Honduras Wins U23 Final

NASHVILLE, TN (Mar 23, 2008) USSF -- The US Under-23 Men’s National Team fell to Honduras, 1-0, in overtime of the 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Final. Both teams had already qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Honduras goal, scored by George Wilson Welcome in the 103nd minute, was the just the second goal allowed by the US during five games in qualifying, and the first goal since the opening half of their match against Cuba, a streak of 421 minutes.

Thursday night’s victory over Canada clinched the USA’s 13th trip to the Olympic Games on the men’s side. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be played from Aug. 6-23 in five venues, and will mark the USA’s first trip to the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament since 2000, when the team advanced to the medal round and finished in fourth place.

“I congratulated our players in the locker room for their effort,” said US head coach Peter Nowak. “It was a very difficult tournament for us and for both teams in terms of knowing how you’re supposed to prepare yourself from game to game. As we said, we work on the spirit and the team mentality and it worked pretty well. We’re happy to be going to the Olympic Games and sometimes for the players it’s just, they’re relieved to get it all behind them and looking forward to getting some MLS games."

Overall, the US finished the tournament with a 3-1-1 record, allowing just two goals in five games while scoring six. Freddy Adu, who was named to the Best XI by the CONCACAF Technical Committee on Saturday, led all goalscorers with four tallies in three games played. Maurice Edu, Dax McCarty and Michael Orozco were also named to the Best XI, while midfielder Sacha Kljestan earned Honorable Mention.

Against Honduras, the US was without the services of four European-based players where allowed to return to their club teams for weekend matches. Along with Adu, Charlie Davies, Jonathan Spector and Sal Zizzo made their way back across the pond on Friday.

With just 16 players to choose from, Nowak once again made a number changes to his lineup, keeping Edu, McCarty and Jozy Altidore on the bench to start the match. Edu would come on in the 26th minute to replace an injured Hunter Freeman, while Altidore would come on in the 80th minute as the US looked for the game-winner.

Despite the changes, the US was the more dominant team throughout the match and outshot Honduras 23-9, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Stuart Holden, Robbie Findley and Eddie Gaven were at the center of most of the US opportunities in the first half, with Holden creating the first chance of the game in just the third minute. Getting free down the right flank, Holden swung in a cross, but the Honduras defense was up to the task, as it was all night, and cleared the ball out of danger.

The US started to pepper the Honduras goal early, but it was Holden who was able to put the first shot on goal for the US in the 27th minute. Four minutes later, Findley got free down the right side and crossed a ball into the box for forward Chad Barrett, but his header went just over the crossbar.

In the 33rd minute, the US created possibly the best chance for either team in the first half when Gaven collected the ball in midfield and pushed forward. The Columbus Crew midfielder fed the ball to Robbie Findley, who was able to avoid a tackle and slip the ball to Edu inside the box. Edu unleashed a shot that looked destined for the lower right corner, but Honduras goalkeeper Kevin Hernandez was able to push it wide.

The US had the first dangerous opportunity of the second half less than a minute after the whistle, when Barrett laid the ball off for Gaven., who found Holden in the box. Holden touched the ball back for Kljestan, but his hard shot was blocked by the head of Erick Norales and cleared away.

Despite the Americans controlling most of the match, Honduras almost took the lead in the 53rd minute when US goalkeeper Dominic Cervi came off his line for a through ball, beating the attacker but giving up a rebound. Luis Alfredo Lopez jumped on the loose ball and took a shot to the near post, but it was saved off the line by defender Pat Ianni. Marvin Sanchez pounced on the ensuing rebound, putting his shot toward the far post, but it went out for a corner.

The US had a fantastic opportunity to take the lead in the 71st minute when Barrett received the ball on the right wing and played it in for Findley, who headed the ball down on goal, but it bounced up and hit the cross bar before being touched out of bounds by Marvin Sanchez.

With the temperatures continuing to drop on a cool evening in Nashville, the teams moved into overtime to decide the Final and it was Honduras that took advantage. In the 103rd minute of the first overtime, Welcome produced a great individual effort that would eventually allow Honduras to raise the trophy on the field after the match. Sitting near the top of the penalty area, he received a ball from the left flank, touched it around Orozco and uncorked a driving shot into the upper right corner from 22 yards out.

The US and Honduras join 13 other teams who have already entered the 16-team tournament, with one spot still up for grabs for a team from Africa. The draw for the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament will take place on April 20 in Beijing.

-- GAME REPORT --

Match-up: USA vs. Honduras
Competition: 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Final
Venue: LP Field; Nashville, Tenn.
Date: March 23, 2008
Attendance: 12,663
Weather: 55 degrees, breezy

Scoring Summary:
1 2 OT1 OT2 F
USA 0 0 0 0 0
HON 0 0 1 0 1

HON – Georgie Wilson Welcome (Marvin Sanchez) 103rd minute

Lineups:
USA: 18-Dominic Cervi; 15-Kamani Hill, 3-Michael Orozco, 4-Pat Ianni, 13-Hunter Freeman (6-Maurice Edu, 26); 7-Stuart Holden (2-Marvell Wynne, 89), 16-Sacha Kljestan (capt.), 5-Nathan Sturgis, 20-Eddie Gaven; 19-Chad Barrett (12-Jozy Altidore, 80), 14-Robbie Findley
Subs not used: 1-Chris Seitz, 10-Dax McCarty
Head Coach: Peter Nowak

HON: 1-Kevin Hernandez; 2-Quiarol Arzu, 3-David Alejandro Molina, 5-Erick Norales (capt.), 6-Luis Alfredo Lopez (18-Jose Cesar Guity, 69), 7-Rigoberto Padilla, 8-Irvin Reyna, 10-Ramon Nunez (13-Arnol Solorzano, 115), 16-Marvin Sanchez, 21-Oscar Morales (14-Misael Ruiz, 43), 24-George Wilson Welcome
Subs not used: 9-Jefferson Bernardez, 15-Mario Martinez, 17-Daniel Alvarez, 22-Levon Smith
Head Coach: Alexis Mendoza

Statistical Summary:
USA / HON
Shots: 23/9
Shots on Goal: 6/3
Saves: 2/5
Corner Kicks: 9/4
Fouls: 34/17
Offside: 0/4

Misconduct Summary:
HON – David Alejandro Molina (caution) 20th minute
HON – Marvin Sanchez (caution) 45+.
USA – Stuart Holden (caution) 68.
HON - Misael Ruiz (caution) 83.
USA – Marvell Wynne (caution) 119.
USA – Patrick Ianni (caution) 120.

Officials
Referee: Joel Aguilar (SLV)
1st Asst.: William Torres (SLV)
2nd Asst.: Leonel Leal (CRC)
4th Official: Jose Guerrero (NCA)

Courtesy of US Soccer Communications

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U.S. U-23s Qualify For Olympic Games

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team clinched a berth to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing after defeating Canada, 3-0, at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., in the semifinals of CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying.

Freddy Adu led the way for the U.S., scoring the first two goals on free kicks in the 27th and 48th minutes, while Sacha Kljestan finished off the Canadians with a close-range strike in the 78th minute.

The victory marks the 13th time the U.S. will get the chance to compete for a medal at the Olympic Games on the men’s side. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be played from Aug. 8-24 in five venues, and will mark the USA’s first trip to the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament since 2000.
“I was really proud and pleased to see everything that we had discussed before this kind of tournament come to fruition,” said U.S. head coach Peter Nowak. “I think that from the beginning to the end there was only one team that was going to win this game, and it was us."

