Tough Choices Ahead for U.S.

Now comes the difficult part for Clive Charles.

Having coached the U.S. soccer team into the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, he has to decide which players, if any, to cut from the squad. It’s a decision he dreads.

Under Olympic competition rules, competing teams have to be made up of players 23 or younger, but three “overage” players are allowed to join each team once it has earned its place in the Summer Games.

The odd system is the result of a compromise between FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, and the International Olympic Committee, which would like to see the Olympics open to all players, regardless of age. FIFA believes that would upstage its quadrennial World Cup, so three players was the compromise.

That means Charles, in conjunction with U.S. national team Coach Bruce Arena and others, now must consider how to strengthen the U.S. squad before it leaves for Australia in September.

“I will talk to Bruce and I will listen to what recommendations he makes,” Charles said. “I will talk to my assistant coaches and listen to what recommendations they make. The most difficult decision that I will have to make is to leave somebody out of this 18 [players on the roster]. That’s really going to be difficult for me.”

Bringing in older, more experienced players is not mandatory, but Olympic teams do so because it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity.

“I don’t have to,” said Charles, who also is the men’s and women’s coach at the University of Portland. “It’s up to me if I want to do that or not. I think you have to understand that sometimes team spirit can be affected. You may bring in overage players who can help you on the field, but how does the team react to losing three players who helped it qualify?

“All these things I have to look into. I don’t know. I’m just not looking forward to telling whoever it is that they’re not going to Australia.”

He paused, then lightened the mood.

“I may ask my assistants [John Ellinger and Peter Mellor] to do that.”

After the U.S. team had lost, 2-1, Sunday afternoon to Honduras in the final, albeit relatively meaningless, game of the regional qualifying tournament, Charles said he would make the decision with the next month.

He declined to name names or even hint at what positions might be affected. It seems likely, however, that such national team players as Galaxy defender Greg Vanney, Chicago Fire midfielder Chris Armas, Fulham (England) winger Eddie Lewis and Columbus Crew striker Brian McBride will merit serious consideration as the players to be brought in.

Meanwhile, it seems equally logical that Fire winger DaMarcus Beasley, 17, could be one of the players left home this time around since he will still be young enough to compete in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The same goes for forward Landon Donovan, 18, of Redlands, although Donovan’s two goals in Friday night’s 4-0 victory over Guatemala might have secured him a place on the eventual roster.

Charles’ performance in getting the U.S. into the 2000 Games has won praise from U.S. Soccer federation officials and his players.

“What Clive brings to this program is a completely thorough, professional approach to our national teams program,” said Tom King, U.S. Soccer’s chief operating officer and a man widely considered as an ideal choice to replace the retired Hank Steinbrecher as the federation’s secretary general.

“The players can really relate to him because he has come from the professional ranks himself as a player. They have enormous respect for Clive as a coach.

“It’s an absolutely brilliant atmosphere in camp because he can make it serious when it needs to be serious, but with one quick quip he can make the whole atmosphere jovial and take the pressure off the players.”

In Charles’ view, it’s more a matter of management than coaching.

“I don’t coach this team, I manage this team,” he said. “I pick the starting 11 and I tell them what formation we’re going to play and then they go out and play. My job is to create an environment where they feel they can play good soccer. They all know how to play.”

Charles does not believe his players should be rushed into the national team.

“Let them enjoy this and let them learn because they’re still young and they still make a lot of mistakes,” he said. “When their time’s ready and when Bruce is ready to bring some of them up then, he will.

“This is a great group. Systems of play do not win games, players win games. If you don’t have good players, it doesn’t matter what system you play, you ain’t going to play well.

“These guys have to go back to their clubs now. They have to go back to the place that pays their wages. So they’ll go back to MLS and the European guys will go back to Europe to play for their clubs and I’ll get them for about a week in August. We’ll play a couple of games and then we’ll go to Australia.”

Some will. Some won’t. It’s a tough decision.

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United States Olympic Roster

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Name Pos. Club Adin Brown G Colorado (MLS) Tim Howard G NY/NJ (MLS) Danny Califf D Galaxy (MLS) Steve Cherundolo D Hannover 96 (Germany) Ramiro Corrales D NY/NJ (MLS) Eric Denton D Washington (MLS) ** Brian Dunseth D New England (MLS) Chad McCarty D Tampa Bay (MLS) DaMarcus Beasley M Chicago (MLS) John O’Brien M Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) Ben Olsen M Washington (MLS) John Thorrington M Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) Peter Vagenas M Galaxy (MLS) Brian Winters M Minnesota Thunder (A-League) *** Chris Albright F Washington (MLS) Conor Casey F University of Portland Landon Donovan F Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) Josh Wolff F Chicago (MLS)

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** Filling in for injured Sasha Victorine, M, Galaxy

*** Filling in for injured Joey DiGiamarino, M, Colorado (MLS)