COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Columbus Crew player will be looking to add an Olympic gold medal to a collection of hardware that already includes an MLS Cup winners medal.
Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte was named to the final roster for the United States men’s soccer team competing at the Paris Olympics this summer, the Crew announced Saturday prior to its match against Toronto. It is the first time since 2008 Team USA has qualified for the men’s Olympic soccer tournament.
“I just remember sitting in my basement or sitting on the couch at my parents just watching every Olympics as a child and to be able to do that would be something really cool,” said Schulte. “As a kid, this is what I dreamed of. This is what I wanted to do so I don’t think it’s a surprise or anything because I know the work that I put into it.”
The full 18-man squad, along with four alternates, was named on Monday. The entire roster is 23 years or younger with the exception of three players: Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, and Djordje Mihailovic.
U.S. Olympic roster
Goalkeepers (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea)
Defenders (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders (5): Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia)
Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht), Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo)
Alternates (4): Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders FC.), Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City), Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig), John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City)
The 23-year-old from Missouri has had a rapid rise since the Crew drafted him in 2022. Schulte led the Crew 2 developmental team to the first MLS NEXT Pro title before being signed by the first team. He then became the Crew’s regular starting goalkeeper in 2023 and went on to win that year’s MLS Cup before being named the CONCACAF Champions Cup “Goalkeeper of the Tournament” in 2024.
Schulte becomes the fourth active Crew player to be named to the USA Olympic squad joining Robbie Rogers (2008), and 1996 Olympians Brian Maisonneuve and Rob Smith. A total of six Crew players have been Olympians while playing in Columbus with Costa Rica’s Erick Scott (2004) and Nigeria’s Emmanuel Ekpo (2008) also on the list.
Manager Marko Mitrovic is hoping to lead Team USA past the group stage in Paris and beyond with the Americans never medaling in men’s soccer. The best finish for the United States came in Sydney 2000 when they finished in fourth place.
Schulte and Team USA will play its first game on July 24, two days before the opening ceremony, against host nation France in Marseille at 3 p.m. Eastern. They will remain in Marseille for a July 27 match against New Zealand before closing group stage play against Guinea on July 30 in Saint-Etienne.
You can watch the Paris Olympic soccer tournaments on NBC4, Peacock, and NBC Universal channels.
Men’s soccer groups
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
 France |  Argentina |  Uzbekistan |  Japan |
 United States |  Morocco |  Spain |  Paraguay |
 Guinea |  Iraq |  Egypt |  Mali |
 New Zealand |  Ukraine |  Dominican Republic |  Israel |
