Paredes (South Riding) and Yeo (Clifton) have been part of the U.S. youth national team for some time. But because soccer’s governing body, FIFA, doesn’t require clubs to release players to the Olympics, Paredes needed permission from Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga and Yeo from Westerlo in Belgium to join the U.S. squad.
Several people familiar with the situation said clubs have rejected several requests from U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic to sign players, including midfielder Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) and forwards Haji Wright (Coventry City) and Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey).
It was not realistic to call up several eligible players, such as Gio Reyna and Yunus Musa, due to the club’s pre-season requirements and their participation in the Copa America with the senior national team this summer.
“It has been a very difficult process in the last eight to 10 months, as we talked to the clubs and tried to release all the players. Yes, there were challenges, but we ended up with a squad that we really believe can represent us in the best possible way and I feel good about the team that will go to Paris,” Mitrovic said.
The U.S. team will head to a training camp in Bordeaux, France, this week. Group stage matches will begin on July 24 against France in Marseille, followed by New Zealand on July 27 in Marseille and Guinea on July 30 in Saint-Etienne. Two teams will advance to the quarterfinals.
Since age restrictions were implemented in 1992, the only time the U.S. men have advanced from group play was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when they finished fourth.
All but three of the players called up to the U.S. national team have made the first national squad.
Paredes and Yoo are among eight Europe-based players heading to the Olympics. Last season — his second full season in Germany since moving to United for a club-record $7.35 million in January 2022 — Paredes scored three goals in 28 league games (15 starts).
This summer he was a candidate to be included in the Copa America squad, but US national team coach Gregg Berhalter decided to keep him until the Olympics.
Llull, who moved to Belgium in July 2022, scored seven goals in 28 league games (25 of them as a starter) last season.
The other 10 players from the United States are from Major League Soccer teams, including the three over-age selections: defenders Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) and Myles Robinson (FC Cincinnati) and midfielder Djordje Mihajlovic (Colorado Rapids).
Zimmerman, 31, and Robinson, 27, have started together in six 2022 World Cup qualifiers and eight times overall. Zimmerman started at the World Cup in Qatar but Robinson missed the tournament with an Achilles injury. Mihajlovic, 25, has made 11 first-team appearances and is enjoying a breakout season in MLS, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists.
The roster also includes midfielder Benjamin Kremiski, who was the youngest player on the squad at 19. In his second season with the Inter Miami first team, Kremiski trained under Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Goalkeepers:Gabrielle Slonina (Chelsea), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew).
Defenders: Maximilian Dietz (Grether Furth), Nathan Harrell (Philadelphia Union), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkien (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC).
Midfielders: Gianluca Bosio (Venice), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihajlovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessman (Venice).
The attackers:Paxton Aaronson (Utrecht), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yeo (Westerlo).
AlternativesGoalkeeper John Bolskamp (Sporting Kansas City), defender Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City), midfielder Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders), forward Johan Gomes (Eintracht Braunschweig).