The U.S. moves on to the championship match on Sunday, March 23 against Honduras, who also qualified for the Olympics this evening by defeating Guatemala in penalty kicks, 6-5, after a scoreless 120 minutes in regulation and overtime. The final will kick off at 4 p.m. CT at LP Field and will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN Deportes.
The U.S. had little time to warm up on the field before the game due to the first match of the doubleheader going long, but that fact didn’t slow down the U.S. attack led by Jozy Altidore and Adu. Altidore set up both of Adu’s free kicks with determined runs that forced Canadian defenders to bring him down just outside the penalty area. Adu’s brace made him the tournament leader with four goals in as many games.

Altidore set up Adu’s first free kick goal of the night when he was tripped up by Nikolas Ledgerwood near the right corner of the penalty area. Adu whipped an in-swinger towards the goalmouth that skipped in front of goalkeeper Joshua Wagenaar, who may have been frozen by Kljestan’s attempt to get a foot on the service. Kljestan ended up not getting to it in time, and Wagenaar’s late reaction allowed the ball to get past him and land in the far-left netting.

Learning from their first match of the tournament against Cuba, the U.S. didn’t take their foot off the pedal and pressured Canada’s backline during the rest of first half. Their continued pressure was evident just two minutes after Adu’s goal when Altidore hustled after a bobbled shot by Wagenaar and clashed with the ‘keeper and two defenders.

The game started to get a bit chippy, but the U.S. defense was able to overpower most challenges that came their way. Canada only got two shots off in the first half – and nine in the entire game – and none of them on goal, meaning U.S. goalkeeper Chris Seitz didn’t have to make single save while earning his second shutout of the tournament. Through four matches in the qualifying tournament, the U.S. held their opponents scoreless three times.

The U.S. didn’t give Canada a chance to catch their breath in the second half, coming after them right from the second half whistle in an attempt to double their lead. Adu was given an early chance two minutes in when Altidore was taken down near the top of the box after beating Canada defender Andrew Hainault, resulting in a yellow card for the captain and a 20-yard free kick for the Benfica-based midfielder. Adu curled his shot over the wall and into the upper-right corner, giving Wagenaar no chance to make the save.

"Jozy made two great runs that resulted in two free kicks,” said Adu. “Jozy made a great run and the build up was great. We had a little bit of possession and the ball ended up at Jozy's feet. He turned around ran at the guy and got the foul.

With the Canadians against the ropes and struggling to mount a comeback, the USA took advantage of a break to score its third goal of the game. Adu played a ball out wide left to Stuart Holden, who held the ball while waiting for help before feeding a square ball to Kljestan who darted into the box. Kljestan did the rest, taking a perfect first touch past his defender and firing a low shot to the near left post.

Kljestan leads the team in minutes played with 315 throughout the tournament. The midfielder came on at halftime of the USA’s first match against Cuba, and has played every minute since.

Nowak used his fourth different lineup in as many games, inserting Jonathan Spector into the central defense along with Michael Orozco. A veteran of two World Youth Championships, Spector made his first-ever appearance with the U-23s after joining up with the team in Nashville.

“It’s exciting. Everyone is really happy right now, we’re all really confident that we’re going to Beijing now,” said Kljestan. “We’re happy to finally celebrate with Coach Nowak and we’re all just excited. The whole tournament our team unity was good.”

The U.S. and Honduras join 13 other teams who have already entered the 16-team tournament, with one spot still up for grabs for a team from Africa. The draw for the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament will take place on April 20 in Beijing.

- U.S. UNDER-23 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT -

Match-up: USA vs. Canada
Competition: 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying
Venue: LP Field - Nashville, Tenn.
Date: March 20, 2008
Attendance: 13,201
Weather: 60 degrees, clear

Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 1 2 3
CAN 0 0 0

USA – Freddy Adu (unassisted) 27th minute
USA – Freddy Adu (unassisted) 48.
USA – Sacha Kljestan (Stuart Holden) 78.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Chris Seitz; 2-Marvell Wynne, 3-Michael Orozco, 17-Jonathan Spector, 5-Nathan Sturgis; 16-Sacha Kljestan (14-Robbie Findley, 88) , 6-Maurice Edu (capt.), 10-Dax McCarty, 7-Stuart Holden; 11-Freddy Adu (20-Eddie Gaven, 82) 12-Jozy Altidore (9-Charlie Davies, 75)
Subs not used: 4-Patrick Ianni, 8-Sal Zizzo. 13-Hunter Freeman, 18-Dominic Cervi
Head Coach: Peter Nowak

CAN: 18-Joshua Wagenaar; 2-Graham Ramalho (9-Andrea Lombardo, 54), 4-Dejan Jakovic, 5-Andrew Hainault (capt.), 6-Nikolas Ledgerwood, 7-Andrazes Ornoch, 10-Will Johnson, 11-Tosaint Ricketts, 14-Tyler Hemming, 15-Tyler Roselund (17-Marcus Haber, 76), 16-Keegan Ayre (13-Kyle Hall, 30)
Subs not used: 3-Jacob Lensky, 8-Ryan Gyaki, 12-Diaz Kambere, 22-David Monsalve
Head Coach: Nick Dasovic

Statistical Summary:
USA / CAN
Shots: 13/9
Shots on Goal: 7/0
Saves: 0/4
Corner Kicks: 10/7
Fouls: 4/3
Offside: 3/0

Misconduct Summary:
CAN – Andrew Hainault (caution) 47th minute
USA – Jozy Altidore (caution) 66.
CAN – Will Johnson (caution) 89.

Officials
Referee: Walter Quesada (CRC)
1st Asst.: Leonel Leal (CRC)
2nd Asst.: Dion Innis (GUY)
4th Official: Erico Wijngaarde (SUR)

Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Freddy Adu

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Mexico out of Olympic Soccer

The U.S. Will play Canada in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Under-23 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Thursday, March 20, in Nashville, TN. Canada beat Guatemala 5-0 in its third Group A game to edge Mexico on goal differential. Mexico scored five goals also, but gave up one in their final group game in a 5-1 win over Haiti.

Mexico had been the favorite from Group A to advance to the semifinal, and is now eliminated from a trip to the Olympics later this summer in China. Mexico, which tied Canada 1-1, finished 1-1-1.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-soccer17mar17,1,4206944.story

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U.S. U23s Qualify for Semifinals

Tampa, Fla. (March 15, 2008) – The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team topped Honduras, 1-0, on an Eddie Gaven penalty kick in the final minute of second half stoppage time.

The U.S. will travel to Nashville on Sunday in preparation for the all-important semifinal match, which will be played Thursday, March 20 at LP Field. The semifinal winners will earn a berth to the 2008 Beijing Olympics this August.

The U.S. will play the second-place finisher in Group B, which concludes play Sunday night at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., with a doubleheader that includes Guatemala vs. Canada at 3:30 p.m. PT, and Mexico vs. Haiti at 6 p.m. PT. After two games, Guatemala leads the group with six points, followed by Haiti with three and Mexico and Canada with one each.

“We showed spirit and pushed for a win,” said head coach Peter Nowak. “It’s not like the penalty kicks come from thin air or someone gives it to you as a present. I think the boys worked hard on the field and you have to give them credit.”

