“Have Done Best in Training… Final 16 Is Real.”

“We will be fully prepared and confident we can win. We’re not going to Korea to take a vacation. We have prepared well for this tremendous challenge. I’m confident the players will give us a good showing.”

Manager of Korea’s second opponent in Group D of the 2002 World Cup, the U.S. team’s Bruce Arena, showed great confidence during the press interview at New York’s Kennedy International Airport before flying to Korea.

Kasey Keller, who played as the starting goalkeeper during the 1998 France World Cup, said, “We have more leisure than the last championship. Trust in our team.”The U.S. national team, consisting of 23 players, coaching staff, and the association authorities, departed on a long journey and arrived in Korea on the 24th. The team immediately moved to Seoul Marriott Hotel, and took rest to overcome jet lag and stress from a long trip.

As recurrence of last year’s 9.11 terror attack is worried upon, the U.S. team came to Korea on a Korean Airline flight, rather than an U.S. flight, and in order to maintain effective control at the hotel, only 24 rooms on the same floor are to be used. Besides, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents have been dispatched to guarantee full security even from the airplane.

Korea’s World Cup Security Headquarters also guarded the team with a SWAT team fully armed with machine guns and sniper rifles from the very moment of arrival, and the team was also escorted by SWAT teams in helicopters and bulletproof vehicles on a `nonstop pass` to the hotel.

Around the Marriott Hotel, armed police forces have been stationed on 24-hour guard.

The U.S. team is to begin full-scale training for local adjustment at Misari stadium, Seoul, from the 25th. Secret evaluation matches with Uruguay and Costa Rica are also scheduled on the 28th and 30th, respectively.

Meanwhile, the U.S. soccer association is known to have promised plenty of bonuses to stimulate the team’s spirit, which was eliminated from the last World Cup by losing all 3 matches. According to `USA Today`, each member in the U.S. team will receive 1.85 million dollars, if the team advances to the final 16, along with additional special bonus of 100,000 dollars per winning point.

Keuk-In Bae bae2150@donga.com