A few hours after arriving in Germany on Friday, the American coach was questioned on his policy of allowing families to spend time with players during the tournament at the team hotel, rather than have the squad sequestered in an isolated location, as many World Cup coaches choose to do.

"We were told we were stupid and crazy and ignorant in Korea, as well, with the families, so we'll just accept that as being dumb Americans," Arena said.

Arena also was asked whether he thinks his team is a target for terrorists.

"I'm not in that business of planning terrorist attacks," he said. "I don't believe so. I think we are in a very safe environment."

Arena, captain Claudio Reyna and defender Steve Cherundolo appeared at a news conference and discussed the team's first-round games against the Czech Republic (June 12), Italy (June 17) and Ghana (June 22).

Cherundolo, who plays for the German team Hannover 96, deftly answered questions in English and German. He said the nation already is transfixed by the tournament, which opens June 9.

"It's the topic in all of the street bars and cafes," he said. "There is really nothing else to talk about at the moment, except for the World Cup, and that's what's going to be so special."

Reyna, who played for Germany clubs from 1994-98, begged off answering in the local tongue, saying it was too early in the day after the overnight flight.

Three hours later, the Americans went through their first workout at Norderstedt, the training camp of the local Bundesliga team, Hamburger Sport-Verein. Asked why he had his players practice so quickly after the long flight, Arena responded with a mocking answer.

"We don't know what we're doing. We figured we could come in here and maybe practice a couple of times before the opening game," Arena said. "Why not? Just go out and break a sweat a little bit, get the travel out of them. Try to get their bodies adjusted to new times zones. ... I thought it was an interesting concept to practice, but perhaps I'm wrong."

Hamburg, a cool northern port, is where the Beatles got started here in the early 1960s, playing clubs in the red-light district -- the Reeperbahn.

"It has everything you could want and maybe too much," Arena said. "We understand that, and we have to have the right discipline inside our team to deal with the, hopefully, many days in Hamburg."

After the United States stayed in France's Beaujolais countryside during the 1998 World Cup and finished last in the 32-nation field, Arena chose to base the team in Seoul during the 2002 tournament. Four years later, he picked another downtown hotel attached to a mall -- one store is selling U.S. soccer smoothies with berries and cocoa, and a candy store had an American flag posted with the words "We're pleased to see you!" printed across.

"I think it suits our lifestyle, our mentality," Arena said. "I want our players to enjoy the World Cup. The way Americans enjoy living every day is to get out into the culture, do things, and not being locked up out in the country."

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who lives in Germany, travelled ahead of the charter flight. Several West Coast-based players spent their days off this week at Reyna's home in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

"It was very relaxing, very good," Reyna said. "Before such a major event, it was nice to kind of hang out with guys on the team."

The approach of the World Cup is noticeable throughout town. Giant luminescent pipes forming soccer goals have been erected along the swan-filled lakefront and other spots, a project by illumination artist Michael Batz called -- what else? -- "Blue Goals."

"It's a really big deal," Cherundolo said.