He's done well. I had my concerns and I think he's a little ahead of schedule. From what we can see, his injury is behind him. It'll take a little time, but certainly over the next month or so, he should be coming into form.

Nothing is set in stone. But for the most part, I think we have a nucleus of 14, 15 16 players who we could pencil in now. ... We'll just have to wait and see.

It's easy to look at [qualifying] and think that it's a breeze . . . but it's not a breeze. Our experiences over the last four years have positioned us to be successful. Our guys know how to win in big games.

I've touched base with him just to make sure he is ahead of schedule at this point. He's fully aware of how important it is for him to be in a little better shape to start out spring training than what he's probably accustomed to.

I think it's critical. If we want this sport to grow, if we want to truly position ourselves to one day win a World Cup, we need support from the people that follow soccer in the United States.

I'm optimistic that we can qualify out of the group, regardless of what anyone else thinks. I think we're capable of playing with any team in the world.