During the next month, HoustonDynamo.com will feature a series of weekly interviews with players and coaches regarding the 2006 World Cup. This time around, Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario gives us his analysis of what's been going on with the World Cup after the first week of action.
HoustonDynamo.com: A week has come and gone, and over 15 games have already been played. What do you think? Do you like what you have seen so far?
Dwayne De Rosario: So far, it has not been bad at all. I still think Brazil is my favorite team. There are teams like Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo that in my opinion are playing very well, but one thing we have to remember is that the World Cup is being played in Europe, and, because of that the teams from that continent will want to keep the trophy there.
HoustonDynamo.com: You have a couple of teams that are already out of the competition, those being Costa Rica and Poland. Did you expect to see them out so quickly?
D.D.R.: I did with Costa Rica, but not with Poland. I thought Poland was a strong team by the way they finished in European qualifying and because I thought they had a particularly good defense. Unfortunately, during the World Cup they showed weakness in their defense. I know they are probably disappointed, but you can't do well in the World Cup by just defending; you also have to score goals. If you have a situation like Poland's, where you don't score goals but also don't defend, then you have a big problem.
HoustonDynamo.com: Looking ahead now to the game the U.S. will play this weekend, do you think Bruce Arena's squad has a chance against Italy?
D.D.R.: It's going to be tough. As of right now, and from what I've seen, I don't think they do. But then again, this is the World Cup, where anything can happen. If they show grit, determination, and hunger, I think they can probably salvage a good result.
HoustonDynamo.com: Arena is obviously going to have to make major adjustments if he wants to come out with a win.
D.D.R.: Absolutely. Italy is playing very well right now, due in part to their great organization on the field. If the U.S. does not come out with more than one forward or at least with an attacking frame of mind, then they are in for a long, long game.
HoustonDynamo.com: Given the chance to play, will Brian Ching make a difference on this team?
D.D.R.: I think he will, because his mission is always to attack, which is what the U.S. definitely needs. I also think that guys like DaMarcus Beasley can do some damage as well if they attack down the wings, tie up the defenders, and expose [Italy's] weaknesses.
HoustonDynamo.com: The "big" teams have already played. We've seen games by Argentina, England, Brazil, and Germany, none of whom have lost a game. Do you like what you have seen from them thus far?
D.D.R.: I like what I've seen. Again, when you look at the big teams, what matters is that they are winning. They're winning because they have experience and because they go about the game with a lot of maturity. I was not particularly pleased with the way Brazil played because it seems to me they are just comfortable with how they're conducting themselves on the field. They need to stop having that mentality, because everyone wants to beat them. They have talent enough to score in almost every opportunity they get. Argentina, on the other hand, is a world-class team; they are composed and always keep the ball moving. ermany is another team that's a force to be reckoned with, since it can score given the smallest of opportunities. Even though I like Brazil, I think it's going to be a tight race. You never know, we may even get to see a surprise or two along the way.