Gaven’s penalty kick in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time was the result of a through ball from Patrick Ianni to Charlie Davies, who ran into the box and was taken down from behind by defender Quiarol Arzu. Gaven calmly stepped up and put the ball to the right of Honduran goalkeeper Kevin Hernandez, who dove the wrong way.

The penalty was a welcome reprise for Davies, who in the 62nd minute missed a penalty kick of his own. On that play, Davies was pulled down by Oscar Morales and referee Erico Wijngaarde pointed to the spot, but Davies missed the spot kick wide right.

The U.S. created a number of chances on the night, taking 13 shots overall, but once again couldn’t find the final touch to score. Playing their third game in five days, Nowak once again put out a different starting line-up. Freddy Adu, who played 90 minutes in both the first two games and was carrying a yellow card, was not included in the 18-man game day roster. Despite sitting a handful of other field players who had started the first two matches – including Jozy Altidore, Dax McCarty, Nathan Sturgis and captain Maurice Edu – the U.S. was on the attack early and often and put Honduras on their heels.

There was also a change in the nets, as goalkeeper Dominic Cervi replaced Chris Seitz. The start marked the first-ever appearance for the U.S. at any national team level for Cervi , who earned a shutout and Sierra Mist Man of the Match honors for his composed performance.

The U.S. was on the offensive early, starting in the second minute when Sal Zizzo, who got his first start of the tournament, ran onto a ball on the right wing and played the ball in, only to have it knocked down by a defender’s arm. Just two minutes later it was Zizzo again playing the ball from the corner back to Kamani Hill, whose cross into the box was challenged for by both Stuart Holden and Chad Barrett, but the ensuing header went wide of Hernandez’ goal.

Honduras looked to have taken the lead in the eighth minute against the run of play, when a long ball bounced into the box of Cervi. George Wilson Welcome, who was dangerous all night, ran onto the bouncing ball, but was called for a foul on Cervi before the ball rolled into the net.

In the 20th minute, the U.S. built up a long possession that resulted in a Hill cross into the box, but it was just enough behind the charging forwards that the Honduras defense got to it first to clear. The U.S. quickly won the ball back and Barrett played the ball wide for Zizzo, who played a slotted ball in for Robbie Findley. Findley reached back but his shot attempt was blocked out for a corner kick.

Honduras started the second half on the attack, making a quick break up field and taking a shot that was scooped up by Cervi. Minutes later after a big switch across the field, Daniel Alvarez took control of the ball and attacked on the dribble, but he was run down from behind by Gaven.

At the other end, a passing combination through the middle of the field ended up at Findley’s feet on the end line. The Real Salt Lake forward made a short pass to Holden, but the next pass was alertly blocked away by the defense.

The U.S. had the opportunity to take the lead in the 62nd minute when Davies was fouled inside the box and given a penalty kick. Davies stepped up to finish the play he started, but his shot from the spot went wide to the right of the goal.

Cervi, who was active in his area throughout the match, was forced to come off his line for a long lofted ball in the 74th minute. The 6 foot 6 inch goalkeeper came out and used his long arms to reach around the forward and pick the ball off his feet in midair. The U.S. continued to press up until the waning moments, setting the stage for the climactic finish.

Group B action concludes on Sunday, March 16, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., when Guatemala takes on Canada and Mexico battles Haiti. Every team in Group B is still in the hunt to advance to the semifinals, with Guatemala the only team assured of a place in Nashville. The eight-team CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will send the two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

- U.S. UNDER-23 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT -

Match-up: USA vs. Honduras
Competition: 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying
Venue: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
Date: March 15, 2008
Attendance: 10,974
Weather: 85 degrees, humid

Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
HON 0 0 0

USA - Eddie Gaven (penalty kick) 95+ minute

Lineups:
USA: 18-Dominic Cervi; 15-Kamani Hill, 3-Michael Orozco, 4-Pat Ianni, 13-Hunter Freeman; 8-Sal Zizzo (9-Charlie Davies, 60), 7-Stuart Holden, 16-Sacha Kljestan (capt.) (10-Dax McCarty, 60), 20-Eddie Gaven; 19-Chad Barrett, 14-Robbie Findley
Subs not used: 1-Chris Seitz, 2-Marvell Wynne, 5-Nathan Sturgis, 6-Maurice Edu, 12-Jozy Altidore
Unavailable: 11-Freddy Adu, 17-Jonathan Spector
Head Coach: Peter Nowak

HON: 1-Kevin Hernandez; 2-Quiarol Arzu, 3-David Alejandro Molina, 6-Luis Alfredo Molina (10-Ramon Nunez, 69), 7-Rigoberto Padilla, 8-Irvin Reyna, 14-Misael Ruiz (9-Jefferson Bernardez, 46), 16-Marvin Sanchez (capt.) (13-Arnol Simion, 73), 17-Daniel Alvarez, 21-Oscar Morales, 24-George Wilson Welcome
Subs not used: 12-Obed Enarmorado, 15-Mario Martinez, 18-Jose Cesar, 20-Hendry Thomas
Unavailable: 5-Erick Norales, 22-Levon Smitt
Head Coach: Raul Gonzalez

Statistical Summary:
USA / HON
Shots: 13/8
Shots on Goal: 6/5
Saves: 5/5
Corner Kicks: 8/1
Fouls: 20/19
Offside: 0/2

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Patrick Ianni (caution) 15th minute
HON – George Wilson Welcome (caution) 15.
HON – Irvin Reyna (caution) 45.
USA – Sacha Kljestan (caution) 51.
USA – Hunter Freeman (caution) 57.
HON – Marvin Sanchez (caution) 62.
HON – Daniel Alvarez (caution) 76.
HON – Quiarol Arzu (caution) 94+.

Officials
Referee: Erico Wijngaarde (SUR)
1st Asst.: Ricardo Louisville (SUR)
2nd Asst.: Dion Inniss (GUY)
4th Official: Roberto Garcia (MEX)

Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Dominic Cervi

Group A Final Standings
Team GP W L T Pts. GD
USA 3 2 0 1 7 +2
HON 3 2 1 0 6 +2
PAN 3 1 2 0 3 +1
CUB 3 0 2 1 1 -7

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U.S. U23s Tie Cuba 1-1

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team tied Cuba, 1-1, in its opening game of 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying behind a 14th minute goal from Freddy Adu. The U.S. is currently tied for second in Group A, and will take on Panama on Thursday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Honduras topped Panama, 1-0, behind a goal from Hendry Thomas in the final minute of play. Honduras currently sits atop Group A with three points, while the U.S. and Cuba are tied for second with one point each.

The result was very disappointing, as the U.S. forwards missed opportunity after opportunity, including a pair of one-on-ones with Cuba’s goalkeeper. The U.S. now must win its other two group games in order to win the group, and avoid playing Mexico, which is expected to be the other group winner, in the semifinals.

In 2004 the U.S. and Mexico met in the semifinials, with Mexico winning 4-0 and eliminating the U.S. from the Olympic Games.

Adu scored after taking a short corner kick to Robbie Findley, who played the ball back to Adu as he was running into the box. Adu took a touch and then fired the ball towards the goalmouth. Screened by midfielder Charlie Davies, Cuban goalkeeper Jose Manuel Miranda didn’t see the ball until the final moment when Davies quickly jumped out of the way, giving the ‘keeper no chance to make the save.

