Part 10 of 32: The US Interview
Michael Lawlor from U.S.A. joins us for part 10 of the series. Michael is a student at Penn State University. He will be receiving his Bachelor degree in Science degree in Meteorology this May. After that, he leaves the tough studies for a while and heads off to Germany to watch the World Cup!
Michael has been a football (or soccer as he calls it) fan for most of his life. He played football as a child and went on to play in his University’s athletic leagues. Michael’s favorite teams are Glasgow Celtic, New England Revolution, and Leeds United, and of course, the USA. I thank Michael for agreeing to the interview.
Tell us a bit about USA’s football history and the football culture which exists.
The USA, unlike most other countries, does not have a rich football history or even a major football culture. In 1930 the USA finished third in the first World Cup, and pulled off a stunnung upset of England in 1950. However, during the time between 1950 and 1990 the USA would not qualify for the World Cup, and even the largest soccer league, the NASL, would cease to exist.
However in 1994 the USA hosted the World Cup, and in 1996 Major League Soccer was established. Major League Soccer is at its largest ever, and with new soccer stadiums being built across America, it has established itself as a legitimate soccer league. At the same time, the US national team has grown to become a legitimate force in the soccer world, rising to 4th in the FIFA Rankings.
Our team in Germany is the best ever to play for the US. The soccer fanbase in America continues to grow, as MLS attendance is at an all time high, and the loyal fans of the USA, Sam’s Army, has never been bigger or louder.
Tell us a bit about the Road to the World Cup – the qualification, and the emotions the fans went through at the time.
Before qualifications even began, the U.S. Soccer Federation locked-out the players as part of negotiations for a new player’s contract. The US came very close to sending college students to qualify, but a deal was made, and disaster was avoided. Showing their strength in CONCACAF, the US won game after game, until a loss to Mexico in Estadio Azteca on Easter Sunday, 2005. However the United States would quickly rebound, and on September 3, 2005 the US defeated Mexico 2-0 and for the first time, outright qualified for the World Cup. Despite fielding an all MLS team for the rest of the qualifiers, the US managed to finish at the top of the CONCACAF group, including finishing better than their rival Mexico.
I was at the US-Mexico game in September, and it was an incredible experience. US fans from across the nation came out in strong numbers. It was an incredible feeling for all of these Americans to put aside our differences, especially only after a week of Hurricane Katrina destroying New Orleans, and unite and support our soccer team. At the time, it was easily the best moment for US Soccer, and with many of our fans heading to Germany, our passion will even get stronger for all the world to see.
We’re constantly seeing articles that say Association Football (or sawker if you must ) has the highest participation levels of any sport amongst American children, so why does its profile lag so far behind those of baseball, gridiron, hockey & NBA?
Soccer is an interesting phenomenom in America. Soccer is a very popular sport with the youth of America. However, there are many, many other sports, events, and cultures to get involved in America. As the youth of America grow up, they lose interest in soccer and find other activities to do. MLS has gone to great lengths to get youth soccer teams into the stadiums by organizing soccer camps and academies, and by giving tickets to teams at next or no cost. Already this investment is starting to pay off, as many of our current US team grew up in this culture, and many of the MLS players did as well.
What style of football does the national team play?
In particular the US team under Bruce Arena plays a very “team-oriented” game, where not one particular player is the star of the team, however acting together the team is able to play up their strengths and hide their weaknesses. This makes it easier to overcome injuries to our starters, but it can also hold players back. This was made obvious in the 1998 World Cup, where players openly rebelled against coach Steve Sampson and lost all 3 of our opening round matches, including an embarrasing loss to Iran.
How do you think USA will fare at this year’s World Cup?
Our country’s prospects were made quite difficult by being seeded with Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic. Many fans and coaches were upet that we did not receive a seed, even though Mexico received a seed and we finished ahead of them in qualifying. Just making it out of our group will be difficult. To do so, we must beat either Czech Republic or Italy, and hopefully beat Ghana. If we can make it out of our group, then I feel the US has a realistic chance of making the semifinals.
Who will be the most important player for your country?
With teams like Italy and the Czech Republic, our goalkeeping will need to be very important. Kasey Keller has shown he is one of the best goalies on the international scene, and he will again shine for the United States.
Which player in your country’s side would you most like to get rid of?
A handful of the MLS players, in particular Brian Ching, has shown, especially at our loss to Germany in a friendly, that they are not yet world class players, but they are some of the best MLS players. I would like to get rid of him and let some other MLS players get a chance at playing for the national team.
Who are the players to watch out for from the other countries?
In our group, we will need to keep a close eye on Nedved and Totti, as they are the star players who are mostly under the most pressure from their own countrys. If they do well, their teams will do well. If they don’t, then look for Czech Republic and Italy to falter under pressure.
What will be your excuse in the event of failure?
Our tough group schedule. The US can realistically finish either first or last in our group.
Have you got the right manager?
Bruce Arena is the best manager the US has ever had. He reorganized the team after the 1998 World Cup, and he showed the world he can manage in the 2002 World Cup. He is ready for success.
What advice would you give him?
Don’t let the player’s get overwhelmed by the star power of Czech Republic and Italy.
Which team do you most want to beat?
Italy. US soccer does not get enough respect from Europe, and beating Italy will show we can play with the best from Europe.
Which opposition player will get the most stick?
Totti or Nedved. They are the star players.
Where will you watch the matches?
I have tickets to all the US games through the quarterfinals. Other games I will watch in bars and beer halls in Germany.
How keenly will the World Cup be followed in your country?
The World Cup, and soccer in general, has gotten more media attention than any other time, so I believe more Americans will watch and follow the games than ever before.
Who will be the player of the tournament?
Michael Ballack and Ronaldihno will shine. I think Kasey Keller and Brian McBride from the US have the potential to make their presence known to the world as well.
Who will win the Golden Boot?
Ballack or Ronaldihno.
Which team will disappoint the most?
The larger European teams, in particular Italy, will disappoint. It Italy loses to the US it will be very difficult to make it out of the group stages, and with the tournament being held in Europe this will not sit well with the Italians.
Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?
The United States or Korea. Each team doesn’t earn the respect they deserve, and I believe they will win some upsets and advance deep into the tournament.
Finally, Who will win the World Cup?
Brazil. They are by far the best team in the world, and they will be better than any other team in the tournament.
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I hope you enjoyed part 10. Follow up questions for Michael can be emailed to me at pratyushkhaitan[@]gmail[.]com Also, feel free to contact me if you would like to be interviewed or know a friend who would like/could be interviewed. Specific questions for specific countries which might pop in your mind in due course may also be sent. Coming up next is the interview from Italy.
For the rest of the interviews, check out the World Cup interview series page.
Tags: FIFA World Cup 2006, Football Interview Series.
