Reader Viewpoint

American fans are daring to dream after Mexico upset.

(Thursday, June 20, 2002) -- Suddenly, following the United States's upset of Mexico, American fans are daring to dream about going all the way in the World Cup. SoccerTimes readers offer their opinions on how to get by Germany and one step closer to taking the Cup.

The following is a sampling of responses to our "Question of the Week."

The USA can achieve further glory in this World Cup of surprises and unexpected victories.

There are eight teams left, Germany stands in front of the USA reaching the final four and a possible match against the Spain\South Korea winner. The German team is a big physical side. Hopefully Arena has more technical magic left for the Germans. Arena has already out-coached the Portuguese and Mexican coaches with masterful game planning and personnel decisions. The pressure lies solely on the German squad since it is a heavy favorite over the upstart Americans. The rest is gravy if you ask me.

I believe we must follow the recipe for success we have been cooking up in our best matches. . . that is to score early with a fast counter up the flank or from a set play. The game will change with the lead and then we can send in Cobi Jones to kill the last hour of the match in the corners. The true fans are alive and well in the States, baby!

Alexi Manresa
Miami Beach, Fla.

At the risk of sounding crazed, it's this simple: If we can win the quarterfinal against Germany (a big "if", admittedly), we can win the whole thing. Regardless of what happens, what these boys have done is fantastic and will hopefully raise the profile of Major League Soccer, a very underrated and worthwhile league.

Change is afoot in World Football. The era of European "artistes" finessing a goal and then trying to protect that one-goal lead is over. There is a reason why Portugal, France, Argentina and Italy are out of the World Cup. They are football dinosaurs. The future of the game lies in speed, strength and general athleticism. This World Cup is a fond farewell to Euro-snobbery (Portgual, champs? Indded! Most overrated team I've ever seen!).

The future of the game belongs to the three "A's" -- America, Africa and Asia. Playing to win rather than playing not to lose is the new flavor. Only England and Germany will remain football powers in Europe in the new era as they have the size and strength to do so. The rest are finished.

William Smith
Brooklyn, N.Y.

In my humble opinion, we cannot win an aerial war. This battle must be fought on the ground!

The Germans strength has been their ability to win balls in the air and finish headers in the box. The U.S. is going to have to defend the wingers vigorously, forcing errant crosses, and do a much better job of positioning in the box. We have looked very shaky on flighted balls down the middle of our defense. Eddie Pope, Gregg Berhalter and Pablo Mastroeni are going to be challenged to win against the mighty German air attack.

On offense our team is going to have to look to attack through the gaps in the German defense. Against Poland, the U.S. appeared to lack the confidence to take on the opponent one on one. Against a bigger, but slow German defense, we will have to attack them on the ground. This may be a game where the outstanding Brian McBride has to watch from the sidelines as quicker, more gifted dribblers like Josh Wolff, Clint Mathis and Landon Donovan lead our offense.

The U.S. is going to have to adapt its counterattacking style to stretch the German defense long and wide to create gaps for our forwards to penetrate through. The speed of Wolff, Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley will be a great advantage for us, as will the offensive mentality of John O’Brien and Clint Mathis.

I am confident that the U.S. will approach this game much more confidently than the last time we played Germany three months ago. This World Cup has proven that the great soccer countries can be beaten. The Poland game, as miserable as it was to suffer through, may have been the best lesson our players could have learned. They cannot start slow, they must contest every shot, and they have to be more selective in making forward runs.

Germany has only dominated one game this tournament. They have size, we have speed. They are well organized, we must force them out of shape. The key will be to score first. If we can do that, we may shock the world again.

Jay Clark
Toledo, Ohio

The Americans have made it to the elite eight in the World Cup and now faces one of the world powers of soccer. We are now truly a huge underdog and it looks improbable that we will advance. We are now in the same boat with Senegal and South Korea. We are the new birds on the block and we are expected to be easy prey.

If we were in Europe, the underdogs might roll over, but in Europe we are not. This is the magical World Cup 2002, set in Asia. The heat of Korea and Japan have proven to cause the European teams to wilt in the final minutes. Add that to the fact that no European team has ever won the Cup outside Europe. Things add up to some more upsets. Somebody strange is going to the semifinals. It might be the US.

The Germans look good, but not invincible. If we play well we can beat them. It is all about Defense, and against the Mexicans, the U.S. defense looked solid, if not dominating. But remember, Mexico scored early against the great Italian defense that did not give up any goals to the Koreans until after the Italians succumbed to the Asian heat.