"We had enough chances to win the game," said head coach Peter Nowak. "We have to capitalize on our chances we had in the first half, and also in the second half. As I said, it's the first game and we had a difficult game. We're going to be ready for the next game
Adu was dangerous early and often, giving the U.S. multiple opportunities in the first half. The 18-year-old received a ball inside the box in the second minute, turned and took a shot that banged off the far post and was then cleared away by the Cuban defense.

In the eighth minute, it was Adu who again took a ball from Dax McCarty, turned and took a long-range shot that forced a diving save from goalkeeper Jose Manuel Miranda. In the 31st, Adu took a free kick from 25 yards out forcing a fingertip save over the crossbar from Miranda.

Minutes before halftime, Cuba broke through the U.S. defense by building up its attack from the midfield. After several passing combinations, Leonel Duarte slotted the ball back to Yordany Alvarez, who sent a driven ball toward goal that was redirected into the goal by Roberto Linares. Linares celebrated near the corner flag a bit too excessively, earning a yellow card that would come back to hurt him late in the match.

In the second half, the U.S. attacked quickly, earning a free kick outside the corner of the box just three minutes into the second half. Adu put the in-swinger onto Patrick Ianni’s head, but the defender redirected the ball just wide.

The Americans’ most dangerous chance early on came when Maurice Edu touched a ball down for Adu at the top of the box, but Adu’s one-time shot went just wide of the far post.

The U.S. began to press late in the half, putting together a combination of scoring chances in the 70th minute behind hard work from McCarty, who started things off by hitting a long-range shot, forcing a diving save. Less than a minute later, the FC Dallas midfielder played a ball in for Chad Barrett, who crossed the ball in looking for Findley, but his shot was high.

It appeared that the U.S. had regained the lead late in the game, when Kamani Hill played a soft chip over the back line for Barrett, who beat Miranda, but the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside.

“It’s the first game and we just need to bounce back,” said midfielder and team captain Maurice Edu. “There are still two more games in our group and now we’re looking to pick up three points in each one. We need to keep our heads up and just put our focus on Thursday’s game.”

Cuba went down to 10 men late in the game when Linares, the goalscorer, picked up his second yellow card of the game. The U.S., with renewed energy after gaining the man-advantage, picked up their offensive pressure in the final minutes and earned a free kick in the 90th minute. Adu took the left-footed shot that went just to the right of the near goalpost.

Group B kicks off on Wednesday, March 12 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., with the first of three doubleheaders. Haiti and Guatemala will face off in the first match, with Mexico and Canada to follow. The eight-team CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying touranment, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will send the two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

- U.S. UNDER-23 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT -

Match-up: USA vs. Cuba
Competition: 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying
Venue: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
Date: March 11, 2008
Attendance: 4,259
Weather: Sunny, breezy – 78 degrees

Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 1 0 1
CUB 0 0 1

USA – Freddy Adu (Robbie Findley) 14th minute
CUB – Roberto Linares (Yordany Alvarez) 42.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Chris Seitz; 4-Patrick Ianni, 5-Nathan Sturgis, 13-Hunter Freeman; 9-Charlie Davies (19-Chad Barrett, 61), 10-Dax McCarty, 6-Maurice Edu (capt.), 14-Robbie Findley (20-Eddie Gaven, 77); 11-Freddy Adu, 12-Jozy Altidore (16-Sacha Kljestan, 46)
Subs not used: 2-Marvell Wynne, 3-Michael Orozco, 7-Stuart Holden, 18-Dominic Cervi
Unavailable: 8-Sal Zizzo, 17-Jonathan Spector
Head Coach: Peter Nowak

CUB: 1-Jose Manuel Miranda; 2-Erlys Garcia Baro, 3-Yenier Bermudez (capt.), 5-Yendry Diaz, 15-Juan Carlos Martinez (16-Loanni Cartaya, 53); 7-Livan Vasconcelos (13-Eder Roldan, 72), 6-Alianni Urgelles, 11-Enrique Villarruta, 10-Yordany Alvarez (18-Yasnier Rosales, 74); 9-Roberto Linares, 19-Leonel Duarte
Subs not used: 4-Raciel Mazquia Pozo, 8-Francisco Carrazanna, 12-Arael Arguelles, 14-Armando Coroneaux
Head Coach: Raul Gonzalez

Statistical Summary:
USA / CUB
Shots: 19 / 6
Shots on Goal: 9 / 4
Saves: 3 / 8
Corner Kicks: 9 / 0
Fouls: 13 / 18
Offside: 4 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
CUB – Yendry Diaz (caution) 18th minute
CUB – Roberto Lines (caution) 43.
USA – Charlie Davies (caution) 39.
USA – Kamani Hill (caution) 40.
CUB – Roberto Lineras (caution) 84.
CUB – Roberto Lineras (ejection) 86.

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Nowak Names U23 Qualifying Roster

U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team head coach Peter Nowak named the 20-player roster for 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying in advance of the team’s first game against Cuba on March 11 at 8 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The team arrived in Tampa earlier today after a nine-day training camp in Bradenton, Fla.

“We have seen many strong players over the past few months, and had some difficult decisions to make,” said Nowak. “We feel that the group of players that will compete in the qualifying tournament represent the team that gives us the best chance of going through a difficult stretch of games to advance to the Olympic Games in Beijing.”

The roster features 10 players who have earned caps with the Men’s National Team, led by Jonathan Spector, who has appeared 11 times with the senior team. Eddie Gaven and Sacha Kljestan have five caps each, while Freddy Adu and Maurice Edu have four. Jozy Altidore is coming off of his first start for the full team, scoring his first goal against Mexico in February.

Along with Spector (England) and Adu (Portugal), four other players ply their trade outside the United States, including defender Michael Orozco (Mexico), Charlie Davies (Sweden), Kamani Hill and Sal Zizzo (Germany).

Major League Soccer is represented by 13 players, with Real Salt Lake sending the most representatives with three – Robbie Findley, Chris Seitz and Nathan Sturgis. Two-time defending MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC each send a pair, while the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew and FC Dallas also contribute players to the qualifying campaign.

After playing Cuba in their opening game on March 11, the U.S. will face Panama on March 13 at 8 p.m. ET and then finish Group A play against Honduras on March 15 at 7 p.m. ET. All three U.S. matches will be the second match of three doubleheaders played at Raymond James Stadium and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN Deportes.

Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20. The top two teams from Group A and B will move on to the semifinals in Nashville, Tenn., where the winners will earn berths to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN Deportes will broadcast both semifinal games live on March 20 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET, and the championship match on March 23 at 5 p.m. ET. The third-place match on March 23 will be live on ESPN Deportes at 2 p.m. ET, but delayed at 3 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel.

Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (7): Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

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U.S. Qualifiers Televised On Fox Soccer Channel

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team’s road through 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel, the tournament’s exclusive English-language provider. Fox Soccer Channel will show a total of seven qualifying matches, including all three of the USA’s first-round matches, semifinals, third-place and championship match.

All three U.S. matches in Group A will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., with the U.S. taking on Cuba on March 11 at 8 p.m. ET, Panama on March 13 at 8 p.m. ET and Honduras on March 15 at 7 p.m. ET. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The top two teams from Group A and B will move on to the semifinals in Nashville, Tenn., where the winners will earn berths to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast both semifinal games on March 20 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET, along with the third-place match at 2 p.m. ET and final at 5 p.m. ET on March 23 at LP Field.

