The Associated Press United States soccer goalkeeper
Brad Friedel is one of five Bruins to make the
national team roster.
By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
[email protected]
Jorge Salcedo, a UCLA men’s soccer assistant coach and
former player in the early 1990s, flies out today to watch his
fourth World Cup. He will see nine games in 10 days with the aid of
his father, who has worked for Fédération Internationale
de Football Association since 1984.
This experience has helped make Salcedo somewhat of an expert
regarding world-class soccer players, and so his answer is quite
surprising when asked what he has to say about former high school
and UCLA teammate Eddie Lewis ““ a member of the 2002 U.S.
World Cup team.
“He was king of a clumsy kid with big feet and big
ears,” Salcedo said. “And I didn’t think he was
going to amount to what he has.”
Then comes the kicker.
“That’s a tribute to Eddie and to what the UCLA
soccer program does,” Salcedo added.
Lewis joins a fearless goalie, a flashy veteran, an aggressive
striker and a speedy defender as former Bruins in the 2002 World
Cup.
Five out of 23 members of the U.S. team hail from UCLA, and
though none is guaranteed to start, Lewis, Brad Friedel, Cobi
Jones, Joe-Max Moore and Frankie Hejduk all could play a part in
possible American success.
Tom Fitzgerald, in his first year as UCLA head coach, knows
quite a bit about all the Bruins from time spent coaching in Major
League Soccer with the Columbus Crew.
That is where Fitzgerald coached Friedel, who has the lowest
career goals against average at UCLA. Friedel is currently in a
tight battle with Kasey Keller for the starting goalie
position.
“Because I’m biased, I would love to see him be the
starter opposed to Kasey Keller,” Fitzgerald said. “He
has a lot to offer.”
Among Friedel’s strengths, Fitzgerald notes a strong,
direct approach between the pipes and his leadership on the
field.
Psychologically speaking, it is tough not to know one’s
role and responsibilities during preparation, Fitzgerald said.
But U.S. head coach Bruce Arena might soon decide to go with
Friedel almost by default, as Keller recently suffered an elbow
injury.
“If one (of them) is less than 100 percent, then yes, he
won’t play,” Arena told the Sportsticker news service,
Thursday.
Jones, like Friedel and Moore, will make his third consecutive
World Cup appearance.
Second in assists all-time at UCLA, Jones’ versatility and
the fact he is the all-time U.S. leader in appearances for the
national team, with over 150, are his strongest attributes.
Jones can be played either as a forward or on either side as a
midfielder, and will likely be plugged into the line-up when an
offensive spark is needed late in a game.
“His vast international experience and his speed and pace
are what have kept him in the game for so long at that high
level,” Salcedo said.
Moore, who plays in the English Premier League with Everton, is
an aggressive forward who is dangerous on set pieces and free kicks
from 25 to 30 yards out.
An All-American in 1991 and 1992, Moore ranks second all-time on
the U.S. list with 24 international goals.
“He’s kind of like the energizer bunny,”
Fitzgerald said. “You wind him up, you put him out there and
he just works his tail off for 90 minutes.”
Hejduk, who played in the 1998 World Cup, also plays on foreign
ground as part of Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga.
Both Fitzgerald and Salcedo characterize him as a tenacious
defender who can add offense to the back four with his bursts down
the flank.
“He’s got a lot of speed, which you need at the
World Cup level,” Fitzgerald said.
And then there is Lewis, who also has speed but more importantly
has the ability to serve some good balls into the box for players
like Todd McBride, a current Crew player whom Fitzgerald did not
hesitate to mention.
Salcedo couldn’t agree more. “Eddie is a more
dangerous attacking player because of his crossing ability,”
Salcedo said. “Every one time you have the opportunity to hit
a dangerous cross something might come of it.
“And in the World Cup, the chances are few and far between
scoring a goal.”
Salcedo should know. He has seen it all before.