It’s Do or Die for U.S.
He pulled on the United States jersey and played for his country at the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Egypt in 1997, but few soccer fans remember that.
He did so again at the FIFA Under-20 World Youth Championship in Nigeria last year, but that tournament drew scant attention.
Tonight, Dan Califf will be playing for the U.S. again, and this time it means everything. This time, the spotlight’s glare will fall squarely on him and his teammates.
Why?
Because if they defeat Guatemala at Hersheypark Stadium, they go to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. If not, they go home.
That makes it the most important game of Califf’s career, but the 20-year-old defender from Orange is taking it in stride.
“This is the biggest thing that I’ve ever played in and the chance to go to the biggest thing that I’ve ever played in,” he said after training on a damp and bitterly cold Thursday morning at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.
Califf, selected by the Galaxy in the first round of February’s Major League Soccer draft, will start tonight in place of team captain Brian Dunseth, who is suspended after being ejected from Tuesday night’s game against Canada.
Neither Califf nor U.S. Coach Clive Charles is concerned about the defensive shake-up.
“Dan Califf is a very popular player in this group and he’s a very competent player,” Charles said. “I think the team feels sorry for Brian, as opposed to feeling we can’t win without him. Their concern is more for Brian than it is for the team, because they know the person coming in is capable.
“Their reaction was, ‘We feel bad for Brian.’ It wasn’t, ‘How can we win now?’ They feel OK about that.”
In tonight’s other semifinal, Mexico will play Honduras, with the winner also going to the Summer Games.
Califf, an All-American at Orange High before playing two seasons at the University of Maryland, feels bad about the loss of Dunseth, but not that bad.
“I don’t care as long as I’m playing,” he said. “I mean, it’s sad to lose your captain, but I’m happy because I’m playing.”
Nerves?
“They’re OK. I’ve played in big games before. It’s just another game, really. That’s the way you’ve got to kind of deal with it. You come out and play the way you can play and hope that everything goes well.”
Califf will take a central defensive role alongside Chad McCarty.
“Chad and I get along pretty well,” he said. “I haven’t really played with him a lot, but I think we connect and I think we’re seeing things eye to eye, so it should go well.”
Califf said he had not received any advice from Sigi Schmid, his coach with the U-20s in Nigeria and now with the Galaxy. Schmid will attend tonight’s game.
“Certainly, there’s pressure, but I don’t think we’re feeling pressure from the coaching staff or the [U.S. Soccer] federation,” Califf said. “It’s more coming from us, just realizing the stakes in this tournament.
“If I had no nerves it would be bad, but if I had too many nerves it would be bad as well. So I have to kind of take it in stride and just go out and try to do my best.”
Winger Ben Olsen summed up the light-hearted mood in the U.S. camp. Asked how the team would get itself ready today, he replied:
“We’ll keep the same rituals. We’re not going to change anything. Wake up, big breakfast, couple of Bloody Marys, some lunch and we’ll be raring to go.”
There will be few last-minute instructions.
“Come game day,” Charles said, “it’s down to them. We can’t go on the field and play for them.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Olympic Qualifying Tournament
At Hershey, Pa.
Today’s semifinal games
* Mexico vs. Honduras, 2:30 p.m.
* U.S. vs. Guatemala, 5 p.m.
Sunday
* Third-place game (10 a.m.), championship final (12:30 p.m.)
Olympic qualifying games will be broadcast online at www.internetsoccer.com
All times Pacific
