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The US U23s tied El Salvador 3-3 today, finishing 3rd in Group A of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament, thus eliminating the Yanks from the tournament and the Olympic games. For any fan of US soccer this poor tournament performance is a massive disappointment and it sure looks like a step backward for US youth soccer.

But if you're an FC Dallas fans there is a silver lining, aside from his early assist on the first goal of the game, Brek Shea will now be returning to Dallas and he won't be missing a chunk of time for the big tournament in London this summer.

So FCD has that going for them, which is nice.

Match: U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team vs. El Salvador
Date: March 26, 2012

Scoring Summary
USA – Terrence Boyd (Brek Shea) 1st minute
SLV – Lester Blanco (Isidro Gutierrez) 35
SLV - Andres Flores (Jaime Alas) 37
USA - Terrence Boyd (Freddy Adu) 65
USA - Joe Corona (Freddy Adu) 68
SLV - Jaime Alas 90+4

Lineups:
USA: 1-Bill Hamid (18-Sean Johnson, 39); 3-Kofi Sarkodie, 2-Ike Opara, 4-Perry Kitchen,13-Jorge Villafaña; 16-Amobi Okugo, 8-Mix Diskerud, 10-Joe Corona (20-Michael Stephens, 88); 7-Freddy Adu (capt.) (14-Joe Gyau, 90+3), 15-Terrence Boyd, 11-Brek Shea

Subs not used: 5-Zarek Valentin, 6-Jared Jeffrey, 12-Teal Bunbury, 17-Tony Taylor, 19-Sheanon Williams
Head coach: Caleb Porter

SLV: 18-Yimy Cuellar; 5-Alexander Mendoza, 4-Xavier Garcia (capt.), 2-Milton Molina, 13-Alexander Larin; 9-Isidro Gutierrez, 8-Diego Chavarria (19-Darwin Ceren, 73), 16-Richard Menjivar, 10-Jaime Alas; 20-Andres Flores, 17-Lester Blanco (14-Herbert Sosa, 87)

Subs not used: 1-Diego Cuellar, 3-Marlon Martinez, 6-Elman Rivas, 7-Dustin Corea, 12-Edwin Sanchez, 15-Jorge Moran
Head coach: Mauricio Alfaro

Stats Summary: USA / SLV
Shots 9 / 10
Shots on Goal 5 / 5
Saves 2 / 2
Corner Kicks 4 / 5
Fouls 15 / 14
Offsides 1 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
SLV – Diego Chavarria (caution) 5th minute
SLV – Lester Blanco (caution) 7
USA - Amobi Okugo (caution) 7
USA - Jorge Villafaña (caution) 72
USA - Freddy Adu (caution) 74
SLV - Alexander Mendoza (caution) 87
USA - Terrence Boyd (caution) 90

Officials:
Referee: Roberto Garcia (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Rangel (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Dion Neil (TRI)
Fourth Official: Hector Gonzalez (HON)

U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team head coach Caleb Porter has named an initial 19-player roster for training camp that will convene March 13 to begin final preparations for the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying tournament.

A player withdrew from consideration Monday afternoon following confirmation of an injury. Porter will make one addition to the group after obtaining a release from his club.

The official 20-player roster will be finalized March 20, the due date for all participating teams to submit their rosters to CONCACAF. The U.S. will compete in Group A, which kicks off March 22 at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn.

FC Dallas forward Brek Shea, who has appeared in all 10 of the U.S. Men’s National Team matches under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, was the 2011 U.S. Young Male Athlete of the Year and is coming off a strong season with FC Dallas that included MLS Best XI recognition and a nomination for MLS Most Valuable Player.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for these young players to get valuable experience in international competition and ultimately qualify for the 2012 Olympics," said Klinsmann, who won a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. "Playing the Olympic Games is a once in a lifetime chance, and we are fully supporting their efforts to qualify. Some of these players will continue their international careers on the senior team in the future, and these situations allow them the chance to grow individually and experience the ups and downs national teams go through, which is so important for their development."

Also of local interest in the team is Richardson native Jared Jeffrey, who plays for Mainz in Germany.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying begins on March 22, with Group A games being played at LP Field in Nashville and Group B games at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The USA was drawn into Group A with Canada, Cuba and El Salvador, while Group B is composed of Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.

The semifinal and final matches will be played at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on March 31 and April 2, respectively. Individual tickets are on sale for the games in Nashville and Carson, and series tickets are available for the knockout phase in Kansas City.

