DISKERUD PLEASED TO BE BACK IN US FOLD Brent Latham - Saturday, July 4, 2009
Once and now present US U-20 midfielder Mikkel Diskerud is happy at his recent reintroduction to Thomas Rongen's team.
The Norwegian-American, who has been producing at a high level for Stabæk in Norway's first division this year, traveled to Egypt to join the team in a pair of friendlies against the host nation.
Much in demand at his club team, Diskerud says there was a heated debate over whether he would be released for the games, and Stabæk at first refused the USSF request to release him. In the end he was able to get permission to fly to Egypt for one of the games.
"Luckily my agent and one of the directors in Stabæk were able to alter Stabæk's initial position," Diskerud explained to YA. "So they released me for three days between the Rosenborg game on Wednesday and the Brann game on Monday."
Diskerud says the US was very patient in working with his club to gain his release.
"In the meantime the US coordinator was patient and very supportive. As we got closer to a solution, and as the US team advanced in the Confederation Cup, I felt better and increasingly honored and proud."
The Arizona native has been used in an attacking midfield position at his club, netting three goals on the year thus far. He managed to score again for Rongen in his appearance in the first match in Alexandria, helping lead the US to 1-0 victory over their hosts.
"It was a super evening, and I had a good feeling the whole day through," the man known as "Mix" recalled. "I was positioned as a central midfielder together with Dilly Duka. It was fun, and it was a fair and clean match."
Diskerud missed the second match in Cairo, as he had to get back to club duty in Norway. Now squarely back in the American camp, Diskerud will hope for a call for the 2009 FIFA U-20 Word Cup to begin in Egypt in late September, where the US will face Germany, Cameroon, and South Korea in a difficult first round grouping.
Currently visting YA: 328 
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