 7/0.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: If there is a future for the men’s national team, this is where it begins. In only a handful of appearances for the U.S., Maisonneuve already has caught the eye with his polished performances. Calm and unhurried, he manages to be in the right place and the right time to make the tackles so vital to his defensive midfield position. But he has the added gift of being able to dribble well and that, combined with his speed, makes him an offensive threat too. He won the Hermann Award as college soccer’s player of the year in 1994. One of the first collegians drafted by MLS. Possible starter.
BRIAN McBRIDE
* Age: 25.
* Birthplace: Arlington Heights, Ill.
* Position: Forward.
* College: Saint Louis.
* Club: Columbus Crew (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: March 25, 1993 vs. Honduras.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 21/5.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: When the U.S. decides to take to the air, McBride is usually the first player called on. The strength of his heading game makes him a dangerous player in the goal area, particularly off free kicks and corner kicks. Injury has hampered his career and a concussion suffered against Macedonia last month almost knocked him off the World Cup team. An earlier exceptional performance in the victory over Austria was enough to keep him aboard, however. Not surprisingly for a player who uses his head so much, McBride has a patented string-headband that he wears when playing. Unlikely to start, but could come off the bench.
JOE-MAX MOORE
* Age: 27.
* Birthplace: Tulsa, Okla.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: UCLA.
* Club: New England Revolution (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Sept. 3, 1992 vs. Canada.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 68/17.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: The second-leading scorer on the team and by far its most hustling player. Moore probably would have won even more caps and scored even more goals had he not suffered one injury after another over the past two years. The fact that he has battled back each time and retained his national team place says much for his character and fortitude. Scored a memorable swerving free kick goal against Italy at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. His career has taken him from Mission Viejo High to UCLA to Germany and now to MLS, where he sparks the Revolution. Once scored four goals against El Salvador at the L.A. Coliseum. Unlikely to start.
EDDIE POPE
* Age: 24.
* Birthplace: Greensboro, N.C.
* Position: Defender.
* College: North Carolina.
* Club: Washington D.C. United (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Nov. 10, 1996 vs. Trinidad & Tobago.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 23/3.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: The player of the year for 1997, Pope has learned to do almost everything on the soccer field except smile. He doesn’t do much of that off the field, either. He is a composed, confident player who simply goes about his job and doesn’t look for praise or criticism. The fear of losing him to a European team after the World Cup caused MLS to bump him up to the maximum salary. Scored the winning goal against the Galaxy at the 1996 MLS championship game. Is always a threat to score off corner kicks, but his main strength is as a marking back, stifling the opposing team’s most dangerous player. Definite starter.
PREKI
* Age: 34.
* Birthplace: Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: None.
* Club: Kansas City Wizards (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Nov. 3, 1996 vs. Guatemala.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 24/4.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: The U.S. team’s not-so-secret weapon probably has his sights trained on the third game the Americans will play. That would be against Yugoslavia, the country where he was born. Preki, as he generally is known, will turn 35 the day before the game, and if he can celebrate his birthday with a goal like the sensational one he scored to beat Brazil at the Los Angeles Coliseum in January, that would be a fitting celebration. Even at his age, he still has moves that no other U.S. player can duplicate. Unlikely to start but definitely will come off the bench.
TAB RAMOS
* Age: 31.
* Birthplace: Montevideo, Uruguay.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: North Carolina State.
* Club: New York/New Jersey MetroStars (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Jan. 10, 1988 vs. Guatemala.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 80/7.
* World Cup Experience: 1990, 1994.
* Briefly: The most creative and skillful player the United States has ever produced. Able to read the game well and has the speed of thought and foot to make an impact. Literally knocked out of World Cup ’94 by an elbow to the head from Brazil’s Leonardo that broke his skull. First player signed by Major League Soccer. Hampered by having to undergo reconstructive surgery on his right knee twice within 10 months in 1997 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament. Only recently recovered but not yet 100% match fit. Possible starter but more likely to come off the bench.
DAVID REGIS
* Age: 28.
* Birthplace: La Trinite, Martinique.
* Position: Defender.
* College: Unknown.
* Club: Karlsruher (Germany).