U.S. U-23 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER
Domestic Training Camp – Nashville, Tenn.
March 13-20

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birth Date Hometown Club
Adu, Freddy M 5-7 150 06/02/89 Potomac, Md. Philadelphia Union
Agudelo, Juan F 6-0 180 11/23/92 Barnegat, N.J. New York Red Bulls
Boyd, Terrence F 6-0 180 02/16/91 Berlin, Germany Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Bunbury, Teal F 6-1 180 02/27/90 Prior Lake, Minn. Sporting Kansas City
Corona, Joe M 5-10 165 07/09/90 Chula Vista, Calif. Club Tijuana (Mexico)
Diskerud, Mix M 6-0 150 10/02/90 Oslo, Norway Gent (Belgium)
Gatt, Josh D 5-10 165 08/29/91 Plymouth, Mich. Molde (Norway)
Gyau, Joe F 5-8 155 09/16/92 Silver Spring, Md. Hoffenheim (Germany)
Hamid, Bill GK 6-4 225 11/25/90 Annandale, Va. D.C. United
Jeffrey, Jared M 5-11 165 06/14/90 Richardson, Texas Mainz (Germany)
Johnson, Sean GK 6-3 215 05/31/89 Lilburn, Ga. Chicago Fire
Kitchen, Perry D 6-0 160 02/29/92 Indianapolis, Ind. D.C. United
Okugo, Amobi M 5-11 165 03/13/91 Sacramento, Calif. Philadelphia Union
Opara, Ike D 6-2 170 02/21/89 Durham, N.C. San Jose Earthquakes
Sarkodie, Kofi D 5-9 155 03/22/91 Huber Heights, Ohio Houston Dynamo
Shea, Brek F 6-4 190 02/28/90 Bryan, Texas FC Dallas
Stephens, Michael M 5-9 155 03/04/89 Naperville, Ill. LA Galaxy
Valentin, Zarek D 6-0 155 08/06/91 Lancaster, Pa. Montreal Impact
Villafaña, Jorge D 5-9 150 09/16/89 Anaheim, Calif. Chivas USA

Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United; Annandale, Va.), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire; Lilburn, Ga.)
DEFENDERS (6): Josh Gatt (Molde; Plymouth, Mich.), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United; Indianapolis, Ind.), Ike Opara (San Jose Earthquakes; Durham, N.C.), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo; Huber Heights, Ohio), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact; Lancaster, Pa.), Jorge Villafaña (Chivas USA; Anaheim, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union; Potomac, Md.), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Mix Diskerud (Gent; Oslo, Norway), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz; Richardson, Texas), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union; Sacramento, Calif.), Michael Stephens (LA Galaxy; Naperville, Ill.)
FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls; Barnegat, N.J.), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund; Berlin, Germany), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City; Prior Lake, Minn.), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim; Silver Spring, Md.), Brek Shea (FC Dallas; Bryan, Texas)

National Team Staff
Head Coach: Caleb Porter (West Akron, Ohio)
Assistant Coach: Claudio Reyna (Bedford Corners, N.Y.)
Assistant Coach: John Trask (Shorewood Hills, Wis.)
Goalkeeper Coach: Eric Yamamoto (Los Gatos, Calif.)
Fitness Coach: Randy Rocha (Brookeville, Md.)
Team Coordinator: Jon Fleishman (Long Beach, Calif.)
Equipment Coordinator: Jason Peters (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Athletic Trainer: Josh Beaumont (Alhambra, Calif.)
Massage Therapist: Mark Higgins (Tinley Park, Ill.)
Videographer: Troy Bardy (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Press Officer: Michael Kammarman (Chicago)

FC Dallas’ final tune-up before heading to Orlando, Fla., later this week came on Wednesday morning against the United States’ Under-23 team. FCD fell 2-1 to an opponent who finished the game with just nine players.

And it was none other than Brek Shea who scored the winning goal for the U-23s, banging one in after a solid cross from Freddy Adu just six minutes into the final frame. However, by the 75^th minute, Shea was gone after receiving his second yellow of the game.

His ejection came some 17 minutes after U.S. teammate Kofi Sarkodie was sent off with a second yellow, albeit a questionable one after a tackle on a FCD speedster just outside the Dallas box.

