Your updated RSL potpurri: Olympics, striker rumor, Nimo story

By: Fitz | February 26th, 2008

Now that I’ve taken a full day to digest that 29-year-old Diablo Cody has an Oscar and I have an ensemble romantic comedy script that’ll never sell, here’s your Tuesday update.

THREE RSL GUYS HEADED TO OLYMPIC CAMP

Olympic coach Peter Nowak’s training camp roster includes:

Goalkeeper Chris Seitz
Mid/defender Nathan Sturgis
Forward Robbie Findley

Sturgis, by the way, is listed as a defender on the roster. I believe he’ll still be a holding mid for RSL.

The Olympic training camp runs March 1-9 in Bradenton, Fla. On the 9th, Novak will name a 20-man roster to play in the eight-team qualifying tournament. The top two teams play in the Olympics in that human rights capital of the world, China. Hooray for Olympic ideals!

RSL’s three players are the most from one MLS team. There are 17 MLS players and seven foreign-based players (including Freddy Adu) in camp.

The full roster, by position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Dominic Cervi (Chicago Fire), Tally Hall (Esbjerg fB), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (8): Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hil (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Mike Randolph (LA Galaxy), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Arturo Alvarez (FC Dallas), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

FORWARDS (5): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

And here’s the qualifying schedule for the U.S.:

March 11, Cuba (Tampa)
March 13, Panama (Tampa)
March 15, Honduras (Tampa)
March 20, semifinals (Nashville)
March 23, championship (Nashville)

Read the official release for yourself here.

The Olympics are Aug. 8-24 in Beijing. Boy, did Toronto get screwed. Anyway, RSL plays two games during the Olympics (16th at Houston, 23rd at Columbus) and one in the immediate buildup (July 28 vs. Toronto FC).

ANOTHER STRIKER?

There’s a report on Sporting Life (a UK site) that says Kenny Deuchar, who leads Gretna of the Scottish Premier League with six goals (including two over the weekend vs. Rangers), could be headed to Salt Lake. Turns out he wants to be a doctor and playing for RSL would help him in that regard. Maybe he’ll tell us more about Carey Talley’s injury. Anyway, I saw a link to the story on the RSLFM fan page.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but his year-to-year stats are here. And his Wikipedia entry (which says he has already signed; I’m skeptical about that) is here. Do I deserve a Wikipedia entry? Why the hell not? Discuss.

Oh yes … this just came to me. RSL GM Garth Lagerway told media outlets he was heading on a scouting trip to Scotland over the weekend. I’m no math major, but I can put two and two together. It’s five. See?

So … has anyone watched Kenny play? Is he the target player Garth has been craving? If so, the overhaul that has gone on with this team is just incredible.

Having said all that, the move’s not official. I know this because James Edward hasn’t put it on his blog yet. When he does, we can all welcome Kenny to Salt Lake. Until then, it’s speculation. Granted, it’s speculation with some legs under it. But speculation nonetheless.

To remind you it’s just a rumor, heeeeeeeere’s Bananarama!

FINDING A STORY ABOUT NIMO

Our Galaxy blogger Laurie passed along a link to this story about rookie forward/midfielder Alex Nimo and his path from refugee camp to the States.

Three paragraphs lifted from the story, written by Scott French of AOL Sports:

The drive and the skills that define Nimo were bred in that Ghanaian camp. He was an infant when his family escaped Liberia’s civil war and lived in the refugee camp until he was 9, when the U.S. government granted his family asylum. Soccer was his escape, and he put up with beatings to play the game.

“The only way I could (play) was to break the rules,” he says. “I’d be in my room, and I would see (the other kids) playing. And if I go out, I get a whipping. But I still do it the next day. The only thing everybody does for fun is play soccer. And the next day I get a whipping and the next day.

“It’s what I love to do, but (my parents) want me to be in the house and not go out because every time when people go out, their kids would never come back.”