Caligiuri Good Match for U.S. Team

Cobi Jones and Greg Vanney are back with the Galaxy for tonight’s game against the Colorado Rapids after missing the previous game while with the U.S. national team for World Cup qualifying play.

Considering that the U.S. lost to Honduras and Costa Rica and that its defense was porous, Coach Bruce Arena might want to consider calling up Galaxy defender Paul Caligiuri for the national team’s last two qualifying games.

Or certainly for the final one against Trinidad and Tobago in November. Caligiuri’s goal in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in November 1989 propelled the U.S. into the Italy ’90 World Cup and his presence, even on the bench, might be enough to get the faltering U.S. to Korea/Japan 2002.

Caligiuri will be match-fit, too; the Galaxy will play the U.S. Open Cup final against New England two weeks before the U.S. game against Trinidad and Tobago.

And what better way for Caligiuri to end his career than by once again helping the U.S. reach the World Cup?

The MLS veteran and soon-to-be men’s and women’s coach at Cal Poly Pomona keeps close track of the national team and had some thoughts this week on its performance in the 3-2 loss to Honduras.

“If you look at the entire match, you have to be concerned with how we played,” he said. “We weren’t able to combine and it seemed as if we didn’t really have a whole lot of thought. We were happy and content with winning the ball and just giving it to the next player.”

Meanwhile, Vanney and fellow defenders Danny Califf and Ezra Hendrickson must avoid getting yellow cards tonight or else they will miss the first game of the crucial two-game series against San Jose on Wednesday and Sept. 16.

The Galaxy trails the Earthquakes by one point in the race for the Western Division title.