USA vs. Guinea: Starting XI & Lineup Notes

LINEUP NOTES
U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team vs. Guinea
2024 Olympic Men’s Soccer Tournament Match No. 18
July 30, 2024
Stade de Marseille; Marseille, France
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and Telemundo
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. Guinea: 1-Patrick Schulte, 2-Nathan Harriel, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 4-Maximilian Dietz, 5-John Tolkin, 7-Kevin Paredes, 8-Tanner Tessmann (Capt.), 9-Griffin Yow, 11-Paxten Aaronson, 12-Miles Robinson, 14-Djordje Mihailovic

Substitutes: 18-Gaga Slonina, 10-Taylor Booth, 13-Duncan McGuire, 15-Benjamin Cremaschi, 16-Jack McGlynn, 17-Caleb Wiley, 21-Josh Atencio

GAME NOTES

• The USA can advance to the Olympic quarterfinals with either a win or a draw and a New Zealand draw or loss to France in the match kicking off simultaneously in Marseille.
• Head coach Marko Mitrović makes two changes from the XI that started the USA’s 4-1 victory vs. New Zealand on Saturday night, with Maximilian Dietz and Griffin Yow making their first starts of the tournament in replacement Gianluca Busio and Duncan McGuire.
• Busio (leg injury) is unavailable for the match against Guinea and will be replaced on today’s 18-player roster by alternate Josh Atencio. Busio may be re-inserted into the 18-man squad once his medical condition allows.
• Starting XI Under-23 cap numbers (including this match): Tessmann (12), Mihailovic (11), Harriel (9), Tolkin (9), Dietz (8), Aaronson (7), Zimmerman (6), Schulte (5), Yow (5), Paredes (4), Robinson (4)
• Starting XI senior U.S. Men’s National Team cap numbers: Zimmerman (42), Robinson (29), Mihailovic (11), Tolkin (4), Paredes (3), Tessmann (2), Aaronson (1), McGuire (1), Schulte (1), Dietz (0), Harriel (0), Yow (0)
• Sixteen of 18 players on today’s matchday squad have made their Olympic debut. Midfielder Josh Atencio and goalkeeper Gaga Slonina are the two players yet to take the field on the Olympic stage.
• 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).
• Of the USA’s 11 overage players since the rule was introduced for Atlanta 1996, Zimmerman (42 caps) ranks as the fifth-most experienced player at the senior level, behind Jeff Agoos (101 caps before Sydney 2000), Brian McBride (95, Beijing 2008), Alexi Lalas (69, Atlanta 1996) and Brad Freidel (66, Sydney 2000).
• Tessmann captains the squad tonight, his eighth time wearing the armband over this cycle’s 10 games. He’s served as captain in every match for the Olympic Men’s Soccer Team since Nov. 18 vs. Iraq.
• Ten of 11 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), Harriel (Chargers SC), Mihailovic (Chicago Fire FC, CF Montreal), Paredes (D.C. United, Bethesda SC), Robinson (Atlanta United FC, FC Greater Boston Bolts), Tessmann (FC Dallas), Yow (D.C. United) and Zimmerman (FC Dallas, LAFC).
• Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman have paired together in central defense for the senior USMNT and the U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team 11 times, compiling an 8-2-1 combined record. All USMNT matches came in official competition (2021 Concacaf Gold Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying) plus the first two matches at Paris 2024.
• Tessmann is the first U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer player from Alabama, while Paredes and Yow are the second and third from Virginia, joining Brandon Pollard (Atlanta 1996).
• Yow is the third player based in Belgium to represent the U.S. Men at the Olympics after Ian Feuer and Steve Snow (Molenbeek, Standard Liège, Barcelona 1992).
• This is the first meeting between the U.S. and Guinea at the Olympic Games.
• The U.S. is 5W-4L-5D in the group stage since the Under-23 rule was introduced in 1992.
• Tess Olofsson of Sweden is the referee for tonight’s match. She previously officiated at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.