U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team opens camp in Phoenix with 23-player roster
CHICAGO – U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team head coach Marko Mitrović has called 23 players to training camp in Phoenix, Ariz. to kick off the USA’s preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The U.S. is set to face Mexico on Wednesday, Oct. 11 and Japan on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Phoenix Rising Stadium.
The training camp kicks off Olympic preparations for the U.S. men as they return to the Games for the first time since 2008. The Men’s Olympic Soccer Tournament is restricted to players under the age of 23, with an allowance for three overage players. The Olympic Men’s Soccer Team serves as an important part of the Federation’s mission to develop winning teams as it will provide some of the nation’s top young talent the opportunity to face elite opposition on the world stage next summer.
The roster features nine players who have appeared for the full U.S. Men’s National Team, led by midfielder Gianluca Busio’s 13 senior international caps. Eight players have represented the USA in a FIFA Youth World Cup, including three players from this summer’s 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina: defender Caleb Wiley plus midfielders Jack McGlynn and Obed Vargas. During that event, the USA became the only nation to reach the tournament quarterfinals in four straight editions.
U.S. OLYMPIC MEN’S SOCCER TEAM – OCTOBER TRAINING CAMP
GOALKEEPERS (3): Christopher Brady (Chicago Fire FC; Naperville, Ill.), John Pulskamp (Sporting KC; Bakersfield, Calif.), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; St. Charles, Mo.)
DEFENDERS (6): Maximilian Dietz (SpVgg Greuther Furth/GER; Frankfurt, Germany), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; Oldsmar, Fla.), Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo/BEL; Fort Worth, Texas), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.), Jonathan Tomkinson (Bradford City/ENG; Plano, Texas), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; Medford, N.J.), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; Greensboro, N.C.), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Fla.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Queens, N.Y.), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; Ft Lauderdale, Fla.), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia/ITA; Birmingham, Ala.), Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC; Anchorage, Alaska)
FORWARDS (7): Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution; Appleton, Wisc.), Taylor Booth (Utrecht/NED; Eden, Utah), Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig/GER; Keller, Texas), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas; Abilene, Texas), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC; Omaha, Neb.), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City SC; Savannah, Ga.)
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2001 are age-eligible for the 2024 Olympics. Mitrović selected 10 players born in 2001, five born in 2002, three born in 2003, two born in 2004 and three born in 2005. The players born in 2005- Vargas, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi and forward Esmir Bajraktarevic are also age-eligible for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The roster features players from 19 clubs, including 12 from Major League Soccer, led by two players each from Chicago Fire FC, Columbus Crew and Philadelphia Union. Eight players are based abroad in Germany (three), Italy (two), Belgium, England and the Netherlands (one each).
A total of 15 states are represented on the roster, with four players hailing from Texas. A native of Anchorage, midfielder Obed Vargas is a rare National Team roster selection from Alaska.
The U.S. qualified for the 2024 Olympics with a dominant performance at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Honduras, defeating the host nation 3-0 in the tournament semifinals to secure its Olympic berth. Forward Paxten Aaronson netted the game’s opening goal and took home the Golden Ball as the competition’s best player and Golden Boot as top scorer.
