US Men's U23 Team Fails to Qualify for 2012 Olympics

Thanks to a 2-0 loss to Canada on Saturday night and a 3-3 draw with El Salvador last night, the United States has failed to qualify for the men's soccer tournament in the Olympics for the first time since 1976. Last night it appeared that, despite the shocking loss to Canada, the US team would advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers since they were leading the match, 2-3, over El Salvador, as the match went into stoppage time. But then, to American soccer fans, the unthinkable happened as Jaime Alas scored on a howler giving El Salvador the draw as well as earning that country its first trip to the Olympics soccer tournament since 1968.

For those unfamiliar with how Olympic soccer qualifying works, the US team at issue was its U23 squad, not the senior team that features in the World Cup qualifiers and finals. While a knee jerk reaction to the US's failure to make it the Olympics would be to paint a portrait of doom and gloom for the future of the US Men's team, it's way too early to do that. These players are young and still have plenty of time for growth and development before some of them will become regular fixtures on the senior team's bench and later its starting squad. Additionally, there's reason to believe that with all the recent changes that have occurred within the coaching and development structure at US Soccer, the response to this "failure" will be more efficient and creative.

While it is a shame that US Soccer will not have a men's team competing in the Olympics this summer, it's not the end of the world, by any means, for US Soccer. While the Olympics in general are very popular with television viewers in the United States, coverage of soccer has usually received low priority, especially when compared to the "sexy" events like gymnastics, swimming, and track and field. In the bigger scheme of the soccer world, men's Olympics soccer is to the World Cup what the NIT is to the NCAA Tournament (or to make another current cultural analogy, men's Olympics soccer is to the World Cup what Peter Campbell is to Don Draper).

Stuart Holden scores winning goal for USA

(c) Associated Press

Well, Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden did the U.S. proud, scoring the only going in the team's victory over Japan, in the 47th minute in their opening match of Olympic group play. Today's win gave the US team an important 3 points, which will be crucial to their desire to advance beyond the group stage. The U.S. are in Group B, which includes, in addition to Japan, the Netherlands and Nigeria, neither of which can be taken lightly.

Thanks goes to the Dynamo organization for making the above picture from the Associated Press available for use. Speaking of the AP, here's their report on the match:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iWDMl0HNGL-7EdkuGPeDeH_YQv8gD92DF2CG0

And here are some other reports:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/us-mens-socce-1.html

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g9KypxJ7qOu-1prOnQcLKH22iYKw

I should also note that Italy's Olympic team, which has no players over the age of 23, also won its opening match, beating Honduras 3-0. Among those scoring goals for Italy was Guiseppe Rossi, who was born in New Jersey to Italian parents (he was a topic of the most recent episode of World Soccer Wrap: Serie A).

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYd43ndxLLWr_dUWO1aIofgpzbYAD92DDJ502

The Iraq Situation

On Monday May 26, 2008, FIFA suspended Iraq from all international competitions for at least year. This decision comes in the wake of the Iraq government's May 20, 2008 decision to dissolve the Iraqi National Olympic Committee (INOC) and all national sports federations, possibly including the Iraqi Football Association (IFA). However, FIFA has provided the Iraqi government with an escape clause, if the Iraq government annulls or reverses the May 20th decision by midnight Sydney, Australia time on May 29, 2008, then FIFA will lift the suspension.

With the upcoming 2010 World Cup, this suspension could seriously destroy the Asian Cup Champions' chances of making it to South Africa. As it stands, Iraq has World Cup Qualifying matches scheduled against Australia this coming Sunday and then against Dubai next week.

At this point, the Iraqi government appears to have no desire to reverse the May 20th decision.

It appears that the heart of this standoff may come down to either a misinterpretation of the May 20th decision or a miscommunication between FIFA and the Iraq government. Iraqi Sports Minister Jasem Mohammed Jaafar has been quoted as stating that the May 20th decision did not cover the country's soccer federation.

However, the IFA's assistant secretary, Tariq Ahmed, has stated that the government has not informed the IFA that it was exempt from the May 20th decision.

In addition to the FIFA ban, because the May 20th decision encompassed the INOC, at this point Iraq will not be allowed to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejing, China.

Hope may be found in the fact that Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi has openly urged President Talabani to step in and urge the reversal of the May 20th decision.

This decision comes 3 months before upcoming elections, and the decision also apparently established a temporary committee with full power to hold the elections and prepare a new law for the Olympic committee. The official reason for this action is that the Iraqi government was concerned that the committee, which should consist of 11 members, lacks legitimacy because it does not have a quorum. Committee chairman, Ahmed al-Hijiya, and three other committee members were kidnapped and have not been released. Subsequently, two other members resigned.

One of the first organizations to condem the May 20th decision was the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), whose president, Mohammed bin Hamman, was quick to state that the Iraqi government had no right to disband what is a body controlled by democratically elected officials. The AFC, it appears, refuses to work with the temporary committee.

This is an issue that Americans need to take notice of - sports in general, and soccer in particular, has been one of the few things that has unified Iraqis since the start of the war and the subsequent civil war and insurgency. If anything, the U.S. government should push the Iraqi government to do more to promote its national sports and atheletes. Iraq's victory in the Asian Cup last year was a major blow in the face of those who want to rip the country to shreds, a balkanized country in the heart of the Middle East. Sports unifies people on a national level, that lifts them above politics and religion, it is an important factor in creating a peaceful Iraq.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL253555720080526?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080521/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_olympics;_ylt=AsKLLOn_8vTZGR4KmA5WvvELewgF

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/26/content_8258552.htm

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23764715-11088,00.html

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_F28q9ss5g1pNj5i87AM-Ab7aEg

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12010_3613060,00.html

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Sport/?id=1.0.2183006514

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL2189030220080521

http://football.uk.reuters.com/world/news/BKK141237.php