Dooley Will Soon Bid National Team Adieu

Well, at least Thomas Dooley chose an elegant setting to spring his surprise.

Dooley, the German-born captain of the United States national team and probably its most respected member, announced Saturday he would retire as an international player once the World Cup is over.

“I would like to finish my career with the national team after the World Cup and maybe one more game,” Dooley, 37, said at the U.S. team’s Paris hotel a mile or two from the Eiffel Tower.

Dooley, who has played 77 times for the U.S., including four games in the 1994 World Cup, since coming to the States in 1992, wants to go into coaching and believes the time has come.

“I want to be a coach in the future [after one more year with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew] and I want to start as soon as possible,” he said. “It’s time to start a new life.”

Dooley, fellow defender Mike Burns and goalkeeper Kasey Keller, along with Coach Steve Sampson, attended the U.S. squad’s final news conference before Monday night’s game here against Germany at Parc des Princes stadium.

The team had arrived an hour or so earlier by high-speed train from Lyon.

“The players are very happy to be in a large city where they can experience the World Cup,” Sampson said. “I think the time in Pizay [their rural base since June 5] served its purpose, focusing in on training and being prepared for Germany.

“But I could sense the excitement of the players coming off the train and being greeted by their families and friends waving American flags. It was a nice way to welcome us to Paris.

“As much as the players are going to enjoy [the time] with their families seeing the sights of Paris, I don’t think anything is going to distract them from doing well against Germany on Monday night.”

Sampson said the team is fully fit.

“The starting lineup has been decided upon,” he said. “The players know who is going to start, although I have not formally told them. I’ll do that [tonight].

“We’re right on track. I think things have progressed exactly as I had hoped, especially in the area of players recovering from injury. I think in the training we have been able to push them hard and then back off.

“Everyone is in form, and I can now draw upon 22 players as opposed to 16 or 17. So I feel very good about where we’re at right now.”

Keller, riding a four-game shutout streak, was asked his impressions of the World Cup so far and the apparent ease with which goals are being scored.

“Personally, I’m very excited that it’s an attacking [style] World Cup,” Keller said. “Everyone involved in the game wants to see goals. That’s what it’s all about.

“Unfortunately, my position is about stopping goals. But as long as we score lots of goals, then I’ll be more than happy to disappoint the neutral fans and the German fans.

“It’s going to be a big task, but the more Germany attacks, the more fun it’s going to be.”

The U.S. mood is confident. The players are upbeat and jokes were frequent Saturday. Burns was asked what qualities Keller has that makes him one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

“Luck,” he deadpanned.

Someone asked Burns how important it was to hold Germany in check “for the first 70 or 80 minutes.”

“Well, we hope we’re going to hold them for the whole 90 minutes,” he shot back.

Dooley, the oldest player on the team, was asked, given Germany’s rather long-in-the-tooth team, whether age would be a factor.

“Could you run the Germans into the ground?”

“Me, personally?” Dooley replied, drawing the expected laughs.

“I think the team’s pretty relaxed and loose,” Burns said. “It finally feels like we’re at the World Cup. Just the atmosphere, driving through the city and seeing the Belgian and Dutch fans getting ready for [their] game.

“It’s exciting for us and we’re anxious to get the game under way. . . . We know it’s right around the corner.”