Only two weeks from the 2000 Olympics qualifying soccer tournament, United States coach Clive Charles released the final 18-man roster.

Landon Donovan, Sasha Victorine, Joey DiGiamarino and Brian Dunseth were among local players to be named to the team.

Donovan, a former Redlands East Valley player, played with the national Under-17 team before signing a contract with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. At age 16, he was the youngest American player to sign a contract with a foreign team.

While playing for the Under-17 team, Donovan became the all-time leading scorer with 35 goals. He helped the under-23 team to a bronze medal in last year's Pan-Am Games and earned the Gold Ball award, player of the tournament, for the FIFA Under-17 World Championships last November.

The 18-year-old Donovan, in his first year with the club, has quickly worked his way up the ranks of Bayer Leverkusen's reserve team. He is heralded for his ability to create scoring opportunities as well as his strong finishing skills from the forward position.

Victorine played at UCLA and was one of the Los Angeles Galaxy's first round picks earlier this year. After playing high school soccer in Northern California, Victorine's family moved to Corona. He earned the Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy Award as a senior at UCLA.

At 6-foot-2, Victorine is one of the tallest midfielders on the team. His Major League Soccer debut came on March 25 when he scored a goal and assisted on two others in 90 minutes of play. Victorine, 22, is one of three Galaxy players to be named to the team.

DiGiamarino, a Corona High graduate, is in his third year in the MLS. He was acquired by the Colorado Rapids in 1997. He played two years at Cal State Fullerton before making an A-League soccer team. DiGiamarino, 23, can play both left defender and midfield, but will play in the middle for the Olympic team.

Dunseth, of Upland, played with DiGiamarino at Cal State Fullerton and is in his second year with the New England Revolution. Dunseth is a tough central defender and has received high praise after only two years in the MLS. He is currently the captain of the under-23 team.

The men's Olympic team is limited to under-23 players except for three players who can be older than that limit.

Only two teams from the Football Confederation, formerly known as CONCACAF, will earn berths to the 2000 Olympics. Three other teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean will join the U.S., Canada and Guatemala in the six-team tournament once preliminary qualification is complete. The qualifying tournament takes place April 21-30 in Hershey, Pa.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Adin Brown (Pleasant Hill); Tim Howard (New Brunswick, N.J.)

Defenders: Danny Califf (Orange); Steve Cherundolo (San Diego); Ramiro Corrales (Salinas); Dunseth (Upland); Chad McCarty (Clovis);

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Fort Wayne, Ind.); DiGiamarino (Corona); John O'Brien (Playa del Rey); Ben Olsen (Middletown, Pa.); John Thorrington (Palos Verdes); Peter Vagenas (Pasadena); Victorine (Corona)

Forwards: Chris Albright (Philadelphia, Pa.); Conor Casey (Denver, Colo.); Donovan (Redlands) Josh Wolff (Stone Mountain, Ga.)

Published 4/8/2000