As announced last week, ESPN Deportes will broadcast all 16 matches of the tournament asd the exclusive Spanish-language rights holders (ADD LINK). Along with ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com will also show all 16 games live online, and will have a replay of each game available on demand for 48-hours following its completion.

U.S. Under-23 MNT head coach Peter Nowak has invited 24 players to participate in the team’s final training camp, which kicked off on March 1 in Bradenton, Fla. The final 20-player roster may include players not in the Bradenton training camp, and will be announced prior to the team’s arrival in Tampa on March 9.

Tickets priced from $18 to $65 for each of the eight doubleheaders in the tournament are now on sale through ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities.

2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying
U.S. Under-23 Broadcast Schedule
Date Match Time (ET) Television
Tuesday, March 11 United States vs. Cuba 8 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes
Thursday, March 13 United States vs. Panama 8 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes
Saturday, March 15 United States vs. Honduras 7 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes
Thursday, March 2 Semifinal #1 6 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes
Thursday, March 20 Semifinal #2 9 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes
Sunday, March 23 Third Place Match 2 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes
Sunday, March 23 Final 5 p.m. FSC, ESPN Deportes

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Olympic Dream Dies For U.S. Men

The United States under-23 men's Olympic hopes came crashing down under the weight of a 4-0 rout at the hands of Mexico.

Playing before a wildly supportive sold-out crowd of about 60,000 in Guadalajara, Mexico received a goal in each half by striker Rafael Márquez Lugo and one goal and two assists from midfielder and captain Diego Martínez in a CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament semifinal at Estadio Jalisco.

"Obviously, our weakness throughout the tournament has been conceding goals," U.S. coach Glenn (Mooch) Myernick said. "This is the third game (of four here) in which we gave up three goals and, of course, we gave up the fourth one late in the game. You just can't play soccer at the international level and concede goals like we have.

"We were disappointed in our ability to defend. Any team's defending starts with the quality of their one-on-one defending, and there were just too many times tonight when our defenders didn't do a good enough job of slowing the attack down, making a player on Mexico play a negative pass and giving themselves more of a chance to get numbers across the back."

In tonight's first match, Costa Rica earned CONCACAF's other berth in the Summer Olympics by defeating Honduras 2-0.

On Thursday, the U.S will face Honduras to decide third place while Mexico and Costa Rica will play for the championship in strictly ceremonial matches.

The U.S. failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 1976. (The Americans qualified in 1980, but did not compete because of the boycott of the Moscow games.) The setback also snapped the U.S. streak of qualifying for 19 consecutive FIFA outdoor world championships, including the World Cup, Women's World Cup, men's and women's Olympics, World Youth (under-20 men) Championships, Under-19 Women's World Championship and Under-17 Men's World Championship.

"It's very disappointing. I can't speak about other (past Olympic) teams; I can only speak about this one," Myernick said. "We knew it was going to be very difficult here in Mexico. I'm proud of my team to have gotten to this point, but the dreams of our team, the dreams of our players of going to the Olympics, are now something in the past. I'm sure it will hurt even more tomorrow than it does right now. But my team doesn't have anything to be ashamed of."

The streak began and ended with teams coached by Myernick. His under-17 men went to the world championship in 1995, but today he saw his under-23s dominated in all facets of the game, managing only one shot on goal while being outshot 18-4.

Brazil, which saw its men's team eliminated from the Olympics by Paraguay three weeks ago, held the previous longest streak. Meanwhile, Mexico is now undefeated in 20 consecutive CONCACAF Olympic qualifying games, dating back to a 3-0 loss to the Americans on April 26, 1992.

Before the U.S could manage the first of just two first-half shots, Mexico already held a 2-0 advantage with back-to-back goals in the 27th and 28th minutes. After midfielder Bobby Convey was stripped in the corner, Mexico went on a counter-attack. Martinez sent a cross that Marquez Lugo put away from point-blank range for a 1-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, another U.S. giveaway in midfield led to a Martinez cross into the penalty area, intended for the head of defender Mario Perez. As he and U.S. back Nat Borchers battled in the air, the ball sailed over them and into the far side netting to make it 2-0.

"You have to give Mexico credit. I don't think we lost the game, I think they came and won it," U.S. striker Landon Donovan said. "It's kind of like it didn't happen. It's weird. It hasn't really set in yet.

"Really, in the first half, there were two plays that they scored on that ended the game. I thought we were OK (in the first 20 minutes). We had some decent opportunities -- nothing great -- but we were keeping the ball well, and then in like a five-minute period, they had two sequences where they scored, and from there they got more confidence and that was it."

Myernick replaced defender Chris Wingert with midfielder Kyle Beckerman to start the second half, but Mexico was not to be denied. In the 55th minute, Marquez Lugo struck a shot that Countess saved, only to have the striker track his own rebound. With his back to goal, Lugo wheeled around and beat surprised goalkeeper D.J. Countess with a difficult shot inside the post for a 3-0 advantage.

"Plain and simple, they were a better team than us tonight," Countess said. "They outworked us, they finished their chances very well. They had a couple of great opportunities and they capitalized on them. Tonight just wasn't good enough defensively. I think throughout this tournament we gave up way too many goals, and I thought sooner or later it's going to catch up to us. And tonight it did. Mexico is a great side, they deserved to win tonight. They beat us fair and square."

In the 74th minute, Borchers was sent off with his second yellow card, reducing the Americans to 10 players.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Martinez fed late sub Ismael Iniguez for a breakaway and he beat Countess to increase the margin to 4-0.
A header from reserve forward Alecko Eskandarian in the 80th minute was the only American shot to require a save keeper Jose de Jesus Corona.

"It's a tough thing to play Mexico in front of all those people, with their home crowd," Convey said. "They're extremely energetic about the whole thing. I think (Mexico) completely outplayed us. Once they scored, they got more and more momentum, and that was a tough thing to overcome."

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USA vs. Mexico For Olympic Berth

The United States under-23 men must defeat host Mexico before a hostile crowd Tuesday if the Americans are to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Striker Alecko Eskandarian scored three times, leading the U.S. past Honduras in the CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Group A finale before about 500 at Estadio Tres de Marzo. Both nations entered the match 2-0 and were assured of playing in the semifinals. All that was left to be determined was who their opponents would be.

Last night, Costa Rica drew 1-1 with Mexico to win Group B. Both sides finished 2-0-1, but Costa Rica took first with a plus-7 goal differential to plus-6 for Mexico. So the U.S., as the Group A winner faces Mexico, the Group B runnerup, Tuesday at Estadio Jalisco here while Honduras and Costa Rica square off in the first semifinal.

A crowd exceeding 50,000 is expected to be on hand in this central Mexico city for Tuesday's doubleheader. Both semifinal winners earn Olympic berths.

"The Mexican team will start the game with 12 players because of the 60,000, but none of them can kick the ball," U.S. coach Glenn (Mooch) Myernick said of the anticipated crowd. "Getting to the Olympics is a big prize and it shouldn't come easy and it won't."

Myernick said he was not concerned with Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe's prediction last night that his team would be victorious no matter who its semifinal opponent was because of superior team unity: "I can't control what he says. I'd be disappointed if he didn't think like that about his group," Myernick said. "It's a coach's job to think that way about his group. I feel the same about my team. I think we both have some very talented players and the game will just have to speak for itself."

