Bruce Arena Quotations | Page 3

Canada is traditionally a very solid team, and this game will be a good test for our domestic players as we begin the critical process of building a roster for the 2006 World Cup. We are looking forward to playing in San Diego, a city with a rich soccer history. It should be an excellent event.

He's an extremely graceful athlete. He's a player with an excellent first touch and great vision. He has very good attacking qualities. But we've seen him in what I would call an amateur level.

If I'd grade us, I'd say a C. We can't worry about it. We have to remember that it's January and a lot of players have been away from the game for a while.

If he's healthy we have two months to see if he can get fit to play in a World Cup. It's not like we need to rush him back into everything. We know the kind of player he is. There's a lot of quality there and if, over the next couple of weeks, we see steady improvement he's obviously going to get pretty strong consideration for the final roster.

I don't think the result of the game is that important, as much as is the performance of the players. Some of the players are on the fence so to speak and have their last opportunity.

I don't think too many players played themselves onto our World Cup roster tonight, to be honest with you.

I don't think too many players played themselves onto a World Cup roster tonight. There were some good performances for some, others were not so good.

I don't think too many players played themselves on our World Cup roster tonight. There were some solid performances, but nothing that would make a strong case for a variety of players. It was okay for some players, others not too good.

I'd much rather have this challenge than having to deal with lesser known countries. The challenge we have in particular ... everybody has basically written us off.

For the first time ever, we are going to demand players have the discipline and commitment to actually maintain fitness. We have seen a wide range of attitudes and actual physical conditions with MLS players in the past, and if that is the case next time around they're not going to be eligible to make the World Cup roster.

For our players, it's also very good for them to be in a venue where they also get to play Italy and feel somewhat comfortable in this venue before we actually come back.

You can run around all you want with a fitness coach but you have to play games. Getting 90 minutes in is valuable. Hopefully that pays some dividends these next couple of games.

These are just opportunities to evaluate players as we move forward, but you don't make decisions based on one game. Generally, as a rule of thumb, if you get a point on the road in qualifying, it's a pretty good result. The fact that we played with a new group this game, the result's OK. Would we have liked three points? Sure. But that's the way it is.

All in all, to get 16 players in, and getting a win, that's a positive.

You can see there's a lot of soccer in that player, so we're hopeful.

The Guatemala game will provide us with another good opponent as we continue to prepare and evaluate players for the 2006 World Cup roster.

The goal now is to make our team better for the World Cup.

The Gold Cup is the biggest headache on the schedule. We want to be respectful of the confederation championship and put our best team out there and try to win it. However, our focus has to be on World Cup qualifying. Those 10 games are the most important.

The German team needs a win because the public demands it.

The draw is important for a country like the U.S. For a country like Brazil it doesn't matter. And the only way anybody determines whether you did well or not is how you advance.

The foreign coaches have put a lot of pressure on the English way of doing things, and that's going to be for the better in the long run.

The first goal changed the game and once they got the second goal they played very well. Give them credit. They played well. They played with a confidence and, without a doubt, they were the better team tonight.

The first goal by Ben Olsen was a terrific individual effort as well as a big goal psychologically in the game.

The first one was a big one because it was difficult for us to get quality chances. I'm sure this will give him confidence heading into qualifying.

And he just turned 23. I think we've got ourselves a real good one there.

The match in Cary is our last game before we make our final decisions on the World Cup roster, so it is obviously an important one for us.