The U.S. men’s national team will be competing in the Summer Olympics for the first time in 16 years, and Colorado native and Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett could be among the players heading to Paris.
The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Wednesday that the 22-year-old has been selected for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team for two international friendlies against Japan. The matches will be held in Kansas City on June 7 and 11 as both countries prepare for the Olympics in July.
Bassett was selected to the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team following the 2023 MLS season, and the midfielder made his senior men’s national team debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2021, scoring the game-winning goal, his first goal in an international game.
Bassett has continued his strong performance this season, emerging as one of the Rapids’ best players, starting all 15 of the Rapids’ games so far and setting new career highs in goals and assists.
The Littleton native has 24 goals and 14 assists in his MLS career and could be in Marko Mitrovic’s final squad for Paris. The squad is limited to players 23 and under, with three overage players allowed. The head coach has named 25 players for the exhibition, with Nashville’s Walker Zimmerman being the only overage player. The U.S. team can only call up 18 players for Paris, three of which could be overage, so Bassett will need to step up and help the team out.
Rapids defender Moise Bonvito has also been called up to Canada’s Olympic preparation squad.
