It's totally uncertain. UEFA players are "cap-tied" for the Olympics if they've played in the qualifying events. For them, the qualifying events are the U21 level. Balogun played for England in official U21 matches. HOWEVER, Great Britain doesn't send an Olympic soccer team. There's no such thing. Is he cap-tied to a team that doesn't exist? So nobody knows. I don't think we've heard anybody from the USSF answer that. What I know is Balogun is almost certainly on the Copa roster. With the amount of people this board has decided are on the Olympic team, one would think the roster is 30 players at this point. I'm still of the opinion that Pepi and Balogun will be on the Copa squad. That leaves McGuire and an overage player for the #9 position on the Olympics. The player I'm the least certain about this summer is Sargent. Lots of injuries and lots of minutes. And Sargent hasn't played a second for the USMNT since the World Cup.
I have a hard time deciding how seriously to take the Olympic promo shots with Pepi, but I do think they should be taken somewhat seriously, if he's doing promotions, I think there's a there there.
They are promo shots that can quickly be turned into Copa America promos............................. Can't overanalyze that. Ricardo Pepi has played in all but one USMNT game since the end of WC22. He's been as much a part of the USMNT roster as anyone. Now he's up to 23 caps with 10 goals, which isn't insignificant. Goals per cap rate: Ricardo Pepi: 0.43 Christian Pulisic: 0.42 Clint Dempsey: 0.40 Jozy Altidore: 0.37 Landon Donovan: 0.36 Brian McBride: 0.32 Eric Wynalda: 0.32 [Obviously, take that with a grain of salt. for a number of reasons. But its a fact nonetheless.] Imagine the USSF staff leaving Pepi off the WC roster, using him in virtually every game for a year and a half, and then leaving him off the Copa America roster. Why? Because Wright and Sargent scored some goals in the Championship. Pepi played in 39 games across all competitions for one of the best Eredevisie teams in recent memory. Was it a great season? No. But it also wasn't a bad season. I still think Pepi goes to Copa America. So I still think the Olympic #9s will be McGuire and Vazquez (overage). And yes, I think its going to be Sargent who gets left out. Josh Sargent hasn't played a second for the USMNT since the 22WC. Not a second.
Are we sure the overage 9 should be Vazquez and not Pefok or Ferreira? I like Vazquez but I don’t know he’s played as well lately after a good start. I also don’t think Josh Sargent gets left out of the Copa America if he’s healthy enough to play. He hasn’t been with the team but a lot that has been because of injuries (he was even called up last window and had to withdraw after getting a knock).
Berhalter confirms @FOXSports reporting from December that Walker Zimmerman is being considered for an overage Olympic roster spot. He adds that Brandon Vazquez and Auston Trusty are also in the conversation.— Doug McIntyre (@ByDougMcIntyre) May 20, 2024
Having now actually watched the press conference, I should add that he didn't bring up Vazquez or Trusty spontaneously. A reporter asked him if those two were in consideration, and he responded that they were, but then brought up Zimmerman himself as another possibility. That said, someone asked if Leonard Maloney was a possible overage inclusion for the Olympics, and Berhalter said no because the Olympics roster has plenty of quality U-23 options in the midfield already.
Maloney is a starter for a team that finished 8th in the Bundesliga and can play as a CDM or a CB. Gregg deserves the hate he gets.
The thing about overage players however is you want to use them where the pool has weaknesses. Which is centerback and at the 9 position, not at the 6. And Maloney is more of a guy who can play centerback in a pinch not someone you’d want playing it regularly (or over Zimmerman or Trusty).
You also really do want 3 STARTERS with your overage players. So if we're going to add two CBs, they're going to be the starters. We're not taking overage players to be versatile depth options for the bench. That's not to say I don't like Maloney. I'm just not sure he covers what this team needs. If Pepi is with the Copa team, which seems more likely now, then we need help at the 9. Folks have forever been saying the holes in this U23 pool are CB and forward. ......................so we take two CB starters and a #9. I bet we can go back half a year and see somebody predict Vazquez, Trusty, and Zimmerman. Guys unlikely to be on the Copa squad that add value to the Olympics squad. Do I think we're going to beat France and Argentina with those three? No. But the Olympics aren't the #1 priority. The Copa America is. Everybody knows that and has been saying it ever since the invitation to Copa America was accepted. If the Olympics were the priority then we'd take Musah, Reyna, Scally, Pepi, Lund, Johnny, etc. etc. to the Olympics.
Last call ahead of the Olympics 🔜June's #OlyMNT Camp roster 👇— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) May 29, 2024 Anyone with "Zimmerman" on their answer card wins a prize
It sounds like it’s going to be Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, and there is an unknown third attacking player in line for the final overage spot ahead of Vazquez.
I hope Vazquez isn't regretting his decision to cap-tie himself to the US last summer. I think he could knock someone like Memo Martinez off the El Tri roster.
I think the thing with Vazquez is Mexico never even called him or reached out to him (which I think was a mistake on their part).
This came from The Washington Post today Berhalter is working with under-23 coach Marko Mitrovic to select overage players. Among the candidates are defenders Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson and Auston Trusty as well as forward Brandon Vázquez, Berhalter said.
In the youth forums there’s a reference to Vazquez being the second choice overage player as an attacker but it’s not clear who is ahead of him.