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The World Cup
With Ray Hudson
D.C. United Head Coach
Thursday, June 13, 2002; 2 p.m. EDT
The U.S. national soccer team expects to have a full complement of starters available for Friday's crucial first-round finale against Poland, which will determine whether the Americans advance to the second round of the World Cup for the third time in 72 years. How far do you think the team can go?
D.C. United head coach Ray Hudson was online to discuss the World Cup, the U.S. team and soccer in general.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
MLS and the World Cup:
Do you agree with MLS's decision to keep playing during the World Cup?
Ray Hudson: Yes. The league is not quite established enough to make that big a difference. Ideally we would love to take a sabbatical like everyone else does, but no one else plays in the summer like we do. We have a pretty unique situation here. I have no problem at all keeping our season ticking along.
Arlington, Va.:
You commentary is the highlight of the ESPN coverage of the World Cup. Win two or three MLS Cups for United, then PLEASE continue your color commentary!
Ray Hudson: That is extremely kind. TV commentary is something I very much enjoy, though the studio work on camera is a lot more tricky than people can imagine-- especially after watching games after the entire night. I much prefer the live game commentary where I can just react to the game than the studio pundit type talk, but I really enjoy it overall. Rob Stone is a great professional to work with.
Washington, D.C.:
Mr. Hudson,
I enjoy your commentary.
The following four scenarios will lead to the U.S. finishing second in Group D, thus earning the right to play Mexico, against whom they'd presumably stand a better chance than against mighty Italy:
1 -- if Korea wins and the U.S. loses
2 -- if both the U.S. and Korea win (as long as the U.S. doesn't pass them in goal differential)
3 -- if both teams tie
4 -- if Portugal wins and the U.S. ties
There's at least one other such scenario (involving a Portugues win and a U.S. loss). But regardless of the details, my question is whether Bruce Arena and the team care. Do you think Arena will do what he can to avoid Italy in the Round of 16 (without compromising the team's chances to advance, of course), or will he just ignore the other game?
Thanks
Ray Hudson: That is a great question, but it is one that I think Arena won't give any consideration to pondering. The coach can not be so manipulative with such a delicate situation. They just need to get into the next round. It is one of those intriguing questions, but one that as a coach you don't give the depth of thought. In the real world you cannot be that tricky. We hope we avoid Italy, absolutely, but the way this team is they could care less if it was Italy or Iceland. They will take on everyone. They fear no one at this stage. You have to just roll with the punches and take care of business.
Arlington, Va.:
Coach, thank you for coming to D.C. and returning some life to our beloved United. Two fine showings in a row. I'm not ready to commit to "kissing your bum in the shower" (as you said Arena should do to the U.S. team the other night), but let's just say I'm grateful.
My question: Your TV appearances have been wonderful -- is there any chance of having you as a regular (say, weekly) guest of one of the local newscasts? I think it would greatly help the profile of the MLS.
Ray Hudson: Again, I enjoy the forum of TV, I am just pleased everyone can understand me. That was always a concern. I had one guy at ESPN who praised me to high heaven, but his children thought that I sounded like the janitor from the Simpsons. Whatever it takes to gain a higher profile for D.C. United and our great game I will always be accessible. The main priority will always be coaching D.C. United which is an all consuming job as itself. The whole television thing has been pretty exhaustive with all the travel and time constraints. I would like to be in five places at once, but my main priority is D.C. United.
Sunrise, Fla.:
Ray,
We miss you and the Miami Fusion here in Southern Florida. How did you rate Pablo Mastroeni's performance vs. Portugal? And would you have him in the lineup vs. Poland and the subsequent matches, if the U.S. advance?
Ray Hudson: I thought Pablo played very solid and did an outstanding job suffocating the Portuguese offense at it's source, which is what Pablo does as good as anybody in MLS. It was a major step for Pablo - the environment, the pressure and the circumstance - but he came through the fire of that and put together a marvelous performance. Bruce Arena has a very difficult decision to make in selecting this team for the all important finale in the first round. Pablo has got to be in the forefront of his considerations, but only Bruce can really know the full worth of his line-up. He has his finger on everybody's pulse. No matter who he selects, anybody who second guesses his team selections from here on out has got to be an idiot because he has been so precisely on target with everything he has done. Furthermore, Bruce has surprisingly not been given anywhere near the credit that he deserves. No matter who he picks we can all rest assured that it will be the right decision. I know that that is how his squad of players feel.
