The final countdown to the US men’s program’s 2024 Olympic adventure began on Wednesday as head coach Marko Mitrovic announced an MLS-dominated squad for a June preparatory camp, the last gathering before he submits his roster for the tournament on or before July 3. And two of Mitrovic’s choices drew plenty of questions from reporters in a media availability a few hours later.
One MLS star in, one surprisingly left out, and plenty still to prove for several others.
The final countdown to the US men’s program’s 2024 Olympic adventure began on Wednesday as head coach Marko Mitrovic announced an MLS-dominated squad for a June preparatory camp, the last gathering before he submits his roster for the tournament on or before July 3. And two of Mitrovic’s choices drew plenty of questions from reporters in a media availability a few hours later.
Zimmerman In
First was the inclusion of Walker Zimmerman, the only overage player in this camp, a strong signal that the Nashville SC defensive mainstay will fill one of the three slots available for players older than the age of 23 at the Olympics in France this summer.
“We identified that [center back] will be a position of need for us, where we would like to bring an overage player,” explained Mitrovic. “We spoke with Walker, I met Walker and I was very, very happy with his commitment to go to the Olympic Games. I used to work with Walker and I’m very aware of all the qualities that he’s bringing on the table as a player, on and off the field.”
While nothing is official yet, it certainly sounds like Zimmerman will anchor the Olympians’ back line and wear the captain’s armband, with the full endorsement of the full US men’s national team staff, who are currently more flush in central defense options than the Under-23s.
“Walker is someone who was with us in the World Cup, someone who we think very highly of and also he’s a player that’s got a ton of leadership qualities,” said USMNT assistant BJ Callaghan in a separate press conference just before Mitrovic’s. “He’s a leader and captain-type player.
“When he goes down with the Olympic group, we expect nothing less than that, is that he can transcend our identity into that group, but also be a leadership type of guy who has World Cup experience into a potentially younger group that has to go and perform very quickly, based upon the Olympic format.”
