The USA men's soccer team for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris now has an official squad. There are regulations surrounding the ages of players allowed to compete at the tournament, though. A team's squad must consist of at least 15 players at or under the age of 23. Therefore, this is not the same […]
The USA men’s soccer team for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris now has an official squad. There are regulations surrounding the ages of players allowed to compete at the tournament, though. A team’s squad must consist of at least 15 players at or under the age of 23. Therefore, this is not the same United States men’s national team that just played at the Copa America. Instead, it is a collection of 15 members of the US Youth National Team and three overage players.
Over half of these players currently play in Major League Soccer, and that includes two of the three overage players. Center-backs Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman lead the way in terms of senior representation in the USA Olympic squad this summer. However, they are not alone in having top experience with the United States men’s national team.
In total, 15 out of the 18 players in head coach Marko Mitrovic’s squad have notched a cap with the USMNT. While Zimmerman and Robinson have more caps than anyone else, others have played many games. The most-capped player among the 15 U-23 talents is Gianluca Busio. The Venezia midfielder has seen the field 13 times for the USMNT in his career.
As stated, there is a heavy flavor of Major League Soccer among the squad. As it is a development team, many of these young Americans are just making the breakthrough into senior soccer. Yet, 17 out of the 18 players in the squad have either played professionally in Major League Soccer or they rose through MLS development ranks.
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Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea)
Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia)
Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo)
US Soccer also named four alternates, with one from each position.
Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders FC), Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City), Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig), John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City)
The United States kicks off its summer Olympic soccer campaign two days before the opening ceremony. The side plays its toughest game of the group stage in that opener on Wednesday, July 24. Marko Mitrovic’s side plays the host nation, France, at 3 p.m. ET. On Saturday, July 27, the United States faces New Zealand before wrapping up the group stage on Tuesday, July 30, against Guinea.
Every game of the men’s Olympic soccer competition is available for viewers in the United States on Peacock. NBC already released its commentator plans for those games as we are now just over two weeks away from the beginning of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
PHOTO: IMAGO
