Thanks for joining us for the 3rd and final part of our Olympic preview. Part 1 is here and Part 2 is here, giving us a full 18-man U-23 squad:


Goalkeepers: (2012 age in parentheses) Sean Johnson (23) Chicago Fire, Bill Hamid (21) DC United

Defenders: Ike Opara (23) San Jose Earthquakes, Gale Agbossoumonde (20) SC Braga, Kyle Davies (23) FC Dallas, Anthony Wallace (23) Colorado Rapids, Kofi Sarkodie (21) U. of Akron, Greg Garza (20) GD Estoril Praia

Midfielders: Mikkel Diskerud (21) Stabaek, Freddy Adu (23) Benfica Lisbon, Michael Stephens (23) Los Angeles Galaxy, Jared Jeffrey (21) Mainz, Amobi Okugo (21) Philadelphia Union, Blair Gavin (23) Chivas USA

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (22) Villarreal, Tristan Bowen (21) Los Angeles Galaxy, Tony Taylor (22) Estoril Praia, Brek Shea (22) FC Dallas


In this piece we’re going to look at some foreign players who could feature for the Olympic team, as well as my personal picks for overage players you may see on this squad. A refresher on the rules: 18-man roster, all players must be born in 1989 or later, with three overage exceptions. Let’s go:


International Players: (From Least Likely to Join to Most Likely)

5. Michael Hoyos (20) Estudiantes: The California native has seemingly abandoned US Soccer, choosing to play with Argentina instead. The attacking midfielder has earned rave reviews at both Estudiantes and the Argentine U-20s. There’s still a glimpse of hope that Hoyos could change his mind and come back to the USMNT, but it seems Hoyos has gone the way of Rossi and Subotic.


4. Teal Bunbury (22) Kansas City Wizards: With an American upbringing and mother, it seems that the Wizards’ young star would be a natural star for US Soccer. Too bad his father is one of the greatest forwards in Canadian Soccer history. Teal has said he’s yet to decide which senior national team to represent, but after suiting up for Canada’s U-17s and U-20s, Bunbury seems more a Canuck than Yank. Teal might have a change of heart and decide he wants to play at a top international side, but don’t bet on it.


3. Andy Najar (19) DC United: Najar’s legend already has Honduran newspapers fretting his defection to US Soccer. The dynamic United winger has been a star for the dreadful team, with a pace, creativity, and touch on ball rarely seen in a player so young. With doubts over how soon he can even be eligible for the USMNT, Honduras has to be favored to hold onto Najar, but if his citizenship starts to move along, look out for Najar to start moving towards suiting up for the USA.


2. Danny Mwanga (20) Philadelphia Union: The leading candidate for Rookie of the Year in MLS, the Oregon State product has an unbelievable 7 goals in only 824 minutes on the pitch. With size, strength, a howitzer for a leg and the finishing to match, Mwanga looks the breed of forward that can become a star on the international level. Already in the process of citizenship, Mwanga looks likely to only have eyes for US Soccer after fleeing his homeland of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in political exile. Bet on Mwanga becoming eligible and suiting up for the USA before the Olympics.


1. Daniel Williams (23) SC Freiburg: The son of an American soldier, the German-American Fullback/Defensive Midfielder need only go to the American embassy to get his passport and become eligible for the USMNT. Williams opened eyes up in both Germany and the US in helping Freiburg stay up last year in the ever-tough Bundesliga. Well regarded for his pace and playing a thin position in US Soccer, bet on Williams being brought into the system.


Overage Players:


With the Olympics falling right as CONCACAF qualifying starts and the beginning of the club season, don't expect to see the likes of Donovan and Dempsey suiting up with this team. US Soccer seems to target two types of players for the role: players who just missed the age deadline and can reinforce weak positions or giving the last hurrah for players who will be too old to play in the World Cup two years on. The latter doesn’t really seem to present itself with this USMNT player pool, so I’m betting you see players close to the U-23 age group as overage players on this team. Bullets for some of the guys who I could see in contention, then my three picks:

• Tim Ream: Center back is a weakness and the Red Bull player has looked strong in his rookie year.
• Sean Franklin/Kevin Alston: Two similar dynamic right backs - if the position is up in the air it might be necessary to reinforce the at that spot
• Jonathan Bornstein: It’s JB, never bet against him playing. Could be useful if no left backs seem ready for the stage in two years
• Geoff Cameron: If the jack-of-all-trades keeps getting better, he could be the ultimate utility man for the Olympic squad.
• Alejandro Bedoya: This pool seems a bit thin in true right wingers, and Bedoya could use the tournament as a catalyst for worldwide attention
• Robbie Rogers: With two deadly feet, Rogers could give some depth to the wings.
• Charlie Davies: The most tempting emotional pick, the Olympics could provide some solace for his missed World Cup.

The Picks:

1. Eric Lichaj, Aston Villa: Barely too old to qualify as a U-23, Lichaj is the perfect player to supplement a subpar fullback position. Already making the 18 at Aston Villa, expect Lichaj to be starting week in and week out sooner rather than later.

2. Omar Gonzalez, Los Angles Galaxy: Another player barely too old to qualify as a U-23, the 2009 Rookie of the Year and contender for MLS Defender of the Year could stabilize a depthless center back core. A force to be reckoned with both in the air and on the ground, Gonzalez would be a logical fit to shore up the US defense.

3. Jose Francisco Torres, Pachuca: With Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu seemingly engrained as the US central midfielders going forward, starts could be sparse for the dynamic Torres. The Olympic side could prove a different proposition however, as Torres provides that needed linking play in the midfield. The Olympics could prove the perfect testing ground to see if Torres’ Latin style can blend with the traditional American directness.


Now that we have overage players and potential foreign entries into the team, a shot at predicting a roster again:

Goalkeepers: (2012 age in parentheses) Sean Johnson (23) Chicago Fire, Bill Hamid (21) DC United

Defenders: Ike Opara (23) San Jose Earthquakes, Omar Gonzalez Los Angles Galaxy*, Gale Agbossoumonde (20) SC Braga, Daniel Williams (23) SC Freiburg, Eric Lichaj Aston Villa*, Greg Garza (20) GD Estoril Praia

Midfielders: Jose Francisco Torres Pachuca*, Mikkel Diskerud (21) Stabaek, Freddy Adu (23) Benfica Lisbon, Michael Stephens (23) Los Angeles Galaxy, Jared Jeffrey (21) Mainz, Amobi Okugo (21) Philadelphia Union

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (22) Villarreal, Danny Mwanga (20) Philadelphia Union, Tristan Bowen (21) Los Angeles Galaxy, Brek Shea (22) FC Dallas


And the requisite line-up to go with it:


------------Altidore----Mwanga-------------
Stephens----Jeffrey------Torres----Adu
Lichaj—-Gonzalez—-Opara—-Williams
-----------------Johnson-----------------


Not a half bad squad, is it? With the addition of Mwanga and Daniel Williams to the team, and some smart overage additions to bulk up the defense, this team looks pretty formidable. A very nice spine to the team with the centerback pairing, Torres linking and two big strong forwards in Altidore and Mwanga up top. With the likes of Agbossoumonde, Brek Shea, and Mix Diskerud all coming off the bench, US Soccer has the depth to get its first Olympic soccer medal in 108 years.

by Brian Mechanick

Part 1 is here. Let’s move on to Part 2, taking a look at the midfielders and forwards. A refresher on the rules: 18-man roster, all players must be born in 1989 or later, with three overage exceptions. Let’s go:


Midfielders: (2012 age in parentheses)

On the Roster: Mikkel Diskerud (21) Stabaek, Freddy Adu (23) Benfica Lisbon, Michael Stephens (23) Los Angeles Galaxy, Jared Jeffrey (21) Mainz, Amobi Okugo (21) Philadelphia Union, Blair Gavin (23) Chivas USA

In the Picture: Danny Cruz (22) Houston Dynamo, Bryan Arguez (23) Estoril Praia, Sebastian Lletget (19) West Ham United, Dilly Duka (22) Columbus Crew

Leading this group is the former boy wonder of US Soccer, Freddy Adu. He may elicit anger and disappointment from many, but he is a valuable contributor to this squad. He led the team in 2008 Olympic qualifying with four goals, and four years later he can be a valuable contributor in attack.


