SALT LAKE CITY --
U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team head coach Peter Nowak has named the 22 players who will participate in the Toulon International Tournament in Toulon, France, a squad that includes a pair of Real Salt Lake players - D/M Tony Beltran and GK Chris Seitz. The bulk of the U.S. team will arrive in Toulon this Thursday, May 15, and will have five days of training before their opening match against Turkey on May 21, at 3:30 p.m. local (7:30 a.m. MT). However, Beltran and Seitz will travel with their Real Salt Lake teammates to Denver for Thursday's Rocky Mountain Cup clash at the Colorado Rapids (7:30 p.m. kick-off, live on ESPN2) before departing for France on Friday morning.
All 16 games of the tournament will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, including the U.S. Group B match-ups against the Ivory Coast on May 23 at 6:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. MT), and Italy on May 25 at 6 p.m. (10:00 a.m. ET).
"This tournament will give us an opportunity to have a look at some players we have had in previous camps, and also a look at the new faces," said Nowak. "We don't want to be short-sighted with our selection for the Olympics. We want a whole picture that includes a variety of players, and to make sure we see every option before we make final choices."
Group A of the tournament features France along with Chile, the Netherlands and Japan. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals on May 27, and either the third-place match or final on May 29.
Of the three goalkeepers on the roster, Seitz and Dominic Cervi shared duties between the pipes during Olympic qualifying and combined for a goals against average of just 0.40 over five games, with Seitz posting a 2-0-1 record and 0.33 GAA in his three appearances in the tournament. The 21-year-old Seitz has been a longtime member of the U.S. Youth National Team system and has been widely regarded as the top 'keeper in the U-23 camp since the team began preparations for Olympic qualifying in late 2007.
The selection of the Beltran follows on the heels of the RSL rookie's first three professional starts with the Utah side (including U.S. Open Cup play), the UCLA product gaining one assist in now four MLS appearances to start his professional career. While Beltran is getting his first look from Nowak as a member of the Under-23 side, he is no stranger to the U.S. youth system, having represented the Red-White-and-Blue at the U-18 and U-20 levels over the past few years. Those stints included Beltran's rise from an alternate selection to a starter for the U.S. in last summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, during which Beltran started all five contests in helping the USA reach the tournament's quarterfinal round. Seitz and Beltran are two of five players heading to Toulon who were also part of last year's U-20 team, with Bryan Arguez, Gabe Ferrari and Julian Valentin rounding out the quintet.
In addition to Major League Soccer, seven leagues from across the globe contribute players to the U.S. roster. Sammy Ochoa, who will be part of his first U.S. National Team camp since the 2005 Under-20 World Cup, plays for UAG Tecos in Mexico. Goalkeeper Quentin Westberg, who was also part of the 2005 Under-20 World Cup team, joins the squad from French club Troyes AC. Davies and Derby County's Benny Feilhaber, the oldest member of the team, will join the U.S. from England and Hill joins the Hertha Berlin duo from Germany. SC Charleroi (Belgium) defender Greg Dalby and Randers (Denmark) midfielder Lee Nguyen round out the foreign contingent.
Of the 11 players from MLS, the Los Angeles Galaxy have the most representatives on the roster with Mike Gavin, Bryan Jordan and Valentin. Matching RSL's contingent of two is FC Dallas, which sends a pair of defenders in Blake Wagner and Brek Shea.
Overall, the U.S. has made seven previous trips to the invitation-only event, with their most recent appearance dating back to 2001 when the team finished in fifth place. In 1989 the team finished in a best-ever third place, and in 1994, 1997 and 2001 received the Fair Play Award. Josh Wolff is the only American to earn an individual award at the tournament, earning the Golden Boot by scoring five goals in 1997, outscoring future FIFA World Cup winner Thierry Henry.
The U.S. will be participating in its 13th Olympic Games, earning their place by advancing to the final of CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying in March. The Americans finished the tournament with a 3-1-1 record, with their only loss coming to Honduras in overtime of the championship match. Both teams had already secured their ticket to Beijing, the United States defeating Canada in one semifinal while Honduras ousted Guatemala in the other.
Roster by Position (Detailed Roster)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake), Quentin Westburg (Troyes)
DEFENDERS (10): Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Eric Brunner (out of contract), Kyle Davies (Southampton), Michael Gavin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Jonathan Leathers (Kansas City Wizards), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Julian Valentin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Rob Valentino (New England Revolution), Blake Wagner (FC Dallas)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Bryan Arguez (Hertha Berlin), Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo), Greg Dalby (SC Charleroi), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Lee Nguyen (Randers FC)
FORWARDS (4): Gabe Ferrari (Sampdoria), Bryan Jordan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ellis McLoughlin (Hertha Berlin), Sammy Ochoa (Tecos)
