20352: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-'Perfect matchup' set (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Sat, Mar. 13, 2004


U.S. VS. HAITI


'Perfect matchup' set

BY SANTOS A. PEREZ

sperez@herald.com


The United States national team won't be sitting idly until the next round
of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying in June.

Filling the void before the United States faces the winner of the
Grenada-Guyana qualifier will be a series of four exhibition matches. None
figures to be as intriguing as tonight's game against Haiti in the Orange
Bowl.

''I think this is the perfect matchup, for us to play a Caribbean-based team
such as Haiti,'' U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.

Arena's counterpart on the Haitian sideline is no stranger to U.S. soccer.
Fernando Clavijo played for the national team between 1990 and '94, earning
61 caps. Clavijo turned to coaching after his career ended and took over the
Haitian team late last year.

''We know they are an up and rising team,'' Arena said of Haiti. ``I know
they are very well-coached. We just thought this would be a great matchup
and also a challenge to play the game in Miami.''

The teams previously met in the Orange Bowl in 2000, attracting 49,000 fans
for a CONCACAF Gold Cup match.

Similar to its previous Orange Bowl games, the United States might feel like
the visiting team. In South Florida, the opposition usually attracts the
majority of the crowd. Haiti is no exception.

Moreover, the Haitian team has been in South Florida for an extended stay
because of the political unrest at home.

''When we scheduled the game, the political issues were not there,'' Arena
said.

Forward Landon Donovan, who helped the United States to a quarterfinal berth
in the 2002 World Cup, doesn't expect political tensions to extend onto the
field.

''The only thing I think about when I step on the field is who I am playing
against and how can I beat them,'' Donovan said.

Despite Haiti's current struggles and lacking financial contributions from
its national federation, the United States is not overlooking its opponent.

Clavijo's squad will consist primarily of players from Haiti's under-23
team.

''The team is pretty much ready,'' Clavijo said. ``They're excited to play
the U.S.''

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