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Sampson's roster: experienced or old?
NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. World Cup team has experience -- and age.Sixteen of the 20 players picked for the roster Tuesday will be over 25 by this summer's tournament, and five will top 30.
In 1990, when the Americans qualified for the first time in 40 years, the oldest player was 27 and just four topped 25. In 1994, there were just eight over 25.
"We have a great mix of veteran players that bring an enormous amount of experience, combined with some younger players ... that provide us some hope for the future," U.S. coach Steve Sampson said during a telephone news conference. "I think we're even more mature and more experienced than the '94 squad."
This U.S. team, which starts practice Monday in San Diego, has an average age of 28, up from 26.4 in 1994 and 24.2 in 1990, when the Americans were the youngest team in the tournament.
While the Americans have more experience, they may not have the legs to advance from a tough first-round group that includes European champion Germany, Yugoslavia and Iran.
Just 12 players are holdovers from the 1994 roster and just three remain from the 1990 team: forward Eric Wynalda, defender Marcelo Balboa and goalkeeper Kasey Keller.
Midfielder Tab Ramos, a veteran of both tournaments, probably will fill one of two spots still vacant on the 22-man roster, which won't be finalized until it is submitted to FIFA on June 2.
"None of our players can carry the team through a World Cup single-handedly," Sampson said. "It is very important that we take on the attitude of a blue-collar team, working hard in attack and hard in defense.
"It is very important to me that the entire country and the entire world see a team that works their tail off, and that demands more than effort, it requires a single-mindedness and togetherness that will lead this team to succeed."
Holdovers from the 1994 roster include Roy Wegerle and Wynalda at forward; Cobi Jones, Joe-Max Moore, Claudio Reyna and Ernie Stewart in midfield; Marcelo Balboa, Mike Burns, Thomas Dooley and Alexi Lalas on defense; and Brad Friedel and Juergen Sommer in goal.
Newcomers include defenders Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope; midfielders Chad Deering, Frankie Hejduk and Brian Maisonneuve; and forwards Brian McBride and Preki Radosavljeic.
Sampson met Monday night in Los Angeles with John Harkes, a veteran of 1990 and 1994 who had been team captain until cut last month. Harkes angered Sampson by refusing to play a defensive midfield role.
"I informed him it was unlikely he will be named to the World Cup roster," Sampson said. "To his credit, he is doing all the right things and is very professional. Again I must be honest in that I feel it is very unlikely he will make the final team."
Dooley, 37 on May 12, is the oldest player. Hejduk (23), Pope (24) and Reyna 24) are the youngest.
Sampson said he isn't concerned about two key players coming off injuries: Wynalda had arthroscopic surgery April 16 to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee, and Ramos was out from November to April 25 following surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
"Tab not only wants to prove that he's 100 percent, but he wants to also prove that he's a starter," Sampson said. "I think things look very good for Tab right now."
Sampson also hopes to include defender David Regis, who has five goals in 29 games this season for Karlsruher in Germany's Bundesliga. Regis, a 29-year-old Martinique-born Frenchman with an American wife, is awaiting U.S. citizenship.
Sampson's toughest decisions were to take McBride, Hejduk and Maisonneuve and dropped Roy Lassiter, Chris Henderson and David Wagner.
"What it came down to was the scoring output of Brian McBride at the end of qualifying phase and the start of the MLS season," Sampson said. "I am very pleased with Brian's performance against Austria, and that sealed it for me."
Bora Milutinovic, Sampson's predecessor, played a defensive game in 1994, unsure of his team's ability up front. The weakness on this team may be defense.
"I feel confident we can score goals," Sampson said. "Eric Wynalda is a proven goal scorer, Preki has proven that he can score goals at the highest level, and Brian McBride continues to score at every level. The goal-scoring isn't going to come just from up front, though. Ernie Stewart, Joe-Max Moore and Claudio Reyna can score for us. I think on deadballs we will have one of the best teams in the World Cup. We will be very dangerous on set pieces."
After gathering next week, the Americans play exhibition games against Macedonia (May 16 at San Jose, Calif.), Kuwait (May 24 at Portland, Ore.) and Scotland (May 30 at Washington) before leaving for France on June 4. The U.S. opener is against Germany at Paris on June 15.
"I believe in our heart that can do something special," Sampson said. "By special, that means possibly getting a point against Germany and entering the Yugoslavia match with four points. From there, anything can happen. I wouldn't put it beyond this team to get into the quarterfinals."
U.S. World Cup Roster
By The Associated Press
The 20 players selected Tuesday for the 22-man U.S. World Cup roster. The final roster must be submitted to FIFA by June 2 (teams MLS unless noted; x-on 1994 World Cup roster; y-on 1990 World Cup roster):
Goalkeepers: x-Brad Friedel (Liverpool, England); y-Kasey Keller (Leicester, England); x-Juergen Sommer (Columbus).
Defenders: Jeff Agoos (DC United); xy-Marcelo Balboa (Colorado); x-Mike Burns (New England); x-Thomas Dooley (Columbus); x-Alexi Lalas (New York-New Jersey); Eddie Pope (DC United).
Midfielders: Chad Deering (VfL Wolfburg, Germany); Frankie Hejduk (Tampa Bay); x-Cobi Jones (Los Angeles); Brian Maisonneuve (Columbus); x-Joe-Max Moore (New England); x-Claudio Reyna (VfL Wolfsburg, Germany); x-Ernie Stewart (NAC Breda, Netherlands).
Forwards: Brian McBride (Columbus); Preki Radosavljevic (Kansas City); x-Roy Wegerle (Tampa Bay); xy-Eric Wynalda (San Jose).
Also Under Consideration
xy-Tab Ramos, MF (New York-New Jersey); David Regis, D (Karlsruhe, Germany); Carlos Llamosa, D (DC United).
Alternates
Gregg Berhalter, D (Sparta Rotterdam, Netherlands); Mark Dodd, G (Dallas); y-Chris Henderson, MF (Columbus); Roy Lassiter, F (DC United); John O'Brien, D (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands); Tony Sanneh, MF (DC United); x-Mike Sorber, MF (New York-New Jersey); David Wagner, D (Schalke O4, Germany).
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan