SOCCER: U.S. returns to action with key World Cup qualifier

It's been nearly a month since the United States men's national soccer team has been in action, beating Honduras 2-1 on a last-minute goal by Clint Mathis, which put the Americans in first place in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

But when qualifying for the Cup, no match is a throwaway one. Each is especially important and for the Americans, its home match on Wednesday against Costa Rica is just that - especially important.

The U.S. is the only team in the six-team group to have full points from its first two matches, which is an accomplishment that any team in the world would like to brag of. But an even further step to the Korea/Japan 2002 Tournament could be made with a win against a team that commonly has frustrated the Americans when on U.S. soil.

Costa Rica has a number of solid attacking players, ones like Paulo Wanchope and Hernan Medford. But too often they have settled for playing a defense style of soccer, negating its creative players for a, frankly, boring style of play in which nothing more tha a 0-0 draw is the goal.

But the Americans, continually, have more talent in every match. This match, for example, they are missing Cobi Jones due to red card suspension, Joe-Max Moore due to injury rehabilitation and goalkeeper Brad Friedel to his club team, Blackburn Rovers, which is fighting for promotion to the English Premiership.

The key for those absences: the Americans have a player in each spot that can step right in without a noticeable drop in talent and execution. Its style of play, too, will go unchanged. Most of the starters seem to be set for coach Bruce Arena. Barring a major surprise, Kasey Keller will start in goal with Tony Meola as the backup. In defense, the Americans' definite starters will be Jeff Agoos, Carlos Llamosa and Davis Regis.

Agoos and Llamosa in the middle of the defense are two of the best for the U.S. and will be counted on to stop the Costa Ricans counterattack. Regis is playing some of the best soccer of his career and has started to make the left back position his personal property.

The right back is the defensive question. Against Honduras, Steve Cherundolo earned just his second national team cap and acquitted himself well. Yet Tony Sanneh has also played at that position. The guess here is that Cherundolo will again play in the right defensive slot, although Sanneh will still figure in the team's plans.

Provided the U.S. play a 4-4-2 formation, which they have done before under Arena, the midfield will be one of the keys to the Americans' offense, given that this game may be the first time that we see two players in different positions.

A given is Chris Armas at defensive midfield — it's been that way for two years now and will continue to be that way for as long as Armas plays. In the left side, the guess here is that Sanneh will step in. Sanneh is not a true leftsided midfielder, but his experience playing a number of different positions is the decision maker.

The other two midfielders look to be Clint Mathis and Claudio Reyna. Reyna, until recently, was thought to be the mastermind of the offense, but will look to play a more organizational, right sided role. Mathis will be the offensive playmaker, pushing and probing forward and trying to get the final pass up front.

Up front will be, once again guessing, Earnie Stewart and Josh Wolff. Stewart has been on hot streak, scoring in his last three appearances for the U.S. and putting in a series of strong performances for his club team in the Netherlands, NAC Breda. Wolff is the pick here for Stewart's partner, a player with speed that can draw defenders and let Stewart run into open space.

Keller, Regis, Agoos, Llamosa, Cherundolo, Sanneh, Armas, Mathis, Reyna, Stewart and Wolff. The pick here for the American starting lineup. Seeing as how a win could put the U.S. in firm control of the qualifying group, it would be strange to think that they will let Costa Rica play for a draw.

The Americans will tryt to take the attack to Costa Rica, pushing out the flanks and allowing Reyna and Mathis the space and time to pick out teammates. Defensively, the U.S. should try to force Costa Rica to the outside as much as possible, seeing as how Agoos and Llamosa will have the advantage in the air.

In front of a Kansas City crowd that, honestly, will not provide the same spark the home crowd at Columbus did two months ago, the Americans will look to leave an impression on the spectators and on the rest of the CONCACAF group that its first two games were not an aberration. The prediction here: 2-0 U.S.A.