Players Get a Shot to Impress Arena
Having clinched its spot in soccer’s 2006 World Cup, the United States can accomplish two things in its three remaining qualifying games.
First, the Americans can destroy or enhance the World Cup aspirations of Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. Second, they can do the same to the hopes of their own players trying to make Coach Bruce Arena’s Germany ’06 roster.
Arena sent eight of his front-line players back to Europe after the team’s 2-0 victory over Mexico on Saturday at Columbus, Ohio.
Gone are goalkeeper Kasey Keller, defenders Gregg Berhalter, Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu, midfielders DaMarcus Beasley, Eddie Lewis and Claudio Reyna, and forward Brian McBride.
Seven of the eight started against Mexico, Bocanegra the exception.
Tonight, it will be predominantly an MLS lineup that takes the field against Guatemala at Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City. The only European-based players remaining are the Reading FC duo of goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and midfielder Bobby Convey.
Guatemala, meanwhile, will be without its most prominent MLS player, FC Dallas striker Carlos Ruiz, for a game it desperately needs to win to keep pace with Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago in pursuit of a World Cup berth.
Ruiz received his second yellow card during Guatemala’s surprising 3-2 loss at Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday and is suspended.
Arena, meanwhile, is going to use this game and the next two qualifiers -- at Costa Rica on Oct. 8 and against Panama at Foxborough, Mass., on Oct. 12 -- to assess MLS players trying to make the World Cup roster.
Landon Donovan is not one of those. The Galaxy’s player’s place is pretty much secure, but he spoke for them.
“For the guys who haven’t been around a lot, they get a chance to play in games that really matter,” he said. “I mean, everyone we play now is going to be fighting for that final spot.
“[The MLS players] all want that opportunity. They all want a chance to make a statement.”
Arena said his task between now and the start of the World Cup on June 9 was to improve the team.
“That’s going to take our guys’ going back to their clubs and being good professionals, playing on a regular basis, taking care of themselves properly,” he said.
It is also about “getting the right type of international matches next year in preparation [and] having the right kind of planning for a camp in the United States before we depart for Germany.
“There’s a lot of things [including] having an open mind and realizing that we have to get better and that there are perhaps some players out there who can help us.”
