Security tight as US team preps for match against Czechs

(11 Jun 2006) SHOTLIST Essen, 11 June 2006 1. Exterior of Sheraton Hotel with German police 2. Various of German police around the hotel 3. Police van parked with child running 4. Various of German police sealing off area outside hotel 5. Exterior of Sheraton Hotel with porters and luggage trolleys 6. Officials outside Sheraton 7. German police by motorbikes 8. SOUNDBITE (German) Peter Nowak, Gelsenkirchen police spokesperson: "With all security organisations we have contact and of course with the United States special police in order to have maximum protection for the US team. We have police in uniform and civilian dress in order to protect the US World Cup team." 9. Exterior of Sheraton 10. Pan from Sheraton to bus 11. Various of German police and US security services outside hotel 12. Various of US team leaving the hotel and boarding bus 13. Bus leaving with police watching 14. Bus leaving with police escort 10. Wide shot of players an security personnel outside the bus 11. Various of bus departing, escorted by police Gelsenkirchen, 11 June 2006 12. Wide of Arena stadium 13. Police van with flags behind 14. Press conference 16. Wide shot of presser 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruce Arena, US team coach "We have no concerns about the security, we think the German authorities have done a fantastic job. We are not at all concerned or troubled by anything regarding security here at the World Cup." 18. Various of team training in stadium 19. Exterior of stadium with police walking STORYLINE Security for the US World Cup team remained unchanged on Sunday. The team has been under tight security, especially in the wake of the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi by American forces in Iraq. Since arriving at their German base of Essen, American football players have been monitored at their hotel by a force that includes German police, State Department officials and private security. The FBI and CIA also have been involved, and the team's bus is accompanied by a convoy of security vehicles. Security for the US World Cup team was tight in previous tournaments. At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, a tank was parked outside the US hotel in Seoul and a tank was on the tarmac when the US plane arrived for the Americans' game against the host nation. US coach Bruce Arena on Sunday said the team hadn't been bothered by the security and thanked the German authorities for doing "a fantastic job". In their first match of the tournament, the US take on the Czech Republic in Gelsenkirchen on Monday. Keyword-world cup 2006 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...