Adu, Feilhaber head U.S. Olympic qualifying roster

• by Soccer America , Feb 27, 2008

[ROSTER] Ten players who have played for the full national team, including Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber, are in the 24-man roster Coach Peter Nowak has named to enter the U-23 national team training camp to prepare for Olympic qualifying play.

The squad enters camp March 1 in Bradenton, Fla.. Prior to the first qualifying game against Cuba March 11 in Tampa, Nowak will name a 20-man roster that may include players not in the initial camp, such as England-based defender Jonathan Spector, who is expected to be released by West Ham for the latter stages of the tournament.

Michael Bradley, however, is not expected to join the team for the qualifying tournament -- from which the semifinal winners qualify for next summer's Olympic Games in China - because of his starting role with his Dutch club Heerenveen.

Besides Adu and Feilhaber, players in camp with full national team caps are Eddie Gaven, Sacha Kljestan, Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, Kamani Hill, Charlie Davies, Sal Zizzo and Robbie Findley.

Seven players in camp play their ball with foreign clubs: Adu, Feilhaber, Davies, Hill, Zizzo, goalkeeper Tony Hall and Michael Orozco.

After opening with Cuba, the USA faces Panama on March 13 and Honduras on March 15. The first two finishers in the group will face the top two teams from Group B, which is comprised of Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico.

The USA failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics when it lost to Mexico in the semifinals of the qualifying tournament in Mexico.

If the USA qualifies for the 2008 Games, Coach Nowak will be able add three over-age "wild-card" players.

U.S. UNDER-23 MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS
Dominic Cervi (Chicago Fire), Tally Hall (Esbjerg fB/Denmark), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake).

DEFENDERS
Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hil (VfL Wolfsburg/Germany), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis/Mexico), Mike Randolph (LA Galaxy), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC).

MIDFIELDERS
Arturo Alvarez (FC Dallas), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County/England), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96/Germany).

FORWARDS
Freddy Adu (Benfica/Portugal), Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF/Sweden), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake).