Blog: Kasey Keller

This past weekend I flew from Germany to the States so that I can prepare for going back to Germany again. I feel like I've got a former referee for a travel agent, but that's international soccer logic for you. I actually arrived in North Carolina on Mother's Day, when all those proverbial soccer moms were being deservedly rewarded for schlepping their kids around neighborhood parks all year and doing the team's laundry without complaining. The Keller household celebrated Mother's Day on the Thursday before, however, seeing as I would be in the air on the actual day. It's yet another holiday that has to be re-arranged thanks to my protracted pro-soccer schedule.

I had a pretty decent flight over. Adjusting to the time difference doesn't really affect me too badly. I was feeling pumped anyway because 'Gladbach had finished the season on a high with a rare away win the day before. I kept a clean sheet despite quite a lot of pressure from the Frankfurt forwards, and our team performance kept the fans happy, which is key. But then I'm a reasonably good air traveler however our results have been going. I'm not like Arsenal's veteran Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp with his infamous fear of flying. Dennis has missed important overseas matches in the past due to his phobia. Consequently the only flying he does is around the penalty box, although I must admit, that's too much flying for my liking if I'm playing against him.

You will always find a crime novel packed in my carry-on luggage, preferably something with a serial killer in the starring role. Transatlantic flights are one of those treasured times when I can get some serious reading done. I'm a big fan of Dean Koontz and James Patterson, you know, anything with a gripping thriller type plot and a dark twist at the end. A bit of occult thrown in is always good too, like the "da Vinci Code," only edgier. Driving from the airport to the national team's camp in Cary, I noticed a lot of kids playing soccer on the empty baseball diamonds. I see more of that every time I get back here. Of course, in Germany the kids are all crazy about basketball. But that will change when the World Cup fever really kicks in at the start of June.

The US camp itself is a relaxed, easy-going set-up. Although I was arriving a week later than the other guys, I've arrived so many times before that it's all second nature to me now. I just slot right back in with the team as if I'd never left. Everybody knows me. I feel instantly at home. And, luckily for me, my first day in Cary was a day off. Most of the squad had already begun training while I was finishing the Bundesliga season, and I joined a bunch of the guys on the golf course. I hadn't played for a while so my drives fell a little short of the mark. That will change soon enough. Golf is one of the few sports athletes can play without too much fear of risking an injury, so we'll be tramping over the green whenever possible.

I'll also be seeking out the nearest CD and DVD stores. It's always one of the first things I do when I return to the States. I like to stock up on music, computer games and TV shows that I can't get in Germany. They do get some US stuff over there, but the soundtracks are badly dubbed which makes the pictures pretty much unwatchable as far as I'm concerned. So it's great when I can obtain an entire series in one DVD package. That way I can watch them when it suits me, since my busy diary prohibits me from being able to sit down and watch single episodes when they're originally broadcast.

Terrific restaurants are another bonus of being back in America. Obviously there is major gourmet food available in Europe, but their famous cafes often lack the great service you find in down home American establishments. A group of us will often dine out together after the day's practice program is completed: Mexican, Italian, whatever's on the menu is fine with me. There's a myth that soccer players only eat pasta. It's totally untrue, I swear.

The mood is the camp is really high. Everyone is confident we can achieve something this summer. Our aim is to do better than the quarterfinals of the tournament. The success of Greece at Euro 2004 gives everyone hope. That such rank outsiders could actually win the competition is a big boost for dark horse teams everywhere. The World Cup is a little different though. There are so many games you need to win against so many great sides. But you never know. The US is ranked fourth in the world right now. That may or may not be an accurate assessment based on our current form. But it's up to the twenty-three guys in Bruce Arena's squad to prove that fourth is an under estimation rather than an overvaluation.

We are in a tough first round group with the Czech Republic, featuring Pavel Nedved and Milan Baros.

The Czech's have always been inconsistent and never really lived up to expectations. But like us, they can probably boast their strongest ever squad this year. They are our opening game, and it should be a revealing contest between evenly matched teams.

Another country to watch out for is Poland. They have an inexperienced group of players, but are always a hard nut to crack. They'll be looking to Celtic's Maciej Zurawski to shift his impressive scoring record from club to international level.

And what about Togo? Well, your guess is as good as mine really. But I do know that Dennis Bergkamp's Arsenal teammate Emmanuel Adebayor will be a handful for any defense that faces him.

Well, that's it until next week. Tomorrow is all about fitness and conditioning and these are important fingers I'm typing with. You wouldn't want me to pick up an injury on my blog, would you?