Andrew Jacobson had the lone goal of the day for Dallas and it came 15 minutes in, just four minutes before the U.S. drew it level thanks to a header by ex-Wake Forest standout Ike Opara. Then, there was an Adu PK attempt in the 36^th minute that Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman stopped.

But overall, it was a solid game where the FCD starters, including David Ferreira, who was seeing his first action of the preseason, played significant minutes. Still, considering they played the final 15 minutes with a two-man advantage, it was a bit disconcerting that Dallas didn’t at least draw things level, their best chance to do so being a Blas Perez free kick five minutes from full time that struck the right post.

So, it’s understandable that the gaffer wasn’t too pleased about today’s loss after it was in the books.

“I don’t know if I’m more hurt by the fact that we lost or the fact that we didn’t score being up two men. Basically, they really couldn’t do anything,” Hyndman said. “We had them pretty much locked in and I thought either the last pass wasn’t good enough or the service wasn’t good enough or the finish wasn’t good enough.”

However, seeing Ferreira back on the pitch, albeit for just 22 minutes, was a huge positive for FCD. The highlight of his first preseason action came when he delivered a solid long ball perfectly to the feet of Castillo on the right side.

“We had planned play him 10-15 minutes and then he wanted to go back in the second half. So I think we gave him another 10 minutes in the second half. I think you probably saw the same thing I saw, once he got on the field there seemed to be a little bit of possession in the game,” Hyndman said. “There was a little bit of purpose in the game and we got away from just trying to break them down with one pass, a through ball, a long ball or an individual play.”

And for Dallas supporters who follow this team closely and were in attendance for this morning’s scrimmage, it was a bit weird to see Shea squaring off with FCD starting right back Zach Loyd as enemies instead of teammates as they normally are.

“Yeah, they’re both head bangers. I thought they both had some good battles. Surprised that they were going at each other as hard as they did considering they’re teammates. But again, they both want to compete,” Hyndman said.

Observations from Today’s Scrimmage

- Blas Perez absolutely blistered the free kick he took in the 85^th minute, raising the possibility that FCD’s set piece issues from 2011 could be a thing of the past.

- There were some flashes from David Ferreira today, but he is still a long way from returning to his 2010 MVP form, if he even does at all.

- Hyndman is legitimately concerned about the health of his central midfield of Daniel Hernandez and Andrew Jacobson going into the season, especially should he choose to go with a 4-4-2 formation going forward.

- Left mid could be a sore spot for FCD this year, especially if Brek Shea is gone for Olympic qualifying as well as for the Olympics and several World Cup qualifiers. Some feel newcomer Carlos Rodriguez is a viable option there, but when Hyndman says he’s not an attacking player as he has said about Rodriguez, why would you put him in a spot where he’s destined to fail?

- The ideal situation at center back would obviously be for George John to return from his loan to West Ham United and renew his solid partnership with Ugo Ihemelu. There is an obvious language barrier between Ihemelu and Colombian newcomer Hernan Pertuz, something that clearly concerns Hyndman.

- Today was the start of FCD facing tougher competition, which leads one to wonder if today’s loss is indicative of similar outcomes in Florida or if today was more of a mere aberration?

FC Dallas dropped a 2-1 decision to the U.S. under-23 national team on the Adidas Field at FC Dallas Stadium. Winger Brek Shea, who was called into national team duty over the weekend, scored the game-winner for Caleb Porter’s side in the 51^st minute. David Ferreira made his first appearance of the spring for FC Dallas when he came on in minute 36.

The US U-23s earned seven of the nine yellow cards handed out in the game, resulting in two ejections. Kofi Sarkodie was sent off for a 2nd yellow in the 58th minute, Break Shea departed with his 2nd yellow in the 75th minute.

FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman had a stellar day in goal for the home side. He began by denying the U.S. U-23s of a goal with a point-blank save in the 12^th minute. On the play, Amobi Okugo collected the ball in central midfield and played a ball over the top to Juan Agudelo. With FC Dallas center back Hernan Purtuz on his back, Agudelo chested the ball out in front of him and was in alone on Hartman. Agudelo opted to take a hard shot at the back post, but Hartman punched the shot away to keep the match scoreless.

Dallas battled back and earned a corner kick in the 15^th minute. Colombian forward Fabian Castillo took the kick, lining a cross to the center of the six-yard box, where Andrew Jacobson beat his defender to the ball and nodded a hard finish into the back of the net to give FC Dallas a 1-0 advantage.