I think that we can hold solid against the German attack with a bit of luck. If our defense can keep a clean sheet, then we win. No team in the Cup has shut out the Americans; nobody can question this team's finishing touch.

This could be the first Golden Moment of American soccer. Team USA is strong and dangerous, and we face an German team that is far away from home and in an unfamiliar climate. If we can produce a little magic early, we could face another beatable opponent the semifinals. The Red, White and Blue could stand on threshold of World Football immortality to the shock and dismay of the so called Soccer Elite.

So far, we are among a big class fresh surprises. If we can win this game, the USA will graduate to the level of international soccer power. If we win the next game, we become true contenders. If we win the game after that, the Red, White, and, Blue will become the colors of a World Football Elite.

So far, I am very pleased. The team shook off its last place finish in 1998 and turned this World Cup into the greatest showing in U.S. history. The quarterfinals against Germany is a dream come true, but I am net yet ready to shake off my true dream of watching the USA in the finals of the World Cup.

I have savored the victory over Mexico, but now I want Germany. I am not predicting a win, but we do have a chance. We have world class players playing at world class level, and I just hope that people watch. Win, lose, or draw, it is a great new day in American soccer. I tip my hat to coach Bruce Arena and the U.S. soccer program.

Here are my quarterfinal hopes and predictions. England 2, Brazil 1. Spain 2, South Korea 1. Senegal 3, Turkey 2. USA 3, Germany 2.

Ole Ole, USA!

Doug Ricks
Tulsa, Okla.

The United States national team just needs to defend itself to death in the air against the Germans and counter relentlessly. A little bit of luck would also come in handy to take us to the semifinals.

Douglas Matamoros
Miami, Fla.

There's the old saying, "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." That is just the advice I would give to Bruce Arena. Stick with the same formation (3-5-2) and the same players with the possible exceptions of DaMarcus Beasley for Eddie Lewis and Clint Mathis for Josh Wolff.

Don't give the Germans any time on the ball. No time equals no service. Play this 90 minutes as if it were the last 90 minutes they'll ever get to play again. Oh, and defense. Please, no more short passing out of the box. Clear that ball in to Row ZZ if you have to.

When the dust settles, I believe it will be 1-0 in favor of the Red, White, and Blue and Bayern Munich will be calling up MLS with a $12 million offer for Clint Mathis while phoning Bayer Leverkusen about the rights to Landon Donovan.

After that, I believe it will be a date in the semifinals with the South Koreans who pull another one out in 82nd minute to break a 1-1 deadlock with the Spaniards.

You heard it here first. Go Yanks!!!

William Hawker,
Houston

I just want to say that my husband and I are very proud of the US team, and as ex-pats, living in Japan at this time, we get a rare chance to show our support and enthusiasm.

We know that most of the international world still doesn't respect the U.S. effort and talent of its players. Maybe this time around they will. Our son is only three and a half and loves kicking our soccer ball around. He is thrilled that someone else has his name, "Claudio" Reyna, and enjoys watching "our team" play.

Yvette Babic
Japan

I think the USA can win based on one simple fact. No one expected it to be here and no one expects it to win.

All the pressure is on Germany and there is absolutely none on the USA. I think the game will come down to one factor -- the pace of play. If the game is slow and methodical, Germany wins. However if the game is up-tempo and erratic, the USA could pull an upset.

I would like to see Bruce Arena start all of the speedy guys (Donovan, Beasley, Mastroeni, Stewart) and leave the slow guys on the bench at the start (Mathis, Lewis). I think the speed these guys bring to the game will be an equalizer to the raw power Germany puts on the pitch. Also, I would really like to Carlos Llamosa get some time on the field. He is really an underrated defender and we need all the help we can get with Germany's talented forwards.

Espen Spangenburg
Columbia, Mo.

All the way to the finals. In a tournament where the least likely scenarios seem to consistently occur, why not?

Germany will be a test for the U.S. men’s character, determination, stamina and grit. Technically, and probably tactically, it's a foregone conclusion as to who will have the upper hand, but a win is a win. And despite Mexico's sour grapes, the U.S. has proven that it is not a team that simply sits back and prays for a draw and penalty kicks. If at this point in time the U.S. plays as primarily a counter-attacking team, so be it, as long as counter-attacking is done well resulting in goals.

This team is the standard bearer of U.S. football. U.S. Soccer has to take advantage of the unprecedented exposure the sport is having in this country to promote the world game among the youth in the inner cities. Our arrival as worthy players in the international arena will be preceded not just by the advancement of this team through this World Cup, but by the presence of children playing football in the streets, emulating, for the first time, American heroes. That's what needs to be done, and it needs to be done now.