Michael Stephens has emerged as one of the best rookies in MLS season. As a wide midfielder, Stephens provides a good touch and a nice cross. Mikkel “Mix” Diskerud has come on very strong in the last year. A versatile player who can play all over the midfield, Diskerud is blessed with skill on-ball and an ability to finish. With regular playing time coming in with Staebek in Norway, expect Diskerud to keep progressing and just maybe earn a move to a bigger club.


Rounding out the group are three central midfielders. Jared Jeffrey is perhaps the most renowned of the group, having earned a move to Mainz of the Bundesliga in the beginning of the year. A true box-to-box midfielder, the only thing holding Jeffrey back is the inability to earn consistent minutes at the club level. Blair Gavin is a dynamic attacker, and has come on strong with three goals in his rookie season. Amobi Okugo has had a quieter rookie season, but he has shown talents in distribution and tackling.


Very much on the cusp is Danny Cruz, who has starred this season for the Dynamo. A classic speedy winger, Cruz is dynamic on ball and a classy shot to match it. Bryan Arguez showed himself well in the 2009 U-20 World Cup, and the big defensive midfielder has nice composure on-ball to go with his ball-winning. Sebastian Lletget has been discussed as a prodigy for years, and the attacking midfielder has that brilliance rarely seen (especially for an American) so young. Dilly Duka was a star in Egypt in the U-20 World Cup, but has yet to earn much playing time for the Columbus Crew. With more time he could emerge a star, but without he could fade into the back of the picture.


Forwards:

On the Roster: Jozy Altidore (22) Villarreal, Tristan Bowen (21) Los Angeles Galaxy, Tony Taylor (22) Estoril Praia, Brek Shea (22) FC Dallas

In the Picture: Juan Agudelo (19) New York Red Bulls, Adrian Ruelas (21) Santos Laguna, Bobby Wood (20) 1860 Munich, Conor Doyle (20) Derby County


Jozy. He’s big, he’s strong, he scores, he does a mean stanky legg. If he wants to be, he’s on this team. Looking likely to join him is Tristan Bowen, the Galaxy academy product who has come on strong this year. A quick forward who reminds a bit of Charlie Davies, Bowen looks a logical strike partner for Altidore. Alan Gordon’s trade has opened up regular playing time for Bowen, so expect him to keep progressing.


He may have a propensity for terrible haircuts, but Brek Shea’s game is pretty. He’s an extremely versatile player who can seemingly play anywhere on the pitch, but he looks the best in attack. He has the height to be a target at 6’3” and the feet to finish. Last man in to this forward group is Tony Taylor, a target forward. A scorer in the 2009 U-20 World Cup and off to a strong start in Portugal, Taylor needs to learn the positioning to go with his attacking talents.


In the picture are a bunch of current U-20 players. Juan Agudelo was the star of the Milk Cup for the USA, demonstrating his raw strength and power coming from the right wing. The worry is that with Angel, Henry, and Kandji ahead of him with the Red Bulls, playing time will be rare in New York. Ruelas showed his nose for goal in Northern Ireland, scoring three goals in as many games. With a tall frame, speed, and good positioning, Ruelas could be a leader of the new Latin-American USMNT core. Bobby Wood is trying to break through at 1860, and let’s hope he endears himself better to the club than countryman Kenny Cooper.


Doyle made some heads turn with his recent move to Championship side Derby, but after getting playing time immediately we should take notice. At 6'2" he plays a typical target forward, but only time will tell if he develops the pace, skill and finishing to make him a USMNT regular. He could be Kenny Cooper or he could be Brian McBride, so watch his development.


We’ve gone through a full U-23 side for the 2012 Olympics, so let’s take a shot at a potential line-up:

------------Altidore----Bowen-------------
Stephens----Jeffrey------Diskerud----Adu
Garza—-Agbossoumonde—-Opara—-Sarkodie
-----------------Johnson-----------------


The line-up reveals some facts: fullback is incredibly thin, midfield is deep, and Jozy Altidore is by far the star of this team. Look out in part 3 for potential international players and overage players we could see on this team.

