Olympic qualifying will begin to affect D.C. United after just one match.
An official announcement finally came down on Friday that midfielder Andy Najar has been selected to the Honduran under-23 national team that will compete for a spot in the 2012 Summer Olympics later this month.
But while Najar will be available for United’s first two games of the year, Saturday’s season-opener at home against Sporting Kansas City and next Sunday’s visit to the Los Angeles Galaxy, goalkeeper Bill Hamid and midfielder Perry Kitchen are expected to join up with the U.S. squad next week, according to D.C. coach Ben Olsen.
The Hondurans, of course, play their first-round games in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament at Home Depot Center while the U.S. will be in Nashville.
While it’s not exactly worth it to get too far into the effects on United’s roster until after the first game of the season is played, certainly the absences will put immediate pressure on the team’s depth. Joe Willis will get an early chance in the goal and will have more starts than Hamid by the time Hamid returns.
If preseason games are any indication, Marcelo Saragosa will fill in for Kitchen, and that’s not exactly an upgrade over Clyde Simms. Out wide Olsen has more options, with Danny Cruz and Nick DeLeon likely available to replace Najar.
As a reminder, the top two teams from the first round advance to the the semifinal and final rounds in Kansas City, March 31-April 2. Here’s the first round schedule:
NASHVILLE:
March 22 (Thursday)
El Salvador vs. Canada at 5:30 p.m. CT
USA vs. Cuba at 8 p.m. CT
March 24 (Saturday)
Cuba vs. El Salvador at 3:30 p.m. CT
USA vs. Canada at 6 p.m. CT
March 26 (Monday)
Canada vs. Cuba at 5:30 p.m. CT
USA vs. El Salvador at 8 p.m. CT
LOS ANGELES:
March 23 (Friday)
Honduras vs. Panama at 6 p.m. PT
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Mexico at 8:30 p.m. PT
March 25 (Sunday)
Panama vs. Trinidad & Tobago at 1:30 p.m. PT
Mexico vs. Honduras at 4 p.m. PT
March 27 (Tuesday)
Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago at 6 p.m. PT
Mexico vs. Panama at 8:30 p.m. PT