Eduard Smit
Fontana, Calif.

The United States cannot hope to dominate this game; we need to play another smart, tactical game. With some fresh insertions into the lineup, I think we can hang with Germany throughout the match.

I think that Clint Mathis needs to start. He has proven time and again to be clinical with finishing, and with limited opportunities, we need that skill. Claudio Reyna also needs to step up and take a more commanding role; for sure, he will want to atone for his poor outing versus the Germans in the 1998 World Cup.

I think that Kasey Keller should get the nod in this one. Brad Friedel has played extremely well in goal, but Keller is a tad faster and we need that in this game, to come off the line numerous times like he did earlier this year. Gregg Berhalter could be a key to this game as well. He could smother strong aerial play down our flanks.

Kristian Dyer
Northern New Jersey

I think the U.S. has done an astronomical thing getting this far. Can it beat the Germans?

Yes, I believe they can, and you betcha I'll be watching it live on Friday morning. Is it likely that the Americans will beat the Germans? Probably not, but you never know. We beat the Portuguese and the Mexicans. South Korea beat the Italians. Weirder things have happened, and the U.S. is playing great football.

I also think the lineup is right where it should be, with the only possible exception being that Frankie Hejduk is back and you can move John O'Brien up to the midfield where he belongs.

Rich L'Esperance
Portland, Ore.

I think that the U.S. simply needs to bring in Carlos Llamosa in the back to man-mark Miroslav Klose, and needs to keep Pablo Mastroeni in to shadow Michael Ballack, similar to what he did with Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the Mexico game.

If these two players are disrupted, then Germany's attack is weakened and the U.S.'s counterattacking style will once again pay off. It's going to be a one-goal game, so let's hope it swings in the US's favor. Prediction: 2-1 US.

Jose Roman
Monroeville, N.J.

I understand that Bruce Arena does not currently favor slow buildups out of the back and prefers to take his chances with quick counterattacks. I've also noticed that the U.S. tends to do better in games in which the other team dominates the possession stat. However, that's no excuse for the sloppy clearances out of the back. Obviously, some such clearances are justified when there is an opposing player close by, but many times there has not been an opposing player close by.

Arena needs to tell his boys to be calmer and more composed in the back when the other team turns the ball over. We don't need to dominate possession to beat Germany, but we do need to make fewer panic clearances out of the back.

Also, Brian McBride has been playing wonderfully and winning most balls in the air. But we need to have someone run into space when they see a free kick or goal kick headed towards McBride. Too often he wins the balls in the air, but there is no American within 10 yards of where he places the ball.

These suggestions aside, the U.S. has had a wonderful cup and I would like to congratulate Bruce Arena and the team on their excellent performance.

Kevin Leese
Silver Spring, Md.

I think the most important step U.S. soccer can take is to open up the inner cities to the game. The shear wealth of athleticism and enthusiasm possessed by the youngsters there will produce and abundance of talent previously unseen.

Soccer will always thrive in the suburbs, but it is ghettos and barrios in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc., that will produce the players needed to take the United States to the top of the soccer world. Other than this, it is essential that MLS stays in business, whatever the cost. The effect of the professional league and the role its had in the development of the game here is off the charts.

It doesn't need to be English Premier League or La Liga. It just needs to continue to produce the Donovans, Beasleys, and Mathises that can be shown to the world and exported to Europe, where they can hone their craft with the world's best. These two steps will continue our meteoric rise to the top of soccer world.

Pete Kavanaugh
Boston

Everyone knows that we've had trouble with big, physically strong teams and Germany is at the top of that category.

Offensively, I think it's time to take a chance and sit Brian McBride in exchange for the speed of Josh Wolf and the finishing abilities of Clint Mathis. McBride has been a warrior in this tournament, but he tends to get overmatched in the air against bigger, stronger opponents, as evidenced by the Poland match. I think we are unlikely to score goals in the air against the tall Germans and will have a better chance of running at them or looping diagonal balls from midfield over their back line. If we can get a goal early, then we can think about bringing McBride in to help defend in our own box against corners and free kicks.

Defensively, we need to try to knock Michael Ballack all over the field in an attempt to frustrate him, and we need our boys in the back to have the game of their lives to prevent the Germans from getting their heads to the ball in the box.

