The 18-player roster for the United States men’s Olympic team was announced by manager Marko Mitrović on Monday, and it includes defender Walker Zimmerman of Nashville, midfielder Djordje Mihailovic of Colorado Rapids, and defender Miles Robinson of FC Cincinnati.
Three “overage” players are permitted, although only players under the age of 23 are allowed to compete in the men’s Olympic soccer event. Robinson, Zimmerman, and Mihailovic will occupy each of those positions. The players on the remaining roster are those who were born on or after January 1, 2001.
For the first time since 2008, the men from the United States have qualified for the Olympics in Paris this summer.
Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann, two midfielders who lead Venezia in its successful campaign to get promoted to Italy’s Serie A the previous season, round out the lineup.
“Today is a special day for us. We announced our roster and we are excited to go to the Olympic Games,” Mitrović said. “We are going there after 16 years [of not qualifying] on the men’s side, but also we are very excited that we are going to be together with our women’s team after almost two decades.”
When the U.S. men failed to qualify in 2016 while he was a U23 player, Zimmerman believed the day had passed him by.
“Obviously, as an overage player on the men’s side, my cycle, we didn’t qualify and that’s when I thought my dream is over. I won’t have the chance to play in the Olympics,” he said during Monday’s press conference. “And then as things materialized later this year, just getting this opportunity is amazing. It’s something I’ve always watched growing up, something I’ve always wanted to participate in. And again, I thought that was over and so I’m just excited and can’t wait to get going in France.”
Club teams do not have to release players for the Olympics because it is not recognized as an official FIFA competition.
“We all know that it was actually a really difficult process in the last eight to 10 months, first talking to the clubs and trying to get all the players released,” said Mitrović. “Yes, there was challenges, but however we’d end up [it was] with the roster that we really believe that can represent us in the best possible way. And I feel very, very good about team that is going to the Paris.”
That helps to explain why most of the USMNT players that participated in the Copa América aren’t on the team. Robinson is the only one who doesn’t.
Those restrictions posed challenges for Mitrovic in fielding his team, but 15 of the 18 players selected already play for the U.S. men’s national team, along with veteran 2022 World Cup squad member Zimmerman, and there are 42 missions ahead.
Ten of the players are currently under contract with MLS clubs, while the rest play in Europe.
The last U.S. team to qualify, in 2008, was led by former USMNT props Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. They narrowly missed qualifying for the medal round.
This time, the U.S. men’s team qualified by winning the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship, and only two players from that team — Philadelphia Union’s Jack McGlynn and FC Utrecht’s Paxten Aaronson — made it onto the final Olympic squad.
All of the U.S. group matches in the 16-team tournament will be played in Marseille. The opening game will be against hosts France on July 24, two days before the opening ceremony.
A match against New Zealand will follow on July 27, followed by the group final against Guinea three days later.
If the U.S. qualifies for the medal round, the quarterfinals will be played in Paris or Bordeaux.
The semifinals will be held in Marseille and at Decines-Charpieu, a suburb of Lyon. The final will be in Paris on August 17. The bronze medal match was played the previous day in Nantes on the 9th.
The U.S. will prepare for the games in Bordeaux, home of Ligue 2 team Bordeaux, from July 9-20 before traveling to Marseille ahead of the opening match.
U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team Roster by Position (Club, Home City)
Goalkeepers (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew, St. Charles, Missouri), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG, Addison, Ill)
Defenders (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth/GER; Frankfurt, Germany), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; Oldsmar, Florida), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; Arlington, Massachusetts), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, New Jersey), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; Lawrenceville, Georgia)
Midfielders (5): Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; Greensboro, North Carolina), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Florida), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; New York), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids; Jacksonville, Florida), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia/ITA; Birmingham, Alabama)
Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; Medford, New Jersey), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht/NED; Eden, Utah), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC; Omaha, Nebraska), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; South Riding, Virginia), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo/BEL; Clifton, Virginia)
Alternates (4): Josh Atencio (Midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC; Bellevue, Washington), Jacob Davis (Defender, Sporting Kansas City; Rochester, Michigan), Johan Gomez (Forward, Eintracht Braunschweig/GER; Keller, Texas), John Pulskamp (Goalkeeper, Sporting Kansas City; Bakersfield, California)
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