* U.S. Debut: May 24, 1998 vs. Ukraine.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 2/0.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: The newest member of the U.S. national speaks virtually no English, but he’ll be right at home in France. Not because he is fluent in French or because he played here for half a dozen years, but because he fits into the U.S. lineup so well. At ease from the moment he walked onto the field in Portland, Ore., only a few weeks ago, Regis is a consummate professional. The youngest of 10 children of a French marine in Martinique, he left home at age 10 to pursue a soccer career in France. He has a degree in computer science and an American wife he met while playing for Strasbourg. Definite starter.
CLAUDIO REYNA
* Age: 24.
* Birthplace: Livingston, N.J.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: Virginia.
* Club: VfL Wolfsburg (Germany).
* U.S. Debut: Jan. 15, 1994 vs. Norway.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 59/6.
* World Cup Experience: None.
* Briefly: It might seem a huge burden to thrust upon the shoulders of a 24-year-old with no World Cup experience, but Reyna is expected to be the playmaker for the U.S. team in France. It is up to him to devise the ways by which the German and Iranian and Yugoslav defenses will be carved up. It is up to him to make the passes that will create the goals. Too much responsibility? Not very likely. Reyna was ranked among the top 100 players in Germany in a poll by Kicker magazine. It was his vision and ability that led to the rout of Austria. A definite starter.
JUERGEN SOMMER
* Age: 29.
* Birthplace: New York.
* Position: Goalkeeper.
* College: Indiana.
* Club: Columbus Crew (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Sept. 7, 1994 vs. England.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 8/0.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: Being the third goalkeeper on a World Cup team is a thankless job. Chances are, you will never have the opportunity to play, but you have to keep as fit and as sharp as the starter and backup just in case the unthinkable happens. Sommer is perfectly suited to the role. At 6 feet 5 and 215 pounds, he is the largest of the U.S. goalkeeping trio and gained extensive experience playing in England before being “brought home” by MLS. He was also the No. 3 behind Tony Meola and Brad Friedel at the 1994 World Cup. Hey, a holiday in France isn’t a bad deal.
ERNIE STEWART
* Age: 29.
* Birthplace: Veghel, Netherlands.
* Position: Midfielder.
* College: None.
* Club: NAC Breda (Netherlands).
* U.S. Debut: Dec. 19, 1990 vs. Portugal.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 47/6.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: Stewart hates to fly, so when the World Cup is over he will be pleased that “home” is only a train ride away to Holland. Apart from his speed, Stewart has one distinction that puts him in select company. He has scored the winning goal in a World Cup match for the United States. Only three other players in history can make that claim, and none of them are alive. Stewart’s goal was scored against Colombia in 1994. He has lost none of his pace in the intervening four years and has recently rounded into the sort of form that will make a sure starter.
ROY WEGERLE
* Age: 30.
* Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa.
* Position: Forward.
* College: South Florida.
* Club: Tampa Bay Mutiny (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: May 30, 1992 vs. Ireland.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 39/7.
* World Cup Experience: 1994.
* Briefly: Another seemingly ageless player whose career has been magically resurrected. The only MLS player to have played in the old NASL. Wegerle did not play at all for the national team in 1996 and was not even in the pool of 80 players to be considered for 1997. Yet here he is, at his second World Cup. Part of the reason is the dearth of true forwards in the U.S., players who are confident enough to be able to hold the ball under pressure in advanced positions. Wegerle does this well. Another reason is his fitness. It rivals any player on the squad. Unlikely to start.
ERIC WYNALDA
* Age: 29.
* Birthplace: Fullerton.
* Position: Forward.
* College: San Diego State.
* Club: San Jose Clash (MLS).
* U.S. Debut: Feb. 2, 1990 vs. Costa Rica.
* National Team Appearances/Goals: 100/32.
* World Cup Experience: 1990, 1994.
* Briefly: Marcelo Balboa, Tab Ramos and Wynalda are the only American players to have three World Cup tournaments on their resume. The country’s all-time leading goal scorer, averaging a goal every third game, is being counted upon to do something special in France. Not get a red card as he did at Italia ‘90, but rather to score goals like the spectacular one he netted on a free kick against Switzerland in ’94. He turns 29 today and has been slow to come back from arthroscopic surgery on his knee, but that might just have been “Waldo” saving his best for the biggest stage. The U.S. can but hope so.
