By Ryan Sherwin

When the US Men’s National Soccer Team plays its first game in the World Cup on May 31 in Korea, the Yanks will have their best chance yet to advance past the first round. This year’s team is extremely deep and features budding stars Clint Mathis and Josh Wolff as well as many other talented young players. Coach Bruce Arena is confident that this team can improve on the United States’ dismal 0-3 showing in the 1998 World Cup. There is plenty of reason for optimism: the U.S. won the Gold Cup at the start of the 2002 year, an event that featured perennial soccer power Costa Rica and South Korea, both of whom qualified for the World Cup. Winning the God Cup was a huge step for the U.S. in proving they could play with some of the world’s top teams.

While many U.S. players look to the World Cup as their ultimate dream, the Americans still have a long way to go before they are capable of winning the whole thing. This year the challenge will be formidable as the U.S. was placed in group D along with Portugal, South Korea and Poland.

But unlike four years ago in France, the team has high expectations coming into the World Cup. For one, Arena is an accomplished coach who has already reshaped the team and has instilled youth and confidence. And, the Americans finally have experience led by playmaker Claudio Reyna, a rare U.S. player who can control the game and understands what it takes to play at this level.

Maybe the U.S. isn’t a World Cup contender yet, but they’ve come a long way and will give Americans plenty of reasons to follow the action this spring. TeenSpeak recently spoke with Arena about the emergence of the team and the upcoming bonanza in the world’s most popular sport.

What are your chances in the upcoming World Cup?

Arena: First of all, I am hopeful that we will have a better showing than we did in 1998 - and hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to advance ourselves to the second round.

Does U.S. Men’s World Cup soccer have an impact on unifying our country?

Arena: Well, I wish I could say yes to that question, Ryan, but unfortunately I don’t think that soccer is in a position yet in the US where anything that we would do would help the United Nations - I am hopeful that we can attract the attention of as many Americans as possible, but I don’t think that we are perceived as some of the other sports in this country.

Why is that?

Arena: Clearly soccer is viewed as a secondary sport in this country to football, basketball and baseball.

Why is soccer so poorly supported in this country?

Arena: I think soccer is a relatively new sport in this country. Americans don’t have a global view of sports -we have a very narrow focus. The NFL is a sport that is only played in the US. Baseball is hardly a global sport at this time, although it’s growing a little bit. Basketball was invented in the US and dominated by the US. Now it has much more of a global presence - but we like to have our own sports, and we have never really opened our arms to sports that are really global. That’s just the view Americans take. Obviously it is getting better - but it certainly hasn’t changed the thinking of key sports in this country at the moment.

How long do you think before soccer can achieve front page status?

Arena: I think it will take a long time - The professional league has to improve - and as that improves I think that it will help the sport. I think that we will have better quality in the short term and in the long term we will be better off, because if the league can focus on 10 markets, it will help attract the best in the sport. Ten years from now, it will be a league where there are 20 teams.

Does the team have any fears about terrorism?

Arena: I really don’t have any fears. We played the game in Korea in December and the security was outstanding. I am confident that the security will be great during the world cup.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the team?

Arena: Our goal keeping is our strength. Our weakness could be that we don’t score enough goals. That will clearly come out in the World Cup whether we improve in that area.

You have coached on many levels. Which brings you the most happiness?

Arena: Really all levels. I think that coaching a professional league is a different experience than coaching a collegiate league. On the collegiate level I had the opportunity to work on development both on and off the field - helping to develop human beings. The international level is different because you spend less time with the players. It’s easier to follow these players through the Internet, through faxes and phone calls. The part that is not fun is not having a team to work with every day - like I had at the club or, to a lesser degree the university level. You know coaches like to work on their players everyday and that’s not the job of the national team manager. But, really, all positions have been rewarding and have brought enjoyment to me in many different ways.

What lessons have you learned from the ’98 World Cup?

Arena: I think the biggest lesson is not to let the pressure affect you. The World Cup is for the players - let them enjoy it.

How did the events of 9/11 affect the team?

Arena: I think simply all players realize how important it is to wear a U.S. shirt and how proud they are representing the U.S. The players are much more motivated because of what happened on September 11th and I think they are very proud that they are Americans and very proud to represent their country.

Can soccer played on an international level help to ease some of the hatred directed at the US?

Arena: There is no question about that, Ryan. The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the history of the world. And it attracts the attention of billions of people. And the actions of the players and the harmony that can be developed and the sportsmanship that can be developed and fair play is something contagious and it can bring a lot of good will. Hopefully that will be one of the outcomes of the 2002 World Cup.

Could sports be viewed as a microcosm of society?

Arena: Good question. Sometimes they are sometimes they aren’t. Hopefully the display of Mike Tyson the other day is not a true reflection of our society - however, emotions sometimes spill over in sports like they do in our society. But, there is also the part where sports bring people of different cultures and different backgrounds together and shows how people can get along, develop good friendships and act in a civilized way once you step off the field.

Does politics ever play a role in the soccer world?

Arena: We just recently played Cuba - and it’s fair to say that there are some political issues between our two countries. But it didn’t impact the game or our preparation, or anything else. I think sometimes the fans think that politics can be an issue - but the athletes don’t worry about that. In the old days, when the U.S. played Russia maybe the Cold War got exaggerated. It’s still about the game and when the athletes step out onto the field, they never view the political side, they view the sporting side and try to win. Jesse Owens was going to run the 100 meters the same way as he would if he were in Germany with Hitler, or elsewhere. Athletes tend to block out those types of distractions.

It would be nice if sports were a greater reflection on society.

Arena: Yeah - I think you are right. I think that the history of the World Cup is always a great event that has gotten rave reviews in terms of how the teams are able to compete in a fair manner. I think there has never been any question raised about the behavior of the athletes in the World Cup.