June 22, 2006
Albany - The USA's early exit from the World Cup soccer tournament is certainly disappointing to soccer fans in this country.
Darton soccer coach Ken Veilands watched Thursday's match with Ghana.
Veilands, who led the Lady Cavaliers to a national runner-up finish in the national junior college tournament back in November, believes the U.S. squad simply didn't play with any passion in this tournament.
Veilands compares the soccer team's showing to that of the U.S. Olympic Basketball team which failed to medal in the Athens games two years ago.
Veilands said "I believe in they said in Ghana that they stopped the gold mines so they would have enough electricity that everybody could watch the game on television. When you think about that they are playing for everything. And we have to learn to have the same passion whether soccer is the number one sport in this country or not. We have to play with that passion."
Veilands says all eyes will turn to the USA women's soccer team who will be the favorite to win the women's World Cup in two years.
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