Of the three Fire players who are on the national team for the U.S. Cup, only midfielder Chris Armas saw significant playing time in the 4-0 victory over South Africa on Saturday. But that figures to changes on Tuesday.
Fire forward Ante Razov came into the match for the last 20 minutes and may start against Ireland on Tuesday in Foxboro, Mass. With the U.S. playing two games in four days, coach Bruce Arena may field an entirely different team against the Irish.
“We’re going to make changes [for Tuesday],” Arena said. “Whether it’s all 11 I can’t say right now.”
Fire defender C.J. Brown also will likely see action Tuesday in central defense. Brown said Saturday that he had been training with defender Greg Berhalter as part of a four-man defense.
“C.J. is coming along great,” Arena said of Brown. “There is a good chance that he’ll get a start soon.”
Brown played in central defense the last time he was with the national team, and welcomes the chance. It’s a chance he may also get with the Fire. With Lubos Kubik out until August, Brown may find himself in the middle of the Fire’s three-man defense at some point this season.
After Tuesday’s match, Arena will decide his lineup for the final game of the tournament, against Mexico at Giants Stadium on Sunday.
Gold stars: Cobi Jones stole the spotlight Saturday with his two-goal, two-assist performance against South Africa, but equally impressive was the play of central defenders Jeff Agoos and Carlos Llamosa. The two shut down South Africa’s dangerous forward tandem of Shaun Bartlett and Benny McCarthy.
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Agoos and Llamosa were Arena’s second choice to pair in the defense. The injury to Los Angeles Galaxy defender Robin Fraser knocked him off the U.S. roster. Fraser likely would have teamed up with teammate Greg Vanney on Saturday. But with Fraser out, Arena decided to move Agoos into the middle from his normal left back spot, and start D.C. United teammate Llamos alongside him.
“I thought Llamosa and Agoos played very well,” Arena said.
In fact, the two played so well it makes one wonder how United has given up so many goals during the MLS season.
Yeah, so? It seems as though the luster surrounding Luis Hernandez has already worn off. After drawing more than 40,000 for Hernandez’s Los Angeles debut, the Galaxy drew 17,831 and 16,876 in its next two games in the Rose Bowl. Not bad crowds, but certainly not what league officials hoped for considering the money it’s spending on the Mexican forward.
Show up or else: MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at Sunday’s Fire match and said that if it appears the league has done all it can in a market, and attendance still doesn’t improve, then relocating the team is an option. He was talking specifically about the trouble the Fusion is having in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. Despite having a winning team this season, Kansas City also is a disappointment, averaging 8,855 a game. Garber said the league hasn’t done everything it can in Kansas City.
Off easy: There will be no further disciplinary action stemming from last Saturday’s game-ending melee between the Fire and MetroStars. In fact, Razov’s red-card suspension was in effect for Sunday’s match, when Razov was with the national team.