Today's match provided an unusual amount of scoring for two teams were more concerned about resting players and preventing yellow-card suspensions than winning. The U.S. started the match with six starters -- goalkeeper D.J. Countess, defender Chad Marshall, midfielders DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey (four goals) and Brad Davis, and forward Landon Donovan, the captain -- on the bench.

Similarly, Honduras played the game without five key players, including leading scorer Emil Martinez (three goals), defender and captain Sergio Mendoza, goalkeeper Doni Escobar, playmaker Alex Andino and forward Jerry Palacios.
"We knew it could be a strange affair, which it was," Myernick said. "As you saw, I don't think Honduras was in a hurry to try to win the game. But the things that we said to our players is that we really only know one way how to play and that's to win. We knew that with a draw, we were still going to play Mexico, so why not win the group and be the only team in the tournament that got nine points and scored the most goals. There's nothing wrong with that."

While Eskandarian recorded the hat trick, it was Kyle Beckerman who put the U.S. ahead for good 2-1 in the 47th minute despite the Americans going a player short for the final 61 minutes.

Midfielder Eddie Gaven sent a shot skimming off the crossbar in the first minute after intermission. Then, Eskandarian found defender-turned-midfielder Ricky Lewis in the right corner of the penalty area. Lewis looked up and played a square ball to Beckerman in the middle and the defensive midfielder drove a low shot past goalkeeper John Bodden and inside the right post.

"We know (playing Mexico) is a game that can get us into the Olympics, so we're just excited to be in the position to be one game away," Beckerman said.

The Americans made it 3-1 in the 58th minute on a similar setup, with Beckerman providing the assist. He collected a ball in the midfield and carried toward goal before laying off a lateral pass to Eskandarian, who ran through a huge gap in the Honduras back four. After a quick touch, Eskandarian slipped a shot under the legs of a sliding Bodden.

Eskandarian was at it again in the 70th minute, putting away a pass from his D.C. United teammate, defender David Stokes, who had switched position along the right side with Lewis.

"Since we've had this program together, Esky's been one of the leading goal scorers over the past couple of years," Myernick said. "When he's given the chance, he's generally a good finisher. I would like to see him get into finishing positions a little bit more. I know he had a frustrating year in (Major League Soccer), but I believe in the kid and I think he can score goals at every level if given the opportunity."

A minute later, midfielder Logan Pause, who came on for Beckerman in the 60th minute, was whistled for the USA's second hand ball in its penalty area. Ronald Maradiaga converted his second penalty kick of the match, sending his shot right down the middle as goalie Doug Warren moved to his left, narrowing the Catrachos' deficit to 4-2 in the 72nd minute.

Midfielder Samir Arzu brought Honduras within 4-3 in the 77th minute, pouncing on a bad touch from midfielder Brian Carroll 25 yards from the U.S. goal. He raced between defenders Nat Borchers and Lewis to crush a shot past Warren.

The Americans, however, then put the clamps on, stifling the Honduran attack and almost completely controlling possession for the remainder of the game.

After having one shot blocked off his foot in the 20th minute and another shot saved by Honduras goalkeeper Bodden five minutes later, Eskandarian found net in the 28th minute with a perfectly-placed 25-yard free kick. Gaven made a decoy run over the ball and Eskandarian stepped up with a left-footed shot around the defensive wall.

Honduras struck back two minutes later after defender Jose Luis Burciaga was whistled for a hand ball in the box off a shot by defender Mario Berrios. Burciaga was ejected and Maradiaga finished the PK, shooting into the right corner of the net as Warren dove in the other direction with Honduras' only shot of the first half.
Eskandarian has eight goals in 13 international appearances with the under-23s, 13 goals in 21 overall matches in the last 13 months. He is tied with Honduras' Martinez in total goals, trailing Convey's four..

The U.S.'s 10 goals are the most scored by any of the eight teams in this tournament.
"The tournament really starts now for us," U.S. defender Chris Wingert said. "Obviously, our expectations are to go the Olympics. It's going to be a tough match on Tuesday, but we're looking forward to it."

United States 4, Honduras 3
Lineups: United States - Doug Warren, Chris Wingert, Jose Luis Burciaga, Nat Borchers, David Stokes, Kyle Beckerman - captain (Logan Pause 60), Brian Carroll, Ricky Lewis, Eddie Gaven, Alecko Eskandarian, 19-David Testo. Honduras - John Bodden, Maynor Figueroa (Walter Martinez 80), Nery Medina, Hendry Thomas - captain (Mauricio Castro 46), Roy Posas, Clifford Laing, Mario Berrios, Samir Arzu, Ronald Maradiaga, Israel Abidán Solis (Víctor Bernárdez 75), 18-Jeff Brook.
Scoring:
United States - Eskandarian (unassisted) 28.
Honduras - Maradiaga (penalty kick) 30.
United States - Beckerman (Lewis) 47.
United States - Eskandarian (Beckerman) 58.
United States - Eskandarian (Stokes) 70.
Honduras - Maradiaga (penalty kick) 72.
Honduras - Arzu (unassisted) 77.
Shots: United States 12, Honduras 8.
Saves: United States 2, Honduras 4. Corner kicks: United States 1, Honduras 2. Fouls: United States 8, Honduras 9. Offside: United States 3, Honduras 3. Yellow card cautions: United States - Pause 71; Honduras - Medina 69. Red card ejection: United States - Burciaga 29.
Referee: Gilberto Alcala (Mexico). Assistant referees: Hector Delgadillo (Mexico), Modesto Hierrezuelo (Cuba)/ Attendance: 500 (estimated) at Estadio Tres de Marzo in Guadalajara, Mexico. Weather: 72 degrees, clear, mild.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Schedule
at Estadio Tres de Marzo in Guadalajara, Mexico
(All times Eastern)
Semifinals
at Estadio Jalisco
Tuesday, February 10
Costa Rica vs. Honduras, 6:30 p.m.
United States vs. Mexico, 9 p.m.
Third place
at Estadio Jalisco
Tuesday, February 10
Semifinal losers, 6:30 p.m.
Championship
at Estadio Jalisco
Tuesday, February 10
Semifinal losers, 9 p.m.

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Convey Scores Two More To Beat Canada

Riding the continued hot scoring of midfielder Bobby Convey, the United States under-23 men secured a spot in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Convey found net twice for the second straight outing -- assisted both times by striker Landon Donovan -- to down Canada 2-0 before an estimated 1,500 at Estadio Tres de Marzo in Guadalajara, Mexico

The U.S. and Honduras -- a 3-1 victor tonight over Panama -- are both 2-0 in Group A and face off Saturday with semifinal berths clinched. The winner will finish first; in case of a tie, the U.S. would take first on the strength of scoring six goals to four by Honduras. Both teams have six points in the standings and a plus-3 goal differential.

Mexico and Costa Rica are both 2-0 in Group B and the two nations face off Friday night. The winner of each group plays the runnerup from the other group in Tuesday's semifinals. Both semifinal winners earn advancement to the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

"We're delighted to be in the semifinal round. This is what it's all about," said U.S. coach Glenn (Mooch) Myernick who has guided the U-23s to a 6-0-2 record in their last eight internationals. "The (U.S. is) very focused and the (team) worked very hard. Now they're only 90 minutes away from going to the Olympics, and that's the only thing my team has come here for.

