USMNT Olympic Watchlist: Which MLS players could go to France for the Olympics?

All eyes will be on this year's Copa America, but the Paris Olympics that follow will likely tell just as much about the broader state of the U.S. men's roster. Unlike the women's side of the Olympic tournament, the men's competition relies on players under the age of 23, but each team is allowed to bring up to three overage players in their 18-man squad.

If the team selected by U.S. Olympic coach Marko Mitrovic comes close to matching the program's best fourth place in 2000, it would be an indicator that the U.S. could now produce a steady stream of top-end talent. Dew.If America is ashamed Within group AHowever, some may be concerned that 2026 will be the program's high point.

After the draw in March, Mitrovic touted “a number of players we're looking at” as potential additions to the squad. He stressed that he wants to bring in the “best 18 players” he can, and is still dabbling in areas where he feels he can sacrifice depth given the limitations of teams at the Olympic Games. Not yet.

even deeper

USMNT takes on France in Olympic opener

With that in mind, here's a baby seat of Olympic-qualifying athletes to track over the next few months. This list focuses on his MLS players, and for good reason. Half of the latest Olympic team is currently playing in MLS, and he was developed in MLS's academy before the majority of the rest moved overseas.

Players called up by coach Mitrovic for the U-23 camps in November and March are marked with an asterisk.

When first mentioned.

goalkeeper Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina* He has been the U.S. senior team's “goalkeeper of the future” for several years now and won't turn 20 until May 15th. He is widely expected to be one of two goalkeepers to compete in the 2024 Olympics. He will be left with one available spot in the rest of the pool. If USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter determines that Slonina would benefit.Listed in Copa America

However, it opens the door momentarily.

Either way, the battle for one (or two) of these spots will definitely be the closest of all the age-restricted players. Aside from Slonina, three domestic Olympic-eligible goalkeepers are the top candidates for MLS clubs. He led the team to top honors in 2023. Roman Celentano and Patrick Schuldt* He won the Supporters Shield with FC Cincinnati and the MLS Cup with the Columbus Crew. The other goalie in contention isChris Brady*

a Chicago Fire product, took over the club's starting XI after another academy product, Slonina, left for Chelsea after the 2022 season.

Their numbers tell an interesting story.

Although Celentano has an advantage over other players in terms of numbers, it is difficult to distinguish between a goalkeeper's performance and the performance of the line in front of him, and Celentano is behind Cincy, one of the best defenses in MLS. I benefited from playing in the. Brady ranks in the middle of this group with a goal prevention percentage of 5.6%, but compared to his backup (Spencer Ritchie), who has a -19.9% ​​in eight starts since the beginning of last season. His results can be called superhuman.

Celentano's goal prevention percentage seems much better than Brady or Schulte, but that's relative. Last season's stats ranked Celentano 15th out of 36 eligible goaltenders in MLS, followed by Brady 17th and Schulte 22nd. The difference between this trio is relatively negligible considering it ranges from -20% to +50% league-wide.

The three are also utilized in very different ways by each team, and that shows up in metrics other than shot-stopping as well as eye tests.

Since the start of 2023, Schulte's raw passing numbers have jumped off the page. His completion rate was 75.6%, 9.9% higher than Celentano (65.7%) and 13.1% higher than Brady (62.5%). Again, the Crew goalies play far fewer long passes, but this makes sense considering Columbus' possession-oriented style under Wilfried Nancy. Brady was the best in command inside the area, stopping more crosses than any other player.

Considering shot-stopping, distribution, and sweep overall, Brady appears to be a close second as the top option of this trio. The next few months will be crucial for Schulte, who had a revelation last fall, but needs to show more consistency between posts. Even without that, Celentano stands out as a shot-stopping specialist — arguably the best form of this trio, if not the MLS goalkeeper, throughout the early weeks of the season. should have been maintained.

defender

Six defenders have strong candidates for the Olympic roster. Conveniently for our purposes, it is evenly divided into left-back, right-back and centre-back. At the back left, John Tolkien* and Caleb Wiley*

They are regulars on this team and will likely soon compete to be Anthony Robinson's primary backup in the first team. Wylie has been a regular for Atlanta United since he was 19 years old, and his ability to play further out as a winger is valuable within the constraints of an 18-man squad. Tolkien, 21, is perhaps the best left-back in MLS and appears ready to take the next step by moving overseas. At the back right, Nathan Hariel*

