Arena’s Concern: Finding a Replacement for Injured McBride
When the Colorado Rapids’ Paul Bravo crashed into the Columbus Crew’s Brian McBride in the 42nd minute of a Major League Soccer match in Ohio on June 17, the collision might have done more harm to the World Cup 2002 hopes of the United States than to McBride’s appearance.
The aerial clash broke McBride’s right cheekbone and put him on the sideline for the next four to eight weeks.
That means McBride, the U.S. national team’s main offensive threat in the air, will sit out at least the first two World Cup qualifying games--in Guatemala on July 15 and Costa Rica on July 23.
McBride, 28, underwent surgery on Tuesday at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The injury is the same as the one he suffered last year in San Jose, when he broke his left cheekbone in a similar collision.
So who does U.S. Coach Bruce Arena turn to now? Possibilities include Ante Razov, a former UCLA Bruin who plays with the Chicago Fire; Joe-Max Moore, another former Bruin from Irvine who plays in England, Razov’s Fire teammate Josh Wolff and Chris Albright of D.C. United.
“Well, certainly one of the guys he has to look at is Razov,” Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said.
“Albright has really been too inconsistent and hasn’t played well. So I don’t think he’s the alternative right now at that level.
“Wolff has done OK. He’s probably ahead of Albright at this stage, but he’s not that type of forward, either. It’s a little bit thin. If Joe-Max comes back, you’ve got two slightly different forwards [in him and the Galaxy’s Cobi Jones]. The thing with Joe-Max is you know he battles for stuff and you still get that [finishing] quality.”
The fact that Jones and Moore played together at UCLA makes their potential pairing an attractive one.
“They know each other and they work well together,” Schmid said. “[Moore] works well with Claudio [Reyna, the U.S. team’s playmaker]. It means Claudio can maybe take a more offensive role at times and push forward himself.
“Jovan Kirovski is another one who could fill in as a front-runner, who’s got a little more size, who can play with his back to goal. So I would say the options are probably Ante, Jovan and Joe-Max.”
CRYING WOLFF
Fire Coach Bob Bradley has served as Arena’s assistant in MLS and with the national team. As a result, he probably has a better handle on what Arena is thinking than most other coaches.
“I think that Josh [Wolff] continues to come back strongly from his knee injury and I think he is a player Bruce will consider,” Bradley said, “but I think probably the next big opportunity for Josh is with the Olympic team.
“Bruce, I believe, feels that going into this first stretch of qualifying games he’s got a pretty solid nucleus of players. There are still some questions, obviously. Joe-Max Moore’s knee is one. But I think Josh’s play of late [five goals in five games for the Fire] shows that he’s a player who is going to continue to push on that door to get into the national team.”
Bradley said finding someone to step into McBride’s role is not going to be easy.
“Brian has more experience in the international game than the rest of the American forwards,” he said. “That part there is not a substitute for, but I do believe there are a number of players who are developing. Ante [Razov] has made tremendous strides and there are others around the league.”
ARENA BALL
Arena plans to call 18 players into camp in Florida on July 9 for the games against Guatemala and Costa Rica. Five alternates also will be told to be prepared in case of injury.
“For the most part, I’m pleased with the team,” Arena wrote in his latest column for Goalnetwork.com. “We have a good team spirit, a good understanding of our tactics, good balance, depth in a number of positions and a desire to succeed. When selecting a roster of 18 players, I will need to find a mix that allows for cover in all positions of the field.”
The loss of McBride removes a key piece of the puzzle, especially because Arena anticipates taking only three forwards to Central America.
“The position we probably have the fewest choices are at forward,” Arena wrote, naming Jones, McBride, Razov, Albright, Moore and the Dallas Burn’s Jason Kreis. “Moore’s fitness still is a big question mark, and it is unlikely he will be available to us in July.
“Fortunately, Kirovski, [Earnie] Stewart and [Tony] Sanneh offer cover in this position as well.”
The first two qualifying games mark the first time Arena has ventured into Cental America as U.S. coach. The veterans will have warned him about what to expect, but it still might be an eye-opener.
“Once we complete the first two games of qualification, I will reevaluate our roster,” Arena wrote. “If changes need to be made, I certainly will look beyond the names that I’ve listed.”
World Cup 2002 is two years distant, the first skirmish is three weeks away, but already the scent of battle is in the air.
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U.S. World Cup
2002 Qualifying
The schedule for U.S. World Cup 2002 qualifying, with date, opponent, site and TV information:
* July 15: Guatemala, Estadio National Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala, TBA.
* July 23: Costa Rica, Estadio Ricardo Saprissa, San Jose, Costa Rica, ESPN2, 10:30 a.m. PDT, delayed.
* Aug. 16: Barbados, Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Mass., ESPN2, 8:30 p.m. PDT, delayed.
* Sept. 3: Guatemala, RFK Stadium, Washington, ABC, 11 a.m. PDT, live.
* Oct. 1: Costa Rica, Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, ESPN, 5 p.m. PDT, live.
* Nov. 15: Barbados, National Stadium or Kensington Oval, St. Michael, Barbados, TBA.
