The 31-year-old Zimmermann is Nashville SC's captain and played in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He's been named to the MLS Best XI five times and MLS Defender of the Year twice, making his Olympic team a given after being included in the squad for last month's friendly against Japan in Kansas City, Kansas.
Robinson, 27, is in his first season with FC Cincinnati after six years with Atlanta United and likely would have been selected for the 2022 World Cup squad if not for an Achilles injury. Robinson was included in the squad for this summer's Copa America but did not play.
The 25-year-old Mihajlovic is in his first season with the Colorado Rapids after spending a year with AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. He previously played for the Chicago Fire and CF Montreal. In 21 games with Colorado, he has recorded 10 goals and nine assists.
Mitrovic worked with coach Gregg Berhalter for months to select the squad, a process complicated by the fact that clubs around the world are not required by International Football Association's governing body FIFA to send players to the Olympics.
The Olympics come in the middle of the MLS season, as the Mexican league resumes and European clubs prepare to begin training camps. Many global stars, including Argentina's Lionel Messi and France's Kylian Mbappe, will be on vacation after playing in major summer tournaments like the Copa America and the European Championships.
It's unclear how many U.S. players' requests have been rejected by clubs, but three sources said PSV Eindhoven midfielder Malik Tillman, Coventry City forward Haji Wright and Monterrey forward Brandon Vazquez are among those targeted. Tillman and Wright were on the Copa America squad but did not play until the closing minutes of Monday's final group game against Uruguay in Kansas City, Missouri.
“A lot of the conversations have to happen with the clubs,” Berhalter told The Washington Post in late May. “We need to see what the players are up to, what the clubs are up to next season and what the needs of the Olympic group are. So it's a lot of information to triangulate in a short period of time.”
The U.S., playing in its first Olympics since 2008, will play Group A matches against France in Marseille on July 24 and New Zealand on July 27 before facing Guinea in Saint-Etienne on July 30. Two teams will advance to the quarterfinals.