The 2010 World Cup is history, and regardless your opinion on its legacy, soccer fans have reached the sad realization that it is four years before the world’s greatest tournament returns. For USMNT fans there is some solace; the 2011 Gold Cup and its right for the winner to compete in the 2013 Confederations Cup. But in two years one of my favorite football tournaments returns: the Olympic Men’s Football Tournament.


Sixteen teams from around the world will compete for Olympic gold, and the rules are unique for the tournament. With squads of 18 members, the team’s roster must be aged 23 or younger (born 1989 or later for the 2012 tournament), with three overage exemptions. With teams made up mostly of 22 and 23 year olds, the atmosphere is fantastic. Many players are on the verge of stardom, knowing that a strong performance could launch them into their nation’s first team and onto a bigger club’s radar. Take a look at some of the under 23 stars who competed in 2008’s edition: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Keisuke Honda, Marouane Fellaini, Alexandre Pato, Thiago Silva, Alexandre Song, and Riccardo Montolivo.


The US side in the 2008 tournament provided a preview of much of the future of the national team. Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Stuart Holden, Charlie Davies, Benny Feilhaber, Jozy Altidore, and Sacha Kljestan were all in the Beijing squad. The tournament was disappointing for the USA, as a victory over Japan and draw with Holland were wasted after losing to Nigeria 2-1, knocking the USA out of the tournament. In 2012 the USA will look to avenge this letdown by winning their first Olympic medal since taking silver at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.


In this series we’ll take a shot at predicting an 18-man U-23 Olympic roster, as well as previewing some potential overage members of the team. Today we have the goalkeepers and defenders for London.


Goalkeepers: (2012 age in parentheses)

On the Roster: Sean Johnson (23) Chicago Fire, Bill Hamid (21) DC United

In the Picture: Brian Perk (22) Los Angles Galaxy, Samir Badr (20) FC Porto

Leading the pack for the 2012 goalkeepers is Sean Johnson, the Chicago Fire’s rookie sensation. A couple of fantastic performances has launched Johnson into the awareness of MLS fans, and with the starting job seemingly his going forward, Johnson has to be the favorite to lead this team. Going with him to London is Bill Hamid, the teenage DC academy product. Hamid is big and agile, and has been called the best American goalkeeping prospect since Tim Howard came up with the Metrostars twelve years ago. He’s shown well in a couple of appearances with DC so far, and with the team virtually eliminated from playoff contention, we can expect Hamid to get more playing time as the rebuilding project continues.


In contention is Brian Perk, who started games in both the 2007 and 2009 U-20 World Cups. While Perk is a bit on the smaller side at 5’11”, he has impressed in his appearances with the Union. His recent move to Los Angeles should help him get better as he is groomed to replace Donovan Ricketts. Samir Badr is a name to watch, as word is he’s starting to turn some heads at Porto. If he can earn first team experience in the next year and a half, expect his name to start getting a lot of support to be on this roster.


Goalkeeping is a position of depth going into these next two years, and expect the keeper out of this quartet that earns the most consistent playing time to win a spot on the Olympic team.


Defenders:

On the Roster: Ike Opara (23) San Jose Earthquakes, Gale Agbossoumonde (20) SC Braga, Kyle Davies (23) FC Dallas, Anthony Wallace (23) Colorado Rapids, Kofi Sarkodie (21) U. of Akron, Greg Garza (20) GD Estoril Praia

In the Picture: Zarek Valentin (20) U. of Akron, Perry Kitchen (20) U. of Akron, Parker Walsh (20) Karlsruher

By far the thinnest position in the U.S. youth system, the defense has some talents but then falls off a cliff in terms of depth. Leading the pack is San Jose starlet Ike Opara, whose play at Wake Forest made him a two-time ACC Defender of the Year and 3rd overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Opara is big and athletic, and his prowess on set pieces is evident in three goals in his young MLS career. Joining Opara in recreating the 2009 U-20 World Cup center back pairing is Togolese-born Gale Agbossoumonde. Eliciting many comparisons to Oguchi Onyewu, Gale has the technical skill to match his tremendous size.


