U.S. Soccer’s Hopes High Despite Injuries

It’s difficult to say which will have the more patched-up look Wednesday night--the Estadio Olimpico on the outskirts of town or the U.S. national soccer team, which will be playing there.

The stadium was built less than a decade ago, but already it has an aged and worn-out appearance, a dilapidated look that some Hondurans have called a national disgrace, considering its cost.

The U.S. team, which flew here from Miami on Monday afternoon, is not exactly dilapidated but it is beset by injuries.

Coach Bruce Arena will be missing four starters for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifying game against Honduras.

Forwards Brian McBride and Joe-Max Moore have been sidelined by knee and calf injuries, respectively; Claudio Reyna has not recovered from a groin strain suffered in the 2-0 victory over Mexico last month, and defender Eddie Pope injured his toe in training.

None of them is here.

Neither are reserves Landon Donovan, who broke a rib in Trinidad while helping the U.S. under-20 national team qualify for this year’s FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina, and winger Ben Olsen, who also is injured.

Add it all up and Honduran Coach Ramon Maradiaga will be hard-pressed to guess the U.S. starting lineup.

Arena, of course, isn’t about to share that information.

“I don’t know who you’re rooting for in this game, but we would prefer that this story doesn’t get out till Wednesday,” he told the half-dozen U.S. reporters who attended the team’s light training session Tuesday evening. “We don’t want to give [the Honduran coaches and players] a day to think about what’s going on.”

Of course, all the Hondurans had to do was note who did not get off the plane or attend the training session to realize who was missing.

Arena called the rash of injuries unfortunate, but seemed upbeat about the U.S. team’s chances.

“I think we’re going to win the game,” he said. “I’m not worried about who’s missing, I’m worried about who’s here. We’ve got these guys ready to play. They’ll be fine.”

Among “these guys” are Preki, the 37-year-old midfielder who helped the Kansas City Wizards win the Major League Soccer title last season, and forward Chris Albright, who started for the U.S. team that finished fourth at the Sydney Olympic Games.

The U.S. squad’s depth will be tested, and there was guesswork among reporters about the different combinations Arena might try, especially with his starting forwards and his key playmaker absent.

The consensus was that Josh Wolff and his Chicago Fire teammate, Ante Razov, would start in place of McBride and Moore. Wolff scored one goal against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 28 and set up the other for Earnie Stewart.

Clint Mathis is likely to take Reyna’s place, as he did when Reyna had to come out of the Mexico game. Preki, whose last game for the U.S. was against Iran in the 1998 World Cup in France, would back up Mathis.

Arena said the veteran still can contribute.

“I watched all the games in MLS [spring training in Florida] this week and in my mind there were about three guys who could help us,” he said.

“When we lost Landon, and with Claudio out, we were a little thin in the attacking midfield and [Preki] was the best guy. This week he played very well in the MLS games.

“If you need a guy to play 15 or 30 minutes, he’s a guy who can play. He knows at this point in his career that at this level, he’s a 45-minute player at best. But I think he can help us if needed. You never know.”