Ira Zimmerman Miami, Fla. I am curious to know why Taylor Twellman has not been selected for the U.S. Olympic soccer team. I believe he won the first Bronze Boot (at the 1999 U-20 World Cup) for an American soccer player and his stats seem pretty impressive. Scott French: Hello, Ira: Taylor Twellman had impressive totals for the U20s in Nigeria, but only four of the U20 players — forward Chris Albright, defenders Steve Cherundolo and Danny Califf, and goalkeeper Tim Howard — made the jump to the U-23 team. U.S. Coach Clive Charles did call Twellman into his Pan American Games team last summer, and Twellman totaled 6 games, 4 starts and 1 goal. He, and U20 teammate Carlos Bocanegra — who also had been brought in for the Pan Am Games — were not invited back. Although Twellman was the Americans’ top scorer — and third for the Championships — it was Chris Albright that most impressed U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, who does carry some influence with Charles. Arena also said he’d been impressed with Cherundolo and Howard, who also made the jump. Howard and Califf play backup roles; Cherundolo, who will miss the Olympics with a knee injury, and Albright are two of the U23s’ most talented players. The Americans also have good depth at forward, with Albright, big Conor Casey (the only collegian on the team; he’ll be a pro by 2001), Landon Donovan and Josh Wolff — all further along than Twellman — providing Charles attacking options. Twellman needs more professional experience, and he hopes to get it at 1860 Munich, with which he signed an amateur contract. He’ll need to make an imprint there, or elsewhere, before he returns to the national teams program. (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Q&A with SA Editors” in the left column of the home page under “Interactive.”)