Injury to starting right back Steve Cherundolo has thrown overage considerations into disarray

It’s been 76 years since a U.S. men’s soccer team has advanced even one round in an Olympic tournament, and that wasn’t anything to write home about: a 1-0 win over Estonia in the preliminary round of the soccer competition at the Paris Olympics.

In the Americans’ five appearances since group play began, it’s been three-and-out … every time.

“We are,” says Clive Charles, the current U.S. Olympic coach, “very much aware of that.”

So, it follows, getting through group play and into the quarterfinals at September’s Sydney Games is the primary goal of Charles’ charges, right?

“Our goal,” he replies, “is to win a gold medal. In order to do that, we have to beat the teams in our bracket.”

Charles learned how difficult that might be June 2 when the Americans were drawn in Group C with European runner-up Czech Republic, World Cup-experienced Cameroon and a Kuwait squad that is being hailed at home as the start of a new golden era.

The Americans will have to finish second or better to reach the quarterfinals. Charles likes his chances.

“You know, all the teams are good teams, they all had to win to get there,” he says. “We’re comfortable with [our draw]. It will be very difficult but not impossible to get out.”

The Americans’ opener, against the Czechs, is Sept. 13 at Canberra’s Bruce Stadium. They’ll face Cameroon in Canberra on Sept. 16, then move to Melbourne – the U.S. women’s team’s home base – for a Sept. 19 clash with the Kuwaitis.

Honduras, which beat the U.S. in the CONCACAF final, was saddled with a far more difficult assignment. It was thrown into Group A – on paper, the toughest group – along with defending champion Nigeria, European champion Italy and host Australia.

The Americans also avoided European power Spain (Group B), tournament favorite Brazil and darkhorse Japan (both in Group D).

DECISION IS DELAYED. Charles is not yet certain which players will join him in Australia: Steve Cherundolo’s knee injury and questions about the possible availability of European-based pros has delayed the decision he’d planned to make sometime around the beginning of June.

Cherundolo, the United States’ most capable defender – and one of its standout players – during the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in April – sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in training shortly after returning to his German club, Hannover 96, from Hershey, Pa.

It’s thrown Charles’ overage considerations into disarray, and because he has time before he must name his roster, he’ll use it.

“[I’ll decide] when I’ve made a decision on who replaces Cherundolo, and I haven’t made that decision yet,” he says. “And there may be another overseas player I want to talk to. … I would have liked by now a rough idea of who the 18 will be. Obviously, two-thirds of the job is done, it’s a matter of filling in the final few blanks.”

TWO MATCHES THIS SUMMER. An announcement likely will come in July, before the first of two preparatory matches Charles has planned, one in late July and the other in late August, both on home soil. He wants his full squad for those games.

Charles has asked for a European and an African opponent. Negotiations have been proceeding, and Slovakia – fourth at the European U-21 Championship it hosted – is among the possibilities for one of the games.

Cherundolo won’t be easy to replace. He’s thought to be the future right back for the senior national team – Bruce Arena had pegged him as his right back for the first stage of World Cup qualifying – and Charles is struggling to find someone with similar qualities.

“Steve’s a tenacious defender, but what makes him more unique [is] he has the technical abilities of a midfielder,” Charles says. “Not only is he solid defensively, but he has ballhandling abilities and he gets forward very well.

“I look around and see some very good right backs defensively, and some right backs offensively. What I have to find is someone I feel can do both.”

Talks among Arena, Olympic assistant coach John Ellinger and Charles have determined where to focus in selecting the three over-23 players. “Now,” he says, “it’s a matter of finding names to fill those positions.”

Charles plans to spend much of the summer “watching tape” and gathering information on the Czechs, Cameroonians and Kuwaitis.

Then it’s on to the gold, right?

“If we play very well, we have a chance to get out of our group. If we play average or poorly, we have no chance. … [To win gold medals], we’d have to play the very best soccer of our lives, and be very fortunate in terms of injuries.

“Our goal is to win the next game. We’re not looking in terms of getting out of our group, going to the quarterfinals or semifinals. We play the Czech Republic Sept. 13, and we want to do well in that game. We can’t think about the second round.

“It’s different in a league where you play 70 games and can have a bad spell and get through it. Whenever you play a competition like this, it’s whoever plays well in a two-week period. It’s really a lottery, up for grabs.”

by Soccer America senior editor Scott French