Photo @PhilaUnionII
On Tuesday all three Union players who are away from the squad on international duty had games.
Nathan Harriel started at right back in the final game of the Olympics’ group stage that secured U. S. advancement to the quarterfinals. Attacking midfielder Jack McGlynn replaced starter Djordje MIhailovic in the 52nd minute and will join Harriel against Morocco in Paris Friday, August 2, we think at 9:00 AM Eastern.
Off-roster Homegrown attacking midfielder David Vazquez’s U. S. U20 team advanced over Guatemala 1-0 in Concacaf’s 2024 U20 championship in Mexico, but Vazquez himself did not play. HIs next opportunity comes on Friday also, against either Canada or Panama.
US makes Olympic quarterfinals
In the third game of the men’s group stage played some 60 miles southwest of Lyons in the Massif Central, the U. S. beat former French colony Guinea’s Olympic team 3-0 .
Right back Harriel and versatile midfielder McGlynn both saw significant time. Here are their basic details updated to include Tuesday’s match.
| Player | Nathan Harriel | Jack McGlynn | ||||
| Start | France, | New Zealand, | Guinea | |||
| Subbed | France | New Zealand | Guinea | |||
| Minutes | 90 | 69 | 90 | 15 | 54 | 38 |
| Goals | ||||||
| Assists | ||||||
| Notes | Drew PK v NZ | Assist v Guinea | ||||
Harriel has been the starter at right back. We assume he came off against New Zealand to rest his legs. On set pieces he has elevator springs in his when he goes up to attack headers.
We are guessing that McGlynn’s high, versatile soccer IQ has given him a “substitute-of-all-trades” role in the midfield. Union fans know he can play the 10, the 8, and the double 6. Such versatility is demanded by the Olympic tournament’s rosters limit of 18 with four alternates.
Colorado Rapids overage attacking midfielder Djordje MIhailovic scored a free kick in the 11th minute. Right midfielder Kevin Paredes took a perfectly weighted through ball from Paxten Aaronson in the 30th, and Paredes took a feed from McGlynn in the 75th to produce the 3-0 scoreline.
Having won two games at the Olympics for the first time, as group A runner up they will play Morocco in Paris at 9:00 Eastern on one of NBC’s various sports feeds. As followers of controversy know, Morocco won its group over Argentina.
US U20s qualify for U20 World Cup
By winning its quarterfinal match against Guatemala at Concacaf’s U20s Championship in Leon , Mexico 1-0, the United States men’s under-20 soccer team advanced to FIFA’s 2025 U20 World Cup in Chile.
Reuben Ramos curled a shot from the left side of the top of the penalty box into the right corner of the net for the match winner in the 49th minute.
After an unspecified security incident involving an undetermined team or teams originally based in Celaya, Group A’s matches were delayed one day while squads moved to Leon and play resumed. Last Friday’s win over Costa Rica there won the U. S. its group. And later results secured Group C third place finisher Guatemala as the U. S.’s quarterfinal opponent.
For the U. S. the competition’s final objective now becomes to the win the championship itself. It’s semifinal opponent will be either Panama or Canada on Friday, August 2nd.
Philadelphia Union off-roster Homegrown David Vazquez often starts for the side but did not play Tuesday. Here are his accumulated statistics for the tournament to date. Since Friday’s semifinal is followed by the final on Sunday, resting Vazquez may turn out to have been wise.
| Day-Date | Opponent | Score | Start | Min | Notes |
| Fr, 19-Jul | Jamaica | W 9-0 | Yes | 45 | 2 goals + 2 assists |
| Mo, 22-Jul | Cuba | W 4-0 | no | 25 | 2nd ½ sub |
| Fr, 26-Jul | Costa Rica | W 1-0 | Yes | 45 | YC; Sub HT |
| Tu, 30-Jul | Guatemala | W 1-0 | No | 0 | Dressed, DNP |
| *Fr, 2-Aug | |||||
| *Su, 4-Aug |
*If they advance that far.
McGlynn, Harriel, and Aaronson all starting today. Pretty big deal for the club to have 3 homegrowns starting in the knockout stage of the Olympics.
Tough one this morning for the team. Outclassed by a good Morocco side. Thought they might hang on going into the second half, but knew it was done when that second goal went in.
US team played hard today vs Morocco. They were just overmatched. Moroccan players who were allegedly same age, wre not only more skilled but had a lot more muscle. It was a man vs boys match. It kind of of reminded of a little league world series game where the Venezuelan pitcher has a mustache and beard stuble vs the skinny
American kid at bat all of 98 pounds. I am always skeptical of youth international competition, regardless of which country they come from. Us would have never won but beyond the skill level it looked like men vs boys.
Maybe part of the reason we looked younger is we were.
Just looked at senior USMNT roster. Lund, Musah, Reyna, Tillman and Pepi are definitely U23. Some others are 2001s and I am not sure of the date cutoff.
I know that we just had nations league, but all of these guys play in Europe, so this is their break.
How much different would this team have looked with Lund, Musah, Reyna, Tillman and Pepi?
I understand we want to give the younger guys a chance, but in a global event why is the USA not fielding its best possible team?
Up to individual clubs whether to release the players.
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It is not a FIFA event, so FIFA does not require players to be released, unlike all the official FIFA events. World Cup and all its Quals, Nations’ Leagues, and the UEFA, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, AFcon, and AFC tournaments.
I think it’s time to stop making a big deal about Union players on the National team. It’s a nice byproduct but sign some big talent for the team to win trophies. Every team in MLS looks like two quality signings from going from the bottom to the top. The LA Galaxy are the perfect example of this.
Every member of Union ownership, top to bottom, is specifically committed against that strategy.
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And they are spending several millions of dollars on their academy’s campus right now in direct opposition to it, WSFS Sportsplex Phase two construction.
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Until they ALL sell, what you dream of will remain only a dream.
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Old Philadelphia Athletics Fans could dream that Connie Mack would inherit billions and spend them. But it was only a dream, not reality.