Arena Names Roster for Feb. 21 Match Against Chile in Ft. Lauderdale
CHICAGO (Thursday, February 11, 1999) - On the heels of an historic 3-0 win over Germany on Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, U.S. National Team head coach Bruce Arena has selected the 22 players that will join the National Team in Ft. Lauderdale on Monday (Feb. 15) to begin preparations for the USA's fu
Feb. 11, 1999
Heading the list of selections is veteran defender Thomas Dooley, 37, the captain of the 1998 U.S. World Cup team. Having publicly retired from international competition, Dooley will be honored by U.S. Soccer prior to the match and will make one final appearance for the U.S. National Team. Dooley, who is one of just two players to appear in every match of the USA's last two World Cups, is being recognized for his dedication to U.S. Soccer and service to the game in the United States.
The roster is a selection of MLS players only, as all of the USA's foreign-based players have resumed competition with their respective club teams. In addition, Arena continues to test younger players; 17 of the 22 players have appeared in less than five matches for the United States.
Three players who have been added to the squad for the first time since Arena has taken over are midfielders Ross Paule (Colorado Rapids) and Steve Ralston (Tampa Bay Mutiny), and NY/NJ MetroStars forward Miles Joseph. Paule, 22, has been one of the exceptional younger players in MLS, and this call-up is his first with the senior U.S. National Team. Ralston played in four matches for the U.S. in 1997, but has not appeared since. Joseph, who played under Arena with the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, has been a fixture in the MetroStars lineup since joining the squad after the Atlanta Games.
Midfielder Ben Olsen is currently with the U.S. U-23 National Team in Spain, but will report to the U.S. training camp later in the week and be available for the Chile match.
Injuries played a factor in the overall selection, with midfielder Cobi Jones absent with a toe injury suffered while training with the LA Galaxy. In addition, veteran D.C. United defenders Jeff Agoos (back) and Eddie Pope (hamstring) were not selected due to minor injuries sustained earlier this year.
The United States and Chile have faced each other on seven occasions, and although Chile leads the series with a 5-1-1 (win-loss-tie) record, the U.S. defeated the Chileans, 2-1, when the teams last met on July 8, 1995 on the opening day of the 1995 Copa America. That win propelled the U.S. to one of its finest showings in a major international competition.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets to the USA-Chile match can do so by contacting the Miami Fusion ticket office at 888-FUSION4.
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| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | Caps/G | Hometown | Club |
| Armas, Chris | M | 5'7" | 150 | 8/27/72 | 3/0 | Brentwood, N.Y. | Chicago Fire |
| Brown, C.J. | D | 6'0" | 185 | 6/15/75 | 3/0 | Hayward, Calif. | Chicago Fire |
| Cullen, Leo | D | 5'8" | 160 | 2/26/76 | 0/0 | Burnsville, Minn. | Miami Fusion |
| Deering, Chad | M | 6'1" | 165 | 9/2/70 | 11/1 | Plano, Texas | Dallas Burn |
| Dooley, Thomas | D | 6'1" | 168 | 5/12/61 | 80/7 | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Columbus |
| Fraser, Robin | D | 6'1" | 175 | 12/17/66 | 16/0 | Denver | L.A. Galaxy |
| Hartman, Kevin | GK | 6'1" | 174 | 5/24/74 | 0/0 | Palos Verdes, Calif. | L.A. Galaxy |
| Joseph, Miles | F | 5'9" | 165 | 5/2/74 | 3/0 | Clifton Park, N.Y. | NY/NJ MetroStars |
| Kamler, Brian | M | 6'1" | 175 | 2/12/72 | 0/0 | Ballwin, Mo. | D.C. United |
| Kotschau, Rich | D | 5'10" | 170 | 11/22/75 | 0/0 | Levittown, N.Y. | Chicago Fire |
| Lassiter, Roy | F | 5'10" | 160 | 3/9/69 | 27/4 | Raleigh, N.C. | D.C. United |
| Lewis, Eddie | M | 5'10" | 155 | 5/17/74 | 4/0 | Cerritos, CA | San Jose Clash |
| Llamosa, Carlos | D | 5'11" | 166 | 6/30/69 | 1/0 | Maspeth, NY | D.C. United |
| Mathis, Clint | M | 5'10" | 170 | 11/25/76 | 1/0 | Conyers, Ga. | L.A. Galaxy |
| McBride, Brian | F | 6'1" | 170 | 6/19/72 | 26/6 | Arlington Heights, Ill. | Columbus |
| Olsen, Ben | M | 5'8" | 140 | 5/3/77 | 1/0 | Middletown, Penn. | D.C. United |
| Paule, Ross | M | 5'10" | 160 | 4/4/76 | 0/0 | Cordova, Tenn. | Colorado Rapids |
| Presthus, Tom | GK | 6'4" | 205 | 4/5/75 | 0/0 | Dallas, Texas | D.C. United |
| Ralston, Steve | M | 5'9" | 150 | 6/14/74 | 4/0 | St. Louis, Mo. | Tampa Bay Mutiny |
| Razov, Ante | F | 6'1" | 175 | 3/2/74 | 1/0 | Whittier, Calif. | Chicago Fire |
| Thornton, Zach | GK | 6'3" | 215 | 10/10/73 | 2/0 | Edgewood, Md. | Chicago Fire |
| Williams, Richie | M | 5'5" | 145 | 6/3/70 | 1/0 | Middletown, N.J. | D.C. United |
