U.S. Shows Depth, but Only Ties Ecuador
The depth that once was so sadly lacking in American soccer is a problem of the past. These days, the U.S. national team has all sorts of resources.
That happy fact was underlined Thursday night when the U.S. played Ecuador to a 0-0 tie in a friendly in front of 12,572 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Ecuador came in having won its last five World Cup qualifying games, including a victory over Brazil, and has high expectations of reaching next summer’s tournament in Japan and South Korea.
But it was the American team, which has similar aspirations, that looked the more dangerous, especially in the first half.
Coach Bruce Arena included nine foreign-based players in his starting 11, the only exceptions being former Galaxy and now Colorado Rapid defender Robin Fraser and New York/New Jersey MetroStar defender Mike Petke.
Three players also made their national team debuts when midfielders John Thorrington, of Palos Verdes, Pablo Mastroeni and Joe Enochs came on as second-half substitutes.
And despite fielding only five players who had appeared in the team’s three World Cup qualifying victories this year, the U.S. was daring, aggressive and unpredictable.
Those were the traits Arena had said the team lost when forward Clint Mathis was sidelined this week after tearing ligaments in his right knee. The same qualities, plus speed, also will be missing now that Mathis’ fellow forward, Josh Wolff, has become the latest victim of injury.
Wolff will be out for at least six weeks after hairline fractures were discovered Thursday in the Chicago Fire players’ left foot.
Mathis will miss the U.S. team’s remaining seven World Cup qualifying games and Wolff will miss at least the next three: against Jamaica on June 16, Trinidad and Tobago on June 20 and Mexico on July 1.
The forwards who likely will replace them are the duo of Joe-Max Moore and Jovan Kirovski. The two played against Ecuador and caused the South America team’s defense a variety of problems.
Kirovski had the best of the scoring chances, and his fierce shot in the 20th minute was turned over the crossbar by Ecuador goalkeeper Geovanny Ibarra.