He is a regular choice of coach Mitrovic. Hariel, another Union Academy product, leads all right-backs in MLS with 6.07 interceptions and pass blocks per 1,000 touches. This has a huge impact even when the emphasis is on possession. He also boasts a 56.3% duel win rate, a difficult mark for the rushing winger to overcome. sports KC jake davis

Deeper

even deeper

How Jake Davies replaced Graham Zusi as Sporting KC's right-back At the center of the defense, George Campbell*

He has benefited greatly since being traded from Atlanta United to CF Montreal after the 2022 season. He has become a reliable starter who prefers to focus on the attacker before the ball reaches the box. This idea is also reflected in the data. His 48.4% aerial percentage is very poor for the position, but his 11.71 ball recoveries per 1,000 touches are among the best in the league. Like Davis, jalen neal

I haven't played under Mitrovic yet. However, the former Los Angeles Galaxy player has progressed through the Under-23 level and already has six senior caps for the USMNT. At the 2023 Gold Cup, he became the youngest center back to appear in the finals for the USMNT. The 20-year-old benefited from playing alongside Japanese national team veteran Maya Yoshida in 2023, but has yet to feature in 2024 after sustaining an abdominal injury in mid-February. If he can work his way into the lineup of a revived Galaxy team in time, he could stake a claim for participation in the Olympics.

midfielder Aidan Morris*

is currently one of the best two-way mids in the league and features regularly for the high-profile Columbus Crew squad, who have won their third league title and are off to a strong start this season. . Nancy's system further unlocked his short passing game and distributed decision-making, molding him into an ideal box-to-box option. new york red bulls Daniel Edelman* teeth stable leader

He has been playing at the base of midfield and has increased his passing workload under new head coach Sandro Schwartz. His one-on-one defense has also improved each season, adding even more strength to screening the backline. of philadelphia Jack McGlynn*

He is an excellent ball circulator in any midfield shape and his defensive work looks to have taken a step forward in the early weeks of 2024. colorado rapids Cole Bassett* He is currently in his second year in MLS and is responsible for reinvigorating the club's attack under Cris Armas. quinn sullivan He may be overshadowed by his younger brother at the moment, but he is the latest born-and-bred player to break into Philadelphia's first team. He has already logged 490 minutes in the league and is active with his dribbling, as well as actively trying to shoot from outside the box to keep opponents honest. Seattle Sounders 18 year oldObed Vargas * There will still be an age limit in 2028, when the Olympics are held in Los Angeles, but there is a chance you will be selected for two Olympic teams.Benjamin Kremaski* Among the show's biggest breakout stars in 2023,

He suffered a sports hernia during Miami's long preseason tour.His health will continue to be closely monitored.

forward orlando city Duncan McGuire*

Even if Ricardo Pepi were to be used here rather than in the Copa America, he would still have a good chance of being included in the Olympic squad. His shooting numbers have skyrocketed compared to his rookie season, going from 2.05 to 2.92 shots per 90 in his first five games as a starter. Diego Luna* achievement his “dream”

When he debuted with the USMNT this winter. He became more of a goal-scoring threat in 2023, but this year he played in five games and provided four assists in just 358 minutes, becoming a key creative option for RSL. Kayden Clark

He was a regular member of the U-23 squad during the Olympic qualifiers, but his club career stalled after moving to RB Leipzig, and his role has declined since Mitrovic took over as manager. He returned to MLS permanently and is now with Minnesota United, where he regularly starts as a reverse left winger. If he can continue to earn playing time and impact the team's offense, he could be considered again. Brian Gutierrez*

He shone brightly for the Chicago Fire, becoming the most important player in the final third, ahead of Xherdan Shaqiri. After registering nine assists last year, he has two goals and one assist in 453 minutes this season, and continues to improve his play, increasing his touch rate in the final third from 37.8% last year to 46.1% in 2024. Asiel Jackson

St. Louis City SC acquired him on the cheap ahead of his winning first season, and he made his USMNT debut during the offseason. His form in the early days of the club in 2024 has not fully matched last year's standards, with a decrease in the percentage of progressive passes and carries, but his creativity indicators have slightly increased. Similarly, Bernard Kamungo*

Although he didn't have the same intensity as FC Dallas in his young season, he was one of the best dribblers in the program and showed great decision-making in the final third for his age. Esmil Bajraktarevic*

He is also eligible for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, but has been assigned to play regularly in New England this spring. The 19-year-old has already registered his second assist in 279 minutes and has been quick to contribute to the Revs' build-up despite the team's overall struggles. Indiana Vasilev*

Another savvy pickup player ahead of his St. Louis debut, he improved his shot selection and open play chance creation in the early weeks of 2024.