Paredes (South Riding) and Yow (Clifton) have been part of the youth national team set-up for some time. But because soccer’s governing body, FIFA, does not require clubs to release players for the Olympics, Paredes needed permission from Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga and Yove from Belgian club Westerlo to join the U.S. team.
Multiple people familiar with the situation said the clubs had rejected multiple requests from U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic for players including midfielder Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) and forwards Hadji Wright (Coventry City) and Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey).
Several age-eligible players, such as Gio Reyna and Younes Musah, were not realistic call-ups due to club preseason demands and their participation in the Copa América with the senior national team this summer.
“It was a really difficult process over the last eight to 10 months talking to clubs and trying to get all the players released,” Mitrovic said. “Yes, there were challenges, but we ended up with a roster that we really believe can represent us in the best possible way and I feel very good about the team that is going to Paris. Is.”
The U.S. team will report to training camp in Bordeaux, France, this week. The group matches begin against France on July 24 in Marseille, followed by New Zealand on July 27 in Marseille and Guinea on July 30 in Saint-Etienne. Two will reach the quarter finals.
Since age restrictions were implemented in 1992, the only time the U.S. men have advanced from group play was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when they finished fourth.
All but three American call-ups have made appearances for the senior national team.
Paredes and Yoe are among eight European-based players heading to the Olympics. This past season – his second full campaign in Germany since United transferred him for a club-record $7.35 million in January 2022 – Paredes scored three goals in 28 league appearances (15 starts).
He was a candidate for the Copa America team this summer, but U.S. senior national team coach Greg Berhalter decided to save him for the Olympics.
Yoav, who moved to Belgium in July 2022, scored seven goals in 28 league matches (25 starts) last season.
The other 10 American players are from MLS teams, including all three overage selections: center backs Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) and Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati) and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids).
Zimmerman, 31, and Robinson, 27, started together in six 2022 World Cup qualifiers and eight times overall. Zimmerman started the World Cup in Qatar but Robinson missed the tournament with an Achilles tendon injury. Mihailovic, 25, has played for the senior team 11 times and is enjoying an outstanding MLS season with 10 goals and nine assists.
The roster also includes midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, who at 19 was the youngest selection. In his second season in the Inter Miami first team, Cremaschi is coached by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
goalkeeper: Gabriel Slonina (Chelsea), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew).
defenders: Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harrill (Philadelphia Union), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC).
midfielder: Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessman (Venezia).
Ahead: Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (Westerlo).
optional: GK John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City), D Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City), MF Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders), F Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig).
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