In anticipation of the upcoming Paris Games this summer, GOAL looks back at the most recent U.S. men’s national team that successfully qualified for the Olympics.
It’s mind-boggling to consider that it has been 16 years since U.S. Soccer last dispatched a men’s team to the Olympics. The transformation that has taken place over the past decade and a half is remarkable. In fact, looking back at 2008 feels like reminiscing about a time that belonged to a completely different era, perhaps even three or four eras ago.
Maybe this 2024 men's U23 Olympic team will usher in a new era, although that's a topic for another day. To appreciate how far soccer has come, you also have to understand where soccer was. And with the Olympics looming, it's time for an important look back at the last team that participated in the Summer Games.
It wasn't a particularly memorable run at the 2008 Olympics, to be fair. The U.S. were unfortunate to go out in the group stage in the Beijing Games, despite amassing four points. They topped Japan in their opener, drew the Netherlands and fell to Nigeria in a do-or-die clash, ending their tournament prematurely.
However, for that specific U23 team, it marked only the beginning of their path. Numerous players from the 2008 team went on to achieve legendary status and guided the U.S. men’s national team in World Cups. Some of them continue to play professionally to this day, while others have become prominent figures in American soccer through their work after retiring.
With that in mind, GOAL revisits the 2008 squad and what happened with them in the 16 years since.
