The U.S. men’s soccer team is Olympics-bound for the first time since 2008, with the roster of players representing the nation announced Monday morning, under a month before the Games in Paris begin.
A number of rising stars are on this year’s highly anticipated team, part of which was first announced exclusively on NBC’s “TODAY” show. They’ll feature in the first Team USA event of the Paris Games, kicking things off against host team France on July 24, two days before the opening ceremony.
The U.S. men failed to qualify for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics but are ready to hit the pitch again after a nearly two-decade hiatus.
The last time they were on an Olympic field, the team finished ninth in the tournament. Argentina won the gold in 2008, followed by Nigeria with the silver and Brazil with the bronze.
The U.S. team — listed below alongside players’ clubs and hometowns — will be led by head coach Marko Mitrović.
Goalkeepers:
- Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; St. Charles, Missouri)
- Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/England; Addison, Illinois)
Defenders:
- Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth/Germany; 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:
- Gianluca Busio (Venezia/Italy; Greensboro, North Carolina)
- Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Florida)
- Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Queens, New York)
- Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids; Jacksonville, Florida)
- Tanner Tessmann (Venezia/Italy; Birmingham, Alabama)
Forwards:
- Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/Netherlands; Medford, New Jersey)
- Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht/Netherlands; Eden, Utah)
- Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC; Omaha, Nebraska)
- Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/Germany; South Riding, Virginia)
- Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo/Belgium; Clifton, Virginia)
Alternates:
- Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders FC; Bellevue, Washington)
- Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City; Rochester, Michigan)
- Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig/Germany; Keller, Texas)
- John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City; Bakersfield, California)
Men’s Olympic soccer is made up mostly of players under age 23, but teams are allowed three “over-age” players. Those three for the U.S. will be Walker Zimmerman, 31; Miles Robinson, 27; and Djordje Mihailovic, 25.
While Olympic soccer doesn’t necessarily feature each country’s top stars, it does allow young players rising in the sport to showcase their skills on an international stage and start making arguments to be named to their country’s first teams, especially if they haven’t featured already (a certain Lionel Messi, for example, won gold with Argentina in the 2008 Olympics).
Tanner Tessmann will be one to watch for U.S. fans. Tessmann, 22, a midfielder, had a standout season in Italy’s Serie B and, alongside club and international teammate Gianluca Busio, helped Venezia return to Italy’s top flight.