Up next on the depth chart are two more veterans of the U-20s and former FC Dallas teammates, Kyle Davies and Anthony Wallace. Davies, captain of the 2009 U-20 World Cup side, reminds a bit of a young Jeff Agoos at center-half. Wallace is a left back that has played sparingly in his young Dallas career; hopefully a move to Colorado will help him get a renewed chance at playing time.


Two of the more exciting defensive players in the pool have yet to play first team professional football: Kofi Sarkodie and Greg Garza. Kofi Sarkodie is considered the best fullback in college soccer and projected to be a top 3 2011 MLS Superdraft selection (and in the eyes of Ives Galracep, a 2014 World Cup USMNT roster pick). A star at Akron at right back, Kofi has the pace and mean cross that could be very useful for the Yanks’ squad. Greg Garza is the thing American soccer has been searching for the last 20 years: a true left back prospect. Garza has a nice blend of defending prowess and confidence in attack. A star of Sporting’s U-19 team, Garza looks to be an integral part of this upcoming US U-20 cycle.


Zarek Valentin, Perry Kitchen, and Parker Walsh are among a host of others fighting for viability in the defensive pool over these next two years. Valentin impressed greatly in the Milk Cup with his pace and service; the CB/RB is one of the best defenders in college, and should be a first round pick next year. Kitchen looked strong as well at the Milk Cup, marking and tackling confidently while showing some confidence with the ball at his feet. Walsh has done well for himself at left back in Germany, and should push for a spot at the perennially weak position in the next U-20 cycle.


When looking at this group, the weakness is clear. Opara is currently the only player out of the group who is playing consistent first team soccer professionally. No position will need players to break out and emerge before the Olympics more than defense. Even still, it is almost a guarantee that the U.S. will reinforce the position with at least one overage player. If the U.S. wants to medal in London, the defense will have to be more solid than it appears to be now.

Alright, so my crappy day job effectively killed my attempts to include these things earlier, and I'm back to finish the job.

Sources Say Portland's In-As I correctly surmised (without so much as a contact in PDX), that little $15 million shortfall wasn't enough to kill the Portland bid. The boys from Oregon are in, and I'm very happy for it. I think the trifecta rivalry that Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland will bring to MLS is a huge plus for the league. It's very possible that the league's thinking followed the same lines, though the strength of the bids and the stadium setups were obviously the first concerns.

The Oregonian: Sources: MLS bringing soccer team to Portland

Puerto Rico Islanders in MLS?-In an effort to stay on the expansion tip before I wander into stadium territory, a thought occured to me last night after the Puerto Rico Islanders beat Cruz Azul 2-0 in San Juan; how soon until we hear that Puerto Rico is an expansion candidate? Garber intimated today at the Vancouver expansion announcement that the league will award two new franchises for 2012 (another year of expansion talk, yea!); although the usual suspects of St. Louis, Montreal, Miami, etc. will certainly be in the mix, why wouldn't Puerto Rico also be a player?

DC United Supporters Rally for PG Stadium-After abandoning the idea of ever building a soccer stadium in DC, United have moved on to Prince George's County, and have enlisted their supporters to aid in the cause. Hoping to give lawmakers in the Maryland county a sense of the support United has, Kevin Payne and company laid it out for their rabid fans; show up in Annapolis and help us get things moving. Below is a video of the rally, which included (in the reports I saw) about sixty supporters.



Chester Stadium Gets Pilings-On the surface, pilings being driven for the new Philadelphia franchise's (give us something to call them already!) Chester, PA stadium is pretty boring stuff. For Philly MLS fans and those of us excited to see another team in then I-95 corridor, though, it's pretty exciting. The Sons of Ben, still prominent and still getting in the local papers, must be doing somersaults. In fact, they are, and here's the proof:

Delco Times: Stadium Springs to Life on Chester Waterfront

And because stadium renderings are always fun to look at, here's one of the Chester Stadium (I have no idea if it will actually look this way, but this pops up in Google Image Search for "Chester stadium")