Changes for U.S. Roster
Faced with a must-win situation in the World Cup 2002 qualifying game against Barbados next week, U.S. Coach Bruce Arena shook up his roster Wednesday, dropping seven players, including Galaxy defenders Robin Fraser and Greg Vanney.
Also cut from the squad that lost, 2-1, at Costa Rica on July 23 were goalkeeper Kasey Keller, midfielders/defenders Frankie Hejduk and Chad Deering and forwards Jason Kreis and Clint Mathis.
Arena’s team, in last place in its qualifying group with only four games left in this round, must defeat Barbados in Foxboro, Mass., on Wednesday to stay in contention for a World Cup place.
To that end, Arena recalled six players to the squad, including forward Joe-Max Moore of Irvine and midfielder John O’Brien of Playa del Rey.
Also named to the new-look team were D.C. United defenders Carlos Llamosa and Jeff Agoos, as well as Columbus Crew forward Brian McBride and Kansas City Wizard goalkeeper Tony Meola.
Arena said the changes amounted to a “numbers game” as he tries to shake up a U.S. team that has earned only one point in its first two games, that from a 1-1 tie on the road against Guatemala on July 16.
“Fraser’s playing with a hand injury, he’s not completely 100%,” Arena said. “Vanney, I think, is just a numbers game. We’re bringing back some veteran players in Agoos and Llamosa, and [Eddie] Pope is available again at 100%, so that’s clearly the reasoning.
“It was not anything where I viewed Greg’s performance as poor in the last two games. It’s simply that I’m able to bring back a better group of players that I think have a little bit more experience in these type of games.”
After the Barbados game, the U.S. plays Guatemala at Washington on Sept. 3, Costa Rica at Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 11 and Barbados on the road on Nov. 15 as it tries to finish in the top two in its four-team group to advance to the final qualifying round in 2001.
“The team obviously needs a win,” said Moore, a former UCLA star who plays for Everton in the English Premier League but who has spent the last four months recovering from a torn knee ligament. “We’ve got to win all our home games and this first game in Boston is crucial.
The inclusion of O’Brien, who plays for Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch first division, was the only surprise Wednesday.
“John we didn’t bring in for the first two games because it was critical that he was at Ajax and given the opportunity to get into their team, which he has done,” Arena said. “During the preseason he played the last two games against Lazio [of Italy] and Arsenal [of England], so we’re very pleased with his progress there.
“Also the fact that John’s going to be gone in September with the [U.S.] Olympic team put a lot of pressure on him at his [Dutch] club. So we felt we would bring him in after the first two games.”
Keller, the No. 1 U.S. goalkeeper, is being allowed to miss the Barbados game while he tries to regain his starting position with his Spanish first division team, Rayo Vallecano.
Former UCLA goalkeeper Brad Friedel likely will start in his place, ahead of Meola.
Arena said a victory over Barbados is vital.
“It’s critical,” he said. “If we get three points in the next game, we’ll be no worse than tied for second in the group. And then obviously the next game against Guatemala would be critical. If we fall short of three points in either game, our task [in qualifying] will be increasingly difficult.”
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Desperate Times
* What--World Cup 2002 qualifying
* Who--U.S. vs. Barbados
* When--Wednesday
* Time--5:30 PDT
* TV--ESPN2
* Where--Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
GROUP STANDINGS
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Team Record Points Guatemala 1-0-1 4 Costa Rica 1-1-0 3 Barbados 1-1-0 3 United States 0-1-1 1
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