The U.S. U-23s found an equalizer just four minutes later on a corner kick taken by Freddy Adu. An exact copy of Jacobson’s goal, Adu picked out Ike Opara at the top of the box and the defender headed a shot to the back post to level the score, 1-1.

FC Dallas got a boost in the 36^th minute when FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman brought on 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira for the first time since he suffered a season-ending injury on April 23, 2011.

The U.S. U-23s came out strong following the half and got a goal in the 51^st minute from Shea. Playing on the left flank, Shea timed his run well and beat the FC Dallas defense to a ball played over the top by Adu. In alone against Hartman, Shea cracked a hard shot high to the back post from 12-yards out to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead.

The U.S. went down a man in the 58^th minute when Kofi Sarkodie was whistled for his second caution after bringing down Fabian Castillo at the top of the box. The breakout was started by Ferriera, who collected the ball in the center of the pitch before lobbing a perfectly-weighted pass into space for Castillo.

The U-23s lost yet another man in the 75^th minute when Shea was shown his second yellow after coming together with FC Dallas trialist Daniel Osorno. The advantage gave Dallas a distinct advantage in possession as the home side pushed for a late equalizer.

Scoring Summary:
DAL – Andrew Jacobson (Fabian Castillo) 15
USA – Ike Opara (Freddy Adu) 19
USA – Brek Shea (Adu) 51

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Kofi Sarkodie (caution) 23
USA – Brek Shea (caution) 27
USA – Jared Jeffery (caution) 38
USA – Sarkodie (caution) 58
USA – Sarkodie (ejection; second caution) 58
DAL – Andrew Jacobson (caution) 64
USA – Shea (caution) 75
USA – Shea (ejection; second caution) 75
DAL – Blas Perez (caution) 78

Lineups:

FC Dallas – Kevin Hartman (Chris Seitz 69), Jair Benitez (Jonathan Top 75), Ugo Ihemelu (Matt Hedges 72), Hernan Pertuz (Christian Ibeagha 72), Zach Loyd (Castillo 81), Carlos Rodriguez, Daniel Hernandez (Bobby Warshaw 64), Andrew Jacobson (Alex Lee 64), Andrew Wiedeman (David Ferreira 36, Daniel Osorno 58), Blas Perez, Fabian Castillo (Dogba 58).

U.S. Under 23s – Bill Hamid (Sean Johnson 45), Ike Opara (Greg Garza 45), Kofi Sarkodie, Zarek Valentin, Jorge Villafana (Perry Kitchen 45), Amobi Okugo, Juan Agudelo (Michael Stephens 45), Jared Jeffery (Dilly Duka 45), Brek Shea, Freddy Adu (Bunbury 67), Teal Bunbury (Tony Taylor 45, Villafana 76).

When FC Dallas and the United States Under-23 team square off in a 10 AM scrimmage on Wednesday at the FC Dallas Stadium complex, that game could feature a match-up that the FCD players have regularly seen in practice over the last few years.

That’s because if Zach Loyd starts at right back for FCD and Brek Shea starts at left mid for the U-23s, then they could square off against one another, which will not be a new experience for the ex-tar Heel.

“No, it will be normal. We match up in practice every day, so it’ll be just like training all over again,” Loyd said.

But after facing college foes over the last few weeks, the third-year defender admits it will be nice to have a step up in caliber of competition, especially with a trip to Orlando, FCD’s last excursion of the preseason, looming later this week.

“I definitely think as a group, we’re ready. We’ve been putting in a lot of work with two-a-days, going to Cancun, putting in some work and playing some teams from other countries. So I think the competition is something we definitely invite,” Loyd said. “We want to play the best competition we can in preseason and I think that the 23s will be real good test for us going in there before we head down to Orlando and before we play a couple MLS teams.”

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman clearly agrees. "Yeah, we've been at it for a little bit over a month and we’ve had a lot of new people come in. So we’re trying to make a lot of adjustments and pleased with the progress we’re making but also realize so is every opposition,” Hyndman said. “So we've got to make sure we’re all playing a system of play that we understand and have accepted. People need to know their job description and do it. Then, the competition will bring the best out of us.”

Besides Shea, there are several other names to watch with the Under-23 squad. Of course, Freddy Adu, who is now with the Philadelphia Union, is one such player along with local products Greg Garza of Grapevine and Jared Jeffrey of Richardson, both of whom play in the U.S. midfield. Other names of note include striker Juan Agudelo of the New York Red Bulls and defender Ike Opara, a former standout at Wake Forest who now plays in San Jose.

