Playing for more games

U.S. hosts El Salvador in Gold Cup quarterfinals

Clint Mathis could make his return from injury for the U.S. Brian Bahr/Allsport

PASADENA, California (Ticker) -- The United States faces El Salvador on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at the Rose Bowl.

The match will determine whether or not coach Bruce Arena gets what he most covets: Two more games.

"This tournament is about evaluation, not about hardware," Arena said.

Arena has stated all along that he wants to see if he can get some depth out of these MLS players for his World Cup squad. So far, the team's play suggests he better keep looking. Of all the players showcased, defender Pablo Mastroeni has shown the most promise.

But there are several Americans still waiting in the wings. Both Clint Mathis and Brian Maisonneuve are on hand for the American team this weekend and they are players the U.S. surely could use if, in fact, they are fit.

Both have come back from shattering injuries -- Mathis with an ACL, Maisonneuve with a habitually sore ankle that sidelined him for almost two years. But both fill key midfield positions that the United States historically has lacked. One weakness of the Yanks exposed in this tournament is their inability to control the midfield.

"I'd like to see Brian for a full game; I think we can get about 30 minutes from Clint," Arena said.

The coach also believes Bobby Convey and Richard Mulrooney may have to wait for their chances. Brian West appears to have fallen off the radar.

While it never has won in the U.S., El Salvador is expected to pose a fine test.

"Teams love to beat us," Arena said. "And as we've seen [with South Korea and Cuba], they play their best games against us."

And this is a Salvadoran side with something to prove. It is 1-7-4 all-time against the Yanks and has just one face recognizable to American fans in San Jose Earthquakes star Ronald Cerritos.

After doing little in a 1-0 loss to Mexico, the Salvadorans attacked a bit more against Guatemala, good enough for a 1-0 win that put them through to the quarterfinals. This is a cautious team, so don't expect El Salvador to charge right at Kasey Keller.

The Americans' potential semifinal opponent is Canada, which defeated tiny Martinique Saturday night, 6-5 on penalties.

The Canadians last defeated the United States in 1985, and the Americans lead the overall series just 9-8-7.

In Sunday's opener, Mexico faces the unimpressive South Koreans.

Like Arena's squad, the Mexicans basically are a group of reserves trying to catch coach Javier Aguirre's attention.

The Koreans badly need a lift after a horrific performance against Cuba's semi-pros. Under intense pressure from its own media, Korea has done little here to suggest it can avoid the ignominy of becoming the first nation to host a World Cup and not reach the second round.

Mexico easily disposed of El Salvador and Guatemala in the first round and demonstrated it has some midfield depth with which Aguirre can work. Erick Espinoza was the standout in the 1-0 win over the Salvadorans, then Marco Garces took center stage in the 3-1 victory over Guatemala.

The only disappointing showing has come from Monterrey striker Antonio DeNigris, who was thought a possible national team attack leader at one stage. He has been eclipsed here by Adolfo Bautista and Carlos Ochoa.

 

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