"I think both Mexico and Costa Rica are very good teams. We don't fear either team. We would be delighted to play either one. My decision on how we go into the Honduras game is going to be based on the yellow-card situation and the injury situation. We want to continue to improve and not just use the Honduras game as a nothing game. We want to get our players some more international experience and use the Honduras game to prepare for the semifinal."

Emotions ran high at the start of the match and five cautions were handed out in the opening 25 minutes, three to Canada.

"Obviously, I can't control the officiating. I can only control my team," Myernick said. "I thought that in the early part of the game, the referee was treating the game a little too. . . delicately. He seemed to be calling a lot of fouls, but again, I can't control the referee."

The Americans grabbed the lead for good with an efficient counter-attack in the 30th minute. The series of excellent passes started in the back with defender Chris Wingert who switched from right side of defense to left in place of an injured Zak Whitbread who tore his left quadriceps in Tuesday's 4-3 triumph over Panama. Wingert fed up the left flank to midfielder DaMarcus Beasley who sent a pass toward the middle to Donovan. Donovan slipped the ball to Convey who drove his shot past goalkeeper Andrew Olivieri for the 1-0 advantage.

"We have a lot of team speed up top, and Landon, DaMarcus and I know where each other is going to be," Convey said, citing two teammates he has played with since they were under-17s. "We've played together enough, it's easy for us to know where each other is going to be. We all just get in good spots, and Landon found me on the first goal, and Landon found me on the second goal. They were two good balls, and I just had to finish."

The U.S. defense, which blew a three-goal lead before squeezing past Panama, did not lose its focus tonight. The Americans tenaciously protected their lead until Convey struck again in the 71st minute.
The sequence began with a long diagonal ball from midfielder Eddie Gaven, springing Donovan for a breakaway. Donovan collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area, then patiently controlled the ball, waiting for Convey to make his run. Donovan put his pass in the path of the advancing Convey, who held off a defender and again beat Olivieri to make it 2-0.

"Bobby plays attacking mid the way I like to play," Donovan said. "He makes runs from deep. I always want good service when I'm making those runs, so when he makes those, I make sure to give him service. He's just playing really well right now; he's just so confident."

"It's like with Beaz (Beasley), too. We all know each other. And usually when we score goals, one of us has assisted on it. They've assisted me, or I've assisted Beaz, or Beaz has assisted Bobby and so on. We've been together for years and years, so it's no coincidence."

After Convey scored, Canada defender Adam Braz was issued his second yellow card -- and subsequently was ejected -- for protesting that Donovan was offside when taking Gaven's pass. This left Canada a man short for the final 20 minutes.

Even with the loss of Whitbread and his replacement on defense, Jose Luis Burciaga, to injury for the remainder of the tournament, the U.S. calmly preserved its lead. Though Canada outshot the U.S. 10-8, only two were on target, with defender Nat Borchers clearing a ball a step in front of keeper D.J. Countess, who was on his goal line, and Countess making the other save himself.

The U.S. put four shots on frame.

"We knew coming into the game that Canada is a strong team," Borchers said. "They're tall and they're very physical, and they like to pump balls into the box. We knew coming in that we had to minimize their ability to cross the ball, which I think we did very well, and minimize how well their striker up top played. I think Chad Marshall did a very good job shutting him down.

In addition to Gaven, four other players -- defender Ricky Lewis, midfielders Logan Pause and Brian Carroll and forward David Testo -- saw their first action of the tournament in tonight's match, meaning Myernick has used 18 of the 20 players on his roster. Goalkeeper Doug Warren and defender David Stokes have yet to appear.

Gaven, who turned 17 on October 25, replaced injured forward Ed Johnson (mild concussion) in the 64th minute and became the youngest player in CONCACAF history to appear in an Olympic qualifying match. The two previous youngest were both Americans and members of the 2002 World Cup team -- Beasley, who was a month short of his 18th birthday when he played in a 2000 qualifier and six days younger than Claudio Reyna when he made an appearance in a 1991 qualifier.

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Convey's Second Goals Saves USA Olympic Hopes

Bobby Convey came to the rescue.

After the United States had squandered a three-goal lead, the midfielder scored his second goal of the evening in the 79th minute to send the Americans to a 4-3 decision over Panama in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament Group A opener for both nation's under-23 teams before an estimated 1,500 at Estadio Tres de Marzo.

"We're always happy to get three points, but we're just disappointed about the manner in which we did it," U.S. coach Glenn (Mooch) Myernick said. "My team is very disappointed in the lockerroom, and I haven't had to say a word to them, which is a good sign.

In the first Group A match tonight, Honduras used a goal by Emil Martinez in the 58th minute to defeat Canada 1-0. The U.S. next plays Canada Thursday.

"From the first time we started putting this group together, we knew that the experience was in the attack and the inexperience was in the back," Myernick said. "Tonight was a pretty clear demonstration of that. If we have to win 5-4 or 6-5, maybe that's what we'll do."

After recording eight shots and putting three straight in the net before intermission, the U.S. did not have a shot in the second half until the bang-bang play that produced the game-winner. Midfielder Damarcus Beasley set up the play, carrying down the left flank and crossing to second-half sub Ed Johnson in the middle of the box. Johnson's volley was blocked by a defender, but the loose ball fell to Convey who slammed it past goalkeeper Jaime Penedo for a 4-3 lead in the 79th minute.

Immediately after the shot, Convey collided with Panama captain Felipe Baloy and then fell to the ground under the weight of a celebrating teammates. While Baloy received a yellow card for the incident, the D.C. United midfielder received medical attention, though his only injury was having the wind knocked out of him.

"I scored and their defender punched me in the stomach. I couldn't breathe," Convey said. "He elbowed me in the stomach and then tried to say I was wasting time while on the ground. You have to know it's coming in qualifying and against these teams, and you just have to play through it."
The U.S. went ahead 1-0 in the seventh minute on its second shot after midfielder Brad Davis' free kick produced a poor clearance and loose ball in the box. Convey fought to reach it and drove off the hands of Penedo and into the side netting.

"I'm just happy to play in a more forward position and score goals for my team," Convey said. "I was just in the right place and finished for us. I like playing up there and I was happy that I could score those two."

The next two American shots came after a steady offensive push by Panama for the next 20 minutes. Both wound up in the net.

In the 28th minute, striker Landon Donovan eluded two defenders while dribbling down the right flank near the end line. He played a ball back to Davis who crushed his shot past Penedo to make it 2-0.

Less than a minute later, Donovan was on the receiving end, playing a give-and-go with Beasley, his 2002 World Cup teammate. Donovan provided a clever flick to finish and give the U.S. what should have been a commanding 3-0 lead.

"My team scored the early goal then, at that moment, stopped playing with the intensity that is required to play at this level," Myernick said. "And even though we then scored two more goals, we lacked urgency, particularly in our individual defending, which I thought was poor. But again, congratulations to Panama. They never stopped playing."

The U.S. and Panama traded chances for the rest of the first half, with Chad Marshall putting a header on net in the 34th minute and his fellow defender Zak Whitbread finding the target with a volley in the 45th. Both were saved by Penedo.

Panama came out blazing in the second half, bouyed by the support of an anti-U.S. crowd that chanted "Si, Se Puede" (Yes, You Can) and "Panama, Panama, Panama."

