[an error occurred while processing this directive] U.S. Cup hopes rest with defense

04/24/2002

The easy part is over for Bruce Arena – selecting his World Cup roster.

Now comes the U.S. coach's real work – sorting out the defensive issues. When the team gathers on May 1, the top priority is fixing the potholes that threaten to make World Cup 2002 a redux of the flailing face-plant of four years past.

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The U.S. defense of late has been a mess. The names may be the same, but it's not the same group that held together qualifying efforts at this time last year, propping up a puny attack that had been undressed by injuries.

Signs of trouble were seen by the middle of the summer, when Mexico began exposing the U.S. vulnerability on set piece plays. That hasn't changed. Ireland's game-winner in last week's 2-1 result came off a free kick service.

Arena selected his 23-man roster Monday. It includes just four forwards. That makes sense because Arena's choice of frontrunners seems clear. It will be Clint Mathis, who has five goals in the last seven games, commendable production at the international level. Beside him will stand Brian McBride, a big target who supplies tenacity and provides an ever-present option for the defender or midfielder who finds himself in trouble.

Arena's starting choices in midfield also appear set. Chris Armas will man defensive midfield chores, filling the spaces and winning balls behind attacking midfielder Claudio Reyna. Earnie Stewart and John O'Brien will be set up wide, although only nominally so, in Arena's version of the 4-4-2 formation.

Landon Donovan, Cobi Jones, Eddie Lewis and DaMarcus Beasley will be Arena's midfield options off the bench.

Defense? It's anybody's guess. Arena will examine every possible option in three warm-up matches scheduled for May along the East Coast. That's why he selected eight defenders instead of seven, as he previously had desired.

And that's why he says O'Brien remains an option at left back, one of two trouble areas. The other is at right back.

"To a certain degree [picking the team] was easy," Arena said. "I think the first 16 to18 are not difficult. But filling in the last five to seven were, and I think we really need the right people to complement some of our weaknesses."

The upheaval at the two outside fullback spots is even unsettling for the lone player who seems to have a starter's pass in his pocket, Richardson's Jeff Agoos. Arena prefers to use Agoos in the center. But since Eddie Pope, Carlos Llamosa, Gregg Berhalter and Pablo Mastroeni can ably man the middle, Agoos may slide to his former spot, left back.

David Regis was on the job for much of final round qualifying, but never truly distinguished himself.

Steve Cherundolo held the right back spot during qualifying, but struggled at the wrong time and played himself out of a World Cup roster spot. Tony Sanneh is the most physically imposing of Arena's right-back options, but lacks attacking creativity, which is required even of defenders internationally.

Frankie Hejduk is faster and better able to get forward. But he's smaller and could get pushed around by bigger players. And his crossing is middling at best. Mastroeni could play there, but lacks international experience.

Armas shares some of the blame for the defensive disorder, appearing overmatched recently against Germany and Ireland. When on his game, Armas draws a line 15 yards in front of the defense, charging from side to side and wrecking his share of attacks before they get to the rear guard.

It all adds up to trouble right off the bat. In opening against Portugal on June 5, the United States faces the most menacing of the non-traditional World Cup powers.

Portugal's team is stacked with attacking talent, including Luis Figo, one of the world's best. He prefers playing on the right. That, of course, is the highly suspect U.S. left side.

Arena summed it up: "We need to be better as a team on the defensive end."

CALENDAR

SATURDAY – MLS: Kansas City at Dallas Burn, 7:30 p.m., Cotton Bowl.

SUNDAY, MAY 12 – Exhibition: U.S. vs. Uruguay, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., 1 p.m. (ABC delay at 2 p.m.)

FRIDAY, MAY 31 – World Cup begins.

SOCCER ON TV

WEDNESDAY

UEFA Champions League: Manchester United at Bayern Leverkusen, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2

International Friendly: Chivas vs. Olimpia (tape), 10:30 p.m., Ch. 39.

SATURDAY

Mexican: Toluca vs. UNAM, 3 p.m., Ch. 39.

MLS: Colorado at Los Angeles, 3 p.m., ESPN2

Mexican: Monterrey vs. Cruz Azul, 6 p.m., GALA

International Friendly: Chinese Taipei at U.S. women from San Jose, Calif., 9 p.m., ESPN2

SUNDAY

Mexican: Atlante vs. Tigres (tape), noon, Ch. 39

Mexican: Puebla vs. America (tape), noon, Ch. 23

Mexican: Necaxa vs. Leon, 4:50 p.m., GALA

TUESDAY

UEFA Champions League: Manchester United at Bayern Leverkusen, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2

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