Orange’s Califf Gets Chance at Olympic Team
Nine soccer players from Southern California, including three from the Galaxy, Tuesday were named to the final pool of 25 players from which the U.S. team will be selected for next month’s qualifying tournament for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Coach Clive Charles selected first-year Galaxy players Danny Califf of Orange High, Sasha Victorine of Corona, and Peter Vagenas of Pasadena to the squad, 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 on April 7, after which the U.S. team will be in training camp in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from April 10-17.
Charles said Califf, who played four years at Orange and two years at the University of Maryland, was a longshot to make the pool last year.
“He wasn’t even a consideration a year ago,” Charles said. “But over the last year he’s done very well. He had a good Pan Am Games and a very good camp [in San Diego] in January. He just got better and better.”
Califf, who turned 20 on St. Patrick’s day, said the Olympics were nothing more than a dream when he played for Eddie Carrillo at Orange.
“I was just happy to get into college,” he said.
Although Califf played on the under-17 and under-20 national team, he was not invited to any of the under-23 camps. But he worked his way into the mix with a solid performance in the 1999 Pan Am Games, where he started five of six games on the United States’ bronze medal team.
“I really didn’t have anything to lose,” Califf said. “I was going there for the experience and to have fun. I played well, probably because I didn’t have any pressure on me.”
Califf continued his solid play at an under-23 camp in San Diego in January. That same month, the Galaxy selected Califf with the sixth overall pick in the draft.
“I think leaving school early really gave me a great chance to make the team,” said Califf, who helped lead Maryland to the Final Four as a freshman.
But Califf, a central defender, said he realizes his chances of securing a spot on the 18-man roster aren’t that great. He is probably battling Matt Chulis of the Columbus Crew and Evan Whitfield of Tampa Bay Mutiny for the fifth and last defender spot.
“I’m fighting to be the first guy off the bench,” he said. “I don’t really think I have that good of a chance, but you never know.”
Charles said he isn’t counting Califf out.
“He’s somebody I’ve liked a lot,” Charles said. “I was concerned about a central defender position and I think he’ll challenge the other two for spots.”
The six-nation CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament will be played as five doubleheaders from April 21-30 at 16,000-seat Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa. Only the winner and runner-up will qualify for Sydney.
In addition to the United States, the tournament will include two teams from among Canada, Guatemala, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago, which began pre-qualifying play Tuesday in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Also, two from among Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras, which start pre-qualifying play April 4 in Guadalajara, Mexico; and 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 a close tabs on potential American opponents.
“All the teams are being scouted all the way through,” he said. “Every team will be seen.”
On paper, 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.
“If it’s Mexico, then that’s the team we’re going to worry about. If it’s not, then we don’t have to worry about them until we have to play them.
“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 American squad was made up primarily of college players.
“Having professional players has been a tremendous advantage for me,” said Charles, who coached the U.S. team to the bronze medal in last summer’s Pan American Games.
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Staff writer Dave McKibben contributed to this story.
