By ROBERT L. LEE

HAHNVILLE – All they can really do to prepare is watch last year’s film and arrange schemes, but they are fired up to start it all. These not so top secret agents are the coaches for the global football Team USA, who will meet this evening to discuss their strategies for the nearing matchup with Team Europe.

Hahnville coach Lou Valdin and rival Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux will team up various other Southern Louisiana coaches for USA’s defense, while St. Charles High coach Frank Monica will provide his insight to the team’s offensive cause.

The players and coaches for Team USA haven’t all been in the same room since being measured for their uniforms and equipment and will not until practice begins January 21.

The Canadian and European teams are currently practicing and still trying to widdle their teams down from hundreds of players to the 36 player limit. Canada’s first count was 400 players for their team, about a month away, they have narrowed it down to 70 players. The Canadians are eagerly looking for a rematch with Team USA, after losing in the final game last year to America 21-19.

“It is with the same pride and determination that our players will again fly the Canadian colors on American soil,” said Canadian head coach Ian Breck on the NFL website. “Last year we came very close to retaining our title and intend to win it back.”

“Outside America, this thing is big,” said Valdin. “I don’t know if our players understand that. But, Sept. 11 puts a little more significance to putting on the USA jersey.”

Although it’s too early to tell if the American players will take the global games as seriously as the visiting players, Valdin said Team USA will definitely be competitive.

“There is an outstanding amount of talent here and in the seven parishes where the team was recruited from,” he continued. “This area is a hot bed for football, it’s as talent-rich as any area in the country.”

Team USA’s talent will be headed by quarterbacks Jason Waguespack and Daniel Luquet, from St. Charles and Destrehan High schools. Valdin said they are primarily throwing quarterbacks, but the team of offensive coaches should be able to put together a number of strong schemes.

“I haven’t seen all of the lineman together yet,” Valdin added, “but we will have a pretty balanced offense.” This balance will allow the offense the ability to go with three or four wide receivers or use the tail and full backs to switch to an “I” formation.

“What we’re dealing with is a bunch of all stars and only one ball,” said Valdin. The all stars will have to deal with opponents they have never seen and the possibility of a complete physical mismatch. Some of the players, especially from Team USA’s first opponent, Europe, will be a year or two older and have played in the global championship last year. Team USA’s coaches will have to make their ultimate decision on how to play the visiting teams when the ball is hiked.

Although highly competitive when they are facing each other from across the field, Monica said the comradery between the coaches is always strong.

“This is a time for us to have fun and after this, the coaches will have a deeper appreciation for each other,” added Monica. “Also, it is such an honor for us to represent the United States. This will be a really, really good time.”

Monica and parents from St. Charles Catholic will host the Japanese team and share in the excitement.

“The biggest thing is all the activities centered around the players,” said Monica. The players from all four teams will come together for banquets and commissioner’s parties.

Based on his experience with the global game last year, Valdin is expecting the team to face a physically larger European team and said the plan will probably be to beat them with speed on the outside and passing.

The coaches are limited to only having tape of last year’s game, but plan to continue studying the European team on film to get any ideas of what plays they like to run.

Valdin related this to a team’s first college game of the season, where no one is sure exactly what to expect from players on the other teams.

“We will have to make sure our kids are in good shape and spend some time on fundamentals,” said Valdin.

The foreign teams will arrive with their 36 players one week before the game. The players will stay with host families in the area while practicing at local high schools.