The United States U-23 men's national soccer team, also known as the United States men's Olympic soccer team, is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is qualification into and competition at the quadrennial Olympic Football Tournament, the next of which is to be held during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. The team's most recent major tournament was the 2020 edition at the Tokyo Olympics, in which the United States team did not qualify. Their most recent qualification was the tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.
  | |||
| Nickname(s) | Team USA[1] The Stars and Stripes[2] The Yanks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | United States Soccer Federation | ||
| Confederation | CONCACAF | ||
| Head coach | Marko Mitrović | ||
| Captain | Tanner Tessmann | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 United States 1–2 Italy  (Barcelona, Spain; July 24, 1992) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
United States 6–0 Cuba  (Nashville, United States; March 22, 2012) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Mexico 4–0 United States (Guadalajara, Mexico; February 10, 2004) Records for competitive matches only | |||
| Olympics | |||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1992) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2000) | ||
In accordance with FIFA regulations, the roster can be augmented with three "overage" players during Olympic competition.
History edit
Men's Olympic soccer became an under-23 competition for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. In the group stage, the Americans defeated Kuwait but lost to Italy and only managed a draw with Poland. As a result, they were eliminated in the first round. Several U.S. players on the roster, however, would go on to have a major influence with the United States men's national soccer team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which the United States would host.
The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia would be the first time that teams could add overage players to their rosters. Being the host nation and with Major League Soccer in the middle of its inaugural season, the USSF tapped then-D.C. United head coach Bruce Arena to manage the Olympic team. They would fall short again, however, as a loss to eventual-silver medalists Argentina offset a win against Tunisia and a draw with Portugal.
The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia marked a significant turnaround in the fortunes of the team. This time, the United States, led by head coach Clive Charles, won their group on goal difference on the strength of draws with the Czech Republic and eventual-gold medalists Cameroon and a win over Kuwait. A tense quarterfinal match against Japan ended in a penalty shoot-out which the United States won. Losses to Spain in the semifinals and Chile in the bronze medal match left the Americans short of medal dreams, but the fourth-place finish in a sixteen-team tournament was the program's greatest youth team.
The team did not compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; the United States, led by head coach Glenn Myernick, failed to qualify after a defeat to Mexico in the semifinals of the 2004 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament.
In late 2006, former Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley was given the reins to both the senior national team and under-23 national team. His tenure would be brief as his elevation to full-time head coach of the senior team would result in him handing control of the under-23 team to his assistant head coach, Piotr Nowak. Under Nowak, the United States qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics after a 3–0 win over Canada in the 2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament, thanks to goals by Freddy Adu and Sacha Kljestan. The Olympics began promisingly; the Americans defeated Japan and led Holland late. However, a stoppage time goal equalized for the Dutch, and the Americans followed up with a loss to Nigeria.
Under the leadership of new coach Caleb Porter in the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Americans defeated Cuba but were then beaten by Canada and surrendered a late lead against El Salvador, causing them to miss the Olympics for the second time in three tournaments.
Coaches edit
- 1988–1992: Lothar Osiander
- 1994–1995: Timo Liekoski
- 1995–1996: Bruce Arena
- 1996–2003: Clive Charles
- 2003–2004: Glenn Myernick
- 2006–2007: Bob Bradley
- 2007–2009: Piotr Nowak
- 2011–2012: Caleb Porter
- 2013–2014: Tab Ramos
- 2015–2016: Andreas Herzog
- 2019–2021: Jason Kreis
- 2023–Present: Marko Mitrović[3]
Recent schedule and results edit
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023 edit
| October 11 Friendly | United States | 2–1 | Mexico | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 10:00 ET |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium |
| October 17 Friendly | United States | 4–1 |  Japan | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 10:30 ET | Report |
|
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium |
| November 18 Friendly | United States | 1–1 |  Iraq | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
| 11:00 ET |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Pinatar Arena |
| November 21 Friendly | United States | 0–1 |  Morocco | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
| 9:00 ET | Report | Stadium: Pinatar Arena |
2024 edit
| March 22 Friendly | United States | 3–0 |  Guinea | Olot, Spain |
| 12:00 p.m. ET | Report | Stadium: Nou Estadi Municipal Attendance: 60 Referee: Jan Cobos Pujol (Spain) |
| March 25 Friendly | France  | 2–2 | United States | Montbéliard, France |
| 3:00 ET |
|
Report | Stadium: Stade Auguste-Bonal |
| July 24 Olympics GS | France | v | United States | Marseille, France |
| 3:00 ET | Stadium: Stade de Marseille |
| July 27 Olympics GS | New Zealand  | v | United States | Marseille, France |
| 1:00 ET | Stadium: Stade de Marseille |
| July 30 Olympics GS | United States | v | AFC-CAF playoff winner | Saint-Étienne, France |
| 1:00 ET | Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard |
Players edit
Current squad edit
The following 20 players were named to the roster for friendlies against Guinea and France.[4][5]
Caps and goals are updated as of March 25, 2024, after the match against France.
Recent call-ups edit
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Gabriel Slonina | April 15, 2004 | 0 | 0 |  Eupen
|
March 2024 friendliesINJ |
| GK | John Pulskamp | April 19, 2001 | 3 | 0 | Sporting Kansas City
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| DF | Brandan Craig | April 7, 2004 | 2 | 0 | Philadelphia Union
|
October 2023 friendlies |
| MF | Benjamin Cremaschi | March 2, 2005 | 4 | 1 | Inter Miami CF
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| MF | Cole Bassett | July 28, 2001 | 2 | 0 | Colorado Rapids
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| MF | Josh Atencio | January 31, 2002 | 0 | 0 | Seattle Sounders FC
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| MF | Obed Vargas | August 5, 2005 | 2 | 1 | Seattle Sounders FC
|
October 2023 friendlies |
| FW | Agustin Anello | April 22, 2002 | 2 | 0 |  Sparta Rotterdam
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| FW | Bernard Kamungo | January 1, 2002 | 4 | 0 | FC Dallas
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| FW | Taylor Booth | May 31, 2001 | 3 | 0 | Utrecht
|
November 2023 friendlies |
| FW | Brian Gutiérrez | June 17, 2003 | 2 | 0 | Chicago Fire
|
October 2023 friendlies |
| FW | Indiana Vassilev | February 16, 2001 | 1 | 0 | St. Louis City SC
|
October 2023 friendlies |
Notes:
- INJ: Withdrew due to injury
Overage players in Olympic Games edit
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasey Keller (GK) | Alexi Lalas (DF) | did not select | |
| Brad Friedel (GK) | Jeff Agoos (DF) | Frankie Hejduk (MF) | |
| Brad Guzan (GK) | Michael Parkhurst (DF) | Brian McBride (FW) |
Honors edit
- Pan American Games
- Bronze medalists (1): 1999
Top goalscorers edit
| Rank | Player | Year(s) | U-23 Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Snow | 1992 | 10 |
| 2 | Landon Donovan | 2000–2004 | 9 |
| 3 | Jordan Morris | 2014–2016 | 7 |
| 4 | Jerome Kiesewetter | 2011–2015 | 6 |
| Brent Goulet | 1988 | 6 | |
| 6 | Freddy Adu | 2008–2012 | 5 |
| 7 | Joe Corona | 2012 | 4 |
| Luis Gil | 2011–2016 | 4 | |
| Bobby Convey | 2004 | 4 | |
| Sacha Kljestan | 2007–2008 | 4 | |
| Alecko Eskandarian | 2002–2004 | 4 | |
| Chris Albright | 2000 | 4 | |
| Mike Seerey | 1972 | 4 | |
| Carl Gentile | 1964 | 4 |
Competitive record edit
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Olympic Games edit
| Summer Olympics | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad |
| Through 1988 | See United States men's national soccer team | |||||||||
| 1992 |  Spain |
Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | Squad |
| 1996 | United States |
Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Squad |
| 2000 |  Australia |
Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 11 | Squad |
| 2004 |  Greece |
did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2008 |  China |
Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Squad |
| 2012 |  United Kingdom |
did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2016 |  Brazil
| |||||||||
| 2020 | Japan
| |||||||||
| 2024 | France |
qualified | ||||||||
| 2028 | United States |
Qualified as hosts | ||||||||
| Total | Fourth place | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 24 | — | ||
Pan American Games edit
| Pan American Games | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad |
| 1951–1983 | See United States men's national soccer team | |||||||||
| 1987–1995 | See United States men's national under-20 soccer team | |||||||||
| 1999 |  Canada |
Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | Squad |
| 2003 |  Dominican Republic |
did not participate | ||||||||
| 2007 | Brazil |
See United States men's national under-18 soccer team | ||||||||
| 2011 | Mexico |
did not participate | ||||||||
| 2015 | Canada
| |||||||||
| 2019 |  Peru |
Declined to participate | ||||||||
| 2023 |  Chile |
See United States men's national under-19 soccer team | ||||||||
| 2027 |  Colombia |
to be determined | ||||||||
| Total | Third place | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 15 | — | ||
Pre-Olympic Tournament edit
| CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship | Qualification | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1956 to 1988 | See United States men's national soccer team | See United States men's national soccer team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | No host | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 10 | Squad | 1st, Group C | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | |
| 1996 | Canada |
did not participate | did not participate | |||||||||||||||
| 2000 | United States |
Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | |||||||
| 2004 | Mexico |
Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | Squad | Second round winner | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2008 | United States |
Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | Squad | Qualified automatically | |||||||
| 2012 | United States |
Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Squad | Qualified automatically | |||||||
| 2015 | United States |
Third place | 3rd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 4 | Squad | Qualified automatically | |||||||
| 2020 | Mexico |
Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | Squad | Qualified automatically | |||||||
| Total | Champions | 32 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 72 | 37 | — | 7/8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 2 | |||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Your comments on Team USA's win over Algeria and advancing to knockout round". Nj.com. June 24, 2010. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Paul (June 26, 2010). "USA 1–2 Ghana". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
- ^ "Marko Mitrović Named Head Coach of U.S. Under-23 Men's Youth National Team and Michael Nsien Named Head Coach of U.S. Under-19 Men's Youth National Team". www.USSoccer.com. United States Soccer Federation. September 6, 2023. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "Twenty-two players called to U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer team for matches vs. Guinea and France as prep for Paris 2024 continues". ussoccer.com. March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ "Goalkeeper Chris Brady added to U.S. Men's Olympic Team Roster for matches against Guinea and France". USSoccer.com. United States Soccer Federation. March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Twenty-two players called to U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer team for matches vs. Guinea and France as prep for Paris 2024 continues". ussoccer.com. March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ "Goalkeeper Chris Brady added to U.S. Men's Olympic Team Roster for matches against Guinea and France". USSoccer.com. United States Soccer Federation. March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Twenty players called to U.S. Men's Olympic Soceer Team for matches vs. Iraq and Morocco as Paris 2024 prep continues". ussoccer.com. November 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "Twenty-three Players Called to U.s. Olympic Men's Soccer Team Training Camp as Preparations for Paris 2024 Kick Off in Phoenix". ussoccer.com. October 8, 2023. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
