It Seems To Me . . .

Arena is seething over scheduling, roster size in Gold, Confederation Cups.

By Robert Wagman
SoccerTimes

MIAMI, Fla. (Thursday, July 24, 2003) -- United States men's coach Bruce Arena is right to be furious with CONCACAF and FIFA officials for the scheduling of the current Gold Cup and June's Confederations Cup in France. He's angry, and he doesn't mind telling anyone who will listen.

For the last several weeks, Arena has repeatedly expressed his frustration over the demands the compressed schedules of both events and limited Gold Cup rosters have had on his team. His latest salvo was released last night after his visibly exhausted team gave up a tying goal in the 89th minute and lost 2-1 in overtime to Brazil in the Gold Cup semifinal at the Orange Bowl in hot and steamy Miami.

CONCACAF, the Americans' region which includes North America, Central America and the Caribbean, was his first target. "Before I talk about tonight's game, I have to say something about CONCACAF," Arena told the assembled media. "These guys may know something about making money, but they know nothing about the technical requirements of the game of soccer. The scheduling of this tournament is a joke. You cannot play as many games as we are being asked to play, in as few days, with travel thrown in, and especially with as small a roster as we are allowed. We had to play two matches in three days (in group play) and three in eight (including a quarterfinal) and then get on a plane and fly down here (from Foxborough, Mass.) and play three days later in the heat and humidity. It can't be done."

This year's Gold Cup is being played in three different venues -- Foxborough, Miami and Mexico City -- with teams being required to shuttle back and forth. Brazil started in Mexico City, came here for quarterfinal and semifinal matches, and then were required to fly back to Mexico City for the Sunday's final against Mexico at Stadia Azteca.

Each Gold Cup participant was allowed 18 players on its rosters with seven alternates to be summoned in case of injury. Because of an uneven schedule, the U.S. twice played more rested teams, including Brazil.

With the loss, the U.S. stays in Miami to play Costa Rica for third place Saturday night. A victory would have advanced the Americans to the title match Sunday afternoon in Mexico City.

"Truthfully, I don't know what we would have done if we now had to get on a plane and fly to Mexico City for a match on Sunday," Arena admitted. "Not only more travel, but then having to play at altitude. The game would have been a farce."

Arena said Mexico was given a huge advantage by playing the entire tournament at its home stadium as well as in the high altitude to which its opponents must adapt. "You can never underestimate the difficulty playing in the heat and the altitude in Mexico City," Arena said. "The Mexican team has been there throughout the whole tournament and they are completely acclimatized. There is a reason they have hardly ever lost at home (one international loss in the last 30 years at Azteca). They have good teams, but not that good. That's why I think they will win the Gold Cup this year."

Since Brazil is a guest team, Mexico earned CONCACAF's berth in the potentially lucrative 2004 Confedertaions Cup in Germany without ever leaving home.

Arena was also unhappy during last month's Confederations Cup when the U.S. had to play its three group matches in five days, compiling a 0-2-1 record. "FIFA is just as bad," he said of the world governing body. "You can't play that many international matches that close together."

While shortening the length of an event saves organizers days of expenses, the Gold Cup allowed five less active players per team than the Confederations Cup. Keeping the roster size down saves considerable money for tournament organizers who pay travel and living expenses of the players and an official traveling party -- including coaches and trainers -- of five. For CONCACAF, especially, a dollar saved is a dollar available to pay for the many national federation officials who fly around to the tournament sites to be wined and dined at Federation expense.

To a certain degree, Arena brought part of the problem on himself, by being too nice a guy toward MLS coaches whose players he must use in the middle of the MLS season. CONCACAF does allow participating teams to designate seven alternates, who can be called in to replace injured players during the tournament. For Saturday's third-place match here, Arena probably should call in New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman to replace Brian McBride, who was badly cut above his eye last night, and perhaps the Chicago Fire defender C.J. Brown to replace the injured midfielder Steve Ralston, and bolster the depleted U.S. back line.

"But I can't really," Arena said with a shrug. "Our domestic league is in the middle of their season and I am limited in what I can do. I understand the problems of MLS coaches."

MLS, of course, is partially to blame. It plays during what is the offseason to most of the world, when international tournaments are scheduled, and the league refuses to play a reduced schedule while major competitions are being played. That reduces many MLS coaches to fielding patchwork lineups filled with reserves who are mostly young, untested players.

"I've talked with CONCACAF and I will talk with them again," Arena said. "They have to understand the difficulties with playing this game. Things have got to change. This can't be repeated."

Senior correspondent Robert Wagman can be e-mailed at bobwagman@soccertimes.com.