Post by epjr on Mar 27, 2014 17:28:51 GMT -6
U-21 TEAM TO BEGIN ROAD TO RIO
U.S. Soccer will be attempting to bridge the gap between the U-20 national team and the Olympic team with the creation of a U-21 national team.
Under the current structure of U.S. Soccer, full-time youth national teams end at the U-20 level. The U-23 team exists only around the Olympics. The U-21 team is a way to keep the players who are age-eligible for the Olympics playing in the national team set up. The players eligible now for the U-21 team will likely be players who are too old for the current U-20s but eligible for the U-23 team that will attempt to qualify and play in 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
At this point, it is unclear how regularly the team will meet or what types of competition it will play before Olympic qualifying in 2016.
Players who are age-eligible and are likely to be involved this Olympic cycle are Luis Gil, Benji Joya, DeAndre Yedlin, Shane O'Neill, Omar Salgado, and Wil Trapp in MLS. In Mexico, Alonso Hernandez, Juan Ocegueda, Alejandro Guido, Daniel Cuevas, and Dennis Flores could potentially play a role. In Europe, Will Packwood, John Brooks, Marc Pelosi, Duane Holmes, Caleb Stanko, and Cody Cropper are all candidates to make the team in Rio in two years.
www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=show&id=11361