TWENTY PLAYERS CALLED TO U.S. MEN’S OLMYPIC SOCCER TEAM FOR MATCHES VS. IRAQ AND MOROCCO AS PARIS 2024 PREP CONTINUES
Roster Features Eight Players with Senior U.S. Men’s National Team Experience;
USA to Face Iraq on Saturday, Nov. 18 and African Champion Morocco on Tuesday, Nov. 21
CHICAGO (Nov. 13, 2023) – U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team head coach Marko Mitrović has called 20 players to training camp in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain as the USA continues preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The U.S. will face Iraq on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Morocco on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at Pinatar Arena.
The training camp is the second for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team as it returns 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 Men’s Olympic 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.
Eight players on the roster have been capped by the full U.S. Men’s National Team, led by midfielder Gianluca Busio’s 13 senior international appearances. Fifteen players return from the USA’s first camp on the road to Paris last month in Phoenix. Eleven different players contributed goals or assists during 2-1 and 4-1 victories against Mexico and Japan, respectively.
U.S. MEN’S OLYMPIC SOCCER TEAM – NOVEMBER TRAINING CAMP
GOALKEEPERS (2): Christopher Brady (Chicago Fire FC; Naperville, Ill.), John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City; Bakersfield, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (6): George Campbell (CF Montreal/CAN; Atlanta, Ga.), Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth/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)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Joshua Atencio (Seattle Sounders FC; Bellevue, Wash.) Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids; Littleton, Colo.), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; Greensboro, N.C.), Benja Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Key Biscayne, Fla.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Queens, N.Y.), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia/ITA; Birmingham, Ala.)
FORWARDS (6): Agustin Anello (Sparta Rotterdam/NED; Miami, Fla.), Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution; Appleton, Wisc.), Taylor Booth (Utrecht/NED; Eden, Utah), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.), Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig/GER; Keller, Texas), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas; Abilene, Texas)
SCHEDULE - PINATAR ARENA U-23 FRIENDLIES
Thursday, Nov. 16 – Morocco vs. Denmark U-21 – 9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local
Saturday, Nov. 18 – USA vs. Iraq – 11 a.m. ET / 5 p.m. local
Tuesday, Nov. 21 – Ivory Coast vs. Iraq – 5 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. local
Tuesday, Nov. 21 – Morocco vs. USA – 9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2001 are age-eligible for the 2024 Olympics. Mitrović selected eight players born in 2001, seven born in 2002, two born in 2003, one born in 2004 and two born in 2005- midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi and forward Esmir Bajraktarevic, who are also eligible for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Forward Agustin Anello earns his first U.S. National Team call-up at any level. The 21-year-old has appeared in seven of 12 league matches this season for the Netherlands’ Sparta Rotterdam after helping Croatia’s Hadjuk Split win the 2022-23 Croatian Cup.
The roster features players from 18 different clubs, including 11 from Major League Soccer. Two players each come from the Philadelphia Union and Italy’s Venezia FC. In total, eight players are based abroad in Germany, Italy, Netherlands (two each), Belgium and England.
PERFORMING IN THE PLAYOFFS AND ABROAD
Players from clubs that reached the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs all played key roles in their sides’ postseason campaigns. The Philadelphia Union’s Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel started both games in their series victory vs. New England Revolution, with Harriel adding a goal in the first match on Oct. 29 and McGlynn an assist in the second, a 1-0 win on Nov. 9.
Defender John Tolkin netted a stellar free kick to help the New York Red Bulls top Charlotte FC in the wild card round on Oct. 25. He also played hero in the club’s Decision Day match to clinch Red Bulls’ spot in the playoffs, sinking a penalty kick late in second-half stoppage time vs. Nashville SC on Oct. 21.
In the Western Conference, forward Bernard Kamungo added an assist in FC Dallas’ win vs. Seattle Sounders on Nov. 5, appearing in all three matches of the playoff series. Midfielder Joshua Atencio also started all three matches of the series for the Sounders.
Forward Johan Gomez netted his first goal in the 2.Bundesliga with Eintracht Braunscweig last weekend vs. Onsabrück to help his club to a 3-2 win. Busio tallied the 74th-minute game-winner for Venezia on Nov. 4 in a 1-0 victory at Ternana.
HOW WE GOT HERE
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. Goalkeeper Chris Brady won the Golden Glove as the competition’s best goalkeeper, starting six of seven matches and recording five shutouts.
AGAINST IRAQ AND MOROCCO
The U.S. Men’s Olympic Team will continue to test itself against opponents from around the world this window with matches against Iraq and Morocco. After qualifying in September for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, Iraq is aiming for one of three Olympic berths at stake for Asia. The Middle Eastern nation last reached the Olympics in 2016 and finished fourth in 2004.
Following its senior squad’s historic showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco won its first U-23 Africa Cup of Nations this summer. Hosting the tournament, the Atlas Lions clinched its first Olympic berth since 2012 with a penalty-kick shootout victory vs. Mali in the semifinals before topping Egypt in overtime to take home the continental title.
