The United States U-23 men's national soccer team, also known as the United States men's Olympic soccer team, is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is qualification into and competition at the quadriennial Olympic Football Tournament, the next of which is to be held during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. The team's most recent major tournament was the tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in which the United States team was eliminated in the first round group stage.
The roster can be augmented with three "overage" players, ostensibly possessing veteran experience, during Olympic competition, in accordance with FIFA regulations.
History
Men's Olympic soccer as an under-23 competition officially began during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. A win over Kuwait was not enough for qualification past the group stage, and, as expected, a loss to Italy and a draw with Poland eliminated the United States in the first round. Several US players on the roster, however, would go on to have a major influence with the United States men's national soccer team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which the United States would host.
The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia would be the first time that teams could add overage players to their rosters. With the advantage as the host nation, and with Major League Soccer in the middle of its inaugural season, the USSF tapped then-D.C. United head coach Bruce Arena to manage the Olympic team. They would fall short again, however, as a loss to eventual-silver medalists Argentina, offset favorable results in a win against Tunisia and a draw with Portugal.
The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia marked a significant turnaround in the fortunes of the team. This time, the United States, led by head coach Clive Charles, won their group on goal difference, based on draws with Czech Republic and eventual-gold medalists Cameroon, and a win over Kuwait. A tense quarterfinal match against Japan ended in a penalty shoot-out, which the United States won. Losses to Spain in the semifinals and Chile in the bronze medal match fell short of rising expectations, but a fourth-place finish in a sixteen-team tournament led to the national youth team's greatest result at the Olympics.
The team did not compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; the United States, led by head coach Glenn Myernick, would lose to Mexico in the semifinals of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament.
In late 2006, former Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley was given the reins to both the senior national team and under-23 national team. His tenure would be brief, and his elevation to full-time head coach of the senior team would result in him handing control of the under-23 team to his assistant head coach, Piotr Nowak. Under Nowak, the United States qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics after a 3-0 win over Canada in the 2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament, thanks to goals by Freddy Adu and Sacha Kljestan. They would end their tournament as runners-up to Honduras but with an Olympic berth in hand.
There are no games or camps scheduled for 2009 because it is in off-year in under-23 competition because it falls one year after an Olympic tournament; play will resume at this level in 2010.[1]
National sports teams of the United States
