Just like their senior team counterparts, the U-23 Men's National Team faces a home-and-home series in the coming days. And while none would argue the senior side's games unimportant, for the U-23s the games could not be more vital.
The U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team has put itself in a position to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Now, the task is to seize that position as the U.S.is 90 minutes away from reaching its ultimate goal.
All things considered, the U.S. took care of business on Friday, earning an away goal in a 1-1 draw with Colombia.
The U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team faced wave after wave of Colombia attacks on Friday, and one American defnder proved to be the difference-maker time and time again.
Tim Parker filled in on the U.S. back line for the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers and thwarted numerous chances in the first leg of the pair's Olympic qualifying playoff series at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Throughout the build-up to Friday's match, the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team stated its desire to win the opening leg of their Olympic qualifying playoff in Colombia. They failed to do so, but Friday's result did boost the team's chances of earning a berth in this summer's tournament.
An early finish from Luis Gil was canceled out by a Colombia penalty kick in the second half, as the U.
Just two games stand between the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team and an Olympic berth, but the next step on the road to Rio will be the most difficult yet.
Matched with Colombia in a two-game playoff, the U.S. is set to travel down to Barranquilla for Friday's opening leg.
Given the previous generation's failings, and even some of itsown, the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team knows just how much pressure awaits in the coming weeks.
After settling for third place at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, the U.S. U-23s are set to take on Colombia in a home-and-home playoff with a berth in the summer tournament on the line.
The CONCACAF representatives for the London 2012 Olympic Games are Mexico and Honduras. Mexico
soundly defeated Canada 3-1 at LiveStrong Park in Kansas City today, with goals by Marco Fabian,
Alan Pulido and American-Mexican Miguel Ponce (born in Sacramento, CA, and a U.S. citizen).
Canada's goal was scored by Marcus Haber on a header from a Philippe Davies cross.
With a little help from Cuba, the United States had a great shot to win the Olympic Qualifying
group. All we had to do was win against El Salvador in the group finale from Nashville.Canada
failed to defeat Cuba, who entered the game in Nashville with a -10 goal differential with 0 goals
scored and 10 against in two previous matches, a 6-0 loss to the United States and a 4-0 loss to El
Salvador.
The CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament was specifically designed so that the United States and
Mexico would win their respective groups, meet in the final, and qualify for London 2012 as the two
finalists.Well, that's out.Although the United States defeated Cuba 6-0 in their opening match,
Juan Agudelo was lost for the remainder of the tournment with a torn meniscus.
US Olympic qualifying starts tomorrow, the 22nd, against Cuba. They face Canada on Saturday and
then El Salvador on Monday (all to be played in Nashville). Top 2 teams move to Kansas City March
31st to take on the top two teams (1st in Group A v 2nd Group B and vice versa) with the finalists
both qualifying for the Olympics.
After sweeping through the qualifying for the Olympics 2012 in London like Charlie Sheen on Tiger
Blood, the USWNT decided to put their emphatic stamp on the tourney and ensure a top seed. Wambach
nets two to move her to 2nd all time in FIFA's top women goal scorers (131) and the US rolls to a
4-0 win that wasn't as close as the scoreline indicates.
The US and Canada are moving on to the 2012 London Olympics. Behind another strong shutout
performance by the US. Heath, Lloyd and Morgan all score for the US against Costa Rica. The US
carry a 34 goals for, 0 goals against into the final Sunday night in Vancouver.Video: Universal
Sports
Tonight is the night. Two teams enter, one team leaves with a ticket to the Olympics. The U.S.
national team faces Canada in a crucial CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying semifinal and anyone thinking
it will be a cakewalk for the Americans should think again. It will be a battle.
The match was scheduled to begin at 9pm but I'm not sure when kickoff will be now that
Guatemala-Honduras is into overtime.
Tonight is the night. Two teams enter, one team leaves with a ticket to the Olympics. The U.S.
national team faces Canada in a crucial CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying semifinal and anyone thinking
it will be a cakewalk for the Americans should think again. It will be a battle.
The match was scheduled to begin at 9pm but I'm not sure when kickoff will be now that
Guatemala-Honduras is into overtime.
PREGAME: Lineup to come...what do you think the keys to the game will be?? Zizzo, Gaven, Kljestan,
or Holden on the wings? Edu, Orozco, or Spector in the middle?? Altidore up top?
Tonight is the night. The U.S. Under-23 men's national team can clinch a place in the Olympic
Games with a win against Canada. The Americans have a healthy squad and have all hands on deck now
that Jonathan Spector has joined the team.
The only question remaining now is who will Peter Nowak start?
It what may have been their most emotional match to date, the young American national team saw
themselves fall victim to a stoppage time goal which ended hopes of moving through to the
semi-finals. Effectively the 3-3 draw with El Salvador, while thrilling, ruined hopes of seeing the
American youngsters take on the world's best.
It's looking more and more like something special is going on with the U-23 US Men's National
Team. Led by a prodigy-turned-elder-statesman, a team of prodigious talent is turning in to the
most exciting group of players to come through the American system in a long time.
Fast start
It took eleven minutes of poking and prodding for the US to take the lead over Cuba on
Nashville's LP Field.
It might as well have been a scrimmage for the young Americans as they put on a clinic in their
Olympic qualifying opener. The US U-23 roster is stacked with talent led by Caleb Porter and with
all that talent comes high expectations. The young men met those expectations and then some by
cruising to a 6-0 victory over Cuba in the Group A opener.
It was the Alex Morgan show as the US downed Canada in the final of CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying.
Morgan scored twice and assisted on two Abby Wambach goals as the US ran out easy winners over the
host nation. The game was largely meaningless save for regional pride, with both sides having
already qualified for this summer's London games.
The USWNT is pissed. Seriously.How else would you explain the fact that they went 3-0 in the group
stages of Olympic Qualifying with a +31 goal differential and no goals against?The latest
installment saw the US beat Mexico by a score of only 4-0. I say only because with 14-0 and 13-0
scorelines in the previous two matches, 4-0 seems kind of anticlimatic.
The US Women's National Team knocked off Mexico 4-0 in their final match of the group stage of
Olympic qualifying to win Group B. Carli Lloyd had a hat trick and Heather O'Reilly added a goal as
the USWNT rolled to an easy victory. They will face Costa Rica for a chance to qualify on Friday
(8pm, concacaf.
As if going 14-0 in a single match during qualifying wasn't enough, you had to go out and drop 13
on Guatemala? Somewhere, MC Hammer is screaming about copyright infringment.LeRoux got a natural
hat-trick (3 goals in the same half, all uninterrupted)... actually, she got four before someone
else found the net.
Better get to know this guy. That is Jose Mendoza, Honduras U-23 goalkeeper and absolute stud.
Mendoza stopped everything Mexico shot at him for the first 115 minutes of the Olympic Qualifying
Tournament final, except one laser beam by Marco Fabian that no one could have stopped. Honduras
played the entire extra time period ten against eleven following the ejection of Luis Garrido for a
vicious
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