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U.S. Olympic qualifying roster set to be named

U23LineupMexico (ISI)

U.S. Men's Under-23 national team head coach Caleb Porter is expected to unveil the 20-player roster for CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament later today and there aren't likely to be many surprises in the group he selects.

You need only look at the team he put together in a recent training camp in Texas for a glimpse of what the qualifying roster should look like. Players like Brek Shea, Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu and Bill Hamid are clear locks to make the team, as are European-based standouts Joe Gyau and Terrance Boyd.

Some players have made late forays into the squad, such as San Jose centerback Ike Opara and Hertha Berlin midfielder/defender Alfredo Morales.

So what will the squad look like? Here is one projection of the 20-man squad we could see kick off Olympic qualifying later this month:

PROJECTED U.S. OLYMPIC QUALIFYING ROSTER

GK- Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson

D- Perry Kitchen, Ike Opara, Zarek Valentin, Kofie Sarkodie, Jorge Villafana

M- Freddy Adu, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, Alfredo Morales, Amobi Okugo, Sebastian Lletget, Jared Jeffrey, Josh Gatt

F- Terrence Boyd, Brek Shea, Juan Agudelo, Joe Gyau, Teal Bunbury

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Why only five defenders? Both Morales and Gatt could play in defensive roles if called upon, and the versatility of players like Valentin and Sarkodie should help as well.

Why no Dilly Duka? He would have been on this squad, but a hamstring injury suffered on Saturday with Columbus seems likely to rule him out.

Which of these players could I see not being part of the squad? Josh Gatt. Not because he can't play, he's an outstanding winger, but because he played such a small part in the lead-up to the tournament. He only attented part of one camp, a camp trip that was cut short by injury. If Porter decides to pass on Gatt and go with someone who has been involved in more caps and done well, Jack McInerney or Greg Garza could be options.

What do you think of this squad? Who is missing that you think should be called up?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Teams have to release players who are age eligible, but not the over-age trios. http://tinyurl.com/726wyu4

    This was a big deal in 2008, Barcelona especially didn’t want to lose Messi for the month right before the season (the Beijing Games were in mid-August, not July like London), but FIFA ruled against them, citing the ‘unique’ opportunity of the Games.

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  2. Not sure I would want to see Bradley in the olympic squad. He is playing plenty and I would hate to seem him get hurt. I would prefer using players that are the secondary guys for the full men’s team. This way they both bring some experieince, but also gain some experience. Guys like Cameron, Lichaj, Castillo etc…

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  3. +1. Cameron is a good choice, give him some tournament experience. I also would prefer someone other than Donovan and Dempsey.

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  4. USSoccer 19 man roster as one withdrew with injury. Letget?
    GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United; Annandale, Va.), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire; Lilburn, Ga.)
    DEFENDERS (6): Josh Gatt (Molde; Plymouth, Mich.), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United; Indianapolis, Ind.), Ike Opara (San Jose Earthquakes; Durham, N.C.), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo; Huber Heights, Ohio), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact; Lancaster, Pa.), Jorge Villafaña (Chivas USA; Anaheim, Calif.)
    MIDFIELDERS (6): Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union; Potomac, Md.), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Mix Diskerud (Gent; Oslo, Norway), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz; Richardson, Texas), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union; Sacramento, Calif.), Michael Stephens (LA Galaxy; Naperville, Ill.)
    FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls; Barnegat, N.J.), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund; Berlin, Germany), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City; Prior Lake, Minn.), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim; Silver Spring, Md.), Brek Shea (FC Dallas; Bryan, Texas)

    Don’t like Stephens selection at all.

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  5. Just got released, See US Soccer website.

    Ives was almost 100% correct. Only difference was Stephens for Lleget. Big surprise to me.

    Maybe West Ham wouldn’t release Lleget???

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  6. I don’t think you are correct here otergod. Clubs aren’t obligated to release players for the olympics, even the age eligible ones. Per a grant wahl post from a while back.

    Anybody have a definite source that settles this one way or the other?

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  7. would like to see Williams (he plays with Philly Union) but I see the logic of the picks here and 1. he’s not as multi-dimensional and 2. I don’t think the union can afford to give up Adu and Okugo AND someone else.

    besides, I’d use Chandler and D. Johnson as two of my overage players for this squad… keep them fit during the layoff.