Falls Church, Va.:
Hi Ray great job you're doing!! Do you think the success of the U.S. National Team at the World Cup will affect MLS? If so, how and how much?
Ray Hudson: Unquestionably yes. The effect of our national team's success at the men's level (but not forgetting the women's level also) fuels the fire of every aspect of major league soccer. It raises the profile of our league. It accents the individual players standard of excellence and it has a rejuvenating effect with everyone connected to our game from the media to the equipment managers. Everyone gets affected by that level of success and the benefits are so far reaching on a purely commercial scale whereby the success stimulates all manner of resources associated with our financial structure. These are the cold realities of business and MLS. You cannot put a dollar amount on how this propels the whole structure on soccer in this country. The positives generated from this successful World Cup can not be overstated. The respect alone that our domestic league derides from what those lads are doing in Korea and Japan is just so manifest and that is why the highest praise can only be heaped on Bruce and his boys.
Alexandria, Va.:
Would you ever want to coach the U.S. National Team?
Ray Hudson: God no!
Annandale, Va.:
I'm very excited about the U.S. prospects of making it to the second round but don't you think that people are getting a little too confident in the U.S. team? What they have done so far is practically a miracle. If they do advance to the round-of-16 I'm not so sure they will get very far.
Ray Hudson: I tend to agree. The achievement at this point is wholly magnificent and deserves praise and credit. The success has been established. The progress beyond the 16 is beyond anyone's wildest dreams but that dreams are there for. The belief in that camp is such that miracles do happen and they are equipped to shake up the world. It may be wishing on a star, but they have shown in two consecutive back to back games what their ability and resolve can bring about. So lets all keep wishing and dreaming and enjoy this ride.
Gaithersburg, Md.:
Ray, my son was at the open scrimmage yesterday
and reported that the Swiss champions looked
very sharp. Your thoughts on the goal in the first
minute (15 seconds?) and the team speed
matchups?
Ray Hudson: Their class was evident. They are preparing for the European season. We played many reserve players and there was no shame in admitting that they were a very classy team that proved too much for our young boys to cope with. But it was an excellent training exercise and something it does you good to have your nose rubbed in it a little bit.
Arlington, Va.:
I've been impressed with how well many of the MLS players on the U.S. squad have performed in this World Cup. Do you think this will lead to players like Beasley, Donovan, Mcbride and Mathis getting offers from European clubs? Would that be a bad thing for the future of MLS?
Ray Hudson: I am positive that there will be heightened interest in all of the United State's players. I also believe that because of the respect that is getting gained here this will put the rest of the soccer world on high alert and pointed notice that there is an abundance of untapped talent within the continental United States.
I believe it is a good thing for our players to spread their wings and fly the nest to foreign leagues overseas. It may deprive the league of some talent but it is my belief that we are producing more and more similarly gifted footballers and our talent pool with continue to be replenished. You can't deny success and you certainly can't inhibit its growth and if that means that we have to say goodbye to some of the skillful players now the long-term benefits far exceed that unquestionable anxiety from loosing a particular star player.
Having said that, I don't want to loose Eddie Pope to anybody. So keep your foreign hands off!
Ballston, Va.:
Are you going to ESPNZone to watch the U.S. game tomoorrow morning?
Ray Hudson: Unfortunately no. We have travel arrangements to travel to Kansas later on in the morning. It is just not convenient. I will be watching with my dog Punky who will be wearing his read, white and blue bandanna.
Golden, Colo.:
USA should play for the win and use Donovan and McBride upfront to exert pressure on Poland's defense. The key for the U.S. team is to score first. What is your opinion?
Ray Hudson: Donovan may be sacrificed as one of Bruce's considerations to player Ernie Stewart but you make an excellent point because of Donovan's energy and his defensive reactions. McBride certainly is the spearhead that the U.S. looks to utilize in a number of threatening positions and certainly Donovan has that wonderful gale and deadly accuracy most of the time. Whoever plays up front will have to be not only responsible for the taking of chances created but as you say also responsible for putting defensive pressure on the opponent's back lane.
Ray Hudson: Thank you all for your kind words. Lets all say our prayers tonight for this outstanding men's national team that have done all of us proud -- both as a nation and for Major League Soccer.
washingtonpost.com:
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
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