FC Dallas star midfielder Brek Shea is among 23 players U.S. Under-23 men’s national team head coach Caleb Porter has named for a 10-day training camp in Frisco, Texas. The camp begins Feb. 19 and culminates with a match against Mexico’s U-23 on Feb. 29 at FC Dallas Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on Univision.

The training camp and Mexico match make up an important stretch for the U-23s as they get set for the Men’s Olympic Qualifying tournament, with group play kicking off March 22 at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. “I think Mexico is going to be about as close to a qualifying atmosphere as we can possibly get,” Porter said. “We’re going to have, for the most part, our entire group together for the first time.”

In addition to the Mexico match, the U.S. U-23s will hold scrimmages against FC Dallas of Major League Soccer on Feb. 22, and the North American Soccer League’s new franchise, the San Antonio Scorpions, on Feb. 24.

“The No. 1 priority in this camp is to see our guys in games and to build a little bit of that rhythm by playing multiple games in a short amount of time,” Porter said. “Everything is geared toward the Mexico game, but we want to get a couple of games early in the week to get guys minutes so we can look at everybody to help with those final roster decisions leading into qualifying.”

Five players who had not previously been in camp with the U-23 team will be on hand, including Shea, who has appeared in all nine of the U.S. matches under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The 2011 U.S. Young Male Athlete of the Year and Bryan, Texas, native is coming off a strong season with FC Dallas that included MLS Best XI recognition and a nomination for MLS Most Valuable Player.

Texas natives Greg Garza and Jared Jeffrey return to their home state for training and the Mexico match. Jeffrey is from Dallas suburb Richardson, Texas, and Garza hails from Grapevine, Texas, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying begins on March 22, with Group A games being played at LP Field in Nashville and Group B games at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The USA was drawn into Group A with Canada, Cuba and El Salvador, while Group B is composed of Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.

The semifinal and final matches will be played at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on March 31 and April 2, respectively. Individual tickets are on sale for the games in Nashville and Carson, and series tickets are available for the knockout phase in Kansas City.

U.S. U-23 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER
Domestic Training Camp -- Frisco, Texas
Feb. 19-March 1

Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
DEFENDERS (7):Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Ike Opara (San Jose Earthquakes), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact), Jorge Villafaña (Chivas USA)
MIDFIELDERS (6):Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Gent), Dilly Duka (Columbus Crew), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union), Michael Stephens (LA Galaxy)
FORWARDS (8):Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union), Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Tony Taylor (Estoril Praia)

The U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team will face the Mexico Under-23 National Team on Feb. 29 at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas, in an important match before the Men's Olympic Qualifying tournament begins. The match kicks off at 9 p.m. CT, and fans can follow on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

The U.S. U-23s will convene in Frisco on Feb. 19 to train in preparation for the match. U.S. U-23 head coach Caleb Porter will name his roster in the near future.

"This game is very important for our players and comes at a critical time for us before the start of Olympic qualifying," said Porter. "In this camp we expect to have the majority of the players who are in contention for final roster spots for qualifying. A match against Mexico will serve as a great measuring stick both individually and collectively as we put the finishing touches on our roster selection."

Advance tickets starting at $20 go on sale to the public Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (including Walmart and Fiesta stores). Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, Feb. 9, at 12 p.m. CT and runs until Friday, Feb. 10, at 8 a.m. CT at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying begins on March 22, with Group A games being played at LP Field in Nashville and Group B games at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The USA was drawn into Group A with Canada, Cuba and El Salvador, while Group B is composed of Mexico, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.

The U.S. and Mexico U-23s could face each other in the elimination rounds of qualifying if one team finishes first in its group with the other team in second place in its group. Should the USA advance out of Group A, it will play in the second semifinal match at 8 p.m. on March 31. The teams could also meet in the final if they advance to separate semifinals and win.

The semifinal and final matches will be played at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on March 31 and April 2, respectively. Individual tickets are on sale for the games in Nashville and Carson , and series tickets are available for the knockout phase in Kansas City.

The U.S. U-23s last met Mexico during qualification for the 2004 Olympic Games, with Mexico emerging with a 4-0 victory. Current U.S. Men's National Team players DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Beckerman and Landon Donovan were part of the U.S. squad.