Wiebe: Let future team play now

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A week from today the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Switzerland, a country more renowned for its chocolate than its soccer, in its second international friendly on European soil this year.

While the Swiss may not have the firepower Sweden trotted out with Inter Milan’s golden striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they are no pushover. The team was eliminated from the 2006 World Cup without conceding a goal, losing on penalties. The U.S. team will find it difficult to break its streak of European disappointment.

Much to the chagrin of those desperate for a win, the 21 players named to the initial roster have a distinctively young flavor as players like Sal Zizzo, Chris Seitz, Danny Szetela, Preston Zimmerman and Maurice Edu will get a chance to experience national team culture and competition. All but Zimmerman and Edu competed in the Under-20 World Cup during the summer.

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Either way the inclusion of young talent bodes well for Bradley and U.S. fans in both the short and long term.

Those bemoaning the roster selection despite the lack of European success are missing the big picture. U.S. coach Bob Bradley understands that developing players like Adu, Zizzo and Michael Bradley could be part of the foundation that competes for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The only way to guarantee that they understand what is required to be successful is to include them in any successes or failures.

Although finally succeeding on foreign soil should be a priority, Bradley recognizes the need to acclimate precocious U.S. talent to the rigors of international play. Even if the youngsters play second fiddle to the more established veterans called in, it’s important to expose them to the speed and quality of play necessary to succeed on the world stage as well as introduce them to the tendencies and habits of their more experienced teammates.

The players who competed at the under-20 World Cup represent the next generation of American soccer. The sooner they begin competing against the team’s current stalwarts the more prepared they will be when their chance presents itself. It’s a strategy that the world’s most successful sides often employ to maintain a talent base that doesn’t become over-reliant on established players.

That’s not to say there are any players in the mold of a Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney in the group. But it’s impossible to know what to expect from the young charges without giving them the chance to play. Odds are some of these players will become crucial cogs of the national team setup in the future. There is no better time than now to gauge their abilities.

With the Major League Soccer playoff chase winding down, clubs can’t afford to have national team regulars like Landon Donovan, Jimmy Conrad, Eddie Johnson and Pablo Mastroeni missing games for a meaningless friendly. Furthermore, because the game will be played in Switzerland, it makes more logistic sense to use European-based players rather than their MLS counterparts.

Either way the inclusion of young talent bodes well for Bradley and U.S. fans in both the short and long term. The inclusion of young players shows how deep the current talent pool is compared with years past. By including so many new faces, Bradley ensures his options in the future makeup of his squad as the World Cup approaches.

Fortunately for U.S. fans Bradley understands the difference between average international teams and ones challenging for trophies. By identifying and developing fresh talent he is taking steps to make certain the U.S. will one day belong with the latter.

— Edited by Luke Morris

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