Everyone has talked a lot about doing a better job of holding possession, but the truth is that it isn't going to happen in this tournament. A possession-based game is a good goal for the future of U.S. soccer, but right now we have too many players who don't have the skill or confidence on the ball to make quick, accurate touches. If we are going to challenge Germany, it's going to have to be the same way we've had success in the past -- successful counterattacks, tireless defending and amazing goalkeeping.

Jonathan Baxter
Hyattsville, Md.

America's opportunities are limitless. For many of us who have believed in American soccer from the start, we believe that the USA can definitely advance. With such an impressive lineup, Arena once again faces a coach's best possible nightmare: too many quality players and only 11 starting spots.

The U.S., though, has to score early and often against Germany. The Americans have proven that they can score against many top-notch teams, including Germany. Landon Donovan and Brian McBride have proven themselves capable and Clint Mathis scored twice against Germany in March. And the U.S. has proven that it can give up possession and still win.

All in all, though, the U.S. really needs the right combination of tempo and goal-scoring opportunities and Bruce Arena has the smarts to find the exact combination to ensure a U.S. victory.

Cristane Martin
Houston

Speed up front and size in the back could do the trick for the U.S.

Once again, Bruce Arena has done a great job in naming a squad that created problems for the opposition. The 3-5-2 formation was brilliant versus Mexico and he will again need a great lineup to upset the mighty Germans.

Speed on the flanks and up front will help the U.S. get past the German defense. An ideal lineup would be Josh Wolff and Brian McBride up front. Running five midfielders to clog the supply line to Carsten Jancker and Miroslav Klose could do the trick.

New "hard man" Pablo Mastroeni is a must. Claudio Reyna and John O'Brien will complete the midfield triangle. Landon Donovan and veteran Earnie Stewart will run the flanks. If Stewart is still ailing, Beasley will create problems. In the back, size, not speed is necessary, thus leaving Frankie Hejduk on the bench. Gregg Berhalter, Tony Sanneh and Eddie Pope need to mark the German forwards to prevent Brad Friedel a long day.

Thomas Doebler
Sheboygan, Wisc.

When I consider the line-up we used against Germany in March and the fact that our demise came in such a brief span, I feel pretty good about our chances in this game.

Still, to win, I think we'll need to suppress Germany's wing play and benefit from the same lethal jail-breaks that have gotten us this far. I don't think we'll defend or attack as effectively if Claudio Reyna plays in the central midfield, so I hope we see John O'Brien and Landon Donovan inside, and Reyna and DaMarcus Beasley on the wings. In back, I hope we go with Eddie Pope and Pablo Mastroeni inside and Tony Sanneh\Frankie Hejduk on the wings. Up front, I'd like to see Clint Mathis and Brian McBride.

I think, with this lineup, we might force them to channel their attack primarily through one side of the field, and I think we'd create a handful of good scoring chances off counterattacks and set-plays. The type of referee we get will strongly influence our chances in the game. If Beasley, Donovan, and Mastroeni don't draw foul calls, I think we could be in for a long afternoon.

I'm expecting to see a more attractive, up-and-back game than we played against Mexico, and I think we'll have a handful of excellent scoring chances. I'm looking for a 2-2 game that we win on penalty kicks. We'll be dancing on Wilson Boulevard all over again!

John Harris
Arlington, Va.

I feel that the U.S. needs to use its speed to an advantage and avoid getting into a physical battle as much as it can against the Germans. The Americans also need to hold on to the ball as much as possible and make the Germans chase them.

One thing that has been brought up is the fact that the European teams or teams with a lot of European based players are having a rougher time of it because of the fact that the Cup came just two weeks after a lot of the European leagues had shut down. The Major League Soccer season has only been going on for about two months and the MLS-based players are much fresher than the players who were in Europe. This also could work to the advantage of the U.S.

Brian Washington
Los Angeles

I think the 3-5-2 will work against Germany, provided the wing midfielders shut down German crossing opportunities. Germany will most likely run backs and midfielders down the flanks for crosses, and also into the box, looking for physical mismatches. I think we will need to concede possession at times, but that we can't get too "bunkered."

Midfielders really need to work for possession\transition when Germany gives up the ball. Interior defense must make plays -- step in at the right times and feed midfielders in space. Midfielders need to track German players cutting to space.

I look for Mathis to come in and have a strong game. I also see Beasley having a good game on the outside. If Brian McBride looks tired, maybe Donovan and Mathis should get time up front together, with Earnie Stewart in Donovan's midfield position. Reyna looked good where he was against Mexico because Mastroenni could then become the central midfield "destroyer." O’Brien needs another stellar two-way performance.

Larry DiBernardo