Success gives U.S. sense of stability

Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific Soccer By Bob Condotta Seattle Times staff reporter MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Kasey Keller, the U.S. goalkeeper from Lacey, practices with the American team at Seahawks Stadium. Keller is the likely starter today against Venezuela.

In the 90 years that the United States has fielded a men's national soccer team, it has employed 34 head coaches, a track record that even George Steinbrenner might consider a bit extreme.

But as the U.S. team gets ready to begin another four-year cycle leading up to the 2006 World Cup in Germany with a match at 1 p.m. today against Venezuela at Seahawks Stadium, there is an uncommon sense of stability.

Today's game will be the first time that the bulk of the players who made up the U.S. team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup will hit the field together, a group that now knows just what can be accomplished when everything breaks right.

Most important, however, Coach Bruce Arena is back for another four-year cycle, which gives him the longest coaching tenure in American men's soccer history.

"Typically with the national team, coaches go year to year," Arena said after the team worked out yesterday at Seahawks Stadium. "But now they are in the fifth year with me so when we come to camp, we basically know each other, know what is expected, and for any new players, it is easy for them to get adjusted."

Arena won't say, however, that all that stability should lead to heightened expectations for the U.S. team, maintaining the stance he has taken from his first day as coach in 1998 that the team's goal is simply "to get into position to qualify for the next World Cup."

Today's game in soccer parlance is called an "international friendly." Japan was to have been the opponent but backed out last week due to concerns about travel and security. Venezuela, which the U.S. has played just once — a 3-3 tie in 1993 — was lined up as a late replacement. U.S. players admitted yesterday they knew little about Venezuela, which has never qualified for a World Cup.

"But it's just like any team," said forward Landon Donovan. "If you don't approach it the right way, they can beat you."

U.S. men's national soccer team vs. Venezuela When: Today,

1 p.m.

Where: Seahawks Stadium.

Tickets: $20-$70, are available at Ticketmaster outlets or at the stadium box office.

TV: ESPN 2 Today's 18-man U.S. roster features a number of young players — such as defenders Steve Cherundolo, Nick Garcia and Carlos Bocanegra — Arena will try to get on the field as much as possible.

"At this point in the four-year cycle, you want to look at a number of players," Arena said. "But you tend to lean in favor of younger players now because it's a good time to get them some ... experience."

The U.S. plays "friendlies" against Mexico and Wales in May before heading to France to play in the Confederations Cup in June. The U.S. returns to the United States for the Gold Cup in July.

Always foremost on everyone's mind, however, is the World Cup.

"If you think about it, we're not really going to have that many chances to be together, so every time we are together we have to take what we can from it because (World Cup) qualifying is sooner rather than later," said Donovan.

World Cup qualifying rounds have been expanded, starting sooner and lasting longer than ever. Qualifying will now call for the U.S. to play up to 20 games over three rounds instead of 16 games over two rounds. It will begin in either February or March 2004 rather than July.

Arena has said the new qualifying format won't be easier but should be fairer.

Donovan, one of the stars of the 2002 run, said he's noticed a different atmosphere in the team's workouts this week.

"There's a sense that since we succeeded somewhat in the World Cup there is not so much competition (among each other) and people being nasty," he said. "It's more that we are together, whatever 11 is on the field is together."

Notes

• Yesterday's workout was the first for the American team in Seahawks Stadium, which was fitted with freshly laid sod this week covering the artificial surface that the Seahawks play on. Cost of the sod was $100,000 and the turf will be donated to local schools next month.

"If it rains, it could be a little bit of a problem," Arena said. "But the field looks in excellent shape. They did a terrific job here."

• Arena wouldn't name his starters but indicated that the goalie likely will be Kasey Keller, a native of Lacey who is 13-0-4 in home games for the United States since 1998.Keller is one of six players from the 2002 World Cup who will be playing for the U.S. for the first time since the quarterfinal loss to Germany.

• Roughly 20,000 tickets have been sold for today's match but officials are hesitant to guess at attendance because of the pullout of the Japanese team. A game last year against Honduras at Safeco Field drew 38,534.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com