Monday, May 12, 2008

FC Dallas’ Wagner and Shea named to U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team for Toulon tourney

By Pegasus News wire

mlsnet.com

Blake Wagner

FC Dallas’ Blake Wagner and Brek Shea have been named by U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team head coach Peter Nowak among the 22 players who will participate in the Toulon International Tournament in Toulon, France. Wagner and Shea will depart Dallas on Wednesday, joining the team in Toulon on Thursday, May 15.

The U.S. team will have five days of training before their opening match against Turkey on May 21 at 3:30 p.m. local (8:30 a.m. CT). The next two Group B match-ups are against the Ivory Coast on May 23 at 6:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. CT), and Italy on May 25 at 6 p.m. (11 a.m. CT). All 16 games of the tournament will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.

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.

A young Brek Shea in his Texans FC kit.

In his third season with FCD, the 20-year old Wagner has started six of the first seven games as the left-sided midfielder. Shea, 18, was the team’s first round pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft in January. He made his professional debut on April 20 at Chivas USA.

Wagner’s last appearance with a U.S. National Youth team was a friendly with the U.S. U-20 team against Haiti in March 2008. Shea, a member of the U.S. U-17 World Cup team in 2008, last month played all three games for the U.S. U-20 team in the Campos Verdes International Tournament in Portugal.

Overall, the U.S. has made seven previous trips to the invitation-only Toulon International Tournament, 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.

The U.S. will be participating in its 13th Olympic Games, placed into Group B, and will play Japan (August 7), the Netherlands (August 10) and Nigeria (August 13).

Source: FC Dallas Communications

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