ussoccer.com: Jozy was still in the process of coming back from injury when the camp started, and the staff has been monitoring him from the beginning. What have you seen that led you to make the change for Alan Gordon?
JK: We believe that Jozy’s just not there yet. Jozy never really got into this tournament and never really picked up the rhythm. He’s just simply not in the shape right now to help us. For Jozy it’s just simply going back to Toronto, picking up his rhythm, getting in shape, working on his fitness and then he will start scoring goals again. That’s why Alan Gordon was on the standby roster from the beginning and that’s why we brought him in. He’s fully fit, he’s so full of energy, he scores goals with the Galaxy, and he fits in right away. He’s a pure giver to the group, and he might be a player that can make a difference at any second when you bring him in.”
ussoccer.com: Having the opportunity to make changes, you start with four-time World Cup veteran DaMarcus Beasley who captained this team to the Gold Cup title in 2013. How valuable is to have a player of his ability and experience in a tournament?
JK: Having DaMarcus come into the team is huge, because of his character, his giving nature, the spirit he brings, but also the high quality he brings. He brings a lot of experience into this group, and he’s hungry. He’s still as hungry as day one in his career. That speaks for us having him back in the group and now it gives us a couple of different options on how to put pieces together. We’re very happy to have Beas back. With Greg Garza it’s tough. It hurts when you have to tell a player that they’re not part of the final stage of the competition. Hopefully he joins us in Philadelphia for the final to be with the group again. He’s an emerging player. Greg Garza is there for the future. He’s only getting better. He’s done tremendously well these last two weeks, he knows that he has to grow more, get more experience and it’s as simple as that. It’s why we made the switch. It’s really fun to work with Greg. He has a great character, a great attitude every day – he gives you everything. For him it was another step in the right direction for the National Team and he totally understands that we want to switch it for right now.”
ussoccer.com: Where do you see Alfredo Morales at this stage, and what does Joe Corona bring to the table?
JK: “The switch with Alfredo to Joe Corona is a little bit because Alfredo is still on the rise. He is becoming a very strong player. He had a good year with Ingolstadt, he moved up to the first division in Germany, was their player of the season pretty much, but he’s still in the process to become a part of our team in the fine tuning element. There are certain things that just don’t click yet, and it’ll just take a little bit of time. Right now in the tournament, we don’t have that time. In the tournament now we need to produce results and get things done. With Joe we have that option to bring him in now. He knows CONCACAF inside out. Joe Corona is very experienced in playing against the teams from the Caribbean and Central America. He’s a player that can also help us, here and there, to hold the ball better, to take care of the ball. With his great technique, with his one-touch passing, he makes things very easy and simple. I think it’s a great opportunity to have Joe back, even if it hurts a little bit for Alfredo, but that’s just part of the game.”
