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U.S. Soccer heads to the Olympics: What to expect from the USMNT and USWNT when they kickoff in Paris
By Pardeep Cattry,
1 day ago
USATSI
Happy Olympics week! For the first time since 2008, both the U.S. women's national team and the U23 U.S. men's national team will compete at the event, though each enter the Games with different -- but ambitious -- aspirations. Before the action kicks off in France later this week, I'm Pardeep Cattry with a primer on Team USA's soccer prospects.
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🇺🇸 What are realistic expectations for the USWNT?
The U.S. women's national team has been defined by their constant quest for titles, and the Olympic Games offer a microcosm of their rich history -- they are four-time gold medalists and have also collected a silver and bronze medal since women's soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996. Their championship-winning pedigree looms large as the USWNT return to the Games, but their circumstances may make this a very different trip to the Olympics in terms of the team's aims.
Several members of the team, including captain Lindsey Horan in her post-match remarks after last week's send-off game, explicitly say the aspiration is to win the team's first gold medal since 2012. That's easier said than done for several reasons, chief among them the increasing competitiveness of the women's game that makes Spain feel like the favorites to win the top prize. The USWNT's less than ideal prep sticks out like a sore thumb, though -- head coach Emma Hayes has had just four games to work with her new squad and by her own admission, will likely need more time to fully implement her ideas.
It's unclear exactly how far the USWNT are in their evolution under Hayes, so the Olympics will be an important assessment in the team's progress -- and how far they have to go to course correct after last year's early exit at the Women's World Cup. As Sandra Herrera argues, the performance might be more important than their actual finish in Paris .
Herrera: "If the USWNT Olympic squad makes a triumphant return to first place on the podium, it'll be lauded as a success where the program is 'back' to glory and on its way to world dominance again. Even if they secure silver, or repeat as bronze medalists, it will be a temperature check on program protocol where they over-achieved during a time of program overhaul and are ahead of their rebuilding schedule. No third medal match or podium appearance at all could just be a symbol of the bigger, longer, picture for Hayes and U.S. Soccer -- an era in which to evolve, not redefine, the U.S. women's national team program."
This month's friendlies -- a 1-0 win over Mexico and a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica -- demonstrate there's room for improvement, especially in creating a fluid attack, even if signs of advancement were on full display. Hayes also clearly treated those games as friendlies, a chance to rotate through her options with some pre-planned substitutions and minute management. We have yet to see Hayes' in-game tactical style in high-stakes scenarios, which means the Olympics will offer things to learn about the strength of the U.S.' player pool as well as their new head coach in her first major tournament with any national team.
This edition of the Olympics will offer several answers on how this version of the USWNT stacks up in the new world of women's soccer, but as Hayes begins to curate a new look for the game's most successful team, expect this competition to only be the beginning of the path to discovering where the U.S. truly ranks amongst the elites.
It has been a long and winding road back to the Olympics for the U-23 U.S. men's national team, but the group is back at the Games for the first time since 2008. Head coach Marko Mtirovic is working with a roster of talent that includes several who have already earned their first cap for the senior national team, and may use the Olympics as a springboard to crack into the full squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
The list of senior team hopefuls is headlined by the likes of Jack McGlynn, John Tolkin and Kevin Paredes, all of whom could shake things up after the senior national team crashed out of the Copa America in the group stages . First, though, comes a chance to prove their worth at the Olympics against a wide variety of group stage opponents -- hosts France, Guinea and New Zealand. France is easily the toughest team in the group, boasting an all-star group of future stars of the game and coached by World Cup winner Thierry Henry, the U.S. can take confidence from the fact that the sides tied 2-2 in a friendly in March.
The final two group stage games, though, will be a true measuring stick of how the USMNT stack up against the competition in Paris. It's why the U.S. should target a berth in the knockout rounds for the first time since 2000, when a team that included future legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard made it all the way to the bronze medal match in Sydney. Repeating that achievement is not a necessity for this group to consider the trip to Paris a success, but a berth in the quarterfinals would go a long way in signaling the strength of the next generation of USMNT players.
A spot in the last eight would ultimately showcase the progress of the program after 16 years of missing out on the Olympic Games, a streak the USMNT will not be eager to repeat any time soon.
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🇺🇸 USWNT at the Olympics: Here's a list of the USWNT players to watch at the Olympics, including all-important forwards Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith.
Olympics: women's soccer gold medalist 💰 THE PICK: U.S. to win the gold medal (+175) -- Not everything might not be working in the USWNT's favor, but they are still the oddsmakers' favorites to win the gold and perhaps for good reason. The U.S. will still travel to France with one of the most talented rosters at the tournament, both in defense and in attack. Mallory Swanson in particular is expected to begin to stake her claim as the new focal point of the USWNT's attack, making her just one of several players that inspires optimism in this new-look U.S. team.
📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form , so you'll never have to miss an episode.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women's game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don't miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET .
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.m. ET.
🥅 Scoreline ( Daily ): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
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