USL News Release

 

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

 

CHICAGO, IL – Twelve former United Soccer Leagues players were among the official roster of 23 players for the FIFA World Cup named by head coach Bruce Arena Tuesday. Eight USL players were also named as alternates for the tournament being held in Germany beginning June 9.

USL Hall of Fame inductee Brian McBride heads the list of former USL players. McBride is the only player in U.S. history to score goals in multiple World Cups, his three career goals include the game-winners in the 3-2 opening match victory against Portugal in the 2002 World Cup and the 2-0 win against Mexico in the Round of 16. Just one shy of the USA’s all-time leader in World Cup goals, his 29 international strikes also put him in second place on the all-time U.S. list.

The former Milwaukee Rampage forward registered 17 goals and 17 assists for the 16-2 Rampage in 1994 before becoming the first overall selection in the inaugural Major League Soccer Draft and eventually moving onto the English Premier League.
 

During the last World Cup, forward Brian Ching was playing for the Seattle Sounders in the USL First Division after a stint with the LA Galaxy of MLS. The former Spokane Shadow striker and 1998 PDL Rookie of the Year’s two seasons in USL-1 led to another shot in MLS in 2003 and a call-up from Arena came shortly after. Ching made his World Cup qualifying debut in style, scoring the equalizer in the 88th minute to deliver the US a valuable road point in the 1-1 draw against Jamaica on Aug. 18, 2004 in Kingston.

Former US Pro-40 star Josh Wolff is also among the four forwards named to the list. Wolff led the joint USL, US Soccer and MLS player development team in scoring with 12 goals in 1998, the team’s first year. His MLS career blossomed with Chicago later in the year and earned his first cap with the National Team in 1999.

Defenders Jimmy Conrad, Carlos Bocanegra and Bobby Convey were also briefly members of the US Pro-40 squad as well as midfielders Pablo Mastroeni and DeMarcus Beasley. Conrad played for the team five times in 1999 with Bocanegra and Convey twice in 2000, the team’s final year. A year prior, Conrad helped lead the San Diego Flash to the second best record in the USL First Division, appearing in 26 games and tallying two goals and two assists. Mastroeni was a member of the team in 1998 while Beasley was on the squad briefly in 1999 and 2000.

Former Portland Timbers (1989) goalkeeper Kasey Keller leads an all-USL goalkeeping trio as the USA’s all-time leader for goalkeepers in wins (51), shutouts (44) and World Cup qualifying appearances (31). Both Marcus Hahnemann, who led the Seattle Sounders to back-to-back USL First Division titles in 1995 and 1996, and Tim Howard (North Jersey Imperials, 1997) have collected PFA Goalkeeper of the Year honors in England. Hahnemann earned his trophy with Reading FC in the English League Championship this year as his side gained promotion to the English Premier League for the first time in the 135-year history of the club while setting a league record for points. Howard grabbed the EPL Goalkeeper of the Year award in his debut season at Manchester United in 2003.

Midfielder Ben Olsen made one appearance on loan to the Hershey Wildcats of the USL First Division in 2001.

The list of alternates for the World Cup also boasts some experienced USL players.

A pair of former Long Island Rough Riders from the 1995 USL Second Division championship side, Chris Armas and Tony Meola highlight the squad. Armas has been a veteran for the US since since 1998 and Meola recently earned his 100th cap. They are joined by another former Rough Rider (1997) midfielder, Kerry Zavagnin. Zavagnin helped revive his MLS career in the USL First Division with the Lehigh Valley Steam in 1999, earning his first cap just a year later.

Former PDL standouts Chris Klein (Kalamazoo Kingdom) and Pat Noonan (Michigan Bucks, Kalamazoo Kingdom and Team St Louis) join Armas and Zavagnin as former USL players as midfielder alternates.

Defender Todd Dunivant helped lead the Boulder Rapids Reserve to the PDL final in 2002 before moving onto MLS. He joins Chris Albright, who played briefly with the US Pro-40 squad in 1999, as a defensive alternate.

Former Orange County Wave (2000) goalkeeper Matt Reis rounds out the list of USL players on the alternates list.

The team assembles for a camp next week in Cary, North Carolina at SAS Soccer Park, the home of a USL First Division expansion team in 2007.