Pope: Quiet and Facial Hair-Free Leader

February 18th, 2006 | by: WC Bob | View Comments

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Eddie Pope has been a stud for the US team the past decade. Pope has been a steady, quiet presence in the backline since he made his national team debut in 1996. It is awesome to see Pope regaining his form after he has battled injuries the past couple of years.

While Pope isn’t one to talk very often, former teammate Alexi Lalas never has a problem opening his trap. Lalas says of Pope:

“When Eddie came into the national team, we had a group of guys with huge personalities, on and off the field,” Lalas said. “It quickly became apparent that he was a man of few words, but his play spoke volumes. He earned our respect immediately, and he was able to carve out his own identity.

“Since then, he has provided a consistency at the center back position that continues to this day. Eddie still doesn’t say a lot, but, when he does, players listen. Even if he never kicks a ball again, he’ll go down as an American soccer great; just don’t ask him to talk about it.”

For once I actually agree with Lalas. Finding the next Eddie Pope will be a difficult challange for the US. Fortunately for US fans, it doesn’t appear like the replacement search will have to begin until after Germany this summer.