Middle Man Gives the U.S. More Options
Claudio Reyna is back, and that presents a problem.
Reyna, captain of the U.S. team that reached the quarterfinals of soccer’s 2002 World Cup, is the most experienced and possibly the most influential field player available to Coach Bruce Arena.
But the Manchester City veteran’s return after taking three months off to recuperate means that Arena has to shake up the midfield for tonight’s World Cup qualifying game against Trinidad and Tobago.
The U.S. is only two victories shy of clinching a place in Germany ‘06, so tweaking the starting lineup can be risky. On the other hand, finding a place for Reyna is considered crucial by the coaching staff, and, after all, the U.S. did defeat the Soca Warriors, 2-1, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, in February.
Arena’s problem is that he has an abundance of midfield talent. If Reyna is an obvious starter, then so is Landon Donovan. But Chris Armas and John O’Brien proved their worth at the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup, won by the U.S., so they too have to figure in Arena’s plans.
Similarly, the U.S. needs service from the wings, which means the strategy must include Eddie Lewis on the left and Steve Ralston on the right.
Clearly, all six won’t start, but Arena could play five and move Donovan into the forward line to partner Taylor Twellman. The two clicked well in last month’s MLS All-Star game. However, that would leave two key players on the bench -- Brian McBride, an aerial threat and the leading active goal scorer in U.S. history, and Jeff Cunningham, who has breakaway speed and is the top scorer in Major League Soccer this season.
In any case, Donovan plays better coming out of the midfield than he does up top.
In addition, a five-man midfield probably means a three-man back line, and such a formation is unlikely to cut it against the sort of speed Trinidad and Tobago possesses.
It’s a puzzle, and on Tuesday, after the U.S. team’s final training session at Rentschler Field, Arena was not about to reveal his solution.
“It’s a nice problem to have,” he said. “I’m going to deal with it quite comfortably.”
What that could mean is Donovan will play up front, probably with McBride, and that Reyna and O’Brien will be paired in the center of a four-man midfield, with Lewis and Ralston wide.
Donovan, for one, would be happy with such an arrangement.
“Having Claudio and John makes it easy on me because they do all the work,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about getting the ball and moving it from side to side or finding people. They do that. I just get in front of the goal and try to score. So it’s going to be fun for me.”
With 106 international matches to his credit and having been a part of three World Cup and two Olympic squads, Reyna, 32, is the team’s unquestioned leader -- but a quiet one.
“He doesn’t yell at people,” Donovan said. “He doesn’t say much. He’s just calming. Our team constantly wants to go, go, go. He’s the guy who knows when to settle it down, but he also knows when to go. You always want him on the ball because he’s going to make things happen. He’s invaluable.”
Reyna has played only once for the U.S. this year -- in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying loss to Mexico in Mexico City in March. A series of injuries has hampered him in recent years, and he decided in May, at the end of the English Premier League season, to take an extended break.
Deciding to skip a friendly against England, qualifiers against Costa Rica and Panama and the entire Gold Cup was not easy but necessary, Reyna said.
“I was looking at the big picture,” he said. “It benefits me and the team if I’m fully fit and mentally rested. I felt I needed it. I’ve never taken a break from the national team since I was 20, so it wasn’t easy at all.”
Arena said Reyna’s value, built during 11 years with clubs in Germany, Scotland and England, goes beyond what he produces on the field.
“He’s had a pretty accomplished a career, so I think the young players look up to him and the older players obviously are friends with him,” Arena said. “He brings confidence to the group.”
To Arena’s thinking, a Reyna-O’Brien combination will make the U.S. better offensively and defensively. “The movement off the ball is much better when you have players such as Claudio and John in the midfield,” he said. “Some players, you don’t want to play those tight little balls to in big games because you don’t think they can deal with it. But those guys are pretty good at holding the ball under pressure.”
Added Reyna: “We play well together. Hopefully, we can do it tomorrow and kind of drive the team on from midfield.”
*
World Cup qualifier
What -- World Cup qualifying match.
* Who -- U.S. vs. Trinidad and Tobago.
* Where -- Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Conn.
* When -- 5 p.m. PDT.
* TV -- ESPN2 (live) and Telemundo (delayed 12:30 a.m.).
* Also tonight -- Guatemala vs. Panama in Guatemala City and Mexico vs. Costa Rica in Mexico City.
* Update -- The U.S. needs two victories, combined with one loss by Guatemala, to secure a place in the World Cup for the fifth consecutive time. Mexico, which the U.S. plays on Sept. 3 in Columbus, Ohio, can also clinch its place in Germany ’06 with two more wins.