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  8. I disagree he look good except that he need to be more aggressive to the goal. He had a couple of chances to “Kill” Mexico but I guess his emotions got hold on him. But Corona was great especially in the first half.

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  9. Not Yet until the USA qualify to London. I hope three of my list get pick Dempsey, Bradley, Oguchi, Guzan or Donovan, Bocanegra or Howard.

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  10. George John came off the bench yesterday for FCD, and he can’t seem to make up his mind whether he’s Hellas Giorgos or USA!USA!George for nationality purposes. In which case I’d reward someone shall we say more committed who is in-form as well.

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  11. I have to judge his performance by the league he is in, which is in fact the RW. Lecturing me about German soccer pyramid doesn’t change that. He does in fact play in the RW and I have to compare that to players plying their trade in first and second divisions elsewhere, including Germany and the USA. There is no logical flaw in that, when he scores it’s usually on a RW team, no?

    Yes, he can be shifted to the B.1 side — and has appeared for that team recently — and K2 cannot be promoted. Neither here nor there really because then I need to see if he performs at that level. If he struggles in the B.1 then I have to discount what I saw at RW.

    I mean, let’s say some American was tearing up England’s Conference or League Two, which play for USL wages or worse. Jason Banton came over here with that type of pedigree and got flushed by a MLS team in roster cuts. Ditto The Lesser Rooney. I’ll believe it when I see it.

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  12. It is a 4-3-3 with Adu at ACM overplaying the right, Diskerud as the Box to Box CM overplaying the left b/c Shea likes to come back for the ball more often, and Morales playing DCM destroying heads coming up the middle.

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  13. your logic is flawed, regionalliga is BL1’s farm team, they don’t get promoted to BL3-or 2,1 regionalliga teams doesn’t get promoted, players get promoted.

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  14. That is exactly the line-up I had in mind for qualifying. I say go with Gatt over Sarkodie. Porter likes Kofi because he is more of an attacking player and that is what he likes out of an RB and he knows he gets that with Kofi, but from what we’ve heard and seen, Gatt is a better winger and has played RB.

    I really like that Olympic line-up too. I’ve heard we will have a tough time getting the guys who play in Bundesliga though. I also like the idea of bringing Bradley even though we have a pretty solid midfield. I think that several years down the line when most of our current senior team guys have moved on and most of these younger guys are with the senior team, it will be MB who is leading them.

    Also, I want to see my Akron boys start, but only if they deserve it and are the best players on the squad. Despite what the haters say, I think Porter feels the same way

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  15. looks good but i thought Caleb Porter was all about the 4-3-3.

    And the top line is the most exciting part of this team. Shea and Gyau on the wings and Boyd/Jozy in the middle will score goals! makes passing of Taylor and Jack Mac easy.

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  16. well put. Lando & Demps have enough on their plates and US Soccer needs to prove that we are more than just a 2 horse team. This group has some huge talent in the attacking dept. I say keep them together (+ Jozy!) and upgrade the defense. Id pick F. Johnson, Boca and either Bradley, Edu or Cameron.

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  17. well it’s posted above that he was released for the quals, and seeing as Molde HAS to release him for the Olympics if the US make it i would wager that Gatt will be released for both.

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  18. yes it is too early. Those players won’t be called in until after (and if!) we qualify.

    If/When that happens Landon and Bocanegra have been the top rumored, but a lot of talk about Johnson, Cameron, Bradley, John, etc. The need is for defenders across the back line or just knockout players to take the heat off the young stars.

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  19. There’s no way the US won’t call up Bradley, Dempsey, and Cameron to play in the Olympics. Hamid; Sarkodie, Kitchen, Cameron, Valentín; Bradley; Gyau, Diskerud, Adu; Agudelo, Taylor

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  20. Hamid and Johnson are the most outstanding of the young players. Why would you waste an overage spot and give it to Howard? I agree Boca will probably get picked but I would rather see a younger player like Cameron get more exposure. No problem with Dempsey going either but I would like to see how Bradley meshes with the younger guys more than Dempsey.

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