Galaxy Trio Among 25 in U.S. Pool

Nine soccer players from Southern California, three from the Galaxy, were named Tuesday to the final pool of 25 from which the U.S. team will be selected for next month’s qualifying tournament for the Sydney Olympic Games.

Coach Clive Charles selected first-year Galaxy players Sasha Victorine of Corona, Danny Califf of Orange and Peter Vagenas of Pasadena, as well as Brian Dunseth of Upland, Landon Donovan of Redlands, John Thorrington of Palos Verdes, Joey DiGiamarino of Corona, John O’Brien of Playa del Rey and Steve Cherundolo of San Diego.

The roster will be cut to 18 April 7, after which the U.S. team will be in training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 10-17.

The six-nation CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament will be played as five doubleheaders April 21-30 at 16,000-seat Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa. The winner and runner-up will qualify for Sydney.

Five teams will join the United States in the CONCACAF tournament. Two will come from among Canada, Guatemala, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago, which began pre-qualifying play Tuesday in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Two more will come from among Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras, which start pre-qualifying play April 4 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Also qualifying will be the winner of a pre-qualifying group made up of Panama, Bermuda and Cuba. That group starts play April 5 in Panama City, Panama.

The U.S. is an automatic qualifier as host of the event, but Charles said he is keeping close tabs on potential opponents.

“All the teams are being scouted all the way through,” he said. “Every team will be seen.”

Mexico and the U.S. are favored to reach the Olympics, but one will derail the other if they meet before the final.

“I don’t want to spend too much time worrying about Mexico,” Charles said. “I have to worry about whoever it is we have to play. Once we find out who it is we’re going to play, that will be our challenge.

“They’re all good teams. They all scare me a little bit.”

Major League Soccer was founded shortly before the 1996 Atlanta Games, and Charles said having a league to draw players from is a significant plus this time around.

All but one of the 25 players selected play professionally in MLS or overseas. In 1996, the U.S. squad was made up primarily of college players.