For John O'Brien, the first part of his personal World Cup quest came to fruition Tuesday as the Chivas USA midfielder was named to the United States World Cup squad.
The final part will be played out over the next two weeks as O'Brien must prove he will be a healthy part of the U.S. team.
O'Brien was part of the 23-man World Cup squad released Tuesday by U.S. coach Bruce Arena. But O'Brien, who did not play in Chivas USA's league game on Saturday because of a strained calf, could still miss out on the World Cup, Arena said.
"We have about six weeks to move John along," Arena said. "Hopefully he stays injury free. If he's not able to overcome any kind of injuries, he will be a candidate for possible replacement on the roster."
O'Brien is lined up to make his second World Cup appearance. Four years ago, he was an instrumental part of the United States' quarterfinal team. O'Brien played every minute of World Cup 2002 and scored in the team's 3-2 group stage upset of Portugal.
Making the 2006 World Cup team, though seemingly a cinch, was nevertheless a goal accomplished for the Southern California native.
"This is something that I've been looking forward to over the past few years," O'Brien said. "It's one part of that, being named to the 23. I hope I can continue to get fit in camp so I can be a healthy player so Bruce does take me to Germany."
In order for O'Brien to travel with the team to Germany, he needs to continue improving his fitness level and conditioning and, above all else, stay healthy. He said Arena told him he needs to play in one of the United States' three upcoming friendlies as well. If his physical condition does not improve prior to May 15, the date by which all World Cup rosters must be submitted to FIFA, he can be replaced by an alternate. After that date, he can still be replaced, so long as he's injured.
"That's kind of how he explained it to me," O'Brien said. "He wanted to see me the next month and get into form and be able to play in some of the practice games. If I do that, I can go to Germany ... He wants to give me the chance which I greatly appreciate. It's not set in stone and I guess that lessens the risk."
Since the end of the 2002 World Cup, O'Brien has been riddled by injuries. In the 2003-03 Eredivisie campaign, O'Brien made four appearances for Ajax Amsterdam. The following season, he made just one. For much of 2005, O'Brien rehabilitated his injuries in Carson, Calif., and trained with both Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
He was healthy enough to play in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup and even scored a key goal for the United States in their 2-1 semifinal win over Honduras, but a groin injury sidelined him for the latter part of last year.
With a wide array of injuries hampering him, O'Brien said he also suffered some mental strain.
"The toughest part has been mentally, just having another thing that comes up and kind of stopping you from what you want to do which is to play soccer. It's been tough but these last two months I've been in a pretty clear state of mind," O'Brien said. "It feels good to kind of have a good run like that and to have this roster announcement which is a bit of encouragement to keep going. Hopefully we can get all the positive vibes flowing and keep on rolling."
O'Brien, 28, said he is confident he will be with the team in Germany.
"I'll need to step it up, but we have time for that," O'Brien said. "I'm on the right path. I'm happy to be in the situation I'm in."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
