Kevin Paredes and Griffin Yow named to U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team

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Kevin Paredes and Griffin Yow, 21-year-old soccer players from Northern Virginia who launched their careers at D.C. United before venturing to Europe, are going to the Paris Olympics together.

The wingers were among 18 players named Monday to the U.S. men’s squad, which will compete at the Summer Games for the first time since 2008. The 16-nation tournament is restricted to players 23 and under, with three exceptions per team.

Paredes (South Riding) and Yow (Clifton) have been part of the youth national team set-up for some time. But because soccer’s governing body, FIFA, does not require clubs to release players for the Olympics, Paredes needed permission from Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga and Yow from Belgian club Westerlo to join the U.S. squad.

They will report to training camp this week in Bordeaux, France. Group play will begin July 24 against France in Marseille, followed by New Zealand on July 27 in Marseille and Guinea on July 30 in Saint-Etienne. Two will advance to the quarterfinals.

Since the age restriction was implemented in 1992, the only time the U.S. men have advanced out of group play was the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when they finished fourth.

All but three U.S. call-ups have made senior national team appearances.

Paredes and Yow were among eight European-based players selected by Coach Marko Mitrovic. This past season — his second full campaign in Germany since United transferred him for a club-record $7.35 million in January 2022 — Paredes scored three goals in 28 league appearances (15 starts).

This summer he was a candidate for the Copa América squad, featuring the top national team players, but Coach Gregg Berhalter decided to save him for the Olympics.

Yow, who moved to Belgium in July 2022, had seven goals in 28 league matches (25 starts) this past season.

The other 10 U.S. players invited by Mitrovic come from MLS teams, including all three over-age selections: center backs Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) and Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati) and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids).

Several players targeted by Mitrovic — age-specific and over-age — were not released by their respective clubs. He was expected to address that matter, as well as other topics, with reporters Monday afternoon.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Goalkeepers: Gabriel Slonina (Chelsea), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew).

Defenders: Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC).

Midfielders: Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia).

Forwards: Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (Westerlo).

Alternates: GK John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City), D Jacob Davis (Sporting Kansas City), MF Josh Atencio (Seattle Sounders), F Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig).