The U.S. under-23 men’s national team wasn’t officially eliminated from the Summer Olympics until a host of U.S. errors and letdowns allowed El Salvador’s 94th-minute goal for a disaster 3-3 draw in qualifying on Monday in Nashville, Tenn. But the seeds were sown earlier by the players, the coaching staff and the U.S. Soccer Federation, and the ramifications from the shocking exit are equally widespread.
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At the player level, a number of U.S.-based players hoped to use the Olympics as a stepping stone to lucrative European transfers. D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who struggled in a 2-0 loss to Canada, will now have to rebuild his confidence in Washington and hope to gain exposure as the senior national team’s backup.
At the coaching level, Caleb Porter demonstrated that his ability to recruit and work magic on the field at Akron doesn’t easily translate to the international game. Porter was guilty of questionable tactics, roster selections and overreliance on former Zips, such as D.C. United’s Perry Kitchen, who played out of position at center back.
On the surface, U.S. Soccer’s selection of Porter was the anointing of one of American soccer’s best young coaching minds. But it was a compromise appointment, according to multiple industry sources, and now it looks hasty.
Under Juergen Klinsmann, U.S. Soccer is trying to reinvent itself from the bottom up. But with the U-23s following the U-20s last year, U.S. youth teams have failed to advance out of qualifying in consecutive international competitions. When was the last time that the senior national team, which beat Italy 1-0 in Genoa last month, had the most promise?
– Craig Stouffer
