When Bruce Arena took over as US national team coach in the fall of 1998 his first match was against Australia in San Jose.
   The night was instantly forgettable, a 0-0 draw at the end of a long year that had seen the USA finish last in the France World Cup.
Arena picked Eddie Lewis for that game. It was thought that the decision had as much to do with marketing the game -- Lewis played for the local San Jose MLS entry, after all -- as it did with rebuilding the national side.
   It didn't take long to understand that Arena didn't operate that way.
   He picked Lewis because he saw something in the player that could be developed.  We all know what happened: Lewis became an integral part of the side, helped build the foundation for Arena's 2002 success in South Korea and went on to have a significant overseas career.
   Lewis will be playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy Sunday night in the MLS Cup final against Real Salt Lake. He was one of the first guys Arena brought to the team after taking over last year and his presence should remind you that the boss still knows what it takes to build a team.
   Yes, you've got to have a Landon Donovan and a David Beckham helps. You always need a goalkeeper and you'd better have a solid central defense.
   But winning teams need the Eddie Lewis's of the world and Arena understands that part of the game better than anyone else coaching in this country.
   He knows that if you put the right type of support players in the right spots, then don't ask them to do things they cannot accomplish, that you will ultimately have a working team that won't lose its way in the tough times.
--
Just the facts:
   The United States went 9-1-2 at home in 2009. The only loss was the 5-0 shellacking at the hands of Mexico in the Gold Cup final and we all know that was not either side's full team. With the exception of a victory over Sweden in January all of the wins came against CONCACAF region members.
   The United States went 2-4-1 on the road, winning at Trinidad & Tobago and Honduras in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. They failed again in Costa Rica and Mexico [they have never won qualifiers in either country] and finished the year with two more losses on European soil. The last two games, like the Gold Cup, featured an under-strength side.
   The United States won 2, lost 3 on neutral ground in the FIFA Confederations Cup. The most significant win was over Spain; the most significant loss was in the final when the team blew a 2-0 halftime lead and fell to Brazil.
   Draw your own conclusions.
--
Now some opinions:

--The USA without Donovan is a ship without a rudder.
--Just as important, the USA without Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit in the central defense is a ship waiting to be sunk.
--Frankie Hejduk -- love that energy, love that effort, love what he has brought for years -- is no longer the answer.
--No team can expose its wide backs the way the USA has done ... it's easy to point fingers at those guys hung out to dry, but the play usually has broken down before they get torched. Still, they are getting torched.
--It's time to play something other than 4-4-2 since the midfield apparently cannot support the attackers nor help the defense in the current set-up. How about a 5-3-1-1 with three in the middle of the defense?


TV THIS WEEKEND (All times ET; our picks in bold)
FRIDAY
OM v PSG            1500    Setanta

SATURDAY
Rubin Kazan v Zenit         0545    Setanta
Liverpool v Man City        0745    ESPN2
Schalke v Hannover        0930    GolTV
Chelsea v Wolverhampton    1000    Setanta
Sunderland v Arsenal        1000    FSC/FSE
Burnley v Aston Villa        1000    Setanta X
B’ham v Fulham        1000   
Hull v West Ham        1000
Rangers v Kilmarnock    1000    Setanta P
Cardiff v Barnsley        1000    ESPN360
Inter v Bolgona        1155    ESPN360
Deportivo v Atletico        1155    ESPND/360
Tenerife v Sevilla        1200    GolTV
Ipswich v Sheff. Wednesday    1220    Setanta
Man U v Everton        1230    FSC/FSE
Racing v Real Madrid        1355    ESPND/360
Parma v Fiorentina        1445    ESPN360
Auxerre v Monaco        1500    Setanta
Bilbao v Barca            1600    GolTV
Pereira v Medellin        2000    GolTV

SUNDAY
Perth v Sydney        0300    FSC
Dundee United v Celtic    0730    Setanta P
Bolton v Blackburn        0830    Setanta
Ajax v Heerenveen        0830    ESPN360
AS Roma v Bari        0900    ESPN360
AC Milan v Cagliari        0900    FSC
Tottenham v Wigan        1000    FSE
Stoke v Pompey        1100    FSC
St. Etienne v Lorient        1100    Setanta
Hamburg v Bochum        1130    GolTV
Zaragoza v Malaga        1300    ESPND/360
San Luis v Toluca        1300    Univision
Botafogo v Sao Paulo        1400    GolTV
Juventus v Udinese        1430    FSC/FSE
Montpellier v Lille        1445    Setanta
Osasuna v Valencia        1600    GolTV
Santos v Morelia        1800    Telefutura
MLS CUP            2030    ESPN/ESPND/360