GOAL looks at how the Olympic athletes have performed since the Paris Games, and what the future holds for the USMNT’s young stars.
It’s been almost six months since the U.S. men’s national team last competed in the Olympics, making it back to the Olympics for the first time in more than 20 years. At the Paris Games, coach Marko Mitrovic led the U23 USMNT to the quarterfinals, but they lost despite a brave performance against eventual bronze medalists Morocco.
The squad, led by overage veterans Walker Zimmerman and Djordje Mihailovic, reached the finals for the first time in 24 years, but had not gone that far since the 2000 Sydney Games, when they finished fourth.
Although they ultimately fell short of the podium, the United States delivered a performance that inspired and ignited the next generation of U.S. men’s soccer fans and players. Kevin Paredes, who was named the 2023 US Soccer Young Player of the Year, made his breakthrough in the tournament, as did Paxten Aaronson, the younger brother of senior star and Leeds United midfielder Brenden. Tanner Tessman earned a hefty transfer fee as a result of his success on the international stage with France.
GOAL examines how the team has fared at the club level since the Olympics and what’s next for some of U.S. soccer’s brightest young stars.
