In its final game before the roster is named for the 2024 Summer Olympics, the U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team fell 2-0 to Asian Football Confederation U-23 champion Japan at Children’s Mercy Park on Tuesday.
Japan, a two-time Olympic semifinalist (2012 and 2021) that won the Asian title last month, held the majority of the possession on Tuesday and scored a goal in each half. The visitors took the lead in just the sixth minute, as U.S. defender Bryan Reynolds was whistled for a handball and Shota Fujio dispatched the subsequent penalty kick. Japan then doubled its advantage in the 69th mminute when forward Mao Hosoya knocked in a rebound.
Up next, the U.S. men will take the field for their first Olympic tournament appearance since 2008. The journey will begin July 24 against host France at the iconic Stade Stade de Marseille in Marseille. Group A play will continue three days later in Marseille against New Zealand and then conclude on July 30 against Guinea in Saint-Étienne. The top two finishers in the four-team group will advance to the Aug. 2 quarterfinals.
MATCH REPORT
Match: U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team vs. Japan
Date: June 11, 2024
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Children’s Mercy Park; Kansas City, Kan.
Kickoff: 7:05 p.m. CT
Weather: 84 degrees, partly cloudy
Scoring Summary:
JPN - Shota Fujio (penalty kick) 6'
JPN - Mao Hosoya (unassisted) 69'
Lineups:
USA: 1-Patrick Schulte; 5-Bryan Reynolds (2-Nathan Harriel, 46), 4-Jonathan Tomkinson, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 22-Caleb Wiley (21-John Tolkin, 46); 8-Tanner Tessmann (Capt.) (15-Benjamin Cremaschi, 62), 10-Taylor Booth, 17-Johan Gomez (14-Jack McGlynn, 46); 11-Paxten Aaronson, 13-Duncan McGuire (9-Cade Cowell, 68), 18-Griffin Yow
Substitutes not used: 12-Gaga Slonina, 7-Kevin Paredes, 19-Damion Downs, 20-Rokas Pukstas, 23-Esmir Bajraktarevic, 24-Jalen Neal, 25-Cole Bassett
Unavailable: 6-Gianluca Busio, 16-Aidan Morris
Head coach: Marko Mitrović
JPN: 1-Leobrian Kokubo; 2-Riku Handa, 3-Ryuya Nishio, 7-Rihito Yamamoto, 8-Joel Chima Fujita (Capt.), 9-Shota Fujio (19-Mao Hosoya, 46), 13-Ryotaro Araki (10-Kein Sato, 68), 14-Shunsuke Mito (11-Kodai Sano, 81), 18-Koki Saito (20-Yu Hirakawa, 46), 21-Ayumu Ohata (4-Hiroki Sekine, 77), 22-Kota Takai
Substitutes not used: 12-Taishi Brandon Nozawa, 23-Zion Suzuki, 5-Anrie Chase, 6-Sota Kawasaki, 16-Takashi Uchino, 17-Kuryu Matsuki, 25-Yuta Matsumura
Head coach: Go Oiwa
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Tanner Tessmann (Caution) 45+1'
USA – Walker Zimmerman (Caution) 49'
Officials:
Referee: Jon Freemon (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nathan Colling (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Phillip Gomez (USA)
Fourth Official: Devin Blazek (USA)