Lanky Panama forward Jose Luis Garces slotted home the first of his two goals after deftly chesting down a long ball that cleared the head of defender Nat Borchers and made it to midfielder Victor Miranda. Garces beat U.S. goalkeeper D.J. Countess to narrow the deficit to 3-1 in the 53rd minute.

Four minutes later, defender Luis Henriquez ran onto a long ball from midfield playmaker William Aguilar and caught Countess flat-footed with a wicked shot from the left corner or the penalty area that found the right side netting from the left corner of the penalty area to make it 3-2.
"I don't know who the best goalkeeper in the world is, but I don't think anyone was going to save that shot," Myernick said.

The U.S. nearly went ahead 4-2, but striker Alecko Eskandarian was stripped of a goal by an offside call after finishing a breakaway chance that was set up by Beasley.

Instead, Panama continued on the offensive and Garces netted the equalizer in the 71st minute after a poor clearance by Borchers of a long ball by defender Francisco Lopez 40 yards from the American net. Aguilar pounced on the ball, quickly found Tejada with a square pass before the forward fed Garces, streaking ahead for an easy breakway goal and a 3-3 tie to the delight of the audience.

"We came out and scored three quick goals and I think we set back a bit, and they came out flying in the second half," Convey said. "We settled in a little too much and gave the ball away a little bit too much, and they just kept creating momentum with the goals they scored. We're just happy that we came out with a win in the end."

After Convey put the U.S back ahead, the Americans had a chance to add an insurance goal in the 83rd minute when Beasley played Johnson behind the defense for a quick breakaway, but the Dallas Burn striker sent his first-time shot a foot wide of the far post.

With the go-ahead goal having taken the wind out of Panama's sails, the U.S. was able to control the final 10 minutes of play and kill off the two minutes of extra time.

"It's obviously one of the craziest games that I've ever been a part of," said Countess who, like Convey, Donovan and Beasley, has represented the U.S previously in under-17 and under-20 world championships.

The U.S. might be without Whitbread who was replaced in the 55th minute by Jose Luis Burciaga because of a quad strain. The U.S. also picked up two yellow cards in the match, with Davis receiving one in the 17th minute and Beckerman another in the 21st minute.

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Moochie Names Olympic Training Roster

Three players who were instrumental in leading UNC Chapel Hill to the 2001 NCAA Division I men's national championship, are among the 22 players Coach Glenn (Mooch) Myernick selected to the roster of the United States under-23 men with qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics less than two weeks away.

The CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament runs February 2-12 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Myernick will hold a seven-day training camp before trimming his roster to 20 by the January 31 deadline.

"It's been a two-year process in which I've learned a lot about this pool of players, and overall I think it's a very talented pool," said Myernick in a U.S. Soccer Federation press release. "Maybe we're not as experienced in some areas as others, but they're still a very capable team."

Former Tar Heels on the roster are defenders David Stokes and Logan Pause and forward David Testo. Also among the other former ACC players are Wake Forest's Brian Carroll and Clemson's Doug Warren and Ricky Lewis. Also on the squad are former Virginia standouts Kyle Martino and Alecko Escandarian.

In Group A, the U.S. faces Panama February 3, followed by matches against Canada February 5 and Honduras February 7. All three games will be played at the 10,000-seat Estadio Tres de Marzo and start at 7 p.m. (ET)

Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago play in Group at Estadio Jalisco. The top two teams from each group will meet in the semifinals February 10 at Estadio Jalisco with the winners of those matches earning CONCACAF's two Olympics berth. The winner of each group faces the runnerup from the other group with the semifinal winners meeting February 12 in an anticlimactic final to determine the champion from the region that includes North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The Ameriacns are led by two veterans of the 2002 U.S. World Cup quarterfinal finish - striker Landon Donovan and midfielder DaMarcus Beasley. Midfielder\defender Bobby Convey and Donovan led the senior national team with 15 appearances in 2003.

The trio of experienced midfielders, along with defensive midfielder Kyle Beckerman, hail from the U.S. team that finished fourth at the 1999 under-17 world championships. Donovan and Beasley took the top two individual honors in that tournament, winning the Golden Ball and Silver Ball, respectively, as the top two goal scorers.

Donovan, 21, was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team that finished fourth in Sydney, Australia., advancing beyond the first round for the first time.

Also on Myernick's roster are the team's three leading scorers in 2003 -- forwards Testo, Edson Buddle and Eskandarian. Buddle finished tied for 10th in MLS with 10 goals and 11th with 24 points.

Buddle and Testo are joined on the roster by three Columbus Crew teammates -- midfielder Martino, and defenders Chad Marshall and Chris Wingert. Testo, Marshall and Wingert all were selected by the Crew in last week's draft. Wingert received the MAC Herman Trophy as the best Division I men's player after helping St. John's advance to the NCAA championship game and a 2-1 loss to Indiana.

The only player on the team that is not part of MLS is Zak Whitbread who lives in Liverpool, England, and is part of the Liverpool FC youth program,

Attacker Ed Johnson earned the Golden Boot as the leading goal scorer with four goals (though three were penalty kicks) at the recent under-20 world championships where the U.S. finished fifth.

Notably absent from the qualifying roster are defender Oguchi Onyewu of Belgium's RAA Louviere and striker Conor Casey of FC Karlsruher). Neither was released by their clubs.

"Both players are significant components in the pool; unfortunately, (world governing body) FIFA rules and their relationship to international fixture dates prevented them from being a part of this squad." said Myernick who took over the U-23s last January. "While I believe that they can possibly help us in the future, I have all the confidence in the world in this team to get the job done."

The U.S. advanced to the final round of qualifying by romping over St. Kitts & Nevis by an aggregate of 10-0 in a two-match series.

The U.S. under-23 men's roster with hometowns and teams. All players play in MLS except Zak Whitbread in Liverpool:

Goalkeepers (2): D.J. Countess (Sacramento, Calif.; Dallas Burn), Doug Warren (Hoffman Estates, Ill,; D.C. United,
Defenders (8): Nat Borchers (Pueblo, Colo.; Colorado Rapids), Jose Luis Burciaga (Duncanville, Tex.; Kansas City Wizards), Ricky Lewis (Spring, Tex.; Los Angeles Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Riverside, Calif.; Columbus Crew), Logan Pause (Hillsborough, N.C.; Chicago Fire), David Stokes (Dumfries, Va. D.C. United), Zak Whitbread (Liverpool England, Liverpool FC), Chris Wingert (Babylon, N.Y.; Columbus Crew).
Midfielders (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Fort Wayne, Ind.; Chicago Fire), Kyle Beckerman (Crofton, Md.; Colorado Rapids), Brian Carroll (Springfield, Va.; D.C. United) , Bobby Convey (Philadelphia, D.C. United), Brad Davis (St. Charles, Mo.; Dallas Burn), Eddie Gaven (Hamilton, N.J.; MetroStars), Ed Johnson (Palm Coast, Fla.; Dallas Burn), (Kyle Martino Westport, Conn..; Columbus Crew).
Forwards (4): Edson Buddle (New Rochelle, N.Y.; Columbus Crew), Landon Donovan Redlands, Calif.; San Jose Earthquakes), Alecko Eskandarian (Montvale, N.J. D.C. United), David Testo (Arden, N.C. ; Columbus Crew).

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