Ianni's Olympic dream closer to reality

Lodi's Patrick Ianni could be headed for Beijing, China this summer.

The Houston Dynamo defender and under-23 national team beat Panama 1-0 on Thursday night in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying, moving the United States one step closer to the 2008 Olympics.

Freddy Adu scored on a penalty kick in the 41st minute to send the Americans to victory in the second round of Group A pool play.

The U.S., coming off a 1-1 tie with Cuba on Tuesday, improved to 1-0-1, while Panama dropped to 0-2. The top two teams in the group will advance to the March 20 semifinals in Nashville, Tenn., along with the top two from Group B, made up of Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Haiti. The finalists will earn spots in the Beijing Olympics.

The United States will finish group play Saturday against Honduras (2-0). Panama, which cannot advance, will play Cuba (0-1-1) on Saturday. If Cuba loses or ties, the U.S. automatically advances. Honduras already has clinched a spot in the semifinals.

And Ianni, a former standout at Lodi High and UCLA, is right in the middle of it. After winning the MLS Cup last summer with the Dynamo, Ianni was one of several dozen professional soccer players invited to try out for the U.S. team.

Ianni took advantage of the opportunity and was one of 19 players to make the cut. In Tuesday's match against Cuba, Ianni played 90 minutes and feels he's playing the best soccer of his career.

"I was fortunate to play well and stay healthy and make the team," said Ianni during a phone conversation from Tampa after Thursday's win. "I think each day I'm trying to get better and better. I think I've learned a lot being with this team. There's a lot of very good players with this group. It's definitely the best national team I've been a part of."

The U.S. did not qualify for the 2004 Games in Athens, but Ianni says this is one of the deepest crops of young players the country has seen in recent years.

"We had a lot of good players in camp," said Ianni, who is joined by Dynamo teammate Stuart Holden on the club. "It's just a very good thing for U.S. soccer, with the level of competition at this point. It's a different situation for U.S. coaches; they've never had to deal with a dilemma like this in the past."

Ianni didn't see any action on Thursday, as the coaches decided to switch up the lineup, and he isn't sure what part he'll play in the team's upcoming game. All he knows is he's incredibly close to an Olympic dream.

"It's extremely exciting for my family, my friends, my fianc/ — everyone in my life," Ianni said. "It's fun to share that experience, a once-in-a-lifetime chance, really. Especially in soccer; it comes and goes. You might get one chance or three at a World Cup, but you only get one at the Olympics because it's age-restricted.

"We're not they're yet, but it would be very exciting."