Arena Quote Sheet (Valentine's Day Edition)

[talker]

I've seen lots of references to quotes made here, but haven't seen the quote sheet referenced. Sorry if it's a duplicate. I gotta say, as he becomes more candid, I like the way Arena is managing the team, and managing soccer in this nation, more and more. I think his being honest, clear, insightful, and fairly sophisticated in his evaluation of the team to the media is doing nothing but a good service to soccer in the US...

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_280729.html

[purojogo]

I've seen lots of references to quotes made here, but haven't seen the quote sheet referenced. Sorry if it's a duplicate. I gotta say, as he becomes more candid, I like the way Arena is managing the team, and managing soccer in this nation, more and more. I think his being honest, clear, insightful, and fairly sophisticated in his evaluation of the team to the media is doing nothing but a good service to soccer in the US...

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_280729.html
I found the last part extremely interesting....
....
"On an American style of soccer:

“I don’t think yet we’ve really established one particular style, but we’re certainly more suited to the styles of the European countries than the South American (style). You would say we’re maybe a little bit more similar to the Germans or the English, the Dutch and the Italians than we would be to the South American countries or the African countries.

“It’s more of an athletic game, more of an honest two-way game by players. A little bit more position oriented and disciplined as opposed to a little bit more free-flowing and a little bit more wizardry on the ball. We don’t have players like the Brazilians have. We don’t have that kind of player. Why? I don’t exactly know. We don’t have the competition and the soccer culture that you have in Brazil when you’re developing players. But we have athletic guys, bright guys and they tend to play a game that fits to their strengths. Which is much more similar to the European countries than it is to anywhere else in the world.”

.... ALso interesting because the last two friendlies we have played a "less Euro" style than usual....with positive results..- yes, that was not our A-team, and it's a bit late in this process to make too many changes with Germany in mind-

.. And because, if players like Adu, Lee, Benny, Bradley develop into capable USMNT contributors by 2010 , we might have the tools to make it a more mixed style (Euro/SA hybrid of sorts- a sort of "unique" American way/style) ....Makes one wonder how much of this "transition" -if it were to happen- would depend on Bruce staying as coach or leaving the USMNT in charge of someone else...

And the quote on Clintnis very telling...If this is in part what's helped Dempsey in the last two games, great job by Arena there....

[Casper]

Sounds like Pope is going to Germany.

[CrazyF.C.]

um...

On Eddie Johnson...

"Eddie should be back in full form and be a player who is challenging for a spot on the World Cup roster.”

Challenging for a spot?

[goussoccer]

um...

On Eddie Johnson...

"Eddie should be back in full form and be a player who is challenging for a spot on the World Cup roster.”

Challenging for a spot?

Since no one is defending a spot, everyone is challenging for a spot. This is Bruce's way of making sure no one gets complacent. Though this is Bruce-speak for saying that they are in the mix....i.e. vs. what he said about Adu.

[Sir Nigel Sorebottom]

um...

On Eddie Johnson...

"Eddie should be back in full form and be a player who is challenging for a spot on the World Cup roster.”

Challenging for a spot?

EJ's form in qualifying in 2005 won't get him a spot on the team--it'll be his performance from Jan 06 - June 06.

So far he hasn't done much. Yes, he's been hurt, and in his comeback games he's looked like a guy coming back from injury.

It's a tough racket--as Janet Jackson (Miss Jackson, if you're nasty) said, what have you done for me lately?

My prediction is, he'll gradually get healthy, then his form for Kansas City will pick up, and he'll make the World Cup squad. But if he's not scoring goals in MLS by, let's say, May, his spot on the national team is by no means a lock. It would be a difficult choice for Arena--do you bring a guy who, for whatever reason, isn't scoring, knowing that he got it done for you in a big way during 2005 qualifying, or do you leave him at home for someone who is in good form.

That's why BA gets paid the big $$--it's his ass, not ours, if he makes the wrong decision.

[JohnR]

From the Arena quote sheet, about Eddie Johnson - "He still has that speed and that’s not going to change." That's code for, "I don't have anybody else on the roster like this guy and I'm going to take him unless he absolutely, positively plays his way off the team."

Plus, think back to the last World Cup. Positive surprises - Tony Sanneh, DaMarcus Beasley. Big dud - Jeff Agoos. Arena comes home talking about how danged fast everything is at the World Cup ... fast fields, fast feet, fast speed of play. And how it's a young man's game, for the athletes.

So yeah, I see Eddie Johnson on the roster.