April 3, 2000
Stanford men's soccer players Ryan Nelsen and Gerard Davis are competing with the New Zealand Under-23 soccer team, and are trying to earn a berth into the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In a match against Japan on March 30 in Tokyo, the Kiwis were hammered 4-0 by their Japanese counterparts. In front of a crowd of more than 36 thousand, Japan dominated the game, taking 24 shots to New Zealand's four.
Ryan Nelsen, a junior midfielder from Christchurch, New Zealand, has been an essential component to the Cardinal attack. In the 1999 season, he scored two game-winning goals and posted four assists. Nelsen has been named the captain of the U-23 squad, and will remain with the Kiwi team to compete through the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He will return to Palo Alto to compete for Stanford when the Olympics are finished.
Gerard Davis played his senior season for the Cardinal in 1999 at defender. A co-captain for the Cardinal, Davis was named an MPSF All-Federation selection. He took four shots on the season, and recorded two goals and four assists. In his four-year career on The Farm, Davis recorded two goals and 11 assists for a total of 15 points.
The New Zealand Under-23 team will play two games against South Africa, one at home and one away, to earn a berth into the 2000 Olympics at Sydney.