Depth in the middle and DiGiamarino’s health color Olympic qualifying roster decisions
Clive Charles faces tough decisions before announcing his roster for CONCACAF’s six-nation Olympic qualifying tournament. The most difficult involve midfielders. Charles, the U.S. under-23 coach, has a glut of players in central midfield, one he must sort through before determining which 18 will accompany him to Hershey, Pa., for the April 21-30 tournament from which two teams will advance to the Sydney Olympics. His 25-man pool, which he’ll pare down April 7, includes 12 players who could occupy at least one of four midfield jobs in a 4-4-2, diamond-midfield system. Depth is most pronounced in central midfield and up front. “It’s a decision I’ve got to make over the next couple weeks,” says Charles, who has kept the core of the team together during nearly two years of preparation. “I’ve got to cut down on central midfield players, cut down on strikers. I’m looking at all of them because we haven’t had a full squad [together]. “All of them have been part of an 18-man squad and all have done well. My problem now is figuring out which ones will get the job done in a 10-day period. One thing is certain: I will have to cut people who have done well for us.” Complicating matters: He won’t have them together until April 10, when the chosen 18 and three of seven alternates open camp in Ft. Lauderdale. He’s looking for balance, for players who fill roles others can’t, and versatility is a plus. “I’m just making sure I have a little bit of everything I need,” he says. “The tough part is trying to select [from] those players who don’t have the full package – what part of their game needs to be in the 18? “It’s easy to pluck the guy who scores 10 goals. That’s the easy one.”
O’Brien’s role
The easy ones in midfield are Ajax Amsterdam’s John O’Brien, slated to run the American attack, and right winger Ben Olsen of D.C. United, the most internationally accomplished player on the roster. O’Brien will take on a far more creative role than he plays at Ajax, but the details could depend on who surrounds him. The likeliest scenario would pair a holding midfielder in the middle with O’Brien, who would play deeper than a typical attacking midfielder. O’Brien also could play behind a true attacking midfielder – Charles’ options include placing 18-year-old Landon Donovan behind two frontrunners. Olsen is another option behind the top two, with John Thorrington taking over on the right. Thorrington, Donovan’s teammate with Bayer Leverkusen’s reserve squad, was one of several players who captured Charles’ attention late in the process. Carlos Parra, one of the team’s most experienced players, is the purest defensive midfielder in the group. “He has tremendous leadership qualities,” Charles says. “He has qualities some of the others don’t have.” Sasha Victorine, Peter Vagenas and Brian Winters, the other contenders in the middle, can play either central midfield role. Victorine offers enormous versatility; he can play any position down the center of the field, from defense to the forward line. He made his MLS debut as a forward, scoring a goal and assisting on two more in Los Angeles’ 4-0 rout of D.C. United. “It will be interesting to see how he does with [the Galaxy] over the next few weeks,” Charles says. The left side is wholly dependent upon Joey DiGiamarino, who hasn’t played in a game since undergoing surgery last October to repair cartilage in his left ankle. He’s apparently ready to go again, although a groin injury, suffered just before Colorado’s opener, has kept him from playing in the Rapids’ first two games. DiGiamarino, if healthy, can play either at left back or on the wing; at full strength, he’s on the field, either in front of Ramiro Corrales or behind 17-year-old phenom DaMarcus Beasley. Charles brought in Eric Denton as insurance for DiGiamarino; he, and Corrales, can play on the wing or at left back.
by Soccer America senior editor Scott French
