THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 TAG: 9507110391
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
Officially, the Hampton Roads Mariners will host the U.S. Men's Under 23 National Team tonight at First Colonial High School. Unofficially, the Mariners know they'll be lining up against the bulk of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team.
``This is essentially the team that will play in the '96 Olympics,'' said Shawn McDonald, the Mariners' general manager and assistant coach. ``And that makes this a great test for our team.''
U.S. coach Timo Liekoski said international rules mandate that all but three members of Olympic teams be 23 or less, which makes this team America's primary developmental arm for the Olympics.
``We will add some players,'' he said. ``Some of our players are with other teams. But a majority (of the Olympic squad) will come from this team.''
If so, it's a tribute to the ACC, which has 11 players on the 20-man roster, including six from Virginia, the four-time NCAA champion, and four from North Carolina.
A.J. Woods may be the best-known of the U.Va. products. He is one of only four Cavaliers to play on all four national champions, was the 1994 Soccer America Player of the Year, ranks second in career goals (56) and points (128) at U.Va., and scored the game-winning goal against Indiana as a senior in the NCAA championship game in 1994. He leads the U.S. team with nine goals in 18 international games.
Other players from U.Va. include midfielders Damian Silvera and Billy Walsh, defenders Clint Peay and Brandon Pollard, and forward Mike Fisher. Pollard, of Richmond, was an All-American last season.
The Cavaliers will be facing former U.Va. teammate Nate Friends, a forward for the Mariners.
The U.S. player to watch tonight might be Jason Moore, a 5-foot-11 midfielder from Atlanta who, at 17, is by far the youngest member of the team and is considered a superstar in the making. The rising sophomore was named Georgia's High School player of the year as a freshman.
The U.S. team has not fared well so far on its two-week eastern tour. It began with a 2-1 victory over Chile's Under 23 team on July 2 at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., Liekoski's alma mater.
Three days later the U.S. team lost to one of the Mariners' USISL compatriots, the Long Island Rough Riders, 3-0. World Cup goalie Tony Meola had the shutout for Long Island, which played to a 1-1 tie with the Mariners in an exhibition earlier this season.
The U.S. team then fell to Chile, 4-0, in Harrisburg, Pa., Saturday before busing to Virginia Beach on Sunday.
``We played well in Oneonta,'' Liekoski said. ``In Long Island, we played on a narrow field that they took advantage of. Tony Meola played very well. We didn't play badly.
``Chile came in well-rested and ... and we weren't.''
What does he expect tonight?
``We know that Hampton Roads has a lot of good players,'' he said. ``We hear they are an aggressive team. We expect a tough game.''
The U.S. team should be rested tonight. The players spent much of Monday lounging on the beach at their Oceanfront hotel.
They will spend the rest of the week in Hampton Roads, touring area sites and preparing for an exhibition game Saturday against Trinidad and Tobago at Old Dominion. ILLUSTRATION: JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
Timo Lienoski, coach of the U.S. Men's Under 23 National Team,
directs his players during a practice Monday at Virginia Wesleyan.
GAMEWATCH
What: U.S. Olympic Team vs. Hampton Roads Mariners
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: First Colonial High School, 1272 Mill Dam Road, Va. Beach.
Tickets: Adults $12, youth 16 & under, $10. Tickets available at
all local soccer stores and all Mariners' Ticket outlets or by
calling the Mariners at 46-GOALS.
U.S. UNDER-23 TEAM
[For a copy of the roster, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB