Breaking the 16-Year Drought: The U.S. Men's Soccer Team's Journey to Paris 2024
From CONCACAF Triumph to Olympic Dreams: How the U.S. Secured Their Spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics and the Philadelphia Union's Role
As the United States prepares to take on hosts France on the opening day of the soccer portion of the jam-packed Paris 2024 Olympics, it’s important to remember how the U.S. qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2008, ending a 16-year drought.
With a new format in play and the tournament being skipped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S.'s journey to the Olympics began with the 2022 edition of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.
Held in Honduras from June 18 to July 3, 2022, the tournament featured 20 teams competing across four venues in two host cities. The stakes were high for the U.S. team, as this competition determined representatives for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2023 Pan American Games, and the 2024 Summer Olympics. Drawn into Group E with Cuba, Canada, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, the U.S. navigated group play smoothly with two wins, a draw against Canada, and a goal differential of +13.
In the knockout stages, the United States progressed decisively, defeating Nicaragua 5-0 in the Round of 16, Costa Rica 2-0 in the quarter-finals, and Honduras 3-0 in the semi-finals. The tournament culminated in a 6-0 victory over the Dominican Republic in the final.
Throughout the tournament, Union representatives were firing on all cylinders. Jack McGlynn, Brandan Craig, Quinn Sullivan, and golden boot winner Paxten Aaronson, who scored seven goals, left their mark and helped propel the U.S. team to Olympic qualification.
The Philadelphia Union have had former Olympians play for them in the past, but they’ve never had any current Olympians—until Nathan Harriel and Jack McGlynn were selected for the 18-man roster.
"Yeah, and again, in what has been our hardest season to date for me and the players, there are still little positives you can point to. So please don't take it out of context. But I am proud of what Jack McGlynn has done this season, and proud of the strides that Nathan Harriel has taken.
You look at Paxton going there and having a good season—obviously, Frankfurt loaning him out and him doing well, finding his rhythm and form. Three guys representing the Philadelphia Union in the Olympics in France on the biggest stage is a great stepping stone and platform for them.
Hopefully, they perform well and come back with even more confidence. Our homegrowns have played the most minutes in MLS this year. We recognize we haven't gotten the wins that we want, but it is good for those guys to see them get better, take a step forward, and really earn what is a really tough roster to make.
There are only 18 spots on that Olympic team, and two of them go to goalkeepers naturally, so only 16 field players. It's really not easy, and it speaks to the quality seasons that those guys have had and the trust that the coaches at US Soccer have in them."
Nathan Harriel’s rise through the U.S. youth system has been nothing short of amazing. He earned his first call-up to the U18s on August 22, 2018, and went on to play two more times for the U18s before his first of two call-ups with the U19s on September 7, 2018. Harriel then had to wait a year before making another appearance for the USYNT, this time for the U20s on September 9, 2019.
He made two more appearances at the U20 level before his first call-up on October 13, 2023, against Mexico’s U23s. Harriel started that match, playing 60 minutes in the U.S.'s 2-1 win. He played three more times for the U23s in 2023, starting against Iraq’s U23s and Morocco’s U23s, and coming on as a substitute against Japan.
After impressing with the U23s and having a breakout season with the Philadelphia Union last season, where he played in 39 games (28 starts), scoring four goals, and totaling 2,749 minutes, he was called up to the full national team camp in January 2024. The U.S. faced Slovenia on January 20th and lost 1-0. Harriel did not feature in the match. He made two more appearances for the U23s in 2024, with matches against Guinea’s U23s and France's U23s. Against Guinea, Harriel started and scored his first goal, playing 75 minutes in the U.S.'s 3-0 win.
Unlike Harriel, Jack McGlynn has had a more polished career at multiple levels with the USYNT, starting with the U16s, where he made his first appearance on April 26, 2018. McGlynn played four more times for the U16s before making his debut with the U20s on November 10, 2021, where the U.S. faced Brazil’s U18s, losing 4-0. McGlynn played a crucial role for the U20s at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, appearing in all seven games (three starts) and scoring two goals in the tournament. Overall, McGlynn played 21 times for the U20s before making his debut with the U23s on October 12, 2023, against Mexico’s U23s.
McGlynn played six more times for the U23s. Just like Harriel, McGlynn had a breakout 2023 with the Union, where he played in 44 games (29 starts), scoring three goals and assisting four, totaling 2,911 minutes. He too was invited to the full national team camp in January 2024 and played 29 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Slovenia.
Both Harriel and McGlynn’s stints in the Union’s academy were short-lived before they went on to play for Bethlehem Steel/Union II. Harriel joined the Philadelphia Union academy in 2018, where he made 13 appearances for the U18/U19s, scoring one goal. McGlynn joined the academy in 2019, playing for the U17s, starting 12 games and scoring seven goals. Prior to joining the Philadelphia Union academy, Nathan Harriel spent 2015-2018 with Chargers FC, based in Clearwater, Florida, and Jack McGlynn spent many years with Blau Weiss Gottschee, based in New York City, New York.
"Yeah, I mean, I was at Clearwater from U8 to my senior year, U18. And then I moved to Philadelphia late, but just playing games there, I mean, I was with some talented kids back then. The biggest goal was to fight to get a Division One scholarship, to hopefully go play in college. That competitive edge pushed us all to be great.
We realized that we weren't an MLS club. We didn't have a lot of eyes on us, we didn't have all the resources that some of these clubs do have, but it was great years down in Florida, really learning and enjoying. Coming up to Philadelphia was an even bigger adjustment, playing for an MLS Academy. Lots of eyes on you at training all the time.
But the conversation I had when I came to Philadelphia was pretty simple: just take a chance, see how you're at the next level, and see how things played out. And they played out pretty well, I think."
Former Union Players Who Were Olympians
Faryd Mondragón
Mondragón appeared in the 1992 Olympics in Spain with Colombia, who did not advance out of the group. He started one game at the Olympics, which Colombia lost 4-3 to Egypt. Mondragón spent one season with the Union during the 2011 season, appearing in 29 games and keeping seven clean sheets.
Conor Casey
Casey appeared in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney with the U.S., who finished in fourth place. He started all six games at the Olympics, playing 480 minutes. Casey spent three seasons with the Union (2013-2015), appearing in 76 games, scoring 21 goals and assisting six.
Danny Califf
Califf appeared in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney with the U.S., who finished in fourth place. He started all six games at the Olympics, playing 532 minutes, and scoring one goal against Kuwait in the U.S.'s 3-1 win. Califf spent two and a half seasons with the Union (2010-2012), appearing in 67 games, scoring one goal against Houston Dynamo in 2011, and helping keep 15 clean sheets.
Chris Seitz
Seitz appeared in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with the U.S., who did not advance out of the group stage. He did not appear in any matches, serving as the backup goalkeeper to Brad Guzan. Seitz spent one season with the Union during their debut season in 2010, appearing in 22 games, allowing 39 goals, and keeping zero clean sheets.
Michael Orozco
Orozco appeared in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with the U.S., who did not advance out of the group stage. He started all three games at the Olympics, playing 183 minutes. Orozco received a red card in the third minute of the U.S.'s decisive game against eventual runners-up, Nigeria. The U.S. lost 2-1. Orozco spent one season with the Union during their debut season in 2010, appearing in 29 games, scoring two goals, registering one assist, and helping keep two clean sheets.
Freddy Adu
Adu appeared in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with the U.S., who did not advance out of the group stage. He started two games at the Olympics, playing 170 minutes. Adu spent two seasons with the Union (2011-2013), appearing in 41 games, scoring 10 goals, and assisting three. Adu’s most notable Union moment came in 2012 against the New York Red Bulls, where he registered an assist to Lionard Pajoy and earned a second yellow card for a dive in the 43rd minute.
Maurice Edu
Edu appeared in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with the U.S., who did not advance out of the group stage. He started all three games at the Olympics, playing 270 minutes. Edu spent four seasons with the Union (2014-2017), scoring six goals and assisting three. Edu’s most notable Union moment came in the 2014 U.S. Open Cup Final against Seattle Sounders, where he scored the Union’s lone goal in their 3-1 loss.
Charlie Davies
Davies appeared in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with the U.S., who did not advance out of the group stage. He appeared in one game, playing 13 minutes against Nigeria. Davies spent two seasons with the Union (2016-2017), appearing in 12 games and registering one assist. Davies' most notable moment was his assist to Roland Alberg against his former club, New England Revolution, in the Union’s 4-0 win.
Ilsinho
Ilsinho appeared in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with Brazil, who finished third, earning the bronze medal. He appeared in two games, once as a starter and once as a substitute, playing 107 minutes. Ilsinho spent six seasons with the Union (2016-2021), appearing in 144 games, scoring 22 goals, and assisting 18. Ilsinho’s most notable Union moment came in 2019 against the New York Red Bulls, dubbed “the Ilsinho game,” where he came off the bench and provided one assist and two goals in 12 minutes to pull the Union ahead 3-2.
Marco Fabián
Fabián appeared in the 2012 Olympics in London with Mexico, who won gold for the first time in their country’s history. He started all six games, playing 520 minutes, scoring one goal, and registering one assist. Fabián spent one season with the Union during the 2019 season, appearing in 25 games, scoring eight goals, and assisting one. Fabián’s most notable Union moment came against the New York Red Bulls in the playoffs, scoring the game-winning goal for the Union’s first-ever playoff win.
As the U.S. embarks on their Olympic journey, they’ll look to do what no other U.S. Men’s team has ever done: bring back a medal. The best finish for the Men’s team came in the 2000 Sydney Games, where the U.S. lost 3-1 to Spain.
"I think we understand how big the tournament is. There are going to be multiple eyes on these games as we play against some top teams and top talents for sure.
But the most important thing for us to remember is, first and foremost, to bring home a medal and represent the country on the biggest stage. I mean, if you want to look at it that way, you can think about how performing well here could lead to a big move post-Union.
But most importantly for the group, it's just about advancing out of the group stage and bringing home a medal.
As Nate said, there are a lot of eyes on the tournament. We’re playing against some of the best teams in the world, and especially with a game like France, we know there’s going to be a lot of attention on that game. It’s hard not to think about the possibilities if you perform well, but our focus is on staying in the moment here."
For those curious about the notable players from that U.S. and Spain roster: for the U.S., you had the likes of Brad Friedel, Jeff Agoos, Josh Wolff, Landon Donovan, Ben Olsen, and former Philadelphia Union technical director and uncle of the Sullivan brothers, Chris Albright. For Spain: former Barcelona stars Xavi and Carles Puyol, and former Valencia stars Carlos Marchena and David Albelda.
USA Roster for Paris 2024 Olympics
Goalkeepers:
Patrick Schulte, 23 (Columbus Crew)
Gaga Slonina, 20 (Chelsea)
Defenders:
Maximilian Dietz, 22 (Greuther Fürth)
Nathan Harriel, 23 (Philadelphia Union)
Miles Robinson, 27 (FC Cincinnati)
John Tolkin, 21 (New York Red Bulls)
Caleb Wiley, 19 (Atlanta United)
Walker Zimmerman, 31 (Nashville SC)
Midfielders:
Gianluca Busio, 22 (Venezia)
Benjamin Cremaschi, 19 (Inter Miami CF)
Jack McGlynn, 21 (Philadelphia Union)
Djordje Mihailovic, 25 (Colorado Rapids)
Tanner Tessmann, 22 (Venezia)
Forwards:
Paxten Aaronson, 20 (FC Utrecht)
Taylor Booth, 23 (FC Utrecht)
Duncan McGuire, 23 (Orlando City SC)
Kevin Paredes, 21 (Wolfsburg)
Griffin Yow, 21 (KVC Westerlo)
Game Schedule:
July 24 vs France - 3pm EST
July 27 vs New Zealand - 1pm EST
July 30 vs Guinea - 1pm EST
Where to Watch:
TV Channel: USA Network
Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app
Video Credit: CONCACAF and Philadelphia Union PR
 | A guest post by
|
Thanks for this! I learned a lot.