KK sounds off

Sometime in the past year or so, I became aware that Kasey Keller is not only an outstanding goalie and a team leader, but also a hilarious character. Did you know, for example, that he lives in a 1000-year-old castle outside Duesseldorf, complete with a moat? Did you know that Kasey was fined for singing along with Borussia Moechengladbach fans after a win over Cologne (apparently the song was slightly off-color). Did you know that Keller body-slammed his team's mascot (a man dressed in a plush foal costume) late last year?

It's the stuff of legends, but it's true. Now, in a more reflective moment, Kasey talks to FIFAWorldCup.com about the upcoming mundial, his recent form for club and country, and the rise of the USMNT (and the associated expectations). One tension Kasey raises but does not resolve is he regards the US as expected to get out of their group as a general matter "(Just getting to the World Cup is not enough."), but also seems to think that both Italy and the Czechs are better positioned to qualify for the Round of 16.

And bonus points for any reader who can explain why Kasey was good enough to make the World Cup team in 1990, start in goal for the US in 1998, but failed to be on the final roster in 1994?