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Clubs get a break U.S. prepares for Confed Cup, releases players to MLSPosted: Thursday June 05, 2003 12:42 PMUpdated: Thursday June 05, 2003 2:06 PM
ATLANTA (SI.com) -- U.S. coach Bruce Arena released eight players to their Major League Soccer clubs following Thursday's training session in preparation for Sunday's match against New Zealand in Richmond, Va. (1 p.m. ET; ESPN2) That contest serves as the final warmup for the FIFA Confederations Cup in France. Sixteen of the U.S. players are on teams in Major League Soccer, including three each from Chicago, Columbus and the MetroStars. With the ability to dress only 18 players Sunday and with many of the MLS-based players scheduled to be on the road for most of June, Arena allowed two players to return to both the MetroStars (Tim Howard and Clint Mathis) and Crew (Jeff Cunningham and Frankie Hejduk). Chicago Fire midfielder DaMarcus Beasley and D.C. United midfielder Bobby Convey will travel to Richmond on Saturday evening after their contest at RFK Stadium and will suit up to face New Zealand. Also released were Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) and Dan Califf (Los Angeles Galaxy). "Our original plan was to have two international games this week, in order to give every player a chance to play," said Arena. "This is an opportunity to give our guys as much playing time as possible." The entire group was expected to return to the D.C. area during the day Sunday. Having scheduled an 11 v. 11 intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday but short on personnel, Arena called upon the services of U.S. U-23 international defender Oguchi Onyewu, who is spending his summer break at his family's home in Maryland. The 60-minute contest ended 1-0, with Taylor Twellman credited with the game-winning goal. Gibbs makes first campTwenty-four players originally reported for training camp Sunday. Twenty-two roster players were joined by U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and FC St. Pauli defender Cory Gibbs for the first two workouts of the 11-day camp. The only notable absence was San Jose forward Landon Donovan, who was excused from duty as the Quakes suffered a rash of injuries and are in dire need of his services. Gibbs was added to the roster after the team learned that defender Eddie Pope was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in the patella of his left knee. Gibbs, 22, is making his first appearance in a camp with the senior team. He was a member of the bronze-medal winning team at the 1999 Pan American Games, and played on the U.S. under-20s in the 1999 World Youth Championships in Nigeria along with Califf, Howard and Twellman. Gibbs has previously been called into camp three times, only to have injuries and club commitments force last-minute withdrawals. "It's been very frustrating for me personally," he said. "I've always wanted to come into camp, but every time I had a chance something prevented me from coming in. The national team is my highest goal, and now that I'm finally here I have to make the best of my opportunity." Hahnemann returnsBy contrast, U.S. goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann returns after a long layoff from national team duty. He made the most recent of his three appearances for the senior team in a 1-1 draw with Honduras on Dec. 11, 1994 -- a span of eight years, five months and 28 days before Sunday's kickoff. Hahnemann left the Colorado Rapids in 2000 to join English club Fulham and is now with Reading. His experience in England has not been without frustration. "When I first got to Fulham, they were going through a lot of changes, having come up to the first division really quickly," he said. "Guys were doing their own laundry from training. I was like 'you've got to be kidding me.' In MLS, although the pay might not be as good as some of the top places in Europe, you're treated like a professional. Everything is done top notch." New Zealand brings 'strongest team'Sunday's opponent is also preparing to compete in the Confederations Cup. Coach Mick Waitt summoned what he called his "strongest possible team" of 23, dominated by overseas-based players, including 12 who played in the 1999 Confederations Cup in Mexico. New Zealand cruised to a 2-0 victory against the A-League's Virginia Beach Mariners on Tuesday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. D.C. United's Ryan Nelsen slotted home his own rebound in the 76th minute, and substitute Chris Killen doubled the lead two minutes later. New Zealand, 51st in FIFA's world rankings, belied its status as a minor soccer nation with a respectable 1-1 draw against Scotland in a friendly last week. Nelsen scored New Zealand's goal, with the L.A. Galaxy's Simon Elliott playing 90 minutes and Columbus Crew midfielder Duncan Oughton coming on at halftime. Action likely for all 23After Sunday's match -- in which the Americans will wear a replica of the uniform worn in the 1950 World Cup upset win against England as part of the 90-year anniversary of U.S. Soccer -- the U.S. team returns to the D.C. area and will train locally through Wednesday before departing for its home base in Lyon late June 11. It will be based in Lyon during the opening round of the eight-nation tournament that runs from June 18-29. The U.S. opens Group B against World Cup third-place finisher Turkey on June 19 in St. Etienne followed by matches in Lyon against World Cup champion Brazil (June 21) and Cameroon (June 23). If history is any indication, each member of the 23-man unit traveling to France will see action during the event. The U.S. team will play three matches in a five-day period, a schedule even more grueling than the three matches in seven days they played in the 1999 Confederations Cup in Mexico. During group play in that tournament -- in which the U.S. took on New Zealand, Brazil, and Germany -- all 20 players on the roster including both goalkeepers started at least one match. The U.S. will then defend its regional championship in the Gold Cup, to be held from July 12-23 in Boston, Miami and Mexico City. In Group C action, the U.S. meets El Salvador (July 12) and Martinique (July 14), with both matches to be played at Gilette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Thursday marked one year since the U.S. win against Portugal to open the World Cup. For the Confederations Cup, Arena named 10 players from the squad that reached the World Cup quarterfinals last year, as well as eight players who have fewer than 10 caps.
Several top U.S. players will miss the tournament, including goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller; midfielders John O'Brien and Claudio Reyna; and forward Brian McBride.
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