The U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team has announced its 23-player roster for a training camp in Phoenix, Arizona, where it will face Mexico and Japan in two friendly matches this month. The camp marks the beginning of the team’s preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the U.S. will return after a 16-year absence.
Mitrovic names his first squad as U.S. Olympic coach
Marko Mitrovic, who was appointed as the head coach of the U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team last month, has called up 23 players for his first training camp. The squad 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 at a Youth World Cup, including three players from this summer’s 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina: defender Caleb Wiley plus midfielders Jack McGlynn and Obed Vargas.
The 23-man squad features players from 19 clubs, including 12 from MLS teams, 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).
U.S. to face Mexico and Japan in Phoenix
The U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team will play two friendly matches at Phoenix Rising Stadium in Arizona as part of its training camp. The first match will be against Mexico on October 11, followed by Japan on October 17. Both games will kick off at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET).
Mexico and Japan are both qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, having won their respective continental tournaments earlier this year. Mexico defeated Honduras 2-1 in the final of the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in March, while Japan beat South Korea 3-0 in the final of the AFC U-23 Championship in January.
The U.S. has a long history of rivalry with both teams, especially Mexico, who have eliminated the Americans from the last three Olympic qualifying tournaments. The U.S. has not beaten Mexico at the Olympic level since 1992, when they won 3-0 in Barcelona. Japan, on the other hand, has been a frequent opponent for the U.S. in recent years, having faced them four times since 2016. The U.S. has won two and drawn two of those matches, scoring nine goals and conceding six.
U.S. aims to end Olympic drought in Paris
The U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team has qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics after 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. The U.S. finished the tournament with a perfect record of six wins out of six games, scoring 18 goals and conceding only one.
The U.S. will return to the Olympics for the first time since Beijing 2008, where they reached the quarterfinals before losing to Nigeria 2-1. The U.S. failed to qualify for the next three editions of the Olympics, falling short in the regional qualifiers in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
The U.S. will hope to improve on its best ever finish at the Olympics, which was fourth place in Sydney 2000, where they lost to Chile on penalties in the bronze medal match. The U.S. has never won a medal in men’s soccer at the Olympics.
