New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites

U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team roster 
GOALKEEPERS (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea) 
DEFENDERS (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) 
MIDFIELDERS (5): Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia) 
FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo) 
ALTERNATES (4): Josh Atencio (Midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC), Jacob Davis (Defender, Sporting Kansas City), Johan Gomez (Forward, Eintracht Braunschweig), John Pulskamp (Goalkeeper, Sporting Kansas City) 

I think most Americans are pretty disappointed in this squad. It certainly isn’t what it could have been. I thought they would pick two overage central defenders and they did, which will help this group. And it doesn’t hurt that Zimmerman and Robinson were paired together for much of World Cup qualifying in 2021. 

But they left out Diego Luna, who is third in assists in MLS and is a tricky, creative player. He responded to the snub by scoring a goal and setting up three more on Saturday. I like Mihailovic and after struggling in the Netherlands he’s back in form in MLS, but he’s very similar to Luna and feels like a waste of an overage slot. 

Reports are that forwards Haji Wright (Coventry), Ricardo Pepi (PSV), and Brandon Vasquez (Monterrey) weren’t released by their clubs. So the U.S. were trying to use an overage slot there, but it didn't work out (Pepi is still a U23) That leaves only Duncan McGuire as a true centre forward in the squad. 

I didn’t expect any of the U.S. players that went to Copa would be involved, but out of Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Johnny Cardoso, only Musah started a single match and none of them featured that much. Miles Robinson was also on the Copa roster but didn’t play, so he is doing both, but I felt like the U.S. could have prioritized the Olympics a little more and had a significantly better Olympic side. 

If they can find goals, it’s still not a bad side. Tessman is heavily rumoured to be off to Inter, Chelsea are after Caleb Wiley, Cremaschi has played well with Messi in Miami and is only 19. But the Americans had 8 U23s on their Copa America roster and none of them are going to the Olympics. 

Woman are already in France training, and the men remain unnamed.

MetalLegNZ

Woman are already in France training, and the men remain unnamed.

You know the Ferns are training already?