USA vs. France: Starting XI & Lineup Notes

LINEUP NOTES
U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team vs. France
2024 Olympic Men’s Soccer Tournament Match No. 1
July 24, 2024
Stade de Marseille; Marseille, France
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, Telemundo and Peacock
Social Media: @USYNT on X and Instagram; U.S. Soccer on Facebook, the U.S. Soccer App

Tonight’s U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team Starting XI vs. France: 1-Patrick Schulte, 2-Nathan Harriel, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 5-John Tolkin, 6-Gianluca Busio, 7-Kevin Paredes, 8-Tanner Tessmann (Capt.), 11-Paxten Aaronson, 12-Miles Robinson, 13-Duncan McGuire, 14-Djordje Mihailovic

Substitutes: 18-Gaga Slonina, 4-Maximilian Dietz, 9-Griffin Yow, 10-Taylor Booth, 15-Benjamin Cremaschi, 16-Jack McGlynn, 17-Caleb Wiley

GAME NOTES

• Starting XI Under-23 cap numbers (including this match): Tessmann (11), Mihailovic (10), Harriel (8), Tolkin (8), Busio (7), Aaronson (6), McGuire (6), Zimmerman (5), Schulte (4), Paredes (3), Robinson (3)
• Starting XI senior U.S. Men’s National Team cap numbers: Zimmerman (42), Robinson (29), Mihailovic (11), Busio (13), Tolkin (4), Paredes (3), Tessmann (2), Aaronson (1), McGuire (1), Schulte (1), Harriel (0)
• Today’s match is the U.S. Men’s first at the Olympics in 5,824 days. The USA’s last appearance came in the group stage of Beijing 2008, a 2-1 defeat to Nigeria.
• Today’s match marks the Olympic debut for all 11 players in the starting lineup.
• The Starting XI has an average age of 23 years, 347 days.
• The Olympic Men’s Soccer Tournament is restricted to players under the age of 23, with an allowance for three overage players. All three U.S. overage players start tonight: Djordje Mihailovic (25 years old), Miles Robinson (27) and Walker Zimmerman (31).
• Seven starters return from starting the Olympic Team’s 2-2 come-from-behind draw at France on March 26: Paxten Aaronson, Gianluca Busio, Duncan McGuire, Kevin Paredes, Patrick Schulte, Tanner Tessmann and John Tolkin.
• Tessmann captains the squad tonight, his fifth time wearing the armband over this cycle’s seven games. He’s served as captain in every match for the Olympic Men’s Soccer Team since Nov. 18 vs. Iraq.
• All players in the Starting XI have played in Major League Soccer or developed in a MLS academy. In addition to current MLS clubs, members of the squad also spent time with the following MLS or MLS Next outfits: Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Nathan Harriel (Chargers SC), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire FC, CF Montreal), Kevin Paredes (D.C. United, Bethesda SC), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC, FC Greater Boston Bolts), Tanner Tessmann (FC Dallas) and Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas, LAFC).
• Defenders Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman have paired together in central defense for the senior USMNT nine times, compiling a 7W-1L-1D record. All matches came in official competition (2021 Concacaf Gold Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying). It’s their first time starting together since March 31, 2022 at Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying.
• Starting midfielders Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann play together in Italy for Venezia. The pair led the club’s promotion to Serie A during the 2023-24 season and has started together in four of seven matches for the Olympic team so far this cycle.
• This is the first meeting between the U.S. and France at the Olympic Games.
• The U.S. is 4W-3L-5D in the group stage since the Under-23 rule was introduced in 1992, including a 3W-1L-4D record in its last eight group stage matches.
• Yael Falcon of Argentina is the referee for tonight’s match. He officiated at this summer’s 2024 Copa America, the CONMEBOL Olympic qualifying tournament and the FIFA U-20 World Cup.