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Q & A: U.S. coach Bruce Arena
Posted: Tuesday April 23, 2002 11:43 AM
Updated: Tuesday April 23, 2002 11:49 AM
What
do you think of the draw?
Fair -- no one has an easy draw. Portugal in the eyes of many are
one of the top teams. Korea, being hosts, will be difficult to beat.
Still, if we play well, we have a chance to advance. We have no
complaints -- the draw gives us some optimism.
Who
are your key players?
Starting at the back, we're strong in goal, with both Kasey Keller
and Brad Friedel. At center-back, there's Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope.
Earnie Stewart, Chris Armas and Claudio Reyna are key in midfield,
with Brian McBride up front.
Who
will be the surprise teams or players?
I wish I knew the answer to that one. I don't know -- I can't tell
you. And anyone who tells you he knows is full of it.
How
will the conditions affect you?
In this day and age, all teams know exactly how to deal with travel
and weather. Heat and humidity are not difficult for us to cope
with. Rain could be a problem -- but luckily for us, heavy rain is
more likely in Japan than in Korea, where we will play.
Who
will win the World Cup?
Right now, I'd say Argentina. And France are right up there with
them.
That
first game, with Portugal as the opponents -- do you play defensively?
They're one of the best teams in the world, so it's not going to
be easy. But we have to try to win. If you don't score a goal, you
won't win. Against Portugal for sure we're not going to attack for
90 minutes -- we have to pick our spots and be smart. That's something
we've been working on, to be a better counter-attacking team. By
June we'll be pretty comfortable getting out on the break.
Will
you stick with a 4-4-2 formation -- or might you switch sometimes
to a 3-5-2?
There's no question about that: we'll play four at the back. Who
they are will vary with who's available.
Are
you short of depth in the squad?
In most positions -- if everyone's healthy -- no, we're not. We've
got some versatile midfielders -- like Landon Donovan -- who can also
play up front. Maybe in the outside-back positions, we're a bit
limited there.
Talking
of Donovan -- will he be a starter?
There's a chance that he could start a game in the World Cup. He's
only 20, but when I compare him to Claudio (Reyna), I think he's
well ahead of Claudio at that age.
What's
your minimum aim for 2002?
To get into the second round. And to play well. Of course, you can
play well and maybe not advance, but hopefully we can do both.
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